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Full text of "History of Schoharie county and border wars of New York : containing also a sketch of the causes which led to the American revolution ; and interesting memoranda of the Mohawk valley ; together with much other historical and miscellaneous matter, never before published ; illustrated with more than thirty engravings"

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Ctbrarii 
Hnmrratlg  of  jputfibitrgli 

Darlington  Memorial  Library 

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Entered  according  to  an  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1845,  by 

JEPTHA  R.  SIMMS, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Northern  District  of  New  York. 


TO  THE  YOUNG  MEN  OF  THE 

SCHOHARIE  AND  MOHAWK  VALLEYS, 

Classic  Grounds  for  the  Antiquarian, 

This  volume  is  respectfully  dedicated.  And 
should  the  young  be  interested  in  its  perusal,  and 
its  scenes  of  blood  tend  to  increase  their  love  of 
country  and  hatred  of  tyranny  inspiring  them  with 
gratitude  towards  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution, — 
a  spirit  to  emulate  their  daring  deeds,  and  a  desire 
to  become  familiar,  not  only  with  the  stirring  events 
which  have  been  enacted  near  their  own  domestic 
altars,  but  a  perfect  history  of  their  whole  country — 
her  institutions  and  the  manner  of  preserving  them ; 
then  will  his  desired  reward  be  attained. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


Comparatively  few  persons  ever  read  the  'preface  of  a  book, 
although  every  one  should  who  would  peruse  the  contents  of 
the  latter  understandingly :  for  as  a  door  serves  us  to  enter 
the  dwelling  of  our  neighbor,  so  a  preface  is  given  by  the 
writer  of  a  volume  as  its  entrance.  That  individual  who  does 
not  read  what  an  author  says  of  his  own  book,  can  never  fully 
appreciate  its  merits  or  demerits.  Says  Phillips  in  his  Million 
of  Facts:  "Let  us  garner  up  our  notices  of  past  ages,  and 
preserve  them  in  the  archives  of  the  country :  we  shall  please 
and  instruct  ourselves  by  so  doing,  and  make  posterity  lasting- 
ly indebted  to  us  for  the  deed.  To  transmit  the  honors  of  one 
age  to  another  is  our  duty ;  to  neglect  the  merits  of  our  fathers 
is  a  disgrace."  Actuated  by  corresponding  motives,  I  com- 
menced collecting  historic  matter  in  1837,  with  the  view  of 
making  it  public. 

From  the  lips  of  many  hoary-headed  persons  of  intelHgence 
then  living,  whom  I  visited  at  their  dwellings  at  no  little  sa- 
crifice of  time,  the  matter  presented  in  the  following  pages  was 
taken  down ;  which  individuals  could  say  of  numerous  impor- 
tant transactions — 

I  was  an  actor  in,  or  I  witnessed  them. 

The  collection  of  materials  for  this   volume  began  just  before 
it  was  publicly  announced,  that  Col.  Stone's  forthcoming  Lfe 


VI  PREFACE. 

of  Brant  would  serve  up  many  border  transactions,  but  rightly 
conjecturing  that  not  a  few  would  escape  that  writer's  notice,  par- 
ticularly of  a  personal  character,  which  might  prove  highly  in- 
teresting to  the  general  reader,  I  continued  my  gleanings;  with 
what  success  the  following  pages  will  show.  This  volume  does 
not  profess  to  contain  a  detailed  narrative  of  all  the  tragic  scenes 
enacted  on  the  frontiers  of  New  York;  for  the  reader  is  aware 
that  several  large  books  filled  with  such  matter  have  already 
been  published.  I  have  aimed,  therefore,  to  present  incidents 
which  have  escaped  the  knowlege  of  previous  writers,  or  trans- 
actions to  which  I  could  add  new  facts,  generally  noticing  in 
their  place,  however,  the  most  important  events  published  by 
other  authors. 

When  writers  are  obliged  to  rely  principally  on  oral  testi- 
mony for  what  they  publish,  they  are  liable,  from  the  treachery 
of  memory  in  some,  and  the  fondness  for  the  marvelous  in  others, 
to  imposition,  to  be  practised  in  turn  upon  their  readers.  Aware 
of  this,  in  matters  of  importance  I  have  principally  confined  my 
inquiries  to  individuals  sustaining  a  character  of  conscientious 
regard  for  the  truth.  More  than  this,  I  have  had  the  same 
stories  related  by  as  many  different  persons  as  possible,  often 
strangers  to  each  other ;  and  then,  on  carefully  examining  their 
testimony,  have  been  enabled  to  arrive,  as  I  believe,  very  sa- 
tisfactorily at  the  truth.  These  antiquarian  researches  should 
have  been  made  at  an  earlier  day,  but  the  stale  maxim,  "  better 
late  than  never,"  will  surely  hold  good  in  this  instance  if  any. 

When  I  commenced  collecting  materials  for  this  work,  T  had 
not  designed  to  make  it  so  extended,  but  incidents  of  real  in- 
terest coming  to  my  knowledge,  which  transpired  in  sections 
remote  from  the  Schoharie  settlements,  where  those  researches 
began;  I   resolved  to  enlarge  it  so   as   to  garner   up  as  many 


PREFACE.  VU 

unpublished  events  as  possible,  particularly  of  the  Revolution; 
in  pursuance  of  which  plan  I  visited  not  a  few  aged  persons 
in  the  Mohawk  valley.  To  render  the  book  generally  useful, 
believing  it  would  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  who  might  never 
read  an  elaborate  history  of  the  American  Revolution,  I  con- 
cluded to  incorporate  from  the  most  authentic  sources,  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  principal  causes  which  brought  about  that  Revo- 
lution, adding  to  it  the  Declaration  of  our  Independence,  a  do- 
cument, which,  though  now  in  the  possession  of  comparatively 
few,  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  American  citizen. 

Since  the  subject  matter  of  the  volume  has  taken  a  wider 
range  than  was  at  first  anticipated  —  in  truth,  not  a  few  novel 
and  important  facts  have  come  to  hand  since  a  prospectus  was 
issued  for  it,  the  author  has  thought  seriously  of  changing  the 
title  because  too  local ;  but  as  often  has  the  question  of  the  poet 
arisen  —  "What's  in  a  name?"  and  not  fastening  on  anyone 
more  satisfactory,  it  has  been  retained.  That  portions  of  the 
volume  may  be  found  obnoxious  to  criticism,  I  do  not  doubt,  as 
it  has  mostly  been  written  in  the  midst  of  the  family  circle  and 
domestic  cares.  Indeed,  had  it  been  penned  under  more  favor- 
able auspices,  I  am  not  quite  certain  it  would  have  been  pro- 
nounced a  very  classic  production;  for,  having  been  bred  be- 
hind a  counter,  much  of  my  early  life  was  devoted  to  merchan- 
dising instead  of  letters.  A  friend  who  has  often  seen  me  in 
my  studio,  surrounded  by  my  family,  has  wittily  suggested  the 
propriety,  not  inaptly  I  must  confess,  of  dating  this  volume  in 
the  kitchen,  and  dedicating  it  to  my  better-half. 

The  reader  may  expect  to  discover  some  little  repetition,  and 
a  want  of  smoothness  and  harmony  in  its  parts,  since  portions 
of  this  work  have  been  added  as  new  light  has  been  cast  upon 
tlicm,  long  after  others  were  written :   besides,  some  of  it  has 


Vm  PREFACE. 

undergone  a  hasty  abridgement  to  bring  it  within  the  volume, 
which  now  by  far  exceeds  its  intended  limits.  Care  has  been 
taken  to  correct  several  errors  into  which  previous  writers  have 
fallen,  from  their  not  sufficiently  authenticating  what  they  publish- 
ed ;  and  it  is  very  possible  with  all  my  pains-taking,  that  I  have 
fallen  into  some.  If  an  essential  one  should  become  apparent 
to  any  reader,  he  will  comer  a  favor  on  the  author  by  pointing 
it  out ;  as  also  he  will  by  transmitting  ancient  writings,  or  in- 
teresting unpublished  facts  to  his  address.  A  true  history  of  the 
Revolution  cannot  be  written  until  the  epitaphs  of  all  the  actors 
in  that  great  struggle  for  civil  liberty  shall  have  become  moss- 
bound  ;  for  as  the  several  parts  of  a  body  serve  to  make  up  its 
whole,  I  conceive  it  necessary  to  bring  together  those  scattered 
parts  before  it  can  be  pronounced  complete.  Frequently  do 
historic  facts  spring  into  life  on  the  death  of  a  scarred  veteran, 
when,  perhaps,  for  the  first  time  his  old  papers  fall  under  the 
observation  of  individuals  who  can  appreciate  their  worth. 

Although  apprised  by  some  of  my  pioneers  in  book-making 
that  local  histories  soldom  quit  cost,  and  urged  by  timid  friends 
long  since  to  abandon  the  whole  enterprise,  still  I  have  perse- 
vered in  presenting  the  volume,  such  as  it  is,  to  the  public, 
feehng  conscious,  whether  deceiving  myself  or  not,  that  I  was 
discharging  a  duty  I  owed  my  country ;  and  if  I  have  brought 
into  the  general  store-house  any  new  materials  for  the  future 
historian,  then  has  my  labor  not  been  in  vain.  That  portions 
of  matter  in  the  following  pages  may  be  thought  by  some  readers 
of  too  little  importance  to  merit  a  place;  or  that  other  passages 
are  too  minutely  detailed  —  too  prolix  to  suit  fastidious  tastes, 
I  do  not  doubt.  What  pleases  one  will  not  always  please  an- 
other, and  that  which  some  readers  would  be  most  desirous  to 
retain,  would  possibly  be  the  first  rejected  by  others.     The  mi- 


PREFACE.  IX 

nuteness  with  which  our  countrymen  Stephens,  Brooks,  Clark 
and  other  gifted  writers  have  described  what  they  saw  and  felt, 
is  the  charm  which  renders  their  writings  peculiarly  acceptable 
to  most  readers.  As  seasoning  in  food  renders  it  more  agree- 
able to  the  palate,  so  small  incidents,  trivial  in  themselves,  if  not 
tedious,  may  give  zest  to  a  published  event. 

I  would  here  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  all  such  per- 
sons as  have  in  any  manner  aided  me,  by  communicating  in- 
formation either  by  letter  or  otherwise;  and  while  I  do  so, 
take  pleasure  in  expressing  my  especial  obligations  to  my  friends, 
Mr.  Allen  V.  Lesley,  a  young  gentlemen  of  much  promise, 
who  sketched  with  accuracy  the  principal  views  with  which 
the  volume  is  embellished;  to  my  engravers,  particularly  to 
Messrs.  V.  Balch  and  E.  Forbes,  who  have  done  most  of  the 
engraving,  for  the  skillful  manner  in  which  they  have  executed 
their  trust,  and  to  the  Rev.  John  M.  Van  Buren  for  taking 
some  pains  unsolicited,  to  bring  the  work  into  favorable  notice. 
So  much  imposition  has  of  late  been  practised  in  the  sale  of 
books  by  subscription,  that  I  should  not  forget  to  signify  my 
gratitude  to  those  who  have  conditionally  agreed  to  purchase 
this  book,  as  they  have  secured  to  me  the  means  of  its  publication. 

Persons  of  little  reading  are  incredulous  when  told  that  in- 
teresting facts  of  by-gone  days  remain  unpublished,  but  my  in- 
vestigations have  been  sufficient  to  satisfy  me,  that  thrilling  in- 
cidents of  an  unique  character  may  yet  be  brought  to  light,  and 
I  cannot  refrain  from  indulging  a  hope,  that  other  writers  will 
enter  the  field  to  glean  where  yet  they  may.  And  now,  in 
closing  my  introduction  and  offering  this  humble  effort  to  the 
public,  to  seek  its  share  of  popular  favor,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
observing,  that  I  am  induced  to  do  it,  more  from  a  desire  to  be- 
come useful  than  conspicuous. 

J.  R.  SIMMS. 

Fultonville,  JV.  Y. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Origin  and  signification  of  Schoharie — Schoharie  trihe  of  Indians,  liovv  formed 
and  distin2;uishcd — Location  of  Mohawk  Castles — Indinn  Confederacy  of 
New  York  and  policy  of  the  Albanians — Course  of  the  Confederates  in  the 
Revolution — Arts  of  the  aborigines— Mysterious  pit— Indian  customs  and 
■worship — Proper  use  of  tobacco — Indian  villages — Residence  of  Karighon- 
dontee — Indian  Castle  at  the  Wilder-Hook — Indian  name  of  mountains — ' 
Number  of  Schoharie  Indians — Their  coat  of  arms — Their  footpaths — 
North  America  peopled  by  relision — Policy  of  Queen  Anne  towards  Ger- 
man emigrants — Schoharie  settled  by  Germans — Their  passage  from  Eu- 
rope— Encamp  on  the  Hudson — Arrive  at  Albanj- — Distinction  between 
German  and  Dutch — Messengers  sent  to  Schoharie — Party  remove  tliither — 
Incidents  on  the  way — Origin  of  the  word  Helleberg — Location  of  Schoha- 
rie settlers — Their  names — Probable  number.        -        -        -        Fage  21 

CHAPTER  IL 
Poverty  of  Schoharie  Germans — Birth  of  four  children — First  wheat  sown 
in  Schoharie — Milling  done  at  Scheneclada — Industry  and  Bravery  of  the 
women— Physicians  and  Ministers — First  horse— Settlement  in  Vrooman's 
Land — Indian  titles  at  that  place — Murder  of  Truax — Its  object  how  re- 
vealed— Arrival  of  Bayaril — Nature  of  his  visit  mistaken — Attempts  to 
capture  him — He  escapes  to  Schenectada — Schoharie  lands  sold  at  Albany 
to  seven  partners — Foot  race  at  Weiser's  dorf — Battle  between  Captain 
Hartman  and  his  Indian  neighbors — Puts  a  spell  upon  their  guns — Smoking 
of  the  calumet — SherilT  Adams  arrives  at  Weiser's  dorf — Rides  upon  a 
rail — Returns  to  Albany— Delegates  sent  from  Albany  to  England— Are 
committed  to  the  Tower — Their  return  home — Weiscr  and  others  remove 
to  Pennsylvania — Origin  of  Cook-house — Horses  return  to  Schoharie — In- 
stances of  brute  instinct — Justice  Garlock  removes  to  the  IMohawk  valley — 
Evidence  of  his  justice. 51 

CHAPTER  HI. 
Ancient  apple  trees — First  grist-mill  in  Schoharie  county — Cobel's  mills — In- 
dian name  of  Cobelskill — Old  mill-stone — Introduction  of  bolting  cloths — 
Schoharie  fashions — Profitable  women — Buttons — Dandies — Long  beards — 
First  cider  made  in  the  county — •First  wheel-wright — First  German  school 
in  America — Schools  in  Schoharie — First  black-smith  in  Schoharie — Do- 
mestic  beer — Dutch  pride  and  prejudice — Introduction  of  slaves  and  their 
treatment — Farming  utensils — Mode  of  threshiii?  with  horses — Shoe- 
makers— Tailors — Hatters — Abundance  of  fish — How  exterminated — Wild 
animals — A  German  killed  by  a  bear — 'Anecdote  of  the  bear-catcher — A 
bear  killed  by  a  German — Hunt  on  Fox's  creek — A  tartar  causht — Promi- 
nent hills  cast  of  Middleburgh — A  panther  stor^- — Beavers  and  their  damf — 
Doct.  Moultcr  kills  a  wild-cat— First  distillery  in  Schoharie— Fate  of  its 
owner — An  Indian  shoots  six  deer  with  arrows — Rattle  snakes — How  de- 
stroyed— Indian  courtship — Schoharie  Indians  sell  lands — Ancient  bond — 
Purchases  of  Indians  how  legalized — Royal  permit  to  purchase  of  Indians — 


XU  CONTENTS. 

Sale  of  lands  in  New  Dorlach — Reservations  to  government — Sales  made 
in  presence  of  Sir  William  Johnson — Certificate  of  Thomas  Bradstreet — 
Certificate  of  Mayor  of  Albany  respecting  sale  of  slaves — The  King's 
highways,  how  obstructed — First  merchant  in  Schoharie — Anecdote  of  his 
marriage — His  portrait — The  second  merchant — His  will — A  cannon,  to 
whom  presented  and  when  used — Origin  of  Punchkill — Anecdote  of  John 
J.  Lawyer — Liquor  drank  at  funerals — Indian  murders — Savage  act  of  a 
father — An  Indian  marries  his  prisoner.        ....  Page  79 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Groat  family  settle  in  the  Mohawk  valley — Erect  a  grist-mill — Highland 
troops  arrive  at  Fort  Johnson — Lewis  Groat  captured  in  the  French  war — 
Incidents  on  his  way  to  Canada — His  return  home — Murder  of  Mrs.  Van 
Alstyne  and  captivity  of  her  daughter — Sir  William  Johnson — His  birth — 
Is  agent  for  Sir  Peter  Warren — Establishes  himself  at  Warren's  Bush — 
Becomes  an  Indian  agent  for  the  British  government — Obtains  a  house- 
keeper— His  marriages — Is  created  a  Baronet — Erects  Fort  Johnson — 
Builds  mansions  for  "his  sons-in-law — Removes  to  Johnson  Hall — Sir  John 
Johnson — His  marriage  and  subsequent  conduct — Sir  William's  death — Guy 
Johnson  succeeds  him  as  Indian  agent — Johnson  mansions  by  whom  occu- 
pied in  the  Revolution — Their  confiscation — Commissioners  for  selling  con- 
fiscated personal  property  in  Tryon  county — Confidential  slave  of  Sir  John 
Johnson — His  recovery — Sale  of  Johnson  Hall — Spook  stories — Sir  William 
Johnson  a  great  land-holder — His  fondness  for  women — Lives  with  Molly 
Brant — Pleasing  anecdotes  of  the  Baronet — Notices  of  him  from  the  Gen- 
tleman's Magazine — His  coffin  made  into  bullets — P'ace  of  his  burial — His 
portrait — Old  King  Hendrick — Dreams  with  Sir  William  Johnson — Com- 
missioners of  the  colonies  and  Chiefs  of  the  Six  Nations  meet  at  Albany — 
Speeches  of  Hendrick  and  other  chiefs — Capt.  John  Scott  erects  Fort  Hunt- 
er— Queen  Anne's  Chapel  and  Parsonage — Indian  war  dan/es,  how  ob- 
served at  Lower  Mohawk  Castle — Rev.  John  Stuart  removes  to  Canada — 
Sells  a  slave — Scott's  Patent — Marriage  of  Ann  Scott — An  Irish  colony — 
Jelles  Fonda  an  early  tradesman  on  the  Mohawk — A  match  at  boxing — 
Smoking  at  funerals — Boating  on  the  river — Names  of  rapids — Little 
Falls — Gen.  Schuyler  constructs  inland  Locks — Evidence  of  his  prudence — 
Durham  boats  on  the  river — Difficulties  to  encounter — Accidents — First 
bridges  in  the  Mohawk  valley — Early  merchants  at  Canajoharie — A  duel — 
The  Yankee  Pass — Caughnawaga  Church — Indians  obtain  a  church  bell  at 
the  Upper  Mohawk  Castle — Location  of  Forts  Herkimer,  Dayton  and 
Plain — Land  speculations — Tragic  adventure  at  the  Devil's  Hole — Ancient 
tax-lists — Large  bill  of  rum — First  Court  held  in  Tryon  county — Herkimer 
county  organized — Public  punishment — Changes  in  Western  N.  York.    105 

CEIAPTER  V. 
Strength  of  the  Vrooman  family — A  load  of  wheat — Women  go  to  market 
and  work  in  the  field — Dutch  fondness  for  horses — Feats  of  strength — Trial 
of  strength  and  speed — Charitable  act  of  Miss  Vrooman — Weddings  how 
celebrated — Gills  to  intended  brides — Horning  at  weddings — Playing  cards — 
Fiddlers — Frolicking — Female  ball  dress — Dancing  fifty  years  ago — Anec- 
dote of  Judge  Brown — Supawn  how  eaten — Dutch  eat  their  plates — New 
Year's  day  how  observed — Christmas,  Paas  and  Pinkster — Early  farming — 
Dutch  butter — Soiir-crout  how  made — Dutch  dishes — More  witchcraft — 
How  to  get  rid  of  rats — Schoharie  invaded  in  the  French  war — An  Indian 
treaty — A  jubilee — Riding  on  horseback — Sparking — Why  Americans  de- 
generate— First  Schoharie  tea-party — Causes  of  the  American  Revolution — 
Ignorance  of  the  British  ministry — Opposers  of  British  tyranny — Freedom 
of  opinion  by  whom  established — English  policy  for  raising  a  revenue — 
Debt  of  Enu'land — Tax  imposed — Gov.  Bernard  issues  a  pamphlet — Stamp 
duties — Vireinian  boldness — Franklin  in  England — Perseverance  of  Gren- 
ville — Barre's  reply  to  Townsend — Sayings  of  Franklin — Friends  of  Stamp 
Act  how  treated — Virginia  resolves — Continental  Congress — Death  and  re- 
surrection of  liberty — Sons  of  liberty — Patriotic  ladies — Speech  of  Pitt — 


CONTENTS.  XUl 

Franklin  interrogated— Repeal  of  Stamp  Act — Popularity  of  Gov.  Ber- 
nard— Domestic  looms  resumed — India  tea  rejected — British  troops  sent  to 
New  York  and  Boston— Dickinson's  Essays— Gov.  Bernard  returns  to  Eng- 
land— Convention  at  Annapolis — Troops  at  Boston  fire  on  the  citizens — 
Event  how  celebrated — Extract  from  Dr.  Warren's  Oration— Tax  on  tea 
retained. Page  155 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  contest  approaches— Burning  of  the  Gaspee — Gold  versus  liberty — Predic- 
tion of  Patrick  Henry— Espionage  of  Gov.  Hutchinson — Town  Committees 
organized — Franklin  sends  home  letters — East  India  Company  in  trouble — 
It  sends  tea  to  America — Its  destruction  at  Boston — Unwise  acts  of  the 
British  government — Predictions  of  Gov.  Johnson  and  Gen.  Conway — Just 
views  of  Bishop  Shipley— Effect  of  Boston  Port-Bill- Call  for  a  Congress- 
Patriotic  mottos — Proceedings  of  Congress — Allan's  comment  on  the  abili- 
ty of  that  Body — Warm  discussions  in  Parliament — Speech  of  Lord  Chat- 
ham— Expedient  of  Lord  North- Origin  of  the  terms  Tory  and  Whig — 
Cod-fishing  prohibited— Battle  of  Lexington— Its  effect  on_  the  country 
around — Capture  of  the  northern  military  posts — Ethan  Allen's  authority — 
Preparations  for  war — Washinston  is  appointed  to  command  the  army — 
Battle  of  Bunker's  Hill— Death^of  Warren— Anecdotes  of  the  battle— Ar- 
rival of  Washington — Proceedings  of  Congress — Post-office  established — 
Gov.  Penn  interrogated  by  the  House  of  Lords — Hessian  troops  employed — 
American  flag — Colonial  Governors — Boston  evacuated — Defence  of  Fort 
Moultrie — Intrepidity  of  Jasper  and  McDonald— Their  dying  words — Ar- 
gument for  education — Mrs.  Elliot — Story  of  Jasper  and  Newton — Com- 
missioners  sent  to  Canada — Declaration  of  American  Independence.       182 

CHAPTER  VH. 
Committees  formed  in  frontier  settlements — Indian  treaty  in  Schoharie — Bra. 
kabeen  Castle — Contagious  disease — Schoharie  Indians  go  to  Canada — 
Death  of  granny  Warree — A  matricide — Schoharie  Council  of  Safety— Ball 
family  divided  in  politics — Organization  of  Schoharie  militia — Resolution 
of  New  York  Committee  of  Safely — Oath  of  allegiance — Record  of  Judge 
Swart— His  personal  services— Chairman  Ball's  sons  perform  extra  labor — 
Accident  on  the  Hudson — Anecdotes  of  Ball — Attempt  to  take  his  life — 
Character  of  Col.  Vrooman— Attempt  to  capture  him— Designs  upon  Wash- 
ington— Commissioners  sent  to  France — Events  of  177G — Anecdote  of  a 
piquet  guard — Washington's  retreat  from  Long  Island — Battles  of  Trenton 
and  Princeton — Sufferings  of  Washington's  army — His  remarks  to  Colonel 
Reed — A  singular  requisition — Plan  of  the  enemy  for  1777 — Arrest  of  Col. 
Huetson — Tories  in  Schoharie — Brant  at  Unadilla — Interview  between  Gen. 
Herkimer  and  Brant— Affidavit  of  Col.  Harper— Particulars  of  the  inter- 
view from  Joseph  Wagner — False  impression  of  Herkimer's  character  cor- 
rected— Harpersfield  exposed — Cherry  Valley  threatened — Rangers  to  be 
raised— Letter  from  Chairman  Ball  to  New  York  Congress— Reply  of  that 
Body — They  write  to  the  Albany  Committee — Geographical  ignorance  of 
State  Council — Frontier  how  protected — Albany  Committee  write  General 
Schuyler — Same  Body  censure  New  York  Council— Schuyler  writes  Alba- 
ny Committee — His  apprehensions — New  Y'ork  Council  of  safety  write  Al- 
bany Committee,  evincing  warmth — Girls  murdered  at  Fort  Schuyler — 
Glance  at  the  enemy's  movements — Letter  from  Albany  Committee  to  New 
York  Council — Schuyler  to  same  Body— Schoharie  messenger — New  Y'ork 
Council  to  Gov.  Clinton — Albany  Committee  write  the  Council — Clinton's 
letters  ordering  troops  to  Schoharie. 206 

CHAPTER  Vni. 
McDonald  invades  Schoharie — Patriotism  of  Henry  Hager — Messengers  dis- 
patched to  Albany — Col.  Harper  visits  Schohaiie — Starts  for  Albany — Is 
visited  in  the  nieht — Next  day  is  pursued  by  Indians — Escapes  from  them 
and  reaches  Albany— Notice  of  his  arrival— New  York  Council  forward 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

letters  to  Col.  Pawling — Harper  obtains  a  company  of  Cavalry — Captain 
Mann  how  concealed — Barracks  how  constructed — Troops  halt  at  isny- 
der's — Effect  of  music — Death  of  an  Indian — Novel  continement — Madam 
iStaats — Battle  of  the  Flocke)' — Citizens  accompany  McDonald  in  his 
flight — Concealment  and  surrender  of  Capt.  Mann — Chairman  Ball  to  Scho- 
harie Committee — Mann's  property  not  confiscated — Col.  Harper  writes 
Council  of  Safety — Reply  of  that  Body — Extract  from  Journal — Commis- 
sioners of  Tryon  county  how  instructed  by  New  York  Council — Remarks 
of  Rev.  Daniel  Gros — Expedition  to  Norman's-kill — Advertisement  ,by 
Chairman  Bail — Citizens  of  Schoharie  transport  provisions  to  Stillwater — 
Anecdote  of  the  Patroon — New  Dorlach — Money  buried  in  Albany — Bur- 
goyne's  surrender  how  celebrated  in  Albany— Anecdote  of  Evert  Yates — 
Incident  of  the  French  war — A  spy  in  Burgoyne's  camp — Death  of  Gen. 
Fi-aser — By  whom  killed— Retreat  of  Burgoyne  how  cut  off — Anecdote  to 
show  skill  of  Morgan's  riflemen — Anecdotes  of  the  Oriskany  battle — Death 
of  Gen.  Herkimer — Indians  in  a  cellar — Corps  of  Invalids — British  enter 
Philadelphia — Sufferings  of  the  American  army  at  Valley  Forge — Anec- 
dote of  Washington — Acts  of  Gov.  Tryon — Arrival  of  Lafayette — Con- 
spiracy against  Washington — A  female  spy  and  Maj.  Tallmadge — Scho- 
harie Forts  when  and  how  constructed.        ....        Page  237 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Interesting  incidents  now  lost — Fortune  how  fickle — Last  effort  of  Chatham — 
Acts  of  Parliment  rejected — Treaty  with  France — Its  effects — Settlement 
on  Cobelskill — Organize  a  militia  company — Lieut.  Borst  shoots  an  In- 
dian— Cobelskill  battle— Death  of  Capt.  Patrick— Names  of  Cobelskill  mi- 
litia engaged — Escape  of  Belknap — Escape  of  Henry  Shafer — Burial  of 
the  dead — Subsequent  celebration — Designs  on  Cherry  Valley  how  thwart- 
ed— Destruction  of  Wyoming — Dastardly  act  of  a  Tory — Invasion  of  the 
German  Flats — Walter  Butler  imprisoned — Escapes  and  leads  the  enemy 
to  Cherry  Valley — Pleasing  anecdote  of  Brant — England  declares  war 
against  France— Battle  of  Monmouth— Capt.  Molly— Col.  William  Butler 
goes  to  Schoharie — Heroic  Soldiers — Fate  of  a  Scout — Capt.  Long  inter- 
cepts and  kills  Capt.  Smith — Death  of  Christopher  Service — His  confisca- 
ted property  recovered — His  remains  how  honored — Lower  Fort  garri- 
soned— Col.  Butler  destroys  Indian  towns  on  the  Susquehanna — Col.  Du- 
boise  winters  in  Schoharie — Gerard  arrives  in  the  States  as  Minister  from 
France — Dr.  Franklin  goes  to  France  as  American  Minister — Price  of  Am- 
erican scalps — British  possess  Georgia — Washington's  winter  quarters — 
Jay  chosen  President  of  Congress. 272 

CHAPTER  X. 
Captivity  of  Cowley  and  Sawyer — Escape  from  their  enemies  and  return  to 
Schoharie — Murder  of  Durham  and  his  wife — Capt.  Hager  on  the  Dela- 
ware— Mohawk  river  settlements  invaded — Anecdote  of  Cornplanter  and 
his  Father — Contemplated  invasion  of  the  Indian  settlements — Execution 
of  Hare  and  Newbury — Signification  of  Caughnawaga — Arrest  of  the 
Spies — Burial  of  Hare — Clinton's  army  at  Cooperstown — Moves  down  the 
creek — Industry  of  Beavers — Death  of  a  Deserter — Anecdotes  of  Colonel 
Rigne — Col.  Butler  leaves  Schoharie — The  Boyd  family — Lieut.  Boyd  and 
his  sweet-heart — She  invokes  a  Curse  upon  him — Marriage  of  her  Daugh- 
ter— Elerson  surprised  by  Indians — Kills  one  and  escapes — Brown's  Mills 
why  not  burned — His  house  plundered  while  he  is  in  it — A  wedding — Source 
of  water  how  discovered — Anecdote  of  a  Sentinel  ina  tree — Battle  of  New- 
town— Sullivan's  signal  guns — Rescue  of  a  Prisoner  made  at  Wyoming — 
Destruction  of  Indian  property — A  Child  found — Its  Death — Scout  under 
Lieut.  Boyd — Death  of  an  Oneida — Two  of  Boyd's  party  set  out  for  the 
Camp — Murphy  shoots  an  Indian — Scout  surrounded  by  the  Enem) — Cap- 
ture of  Boyd  and  Parker — Escape  of  Murphy  and  two  others — Death  of 
Boyd  and  "Comrade — Fate  of  Han-Yerry — Indians  die  of  Scurvy — Justice 
to  Boyd's  memory — Schools  in  the  Revolution — Delegates  fiom  Tryon 
County  to  State  Convention— Invasion  of  Ballston — Capture  of  Col.  Gor- 


CONTENTS.  XV 

don — He  escapes  with  others  and  returns  home— Command  of  Col.  Fish- 
er—  Capt.  Fonda  shoots  a  deserter — Is  tried  and  acquitted —Jolin  Jay  sent 
as  Minister  to  Spain— Attaclv  of  the  Americans  and  French  on  Savannah — 
Death  of  Count  Puiasiii— Gov.  Tryon  burns  several  towns  in  Connecticut — 
Sloney  Point  stormed  by  Wayne— Acts  of  Paul  Jones— Winter  quarters  of 
Gen.  Washington  and  sufferings  of  liis  army.         -         •         •         Page  291 

CHAPTER  XT. 

The  enemy  moving— Death  of  a  Tory  named  Cuck— Imprisonment  of  Van 
Zuyler  — Su!:ar  makers  frightened  — Lieut,  iiarper  and  friends  captured  by 
Brant  at  Ilarperslield— Harper  saves  the  Schoharie  seitiements  by  duplici- 
ty—Tory consultation— Harper's  word  doubted— March  begun — Harper 
confronted  by  a  Tory— Murder  of  an  aged  prisoner  — Efficacy  of  rattle- 
snake soup— Enterprise  to  Minisink  — Sclioharie  captives  in  danger  of  be- 
ing murdered — Are  saved  by  an  Indian  who  escaped  from  Van  Campen — 
Party  feast  on  horse  flesh — Boast  of  Tories— Ashes  used  for  salt— A  run- 
ner sent  to  Niagara— Kind  object  of  Brant  in  forwarding  a  messenger- 
Running  the  mantlet — Prisoners  before  Col.  Butler— Price  of  American 
blood  in  Canada — Condition  of  prisoners  at  Chamblee— Attack  on  the  Sa- 
condasa  block-house— Letter  of  Col.  Fisher — Indians  pursued  and  killed 
by  Solomon  Woodworth  and  party— Public  officers  in  Schoharie  — Second 
invasion  of  Cherry  Valley  — Captivity  of  J\Io?es  Nelson  — Fort  Orange  re- 
built—Willet's  attempt  to  take  it  — Letters  to  Col.  Fisher  showing  an  ex- 
pected invasion— Enemy  enter  Johnstown— Murder  of  the  Putinans  and 
Stevens— Fate  of  two  Tories— Fisher  famil} — Troops  arrive  in  Johns- 
town—Death of  Capt.  Hanson — Signification  of  Ca-daugh-ri-ty— Course  of 
the  enemy — Attack  on  the  Fisher  dwelling— Fortunes  of  Col.  Fisher  and 
fate  of  his  brothers— Fonda  brothers— Sheriff  White  and  his  neighbors- 
Furniture  destroyed  in  Maj.  Fonda's  dwelling— Murder  of  Douw  Fonda — 
Pleasing  incident — Acts  of  the  party  under  Johnson— Escape  of  George 
Eacker— Johnson's  confidential  slave— Boys  liberated  near  Johnstown — 
Invaders  return  to  Canada— Escape  of  young  Hanson.         -         •         321 

CHAPTER  XH. 
Captivity  of  William  Hynds  and  family  at  New  Dorlach— An  Indian  attempts 
to  surprise  a  sentinel  at  the  Upper  Schoharie  Fort— Captivity  and  rescue 
of  William  Bouck  and  others  — Selh's  Henry  in  Vrooman's  Land  — Is  at  a 
spring— Resentment  of  the  Indian  William  — Indians  in  the  dwellings  of 
the  pioneers  — Captive  negroes  liberate  themselves— Attempt  to  capture 
Capt.  Richtmyer— Mohawk  valley  invaded— Schoharie  scout  fall  in  with 
the  enemy — Alarm  guns  how  fired — Brant  invades  Vrooman's  Land— Fate 
of  the  settlement- Character  of  Col.  Vrooman— Indian  grudge— Infant 
smiles  save  a  father— Escape  of  Pull-foot  Vrooman— Names  of  captives — 
Several  citizens  escape  in  a  wagon  — Number  of  houses  burnt  — Judge 
Swart's  horse  by  whom  rode— War-club  of  Seth's  Henry — Escape  of  the 
Hager  family— Old  gentleman  throttles  his  dog — His  capture  and  treat- 
ment—Burning of  Crysler's  mill — Mill-stone  recovered— Two  Tories  join 
the  enemy — Hager  family  reach  the  Fort— Burial  of  the  dead — Singular 
presentiment— Fate  of  the  Vrooman  infant- Brant  releases  part  of  the 
prisoners — Destructives  assemble  at  Oquago — Prisoners  divided — Boyd's 
scull— Lieut.  Vrooman  about  to  be  murdered — Henry  Hager  insulted — 
Efficacy  of  tobacco — Prisoners  run  the  gantlet- Attempt  to  lire  the  maga- 
zine at  Quebec — Negro  prisoners  adopt  the  Indian's  life — Loss  of  British 
ship  Seneca — Schoharie  prisoners  lodged  at  South  Rakela — Their  return 
home — Particulars  from  %vhom  derived.  .....         365 

CHAPTER  XIH. 
Romantic  courtship  and  marriage  of  Timothy  Murphy — The  bride's  first  in- 
terview with  her  mother — The  reconciliation— Duty  of  Rangers— Their 
music  when  on  a  scout— Dancing  at  the  Middle  Fort  — Rival  dance  of  the 
soldiers  — Ballston  settlement  invaded— Attempt  to  capture  Maj.  Mitchell — 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

Enterprise  of  Jo.  Bettys— Absence  of  a  Schoharie  scout  protracted — Sir 
John  Johnson  leaves  Isiagara  to  invade  the  frontiers  of  New  York — Names 
of  hills— Johnson's  army  discovered— A  pack  horse  taken— Torch  of  de- 
struction first  applied— Volunteers  meet  the  enemy — Daring  of  Murphy — 
Burning  of  Middleburgh  Church— Powder  how  sent  up  from  Lower  Fort — 
Volunteers  under  Capt.  Lansing— Escape  of  Elerson— Stand  made  by  the 
enemy— Mrs.  Richtmyer  frightened  to  death— How  to  start  a  bachelor — A 
flag  of  truce  how  attended— Is  fired  on  by  Murphy — Conduct  of  Major 
Woolsey— Surrenders  his  command  to  Col.  Vrooman— Firing  renewed — 
Loss  of  the  Americans — Wilbur  scalps  an  Indian — A  dead  Indian  is  found 
in  the  woods — Enemy  move  down  the  valley — Anxiety  at  the  Upper  Fort — 
A  heroine— Lower  Fort  how  garrisoned— Scout  from  that  Fort  meet  the 
enemy— Death  of  V?in  Wart— Fate  of  Anthony  Witner— Firing  heard  in 
Cobelskill— Preparations  to  defend  Lower  Fort— Salute  from  a  grass-hop- 
per— An  ancient  apple  tree — War's  beverage — A  presumptuous  Indian — 
Adventure  of  Enders— An  Indian  killed  at  a  well — Fate  of  a  deer — Mor- 
tar abandoned— A  Tory  arrives  at  the  Fort.         -         ;        -         Page  388 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Schoharie  militia  pursue  the  enemy— Schoharie  fires  seen  at  Fort  Hunter — 
Cadaughrity  destroyed — Enemy  encamp  near  the  Nose — Americans  encamp 
in  Florida— Battle  of  Stone  Arabia— Death  of  Col.  Brown— His  remains 
honored— Pleasing  anecdote  of  an  Indian  and  a  colt— Skirmish  near  St. 
Johnsville- Cowardly  conduct  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer— Climax  of  his 
management— Anecdote  of  Capt.  Vrooman — Willing  captives — Schoharie 
horses  recovered— Novel  manner  of  carrying  bread — Incidents  from  John 
Ostrom — Grain  how  saved  — Maj.  Woolsey  leaves  Schoharie — Death  of  a 
spy — Invasion  of  New  Dorlach — Death  of  Michael  Merckley  and  his  niece 
Catharine— Murder  of  John  France  and  providential  escape  of  his  brother 
Henry — Burial  of  the  dead— A  reason  for  Merckley's  death — Number  of 
buildings  burnt  in  Schoharie  county — Extract  of  a  letter  from  James  Madi- 
son—Continental money— Charleston  captured— Kniphausen  invades  New 
Jersey — Arrival  of  French  troops — Retreat  of  Gates  and  death  •f  DeKalb — 
Treachery  of  Benedict  Arnold. 421 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Mutiny  at  Head-Quarters — Erection  of  block-houses — Fort  Duboise — Cap- 
ture of  Jo.  Bettys  and  two  associates — Col.  Livingston's  regiment  in  the 
Mohawk  valley — Conduct  of  Maj.  Davis — His  death — Brant  surprises  a 
party  of  wood  choppers  near  Fort  Schuyler — Americans  pursue  and  recov- 
er shoe-buckles — Prisoners  go  through  the  manual  exercise  to  gratify 
Brant — Boys  captured  near  Fort  Herliimer — Invasion  of  Curry  Town — 
Escape  of  the  Tanner  family — Death  of  Jacob  Moyer  and  son— Prisoners 
made  in  the  settlement  — Capt.  Gros  sent  to  New  Dorlach— Discovers  the 
enemy's  trail  and  sends  word  to  Willet — Sharon  battle— American  loss  and 
death  of  Capt.  McKean— The  captive  Jacob  Dievcndorf— A  religious  meet- 
ing broken  up— Murder  of  Hofl'man  and  wife — Capture  of  William  Bouck 
and  other  citizens  of  Schoharie  in  a  wheat  field — Indians  eat  a  hedge-hog — 
Escape  of  Lawrence  Bouck  — Fare  of  prisoners  on  their  journey — Their 
return  home— Ulster  county  invaded— Troops  sent  to  Schoharie— Capture 
of  Lt.  Borst  an  1  others  in  Mynderl's  valley —  Death  of  Borst — Capt.  Wood- 
worth  and  company  surprised  on  West  Canada  creek  and  most  of  them 
killed — Incidents  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Dayton.  -         -         -         450 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Invasion  of  Maj.  Ross— Death  of  Myers  of  Curry  Town — Other  citizens 
captured — Village  of  Fultonville  — Escape  of  a  prisoner — Willet  pursues 
the  enemy — Battle  near  Johnson  Hall — Incidents  of  the  battle— Retreat  of 
Maj.  Ross— Manner  of  crossing  creeks— Death  of  Walter  Butler — Captiv- 
ity and  return  of  prisoners— Brant  again  invades  Vrooman's  Land  — Death 
of  Adam  Vrooman— Enemy  are  pursued— Fate  of  Richard  Haggidorn — 


CONTENTS.  XVU 

Murphy  fortune's  favorite— A  dead  Tory— Capt.  Hager  pursues  the  ene- 
my—A rtim-keg  how  guarded  — Hnltle  of  Lake  Utsayantho— Cowardly 
conduct  of  Capt.  Hale— An  incident  which  followed— Fruiliess  expedition 
of  several  Tories  — Unexpected  mettini;  of  Capt.  Eckler  and  Brant— For- 
mer escapes  by  (light -How  fonccaled— A  prisoner  captured  near  Fort 
Plank  — Escapes  in  the  night— Is  concealed  and  nearly  sullocated  in  a  log- 
Events  of  1781— Military  enterprises  in  the  Southern  Slates— Abortive  plan 
to  capture  Arnold  — Siege  of  York  Town  — Capture  of  Cornvvallis  and  his 
army— Event  how  ceiebraied— British  standards  to  whom  delivered  — Anec- 
dotes of  stealing  in  the  Revolution  — Arnold  destroys  New  London— Death 
of  Ledyard  and  Montgomery — Conduct  of  Col.  Gallup— Massacre  in  the 
Fort  and  attending  incidents— -A.necdoIe  of  a  petticoat.       -       -       Page  470 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Predatory  warfare  continued  in  1782 — Murder  of  the  Dietz  family— Captiv- 
ity of  Capt.  Dielz  and  the  Bryce  boys  — Captivity  of  McFee's  children- 
Character  of  Gen.  Herkimer  and  others- Murder  of  Adam  Vrooman— In- 
vasion of  Fox's  creek  — Murder  of  Young  Zimmer  and  capture  of  his 
brother— Death  of  a  Hessian— The  Becker  family— John  Becker  how 
killed  — Escape  of  Jacob  and  Wm.  Becker— Indians  discovered  by  boys — 
Attack  on  the  Becker  house— I^ccentricity  of  Shell— Attempt  to  fire  the 
building — Ingratitude  of  a  Tory— Capture  of  several  prisoners  — Novel 
torture— Virginian  spirit — A  Tory  wedding— Cobelskill  again  invaded — 
Several  citizens  killed  or  captured  — Capture  of  the  elder  George  Warner 
and  son  Nicholas— Escape  of  Joseph  Earner— Meat  how  cooked  and  divid- 
ed— Escape  of  Nicholas  Warner— Kind  treatment  of  George  Warner — 
Indian  reverence  of  a  Deity— Warner  returns  home  — Gen.  Washington  vi- 
sits  Schenectada  — Burning  of  that  place  by  the  French  and  Indians — Wash- 
ington's treatment  of  Col.  Fisher— His  letter  to  the  officers  of  Schenecta- 
da— Anecdote  of  his  visit— Murphy  takes  a  prisoner  who  escapes  with  his 
rifle- A  Tory  how  concealed— Anecdote  of  Murphy  and  his  cow— Notices 
of  Timothy  Murphy— Inscription  on  his  tomb-stone — Incident  at  Fort  Du- 
boise  and  death  of  a  calf. 490 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Ratification  of  Peace— Gen.  Washington  resigns  his  Commission — Lands  for- 
feited— Tories  return  to  the  States  and  boast  of  their  deeds — Indians  return 
to  Schoharie— Fate  of  Seth's  Henry— Attempt  to  kill  Abram— He  disap- 
pears at  a  Bee— Indians  become  alarmed — Beverages  drank  in  the  war — 
Incidents  in  the  life  of  Capt.  Eben  Williams — Conduct  of  Col.  Vose  in 
Gates'  campaign — Anecdote  of  Col.  Scammel— Gen.  Montgomery's  widow 
how  honored — Army  atBudd'sHuts — Duty  of  Col. Laurens  at  York  Town — 
Anecdote  of  an  Irish  Lieutenant— Incidents  of  the  siege— Officers  killed  in 
duels— Celebration  at  West  Point — Cincinnati  Societies  organized — Habits 
of  Capt.  Williams— Military  Journal  of  Maj.  Tallmadge— Incident  in  the 
river  Bronx — Tallmadge  commands  a  squadron  of  horse— Corresponds 
with  Washington— Loses  his  horse— Enterprise  against  Lloyd's  Neck — 
Surprise  and  capture  of  Fort  St.  George — "VVashington's  letter  respecting 
it — How  noticed  in  Congress- Capture  of  Fort  Slongo — Enterprises  how 
thwarted  — London  trade  an  incident  of— An  English  Sloop  captured  in  the 
Sound — Society  of  the  Cincinnati  how  organized — Spies  in  New  York  how 
protected — Order  in  which  the  Americans  entered  New  Y'ork  after  its  eva- 
cuation by  the  British— Last  interview  of  Gen.  Washington  and  his  offi- 
cers— Maj,  Tallmadge  returns  home — Marries  and  settles  for  life.     -     528 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Capt.  Thomas  Machin— Battle  of  Minden— The  Duke  of  Bridgewater's  Ca- 
nals— Machin  arrives  at  New  York — Locales  in  Boston — Is  one  of  Boston 
Tea  Party— Plans  fortifications  near  Boston- Is  sent  by  Gen.  Washington 
to  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson— Cooperates  wi'.h  Gen.  Clinton— Request 
of  Gen.  Schuyler — Putnam's  Rock — Council  of  Safety  recognize  acts  of 


XVm  CONTENTS. 

Capt.  Maohin — Orders  to  be  observed  by  artificers — Washington's  letter  to 
Gen.  Knox— Kingston  how  fortified — Correspondence  showing  the  prepara- 
tions making  to  receive  the  encm)' — jVIachin  a  recruiting  officer — Attack 
on  Fort  Montgomery— Death  of  Capt.  Milligan— Letters  of  Gov.  Clinton — 
Expense  of  Iron  used  in  obstructing  the  Hudson — Capt.  Machin  writes  N. 
York  Council  of  Safety— Officers  above  their  business— Letter  from  Gen. 
Parsons  about  fortifying  "West  Point— Col.  Hughes'  letter  respecting  cord- 
age—Gen. Clinton  wants  fish— Gov.  C!inton'sletterrelating  to  lead  mines — 
Gen.  Parsons  wants  timber— Capt.  Machin  writes  Gen.  McDougal  about 
river  chain — Gov.  Clinton  will  purchase  a  phaeton — He  certifies  to  the  acts 
of  Capt  Machin — Chain  of  what  iron  wrought— Statement  showing  who 
fortified  the  Highlands  and  obstructed  the  river — Letter  from  Doct.  Free- 
man-Letter from  Peter  Woodward — Machin's  private  expenses- Dis- 
burses large  sums  of  money— Importance  of  the  works— Importance  of  se- 
curing the  Hudson — Expedition  of  Col.  Van  Schaick  to  Onondaga — A 
plan  for  supplying  Albany  with  water- Machin  in  Sullivan's  expedition — 
Letters  from  Doct.  Young — Letters  from  Henry  Rutgers,  jr. — Death  of 
Kayingwaurto,  a  Seneca  Chief— Receipt  for  scalps — Capt.  Greg  and  his 
dog— Surrender  of  a  Wyoming  Fort— Table  of  distances  in  Western  New 
York— Letter  from  Gen.  Clinton— Cupid  in  the  camp — Letter  from  Henry 
Rutgers  respecting  sufferings  of  the  army — Doct.  Young  writes  on  the 
same  subject — Ezra  Patterson  writes  from  Fort  Pitt— Instructions  to  a 
Committee  of  Officers  sent  to  the  Legislature— Letter  from  Lt.  Bradford 
showing  condition  of  the  army— Capt.  Hubbell  wants  money — Difficulties 
attendant  on  recruiting  service— Capt.  Machin  at  York  Town — Maj.  Pop- 
ham  parts  with  his  sword — Letter  from  W.  Morris — ]\Iachin  about  to  mar- 
ry— Recruiting  orders  from  Gen.  Washington — Extract  from  Parker's  let- 
ter—Machin  is  slandered— A  messenger  sent  to  Boston— Machin  marries 
Miss  Van  Nostrand— Popularity  of  Machin— Gen.  Clinton  out  of  money — 
Correspondence  of  Joseph  Wliarton  respecting  lands  at  Cooperstown — 
Value  of  Western  lands — Letter  from  Gov.  Clinton  about  land— Machin 
settles  at  New  Grange — Order  of  Timothy  Pickerinc — Certificate  of  Gen. 
Clinton — Extent  of  Machin's  business — Great  copper-firm — Machin  re- 
moves to  Montgomery  county — His  patrons  and  friends — He  is  a  Freema- 
son— Obtains  a  pension — His  death. Page  550 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Schoharie  County  when  formed  and  how  bounded— Its  towns— New  era  in 
its  history — First  Attorneys— Neatness  of  Schoharie  women— Want  of 
taste  among  the  Germans  and  Dutch— Out  buildings  in  New  England  how 
adorned— Statistics  of  the  count}'- Schoharie  Judges— Lime-stone  and  fos- 
sils— The  county  interesting  to  Geologists — Turnpike  roads— Canajoharie 
and  Calskill  Rail-Road— Congressional  and  Senatorial  Districts— Sources 
and  outlet  of  the  Schoharie- Extent  and  formation  of  Schoharie  flats — 
Public  executions — Trial  of  Van  Aistyne — Establishment  and  history  of 
the  Lutheran  Church— Singular  incident  in  the  life  of  Domine  Sommer — 
Some  notice  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church — A  faithful  church  officer — 
Ministerial  fees — Churches  when  first  warmed — Tidingmen  and  their  au- 
thority— Blenheim — Statistics  of  the  town — Jacob  Sutherland  once  a  resi- 
dent—Statistics of  Broome— David  Elerson— How  he  obtains  a  carriage 
and  horses — 'His  death — David  Williams — Notice  of  Gen.  Shays — Indian 
war-path— Statistics  of  Carlisle— Town  by  whom  settled— Its  rocks  and 
caverns — Indian's  cave — Statistics  of  Cobelskil! — Incidents  in  the  life  of 
Gen.  Dana— Gen.  Wm.  Eaton — Anecdote  of  Gen.  Lcc — John  Redington — 
Monumental  inscriptions — Statistics  of  Conesville — Statistics  of  Fulton — 
Bouck's  Falls — Ex-Governor  Bouck — Abraham  A.  Keyscr — Statistics  of 
Jcflerson— Statistics  of  Middlcburh — The  Vlaie— County  Poor-house — 
Statistics  of  Schoharie— Indian  mound — Gebhard's  Cavern — Otsgaragee 
Cavern — Nethaway's  Cave — Schoharie  minerals — Monumental  inscrip- 
lion — Statistics  of  Seward — New  Dorlach— Monumental  inscription — Sta- 
tistics  of  Sharon — New  Rhinebeck — Sharon  Springs— Analysis  of  water — 
Rare  mineral — ThcPavilioa — Statistics  of  Summit — Lake  Ulsayantho.  601 


CONTENTS. 


XIX 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Ancestry  of  DaviJ  Williams — His  liiography — Capture  of  Mnj.  Andre — Cow 
boys — Courtship  of  Williams — How  lie  chancod  to  be  one  of  the  captors — 
The  object  of  the  captors'  expedition — Incidents  attending  the  arrest  of 
Andre — A  sin<:ular  dream — Cons^ress  how  apprised  of  Andre's  capture — 
Resolution  of  that  Body  on  the  subject — Marriage  of  Williams — He  parti- 
cipates in  a  celebration  at  New  York — How  honored — His  death — Obitua- 
ry notice  of  his  death — His  burial — Incidents  connected  with  the  arrest 
and  execution  of  Andre — Instructions  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton — Papers  found 
on  Andre's  person — Conduct  of  Col.  Jamieson — Extract  from  the  Journal 
of  Maj.  Tallmadc — Joshua  II.  Smith  is  suspected  and  tried — Board  con- 
vened to  try  Andre — .Manner  of  his  execution — Champe's  attempt  to  arrest 
Arnold — Capt.  Nathan  Hale — Bold  exploit  of  his — His  arrest  and  execu- 
tion— Confession  of  Cunningham — Fate  of  Andre  and  Hale  contrasted — 
Andre's  remains  taken  to  England — Character  of  Andre  over-rated — Proof 
of  his  character — His  poem  called  the  Cow-Chase — Somewhat  phophelic — 
Arnold  how  respected  in  England — An  acrostic  to  his  fame — Monuments  to 
Paulding  and  Van  Wart — Efforts  to  obtain  a  monument  for  Williams.     G4G 


INDEX 


TO  POST  OFFICES  IN  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 


.\rgusville, 

Barnerville, 

Blenheim, 

Brakabeen, 

Bynville, 

Carlisle, 

Central  Bridge,.. 
Charlotteville,... 

Cobelskill, 

Cobelskill  Centre, 

Conesvillc, 

Esperance, 

Franklinton, 

Fultonham, 

Gallupville 

Gardnersville, 

Gilboa, 

Hunters  Land,, . . 


Papc. 

Hyndsville, 642 

Jefferson, 630 

Lawyerville, 619 

Leesville, 643 

Livingstonville, 61.5 

Middleburgh, 630 

Mossville, 630 

North  Blenheim, 615 

Punchkill, 619 

Richmondville, 619 

Schoharie  Court  House, 632 

Sharon, 643 

Sharon  Centre, 643 

Sloansville, 632 

Smithton 615 

Summit  Four  Corners, 645 

Waldeasville, 632 


ERRATA. 

On  page  117,  under  cut,  instead  of  North  read  South  view.  It  is  the  view 
of  Guy  Park  as  seen  from  the  Erie  canal. 

On  page  182,  for  the  remotest  parts,  read  their  remotest  part. 

On  page  194,  for  fighting  a  just  cause,  read  fighting  in  a  just  cause.  On 
the  same  page,  for  messenger  of  death,  read  messengers  of  death. 

On  page  195,  fourth  line  from  top,  for  Bunker,  read  Yankee. 

On  page  374,  first  line,  after  neighbor  insert  a  comma. 

On  page  615,  under  post  offices  in  Broome,  for  Livingston,  read  Living' 
stonville. 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  border  wars  of  New  York,  in  the  great  struggle  with  Eng- 
land for  American  nationality,  originated  some  of  the  most  thrill- 
ing incidents  that  ever  did  or  ever  can  stamp  the  page  of  history. 
Many  of  those  transpired  in  that  part  of  Albany  county  now 
known  as  Schoharie;  while  events  of  no  less  interest  were  enact- 
ing in  Tryon,  and  other  frontier  counties.  Some  of  them  have 
already  been  published,  but  there  are  not  a  few,  especially  of 
those  which  occurred  in  the  Schoharie  settlements,  that  have 
either  not  been  presented  to  the  American  reader  at  all,  or  if  they 
have,  but  partially  and  inaccurately  so. 

Schoharie  is  the  present  name  of  a  county,  a  town,  a  village, 
and  a  river,  in  the  state  of  New  York.  The  geographical  posi- 
tion of  the  county,  its  division  into  towns,  &.C.,  will  be  given  in  a 
subsequent  chapter  of  this  work.  The  word  Schoharie,  is  abori- 
ginial.  and  signifies,  agreeable  to  published  definitions,  drijl,  or 
flood-ioood.  The  author  has  spared  no  little  pains  to  arrive  at  the 
origin  and  true  meaning  of  this  word.  The  word  Schoharie,  or 
the  word  from  which  that  was  derived,  when  originated,  not  only 
signified  /7oofi?-ti'ooc?,  but  a  certain  body  of  flood-wood.  At  a  dis- 
tance of  about  half  a  mile  above  the  bridge  which  now  crosses 
the  Schoharie  in  the  present  town  of  Middleburgh,  two  small 
streams  run  into  the  river  directly  opposite  each  other.  The  one 
on  the  west  side,  coming  from  a  north-west  course,  was  formerly 
3 


22  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

called  the  Line  kill,  being  the  northern  boundary  line  of  the  first 
Vrooman  Patent — which  instrument  embraced  that  part  of  the 
town  of  Fulton,  now  called  Vrooman's  Land.  The  other  stream 
is  called  Stony  creek,  and  runs  into  the  Schoharie  from  a  south- 
east course.  John  M.  Brown,  Esq.,  in  a  pamphlet  history  of 
Schoharie,  published  in  1823,  attributes  to  this  stream,  which  he 
calls  the  little  Schoharie,  the  origin  of  the  latter  word.  The  two 
streams  mentioned,  falling  into  the  Schoharie  at  that  place,  pro- 
duced in  the  latter  a  counter  current,  which  caused  a  lodgment  of 
drift-wood  at  every  high  water,  directly  above.  The  banks  of 
the  river  there  were  no  doubt  studded  at  that  period  with  heavy 
growing  timber,  which  served  as  abutments  for  the  formation  of 
a  natural  bridge.  I  judge  so  from  the  fact,  that  between  that 
place  and  the  bridge  below,  on  the  west  bank,  may  now  be  seen 
a  row  of  elm  stumps  of  gigantic  growth.  At  what  period  the 
timber  began  to  accumulate  at  that  place,  is  unknown;  but  it 
was  doubtless  at  a  date  far  anterior  to  the  settlement  of  the  Scho- 
harie valley,  by  the  aborigines  of  which  we  have  any  certain 
knowledge.  At  the  time  the  Indians  located  in  the  valley,  who 
were  the  owners  of  the  soil  when  the  Germans  and  Dutch  first  set- 
tled there,  tradition  says  there  were  thousands  of  loads  of  wood 
in  this  wooden  pyramid.  How  far  it  extended  on  the  flats  on  ei- 
ther side  is  uncertain,  they  being  at  that  place  uncommonly  wide; 
but  across  the  river  it  is  said  to  have  been  higher  than  a  house  of 
ordinary  dimensions,  and  to  have  served  the  natives  the  purposes 
of  a  bridge;  who,  when  crossing,  could  not  see  the  water  through 
it.  One  tradition  says  Schoharie  signifies  to  take  across  or 
carry  over ;  while  another  tradition,  from  an  equally  creditable 
source,  gives  its  literal  meaning  to  be,  the  meeting  of  two  waters 
in  a  third — both  referring,  beyond  doubt,  to  the  drift-wood  in 
question,  and  its  locality.  This  mausoleum  of  the  forest  sugar- 
tree,  gnarled  oak,  and  lofty  pine,  was  called  by  the  Indians  who 
dwelt  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  to-wos-scho-hor*  the  accent  falling 

•  I  give  the  orthography  of  this  word  as  it  sounded  when  spoken  by  Mrs. 
Susannah,  widow  of  Martin  Van  Slyck.  At  an  interview  in  LS37,  I  found 
Mrs.  Van  Slyck  quite  intelligent,  and  possessed  of  ?.  very  retentive  memory. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         23 

on  the  third  and  fourth  syllables.  From  that  word  has  been  de- 
rived the  present  word  Schoharie,  the  first  two  syllables  having 
been  entirely  dropped,  while  another  has  been  addetl  in  its  Angli- 
cisement.  Several  years  ago  I  saw  an  ugly  shaped  glass  bottle 
in  Schoharie,  said  to  have  been  imported  from  London  by  John 
Lawyer,  the  first  merchant  among  the  German  settlers.  His 
name  and  the  place  of  his  residence  were  stamped  upon  the 
bottle  in  English  letters,  the  latter  being  there  spelled  Shoary. 
Many  of  the  old  German  people  of  that  county,  at  the  present 
day,  pronounce  it  Shnckary,  which,  it  will  be  perceived,  differs 
nearly  as  much  from  the  sound  of  the  word  as  now  written,  as 
that  does  from  the  sound  of  the  word  here  given  as  the  original. 

At  what  period  the  aborigines  located  who  were  occupying  the 
Schoharie  flats  when  the  Germans  and  Dutch  first  settled  upon 
them,  is  unknown.  Judge  Brown,  in  the  pamphlet  to  which  I 
have  alluded,  informs  us  that  the  first  Indian  settlement  was  made 
by  Ka-righ-on-don-tec,*  a  French  Indian  prisoner,  who  had  taken 

She  formerly  dwelt  in  Vrooman's  Land,  near  where  the  bridge  of  drift-wood 
had  been — could  once  converse  with  the  natives  in  their  own  dialect,  and 
still  retains  many  of  their  words.  She  gave  the  word  to  which  the  note  re- 
fers, as  the  name  by  which  they  called  tiie  natural  bridge — by  whom  she  had 
often  heard  it  spoken.  The  author  is  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  this  lady 
and  her  tenacious  memory,  for  several  interesting  facts  tradition  has  pre- 
served, relating  to  the  early  settlement  of  Vrooman's  Land  by  the  whites, 
she  bein<j  a  granddaughter  of  the  first  Vrooman  settler  ;  and  also  for  several 
incidents  worthy  of  record  which  transpired  during  the  revolution. 

•At  a  personal  interview  with  the  venerable  patriot  Brown,  in  Sept.  1837, 
he  pronounced  this  word  as  though  written  Kar-eek-won-don-tee.  I  adopt 
his  written  orthography,  however,  with  the  difference  only  of  ending  it  ee. 
believing  it  to  be  sutBciently  correct.  At  this  interview  he  assured  the  au- 
thor that  on  the  5th  of  the  following  November,  he  would  be  ninety-two 
years  old.  Although  his  faculties,  mental  and  bodily,  were  failing  him,  still 
we  are  indebted  to  his  good  humor  and  hospitality  for  some  explanations  of 
his  pamphlet,  and  for  much  other  matter  not  contained  in  that.  Reading  his 
pamphlet  to  him,  and  questioning  him  about  customs  which  were  in  vogue  in 
his  earlier  years,  he  seemed  almost  inspired  with  new  life — his  spirits,  ani- 
mation and  memory  revived,  and  he  was  enabled  to  relate  many  anecdotes, 
which,  to  use  his  own  words,  '•  he  had  not  thought  of  in  fifty  years  before." 
Mr.  Brown  and  his  amiable  consort  were  both  sociable  and  urbane,  and  I 
spent  nearly  a  day  very  agreeably  with  them.  Brown  was  married  at  twenty- 
five  to  a  Miss  Hager,  of  Brakabeen,  Schoharie  county,  with  whom  he  lived 


24  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

for  a  wife  a  Mohawk  squaw  ;  that  his  father-in-law  gave  him  a 
part  of  those  flats  to  remove  him  from  the  presence  of  the  Mo- 
hawk Indians,  by  whom  he  had  been  made  prisoner,  as  they  bore 
a  deadly  hatred  to  the  Canada  Lidians,  and  in  a  drunken  frolic 
might  kill  him ;  that  families  from  the  Mohawk,  Mohegan, 
Tuscarora,  Delaware,  and  Oneida  tribes  there  joined  him,  so  that 
a  new  tribe,  of  which  he  was  principal  chief,  was  fcrrmed,  num- 
bering at  one  time  about  three  hundred  warriors. 

Karighondontee  was  probably  a  Canadian  chief  of  some  cele- 
brity, who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Mohawks  in  one  of 
the  bloody  wars,  which  the  animosity  existing  between  the  Ca- 
nadian Indians  and  the  Five  Nations  was  continually  originating. 
As  speculation  alone  can  furnish  any  thing  like  a  beginning  to 
the  first  settlement  of  Schoharie  by  the  natives  known  as  the 

thirty-eight  years.  He  had  nine  children  by  that  marriage,  and  several  of 
them  are  now  settled  near  him  in  Carlisle.  Mrs.  Brown,  his  present  wife 
is,  if  memory  serves  me,  twenty- two  years  younger  than  her  husband.  She 
was  a  Van  Arnein  from  below  the  Helleberg,  and  has  been  married  about 
twenty-six  years.  Her  father  was  a  captain  of  militia  in  the  continental 
service.  Brown  had  no  issue  by  his  second  wife.  He  was  among  the  first 
settlers  in  Carlisle,  and,  in  common  with  the  pioneers  of  that  day,  endured 
his  full  share  of  privations  and  hardships.  He  was  a  firm  patriot,  and  a 
captian  of  the  Tryon  county  militia  in  the  revolution;  he  received  a  cut  in 
one  knee  with  a  drawing-knife  during  the  war,  from  which  he  ever  after 
went  very  lame.  Subsequent  to  receiving  the  injury  mentioned,  he  sent  a 
messenger  to  Gov.  G.  Clinton,  informing  him  of  his  lameness;  at  the  same 
time  signifying  a  wish  to  resign  his  commission.  He  received  in  return  a 
very  civil  letter  from  His  Excellency,  in  which  he  expressed  much  regret  at 
his  misfortune;  assuring  him  also  that  his  services  could  not  be  dispensed 
with,  cr  his  commission  returned;  but  that  if  he  could  not  walk  to  command 
his  company  he,  (the  governor,)  would  send  him  a  horse  that  he  might  ride. 
When  Otsego  county  was  organized.  Brown  was  one  of  the  commission- 
ers for  laying  out  several  public  roads  in  that  county;  and  when  Schoharie 
county  was  formed,  he  was  again  called  on  to  discharge  the  same  duties. 
The  commissioners  associated  with  him  in  Otsego  county,  were  JNIr.  Hudson 
and  Col.  Herrick,  who  together  laid  out  twenty-seven  public  roads.  Mr. 
Brown  was  appointed  by  the  governor  and  council  of  appointment,  third 
judge  of  the  first  bench  of  the  Schoharie  county  courts.  He  was  three  times 
a  candidate  for  member  of  assembly,  and  once  lost  his  election  by  only  two 
votes.  Considering  his  limited  opportunities  in  early  life,  he  was  an  intelligent 
man.  That  he  never  obtained  a  pension  while  many  others  less  deserving 
did,  was  to  him  a  source  of  no  little  mortification  and  grief.  Judge  Brown 
died  in  the  faU  of  1838  or  39. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  25 

Schoharie  tribe,  save  what  has  been  already  related  ;  I  trust  the 
reader  will  indulge  me  in  carrying  it  a  little  farther.  The  revo- 
lution in  England  in  the  latter  part  of  ihe  seventeenth  centur}', 
which  placed  William  and  Mary  upon  that  throne,  was  followed 
by  a  general  war  in  which  several  nations  of  Europe  were  en- 
gaged. Nor  were  the  colonies  of  America  idle  spectators  of  the 
tragedy.  From  Europe  the  grand  theatre  of  that  war,  the  crim- 
son art  was  brought  into  the  wilds  of  North  America.  The  Ca- 
nadas,  then  French  colonies,  with  the  Algonquin  Indians  within 
their  own  territory,  w^ere  fiercely  engaged  with  the  British  co- 
lonies and  the  Five  Indian  Nations  then  their  allies,  along  the 
borders  of  New  England  and  New  York.  The  Mohegans,* 
who,  as  we  have  already  seen,  made  a  part  of  the  Schoharie 
tribe,  it  is  not  improbable  were  engaged  in  considerable  num- 
bers with  the  people  of  New  England,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
war  or  soon  after  joined  Karighondontee :  as  I  suppose  that  chief 
to  have  been  made  prisoner  in  that  war.  The  Mohegans,  to 
whom  war  or  the  chase  may  have  discovered  the  Schoharie 
valley,  finding  it  to  be  a  country  sparsedly  settled — equal  in 
beauty  to  the  banks  of  the  Thames  in  Connecticut,  from  whence 
they  emigrated — where  game  was  plenty,  and  where,  too,  they 
would  not  be  surrounded  by  the  "  pale  faces"  and  amenable  to 
their  laws,  may  have  been  induced  to  settle  there ;  or  they  may 
there  have  sought  an  asylum  from  motives  not  dissimilar  to  those 
which  brought  hither  the  Mohawk. 

I  suppose  the  time  of  Karighondontee's  settlement  to  have 
been  within  about  twenty  years  of  the  first  German  settlement  in 
Schoharie  ;  and  conclude  so  from  the  fact  that  the  tribe  was  not 
then  more  formidable  in  numbers ;  for  the  Tuscarorasf  could,  not 
have  joined  it  until  about  the  time  the  Germans  located,  as  they 
did  not  leave  Carolina  in  numbers  till  near  that  period. 


•A  part  of  tlie  Mohcgan  and  StockbriJge  Indians,  migrated  and  joined  the 
Five  Nations  before  the  revolution — Morse's  Gazetteer.  • 

t  This  tribe  came  from  North  Carolina  about  1712,  and  joined  the  confede- 
racy of  the  Five  Nations,  themselves  making  the  sixth.  See  Lewiston, 
where  they  still  have  a  village— S/Jo^ord's  Gazetteer  of  N.  Y. 


26  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

It  may  not  perhaps  be  improper  to  say  a  few  words  respecting 
the  Six  Nations  of  Indians.  At  the  time  our  pilgrim  fathers 
first  landed  in  America,  a  confederacy  existed  between  the  five  most 
powerful  Indian  Nations  then  living  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
They  were  called  by  the  French  the  Iroquois ;  by  the  English 
the  Confederates,  or  Five  Nations ;  by  the  Dutch,  more  particu- 
larly those  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  the  Maquaas ;  and  by  them- 
selves, Aganuschioni,  or  United  People.  Their  govejnment  in 
many  respects  was  republican.  At  w^hat  time  and  for  what  piK- 
poses  this  confederacy  was  formed,  is  unknown.  It  may  have 
originated  in  conquest,  the  weaker  nations  in  turn  being  subdued 
by  the  most  powerful  one ;  or,  from  a  natural  desire  to  resist  and 
conquer  a  common  foe,  that  existed  from  the  alliance  of  other 
powerful  nations.  Whatever  may  have  originated  this  union  of 
Indian  strength,  it  must  have  existed  for  a  great  length  of  time ; 
for  when  the  Europeans  came  here,  it  is  said  the  Confederates  all 
spoke  a  similar  language.  The  Mohawk,  Oneida,  Onondaga, 
Cayuga  and  Seneca  nations  formed  the  confederacy — the  Tusca- 
roras  joining  them,  as  has  been  shown,  at  a  subsequent  period. 
Says  the  historian  Trumbull,  "  Each  of  the  Five  Nations  was  sub- 
divided into  three  tribes  or  families.  They  distinguished  them- 
selves by  three  different  ensigns,  the  Tortoise,  the  Bear,  and  the 
Wolf.  Whenever  the  sachems,  or  any  of  the  old  men,  signed  any 
public  paper,  they  traced  upon  it  the  mark  of  their  respective  fa- 
mily." The  same  author,  giving  Roger  Williams  for  authority, 
says  the  word  Mohawk  imports  cannibal,  and  is  derived  from  the 
word  moho,  to  eat.  This  is  undoubtedly  a  popular  error.  The 
Mohawk  nation  took  its  name  from  the  river  along  which  it 
dwelt,  called  the  Mohawk's  river — as  the  Dutch  have  it,  the  Ma- 
quaas' river — which  signifies,  in  plain  English,  the  muskrat's  ri- 
ver. Many  ancient  Indian  land  titles  have  so  called  the  stream 
in  English,  writing  it  in  the  possessive  case;  and  to  this  day 
muskrats  are  numerous  along  its  shores,  hundreds  being  killed  in 
thfe  valley  at  every  spring  freshet. 

The  Mohawk,  which  was  the  most  eastern  of  the  Five  Nations, 
had  in  the  latter  part  of  its  existence  as  a  nation,  three  castles — 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  27 

all  of  which  were  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mohawk  river.  The 
lower,  or  eastern  castle,  was  at  Icanderago,*  afterwards  called 
Fort  Hunter,  near  the  junction  of  the  Mohawk  and  Schoharie 
rivers;  the  central  or  Canajoharie  castle,  as  then  called,  stood  on 
the  brink  of  the  prominence  at  the  east  end  of  the  present  village 
of  Fort  Plain ;  which  hill  was  called  by  the  Indians  Ta-ragh-jo- 
res,  signifying  hill  of  health  ;f  and  the  upper  and  most  western 
was  in  the  present  town  of  Danube,  not  far  distant  from  St.  Johns- 
ville.  The  Caughnawagas,  who  resided  at  the  Tribes'  hill,  oppo- 
site Icanderago,  and  the  ancient  village  which  still  bears  their 
name,  were  a  family  of  the  Wolf  tribe  of  Mohawks. 

When  the  Dutch  first  located  at  Albany,  they  courted  the 
friendship  of  the  Confederates;  and  by  furnishing  them  with  fire 
arms  and  ammunition  to  war  against  their  northern  enemies,  they 
secured  their  trade  and  friendship — the  latter  proving  of  most  es- 
sential service  to  the  colony  of  New  York,  in  her  subsequent  wars 
with  Canada.  At  the  beginning  of  the  American  revolution,  a 
majority  of  the  Confederates,  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  un- 
bounded influence  of  the  Johnson  family  over  them,  remained 
true  to  the  British  interest,  removed  to  Canada  with  the  Johnsons 
and  Butlers,  and  fought  for  Britain — proving  a  terrible  scourge  to 
our  frontier  settlements.  Most  of  the  Oneidas,  however, 
and  a  part  of  the  Tuscaroras,  either  remained  neutral  or  sided 
with  the  Americans;  rendering  them,  as  guides  and  runners, 
very  important  services;  on  which  account  lands  have  been  re- 
served to  them  in  the  state.  The  Oneida  Reservation  is  in  Ver- 
non, Oneida  county,  and  the  Tuscarora  in  Lewiston,  Niagara 
county,  where  they  still  have  villages.     Their  numbers  are  fast 

•  McAuley,  in  his  History  of  New  York,  gives  this  as  the  Indian  name  for 
the  estuary  of  the  Schoharie  river. 

t  Peter  J.  Wagner,  Esq.,  who  learned  the  site  of  this  casilc,.  the  name  of 
the  hill  and  its  signification,  from  Col.  John  Frey,  an  early  settler  in  the  valley, 
who  spoke  the  Mohawk  dialect  well.  A  territory  extending  from  Spraker's 
Basin  to  Fort  Plain,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  was  originally  called  Canajoha- 
rie ;  indeed  ihe  town  of  Canajoharie  now  covers  nearly  the  same  extent  on  the 
river,  and  the  castle  stood  on  land  still  within  the  extreme  limits  of  that 
town. 


28  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

diminishing,  and  their  national  character  departing ;  and  the  time 
is  probably  not  very  distant  when  it  will  be  said  of  this  once 
powerful  confederacy,  which  often  led  to  victory  its  thousands  of 
warriors — it  has  been,  yet  is  not.  If  such  a  writer  as  Washing- 
ton Irving  would  write  a  history  of  the  North  American  Indians, 
the  world  would  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude.  Surely  such  a 
work  would  not  detract  from  the  merited  literary  fame  of  the  au- 
thor of  ColumTms,  to  say  nothing  of  the  well-emptied  saddle-bags 
of  that  splenetic  old  gentleman,  Sir  Deidrich  Knickerbocker. 

The  Schoharie  tribe  of  Indians  seems  to  have  been  made  up  of 
the  fractional  parts,  or  refugees  from  different  nations,  some  of 
which  may  have  been  compelled  to  flee  from  the  council  fires  and 
hunting  grounds  of  their  fathers;  and  perhaps  might  not  have 
been  inaptly  termed  by  other  nations,  a  tribe  of  refuge,  since  it 
corresponded  in  some  degree  to  the  cities  of  refuge  established  by 
Moses,  among  the  tribes  of  Israel.  That  Schoharie  was  settled 
if  only  for  indefinite  periods  to  suit  the  convenience  of  the  na- 
tives for  hunting  and  fishing,  long  before  its  settlement  by  Ka- 
righondontee,  there  can  remain  no  doubt;  for  to  this  day  are 
found  many  flint  arrow-heads,  and  not  unfrequently  other  relics 
of  savage  ingenuity,  which  the  contiguity  of  the  whites  at  the 
time  he  settled  was  calculated  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  their  re- 
taining in  use;  for  Schenectada  and  Albany  were  both  within 
thirty  miles  of  his  location  by  the  paths  then  traveled.  It  is  true, 
bows  and  arrows  were  still  used  by  some  of  the  Indians  after  the 
Germans  arrived  there,  but  many  of  them  possessed  fire-arms  and 
well  knew  how  to  use  them  long  before. 

It  is  astonishing  to  what  perfection  the  aborigines  of  the  United 
States  had  carried  the  manufacture  of  their  wooden  and  stone  in- 
struments for  defence  and  domestic  utihty,  before  the  Europeans 
found  their  way  hither ;  since  history  informs  us  that  they  were 
not  the  possessors  of  even  a  knife,  or  any  instrument  of  iron.  To 
look  at  a  flint  arrow-head,  see  the  regularity  of  its  shape,  and  to 
what  delicate  proportions  it  has  been  wrought  from  so  hard  and 
brittle  a  substance,  it  seems  incredible  that  it  could  have  been 
formed  by  art,  without  the  aid  of  other  implements  than  those 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         29 

of  stone.  One  would  almost  suppose  the  Indian  to  have  been 
capable  of  softening  the  flinty  rock  by  some  chemical  agent, 
previous  to  its  being  wrought  into  such  beautiful  forms.  The  ca- 
binet of  the  antiquarian  will  exhibt  them  of  various  dimensions 
and  a  variety  of  colors ;  pipes,  hatchets,  wedges,  and  culinary 
vessels,  all  ingeniously  formed  from  different  kinds  of  stone,  are 
likewise  often  found  at  the  present  day  near  the  site  of  ancient 
Indian  villages — giving  additional  evidence  of  the  perfection  to 
which  necessity  will  carry  certain  arts. 

The  abundance  of  Indian  relics  formerly  found  there,  the  small- 
ness  of  the  tribe  and  its  comparatively  brief  existence,  are  facts 
on  which  I  predicate  an  opinion,  that  the  Mohawks  and  Delawares, 
in  times  of  peace,  dwelt  in  and  about  Schoharie.  This  conclusion 
seems  not  only  plausible  but  very  probable,  as  the  former,  who 
were  called  the  true  heads  of  the  Confederacy,  lived  along  the 
Mohawk  valley,  and  the  latter  inhabited  along  the  Delaware — 
the  Schoharie  valley  being  to  them  the  natural  route  of  inter- 
communication. 

Some  twenty-five  years  ago,  there  might  have  been  seen  nearly 
a  mile  north  of  the  Schoharie  Court  House,  a  deep  pit,  in  which 
was  observed  a  heavy,  upright,  wooden  frame.  Its  location  was 
on  a  knoll,  in  an  old  apple  orchard  upon  the  farm  now  owned  by 
John  L.  Swart :  which  orchard  seems,  at  least  in  appearance,  to 
merit  an  existence  coeval  with  the  first  German  settlements.  For 
what  purpose  that  frame  was  there  sunk,  or  by  whom,  tradition 
breathes  not  even  a  whisper.  Judge  Brown  said  he  remembered 
having  seen  it,  but  assured  the  author  that  persons  then  living  in 
the  vicinity  much  older  than  himself,  could  give  no  clew  to  its  ori- 
gin. This  artificial  cavern,  which  is  said  to  have  been  apparent- 
ly fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  by  those  who  looked  into  it,  was 
discovered  at  the  time  alluded  to,  by  the  accidental  caving  in  of 
the  earth  near  one  corner  of  it.  The  opening  has  long  since  been 
closed,  without  an  interior  examination  of  the  pit.  Its  origin 
must  be  left  entirely  to  conjecture.  It  may  have  been  an  under 
ground  place  of  refuge  ;  or,  it  may  have  served  as  a  depository  for 
treasures;  or, — but  I  leave  to  the  curious  the  solving  of  its  mysteries. 


30  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Indians  have  generally  believed  in  the  existence  of  a  God  or 
Great  Spirit,  and  a  future  state.  They  worshiped  a  plurality  of 
imaginary  deities,  such  as  the  heavenly  bodies,  fire,  water  and  the 
like — indeed  any  thing  mysterious  or  superior  to  themselves.  In 
New  England,  says  Trumbull,  although  they  believed  in  one  su- 
preme Gad,  or  a  being  of  infinite  goodness,  still  they  paid  most 
of  their  devotion  to  the  evil  spirit,  whom  they  called  Hobom- 
ocko :  thinking,  no  doubt,  that  if  they  made  peace  with  their  enemy, 
they  were  safe. 

Little  is  known  of  the  Schoharie  tribe  of  Indians  until  the  Ger- 
mans came  into  their  midst.  Their  general  customs  and  habits 
were  as  similar  to  those  of  neighboring  tribes,  as  the  multigener- 
ous  nature  of  their  own  would  allow.  The  customs  of  the  Caro- 
lina, Connecticut,  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  Indians,  from 
which  the  Schoharie  tribe  was  principally  composed,  no  doubt 
differed  as  much,  perhaps  more,  than  would  those  of  an  equal 
number  of  the  present  white  population,  if  collected  from  the 
same  sections  of  the  Union.  The  refugees  from  some  of  the 
tribes  lived  together  when  their  numbers  would  admit,  and  they 
doubtless  kept  up  in  a  measure  their  own  national  character. 
Time  is  required  in  all  cases,  where  people  from  distant  countries 
form  a  settlement,  to  sink  into  one  general  custom  or  habit,  the 
diversified  manners  of  their  native  land.  The  Mohegans  settled 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Schoharie  kill  in  the  present  town 
of  Middleburgh,  and  were  living  separate  from  the  main  body  of 
the  tribe,  long  after  Conrad  Weiser  and  his  German  brethren  lo- 
cated in  their  immediate  vicmity.  One  good  reason  for  this,  was 
the  fact  that  they  spoke  a  different  language  from  the  principal 
part  of  the  tribe.  They  also  had  a  small  castle  near  the  present 
residence  of  Henry  Mattice. 

It  is  said  by  historians  that  Indians  arc  invariably  born  white  : 
if  so,  I  must  presume  this  freak  of  nature  found  its  way  to  the 
Schoharie  tribe.  "  Indian  lovers  generally  live  together  on  trial 
before  marriage  :"  and  I  have  no  reason  to  believe  it  was  other- 
wise here.     Among  the  Five  Nations,  history  assures  us,  polyga- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         31 

my  was  not  customary,  but  the  Indians  in  general,  Solomon  like, 
kept  many  concubines — and  never  thought  they  had  too  many 
women.  As  the  Schoharie  tribe  was  deficient  in  numbers,  I 
readily  conclude  it  placed  as  much  dependence  on  women  to  in- 
crease the  number  of  its  warriors,  as  did  any  of  the  Six  Nations. 
In  Virginia,  it  is  said,  the  Indians  had  altars  of  stone  whereon 
they  ollercd  a  sacrifice  of  blood,  deer's  suet  and  tobacco.  Now  I 
dare  not  suppose  that  Karighondontee  or  any  of  his  tribe  w^ere 
equally  religious ;  but  I  may  say,  I  have  never  heard  that  any 
people  ever  appropriated  tobacco  to  a  much  better  use — surely  it 
were  far  better  thus  to  burn,  than  masticate  it :  while  its  fumes,  I 
do  not  scruple  to  believe,  would  ascend  to  heaven  with  as  grate- 
ful odor— if  neatness  and  health  are  called  in  question — as  from 
the  lips  of  that  individual,  whose  taste  is  so  perverted  as  to 
smoke  it. 

That  the  Schoharie  Indians  had  many  customs  and  habits  in 
common  with  other  nations,  the  author  has  obtained  satisfactory 
proof:  such  as  the  burial  of  treasures  with  the  dead — holding 
councils  when  on  the  eve  of  some  momentous  undertaking — cele- 
brating victories — face  painting — (from  whom  some  modem  la- 
dies have  possibly  borrowed  the  disgusting  habit) — scalping  the 
fallen  foe — wearing  trinkets  about  their  persons — compelling 
their  women  to  do  the  drudgery — requiting  hospitality  with  kind- 
ness, and  secretly  revenging  insult  with  the  tomahawk.  What 
civilized  people  call  society  was  rarely  ever  found  among  the  ab- 
origines of  the  United  States.  Unless  engaged  in  war  or  the 
chase,  their  favorite  employ — they  led  lives  of  indolence  and  in- 
activity. A  custom  once  prevalent  among  the  Indians  of  New 
England  and  New  York,  was  that  of  burying  the  dead  in  a  sitting 
posture  facing  the  east :  it  was  also  customary  among  the  In- 
dians, of  eastern  New  England,  for  such  as  had  taken  prison- 
ers, to  kill  as  many  of  them  as  they  had  relatives  or  friends  killed 
in  battle. — See  Drake's  Churches  life  of  Benjamin  Church. 

Besides  the  village  of  the  Mohegans  already  located,  the  Scho- 
harie tribe  had  several  others :  one  of  which  was  on  the  farm 
formerly  owned  by  Alexander  Vrooman — on  the  west  side  of  the 


32  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

river.  Nearly  opposite  that,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  they 
had  another ;  and  a  distance  of  several  miles  farther  up  the  val- 
ley, on  the  farm  of  the  late  Peter  P.  Snyder,  a  third.  At  each  of 
the  two  former  they  had  a  small  castle  ;  and  at  the  latter,  where 
they  dwelt  for  many  years  after  the  two  northern  villages  were 
abandoned,  they  had  a  burying  ground.  Those  villages  were  all 
within  four  miles  of  the  present  site  of  the  Court  House.  With- 
in the  recollection  of  some  now  living,  twenty-one  wigwams 
were  yet  standing  upon  the  Snyder  farm ;  and  a  few  old  apple 
trees  still  to  be  seen  there,  ^re  supposed  to  have  been  planted  by 
the  natives.  Near  this  orchard  many  burials  are  said  to  have 
been  made  at  their  place  of  sepulture  :  nor,  indeed,  were  the 
manes  of  nature's  children  without  companions,  to  share  the  pot- 
age*  taken  along  at  their  death ;  as  a  portion  of  the  consecrated 
ground  was  set  apart,  for  the  defunct  slaves  of  the  early  Germans. 

The  fifth,  and  most  important  village  of  the  tribe,  where  dwelt 
Karighondontee  and  his  principal  chiefs,  was  in  Vrooman's  land : 
where  they  had  a  strong  castle,  and  a  place  of  burial.  This  cas- 
tle was  built  by  John  Becker,  who  received  from  Sir  William 
Johnson,  as  agent  for  the  British  government,  eighty  pounds  for 
its  erection.  It  was  built  at  the  commencement  of  the  French 
war,  and  constructed  of  hewn  timber.  The  Indians  held  some 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  around  it,  which  they  leased  for  sever- 
al years.  Contiguous  to  this  castle,  along  both  sides  of  the  river, 
could  have  been  counted  at  one  time  seventy  huts ;  and  relics  of 
savage  ingenuity  are  now  often  plowed  up  near  its  site.  An  an- 
gle of  land,  occasioned  by  a  bend  in  the  river,  on  which  this  cas- 
tle stood,  was  called  the  Wilder  Hook,  by  the  Dutch  who  settled 
near  it,  and  signified  the  Indian's  Corner.  Among  the  old  people 
in  that  vicinity,  it  is  still  known  by  the  same  name. 

The  Indians  gave  names  to  most  of  the  mountains  and  promin- 

•  It  was  not  only  customary  for  the  aborigines  of  this  country  to  bury  the 
implements  of  war,  and  treasures  of  the  warrior  with  his  body  ;  but  also  a 
kettle  of  food,  such  as  beans  or  venison,  to  serve  him  on  his  journey  to  the 
delectable  hunting  grounds,  whither  lie  believed  himself  goiag.  There  he 
expected  to  find  plenty  of  wild  game,  handsome  women,  and  revel  eternally 
in  voluptuousness. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  33 

ent  hills  in  the  county,  among  which  were  the  following :  On 
the  west  side  of  the  river,  directly  opposite  the  brick  church  in 
Midtlleburgh,  is  a  mountain  rising  several  hundred  feet,  and 
covered  with  timber  of  stunted  growth.  The  traveler  will  readily 
notice  this,  as  being  the  highest  of  the  surrounding  peaks,  which 
hem  in  the  river  and  valley  for  a  considerable  distance  on  either 
side.  This  mountain  the  natives  called  Ou-con-ge-na,  which  sig- 
nified, Rattle-snake  Mountain,  or  Mountain  oj  Snakes.  It  was 
literally  covered  with  rattle- snakes  in  former  times.  The  next 
peak  above  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  which  has  a  very  bold 
termination  towards  the  valley,  they  called  0-7iis-ta-gra-wa,  and 
spoke  it  as  though  written  0-nis-ta-graw-u'a»o-A .'  It  signifi- 
ed the  Corn  Mountain.  Between  that  and  the  river  was  the 
Wilder  Hook :  at  which  place  the  fiats  are  well  adapted  to  the 
cultivation  of  Indian  corn.  It  was  this  consideration  which  gave 
to  this  mountain  its  significant  name.  The  next  hill  above  the 
Onistagrawa,  now  known  as  Spring  Hill,  the  Indians  called  To- 
wok-now-ra — its  signification  is  unknown. 

At  Middleburgh,  two  valleys  meet ;  the  one  through  which 
the  Schoharie  wends  its  way,  and  the  other  through  which  the 
Little  Schoharie  kill  runs  some  distance  before  it  empties  into 
the  former.  Consequently,  on  the  south-east  side  of  the  river  as 
it  there  courses,  the  mountain  ridge  which  confines  the  river  to 
its  limits  on  the  eastern  side,  suddenly  terminates,  and  again  ap- 
pears east  of  Middleburgh  village.  The  termination  of  the  hill 
alluded  to,  which  lies  south-east  of  the  Onistagrawa  and  distant 
perhaps  two  miles — was  called  by  the  Mohegans  who  dwelt  at 
its  base,  the  Mo-he-gon-ter,  and  signified  FalHng  Off,  or  Termin- 
ation of  the  Mohegan  Hill.  It  served  not  only  to  designate  the 
locality,  and  preserve  the  name  of  the  Connecticut  Indians,  but, 
like  many  of  their  words  which  have  a  twofold  meaning ;  it  de- 
noted a  hill  terminating  at  a  valley.  A  fraction  of  the  Stock- 
bridge  tribe  of  Indians,  who  emigrated  from  Massachusetts,  also 
dwelt  near  the  Mohegans. 

I  have  no  data  by  which  to  estimate  the  whole  number  of 
Schoharie  Indians,  except  the  statement  in  Brown's  pamphlet, 


34  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

which  sets  down  the  number  of  warriors  at  about  three  hundred. 
Now  by  supposing  that  each  of  those  warriors,  on  an  average, 
had  two  women,  that  there  were  two  children  to  each  woman — ^^ 
that  .there  were  fifty  men  unfit  for  w^arriors  from  age  or  infirmity, 
and  as  many  old  women ;  the  tribe  would  then  number  two  thou- 
sand two  Imndred  souls.  This  estimate  may  be  thought  too  large ; 
but  if  so,  Ihe  reader  has  the  same  right  and  means  to  lessen  its 
numbers,  that  I  have  to  increase  them.  And  whether  he  is  a 
Yankee  or  not,  he  may  guess  at  their  numbers  with  impunity ; 
although  it  is  hardly  a  supposable  case,  still  there  may  have  been 
here  and  there  a  warrior  to  whom  Cupid  had  not  revealed  Ovid's 
art;  there  are/ew  of  nature's  children  who  are  strangers  to  love. 

The  coat  of  arms,  or  ensign  of  the  Schoharie  tribe,  was  a 
turtle  and  a  snake.  Figures  representing  those  animals,  they 
were  careful  to  place  on  all  deeds  or  writings — which  were  to 
prove  an  evidence  of  faith.  Nor  were  they  confined  to  placing 
them  on  paper  or  parchment ;  for  whenever  they  deeded  land, 
trees  serving  as  bounds  or  land- marks,  bore  the  characteristic 
emblem  of  the  tribe. 

Brown  enumerates  the  five  following  foot-paths  as  being  in 
use  by  the  Schoharie  Indians,  when  the  whites  first  settled  among 
them.  The^r^^  he  mentions  began  at  Catskill,  and  followed  the 
kill  of  that  name  up  to  its  source  at  the  Vlaie,  from  whence  it 
continued  down  to  Middleburgh.  Over  a  part  of  this  path  now 
runs  the  Loonenburg  turnpike.  The  second  began  at  Albany  and 
led  over  the  Helleberg,  down  Foxes  creek  valley,  and  terminated 
in  Schoharie.  By  this  path  the  Germans  traveled,  who  first  set- 
tled Schoharie.  Tha  old  road,  as  now  called,  from  thence  to 
Albany,  follows  very  nearly  the  route  of  that  path.  The  third 
commenced  at  Garlock's  dorf,  and  led  to  Schcnectada  through 
Duanesburgh.  By  this  path,  the  Dutch  who  first  settled  in  Vroo- 
man's  Land,  proceeded  from  Schenectada.  This  path  was  much 
used  for  several  years  by  the  Schoharie  Germans,  who  went  to 
that  ancient  city  with  grists  upon  their  backs  to  get  milling  done ! 
The  fourth  led  from  Kneiskern's  dorf  down  the  Schoharie  to 
Sloansville,  from  thence  through  the  towns  of  Charleston  and 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         3^' 

Glen  to  Cadaughrity  and  ended  at  Fort  Hunter.  This  path 
was  much  traveled  by  the  natives,  who  went  from  the  Mohawk 
to  the  Susquehanna  valley.  The  f/th  led  from  Kneiskern's  dorf 
north-west  to  Canajoharic.  This  path,  says  Brown,  was  much 
traveled  by  the  early  Germans,  who  often  went  to  visit  relatives 
at  the  German  Flats.  It  continued  in  full  use,  he  adds,  until  af- 
ter the  year  1762,  at  which  time  Sir  William  Johnson  reviewed 
a  brigade  of  militia,  of  which  he  was  general — near  the  upper 
Indian  castle  of  the  Mohawks.  Besides  those  enumerated,  the 
Indians  must  have  had  other  paths,  perhaps  of  less  notoriety, 
leading  in  different  directions  from  Schoharie.  One  traversed  not 
a  little  by  the  Indian  hunter,  led  directly  up  the  Schoharie  to 
near  its  source,  and  from  thence  to  the  Susquehanna  and  Genesee 
valleys.  While  another  of  some  importance  to  the  hunter,  must 
have  led  up  the  Cobelskill  to  it  source,  and  fiom  thence  to  Otsego 
lake. 

It  may  justly  be  said,  that  religion  has  peopled  by  the  whites, 
the  greater  part  of  North  America ;  for  many  of  the  first  Eu- 
ropean immigrants  came  to  this  goodly  heritage  to  find  a  place 
where  they  could  worship  Jehovah  as  seemed  to  them  proper  and 
desirable.  True,  the  prospect  of  realizing  the  desires  of  Ortugal, 
induced  many  to  settle  in  Spanish  America ;  but  Catholicism  was 
the  handmaid  of  lucre,  and  aided  not  a  little  in  conquering  and 
civilizing  Mexico,  so  far  as  that  country  has  been  civilized ;  it 
must  be  acknowledged,  however,  that  civilization  has  advanced 
tardily  in  all  Spanish  America.  This  is  owing  no  doubt  to  two 
obvious  reasons :  the  "general  indolence  of  the  inhabitants,  (their 
wealth  being  derived  directly  from  the  precious  metals  instead 
of  agriculture,)  and  the  fact  that  the  Catholic  religion  is  less  fa- 
vorable to  civilization,  than  is  the  Protestant. 

After  the  throne  of  England  had  been  vacated  by  the  death 
of  William  and  Mary,  Queen  Anne  ascended  it,  and  as  her  pre- 
decessors had  done,  she  tolerated  the  Protestant  religion.  It  was 
often  the  case  in  former  times,  that  when  one  form  of  religious 
worship  was  tolerated  in  a"  kingdom  of  Europe,  and  laws  were 
enacted  to  compel  all  to  conform  to  it,  many  who  had  scruples  about 


36  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

adopting  it,  at  the  sacrifice  of  judgment  and  feeling,  fled  to  other 
countries  where  their  own  rehgion  prevailed.  It  was  bigotry 
and  Catholicism,  which  drove  the  ancestors  of  General  Marion 
from  France  to  South  Carolina.  The  grandfather  of  Marion  was 
a  French  Protestant :  by  the  authorities  of  France  he  was  banish'  j 
ed  to  perpetual  exile,  and  notified  by  letter,  that  if  found  in  the 
kingdom  after  ten  days  from  the  date  had  transpired,  his  life 
would  be  forfeited,  his  body  consumed  by  fire,  and  the  ashes 
scattered  on  the  winds  of  heaven.  I  have  mentioned  this  case 
to  show  the  reader  the  nature  of  the  persecution,  which  tended 
in  a  great  measure  to  people  the  United  States. 

The  Puritans,  as  the  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  pioneers  were 
called,  fled  with  their  pastor,  the  Rev.  John  Robinson,  in  the 
year  1607,  from  England  to  Amsterdam  in  Holland  ;  from  thence 
thty  soon  after  removed  to  Leyden.  From  the  latter  place,  in 
the  year  1620,  they  went  to  Southampton  in  England,  from 
whence  they  embarked  for  America  on  the  5th  day  of  August  of 
the  same  year,  and  after  a  long,  tedious  voyage,  anchored  in  Cape 
Cod  harbor,  on  the  10th  day  of  the  following  November.  The 
colony  which  European  persecution  there  planted,  although  se- 
veral times  on  the  eve  of  annihilation,  was  the  means  of  peopling 
all  New  England. 

Queen  Anne,  who  received  the  crown  of  England  in  the  year 
1702,  knowing  that  the  Germans  were  in  general  peaceable, 
loyal  subjects,  and  lovers  of  liberty  from  principle — anxious  to 
increase  the  population  of  her  American  colonies,  held  out  strong 
inducements  to  this  hardy  and  industrious  race  of  people  to  become 
British  subjects.  She  offered  to  give  them  lands,  if  they  would  set- 
tle on  the  frontier  of  certain  colonies,  and  furnish  them  at  the  be- 
ginning with  necessary  tools,  provisions,  &c.  What  added  to  the 
inducement,  they  could  there  practice  their  own  form  of  religious 
worship. 

There  is  a  charm  in  the  word  liberty,  that  converts  a  desert 
wild  into  a  paradise,  and  severs  the  cords  of  the  fraternal,  social 
circle.  The  generous  offers  of  Queen  Anne  induced  thousands  to 
bid  a  final  farewell  to  the  land  of  their  nativity — cross  the  foam- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         37 

ing  Atlantic,  and  erect  their  altars  of  worship  in  the  wilds  of 
America,  thousands  of  miles  from  the  luring  places  to  which  they 
were  known  in  childhood. 

Schoharie,  with  the  exception  of  its  Indian  inhabitants,  was 
first  settled  by  the  Germans  and  Dutch,  and  to  religion  and  the 
love  of  liberty  is  that  settlement  mostly  to  be  attributed.  In 
saying  Schoharie,  I  allude  to  all  the  settlements  first  made  in 
Schoharie  county,  without  distinction  of  towns;  as  a  territory  of 
many  miles  in  extent,  now  making  a  part  of  several  towns,  was, 
at  first,  known  by  no  other  name  than  that  of  Schoharie.  I  find 
it  somewhat  difficult  to  harmonize  the  contradictory  statements, 
tending  to  fix  the  precise  year  in  which  the  Germans  first  arrived  in 
that  valley.  Brown  says  "  they  sailed  on  new  year's  day  in  the  year 
1710,  from  some  port  on  the  Rhine,  down  that  river  to  Holland 
from  whence  they  sailed  to  England ;  that  being  there  further 
provided,  they  sailed  for  America;  and  after  a  tedious  voyage  in 
which  a  great  many  died,  they  landed  at  New  York  on  the  14th 
day  of  .Tune,  1712 ;  having  been  one  year  five  months  and  several 
days  [over  two  years,]  on  their  journey ;  that  they  were  then 
sent  up  the  Hudson  river  to  East  and  West  Camp,  (so  called  from 
the  circumstance  of  their  having  encamped  there,)  where  they 
wintered  in  ground  and  log  huts. — That  from  there  the  spring 
following,  they  went  to  Albany,  from  whence  some  found  their 
way  to  Schoharie,  after  a  journey  of  four  days  by  an  Indian  foot 
path,  bearing  upon  their  backs  tools  and  provisions  with  which 
they  had  been  provided  by  agents  of  the  queen."  Brown  is 
doubtless  in  error  about  the  time  the  emigrants  were  commg 
from  Germany  to  New  York ;  it  could  not  have  been  upwards  of 
two  years,  as  it  would  seem  by  his  data. 

Many  of  the  aged  people  with  whom  I  have  conversed  on  this 
subject,  agree  in  fixing  the  date  of  their  departure  from  Leyden 
in  Holland;  as  early  as  1709,  while  some  others  name  that  year 
as  the  traditionary  one  in  which  they  first  reached  Schoharie.  A 
record  in  the  Lutheran  church  at  Schoharie,  states  that  Abraham 
Berg,  from  Hessen,  came  to  America  in  1709,  but  the  record 
was  made  many  years  subsequent  to  that  date,  and  may  be  in- 
4 


38  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY 

accurate ;  recording  the  time  of  arrival  here,  instead  of  departure 
from  Hessen.  From  a  comparison  of  all  the  evidence  collected 
on  the  subject,  I  believe  they  left  Germany  late  in  1709,  arrived 
at  New  York  in  17 10,  and  the  following  year  went  to  Schoharie. 
Smith's  history  of  New  York  informs  us,  that  General  Hunter, 
who  had  been  appointed  governor  of  the  province,  arrived 
at  New  York  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  June,  1710,  bringing 
with  him  near  three  thousand  Palatines,  who,  the  year  before, 
had  fled  to  England  from  the  rage  of  persecution  in  Germany. 
That  "  many  of  these  people  seated  themselves  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  where  they  built  a  Lutheran  church ;  others  settled  on  a 
tract  of  several  thousand  acres,  in  the  manor  of  Livingston,  where 
they  still  have  a  village  called  the  Camp,  which  is  one  of  the 
pleasantest  situations  on  Hudson's  river ;  right  opposite,  on  the 
west  bank  are  many  other  families  of  them.  Some  went  into 
Pennsylvania,  and  by  the  favorable  accounts  of  the  country, 
which  they  transmitted  to  Germany,  were  instrumental  to  the 
transmigration  of  many  thousands  of  their  countrymen  into  that 
province.  Queen  Anne's  liberality  to  these  people,"  he  adds, 
"  was  not  more  beneficial  to  them  than  serviceable  to  this  colony. 
They  have  behaved  themselves  peaceably,  and  lived  with  great 
industry.  Many  are  rich ;  all  are  Protestants,  and  well  affected 
to  the  government :  the  same  may  be  said  of  those  who  have 
settled  amongst  us,  and  planted  the  lands  westward  of  Albany. 
We  have  not  the  least  ground  for  jealousy  with  respect  to  them." 
It  will  be  observed,  that  the  arrival  at  New  York  of  the  Ger- 
mans by  whom  Schoharie  was  undoubtedly  settled,  was  on  the 
same  day  of  the  same  month,  two  years  earlier  than  the  date 
given  by  Brown,  as  the  one  on  which  they  arrived.  There  can 
remain  little  doubt,  that  the  time  of  their  arrival  as  given  by 
Smith  is  correct  Another  writer,  Stafford,  in  his  Gazetteer  of 
JVew  York,  speaking  of  Livingston's  manor,  says:  "In  the  year 
1710,  agreeably  to  an  arrangement  with  Queen  Anne  of  Eng- 
land, the  proprietor  conveyed  a  tract  of  six  thousand  acres  ad- 
joining the  Hudson,  from  the  south-eastern  part  of  the  manor,  to  a 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  39 

number  of  Palatines,  who  had  served  in  her  armies,  and  were  now 
driven  from  Germany  by  the  French  army. 

The  same  writer,  speaking  of  Germantown,  Columbia  countv, 
in  which  town  is  the  village  of  East  Camp,  says:." In  June, 
1710,  seventy  families  of  poor  Palatine  soldiers  who  had  served 
in  the  army  of  Queen  Anne,  by  whom  they  were  hired  of  the 
Electorate  of  the  Palatinate,  arrived  at  New  York,  the  most  of 
whom  soon  removed  to  these  lands,  then  included  in  Livingston's 
manor."  The  reader  will  here  understand  why  these  people 
were  called  Palatines.  Palatine  is  a  term  which  was  formerly 
given  to  a  prince,  and  probably  is  still,  in  some  parts  of  Germany. 
He  was  invested  with  royal  privileges  to  preside  over  a  certain 
territory,  called  a  Palatinate ;  hence  emigrants  from  such  coun- 
tries in  Germany,  as  are  subject  to  the  government  or  direction 
of  a  Palatine,  have  been  called  Palatines  or  Palatinates.  "  In 
1725,"  continues  Spafford,  "  according  to  an  arrangement  of 
King  George  I.  with  the  proprietor,  letters  patent  were  granted 
to  certain  persons  belonging  to  the  settlement  of  East  Camp,  as 
it  was  then  called,  as  trustees  for  the  whole,  conveying  the  rio-ht 
of  soil  in  perpetuity  for  the  use  of  said  inhabitants.  And  the 
grant  seems  to  have  been  well  devised,  with  the  whole  condi- 
tions on  which  it  was  made.  Forty  acres  were  directed  to  be 
appropriated  to  the  use  of  a  church  and  the  maintenance  of  a 
school,  and  the  residue  to  be  equally  divided  among  the  inhabi- 
tants, which  was  faithfully  performed  by  the  trustees.  This  lit- 
tle colony  received  many  marks  of  the  kindness,  care  and  bene- 
ficence of  Queen  Anne,  under  whose  special  patronage  it  was 
first  planted.  The  country  was  then  wholly  wild,  and  the  first 
encampments  were  distinguished  by  local  names.  Hence  came 
East  Camp,  a  more  general  name  of  three  little  lodges  in  this 
town ;  and  West  Camp,  the  name  of  a  similar  settlement  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  now  in  Saugertles,  Ulster  county. 
The  settlements  first  commenced  by  three  small  lodges  of  tem- 
porary nuts,  each  of  which  was  placed  under  the  supermtendance 
of  s^/me  principal  man,  from  whom  they  took  their  names,  with 
tho  addition  of  dorf,  a  German  word  for  village.     Hence  Weiser's 


40  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY 

dorf,  Kneiskern's  dorf,  names  now  disused,  except  by  a  very 
few  of  the  ancient  Germans." 

According  to  SpafFord's  account  it  would  appear  as  though  the 
first  settlers  at  the  Camps,  had  been  hired  by  Queen  Anne  to  serve 
in  her  wars.  But  the  other  published  accounts,  and  tradition, 
which  seems  not  to  have  slumbered  on  this  subject,  unite  in  ascrib- 
ing their  emigration  from  Germany  chiefly  to  religious  oppression. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  some  of  the  most  warlike  of  those  Ger- 
mans, may  have  aided  the  colonies  and  Iroquois  in  the  war  they 
were  then  waging  with  Canada ; — a  distinguished  historian  does 
indeed  say  that  some  of  them  were  so  engaged;  [See  Bancroft's 
U.  S.  vol.  iii,  p.  221) — but  that  those  who  tarried  at  the  Camps 
left  their  native  land  for  that  purpose,  seems  hardly  admissible, 
from  the  fact,  that  male  and  female,  old  and  young,  great  and 
small  were  mcluded  in  this  group  of  immigrants ;  the  major 
part  of  which  would  have  been  sorry  materials  for  an  army. 
He  must  be  in  error  about  the  number  of  the  first  settlers,  unless 
two  different  parties  arrived  at  the  Camps  during  the  same  year, 
which  is  not  improbable ;  as  more  than  seventy  families,  which 
he  gives  for  their  whole  number  there,  removed  to  Schoharie ; 
at  which  time  many  families  settled  along  the  Mohawk  river. 
It  is  highly  probable,  that  of  those  who  arrived,  seventy  families 
at  least  remained  at  the  Camps,  and  became  permanent  settlers. 

Few  incidents  worthy  of  notice,  in  the  long  journey  of  thes» 
emigrants,  have  been  preserved.  They  are  said  to  have  embarked 
from  Plymouth,  a  port  somewhat  celebrated  for  the  embarkation 
of  Europeans  to  this  continent.  While  the  ship  was  lying  at  an- 
chor some  distance  from  the  shore,  awaiting  for  a  fair  wind  or 
sailing  orders,  with  the  emigrants  on  board,  six  of  them  went  to 
land  in  a  boat  to  make  some  necessary  purchases.  Only  one 
name  of  the  six  is  now  remembered,  that  was  Becker.  He  was 
a  relative  of  the  ancestors  of  the  Beckers,  who  now  live  on 
Fox's  creek,  in  the  present  town  of  Schoharie.  After  making 
purchases,  they  put  off  to  regain  the  ship ;  but  having  a  gale  of 
wind  to  encounter,  which  had  sprung  up  while  they  were  on  shore, 
the  boat  capsized  and  its  crew  were  all  buried  in  the  raging  bil- 
lows.    With  this  unhappy  eommencement,  it  is  but  natural  to 


AND  BORDER  WAR  OF  NEW  YORK.  4t 

suppose  their  surviving  friends  anticipated  a  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic,  fraught  with  difficulty  and  danger :  indeed  such  it 
proved ;  for  it  was  protracted  by  adverse  winds  to  a  length  of 
months,  and  rendered  truly  appalling,  when,  as  provisions  began 
to  fail  them,  they  saw  grim  death,  through  all  the  horrors  of 
starvation,  staring  them  in  the  face.  Before  they  reached  New 
York,  crumbs  were  sought  for  by  the  half  starved  children  in 
every  nook  and  corner,  and  when  fortune  thus  discovered  to  them 
the  scanty  object  of  their  search,  po  matter  how  fihhy  or  stale,  it 
was  considered  a  God-send  and  greedily  devoured.  Several  pas- 
sengers died  on  the  voyage :  one  old  lady,  who  had  been  ill  of 
consumption  for  some  time,  died  and  was  consigned  to  the  deep 
at  the  Narrows,  below  New  York.  If  several  died  on  the  jour- 
ney, it  is  not  certain  that  the  whole  number  of  the  emigrants  was 
less  at  their  final  debarkation,  than  it  was  when  they  left  the 
land  of  their  fathers,  as  I  have  to  record  the  fact,  that  the  rule  of 
ancient  arithmetic,  which  subtracts  one  from  one  and  leaves  two, 
was  not  unfrequently  exemplified  during  the  passage.  By  the 
by,  that  is  a  valuable  rule  in  peopling  all  new  countries. 

Soon  after  they  landed  at  New  York,  they  were  sent  up  the 
Hudson  to  the  Camps  ;  (with  the  exception  of  those  Avho  became 
permanent  settlers  in  the  city,  and  those  who  went  to  Pennsylva- 
nia;) where  they  made  a  temporary  location.  As  they  did  not 
arrive  at  New  York  until  the  middle  of  June,  it  will  be  obser\'ed 
that  the  season  had  too  far  advanced  to  allow  those  who  intended 
to  become  frontier  settlers,  or  citizen  farmers,  to  select  an  ap- 
proved location,  and  raise  their  sustenance  for  that  season :  they 
therefore  went  into  quarters  to  await  the  return  of  Spring.  They 
erected  temporary  huts,  settling  in  seven  squads  or  messes,  each 
with  a  head  man  or  commissary,  through  whom  they  received 
their  provisions  from  an  agent  of  the  Queen,  until  they  were  per- 
manently located.  Conrad  Weiser,  Hartman  Winteker,  John 
Hendrick  Kneiskern,  Elias  Garlock,  Johannes  George  Smidt  and 
WiUiam  Fox  were  six  of  the  number ;  and  as  John  Lawyer  be- 
came one  after  their  arrival  at  Schoharie,  he  may  have  made  the 
seventh.     The  several  settlements  over  which  they  presided,  were 


42  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

called  dorfs,  signifying  towns.  Each  of  the  said  "list  men,"  as 
Judge  Brown  termed  them,  (from  the  fact,  that  each  had  enrolled 
on  a  list  or  schedule,  the  names  of  every  man,  woman  and  child 
belonging  to  his  beat ;)  was  obliged  to  make  careful  report,  from 
time  to  time,  to  the  royal  agent,  of  all  changes  in  his  dorf ;  of  its 
approaching  wants,  etc.  How  these  honest,  good  natured,  simple 
people,  spent  the  greater  part  of  a  year  at  the  Camps,  this  depo- 
nent has  been  unable  to  learn ;  but  as  they  possessed  the  charac- 
teristic good  nature  of  their  mother  country, — were  fond  of  ath- 
letic exercises,  not  to  the  exclusion  of  fumigation  however,  he 
supposes,  as  the  Queen's  punctual  agent  did  not  allow  them  to 
anticipate  much  care  or  concern  about  their  temporal  affairs,  that 
they  "  drove  dull  cares  away,"  by  what  their  descendants  term 
frolicking  :  and  that  although  they  were  in  a  strange  land,  they 
resolved  it  should  be  to  them  a  land  of  social  enjoyment.  The 
reader  is  ready  to  ask,  what  means  the  term  froliddng  in  this 
place  ?  It  means,  as  I  have  been  assured  by  the  descendants  of 
those  virtuous  and  happy  people,  the  indulgence  of  certain  pro- 
pensities of  the  human  heart  to  seek  pleasure.  They  fiddled,  they 
danced,  they  ran  foot  races ;  and  groups  were  not  unfrequently 
seen  among  them,  jumping,  wresthng,  &c.,  in  summer  :  while 
Avinter  found  them  skating,  or  playing  various  kinds  of  plays, 
such  as  now  sometimes  make  part  of  an  evening's  entertainment 
at  a  village  party,  in  which  bussing,  that  delectable  finale  to 
which  they  generally  tend,  bears  a  conspicuous  part.  Some  se- 
date mortal,  on  whom  life  hangs  heavily,  may  be  ready  to  ex- 
claim, "strange  that  a  people  who  left  their  native  land  on  ac- 
count of  religious  persecution,  should  have  allowed  their  children 
or  any  of  their  numbeis,  to  indulge  in  such  foolish  propensities  !" 
It  is  indeed  strange  ;  but  no  less  strange  than  true,  -if  they  lived 
at  the  Camps  as  they  afterwards  did  in  Schoharie.  One  fact  how- 
ever, might  be  urged  in  mitigation  of  their  wickedness,  if  such 
the  reader  terms  it.  Not  a  particle  of  hypocrisy,  that  ingredient 
so  necessary  in  making  up  the  human  character  at  the  present 
day,  dwelt  in  the  hearts  of  these  people.  The  reader  will  re- 
member, that  I  have  not  called  them  a  fashionable  people.     Na- 


AND  BORDER  WAR  OF  NEW  YORK.  43 

turally  honest  themselves,  they  supposed  others  so,  and  had  im- 
bibed liberally  those  true  German  principles  of  nature,  founded  on 
a  belief,  that  "  there  is  a  proper  time  for  every  purpose ;"  which 
bade  them  not  look  to  the  morrow,  for  that  which  rightly  be- 
longed to  the  present  day ;  or  anticipate  the  troubles  to  which 
man  is  heir,  and  which  are  so  profusely  scattered  along  his  path. 
That  there  were  many  among  those  emigrants  who  lived  pious 
and  exemplary  lives,  not  approving  the  course  of  their  fellows, 
there  can  be  no  doubt. 

At  what  time  in  the  spring  of  1711,  those  who  had  not  chosen 
to  remain  at  the  Camps,  moved  up  the  river  to  Albany,  is  uncer- 
tain. It  must  have  been  as  early  as  circumstances  would  allow. 
On  their  arrival  at  that  Dutch  city,  they  sent  several  individuals 
of  their  number  into  the  Mohawk  and  Schoharie  vallies,  to  spy 
out  a  good  location  for  their  permanent  settlement.  Perhaps  it 
may  be  M'ell  to  say  a  lew  words  in  this  place,  in  explanation  of 
the  term  Dutch.  Emigrants  from  the  German  circles,  were  ori- 
ginally called  Germans  or  High  Dutch  ;  and  indeed  continued  to 
be  so  called,  long  after  their  emigration  to  this  country ;  while 
those  from  Holland  or  the  United  Provinces  were  called  Dutch  : 
or,  in  contra-distinction  of  the  term  High  Dutch  given  the  Ger- 
mans, Low  Dutch.  Many  persons  of  the  present  day,  unacquaint- 
ed with  the  geography  of  Europe,  express  surprise  to  hear  the 
distinction  of  the  terms  German  and  Dutch  made,  supposing  them 
synonymous.  The  German  circles  or  states,  and  Dutch  provinces, 
are  as  distinct  countries,  as  are  England  and  Scotland,  perhaps 
more  so ;  and  their  languages  as  little  alike,  as  were  formerly 
those  of  the  latter  countries.  Nor  indeed  are  the  former  under 
the  same  government,  which  is  the  case  with  the  latter ;  and  yet 
people  express  no  surprise  to  hear  the  distinction  of  English  and 
Scotch  emigrants  made,  when  those  countries  are  in  question. 
When  the  historian  tells  us  that  the  Dutch  settled  at  Albany, 
which  was  by  them  called  Willcmsladt,  where  they  built  Fort 
Orange  ;  and  at  New  York,  then  called  JV'eu'  Amsterdam,  in  or 
about  the  year  1614,  nearly  one  hundred  years  previous  to  the 
settlement  of  Schoharie  :  he  dees  not  intend  to  be  understood  that 


44  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

those  places  were  settled  by  Germans,  but  by  Hollanders  or 
Dutch. 

As  the  sections  of  the  United  States,  originally  peopled  by  the 
Dutch  and  Germans,  received  additional  settlers  from  other  coun- 
tries, and  conformed  to  the  English  language, — the  whole  assimi- 
lating by  gradual  process  to  new  characteristics,  as  their  old  were 
reluctantly  absolved ;  the  sectional  appellatives  of  all,  whether 
English,  Scotch,  or  Irish — Dutch,  German,  or  Swiss,  yielded  to 
two  simple  terms,  Yankee  and  Dutch. 

The  German  messengers,  with  whom  we  parted  company  a 
short  time  since,  deputed  to  Schoharie,  were  conducted  by  an 
Indian  guide  over  the  Helleberg*,  and  on  the  second  day  they 
gained  a  commanding  view  of  the  flats  along  Fox's  creek.  They 
proceeded  down  that  stream,  until  from  one  of  the  hills  which 
skirt  its  lowlands,  they  gained  a  prospect  of  the  Schoharie  valley, 
at  the  place  where  Fox's  creek  runs  into  the  Schoharie.  There 
their  vision  was  delighted  by  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  pic- 
turesque scenes,  with  which  nature  has  decorated  the  earth.  They 
beheld  the  green  flats  of  Schoharie,  spread  out  before  them  like  a 
beautiful,  though  neglected  garden.  To  the  west,  directly  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  said  creek,  their  view  was  obstructed  by  a  ro- 
mantic mountain  rising  several  hundred  feet,  and  terminating  in  a 
bold  cliff  towards  them.  I  regret  that  I  have  been  unable  to 
learn  the  original  Indian  name  of  that  mountain :  the  Germans 
called  it  the  Clipper  berg,  meaning  the  rocky  mountain.  I  take 
the  liberty  of  giving  to  it,  the  name  of  Karighondontee,  intending 
by  so  doing  to  perpetuate  the  name  of  the  Schoharie  Indian  tribe. 
On  the  summit  of  the  Karighondontee,  is  a  cultivated  farm  for- 
merly owned  by  Henry  Hamilton,  Esq.,  an  excursion  to  which 
often  rewards  the  rambler  in  the  summer  season,  with  one  of  the 


•On  arriving  upon  this  mountain,  whicli  is  a  spur  of  the  Catskill  mouD- 
tains,  those  emigrants  lialted  on  several  eminences  to  enjoy  the  rich  prospect 
thus  afforded.  Helle — signifies  light  or  clear,  and  berg — hill  or  mountain. 
Hence  the  appropriate  name  they  gave  it — Helleberg,  Prospect  Hill  or  Sight- 
ly Mountain,  llelderberg,  the  Dutch  orthography  for  this  word,  has,  within 
a  few  years,  very  improperly  gained  place ;  its  original  German  name  being 
far  more  poetic  and  soft. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  45  " 

most  enchanting  views  imaginable.  Off  to  the  right  hand  of  the 
deputation,  as  they  stood  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  near  where 
it  descends  into  the  two  valleys,  on  the  north  side  of  Fox's  creek ; 
they  were  enabled  to  catch  a  view  of  the  great  bend  in  the  river, 
where  it  takes  a  more  easterly  course,  immediately  after  receiving 
Cobel's  kill.  They  did  not  long  tarry  to  contemplate  on  the 
richness  of  the  prospect,  which  the  union  of  those  three  valleys, 
beautified  as  they  then  were  by  luxurious  spring,  was  calculated 
to  create.  Perhaps  there  was  no  Mozart  present,  to  catch  inspi- 
ration from  the  wanton  carol  of  the  countless  feathered  musicians, 
by  which  they  were  surrounded  :  or  Spurzheim  to  forestal  the 
virtues, — perchance  the  hidden  wealth,  of  the  hilly  protuberances 
which  rose  in  romantic  grandeur,  on  which  side  soever  they 
gazed.  The  hill  on  which  I  have  supposed  the  pilgrim  messen- 
gers to  have  stood,  and  from  whicfi  they  caught  a  view  of  "  the 
promised  land,"  the  Indians  called  Oxt-don-tee.  After  taking 
this  hasty  glance  of  the  country  before  them,  which  they  no 
doubt  did  with  eyes  and  ears,  if  not  mouths,  open ;  they  returned 
speedily  to  Albany,  and  reported  progress  to  their  anxious  breth- 
ren. Would  kind  reader,  I  could  serve  you  with  the  maiden 
speeches  of  those  honest  spies,  who  were  among  the  first  white 
men  known  to  have  trod  upon  Schoharie  soil :  but  in  the  absence 
of  such  an  intellectual  treat,  your  own  fertile  imagination  must 
create  them.  They  were  delivered  before  the  immortal  seven, 
who  were  the  sanhedrim  of  the  multitude,  and  one  thing  is  cer- 
tain :  they  were  fraught  with  a  prevailing  argument  against  the 
entire  Mohawk  valley,  which  was  not  even  allowed  a  hearing ; 
and  nearly  the  whole  caravan,*  loaded  down  like  so  many  pack 
horses  with  provisions  and  tools,  without  a  vehicle  of  any  kind, 
etarted  forthwith  for  Schoharie. 

The  interval  lands  which  the  deputies  had  visited,  were,  at 
that  time,  to  a  great  extent  cleared  or  timberless,  and  presented 

•  As  the  German  settlements  along  the  Mohawk  were  commenced  about 
the  same  time  with  those  of  Schoharie,  it  is  not  improbable,  that  the 
relatives  of  the  messengers  sent  up  that  river,  awaited  their  return  at  Alba- 
ay,  and  on  their  bringing  a  favorable  report  of  the  country,  removed  thither. 


46  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  appearance  of  a  limited  prairie :  and  few  were  the  native  in- 
habitants, who  then  dwelt  upon  them.  These  two  considerations, 
no  doubt,  greatly  influenced  the  hasty  decision  of  the  colonists. 

Gentle  reader,  you,  who  ride  perhaps  in  a  gilded  carriage,  and 
think  elliptic  springs  and  a  good  road  scarcely  endurable,  must 
not  be  offended  when  informed,  that  your  great-great-grand- 
mothers, (I  am  now  speaking  to  the  fair  sex,  of  the  uncontami- 
nated  descendants,  of  the  primogenial  pilgrims  to  the  happy  val- 
ley, not  of  Rasselas,  but  Schoharie  j)  clad  in  linsey-woolsey  of 
limited  length,  bearing  each  in  their  arms  an  heir  apparent,  and 
each  on  their  back  a  sack  of  provisions  or  unmentionables ;  set 
out  on  foot  to  make  this  long  journey,  upon  an  intricate  Indian 
foot  path.*  Would  you  ask  why  their  husbands  did  not  carry 
the  burthens,  thus  imposed  upon  their  amiable  consorts  ?  I  have 
already  said  they  had  not  a  v^icle  of  any  kind;  nor  indeed  had 
they  the  aid  of  even  a  single  horse ;  consequently  the  husbands 
and  all  the  children  able  to  bear  burthens,  were  heavily  laden. 
They  left  Albany  on  Thursday,  and  as  may  be  supposed,  their 
progress  was  necessarily  very  slow.  Nights  they  slept  in  the 
open  air,  after  having  built  fires  to  keep  off  the  wolves,  which 
thickly  infested  the  forest  through  which  they  were  journeying. 
Nothing  remarkable  happened  during  the  first  two  day's  journey. 
On  Saturday  they  reached  the  present  site  of  Knoxville,  which 
appears  to  be  the  summit  level  between  Albany  and  Schoharie, 
where  they  halted  and  assembled  together.  Some  misunderstand- 
ing having  arisen,  a  contest  ensued,  in  which  many  of  the  party 
were  engaged,  from  which  circumstance  the  place  has  since  been 
known  by  the  older  inhabitants,  as  Fegt  berg,  or  fighting  hill. 

•  This  journey  of  thirty  odd  miles,  is  looked  upon  at  the  present  day  as  a 
small  matter,  since  a  stage  rattles  over  it  every  day  ;  but  it  was  tar  other- 
wise at  that  period.  Many  were  the  tears  of  sympathy  shed  in  Albany,  at 
the  departure  of  these  good  people,  because  they  were  going  so  far  from  any 
other  settlement.  What  changes  time  brings.  Where  is  now  your  sympathy, 
O  ye  Albanians  !  for  the  comely  looking  Swiss  maidens  and  their  forlorn 
mothers,  who  are  now  in  motley  groups,  lingering  not  unfrcquently  a  few 
days  with  you,  ere  they  commence  a  western  journey,  which  may  number 
thousands  of  miles  ? 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  47 

What  gave  rise  to  this  quarrel,  1  have  been  unable  to  learn.  It 
is  not  improbable  that  the  "  green  eyed  monster"  was  the  direct 
or  indirect  cause,  originating  in  a  spirit  of  emulation  to  direct  the 
movements  of  the  party.  No  one  seems  to  have  been  very  seri- 
ously injured  by  this  unlocked  for  trial  of  strenirth  ;  the  insurgents 
were  ovcrpowtred,  good  order  again  restored,  and  the  line  of 
march  resumed.  On  Sunday,  (probably  in  the  latter  part  of 
April,)  a  day  of  seven,  dedicated  to  cleansing  and  decorating  the 
outward  man  of  the  civilized  world,  having  arrived  at  a  small 
brook,  which  descends  from  the  hills  on  the  north  side  of  Fox's 
creek,  and  runs  into  the  latter  near  the  present  residence  of  Sam- 
uel Stevens,  and  within  sight  of  the  Schoharie  valley,  the  party 
halted  and  resolved  on  having  a  general  purifying.  Says  Brown, 
"  while  washing,  the  lice  ivere  swirflming  down  the  brook  ;  which 
is  called  Louse  kill  to  this  day."  Tradition  corroborates  this  sto- 
ry. I  may  have  occasion  hereafter  to  speak  of  the  cleanliness  of 
the  descendants  of  these  people.  There  can  be  little  doubt,  but 
that  the  washing  adventure,  may  prove  a  mirror  to  many  parties 
of  emigrants,  who  have  been  long  journeying.  It  is  not  difficult 
to  account  for  the  fact,  that  the  most  negligent  of  the  number, 
(for  I  cannot  believe  all  were  so)  should  have  become  filthy. 
They  were  poor,  had  not  changes  of  apparel ;  of  course,  the 
clothing  they  wore,  without  much  pains-taking  to  keep  it  clean, 
must  have  become  dirty :  add  to  this  the  fact,  that  they  had  been 
for  a  great  length  of  time,  either  journeying  or  dwelling  in  rude 
huts,  in  either  case  greatly  crowded,  without  any  conveniences  for 
private  ablution ;  and  we  have  a  plausible  reason  to  believe  the 
story  a  true  one.  Poor  people,  although  cleanly,  find  it  difficult 
at  times,  to  exhibit  evidences  of  their  neatness,  especially  while 
traveling. 

The  Schoharie  flats  to  which  they  were  journeying,  and  upon 
which  they  arrived  on  the  day  of  their  purifying,  had  been  pur- 
chased of  the  natives  by  an  agent  of  the  Queen,  to  prevent  future 
hostilities  between  them  and  the  Germans.  The  tract  of  land 
thus  purchased,  began  on  the  little  Schoharie  kill  in  the  town  of 
Middleburgh,  at  the  hiirh  water  mark  of  the  Schoharie  river,  at 


48  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

an  oak  stump  burned  hollow,  which  stump  is  said  to  have  served 
the  Mohegan  and  Stockbridge  Indians,  the  purposes  of  a  corn 
mill ;  and  ran  down  the  river  to  the  north,  taking  in  the  flats  on 
both  sides  of  the  same,  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  contain- 
ing twenty  thousand  acres.     By  the  side  of  this  stump  was  erect- 
ed a  large  pile  of  stones,  which  was  still  standing  since  the  year 
1800.     Upon  this  stump  was  cut  the  figures  of  a  turtle  and  a 
snake,  the  ensign  of  the  Karighondontee  tribe,  the  Indian  seal  of 
the  contract.     Having   arrived  in  safety,  the   Germans  settled 
along  the  Schoharie  on  the  land  provided  by  the  queen,  in  sever- 
al villages  or  dorfs,  as  they  called  them,  under  the  direction  of 
the  seven  individuals,  who  acted  at  the  Camps  as  their  captains  or 
commissaries.     Prudence,  no  doubt,  dictated  the  necessity  of  set- 
thng  near  together,  that  they%iight  be  the  better  prepared  to  an- 
ticipate any  hostile  movement  of  their  Indian  neighbors.     Weiser's 
dorf,  (so  called  after  Conrad  Weiser  the  founder,)  was  the  most 
southern  village,  and  occupied  part  of  the  present  site  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Middleburgh.     This  dorf  contained  some  forty  dwellings. 
They  were  small,  rude  huts,  built  of  logs  and  earth,  and  covered 
with  bark,  grass,  &c.     They  were  built  on  both  sides  of  a  street, 
which  ran  nearly  east  and  west,  and  may  have  been  called  Weiser 
street.     Hartman's  dorf  was  the  next  settlement  down  the  river, 
and  was  about  two  miles  north  of  Weiser's  dorf.     This  was  the 
only  one  of  the  settlements  called  after  the  christian  name  of  its 
founder  or  patroon :  his  name  having  been  Hartman  Winteker. 
This  flekken,*  (if  the  largest  village  in  seven  merited  the  name,) 
is  said  to  have  contained  sixty-five  dwellings,  similar  in  construc- 
tion to  those  spoken  of  in  the  dorf  above.     The  Germans,  (as  is 
the  custom  of  their  descendants,)  built  their  ovens  detached  from 
their  dwellings  :  and  thirteen  are  said  to  have  answered  all  the 
good   house-wives  of  Hartman's  dorf,   the  purposes  of  baking. 
Like  the  former,  this  village  was  built  along  one  street ;  and  I 
am  gratified  to  think  I  can  inform  the  reader  precisely  where  it 

•  Dorf  means  a  compact  farmer's  town  or  small  village  ;  flekken  a  larger 
village  than  a  dorf  and  less  than  a  city:  and  stadt,  an  incorporated  city. — 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         49 

was  situated.  Every  man  who  has  traveled  from  Schoharie 
Court  House  to  Middlcburgh  will  remember,  that  having  proceed- 
ed about  three  miles,  and  crossed  two  brooks,  the  most  southern 
of  which  was  called,  in  former  days,  the  Wolfs  kill,  he  came  to 
two  angles  in  the  road,  between  which,  he  perceived  his  course 
changed  from  south  to  west  for  the  distance  of,  perhaps,  a  quarter 
of  a  mile.  He  will  also  remember,  no  doubt,  how  straight  and 
level  that  part  of  the  road  was,  gently  descending  to  the  west ; 
and,  too,  that  he  expressed  surprise  to  his  companion,  or,  if  he 
had  no  more  sensible  person  with  him,  to  himself,  that  the  road 
had  never  been  straightened.  Now,  since  I  have  traced  the  lo- 
cation of  Hartman's  dorf  by  tradition,  to  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  this  knoll  or  table-land,  upon  which  the  two  angles  in  the  road 
appear,  and  have  too  much  charity  to  believe,  that  that  part  of 
the  road  would  not  have  been  straightened,  had  the  commission- 
er* who  laid  it  out  not  had  some  noble  object  in  view,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion,  and  doubt  not  the  good  sense  of  the  read- 
er will  bear  me  out  in  it,  that  that  part  of  the  road  which  runs, 
east  and  west,  between  the  angles  spoken  of,  was  once 
Hartman's  street,  and  that  upon  each  side  of  it  once  stood 
the  unpretendmg  dwellings  of  Hartman's  dorf. 

The  next  village  north,  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  court-house, 
and  was  called  Brunnen  or  Bruna  dorf,  which  signified  the  town 
of  springs.  There  are  several  springs  in  this  vicinity  ;  and  a  hv- 
ing  one,  which  issues  from  beneath  the  rocks  a  little  distance 
south-east  from  the  court-house,  supplies  most  of  the  villagers 
with  excellent  water.  The  principal  or  most  influential  man 
among  the  first  settlers  at  this  place,  was  Jolin  Lawyer.  Some 
of  his  descendants,  as  also  those  of  some  of  the  Shaeffers  and 
Ingolds,  who  were  also  among  the  first  settlers,  still  reside  near 
the  location  of  their  ancestors.  The  next  settlement  was  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  present  residence  of  Doctor  C.  H.  Van  Dyck, 
about  a  mile  north  of  Bruna  dorf;  and  consisted  of  Johannes 
George  Smidt,  (or  Smith  in  English,)  with  a  few  followers  of  the 
people,  for  whom  he  had  acted  as  commissioner  at  the  Camps. 
Smith  is  said  to  have  had  the  best  house  in  Smith's  dorf,  which 


50  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

was  thatched  with  straw.  I  am  not  certain  that  any  of  his  clan 
are  now  represented  in  that  section.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  the  Snyders  who  reside  there,  may  be  descended  from  the 
first  settlers.  Fox's  dorf  was  next  to  Smith's,  north,  and  took  its 
name  from  William  Fox,  its  leading  man.  He  settled  about  .a 
mile  from  Smith,  in  the  vicinity  of  Fox's  creek,  so  called  after 
him.  The  Snyders,  Beckers,  Zimmers,  Balls  and  Weidmans,  now 
residing  along,  and  near  that  stream,  are  regular  descendants  of 
the  first  settlers.  Elias  Garlock,  with  a  few  faithful  followers, 
who,  doubtless,  adhered  to  him  on  account  of  his  great  wisdom, 
which  remains  to  be  shown,  located  about  two  miles  farther  down 
the  river,  near  the  present  residence  of  Jacob  Vrooman.  This 
was  called  Garlock's  dorf  The  Dietzes,  Manns  and  Sternbergs, 
were  among  the  first  settlers  at  Garlock's  dorf,  whose  descend- 
ants still  occupy  the  grounds.  The  last  and  most  northerly  set- 
tlement, was  called  Kneiskern's  dorf,  after  John  Peter  Kneiskern, 
its  leading  man.  It  was  two  or  three  miles  from  the  last  men- 
tioned settlement,  and  was  made  along  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
opposite  the  mouth  of  Cobel's  kill.  The  ICneiskerns,  Stubrachs, 
Enderses,  Sidneys,  Berghs  and  Houcks,  residing  in  that  vicinity, 
are  descendants  of  the  original  settlers.  This,  and  Bruna  dorf, 
are  the  only  ones  of  the  seven  settlements,  in  which  the  descend- 
ants of  the  list  men  or  founders,  dwell  at  the  present  day.  The 
sectional  names  of  Kneiskern's  and  Hartman's  dorf,  are  still  in 
use ;  while  the  other  five  have  sunk  into  oblivion. 

Among  the  first  settlers  at  these  seven  dorfs,  were  some  whose 
descendants  still  reside  in  the  county,  their  first  location  in  but 
few  instances  being  now  traceable.  It  is  presumed  many  of  them 
settled  at  the  two  most  southern,  and  important  villages.  The 
Keysers,  Boucks,  Rickards,  Rightmyers,  Warners,  Weavers,  Zim- 
mers, Mattices,  Zehs,  Bellingers,  Borsts,  Schoolcrafts,  Kryslers, 
Casselmans,  Newkirks,  Earharts,  Browns,  Settles  and  Merckleys, 
were  doubtless  among  the  first  settlers.  The  whole  number  of 
Germans  who  located  in  the  Schoharie  valley  in  1711,  must  have 
been  between  five  and  seven  hundred. 


(  51  ) 


CHAPTER  11. 


Having  located  the  pioneers  of  Schoharie  according  to  their 
several  inclinations,  let  us  see  how  they  were  to  live.  More  or 
less  land  was  found  at  each  settlement  cleared,  and  with  little 
pains,  it  was  fitted  for  cultivation.  It  has  been  already  shown 
that  their  eflects  were  conveyed  in  such  a  manner,  that  we  must 
presume  they  possessed  very  little  of  this  world's  gear.  Their 
all,  no  doubt,  consisted  in  a  few  rude  tools,  a  scanty  supply  of 
provisions,  a  meagre  wardrobe,  and  a  small  number  of  rusty  fire 
arms  :  they  had  to  manufacture  their  own  furniture,  if  the  apolo- 
gy for  it,  merited  such  a  name.  Bedsteads,  they  for  some  time 
dispensed  with.  From  logs  they  cut  blocks,  which  answered  the 
purposes  of  chairs  and  tables  ;  sideboards,  sofas,  piano  fortes,  ot- 
tomans, carpets,  &c.,  were  to  them  neither  objects  of  family  pride, 
convenience  or  envy.  They  endeavored  to  foster  the  friendship 
of  their  Indian  neighbors,  and  from  them  they  received  corn  and 
beans,  which  the  latter  kindly  showed  them  how  to  cultivate. 
"Within  one  week  after  their  arrival,  four  children  were  born ;  a 
fact  I  think  very  worthy  of  record  in  the  annals  of  this  people. 
Their  names  were  Catharine  Mattice,  Elizabeth  Lawyer,  Wilhel- 
mus  Bouck  and  Johannes  Earhart.  In  preparing  ground  for  plant- 
ing, which  was  done  in  the  absence  of  plows,  by  broad  hoes,  they 
found  many  ground  nuts,  which  they  made  use  of  for  food,  the 
first  season.  I  have  no  account  of  their  having  been  furnished 
with  provisions  by  the  Queen's  agent,  after  they  left  Albany,  and 
suppose  they  were  left  to  live  on  their  o?vn  resources,  and  what 
the  country  afforded. 

The  want  of  grist  mills,  for  several  years,  they  found  to  be  a 
source  of  great  inconvenience.     The  stump  mentioned  in  the  pre- 


52  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ceding  chapter,  which  served  as  the  southern  bound  of  the  first 
Indian  purchase,  not  only  answered  the  Indians,  but  the  first 
Germans,  the  purpose  of  a  corn  railL  By  the  side  of  this  hollow 
stump,  an  upright  shaft  and  cross-bar  were  raised,  from  which 
was  suspended  a  heavy  wood,  or  stone  pestle,  working  on  thp 
principle  of  a  pump.  Their  corn  for  several  years,  they  hulled 
with  lye,  or  pounded  preparatory  to  eating  it. 

Brown  says,  the  first  wheat  was  sowed  in  Schoharie  in  the  fall 
of  1713,  by  Lambert  Sternberg,  of  Garlock's  dorf.  As  I  have 
shown  the  arrrival  of  the  Germans  to  have  been  two  years  ear- 
lier than  the  time  stated  by  him,  I  suppose  the  first  wheat  to 
have  been  sown  in  the  fall  of  1711. 

As  Schenectada  was  nearer  the  Schoharie  settlements  than 
Albany,  for  such  necessaries  as  they  required  the  first  few  years, 
they  visited  the  former  place  the  most  frequently.  Those  who 
possessed  the  means,  bought  wheat  there  at  two  shillings  a  spint, 
(a  peck,)  or  six  shillings  a  skipple,  had  it  ground  and  returned 
home  with  it  on  their  backs,  by  a  lonely  Indian  footh-path, 
through  a  heavy  forest.  It  was  thus,  Sternberg  carried  the  first 
skipple  of  wheat  ever  taken  to  Schoharie  in  the  berry.  He  re- 
sided near  the  present  residence  of  Henry  Sternberg,  a  descend- 
ant of  his.  On  the  west  side  of  the  river,  opposite  Garlock's 
dorf,  had  been  an  Indian  castle,  which  was  abandoned  about  the 
time  the  Germans  arrived  ;  the  occupants  having  removed  up  the 
river,  to  the  Wilder  Hook.  On  the  ground  within  the  dilapidated 
inclosure,  the  wheat  was  sowed,  or  rather  planted,  (as  they 
then  had  no  plows  or  horses,)  over  more  than  an  acre  of  ground; 
it  was  planted  within  this -yard,  because  it  was  a  warm,  rich 
piece  of  ground  with  little  grass  on  it,  and  being  inclosed,  would 
remove  the  danger  of  having  the  crop  destroyed  in  the  fall  or 
spring,  by  deer,  which  were  numerous  on  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains. This  wheat,  which  rooted  remarkably  well  in  the  fall, 
stood  so  thin,  from  having  been  scattered  over  so  much  ground, 
that  it  was  hoed  in  the  spring  like  a  patch  of  corn ;  and  well 
was  the  husbandman  rewarded  for  his  labor.  Every  berry  sent 
forth  several  stalks,  every  stalk  sustained  a  drooping  head,  and 


AND  BORDER  W.\RS  OF  NEW  YORK.  53 

every  head  teemed  with  numerous  berries.  When  ripe,  it  was 
•rathered  with  the  greatest  care ;  not  a  single  head  was  lost,  and 
when  threshed,  the  one  yielded  eighty-three  skipples.  In  these 
days,  when  the  weevil  scarcely  allows  three,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  eighty,  bushels  to  one ;  this  statement  would  perhaps  be  look- 
ed upon  as  incretlible,  were  not  all  the  circumstances  known. 
Many  procured  seed  from  Sternberg,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  settlers  raised  wheat  enough  for  their  own  consumption. 

For  several  years,  they  had  most  of  their  grain  floured  at 
Schenectada.  They  usually  went  there  in  parties  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  at  a  time,  to  be  better  able  to  defend  themselves  against 
wild  beasts,  which  then  were  numerous  between  the  two  places. 
Often,  there  were  as  many  women  as  men  in  those  journeys,  and 
as  they  had  to  encamp  in  the  woods  at  least  one  night,  the  wo- 
men frequently  displayed  when  in  danger,  as  much  coolness  and 
bravery  as  their  liege  lords.  A  skipple  was  the  quantity  usually 
borne  by  each  individual,  but  the  stronger  often  carried  more. 
Not  unfrequently,  they  left  Schoharie  to  go  to  mill,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  one  day,  and  were  at  home  on  the  morning  of  the  next ; 
performing  a  journey  of  between  forty  and  fifty  miles,  in  twenty- 
four  hours  or  less,  bearing  the  ordinary  burden  ;  but  at  such  times, 
they  traveled  most  of  the  night  without  encamping.  It  is  said, 
that  women  were  not  unfrequently  among  those  who  performed 
the  journey  in  the  shortest  time — preparing  a  breakfast  for  their 
families,  from  the  flour  they  had  brought,  on  the  morning  after 
they  left  home.  Where  is  the  matron  now  to  be  found,  in  the 
whole  valley  of  the  Schoharie,  who  would  perform  such  a  jour- 
ney, in  such  a  plight  ? 

As  may  be  supposed,  many  of  the  first  settlers  in  Schoharie 
were  related.  Hence  has  arisen  that  weighty  political  argument 
sometimes  heard,  "  he  belongs  to  the  cousin  family." 

Owing  to  the  industry  and  economy  of  the  colonists,  and  the 
richness  of  the  soil,  want  soon  began  to  flee  their  dwellings,  and 
plenty  to  enter ;  and  as  their  clothes  began  to  wax  old,  they 
manufactured  others  from  dressed  buck-skins,  which  they  obtain- 
ed from  the  Indians.  A  file  of  those  men,  clad  in  buck-skin, 
5 


54  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

with  caps  of  fox  or  wolf-skin,  all  of  their  own  manufacture,  must 
have  presented  a  formidable  appearance.  It  is  not  certain  but 
the  domestic  economy  of  the  male,  was  carried  into  the  female 
department ;  and  that  here  and  there  a  ruddy  maiden,  concealed 
her  charming  proportions  beneath  a  habit  of  deer-skin. 

It  is  said  that  physicians  accompanied  the  first  Germans  to 
Schoharie ;  and  that  for  many  years,  ministers,  or  missionaries, 
under  pay  from  the  British  government,  labored  in  the  different 
German  settlements  in  the  country.  They  visited  the  people; 
married  those  whose  peace  of  mind  Cupid  had  destroyed  ; 
preached  to,  and  exhorted  all.  Their  audiences  usually  occupied 
some  convenient  barn  in  the  summer  season,  and  the  larger  dwell- 
ings in  the  winter. 

The  want  of  horses  and  cattle  at  first,  was  much  felt  by  the 
settlements.  By  whom  cattle,  swine  and  sheep  were  first  intro- 
duced, I  have  been  unable  to  learn.  The  first  of  the  horse  kind 
they  possessed,  was  an  old  gray  mare.  She  was  purchased  at 
Schenectada  for  a  small  sum,  by  nine  individuals  of  Weiser's  dorf ; 
and  it  is  said  they  kept  her  moving.  Who  the  nine  were,  who 
gloried  in  owning  this  old  Rosinante,  is  unknown ;  but  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  Weiser,  the  patroon,  owned  an  important 
share.  It  may  be  asked,  whether  the  people  of  those  settlements, 
who  resided  too  close  together,  to  admit  of  lands  for  cultivation 
lying  between  them,  did  not  live  as  do  the  shakers ;  who 
make  all  their  earnings  common  stock.  With  a  mutual  under- 
standing, each  labored  for  his  own  benefit,  and  in  order  to  prevent 
difficulty,  lands  were  marked  out  and  bounds  placed,  so  that  every 
one  knew  and  cultivated  his  own  parcel. 

Not  long  after  the  Germans  settled  in  Schoharie,  the  Dutch  be- 
gan a  settlement  in  Vrooman's  Land,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
two  or  three  miles  above  Weiser's  dorf.  Adam  Vrcoman,  a  citizen 
of  Schenectada — a  farmer  of  considerable  wealth,  and  somewhat 
advanced  in  life,  took  a  royal  patent  for  this  land,  from  which  cir- 
cumstance, it  was  called  Vrooman's  Land  :  by  which  name  it  is 
still  distinguished.  This  patent  was  executed  August  26,  1714. 
Previous  to  obtaining  the  royal  title,  Vrcoman  had  received  Indian 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  55 

conveyances  for  portions  of  the  land  as  gifts.  One  of  two  deeds, 
which  have  escaped  the  fate  of  most  of  Col.  Peter  Vrooman's 
papers,  contains  the  names  of  eighteen  Indians,  inserted  in  the 
following  order  :  "  Pennonequieeson,  Canquothoo,  Ilendrick  the 
Indian,  [probably  Kin^  Ilendrick  of  the  French  war,]  Kawna- 
wahdcakeoe,  Turthyowriss,  Sagonadietah,  Tucktahraessoo,  Onna- 
dahsea,  Kahenterunkqua,  Amosthclndian,  Jacob  the  Indian,  Cor- 
nelius the  Indian,  Goidie  Wannah,  Dnecdyea,  Lewcas  the  Indian, 
Johanis  the  Indian,  Tuquaw-in-hunt,  and  Esras  the  Indian,  all 
owners  and  proprietors  of  a  certain  piece  of  land,  situate,  lying 
and  being  in  the  bounds  of  the  land  called  Skohcre."  The  title 
is  for  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  near  the  hill  "  called 
Onitstagrawa  ;"  two  hundred  of  which  were  flats,  and  sixty  acres 
wood-land.  The  instrument  closed  as  follows:  " /n  testimony 
whereof,  we,  the  three  races  or  tribes  of  the  Maquase,  the  Turtle, 
Wolf  and  Bear,  being  present,  have  hereunto  set  our  marks  and 
seals,  in  the  town  of  Schenectady,  this  two  and  twentieth  day  Qf 
August,  and  in  the  tenth  year  of  her  Majenty^s  [Queen  Anne's] 
reign.  Annoque  Domini,  1711."  Eighteen  wax  seals  are  at- 
tached to  the  conveyance^  in  front  of  which  are  arranged,  in  the 
order  named,  the  devices  of  a  turtle,  a  loolf  and  a  bear,  the  form- 
er holding  a  tomahawk  in  one  of  its  claws. 

The  other  deed  alluded  to,  is  dated  April  30,  1714,  and  con- 
tains the  eight  following  names  :  "  Sinonnecquerison,  Tanuryso, 
NisawgorccatahjTurgourus,  Honodaw,  Kannakquawcs,  Tigrecdon- 
tee,  Onnodecgondee,  all  of  the  Maquaes  country,  native  Indians, 
owners  and  proprietors,  &c."  The  deed  was  given  for  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  woodland,  lying  eastward  of  the  sixty 
acres  previously  conveyed,  "  bounded  northward  by  the  Onitsta- 
grawa, to  the  southward  by  a  hill  called  Kan-je- a-ra-go-re,  to  the 
westward  by  a  ridge  of  hills  that  join  to  Onitstagrawa,  extending 
southerly  much  like  unto  a  half  moon,  till  it  joins  the  aforesaid 
hill  Kanjearagore."  This  instrument  closes  in  the  manner  of  the 
one  before  noticed,  except  that  each  Indian's  name  is  placed  be- 
fore a  seal  to  which  he  had  made  his  mark.  The  ensigns  of  (he 
three  Mohawk  tribes,  are  conspicuously  traced  in  the  midst  of  the 


56  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

signatures.  One  of  the  two  witnesses  to  both  deeds  was  Leo 
Stevens,  a  woman  who  acted  as  interpreter  on  the  occasion  of 
granting  each  conveyance.  Both  deeds  were  duly  recorded  in 
the  secretary's  office  of  the  province. 

March  30th,  1726,  Adam  Vrooman  obtained  a  new  Indian  ti- 
tle to  the  flats  known  as  Vrooman's  Land,  executed  by  nine  indi- 
viduals of  the  nation,  "  in  behalf  of  all  the  Mohaugs  Indians." 
Some  difficulty  had  probably  arisen,  in  consequence  of  his  hold- 
ing more  land  than  the  first  deeds  specified.  The  new  title  gave 
the  land  previously  conveyed  with  the  sentence,  "  let  there  be  as 
much  as  there  will,  more  or  less,  for  we  are  no  surveyors ;"  and 
was  executed  with  the  ensigns  of  the  Mohawk  nation — the  turtle, 
wolf  and  bear. 

Vrooman's  patent  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  point  of  the 
Onitstagrawa  and  the  Line  kill,  and  on  the  south  by  the  white  pine 
swamp,  (as  a  little  swamp  near  the  present  residence  of  Samuel 
Lawyer  was  then  called)  and  a  brook  running  from  it,  and  em- 
braced a  good  part  of  the  flats  between  those  two  bounds  from 
the  hill  to  the  river,  excepting  the  Wilder  Hook  :  where  dwelt 
many  of  the  natives,  and  where,  as  before  stated,  was  their  strong- 
est castle.  This  patent  was  given  for  eleven  hundred  acres,  more 
or  less.  It  is  said  to  have  contained  about  fourteen  hundred  acres : 
than  which  very  little  better  land  ever  was  tilled.  He  had  not 
designed  to  settle  on  this  land  himself,  but  made  the  purchase  for 
a  son.  Peter  Vrooman,  for  whom  it  was  bought,  settled  on  it 
soon  after  the  purchase.  He  had  quite  a  family,  his  oldest  son, 
Bartholomew,  being  at  that  time  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  old. 
He  had  a  house  erected  previous  to  his  moving  there,  and  other 
conveniences  for  living.  The  first  summer,  he  employed  several 
hands,  planted  considerable  corn,  and  fenced  in  some  of  his  land. 
In  the  following  autumn,  he  returned  with  his  wife  and  children 
to  Schenectada  to  spend  the  winter ;  leaving  a  hired  man  by  the 
name  of  Truax,  and  two  blacks,  Morter,  and  Mary  his  wife,  to 
take  care  of  the  property ;  of  which  he  left  considerable.  Not 
long  after  Vrooman  returned  to  Schenectada,  Truax  was  most 
cruelly  murdered.     The  circumstances  attending  this  murder,  are 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  57 

substantially  as  follows.  The  evening  before  his  death,  Truax 
returned  from  the  pleasino^  recreation  of  gunning,  with  a  mess  of 
pigeons,  which  he  told  Mary  to  dress  and  prepare  for  breakfast. 
Being  fatigued,  he  retired  to  rest  earlier  than  usual,  and  soon  for- 
got his  cares  and  dangers,  in  a  grateful  slumber  familiar  to  the 
sportsman.  Mary  cleansed  the  pigeons,  and  after  having  done 
so,  she  unconsciously  put  the  knife  into  a  side  pocket  still 
bloody,  intending,  but  forgetting  to  wash  it.  Morter  was  absent 
from  home  during  that  evening  and  most  of  the  night.  Mary 
arose  betimes  in  the  morning,  with  no  small  pains  prepared  the 
savory  dish,  and  waited  sometime  for  Truax  to  rise.  Observing 
that  he  kept  his  room  unusually  late,  she  went  to  his  door  and 
called  to  him,  but  received  no  answer.  She  tried  to  open  the 
door  and  found  it  locked  on  the  inside.  As  may  be  supposed,  she 
felt  the  most  lively  apprehensions  that  all  was  not  right.  She 
could,  from  some  position  outside  the  house,  look  into  his  window. 
Thither  she  with  trepidation  went,  when  her  suspicions  were 
more  than  realized,  and  she  learned  too  well  the  reason  he  had 
not  risen  at  his  usual  hour.  She  quickly  communicated  intelli- 
gence of  her  discovery  to  the  Indians,  her  nearest  neighbors : 
who,  on  their  arrival  at  the  house,  burst  open  the  door  of  his 
room.  Horrible  indeed  was  the  sight  then  disclosed.  Poor 
Truax  lay  in  his  bed,  which  he  had  sought  without  the  least  sus- 
picion of  danger,  cold  and  stiff  in  his  own  gore  ;  with  his  throat 
cut  from  ear  to  ear.  Indian  messengers  were  immediately  dis- 
patched to  Schenectada,  to  communicate  the  tragic  affair  to  Peter 
Vrooman.  About  the  same  time,  the  bloody  knife  was  discovered 
in  the  pocket  of  the  weeping  Mary.  On  the  evening  of  the 
same,  or  early  the  following  day,  the  messengers  returned  with 
Vrooman,  and  proper  officers  to  arrest  the  murderer,  or  whoever 
might  be  suspected.  Suspicions  were  fixed  upon  the  two  blacks ; 
and  when  the  fact  of  finding  the  bloody  knife  in  the  pocket  of 
Mary,  and  the  circumstance  of  Morter's  being  absent  from  home 
were  known,  both  were  arrested,  and  hurried  off  to  Albany  for 
trial. 

The  day  of  examination  soon  arrived,  and  the  prisoners  were 


58  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

brought  to  the  bar.  The  trial  proceeded,  and  the  testimony  of 
the  Indians,  to  whom  Mary  had  first  communicated  her  suspicions 
of  the  murder,  was  heard.  No  unsettled  difficulty  was  shown  to 
have  existed  between  the  murdered  and  the  accused  :  indeed,  lit- 
tle appeared  at  the  trial  to  criminate  the  blacks,  more  than  is  al- 
ready known  to  the  reader.  When  the  facts,  that  the  throat  of 
Truax  had  been  cut,  that  a  bloody  knife  was  found  on  the  person 
of  Mary,  and  that  Morter  had  sullenly  refused  to  answer  questions 
during  his  arrest  and  confinement,  were  known  to  the  court,  cir- 
cumstantial evidence  was  deemed  sufficiently  strong  and  lucid  to 
fix  guilt  upon  them  :  and  as  the  murder  had  been  an  aggravated 
one,  the  prisoners  were  sentenced,  as  tradition  says,  to  be  burned 
alive.  When  interrogated  by  the  Judge,  before  passing  his  sen- 
tence, whether  they  had  aught  to  say  why  sentence  of  death 
should  not  pass  upon  them,  Mary  boldly  and  firmly  declared  her 
innocence,  and  her  ignorance  of  the  real  murderer  :  stating,  in  a 
feeling  manner,  all  she  knew  of  the  affair ;  how  the  knife  had 
been  heedlessly  put  into  her  pocket  after  cleansing  the  pigeons, 
and  forgotten ;  how  much  she  respected  the  deceased,  and  how 
much  she  lamented  his  untimely  death  ;  and  ended  by  an  appeal 
to  the  great  Judge  of  the  universe  of  her  innocence  of  the  crime, 
for  which  she  stood  accused.  Morter,  on  being  interrogated,  re- 
mained sullenly  silent ;  and  after  receiving  the  sentence,  both 
were  remanded  to  prison.  On  the  day  of  their  execution,  which 
had  not  been  long  delayed,  the  condemned  were  taken  west  of 
the  city  a  little  distance,  where  had  been  previously  prepared,  a 
circular  pile  of  pine  faggots  of  a  conical  form.  In  the  centre  of 
the  pile  the  victims  were  placed,  and  the  fatal  torch  applied. 
Mary,  still  protesting  her  innocence,  called  on  the  Lord,  whom  she 
trusted  would  save  her ;  and  prayed  that  he  would,  in  the  heavens, 
show  to  the  spectators  some  token  of  her  innocence.  But  alas ! 
the  day  of  miracles  had  passed ;  and  as  the  flame  surrounded  her, 
she  gave  herself  up  to  despair.  She  expired,  endeavoring  to 
convince  the  multitude  of  her  innocence.  Her  companion  met 
his  fate,  with  the  same  stoic  indifference  he  had  manifested  from 
the  hour  of  his  arrest. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         ^ 

After  the  execution  of  this  unhappy  couple,  one  of  whom,  as 
will  be  seen  hereafter,  expired  innocent  of  the  crime  for  which 
she  sulfered,  the  affair  died  away,  and  nothing  further  was  dis- 
closed for  several  years.  Facts  then  came  to  light  revealing  the 
whole  transaction.  At  the  time  the  murder  was  committed,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Moore  resided  at  Weiser's  dorf.  The  Ger- 
mans at  that  settlement,  which  was  distant  from  the  dwelling  of 
Vrooman  about  two  miles,  it  was  supposed,  envied  Vrooraan  the 
possession  of  the  iine  tract  of  land  he  had  secured ;  and  by  com- 
pelling him  to  abandon,  hoped  to  possess  it.  It  is  not  probable, 
however,  that  any  one  of  them,  except  Moore,  thought  of  getting 
it  by  the  crime  of  murder.  He  conceived  such  a  plan,  and  con- 
spired with  Morter  to  carry  it  into  execution.  Moore  thought  if 
Truax  was  murdered,  Vrooman  would  be  afraid  to  return  for  fear 
of  sharing  a  like  fate,  and  would  then  dispose  of  the  land  on 
reasonable  terms  ;  when  he  might  secure  to  himself  a  choice  par- 
cel. Morter  was  promised,  as  a  reward  for  participating  in  the 
crime,  the  hand  of  Moore's  sister  in  marriage.  It  is  not  likely 
the  girl  herself,  had  the  most  distant  idea  of  the  happiness  her 
brother  had  in  store  for  her.  Amalgamation  to  Morter  appeared 
in  enticing  garments.  To  pillow  his  head  on  a  white  bosom,  and 
bask  in  amalgamated  pleasure,  would,  he  thought,  amply  com- 
pensate for  becoming  the  tool  of  Moore.  He  therefore  resolved 
to  aid  him,  and  it  was  agreed  the  deed  should  be  executed  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  throw  suspicion  on  Mary  his  wife :  who,  he  in- 
tended, should  prove  no  obstacle  in  the  way  of  realizing  his  sen- 
sual desires.  The  circumstance  of  his  wife's  having  pigeons  to 
dress,  seemed  to  favor  the  design.  Perhaps  he  had  seen  her  put 
the  bloody  knife  into  her  pocket :  at  all  events,  the  present  seemed 
to  them  a  favorable  opportunity,  and  they  resolved  to  accomplish 
the  foul  deed  that  night.  Accordingly,  at  midnight,  the  murder- 
ers approached  the  house  in  which  slumbered  their  innocent  vic- 
tim. Finding  his  door  locked,  they  found  it  necessary  to  devise 
some  plan  to  gain  admission  to  his  room  without  breaking  the 
lock,  and,  if  possible,  without  alarming  Mary,  a  victim  they  in- 
tended the  law  should  claim.     By  some  means  they  gained  the 


60  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

top  of  the  chimney,  which  was  not  very  difficult,  as  the  dwelhng 
was  but  one  story,  and  shding  carefully  down  that,  they  soon 
found  themselves  in  the  presence  of  their  still  slumbering  victim. 
Which  of  the  two  drew  the  fatal  knife  is  unknown  ;  it  is  supposed 
one  held  him,  while  the  other,  at  a  single  stroke,  severed  the  jugu- 
lar vein.  The  nefarious  deed  accomplished,  the  assassins  left  the 
room,  and  away  they  sped  from  the  dwelling,  fearful  alike  of  their 
own  shadows. 

The  light  of  the  morrow's  sun  disclosed  this  damnable  deed. 
When  the  commotion  and  anxiety  of  the  next  day  followed  dis- 
covery, Moore  feigned  business  from  home,  and  kept  out  of  the 
way  until  after  the  arrest  of  his  hardened  accomplice.  Not  long 
afler  this  murder  was  committed,  a  disturbance  arose  among  the 
Germans,  through  ignorance,  as  will  be  seen,  and  many  of  them 
left  the  Schoharie  valley  and  sought  a  residence  elsewhere. 
Moore  was  among  those  who  went  to  Pennsylvania.  He  lived  a 
life  of  fear  for  some  years  in  that  state,  but  at  length  a  sum- 
mons from  on  high  laid  him  upon  a  bed  of  languishing.  As  dis- 
ease preyed  upon  his  vitals,  the  worm  of  torment  gnawed  his  con- 
science. Sometimes  in  his  broken  slumbers,  he  was  visited  (in 
fancy,)  by  the  ghost  of  a  man  struggling  upon  a  bed ;  and  as  he 
heard  the  rattle  of  his  throat  as  the  breath  left  his  body,  he  saw 
the  fearful  gash  and  the  flowing  blood.  At  other  times  he  saw 
two  persons,  whom  the  crackling  flames  were  devouring ;  and,  as 
the  appeal  to  heaven  for  a  token  of  the  innocence  of  one  of  them 
rang  in  his  ears,  he  often  awoke  with  exclamations  of  horror. 
Being  past  the  hope  of  recovery,  and  so  grievously  tormented,  in 
order  to  relieve  in  some  measure  his  guilty  conscience,  he  dis- 
closed the  facts  above  related.  Truax  was  the  first  white  man 
murdered  in  Schoharie  county ;  and  may  be  said  to  have  fallen  a 
victim  to  the  unholy  cause  of  amalgamation. 

The  Germans  had  not  been  long  in  possession  of  the  Schoharie 
flats,  and  were  just  beginning  to  hve  comfortably,  when  Nicholas 
Bayard,  an  agent  from  the  British  crown,  appeared  in  their  midst. 
He  put  up  in  Smith's  dorf,  at  the  house  of  Han-Yerry  (John 
George)  Smith,  already  noted  as  being  the  best  domicil  in  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  61 

settlement.  From  this  house,  (wliich  was  in  fact  the  fust  hotel  in 
Schoharie,  and  might  have  been  called  the  hall-way  house,  as 
Smith's  was  the  central  of  the  seven  dorfs,)  Bayard  issued  a  no- 
tice, that  to  every  house-holder,  who  would  make  known  to  him 
the  boundaries  of  the  land  he  had  taken  ;  he  would  give  a  deed 
in  the  name  of  his  sovereign.  The  Germans,  ignorant  though 
honest,  mistook  altogether  the  object  of  the  generous  offer,  and 
supposing  it  designed  to  bring  them  again  under  tyrannic  land- 
holders, and  within  the  pale  of  royal  oppression,  resolved  at  once 
to  kill  Bayard,  whom  they  looked  upon  as  a  foe  to  their  future 
peace ;  and  by  so  doing,  establish  more  firmly  the  independence 
they  had  for  several  years  enjoyed.  Consequently,  early  the  next 
morning,  the  nature  of  the  resolve  having  been  made  known  the 
evening  before,  the  honest  burghers  of  Schoharie,  armed  with 
guns  and  pitch-forks;  with  many  of  the  softer  sex,  in  whom 
dwelt  the  love  of  liberty,  armed  with  broad  hoes,  clubs  and  other 
missiles ;  surrounded  the  hotel  of  Smith,  and  demanded  the  per- 
son of  Bayard,  dead  or  alive.  Mine  host,  who  knew  at  that  ear- 
ly day  that  a  w^ell  managed  hotel  was  the  traveler's  home,  posi- 
tively refused  to  surrender  to  his  enraged  countrymen,  his  guest. 
The  house  was  besieged  throughout  the  day.  Sixty  balls  were 
fired  by  the  assailants  through  the  roof,  which  was  the  most  vul- 
nerable part,  as  that  was  straw  :  and  as  Bayard  had,  previous  to 
his  arrival,  been  by  accident  despoiled  of  an  eye,  he  ran  no  little 
risk  of  returning  to  the  bosom  of  his  family,  if  fortunate  enough 
to  return,  totally  blind.  Bayard  was  armed  with  pistols,  and  oc- 
casionally returned  the  fire  of  his  assailants,  more,  no  doubt,  with 
the  design  of  frightening,  than  of  killing  them.  Having  spent 
the  last  round  of  their  ammunition,  hunger  beginning  to  gnaw, 
and  the  sable  shades  of  evening  to  conceal  the  surrounding  hills, 
the  siege  was  raised,  and  the  heroes  of  the  bloodless  day  dispersed 
to  their  homes,  to  eat  their  fill  and  dream  on  their  personal  ex- 
ploits— the  invulnerability  of  their  foe,  and  the  mutability  of 
princely  promises.  The  coast  again  clear,  Bayard  left  Schoharie, 
and  under  the  cover  of  night,  traveled  to  Schenectada.  From 
there  he  sent  a  message  to  Schoharie,  offering  to  give,  to  such  as 


62  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

should  appear  there  with  a  single  ear  of  corn — acknowledge  him 
the  regal  agent — and  name  the  bounds  of  it,  a  free  deed  and  last- 
ing title  to  their  lands.  No  one  felt  inclined  to  call  on  the  agent, 
whose  life  they  had  attempted  to  take,  and  after  waiting  some 
time,  he  went  to  Albany  and  disposed  of  the  lands  they  occupied, 
to  five  individuals.  The  patent  was  granted  to  Myndert  Schuyler, 
Peter  Van  Brugh,  Robert  Livingston,  jr.,  John  Schuyler  and  Hen- 
ry Wileman,  the  purchasers,  and  was  executed  at  Fort  George, 
in  New  York,  on  the  third  day  of  November,  1714,  in  the  first 
year  of  the  reign  of  George  I.,  by  Robert  Hunter,  then  Governor 
of  the  province,  in  behalf  of  the  King.  The  date  of  this  con- 
veyance, I  think,  goes  far  to  prove  the  settlement  of  Schoharie  to 
have  been  as  early  as  the  time  previously  given  ;  as  the  settlers 
had  been  upon  their  lands  several  years,  and  were  beginning  to 
live  comfortably,  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  royal  agent. 

This  patent  began  at  the  northern  limits  of  the  Vrooman  pa- 
tent, on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  the  little  Schoharie  kill  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  ran  from  thence  north ;  taking  in  a  strip 
on  both  sides  of  the  river :  at  times  mounting  the  hills,  and  at 
others  leaving  a  piece  of  flats,  until  it  nearly  reached  the  present 
Montgomery  county  line.  It  curved  some,  and  the  intention  was, 
to  embrace  all  the  flats  in  that  distance.  Patent  was  taken  for 
ten  thousand  acres.  Lewis  Morris,  jr.,  and  Andrus  Coeman,  who 
were  employed  by  the  purchasers  to  survey  and  divide  the  land  ; 
finding  the  flats  along  Fox's  creek,  and  a  large  piece  at  Kneis- 
kern's  dorf,  near  the  mouth  of  Cobel's  kill,  were  not  included  in 
that  patent ;  lost  no  time  in  securing  them.  Those  several  pa- 
tents often  ran  into  each  other,  and  in  some  instances  were  so  far 
apart,  as  to  leave  a  gore  between  them.  The  patent  taken  to  se- 
cure the  remainder  of  the  flats  at  Kneiskern's  dorf,  began  at  a 
spring  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  near  the  bridge  which  now 
crosses  that  stream  above  Schoharie  Court  House,  and  also  ran  to, 
or  near  the  Montgomery  county  line.  Between  that  and  the  first 
patent  secured,  which  were  intended  to  embrace  all  the  flats,  was 
left  a  very  valuable  gore,  which  Augustus  Van  Cortlandt  after- 
wards secured.     Finding  much  difliculty  in  dividing  their  landip 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  63 

they  so  often  intersected,  the  first  five  purchasers  and  their  sur- 
veyors, Morris  and  Coeman,  whose  right  in  the  Schoharie  soil 
was  proportionably  valuable,  agreed  to  make  joint  stock  of  the 
three  patents.  Since  that  time  they  have  been  distinguished  as 
the  lands  of  the  seven  partners  Patents  and  deeds  granted  at 
subsequent  dates,  for  lands  adjoining  those  of  the  seven  partners, 
were,  in  some  instances,  bounded  in  such  a  manner  as  to  infringe 
on  those  of  the  latter,  or  leave  gores  between  them.  As  may  be 
supposed,  evils  were  thus  originated,  which  proved  a  source  of 
bickering  and  litigation  for  many  years.  Suits  for  partition,  were 
brought  successively  in  Schoharie  county  in  1819 — 25 — 26 — 28 
and  29:  at  which  time  they  w-ere  finally  adjusted.  The  latest 
difficulties  are  said  to  have  existed  between  the  people  of  Duanes- 
burg  and  Schoharie. 

After  the  seven  partners  secured  their  title  to  the  Schoharie 
flats,  they  called  on  the  Germans  who  dwelt  upon  them,  either  to 
take  leases  of,  to  purchase,  or  to  quit  them  altogether.  To  neither 
of  these  terms  would  they  accede,  declaring  that  Queen  Anne  had 
given  them  the  lands,  and  they  desired  no  better  title.  The  read- 
er will  bear  in  mind  the  fact,  that  those  people  had  no  lawyers 
among  them,  except  by  name,  on  their  arrival — that  they  lived 
in  a  measure  isolated  from  those  who  could  instruct  them — that 
they  spoke  a  language  difTerent  from  that  in  which  the  laws  of 
the  country  were  written,  which  laws  they  were  strangers  to ;  and 
that  they  placed  implicit  confidence  in  the  promises  of  the  good 
Queen,  that  they  should  have  the  lands  free  ;  and  he  will  be  less 
surprised  at  their  stubbornness.  Their  faith  in  the  promises  of  the 
Queen,  had  not  been  misplaced,  as  the  intention  of  the  crown  to 
give  them  free  titles  by  Bayard  clearly  proves.  The  great  diffi- 
culty proceeded  from  their  ignorance  of  the  utility,  and  manner  of 
granting  deeds.  The  patent  taken  by  the  five  partners  was  dated 
in  November,  1714  ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  first  of  August  of 
that  year,  that  Queen  Anne  died.  It  is  therefore  very  probable, 
Bayard  was  an  agent  commissioned  by  her;  if  not,  by  George  I., 
who  intended  in  good  faith  to  carry  into  effect  the  design  of  his 
predecessor.     "Whether  royal  agents  were  sent  to  the  other  Ger- 


64  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

man  settlements  in  the  United  States  for  the  same  charitable  pur- 
pose or  not,  I  am  unable  to  say. 

At  this  period  of  the  history,  several  incidents  transpired  wor- 
thy of  notice.  I  have  already  remarked  that  the  Germans  were 
fond  of  athktic  exercises.  After  their  location,  such  sports  as 
were  calculated  to  try  their  speed  and  strength,  were  not  unfre- 
quently  indulged  in. 

In  the  summer  of  1713  or  '14,  a  stump  was  given  by  the  In- 
dians to  their  German  neighbors  at  Weiser's  dor!!,  to  run  a  foot 
race,  offering  to  stake  on  the  issue,  a  lot  of  dressed  deer-skins 
against  some  article  the  Germans  possessed ;  possibly,  their  old 
mare.  The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  a  son  of  Conrad 
Weiser  was  selected,  to  run  against  a  little  dark  Indian,  called  the 
most  agile  on  foot  of  all  the  tribe.  On  a  beautiful  day  the  par- 
ties assembled  at  Weiser's  dorf  to  witness  the  race.  The  race- 
course was  above  the  village,  and  on  either  side  the  Germans  and 
Indians  took  stations  to  encourage  their  favorites.  About  indi- 
vidual bets  on  the  occasion,  I  have  nothing  to  say.  The  couple 
started,  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  or  more  from  the  goal,  at  a  giv- 
en signal,  and  onward  they  dashed  with  the  fleetness  of  antelopes, 
amid  the  shouts  and  huzzas  of  the  spectators.  The  race  was  to 
terminate  just  beyond  the  most  southern  dwelling  of  Weiser's  dorf. 
They  ran  with  nearly  equal  speed  until  their  arrival  at  the  dwell- 
ing mentioned,  sometimes  fortune  inclining  to  the  white,  and 
sometimes  to  the  red  skin  ;  when  an  unexpected  event  decided  the 
contest  in  favor  of  the  German.  They  had  to  run  very  close  to 
the  house,  and  Weiser,  being  on  the  outside  as  they  approached  it 
side  by  side,  sprang  with  all  his  might  against  his  competitor. 
The  sudden  impetus  forced  the  Indian  against  the  building,  and 
he  rebounded  and  fell  half  dead  upon  the  ground.  Weiser  then 
easily  won  the  race,  amid  the  loud,  triumphant  shouts  of  his  coun- 
trymen. Whether  the  victor  found  his  strength  failing  him,  and 
adopted  the  expedient  of  disabling  the  Indian  from  fear  of  losing 
the  wager,  or  whether,  confident  of  superior  pedestrian  powers, 
he  gave  the  Indian  a  jog  with  malicious  intent,  is  unknown  to  the 
writer.     The  Indians,  and  their  defeated  champion,  were  terribly 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  65 

enraged  at  first,  and  positively  refused  to  give  up  the  forfeit :  hut 
Weiser,  who  had  already  learned  much  of  the  Indian  character, 
and  knew  the  danger  of  trifling  with  their  misfortunes,  with  a 
grave-yard  countenance,  appeased  their  wrath,  by  satisfying  them 
that  the  whole  difficulty  proceeded  from  accident — that  he  stum- 
bled upon  some  obstacle  which  rendered  it  unavoidable,  and 
was  very  sorry  it  had  happened.  With  this  explanation  their 
anger  was  appeased,  and  they  delivered  up  the  skins ;  from  which 
it  is  but  fair  to  conclude,  the  whole  Weiser  family  were  clothed. 
This  is  the  only  dishonest  trick  I  have  heard  related  of  the  first 
Germans,  and  with  the  exception  of  Moore,  they  seem  to  have 
been  strangers  to  crime.  Foot  races  were  often  run  by  those 
people  :  at  times,  fifteen  or  twenty  entering  the  course  together. 

It  has  been  already  remarked,  that  the  Germans  settled  in 
clusters  or  dorfs,  to  be  the  better  able  to  repel  Indian  invasion, 
and  it  now  remains  to  be  shown  that  such  caution  was  rewarded, 
if  tradition  speaks  the  truth.  The  privilege  the  ^vriter  claims,  he 
allows  to  the  reader,  to  wit :  that  of  believing  as  much  of  the  fol- 
lowing story  as  he  pleases.  When  related  to  him,  the  author 
thought  it  too  good  to  be  lost. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  south  of  where  stood  Hartman's  dorf, 
which  is  the  descent  from  a  table  land  to  the  river  flats,  as  the 
road  now  lies,  may  be  observed  on  one  side  a  kind  of  marsh, 
through  which  runs  a  brook,  receiving  in  its  course  the  waters  of 
several  springs.  At  the  period  to  which  I  allude,  this  marsh  was 
thickly  covered  with  alders  and  other  swamp  timber,  and  afforded 
a  safe  covert  for  no  inconsiderable  force.  Early  upon  a  certain 
day,  in  a  certain  year,  Karighondontee  and  many  of  his  warriors 
were  assembled  at  this  swamp,  to  give  battle  to  the  good  people 
of  Hartman's  dorf,  distant  half  a  mile  from  the  encampment.  If 
the  reader  desired  to  know  the  cause  of  difficulty,  or  in  what  pre- 
cise year  it  arose,  I  should  be  unable  to  inform  him ;  it  must  have 
been  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Bayard.  It  being  rumored 
through  the  place  that  it  was  besieged,  great  was  the  commo- 
tion through  its  one  important  street.  By  times,  the  brave  Cap- 
tain Hartman  had  taken  a  public  station,  and  around  him  a  mul- 


66  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

titude  were  soon  gathered.  The  tactic  skill  of  the  Captain  re- 
quired little  time  in  marshaling  his  brave  followers — his  tender 
care  about  their  temporal  affairs  at  the  Camps  being  still  remem- 
bered— who  waited  with  impatience  the  march  to  glory.  What 
other  officers  assisted  Captain  Hartman  on  this  momentous  occa- 
sion, is  of  no  consequence  at  this  late  period.  Various  were  the 
weapons  with  which  the  dangerous  looking  corps  were  armed. 
Few  fire-arms  might  have  been  seen,  but  forks,  shovels,  broad 
hoes,  axes,  poles,  clubs,  hand-saws,  and  the  Lord  knows  what 
other  missiles,  gleamed  threateningly  in  the  sun.  Indeed,  the 
care-worn  and  trusty  swoid  of  the  Captain,  when  drawn,  added 
not  a  little  to  the  warhke  appearance  of  the  troop,  to  say  nothing 
of  its  multiform,  military  garb.  "  What  a  fine  martial  array," 
thought  he,  as  his  eye  ran  along  the  ranks,  and  he  gave  the  com- 
mand to  "  face  towards  the  river  and  march  !"  Each  individual 
of  the  brave  band  cast  a  furtive,  speaking  glance  at  the  front 
stoop  of  his  own  dwelling,  where  stood  the  domestic  circle  weep- 
ing or  encouraging,  or  that  of  his  lover,  who  was  leaning  upon 
the  half  opened  door,  with  an  arm  across  her  face  to  conceal  the 
gushing  tear,  or  her  pouting,  nectareal  lip  ;  and  to  the  enlivening 
sound  of  the  violin,  their  favorite  and  only  music,  set  forward 
with  a  firm  step,  determined  to  conquer  or  die.  Two-thirds  of 
the  distance  from  the  village  to  the  rendezvous  of  the  enemy  al- 
ready in  his  rear,  the  Captain  ordered  a  halt,  to  communicate  to 
his  troops  some  necessary  instructions  about  the  plan  and  manner 
of  prosecuting  the  attack.  Some  of  his  men  now  hesitated 
about  assaulting  the  enemy,  as  they  were  mostly  armed  with  un- 
erring rifles.  The  misgivings  on  this  score  soon  became  general, 
and  then  was  called  forth  all  the  dormant  eloquence  their  brave 
leader  was  so  noted  'for  possessing.  Stepping  upon  a  stump, 
from  which  position  his  commanding  person  and  cheerful  counte- 
nance were  truly  conspicuous,  he  addressed  his  followers.  He 
directed  their  attention  to  the  time  when  they  were  persecuted  in 
Germany — to  the  perils  they  had  overcome  by  sea  and  land.  He 
assured  them  that  although  the  enemy  had  rifles,  yet  not  one  of 
them  shoxdd  discharge.     He  conjured  them  not  to  sully,  by  cow- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         67 

ardico,  their  national  character.  He  reminded  them  of  their  so- 
cial relations  which  were  jeopardized — of  the  love  of  their  wives, 
their  parents,  their  children,  and  lastly  of  their  plighted,  lie  ac- 
companied the  latter  part  of  his  pathetic  speech,  with  a  signifi- 
cant flourish  of  his  sword  towards  their  village,  a  part  of  which 
was  still  in  view.  The  appeal  was  irrenstahlc,  and  with  one 
voice  the  whole  corps,  in  true  German,  responded — "  Fuehret  an !" 
Lead  on !  Fearlessly  he  did  lead  on,  and  thus  was  he  followed. 
Faith  is  the  vital  principle  by  which  every  successful  effort  of 
man  is  put  forth,  and  without  it,  the  sinews  of  war  are  powerless. 
Indeed,  faith  is  no  less  requisite  in  war  than  religion,  and  no  bat- 
tle ever  was  won  without  it.  So  thought  the  daring  Hartman, 
and  so  had  he  instructed  his  followers  to  think.  When  they  came 
to  the  wood  in  which  the  enemy  had  taken  a  position,  the  Ger- 
mans, following  the  example  of  their  Captain,  rushed  furiously 
upon  the  wary  foe.  They  met,  as  had  been  anticipated,  his  lev- 
eled guns,  but  no  sound,  save  their  repeated  clicks,  was  heard : 
no  death-telling  report  rang  through  the  valley,  and  the  whoops 
of  the  savages,  as  they  noted  the  failure  of  their  rifles,  gradually 
died  away  on  the  morning  air.  The  confidence  of  the  colonists 
was  increased,  on  beholding  the  prophecy  of  their  Captain  veri- 
fied, in  the  click  of  non- discharging  fire-arms,  and  true  to  their 
leader,  they  seconded  all  his  movements.  The  red  man  fell  back 
abashed,  and  ere  he  could  discover  the  cause  of  his  ill  luck,  the 
sturdy  German  was  upon  him,  the  sight  of  whose  w^eapon  was 
enough  to  carry  terror  to  his  heart's  warmest  blood,  and  lie  was 
compelled  again  to  flee.  "  An  !"  shouted  the  immortal  Captain, 
"  An  !"  The  charge  was  too  impetuous  to  be  withstood,  and  the 
Indians  fled  in  terror,  uttering,  as  they  left  the  swamp  in  posses- 
sion of  their  enemy,  the  death  yell.  Well  might  they  have  sup- 
posed, from  the  clashing  of  missiles  coming  accidentally  in  con- 
tact with  their  fellows,  or  with  obtruding  trees,  and  now  and  then 
with  the  head  or  shoulders  of  their  comrades,  that  the  carnage 
was  terrible,  and  the  reason  for  the  death  yell  obviously  augment- 
ed. What  a  cruel,  bloody  art,  is  war.  The  troops  of  Captain 
Hartman  belabored  the  natives  lustily  with  fork  and  hoc,  as  may 


68  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

be  supposed,  in  their  retreat.  Here,  some  were  seen  hobbling  off 
from  the  field  of  battle  with  bruised  shins ;  there,  others  with  el- 
bows or  fingers  disjointed — all  amazed  at  the  manifest  prowess  of 
their  German  enemies,  and  still  more  dismayed  that  their  rifles 
gave  no  report.  If  any  there  were  among  them  who  fought  on 
that  memorable  occasion  with  bows  and  arrows,  and  doubtless 
there  were  some,  it  is  highly  probable  the  thick  buck-skin  gar- 
ments of  the  colonists  arrested  the  further  progress  of  their  arrows  ; 
else  the  fate  of  the  day  might  still  have  been  different,  and  I  now 
had  to  record  the  success,  instead  of  the  defeat,  of  the  stout  Ca- 
nadian Chief,  Karighondontee.  The  little  army  of  Hartman  were 
soon  left  complete  masters  of  the  bloodless  field,  (as  it  -would 
have  been,  had  not  the  careless  wielding  of  the  missiles  brought 
them  occasionally  in  contact  with  a  nasal  organ ;)  and  the  re- 
peated German  huzzas  of  the  conquerors,  reverberated  along  the 
Oucongena. 

The  enemy  fairly  ousted  and  the  field  gloriously  won,  the 
victors  returned  again  to  their  homes  to  a  still  more  en- 
livening air  than  the  one  with  which  they  had  left  them,  the 
whole  length  of  the  bow  being  given  it;  where  awaited  them 
the  cheers  and  smiles  of  their  fair  ones.  It  is  but  reasonable  to 
suppose,  that  a  messenger  had  been  sent  forward  to  apprise  the 
villagers  of  the  great  success  and  triumph  of  the  German  arms, 
without  loss  of  life  or  limb,  since  I  must  believe,  that  had  the 
good  matrons  been  expecting  to  see  any  of  the  corps  borne  home 
on  a  litter,  they  would  not  have  made  the  welkin  ring  with  their 
shouts.  Thus  ended  the  first  regular  battle  of  the  Germans  in  the 
valley  of  Schoharie,  no  less  gloriously  than  did  the  siege  of  Smith's 
hotel,  already  before  the  reader,  on  which  occasion  they  com- 
pelled their  supposed  enemy  to  flee  by  night.  One  thing,  how- 
ever, remained  to  be  done,  the  pipe  of  peace  was  yet  to  be 
smoked.  Accordingly,  on  an  appointed  day,  soon  after  the 
battle,  the  parties  met  in  the  shade  of  a  majestic  oak,  not  a  mile 
from  the  battle  field,  which  had  buffeted  the  storms  of  several  cen- 
turies, and  may  be  still  standing,  and  well  and  faithfully  did  the 
Germans  smoke  the  calumet.     They  are  a  people  extremely  fond 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  fP 

of  furniQ;ating,  and  the  opportunity  to  show  their  Indian  neigh- 
bors their  patience  and  skill  in  the  art,  as  may  be  supposed,  was 
heartily  embraced.  Nor  is  it  improbable,  thai  their  countrymen 
at  Weiser's  dorf  were  guests  on  so  important  an  occasion.  The 
Indians  were  again  compelled  to  accord  to  their  (now)  friends  of 
the  pipe,  superior  skill.  The  Virginia  weed  all  burned,  the  par- 
ties dispersed.  Well  would  it  be  if  all  battles  ended,  like  the  bat- 
tle of  Hartman's  dorf,  in  nothing  worse  than  smoke. 

Perhaps  thou  art  amazed,  kind  reader,  while  perusing  the  sim- 
ple narrative  of  this  battle,  to  find  that  the  fire-arms  of  the  In- 
dians did  not  discharge.  The  days  of  witchcraft  are  now  happi- 
ly passed  forever ;  but  the  time  has  been,  when  it  was  no  uncom- 
mon thing  for  a  spell  or  eiichuntmcnt  to  extend  to  the  lock  of  a 
rifle  :  so  says  tradition. — George  Warner. 

We  have  seen  how  Bayard,  the  royal  agent,  was  treated,  when 
he  visited  Schoharie  to  execute  deeds  to  the  German  land-holders; 
that  in  consequence,  the  land  was  disposed  of,  and  it  now  remains 
to  be  shown  what  effect  that  sale  had  on  the  tenant.  Being  called 
upon  by  the  partners  to  lease  or  purchase,  they  declared  they 
Would  do  neither.  Finding  lenient  measures  of  no  avail,  they  re- 
solved to  obtain  justice  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  law.  Accord- 
ingly, a  sheriff  from  Albany,  by  the  name  of  Adams,  was  sent  to 
apprehend  some  of  the  boldest  of  the  trespassers,  as  they  had  now 
become,  and  frighten  others  into  proper  terms.  The  Albanians 
greatly  underrated  the  character  and  bravery  of  those  people,  who 
had  not  only  compelled  an  agent  of  the  crown  to  flee,  but  had,  in 
fair  fight,  victoriously  battled  their  Indian  neighbors.  It  is  possi- 
ble they  had  never  heard  of  that  terrible  conflict.  Adams,  con- 
scious of  his  own  honorable  intentions,  passing  through  a  part  of 
the  valley,  made  a  halt  at  Weiser's  dorf  He  had  no  sooner 
discovered  his  business  and  attempted  the  arrest  of  an  individu- 
al, than  a  mob  was  collected,  and  at  that  early  day  the  lynch  law 
was  enforced,  The  women  of  that  generation,  as  has  been  shown 
by  their  journeys  to  Schenectada,  possessed  Amazonian  strength 
and  constitutions,  if  not  proportions  ;  nor,  indeed,  were  they  lack- 
mg  in  Spartan  bravery.  A  part  of  those  well-meaning  dames, 
6 


70  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

remembering  the  promises  of  Queen  Anne,  and  sharing  with 
their  husbands  the  belief  that  they  were  objects  of  oppression, — 
that  the  intention  was  to  compel  them  to  pay  for  lands  they  al- 
ready considered  their  own ;  under  the  direction  of  Magdalene 
Zeh,  a  self  appointed  captain,  took  the  sheriff  into  their  own 
hands  and  dealt  with  him  according  to  his  deserts,  of  which  the 
captain  was  judge.  He  was  knocked  down  by  a  blow  from  the 
magistrate,  and  inducted  into  various  places  in  that  young  village 
where  the  sow  delighted  to  wallow.  After  receiving  many  in- 
dignities in  the  neighborhood  of  Weiser's  dorf,  some  of  which  he 
was  conscious  of  receiving  and  some  not,  he  was  placed  upon  a 
rail,  and  rode  skimington  through  most  of  the  settlements.  He 
was  exhibited  at  Hartman's,  Bruna,  Smith's  and  Fox's  dorfs  to 
his  discomfiture  ;  and  finally  deposited  on  a  small  bridge,  made  of 
logs,  that  had  been  placed  across  a  stream  on  the  old  Albany^road, 
a  distance  from  the  starting  point  of  between  six  and  seven  miles ; 
no  ordinary  journey  for  such  a  conveyance.  This  stream  was 
formerly  called  Mill  brook, — why,  remains  to  be  seen, — and  cross- 
es the  road  a  short  distance  west  of  the  residence  of  Peter  Mann, 
in  Fox's  creek  valley.  The  captain  then  seized  a  stake,  which" 
she  carelessly  laid  over  his  person,  until  two  of  his  ribs  made  four, 
and  his  organs  of  vision  were  diminished  one  half.  She  then, 
with  little  ceremony  and  less  modesty,  bathed  his  temples  in  a 
very  unusual,  though  simple  manner,  to  the  great  annoyance  of 
the  uninjured  eye — poor  fellow,  he  could  not  resist  the  kindness — 
and  called  off  her  compatriots,  leaving  him  for  dead  ;  or  rather 
to  die  if  he  chose.  He  saw  fit  to  do  no  such  act,  in  such  a  plight,il 
and  after  such  a  nursing ;  and  as  soon  as  consciousness  returned, 
how  long  after  Mistress  Lynch  had  left  him  is  unknown,  he  gath- 
ered himself  together  and  departed  for  Albany.  What  strange 
thoughts  must  have  occupied  his  mind,  while  homeward  bound. 
He  must  have  been  conscious,  when  the  faculties  of  his  mind  re- 
newed their  action,  that  whether  his  knowledge  had  increased  or 
not,  his  bumps  assuredly  had.  His  progress  must  necessarily  have 
been  very  slow,  thus  bruised  and  maimed,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
third  day  after  he  had  been  on  the  lail-rode,  that  he  reached  Ver- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  71 

re-berp^,  a  hill  seven  miles  west  of  Albany,  from  Avhence  lie  was 
taken  to  the  city  in  a  wagon.  As  there  were  no  public  houses, 
and  few  Samaritans  on  the  road  at  that  time,  he  was  exposed 
nights  to  the  carnival  of  wild  beasts,  and  by  day,  to  danger  of 
perishing  with  hunger.  His  arrival  at  Albany,  wounded  and 
half  blind  as  he  was,  and  maul-treated  as  he  had  been,  prognosti- 
cated no  good  for  the  people  of  Schoharie.  The  leading  facts  in 
the  foregoing  statement,  were  published  by  Judge  Brown,  who 
assured  the  author  that  he  received  them  from  Sheriff  Adams,  vi- 
va-voce— from  his  own  lips. 

The  word  berg,  as  we  have  shown,  signifies  a  hill  or  mountain. 
At  the  period  of  which  I  write,  before  public  houses  were  estab- 
lished between  the  two  places,  the  people  of  Schoharie,  who  had 
occasion  to  go  to  Albany  to  make  disposals  and  purchases,  went 
in  squads  and  encamped  out  over  night.  The  most  important 
bergs  and  creeks  on  the  road,  were  then  the  guides  by  which  they 
knew  the  route,  distance,  &c.,  and  served  the  traveler  in  lieu  of 
mile-stones.  The  first  important  stopping  place,  after  leaving 
Schoharie,  was  at  the  Long-berg,  cast  of  Gallupville.  There,  if 
the  wayfarer  left  the  valley  late,  he  tarried  over  night :  to  it  was 
therefore  called  the  first  day's  journey.  The  Beaverkill,  which  is 
a  branch  of  Fox's  creek,  was  also  a  guide  :  then  came  the  Feght- 
berg,  Supawn-berg,  Lice-berg,  Helle-berg,  Botte-Mentis-berg, 
and  lastly  Verre-berg.  All  these  names  had  some  significant 
meaning,  which  continued  to  remind  the  traveler  of  their  origin, 
long  after  the  road,  which  was  then  little  more  than  a  rough  foot 
path,  and  hardly  admissible  for  any  kind  of  wagons,  became  a 
public  one,  properly  laid  out.  Long-berg  signified  the  long  hill. 
Feght-berg,  the  fighting  hill,  the  origin  of  which  has  previously 
been  given.  Supaan  is  the  name  among  the  Germans  and  Dutch, 
by  which  Indian  pudding,  usually  called  mush  or  hasty  pudding 
among  the  English,  is  known.  Why  that  name  attaches  to  a  hill, 
the  writer  has  not  been  informed.  The  origin  of  Lice-berg  and 
Verre-berg  are  also  among  the  mysteries.  A  hill  was  called  Bot- 
te-Mentis-berg from  the  following  circumstance.  A  man,  whose 
given  name  was  Botte  Mace, — or  Bartholomew  in  EngUsh — was 


72  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

passing  along  in  the  evening  and  fell  into  a  pit,  where  he  "was 
obliged  to  remain  until  morning  :  to  the  nearest  hill  was  given  his 
name,  by  which  it  was  long  after  known. 

As  may  be  supposed,  the  people  of  Schoharie,  after  dealing 
with  poor  Adams  in  the  manner  they  had,  became  cautious  about 
visiting  Albany,  where  several  of  the  partners  resided.  There 
was,  in  fact,  little  intercourse  between  Schoharie  and  Albany  for 
some  time  :  the  people  of  the  former  viewing  those  of  the  latter 
place,  in  a  light  of  lively  apprehension.  In  civilized  life,  it  is 
happily  ordered  that  one  community  shall  not  live  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  all  others.  There  were  some  necessaries  which  they 
must  have,  and  which  they  could  not  well  procure  without  going 
there.  The  men,  therefore,  sent  their  wives  after  salt ;  which 
was  one  of  the  indispensables  ;  saying,  in  eflfect,  they  loill  rever- 
ence them :  and  if  they  did  venture  to  Albany  themselves,  they 
were  sure  to  do  so  on  the  Sabbath,  and  equally  mindful  of  leav- 
ing the  same  evening.  What  a  profanation  of  the  Lord's  day ! — 
but  let  us  not  anticipate  a  judgment.  By  remaining  silent  in  the 
mean  time,  and  not  appearing  to  heed  their  coming  or  going,  the 
real  owners  of  the  Schoharie  soil,  lured  the  occupants  into  a  be- 
lief, that  all  the  malicious  acts  extended  to  Sheriff  Adams,  not 
forgetting  the  last  act  of  Magdalene,  were  entirely  forgotten : 
and  that  there  was  no  longer  any  need  of  caution  about  entering 
that  good  city.  It  was  indeed  presuming  much  on  the  charity  of 
the  partners,  whose  agent  had  been  so  harshly  treated :  but  no 
matter,  such  was  the  fact.  With  the  vigilance  of  the  sentinel 
crow,  were  the  people  of  Schoharie  watched,  who  began  to  be 
looked  upon  as  being  no  better  than  they  should  be, — as  women 
are  wont  to  say  of  frail  sisters, — and  preparations  were  matured 
for  seizing  some  of  them.  It  was  not  long  after  suspicion  was 
lulled,  before  quite  a  number  of  them  entered  the  city  for  salt, 
when  the  partners,  with  Sheriff  Adams  and  posse,  arrested  and 
committed  them  to  jail.  The  most  notorious  of  the  party  were 
placed  in  the  dungeon,  among  whom  was  Conrad  Weiser,  jr.,  of 
running  memory.  As  soon  as  news  of  this  arrest  and  impri- 
sonment reached  Schoharie,  her  citizens  were  horror  stricken  1 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  71 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?^^ — was  the  interrogatory  on  the  lips  of  one 
and  all.  How  sadly,  thought  they,  have  we  realized  our  Euro- 
pean dreams  of  American  happiness.  Desirous  of  remedying  in 
future  the  evils  to  which  they  were  subjected,  it  was,  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  citizens,  resolved  to  get  up  a  petition  setting  forth 
their  grievances,  persecutions,  &c.;  and  delegate  three  of  their 
number  to  lay  it,  with  all  due  humility,  at  the  feet  of  King  George; 
praying,  at  the  time,  for  his  future  protection  against  their  ene- 
mies, the  Albanians.  This  petition,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
drawn  by  John  Newkirk,  was  entrusted  to  the  elder  Conrad  Wei- 
ser,  one  Cassleman,  and  a  third  person,  name  not  known,  for  pre- 
sentation. 

Looking  through  grates  and  living  on  bread  and  water,  had  a 
wonderful  effect  on  the  spirits  and  temper  of  the  incarcerated  ci- 
tizens of  Schoharie.  They  therefore  made  a  virtue  of  necessity, 
and  resolved  to  comply  with  the  requisitions  of  the  law,  by  taking 
leases  and  agreeing  to  pay  rent  for,  or  to  purchase  the  land.  Be- 
fore releasing  the  prisoners,  the  partners  drew  up  a  statement  of 
the  abuses  to  Bayard  and  Adams,  when  in  the  discharge  of  their 
official  duties  at  Schoharie,  and  required  them  to  be  witnessed  un- 
der hand  and  seal.  This  last  requisition  complied  with,  they 
were  allowed  to  depart  for  their  own  homes. 

The  importance  with  which  the  colonists  viewed  this  matter 
may  be  conceived  by  the  delegation  to  England  :  for,  surely,  no 
trifling  consideration  would  induce  three  men,  who  loved  retire- 
ment, to  make  such  a  journey  at  such  a  time.  We  should  look 
upon  it  at  the  present  day,  as  being  a  great  undertaking — saying 
nothing  of  locomotives,  rail-roads  and  steam- packets,  which  were 
then  unknown.  No  delay  was  allowed  after  procuring  the  duly 
attested  evidence  of  the  proceedings  of  Judge  Lynch  :  it  was  for- 
warded immediately  to  the  King.  It  is  highly  probable,  that  the 
same  ship  bore  the  Schoharie  ambassadors  and  the  swift  witness 
against  them,  to  the  British  throne.  The  petition  was  presented 
about  the  year  1714  or  '15.  The  ship  in  due  time  arrived  in  Eng- 
land, and  the  Schoharie  delegation,  wishing  to  make  a  respecta- 
ble appearance  among  the  foreign  ambassadors,  were  subjected  to 


74  mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

some  little  delay,  in  arranging  their  "wardrobe,  exchanging  their 
buck-skin  garments  for  cloth,  &c.:  in  the  mean  time,  the  message 
of  the  partners  was  under  the  consideration  of  the  King.  On 
presenting  their  petition,  how  were  Weiser  and  his  friends  as- 
tounded, to  find  the  King  and  his  ministry  in  possession  of  all  the 
late  transactions  at  Schoharie.  Had  the  ghosts  of  Bayard  and 
Adams  appeared  before  them,  they  would  hardly  have  been  more 
horror-stricken,  than  they  were  to  hear  their  own  misdemeanors 
told  them  from  such  a  source.  Their  confusion  betrayed  their 
guilt,  and  estabhshed,  beyond  a  doubt,  the  truth  of  the  charges 
prefered  against  them  and  their  neighbors.  The  King  and  his 
advisers,  supposing  the  evil  deeds  of  the  Schoharie  people  result- 
ed from  had  hearts  instead  of  ignorance,  the  real  parent  of  all 
their  difficulties,  without  listening  to  what  they  might  say  for 
themselves,  ordered  them  to  close  confinement  in  the  tower. 

How  much  the  present  difficulty  of  these  well  meaning  people 
argues  in  favor  of  an  education,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  world 
and  its  transactions.  Had  they  been  better  informed,  they  would 
have  been  less  suspicious  ;  for  suspicion  and  distrust  are  the  hand- 
maids of  ignorance.  The  liberal  minded,  is  generally  the  well 
informed  man.  But,  as  already  remarked,  there  were  some  good 
reasons  for  their  not  advancing  rapidly  in  their  knowledge  of  men 
and  things.  They  spoke  not  the  general  language  of  the  coun- 
try :  which  circumstance  prevented,  in  a  measure,  that  intercourse 
with  the  world,  so  necessary  to  the  expansion  of  the  human  un- 
derstanding, and  the  removal  of  national  or  local  prejudices. 
They  were  accustomed  to  transact  most  of  their  own  business 
without  pen,  ink  or  paper  ;  and,  agreeable  to  the  knowledge  they 
had,  and  their  own  method  of  doing  business,  they  considered  a 
promise  made  in  good  faith,  as  valid  as  a  bond,  for  such  in  fact  it 
was  with  them,  and  never  dreamed  of  the  possibility  of  their  be- 
ing mistaken  about  the  object  of  Bayard's  mission ;  or  that  any 
thing  farther  was  necessary  from  the  British  crown  to  establish 
their  legal  title  to  the  lands,  than  the  mere  promise  of  the  Queen 
that  they  should,  without  money  or  price,  possess  them. 

During  the  confinement  of  the  disappointed  trio,  many  of  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         75 

people  of  Schoharie,  convinced  that  they  stood  in  their  own  light, 
and  that  they  had  wholly  mistaken  the  intention  of  Bayard,  too 
late  indeed  to  obtain  a  legal  title  to  their  lands  free  of  charge,  be- 
gan to  purchase  of  the  partners,  who  granted  them  liberal  terms. 
At  length,  Weiser  and  his  comrades  were  discharged  from  the 
tower,  and  proceeded  home  with  all  possible  haste  :  and  had  the 
former  only  been  by  name  in  the  positive  degree  on  his  arrival  in 
England,  he  assuredly  would  have  been  by  nature  in  the  compa- 
rative on  his  return  to  Schoharie  ;  as  he  had  become  in  fact  much 
tpiser.  The  return  of  the  embassy,  whose  mission  had  resulted 
in  effecting  nothing  but  disgrace  for  themselves ;  and  tended  only 
to  disclose  the  general  ignorance  of  their  constituents,  created  no 
little  excitement  in  the  valley.  Conrad  Weiser  was,  by  nature,  a 
proud,  high-spirited  man,  and  could  not  brook  the  mortification 
his  OAvn  ignorance  had  originated.  Soon  after  his  return,  he  re- 
solved to  leave  Schoharie  forever,  and  had  little  difficulty  in  per- 
suading many  of  his  countrymen  to  join  him.  Accordingly,  with 
as  little  delay  as  possible,  about  sixty  families  packed  up  and  set 
forward  with  all  they  possessed  for  Pennsylvania.  The  want  of 
horses  and  cows,  which  was  so  seriously  felt  by  the  Germans  when 
they  first  located  at  Schoharie,  was,  at  the  time  I  now  speak  of,  a 
source  of  little  inconvenience,  as  they  then  owned  a  goodly  num- 
ber. The  disaffected  party  passed  up  the  Schoharie  river,  piloted 
by  an  Indian.  Brown  says,  they  arrived,  after  a  journey  of  five 
days,  at  the  Cook-house,*  where  they  made  canoes,  in  which  they 
went  down  the  Susquehanna.     Here  is    a    trifling  error  in  his 

•  I  make  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  Erastus  Root,  of 
the  New  York  Senate,  in  answer  to  several  inquiries,  dated  Albany,  April 
llth,  1843.  "  You  ask  whence  originated  the  name  of  Cook  House.  Vari- 
ous derivations  have  been  given,  but  the  most  natural  and  probable  one  is 
this — That  on  the  large  flat  bearing  the  name,  being  on  the  way  from  Cochec- 
ton,  by  the  Susquehanna  and  Chemung  to  Niagara,  there  was  a  hut  erected, 
where  some  cooking  utensils  were  found.  It  had  probably  been  erected  by 
some  traveler  who  had  made  it  his  stopping  place  and  had  cooked  his  provi- 
sions there.  It  has  been  stated  to  me  as  a  part  of  the  tradition,  that  the  hut 
remained  many  years  as  a  resting  place  to  the  weary  traveler,  and  that  the 
rude  cooking  utensils  were  permitted  to  remain  as  consecrated  to  the  use  of 
succeeding  sojourners."  General  Root  went  to  reside  in  Delaware  county  in 
1796. 


76  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

pamphlet,  as  the  Cook-house  is  on  the  Delaware  river.  As  he 
says,  they  passed  down  the  Susquehanna,  preparing  their  canoes 
for  that  purpose,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Charlotte  river.  Nicho- 
las Warner,  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  Schoharie  county,  in  the 
fall  of  1837,  assured  the  author  that  he  had  seen  the  stumps  of 
the  trees  on  the  Charlotte  branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  which 
Weiser  and  his  friends  felled  to  make  the  canoes  from,  in  which 
they  floated  down  the  river.  Their  cattle  and  horses  were  driven 
along  the  shore,  and  were  frequently  in  sight  of  the  water  party, 
until  the  latter  left  their  canoes.  Weiser  and  his  followers  settled 
at  a  place  called  Tulpehocken,  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  on 
the  north  side  of  a  creek  of  that  name ;  where,  it  is  said,  he  he- 
came  a  distinguished  and  useful  citizen.*  The  party  probably 
settled  near  their  countrymen  who  emigrated  from  Germany  at 
the  time  they  did,  and  located  in  that  State.  Most  of  the  fami- 
lies which  followed  the  fortunes  of  Weiser,  were  from  Weiser's 
and  Hartman's  dorfs.  Hartman  Winteker  removed  at  the  same 
time  to  Pennsylvania.  Whether  they  had  to  purchase  lands  in 
Tulpehocken,  I  cannot  say.  Few  of  Weiser's  party  ever  revisited 
Schoharie  :  several  old  men  did,  however,  nearly  fifty  years  after. 
A  singular  circumstance  is  said  to  have  transpired,  showing  the 
instinct  of  the  horses  which  accompanied  the  emigration  to  Penn- 
sylvania. Twelve  of  those  noble  animals  left  their  master's  cribs, 
and  after  an  absence  from  them  of  a  year  and  a  half,  ten  of  them, 
in  good  condition,  arrived  at  Schoharie  :  a  distance  through  the 
wilderness  of  over  three  hundred  miles.  It  is  possible  they  re- 
membered the  sweet  cloverf  of  Weiser's  dorf,  and  longed  again 
to  munch  it. 

Two  instances  of  brute  instinct,  not  dissimilar  to  the  one  rela- 

•  In  1744,  one  Conrad  Weiser  was  Indian  inierpreter  for  the  colony  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  was,  doubtless,  the  swift-footed  son  of  the  one  named  is 
the  context. 

t  The  laud  through  which  the  little  Schoharie  kill,  in  Middleburgh,  runs  to 
the  river,  is  to  this  day  called  the  clauvcr  wy,  which  signi6es  the  clover  pas- 
ture. When  the  Schoharie  valley  was  first  seltlecl,  the  land  along  that  stream 
was  thickly  covered  with  clover,  which  was  seen  in  few  other  places  about 
the  Schoharie  :  hence  the  appropriate  name. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  77 

ted,  were  told  the  author  by  Mrs.  Van  Slyck.  About  the  year 
1770,  the  Bartholomews  removed  liora  New  Jersey  to  the  Char- 
lotte river.  Soon  after  their  arrival  there,  three  of  their  horses 
disappeared,  and  aft*  much  unsuccessful  searching  for  them,  it 
was  concluded  they  had  strayed  away  and  become  a  prey  to  wild 
beasts.  Judge  the  surprise  of  the  owners  to  learn  after  some  time, 
that  one  of  them  had  been  taken  up  within  two,  and  another  with- 
in live  miles  of  their  former  residence.  The  third  was  found  by 
them  near  Catskill. 

The  other  story  is  perhaps  the  most  singular  of  the  two,  as  the 
horse  has  given  numberless  instances  of  remarkable  sagacity. 
Not  many  years  from  the  period  above  cited,  Ephraim  Morehouse 
removed  in  the  spring  from  Dutchess  county  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
Charlotte  river.  He  passed  through  the  Schoharie  valley  on  his 
way,  and  tarried  over  night  with  Samuel  Vrooman,  father  of  my 
informant,  with  whom  he  was  acquainted.  He  drove  with  his 
cattle  a  large  sow  with  a  bell  on.  As  Morehouse  approached 
the  end  of  his  journey,  the  sow  disappeared.  After  considerable 
delay  in  a  fruitless  search  for  her,  he  proceeded  on  his  way.  In 
the  following  autumn  he  revisited  the  place  of  his  former  resi- 
dence, and  on  his  return  again  tarried  over  night  with  Vrooman. 
He  then  related  the  circumstance  of  losing  his  sow,  and  again 
finding  her.  She  had  returned  to  the  old  stye  in  due  time,  to  the 
great  surprise  of  the  neighborhood.  Whether  she  retraced  her 
way  by  the  same  path  or  not  is  unknown ;  but  to  reach  her  for- 
mer place,  had  been  compelled  to  swim  the  Hudson,  and  perform 
a  solitary  journey  of  one  hundred  miles. 

About  the  time  Weiser  and  his  friends  left  Schoharie,  there 
were  others  among  the  dissatisfied,  who,  not  choosing  to  follow 
his  fortunes,  sought  a  future  residence  in  the  Mohawk  valley. 
Elias  Garlock,  the  founder  of  Garlock's  dorf,  removed  to  the  Mo- 
hawk, accompanied  by  several  of  his  neighbors.  Some  of  the 
party  had  relatives  or  friends  there  who  located  at  the  time  the 
Schoharie  settlements  were  begun,  which  induced  them  to  remove 
thither.  They  settled  in  and  about  Canajoharie,  at  Stone  Ara- 
bia, or  upon  the  German  Flats. 


78  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

Tradition  has  preserved  but  little  in  the  life  of  Justice  Garlock, 
the  most  noted  of  the  Schoharie  Germans,  who  removed  to  the 
Mohawk  valley.  He  is  said,  while  there,  to  have  been  the  only 
justice  of  the  peace  in  the  Schoharie  vallfey.  The  name  of  the 
shrewd  constable  who  aided  him  in  administering  the  few  laws  by 
which  they  were  governed,  has  been  lost.  Only  one  important 
decision  of  this  sage  justice  is  known  to  the  author.  His  sum- 
mons was  usually  delivered  to  the  constable  viva  voce,  and  thus 
by  ,him  to  the  transgressor  of  the  law.  If  the  justice  wished  to 
bring  a  culprit  before  him,  he  gave  his  jack-knife  to  the  constable, 
who  carried  it  to  the  accused,  and  required  him  at  the  appointed 
time  to  appear  with  it  before  the  justice.  What  it  meant  he  well 
understood.  If  two  were  to  be  summoned  at  the  same  time,  to 
the  second  he  gave  the  tobacco-box  of  the  justice,  and  as  that 
usually  contained  a  liberal  supply  of  the  delectable  narcotic,  the 
consequences  of  a  failure  to  return  it  in  person  to  the  justice,  in 
due  time,  were  dangerous  in  the  extreme.  The  decision  of  Justice 
Garlock  alluded  to,  terminated  so  happily  for  those  most 
interested,  that  I  cannot  withhold  it  from  the  reader.  A  com- 
plaint having  been  entered  before  him,  the  knife,  was  issued,  and 
the  parties  assembled  forthwith.  The  plaintiff  told  his  story, 
which  appeared  simple  and  true.  The  defendant,  with  more  zeal 
and  eloquence,  plead  his  cause — quoting,  if  I  mistake  not,  some 
previous  decisions  of  his  honor — and  made  out,  as  he  thought,  an 
equally  good  case.  After  giving  the  parties  a  patient  hearing, 
the  justice  gave  the  following  very  important  decision.  "  Der 
blandif  an  derfendur  bote  hash  reght ;  zo  1  dezides,  an  pe  dunder, 
der  knonshtopple  moosh  bay  de  kosht." 


(  79  ) 


CHAPTER  III. 


After  the  removal  of  Weiser  and  others  from  Schoharie,  the 
difficulties  to  which  the  ignorance  and  suspicions  of  the  people 
had  subjected  them,  were  soon  quieted,  and  they  once  more  be- 
came a  happy  community.  They  were  careful  afterwards  to  se- 
cure legal  titles  to  their  lands,  and  thereby  remove  the  danger  of 
troubles  in  future,  from  a  cause  which  had  already  tended  greatly 
to  decrease  their  numbers,  and  harrass  their  feelings. 

There  were,  as  I  have  been  informed,  several  apple  trees  stand- 
ing on  the  flats  near  the  present  dwelling  of  John  Ingold,  at  the 
time  the  Germans  arrived,  supposed  to  have  been  planted  by  the 
Indians.  One  of  these  antiquated  trees,  at  least  140  years  old, 
was  still  standing  in  1842,  and  very  fruitful.  Other  trees  of  the 
same  planting  were  yet  bearing  fruit  in  1837.  The  trees  from 
which  the  first  apple  orchards  in  Schoharie  were  derived,  were 
procured,  as  Judge  Brown  assured  me,  in  the  following  manner. 
One  Campbell  and  several  other  individuals  went  from  the  Scho- 
harie valley  to  New  York,  to  be  naturalized,  a  few  years  after 
the  settlement  was  commenced.  Their  business  accomplished, 
they  started  for  home  on  board  of  a  sloop ;  but  not  having  money 
enough  to  pay  their  passage  to  Albany,  they  were  landed  at  or 
near  Rhinebeck,  and  traveled  from  thence  on  foot.  Crossing  the 
Rhinebeck  flats,  each  pulled  up  a  bundle  of  small  apple  trees  in 
the  nurseries  they  passed,  from  which  the  first  orchards  in  Scho- 
harie were  planted. 

The  second  season  after  the  murder  of  his  agent  Truax,  in 
Vrooman's  Land,  Peter  Vrooman  returned  to  that  place  and  es- 
tablished a  permanent  residence.     He  planted  an  apple  orchard, 


80  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

which  is  yet  standing,  near  the  dwelling  of  Harmanus  Vrooraan. 
Some  of  the  Svvarts,  Eckers,  Zielleys,  Haggidorns,  Feecks,  and 
Beckers,  with  perhaps  some  other  Dutch  families,  settled  in  that 
vicinity  about  the  same  time. 

There  were  few  regular  mechanics  among  the  first  settlers,  on 
which  account  the  native  genius  of  all  was  more  or  less  taxed. 
We  have  seen  to  what  inconvenience  and  labor  they  were  sub- 
jected for  the  want  of  mills.  The  first  grist  mill  in  the  county 
was  erected  by  Simeon  Laraway,  on  the  small  stream  called  Mill 
brook,  from  that  circumstance,  which  runs  into  Fox's  creek  near 
Waterbury's  mills.  Upon  a  bridge  which  crossed  this  brook, 
Sheriff  Adams  was  left,  after  having  had  occular  demonstration 
of  the  prowess  of  Magdalene  Zeh,  in  the  first  anti-rent  war.  Some 
part  of  the  race-way  of  this  mill  is  still  to  be  seen.  Before  the 
erection  of  Simeon's  mill,  as  usually  called,  several  hand  mills, 
like  the  one  at  Weiser's  dorf,  were  in  frequent  use.  In  the  course 
of  twenty  or  thirty  years  after  Weiser  and  his  friends  left,  several 
other  mills  were  established  in  and  about  Schoharie.  One  Cobel 
erected  two  of  those.*  One  of  them  was  built  on  a  small  brook 
in  a  ravine  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  a  few  rods  distant  from 
the  river  bridge,  one  mile  from  the  Court  House.  The  other  mill 
he  erected  about  the  same  time  on  Cobelskill,  which  took  its 
name  from  that  circumstance.  It  stood  near  the  mouth  of  the 
kill.  It  was  not  until  about  the  near  1760,  that  bolting  cloths 
were  used  in  Schoharie.  Henry  Weaver,  who  owned  a  mill  near 
where  Becker's  now  stands,  on  Foxes  creek,  was  the  first  who 
introduced  them. 

At  almost  as  late  a  period  as  the  revolution,  the  colonists  pro- 

•  This  creek  took  its  name  after  the  paternal  name  of  the  niill-wright,  as 
Judge  Brown  assured  me.  I  find  the  name  written  Cobels  kill  in  many  of  the 
old  conveyances,  and  in  all  the  early  Session  Jaws,  of  the  state.  It  is,  in 
truth,  the  correct  orthography  of  the  word.  In  writing  Fox's  and  Cobel's 
kill,  I  shall  in  future  omit  the  apostrophe  and  hyphen,  for  reasons  obvious  to 
the  reader. 

The  Indians  called  Cobelskill  the  Ots ga-ragee  which  signified  the  hemp 
creek.  When  first  sctlied  by  the  whites,  an  abundance  of  wild  hemp  grew 
along  its  banks.  The  natives  often  visited  them  to  procure  it,  making  from 
it  fish  nets,  and  ropes  to  aid  them  in  transporting  their  portable  wealth. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         81 

cured  most  of  their  sliocs  at  Albany,  or  East  Camp  ;  and  one  pair 
was  the  yearly  allowance  for  each  member  of  the  family.  They 
were  repaired  by  traveling  cobblers. 

Those  unaffected  Germans  were  not  votaries  to  fashion,  of 
course  they  were  not  very  particular  about  receiving  their  male 
fashions  from  England,  or  their  female  from  France.  The  good 
wife  and  daughters  generally  cut  and  made  the  rude  apparel  of 
the  family,  and  thought  it  no  disgrace.  The  settlers  manufactured 
most  of  their  own  buttons,  and  often  the  same  garment  had  on 
those  of  very  different  sizes,  of  wood,  horn,  bone  or  lead. 

Not  having  been  accustomed  to  luxuries  from  childhood,  they 
were  contented  with  simple  fare  and  uncouth  fashions.  Their 
clothes,  as  may  be  supposed,  did  not  set  out  a  good  form  to  very 
fascinating  advantage.  Those  useless  bipeds  denominated  dan- 
dies, noted  for  their  mustaches,  idleness  and  empty  pockets,  were 
unknown  in  the  Schoharie  valley  at  that  day  ;  indeed,  they  are 
strangers  there  at  the  present  time.  Of  course,  other  considera- 
tions than  mere  dress,  or  a  display  of  jewelry,  could  create,  influ- 
enced their  choice  of  a  partner  for  liie.  They  had  little  to  be 
proud  of,  consequently  many  of  the  men  did  not  shave  oftener 
than  once  or  twice  a  month.  A  Dow  or  a  Matthias  would  hard- 
ly have  been  distinguished  from  them,  had  they  appeared  at  that 
day.  Habituating  themselves  to  do  men's  work,  many  of  the  wo- 
men were,,  from  exposure,  sun-burnt  and  coarse  featured,  and  in 
some  instances  it  became  necessary  for  them  to  clip  an  exuberant 
growth  of  beard,  which  was  done  with  scissors. 

Lawrence  Schoolcraft,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Schoharie,  at 
the  residence  of  Peter  Vrooman,  made  the  first  cider  in  the  coun- 
ty. The  manner  of  making  it  being  unique,  was  as  follows.  The 
apples  were  first  pounded  in  a  stamper  similar  to  the  Indian  corn 
stamper  before  mentioned.  After  being  thus  bruised,  the  pumice 
was  placed  in  a  large  Indian  basket  previously  suspended  to  a 
tree,  beneath  which  was  inserted  a  trough,  made  by  fastening  to- 
gether the  edges  of  two  planks,  which  served  to  catch  and  carrj- 
the  juice  compressed  by  weights  in  the  basket,  into  some  vessel 
placed  for  its  reception.     In  the  year  1752,  one  Brown,  the  father 


88'  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  Judge  Brown,  removed  from  West  Camp  to  Schoharie.  He 
was  then  a  widower,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  married  a  widow, 
who  possessed  ten  acres  of  land  and  about  one  hundred  and  ten 
pounds  in  cash ;  which  enabled  him  to  establish  and  carry  on  his 
trade  successfully.  He  was  a  wheel-wright,  and  the  first  who 
prosecuted  that  business  in  the  county.  The  people  had  manu- 
factured a  kind  of  rude  wagon  before  his  arrival,  with  which 
they  transported  light  loads  to  and  from  Albany,  performing  the 
journey  in  about  five  days.  This  Brown,  in  1753,  made  the  first 
cider--press  ever  used  in  the  county.  The  same  process  which  pre- 
pared the  pumice  for  Schoolcraft  did  for  Brown,  as  he  purchased 
the  same  pounder.  The  press  was  first  used  at  Hartman's  dorf, 
where  he  resided. 

John  Mattice  Junk,  or  Young  in  English,  the  grand-father  of 
Judge  Brown,  on  the  Mother's  side,  is  said  to  have  taught  the 
first  German  school  at  the  Camps,  ever  taught  in  America.  This 
was  about  the  year  1740.  Schools  began  to  be  taught  in  the 
Schoharie  settlements  shortly  after ;  one  Spease  kept  the  first, 
and  one  Keller  the  next.  German  teachers  were  employed  in 
the  German  settlements,  while  at  Vrooman's  land  a  school  was 
taught  in  Dutch.  About  the  year  1760,  English  instruction  was 
introduced  into  those  schools,  and  in  some  instances  the 
English,  German  and  Dutch  languages  were  all  taught  by  one 
teacher,  in  the  same  school.  Little  attention  was  then  paid  to  the 
convenience  or  comfort  of  the  scholars.  Barns,  in  some  instances, 
became  school-houses  as  well  as  churches,  in  the  summer  ;  and  if 
schools  were  continued  in  the  winter,  some  rude  log  dwelling  be- 
came a  witness  to  the  child's  improvement.  Stoves,  in  those  days, 
were  unknown.  The  settlers  had  mammoth  fire-places,  however, 
and  plenty  of  wood  ;  and  in  numberless  instances,  a  fearful  pro- 
portion of  a  cord  was  seen  ignited  in  the  same  fire. 

Few  horses  were  shod  for  many  years  after  the  settlement  be- 
gan ;  and  those  persons,  who  required  any  kind  of  smith- work 
their  own  igenuity  could  not  create,  were  obliged  to  go  to  Alba- 
ny or  Schenectada  to  get  it  done.     John  Ecker  is  said  to  hav« 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         83 

been  the  first  black-sraitli  in  the  Schoharie  valley,  and  he  was  a 
self  instructed  one. 

The  Germans  formerly  brewed  a  kind  of  domestic  strong  beer, 
and  most  of  those  in  Schoharie  brewed  their  own. 

From  the  fact,  that  the  Dutch,  who  settled  in  Vrooman's  Land, 
were  more  wealthy  than  their  German  neighbors  located  below 
them,  a  kind  of  pride  or  distant  formality,  was  manifested  by  the 
former  towards  the  latter  for  many  years.  When  prejudices  of 
any  kind  are  allowed  to  gain  a  place  in  the  human  breast,  it  often 
requires  generations  to  eradicate  them.  The  prejudices  alluded  to 
as  having  existed  between  the  Dutch  and  Germans,  tended  for 
many  years  almost  wholly  to  prevent  inter-marriages  between 
them.  The  former,  therefore,  who  did  not  choose  to  marry  cous- 
ins— most  of  those  settlers  being  related — went  to  Schenectada  or 
Albany  for  wives.  As  Cupid  is  now  and  then  a  very  mischievous 
boy,  there  may  have  been  individual  instances,  in  which  the  irre- 
sistible passion  of  love,  aided  by  stratagem,  trampled  paternal 
prejudices  under  foot,  and  united  the  sturdy  German  and  amorous 
Dutch  maiden.  But  we  must  suppose  such  cases  extremely  rare, 
as  the  law  which  still  requires  in  some  parts  of  New  England, 
the  publishing  of  the  bans  for  several  Sabbaths  preceding  the 
nuptials,  was  then  in  force  in  New  York. 

The  Germans,  when  they  located  at  Schoharie,  owned  no  slaves, 
nor,  indeed,  did  they  for  several  years ;  but  these  accompanied 
the  Dutch  on  their  arrival  as  a  part  of  their  gear.  By  industry, 
and  a  proper  husbanding  of  what  the  earth  produced,  the  wealth 
of  the  former  increased  rapidly,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they, 
too,  possessed  them. 

The  manner  in  which  the  slaves  of  Schoharie  were  generally 
treated  by  their  masters,  is  not  inaptly  described  by  Mrs.  Grants 
in  her  Memoirs  of  Albany.  They  were  allowed  freedom  of  speech, 
and  indulged  in  many  things,  which  other  members  of  the  family 
were,  whose  ages  corresponded  to  their  own ;  and  to  a  superficial 
spectator,  had  the  color  not  interfered,  they  would  have  seemed  on 
an  equality.  Individual  instances  may  now  be  cited  where  blacks 
would  be  much  better  off  under  a  good  master  than  they  now 


8*^  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

are,  or,  indeed,  than  thousands  of  the  operatives  of  England  are — 
still,  no  one  can  from  moral  principle,  although  he  may  from 
motives  of  expediency,  advocate  the  continuance  of  the  evil  as 
just  and  proper  in  any  country.  The  existence  of  slavery  in  the 
United  States,  is  the  greatest  stain  upon  their  national  escutcheon. 
This  I  believe  to  be  a  fact  generally  conceded,  by  all  the  good  and 
virtuous  in  the  land.  The  question  then,  which  naturally  arises, 
is,  or  rather  it  should  be,  what  is  the  best  and  most  proper  man- 
ner of  obliterating  the  stain  1  Let  reason  and  common  sense,  not 
fanaticism  and  malice,  reply. 

Many  of  the  tools  used  in  husbandry  in  former  days,  were  both 
clumsy  and  uncouth.  Rakes  used  in  Schoharie,  were  made 
with  teeth  on  both  sides.  Hay  forks  were  made  of  wood,  from  a 
stick  having  a  suitable  crotch  for  tines,  or  by  splitting  one  end  of 
a  straight  stick  and  inserting  a  wedge.  The  improvement  made 
in  plows  since  that  time,  is  perhaps  as  great  as  that  made  on  any 
one  implement  of  the  cultivator.  The  wagons  seen  in  Schoharie 
before  the  year  1760,  had  no  tire  upon  the  wheels. 

Grain  was  then  thrashed,  as  it  is  at  the  present  day  by  the  de- 
scendants of  those  people  who  have  no  machines  for  the  purpose, 
by  the  feet  of  horses.  The  process  is  simple,  and  as  it  is  fast  giv- 
ing place  to  the  buzzing  of  machines,  it  may  be  well  to  relate  it- 
In  the  center  of  the  barn  floor,  which  is  roomy,  an  upright  bar  is 
placed,  previously  rendered  a  pivot  at  each  end,  to  enter  a  hole  in 
the  floor  below,  and  a  corresponding  one  in  a  beam  or  plank  over 
head.  Through  this  shaft,  at  a  suitable  height  from  the  floor,  a 
pole  is  passed,  to  which  several  horses  are  fastened  so  as  to  travel 
abreast.  Sometimes  a  number  are  fastened  to  each  end  of  the 
pole,  and  in  some  instances,  a  second  pole  is  passed  through  the 
shaft  at  right  angles  with  the  first,  to  which  horses  are  also  at- 
tached. A  quantity  of  sheaves  being  opened  and  spread  upon 
the  floor,  the  horses  are  started  at  a  round  trot,  thus  trampling  the 
grain  from  the  straw.  The  upright,  when  the  horses  move,  turns 
upon  its  own  pivots.  Persons  in  attendance,  are  constantly  em- 
ployed in  turning  and  shaking  the  straw  with  a  fork,  keeping  the 
horses  in  motion,  removing  any  uncleanness,  &c.     The  outside 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        85 

horse  travels,  as  may  be  supposed,  much  farther  in  his  circuits 
than  the  inside  one,  for  which  reason  they  are  occasionally  shift- 
ed. Grain  is  broken  less  if  thrashed  with  unshod  horses.  Some 
use  a  roller  to  aid  in  the  process.  This  is  a  heavy,  rounded  tim- 
ber, worked  much  smaller  at  one  end  than  the  other,  with  square 
pins  of  hard  wood  inserted  at  proper  distances  the  whole  length. 
The  smallest  end  of  this  roller  is  so  fastened  to  the  shaft  as  to  pre- 
serve the  horizontal  motion  of  one,  and  the  perpendicular  motion 
of  the  other,  at  the  same  time.  To  the  heavy  end  of  the  roller, 
horses  are  fastened,  drawing  it  on  the  same  principle,  that  the 
stone  wheel  in  an  ancient  bark  mill  was  drawn.  In  threshing 
with  horses,  the  roller  is  a  great  assistance.  Fanning-mills,  for 
cleaning  grain,  were  unknown  in  former  times,  it  being  separated 
from  its  chaff  by  fans,  or  shoveling  ife  in  the  wind. 

As  I  have  already  stated,  much  prejudice  existed  at  Schoharie 
in  former  days,  between  the  Germans  and  Dutch.  These  nation- 
al antipathies  were  manifested  in  nothing  more  clearly  at  first, 
than  in  matters  of  religion.  The  early  Germans  were,  almost 
without  exception,  disciples  to  the  doctrines  of  Martin  Luther; 
while  the  Dutch,  collectively,  subscribed  the  Calvinistic,  or  Dutch 
Reformed  creed.  Time,  however,  the  great  healer  of  dissensions, 
aided  by  intelUgence,  the  champion  of  liberality,  by  degrees  less- 
ened, and  has  now  almost  entirely  removed  those  prejudices. 
While  they  existed,  they  tended  to  prevent  that  friendly  inter- 
change of  good  feeling — that  reciprocity  of  kindness,  so  necessa- 
ry to  the.  prosperity  and  happiness  of  an  isolated  people.  As 
Judge  Brown  remarked,  at  our  interview,  "  the  Low  Dutch  girls 
formerly  thought  but  little  of  the  High  Dutch  boys,"  and  the 
young  people  of  both  settlements  kept  separate  companies  for 
many  years.  In  a  few  instances,  elopement  took  place,  but  they 
were  rare,  as  distant  ministers  were  cautious  about  uniting  a  cou- 
ple who  could  not  produce  a  certificate  of  publication,  although 
occular  demonstration  might  convince  them  of  the  genuineness  of 
their  affection,  and  demand  their  union. 

Among  the  first  shoemakers  who  worked  at  the  trade  in  Scho- 
harie, was  one  William  Dietz.  Few,  if  any,  boots  were  then 
7 


M  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

worn.  Men  wore  low,  and  women  high  heeled  (called  French 
heeled)  shoes.  A  specimen  of  the  latter  may  now  be  seen  in  the 
Cabinet  of  John  Gebhard,  jr.  Esq.,  at  Schoharie  Court  House. 
Shoes  were  then  fastened  with  buckles,  which,  like  those  worn  at 
the  knees,  were  made  of  silver,  brass  or  pewter.  Caleb  Cosput 
and  John  Russeau  were  the  first  tailors.  They  worked,  as  did 
the  first  shoemakers,  by  whipping  the  cat — from  house  to  house. 
Breeches  and  even  coats  were  made  of  deer-skins,  and  in  some 
instances,  of  blankets,  in  their  day  :  the  former  being  fastened  to 
striped  hose  at  the  knees  with  huge  buckles,  of  silver,  if  attain- 
able, if  not,  of  brass  or  pewter. 

One  Delavergne  was  the  first  hatter,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
well  patronized.  Cocked,  or  three  cornered  hats  were  then  the 
tip  of  fashion. 

To  see  an  exquisite  of  the  present,  dressed  in  the  costume  of 
that  day,  with  hair  long-cramped  before,  and  terminating  at  the 
neck  in  a  braided  cue,  or  if  not  braided,  wound  with  black  rib- 
bon or  an  eel-skin,  the  whole  head  being  finely  powdered  and  sur- 
mounted with  a  cocked  hat ;  with  a  blanket  coat  on,  of  no  ordi- 
nary dimensions,  ornamented  with  various  kinds  of  buttons; 
breeches  of  deer-skin,  too  tight  for  comfort,  and  kept  up  without 
braces  by  a  tight  band  above  the  hips,  allowing  the  nether  gar- 
ment to  appear  between  them  and  the  vest,  and  fastened  at  the 
knee  with  large  bright  buckles  to  a  pair  of  striped  silk  hose ;  the 
whole  of  the  fabric  described,  resting  upon  a  pair  of  pedestals 
cased  in  pen-knife  pointed  shoes  clasped  with  daring  buckles  ;  the 
hero  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth,  the  bowl  as  large  as  a  tea-cup — 
would  be  worth  far  more  to  the  spectator,  than  to  visit  a  menage- 
ry  and  see  half  a  dozen  country  girls  mounted  upon  the  back  of 
an  elephant,  or  a  fool-hardy  keeper  enter  a  cage  with  the  most 
ferocious  animals. 

Fish  are  said  to  have  been  very  plenty  formerly  in  most  of  the 
streams  in  Schoharie  county.  For  many  years  after  the  Revolu- 
tion, trout  were  numerous  in  Foxes  creek,  where  now  there  are 
few,  if  any  at  all.  From  a  combination  of  causes,  fish  are  now 
becoming  scarce  throughout  the  county.     In  many  small  streams. 


AND  BOimER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  87 

they  have  been  nearly  or  quite  exterminated  by  throwing  in  hme. 
This  cruel  system  of  taking  the  larger,  destroys  with  more  cer- 
tainty all  the  smaller  fish.  Such  a  mode  of  fishing  cannot  be  too 
severely  censured.  The  accumulation  of  dams  on  the  larger 
streams,  proves  unfavorable  to  their  multiplication.  Fine  pike 
are  now  occasionally  caught  in  the  Schoharie,  as  are  also  suckers 
and  eels.  Some  eighty  years  ago,  a  mess  of  fish  could  have  been 
taken,  in  any  mill-stream  in  the  county,  in  a  few  minutes. 

Wild  animals  of  almost  every  kind  found  in  the  same  chmate, 
were  numerous  in  and  about  Schoharie,  for  a  great  length  of  time 
after  the  whites  arrived.  Bears  and  wolves,  the  more  gregarious 
kinds,  often  appeared  in  droves  numbering  scores,  and  in  some  in- 
stances, hundreds  ;  and  were  to  the  pioneer  a  source  of  constant 
anxiety  and  alarm.  Deer,  which  were  then  very  numerous,  the 
mountainous  parts  affording  them,  as  all  other  animals,  a  safe  re- 
treat, are  still  killed  some  winters  in  considerable  numbers,  in  the 
south  part  of  the  county.  But  few  incidents,  worthy  of  notice, 
relating  to  wild  animals,  have  come  to  my  knowledge.  One  of 
the  first  German  settlers  was  killed  by  a  bear,  between  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Cyrus  Swart  (near  the  stone  church,)  and  the 
hill  east  of  it.  He  had  wounded  the  animal  with  a  gun,  when  it 
turned  upon,  and  literally  tore  him  in  pieces.  The  Indians  hunt- 
ed them  for-  food,  and  not  unfrequently  had  an  encounter  with 
them.  Nicholas  Warner  assured  the  author,  that  when  a  boy,  he 
saw  an  Indian,  called  Bellows,  returning  from  a  hunt,  holding  in 
his  own  bowels  with  his  hands.  He  had,  after  wounding  a  large 
bear,  met  it  in  personal  combat,  and  although  so  terribly  lacerated 
he  slew  it.  Jacob  Becker  informed  me,  that  there  was  an  Indian 
about  Foxes  creek  in  his  younger  days,  called  The-bear-catcher, 
who  received  his  name  from  the  following  circumstance.  He  was 
hunting — treed  a  large  bear  and  fired  upon  it.  The  beast  fell  and 
a  personal  rencounter  ensued.  The  Indian,  in  the  contest,  seized 
with  an  iron  grasp  the  lower  jaw  of  Bruin,  and  a  back-hug  was 
the  consequence.  He  succeeded  in  holding  his  adversary  so  firm- 
ly that  the  latter  could  not  draw  his  paws  between  their  bodies. 
Bruin  had,  however,  in  the  outset,  succeeded  in  dravdng  one  of 


m 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE^OUNTY, 


them  obliquely  across  the  breast  of  the  red  man,  scarifying  it  in 
a  fearful  manner.  While  thus  situated,  holding  his  adversary  at 
bay,  he  called  to  a  son,  who  was  hunting  in  the  woods  not  far  off, 
for  his  assistance.  The  latter  repaired  hastily  to  the  spot,  and  al- 
though he  might  at  times  have  approved  of  a  fair  fight,  in  the 
present  instance  paternal  affection  demanded  his  immediate  inter- 
ference. Placing  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  between  the  extended 
jaws  of  the  bear,  he  discharged  it,  to  the  great  relief  of  his  father, 
who  had  been  so  affectionately  embraced.  The  followingadven- 
ture  was  related  by  Andrew  Loucks.  One  Warner,  who  was 
among  the  first  settlers  at  Punch-  kill,  went  out  towards  evening 
to  seek  his  cows.  He  met  in  his  path  a  large  bear,  having  cubs, 
which  instantly  pursued  him.  He  ran  for  safety  behind  a  large 
tree ;  round  which  himself  and  madam  Bruin  played  bo-peep  for 
some  time — neither  gaining  any  advantage.  At  length  Warner 
seized  a  hemlock  knot,  and  with  it,  Sampson  like,  slew  his  shaggy 
pursuer.  The  following  story  was  also  told  me  by  Jacob  Becker, 
the  scene  in  which  is  said  to  have  been  enacted  near  Foxes  creek. 
John  Shaeffer  and  George  Schell  went  hunting.  Shaeffer  had  a 
dog  which  treed  a  bear,  and  he  being  near  at  the  time,  instantly 
fired  upon  it.  Bruin  fell,  though  not  passively  to  yield  life.  The 
dog  attacked  him,  but  was  so  lovingly  hugged,  that  his  eyes 
seemed  starting  from  their  sockets,  and  he  cried  piteously.  Shaef- 
fer thought  too  much  of  his  canine  friend  to  see  him  fall  a  vic- 
tim to  such  affection,  and  endeavored  to  loosen  one  of  the  bear's 
paws :  but  as  he  seized  it,  it  was  relaxed  and  quicker  than  thought 
thrown  round  again,  so  as  to  include  in  the  embrace  his  own  arm. 
Shaeffer  might  as  easily  have  withdrawn  his  hand  from  a  vise. 
When  he  found  he  had  caught  a  tartar,  or,  rather,  that  the  bear 
had,  he  hallooed  like  a  loon  for  his  companion  to  come  to  his  as- 
sistance and  reach  him  his  tomahawk.  Many  of  the  white  hunt- 
ers, in  former  times,  were  as  careful  to  wear  tomahawks  as  their 
Indian  neighbors.  The  missile  was  handed  very  cautiously  at 
arms'  length,  and  Shaeffer  buried  the  blade  of  it  in  the  brains  of 
his  game,  to  the  relief  of  his  other  arm  and  the  resuscitation  of 
the  dog.     Bruin,  as  may  be  supposed,  did  not  relish  the  interfer- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  89 

ence  of  the  master,  when  he  was  evincing  so  much  of  the  worWs 
genuine  love  for  Carlo. 

The  three  most  prominent  hills  east  of  Middleburgh  village, 
are]  called  the  Fire-berg,  the  Amos-berg,  and  the  Clipper-berg. 
The  first  named  is  the  most  southern,  and  took  its  name  (as  Geo. 
Warner  informed  the  author)  from  the  following  circumstance. 
A  tar  barrel  having  been  raised  to  the  top  of  a  tall  tree  on  that 
hill,  it  was,  at  a  particular  hour  of  a  certain  night,  set  on  fire,  to 
ascertain  if  the  light  could  be  seen  from  the  residence  of  Sir 
"William  Johnson,  in  Johnstown,  at  whose  instigation  it  was  done. 
Whether  it  was  seen  there  or  not,  tradition  does  not  inform  us, 
but  the  «ircumstance  was  sufficient  to  originate  a  name  for  the 
hill.  Amos-berg,  the  next  one  north,  signifies  the  ant-hill,  or 
hill  of  ants;  it  having  been,  in  former  times,  literally  covered 
with  those  insect  mounds.  Clipper-berg,  directly  north  of  Amos- 
berg,  signifies  the  rocky-hill,  or  hill  scantily  covered  with  vegeta- 
tion. 

The  following  story  was  related  to  me  by  Maria  Teabout.  She 
with  several  other  individuals,  was  on  the  Fire-berg  before  the 
revolution,  when  a  loud  scream  like  that  of  a  child  was  heard 
some  distance  off,  to  which  she  made  answer  by  a  similar  one. 
She  was  told  by  the  men  to  keep  still,  that  it  was  a  fainter,  and 
by  answering  it  they  would  be  in  great  danger.  "  A  painter  !" 
she  exclaimed,  "what  then  is  a  painter?"  Being  young  and 
heedless,  she  continued  to  answer  its  cries,  until  her  companions, 
alarmed  for  their  own  safety,  had  taken  to  flight,  and  she  found 
herself  alone.  As  she  was  part  native  she  felt  little  fear,  until 
the  near  approach  of  the  animal  struck  terror  upon  her  mind. 
She  had  not  time  enough  left  her  to  secure  a  safe  retreat,  but  in- 
stantly concealed  herself  in  a  hollow  tree.  The  animal  approach- 
ed so  near  that  she  saw  it  from  her  concealment,  but  a;s  that  did 
not  see  her,  it  went  back  in  the  direction  from  whence  it  came. 
In  the  meantime,  those  who  had  fled  on  the  panther's  approach, 
went  home  and  reported  Maria  as  slain  in  an  awful  manner.  A 
party,  consisting  of  Col.  Zielie,  with  half  a  dozen  of  his  neighbors, 
and  a  few  Indians,  all  mounted  on  horseback  and  armed  with 


^  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

guns,  set  out  to  seek  and  bring  whatever  of  Maria  might  he  left, 
after  the  panther  had  satiated  his  appetite.  Leaving  their  horses 
near  the  entrance,  they  went  into  the  woods  and  began  to  call 
to  her.  She  heard  the  voice  of  Col.  Zielie,  and  came  out  from  her 
hiding  place.  The  Indians  then  declared  they  would  soon  have 
the  panther.  After  fixing  a  blanket  on  a  tree  so  as  to  present  a 
tolerable  effigy  of  one.  of  their  party,  they  all  fell  back  and  con- 
cealed themselves  behind  trees.  An  Indian  then  began  to  call, 
and  was  soon  answered  by  the  animal,  which  approached  stealth- 
ily. When  it  came  in  sight,  it  fixed  its  eye  on  the  effigy,  and 
crawling  along  with  the  stillness  of  a  cat,  it  approached  within  a 
few  paces,  from  whence,  after  moving  its  tail  briskly  for  a  few 
seconds,  it  bounded  upon  it  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow.  In  an 
instant  the  blanket  was  torn  into  strings,  and  as  the  disappointed 
animal  stood  lashing  its  sides  furiously  with  its  tail,  looking  for 
the  cause  of  the  voice,  (panthers  having  no  knowledge  or  belief 
in  ghosts)  and  its  deception,  a  volley  of  rifle  balls  laid  it  dead  on 
the  spot.  The  skin  was  taken  off,  and  some  slices  of  the  critter, 
as  Natty  Bumpo  would  call  it,  were  taken  home  by  several  of  the 
Indians  to  broil.  Thus  ended  the  panther,  and  thus  did  not  end 
my  informant.  Few  panthers  have  been  killed  in  the  county 
since  the  remembrance  of  any  one  living  in  it.  One  of  the  last 
was  shot  near  the  residence  of  John  Enders,  on  Foxes  creek. 

The  sagacious  beaver  was  a  resident  of  this  county  on  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Germans.  They  were  numerous  along  Foxes  creek, 
and  at  a  place  called  the  Beaver-dam,  on  that  stream,  which  is 
now  in  the  town  of  Berne,  Albany  county,  they  had  several  strong 
dams. 

Wild-cats  were  numerous  in  Schoharie  formerly.  The  follow- 
ing anecdote  is  related  of  old  Doctor  Moulter,  a  sort  of  physician 
who  lived  on  Foxes  creek,  and  flourished  about  the  time  of  the 
Revolution.  He  awoke  one  night  from  pleasant  dreams,  to  hear 
an  unusual  noise  among  his  setting  geese.  Without  waiting  to 
dress,  or  seize  upon  any  weapon,  he  ran  out  to  learn  the  cause  of 
alarm.  On  arriving  at  the  scene  of  action,  although  his  prospect 
was  yet  sombre,  he  discovered  the  cause  of  disturbance  in  the  ap- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  91 

pearance  of  an  unwelcome  animal,  that  was  paying  its  devoirs  to 
the  comely  neck  of  the  mistress  of  a  polluted  bee-hive.  He  ran 
up  and  seized  it  by  the  neck  and  hind  legs,  and  although  it  strug- 
gled hard  to  regain  its  liberty,  he  succeeded  in  holding  it  until  his 
boys,  to  whom  he  called  for  assistance,  came  and  killed  it.  The 
reader  may  judge  his  surprize  as  well  as  that  of  his  family,  when, 
on  taking  it  to  the  light,  it  proved  to  be  a  good  sized  wild-cat. 
Had  he  caught  hold  of  it  otherwise  than  he  did,  it  is  highly  pro- 
bable that  in  his  state  of  almost  native  nudity,  he  would  have  re- 
pented his  grasp,  if  not  lost  his  life.  Many  anecdotes  are  told  of 
this  same  Dr.  Moulter.  When  he  located  at  Schoharie,  he  was 
afraid  to  ride  on  horseback,  unless  some  one  led  his  horse  by  the 
bridle.  Those  who  led  his  nag  for  him,  grew  tired  of  gratifying 
his  whims,  and  would  occasionally  let  go  his  reins,  and  leave 
him  to  shift  for  himself.  This  kind  of  treatment  soon  taught  the 
old  Doctor  the  skill  of  horsemanship.  He  is  said  to  have  doc- 
tored for  witches,  and  promulgcd  the  superstitious  doctrine  of 
witchcraft.  Nor  was  he  wanting  in  believers,  as  no  dogmas, 
however  doggish  they  may  be,  need  much  preaching  to  gain  prose- 
lytes. 

Francis  Otto,  who  is  said  to  have  established  the  first  distillery 
in  the  county,  (which  was  for  cider-brandy,  and  stood  perhaps 
half  a  mile  east  of  the  present  site  of  the  Court  House)  was  also 
a  kind  of  doctor.  In  fact,  he  was  one  of  that  useful  class,  who 
can  turn  their  hand  to  almost  anything ;  being  a  brandy-maker, 
a  doctor,  a  phlebotomist,  a  barber,  a  fortune-teller,  etc.,  as  occa- 
sion required.  He  too,  believed  in  witchcraft.  His  death  took 
place  just  before  the  Revolution,  in  the  following  manner.  He 
had  spent  the  evening  at  the  house  of  Ingold,  where  now  stands 
the  dwelling  of  John  Ingold ;  and  left  there  to  go  home,  with  the 
bosom  of  his  shirt,  his  general  traveling  store-house,  filled  with 
apples.  He  may,  to  have  kept  off  the  chill  of  the  evening,  and 
increase  his  courage,  tasted  a  potation  of  his  own  distilling,  of 
which  he  was  very  fond.  On  the  following  morning  he  was 
found  in  a  bruised  state,  having  fallen  off  the  rocks  not  far  from 
his  own  dwelling.     He  was  alive  when  found,  but  died  soon  af- 


91^  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHABIE  COUNTY, 

ter.  As  he  was  much  afraid  of  witches,  and  the  like  evil  genii, 
it  was  confidently  asserted  and  generally  beheved,  that  witches 
had  thrown  him  off  the  rocks.  Thus  ended  the  first  distiller,  poor 
Otto,  of  bewitching  memory. 

Deer,  it  has  been  remarked,  were  numerous  in  and  about  Scho- 
harie formerly.  Jacob  Becker,  related  the  following  story,  which 
he  had  learned  from  his  father.  An  old  Indian,  who  lived  in  Gar- 
lock's  dorf,  was  very  skillful  in  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow. 
This  Indian  stationed  himself  one  day,  at  a  run-way  the  deer  had 
on  the  north  side  of  Foxes  creek,  not  a  great  distance  from  Beck- 
er's mill.  It  was  at  a  place  where  there  is  a  small  stream  of  wa- 
ter descends  from  the  hill,  affording  a  kind  of  path  from  that  to 
the  flats  below.  At  this  place  this  Indian  was  concealed,  when 
a  noble  deer  came  leisurely  down  the  declivity.  An  arrow  from 
his  bow  pierced  the  heart  of  the  unsuspecting  victim,  when  it 
bounded  forward  a  few  paces  and  fell  dead.  Scarcely  had  he 
time  to  draw  from  his  quiver  an  arrow,  before  another  deer  de- 
scended. A  second  arrow  sped,  and  a  second  bleeding  victim  lay 
stretched  near  its  fellow.  Another  and  another  descended  to 
meet  a  similar  fate  ,  until  six  were,  in  quick  succession,  bleeding 
upon  the  ground.  There  were  times,  when,  like  the  one  named, 
the  arrow  was  as  trusty  as  the  rifle  ball.  The  distance  must  not 
be  great,  however,  and  the  bow  must  be  drawn  by  a  skillful  war- 
rior. The  arrow  giving  no  report  to  alarm  the  following  deer, 
the  Indian  was  enabled,  by  his  masterly  skill,  to  bring  down  sixj 
when  a  single  discharge  from  a  rifle,  would  have  sent  the  five 
hindmost  deer,  on  the  back  track.  The  arrow,  however,  would 
not  tell  upon  a  distant  object  like  the  rifle  ball,  and  great  muscu- 
lar strength  was  required  to  send  it,  even  at  a  short  distance,  to 
the  heart  of  a  bounding  buck. 

Rattle-snakes  were  very  numerous  formerly,  along  the  north 
side  of  Foxes  creek,  and  the  west  side  of  the  Schoharie.  Hun- 
dreds were  often  killed  in  a  single  day  at  either  place.  Neigh- 
borhoods turned  out  in  the  spring  about  the  time  they  came  from 
their  dens,  in  the  latter  part  of  April,  or  early  part  of  May,  to 
destroy  them,  and  by  thus  waging  war  against  them,  they  were 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  W§ 

nearly  exterminated.  There  are  a  few  remaining  now  at  both 
places.  It  was  not  uncommon,  in  raising  a  sheaf  of  wheat  from 
the  ground,  on  the  flats  near  the  hills,  which  afford  their  favorite 
haunts,  as  early  as  the  revolution,  to  find  one  or  more  of  those 
venomous  serpents  under  it.  They  were  but  little  dreaded  then, 
especially  by  the  Indians,  for  if  they  could  get  at  the  wound  with 
their  mouth,  suction,  with  their  other  applications,  generally  saved 
the  bitten.  The  Indians,  said  Andrew  Loucks,  rubbed  their  legs 
with  certain  roots,  to  avoid  being  bitten  by  rattle-snakes,  and  made 
use  of  several  kinds  of  roots  and  plants,  in  effecting  a  cure  for 
the  bite  of  those  reptiles.  The  knowledge  they  had  of  botany, 
although  limited,  was  of  a  practical  nature,  and  enabled  them  not 
unfrequently  to  effect  a  cure,  when  a  similar  application  of  a  sci- 
entific mineral  compound,  would  have  destroyed.  This  country, 
undoubtedly,  affords  an  herb  for  almost  every  disease  of  the  climate, 
and  more  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  study  and  medical  apph- 
cation  of  Botany.  Rattle-snakes  diminish  rapidly  in  numbers,  if 
hogs  are  allowed  to  run  where  they  infest.  They  will  eat  them 
invariably,  with  the  exception  of  the  head,  whenever  they  take 
them.  There  are  individuals,  in  fact,  who  eat  those  venomous 
reptiles,  and  pronounce  them  palatable.  The  late  Major  Van 
Vechten,  of  Schoharie,  formerly  ate  them,  and  at  times  invited  his 
friends  to  the  banquet.  On  one  occasion,  he  had  several  young 
gentlemen  to  partake  with  him,  who,  as  I  suppose,  were  either 
ambitious  to  be  able  to  say  they  had  eaten  of  a  "  sarpent,"  or  de- 
sired to  rattle  a  little  as  they  went  through  the  world.  Did  they 
taste  exceedingly  flavorous,  one  would  suppose  the  idea  of  eating 
a  rattlesnake  would  sicken  the  eater,  save  in  extreme  cases  of 
approaching  starvation. 

The  following  Indian  custom  was  himiorously  told  the  author 
by  George  Warner.  When  Cupid  has  destroyed  the  red  man's 
peace  of  mind,  he  provides  himself  with  a  quantity  of  corn,  and 
seeks  the  presence  of  the  ruddy  squaw.  He  then  commences 
snapping  kernels  at  the  coy  maid  he  wishes  to  woo.  If  she 
snaps  them  back,  the  contract  is  considered  firmly  made.  If  she 
does  not,  the  lover  is  led  to  conclude  she  "  don't  take,"  and  leaves 


94  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

her  presence  somewhat  mortified.  If  matters  proceed  favorably 
and  a  contract  is  made,  she  takes  off  one  garter,  and  after  the 
marriage  ceremony  is  performed,  he  probably  takes  off  the  other 
— if,  by  the  by,  she  has  ever  had  any  on. 

The  Schoharie  Indians,  says  Brown,  claimed  the  lands  lying 
about  Schoharie,  and  made  some  sales,  but  were  interrupted  in 
those  transfers  of  lands  by  the  Mohawks,  who  proved  that  the 
land  given  to  Karighondontee's  wife,  at  the  time  her  husband  set- 
tled, was  to  be  no  more  than  would  be  required  to  plant  as  much 
corn  as  a  squaw  could  hold  in  her  petticoat;  which,  he  adds, 
would  be  reckoned  about  a  skipple.  A  squaw's  petticoat 
neither  has  great  length  or  breadth ;  but  the  reader  will 
understand  that  the  grain  was  carried  in  the  garment  in  the  man- 
ner of  a  sack. 

But  a  few  years  after  the  Schoharie  Germans  had  their  difl&- 
culties  with  Bayard,  the  royal  agent,  and  Sheriff  Adams,  they  be- 
gan to  secure  land  not  only  of  the  seven  partners,  but  also  of  the 
natives,  and  made  transfers  among  themselves. 

A  bond  in  the  writer's  possession,  given  for  what  is  unknown, 
by  "  John  Andrews  of  Scorre,  [Schoharie]  to  John  Lawer  [Law- 
yer,] for  twenty-six  pounds  three  shillings,  corrant  money  of  New 
York.  Dated  the  3d  day  of  May,  in  the  fifth  year  of  our  Sove- 
raign  Lord  George  [I.]  king  of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ire- 
land, and  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  God,  1720;  shows  the  earhest 
date  of  any  paper  I  have  met  with,  that  was  executed  between 
the  early  settlers  in  the  Schoharie  valley.  This  date  is  within 
ten  years  of  their  first  arrival.  The  bond  is  written  in  a  fair, 
legible  hand,  and  most  of  the  orthography  is  correct. 

In  the  early  conveyances,  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Schoharie 
Court  House,  were  located  at  "  Fountain's  town.  Fountain's  flats, 
and  Brunen  or  Bruna  dorf."  Some  of  the  old  deeds  bound  those 
lands  on  the  "  west,  by  the  Schoharie  river,  and  on  the  east,  on 
the  king's  road."  The  road  then  ran  near  the  hill  east  of  the 
old  Lutheran  parsonage  house,  which  is  still  standing ;  leaving 
nearly  all   the   flats  west  of  it.     In  ancient  patents,  the  brook 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         96 

above  Middleburgh  village  is  called  the  Little  Schoharie  ;  which 
name  I  have  chosen  to  continue. 

Many  of  the  Indian  sales  of  lands  in  Schoharie  county,  were 
legalized  by  the  governor  and  council  of  the  colony.  The  fol- 
lowing paper,  which  is  copied  verbatim  et  literatim,  will  show 
the  usual  form  of  a  royal  permit : 

"  By  His  Excellency  the  Hon.  Georfre  Clinton,  Cap- 
tain-General and  Governor  in  Chief  of  the  colony  of  New 
L.  S.     York,   and  Territories  thereon  dependinj^  in   America, 
Vice  Admiral  of  the  same  and  Admiral  of  the  White 
Squadron  of  his  Majesty's  Fleet. 
"To  all  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come  or  may  concern, 
Greeting : — 

"  Whereas  Johannes  Becker,  jr.,  Johannes  Schafer,  jr.,  Hendrick 
Schafer,  jr.,  and  Jacobus  Schafer,  by  their  humble  petition  pre- 
sented unto  me  and  read  in  Council  this  Day,  have  prayed  my  license 
to  purchase  in  his  Majesty's  name,  of  the  native  Indian  proprietors 
thereof,  six  thousand  Acres  of  some  vacant  Lands,  Situate,  Lying 
and  being  in  the  County  of  Albany,  on  the  North  side  of  the  Co- 
belskill,  and  on  the  East  of  the  Patent  lately  granted  to  Jacob 
Borst,  Jacob  C.  Teneyck  and  others  near  Schoharie:  in  order  to 
obtain  His  Majesty's  Letters  Patent  for  the  same  or  a  proportionate 
quantity  thereof  I  have  therefore  thought  fit  to  give  and  grant, 
and  I  do  by  and  with  the  Advice  of  his  Majesty's  Council,  hereby 
give  and  grant  unto  the  said  Petitioners,  full  Power,  Leave  and 
lycense  to  purchase  in  his  Majesty's  Name  of  the  Native  Indian 
Proprietors  thereof,  the  Quantity  of  Six  thousand  Acres  of  the 
vacant  Lands  aforesaid.  Provided  the  said  purchase  be  made  in 
one  year  next  after  the  Date  hereof,  and  conformable  to  a  report 
of  a  Committee  of  His  majesty's  Council  of  the  second  day  of  De- 
cember, 1736,  on  the  Memorial  of  Cadwallader  Colden,  Esq., 
representing  several  Inconveniences  arising  by  the  usual  Method 
of  purchasing  Lands  from  '  the  Indians.  And  for  so  doing  this 
shall  be  to  them  a  sufficient  lycense. 

"  Given  under  my  Hand  and  Seal  at  Arms,  at  Fort 
George,  in  the  City  of  New  York,  the  sixteenth  Day  of 
November,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fiftv-two. 

"  By  his  Excellency's  command,  G.  CUNTON." 

"  Geo.  Banyar,  D.  Sec'ij." 

A  conveyance  made  in  December,  1752,  of  fifteen  thousand 
acres  of  land  in  "  New  Dorlach,"  now  in  the  town  of  Seward — 
bounds  it  on  "  West  creek" — west  branch  of  the  Cobelskill  be- 
ginning at  a  bank  called  in  an  Indian  conveyance,  "  Onc-en-ta- 


9^  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

dashe."  This  I  suppose  to  have  been  the  Indian  name  of  the 
mountain  south  of  Hyndsville.  When  the  county  of  Tryon  was 
organized,  it  took  in  "  New  Dorlach ;"  which  was  embraced  in 
Otsego  county  on  Us  organization ;  and  subsequently  became  a 
part  of  Schoharie  county. 

The  parties  to  an  indenture,  made  November  30th,  1753,  were 
Johannes  Scheffer,  Christ  Jan  Zehe,  Johannes  Lawyer,  Michael 
Borst,  Johannes  Borst,  Johan  Jost  Borst,  Michael  Hilkinger, 
"William  Baird,  Jacob  Borst,  Michael  Bowman,  Johannes  Brown, 
Barent  Keyser,  Peter  Nicholas  Sommer,  Johannes  Lawyer  Ser, 
Hendrick  Heens,  and  William  Brown."  It  was  a  purchase  of 
fifteen  thousand  acres  of  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  "  Ostgarrege 
or  Cobelskill,  about  seven  miles  westerly  from  Schoharre." 

The  author  has  in  his  possession,  a  parchment  copy  of  letters 
patent,  dated  March  19,  1754.  It  was  granted  in  the  reign  of 
George  II.,  under  the  administration  of  George  Clinton  as  gover- 
nor, and  James  De  Lancey  lieutenant-governor,  to  John  Frederick 
Bauch,  [now  written  Bouck,]  Christian  Zehe,  Johannes  Zehe, 
Michael  Wanner,  [Warner,]  and  Johannes  Knisker,  [Kneiskern,] 
"  For  a  certain  Track  of  Land  lately  purchased  by  them  of  the 
Native  Indian  proprietors  thereof,  situate,  lying  and  being  in  the 
county  of  Albany,  to  the  westward  of  Schoharry,  and  on  the 
south  side  of  a  creek  or  brook,  called  by  the  Indians  Ots-ga-ra- 
gee,  and  by  the  inhabitants  Cobelskill",  containing  about /ow?*  thoiir- 
sand  eight  hundred  Acres,  and  further  bounded  and  described  as 
by  the  Indian  purchase  thereof,  bearing  date  the  Ninth  day  of 
November  last,  might  af^ear."  The  Patent  grants  among 
other  things,  Fishings,  Fowlings,  Hunting  and  Hawking;  re- 
serving at  the  same  time  Gold  and  Silver  mines,  and  "All 
trees  of  the  Diameter  of  Twenty-four  Inches  and  upwards  at 
twelve  Inches  from  the  ground,  for  Masts  for  our  Royal  Navy. 
And  also  all  such  other  trees  as  may  be  fit  to  make  planks,  knees, 
and  other  things  necessary  for  the  use  of  our  said  Navy  :"  with 
the  privilege  of  going  on  and  cutting  the  timber  thus  reserved,  at 
any  time  or  in  any  manner.  The  following  singular  sentence 
appears  in  the  patent.     The  purchasers,  after  being  individually 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  97 

named,  were,  with  their  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  "  To  be  holden 
of  us,  our  heirs  and  successors  in  fee  and  common  socage,  as  of 
our  Mannor  of  East  Greenwich,  in  the  County  of  Kent,  within  our 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  yielding,  rendering  and  paying  there- 
for yearly,  and  every  year  forever,  unto  us  our  heirs  and  succes- 
sors, at  our  Custom  House  in  Our  City  of  New  York,  unto  oUr 
Collector  or  Receiver  General  there  for  the  time  being,  on  the 
feast  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  Blessed  Mary,  commonly  called 
Lady  day,  the  yearly  Rent  of  two  shillings  and  six  pence  for  each 
and  every  hundred  acres  of  the  above  granted  Lands,  and  so  in 
proportion  for  any  lesser  quantity  thereof."  Within  three  years 
after  the  date  of  the  patent,  the  purchasers  whose  interest  was 
equal,  were  required  "  to  settle  and  effectually  cultivate  at  least 
tliree  Acres  of  Gvexy  ffly  Acres,  of  the  land  capable  of  cultiva- 
tion." The  conveyance  was  to  be  invalidated  by  the  wanton 
burning  of  the  growing  timber. 

About  the  year  1760,  says  Brown,  the  Mohawks  began  to  sell 
large  tracts  of  land  around  Schoharie,  through  Sir  William  John- 
son, who  was  a  royal  agent  of  Indian  affairs  for  the  six  nations 
of  New  York,  and  liberally  paid  by  the  British  Government. 
These  conveyances  to  be  legal,  he  adds,  were  required  to  be  made 
in  his  presence,  he  usually  taking  good  care  to  secure  a  valuable 
interest  to  himself. 

Land  was  considered  of  little  value  among  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  New  York,  and  large  tracts  were  often  disposed  of  for  an  in- 
considerable sum.  The  following  certificate,  found  among  the 
papers  of  the  late  Philip  Schuyler  of  Schoharie,  will  serve  to 
show  from  its  vague  limits,  the  value  set  by  the  owner  on  a  large 
tract  of  now  valuable  land. 

"  I  do  hereby  certify  to  have  sold  to  Messrs.  Philip  Schuyler  and 
Abraham  Becker,  and  their  associates,  the  Flats  of  the  Cook 
House  with  an  equal  quantity  of  upland  near  the  path  going  to 
Ogwage  [Oquago.] — And  I  hereby  permit  them  to  take  up  or  mark 
off  any  quantity  of  land  they  may  farther  think  proper,  on  the 
west  side  the  said  Cook  House  branch,  granted  to  me,  the  sub- 
scriber, by  the  Governor  and  Council  of  this  province  of  New  York. 

Albany,  19th  June,  1773. 

TH.  BRADSTREET." 


ft  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Attached  to  this  certificate  is  an  affidavit  made  by  George 
Mann  in  1818,  before  Peter  Swart,  a  Judge  of  the  court  of  com- 
mon pleas  for  Schoharie  county,  which  states  that  in  the  month 
of  June,  1773,  being  then  at  the  Indian  village  of  "  Orgquago," 
he  saw  "  Philip  Schuyler  pay  to  the  Chiefs  of  the  Indian  tribe  of 
the  same  name,  in  behalf  of  John  Bradstreet,  the  sum  of  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  which  he  understood  to  be  money  received  by  them 
in  consideration  of  a  deed  for  a  certain  tract  of  land  given  by  the 
said  Chiefs  to  the  said  Bradstreet,  and  which  land  w^as  situated  on 
the  west  branch  of  the  Delaware  river,  commonly  called  the  Koke- 
house  branch.*  He  adds  that  Alexander  Campbell,  John  H. 
Becker  and  David  Becker,  were  also  present  at  the  time. 

I  have  before  remarked  that  the  Schoharie  people  owned  slaves. 
Many  of  them  were  either  purchased  in  the  New  England  states, 
or  of  New  England  men.  A  certificate  of  the  sale  of  a  black 
girl  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  given  on.  the  7th  day  of  July, 
1762,  by  "  John  McClister  of  Connecticut,  to  Jacob  Lawyer  of 
Schohary,"  for  the  sum  of  sixty  pounds,  [|150,]  New  York  cur- 
rency, will  probably  show  the  average  value  of  female  slaves  at 
that  day.  At  a  later  period,  able  bodied  male  slaves  often  sold 
as  high  as  $250.  When  slaves  were  purchased  out  of  the  Colo- 
ny, a  duty  was  required  to  be  paid  on  them,  as  the  following  cer- 
tificate of  the  Mayor  of  Albany  will  show. 

"  Theas  are  to  Certify,  y'  Nine  negro  men  and  women  has  been 
Imported  Into  y"  County  of  Albany  from  New  England,  and  ac- 
cording to  an  Act  of  y°  Governor,  y^  Council,  and  the  generall  As- 
sembly ;  William  Day  has  paid  y'  Duty  for  said  negro  men  and 
women:  witness  my  hand  this  twentieth  Dav  of  Aug'.  1762. 

VOLKERT  P<  DOUW,  Mayor." 

Five  of  the  above  mentioned  slaves  were  sold  at  Schoharie. 

"While  New  York  was  a  British  province,  public  roads  were 
called  "  The  King's  Highways,"  and  were  kept  in  repair  by  a 
tax  levied  by  officers  under  the  crow^n.  Individuals  were  not 
compelled  at  that  period  to  fence  in  their  lands  along  the  high- 
ways, but  where  the  line  fence  between  neighbors  crossed  them, 

•  Koke  is  the  Dutch  of  cook — to  prepare  to  eat. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  99 

they  placed  gates.  This  was  a  source  of  constant  vexation  to 
the  traveler,  who  often  complained  that  more  obstructions  of  the 
kind  were  stretched  across  the  road,  than  necessity  required.  Ac- 
cordingly, to  remedy  the  evil,  a  legislative  act  was  passed,  by 
which  those  obstructions  could  only  be  placed  across  the  King's 
road  by  a  legal  permit ;  signed  by  several  of  his  Majest}'s  Jus- 
tices of  the  peace.  The  traveler  was  annoyed  by  gates  across  the 
highway  in  thickly  settled  communities  in  the  Mohawk  and  Scho- 
harie valleys,  for  many  years  after  the  American  revolution. 

John  Lawyer,  named  in  the  bond  of  1720,  and  the  father  of 
one  of  the  first  white  children  born  in  Schoharie,  was  one  of  the 
principal  settlers  at  Bruna  dorf:  and  was  the  first  merchant 
among  those  Germans — trading  near  the  present  residence  of  An- 
drew Seller,  half  a  mile  south  of  the  Court  House.  He  is  said 
to  have  been  a  flax-hatcheler  in  Germany  :  and  we  must  suppose, 
firom  the  state  of  his  finances  on  his  arrival  in  the  Schoharie  val- 
ley, that  he  commenced  a  very  limited  business.  The  natives 
were  among  his  most  profitable  customers;  as  he  bartered  blank- 
ets, Indian  trinkets,  calicoes,  ammunition,  rum,  &c.,  wilh  them,  for 
valuable  furs,  dressed  deer-skins,  and  other  commodities  of  the  times. 
He  was  one  of  the  best  informed  among  the  Germans  who  settled 
the  county  ;  and  before  his  death  became  an  extensive  land-hold- 
er. He  was  quite  a  business  man  and  a  useful  citizen,  aiding  ma- 
ny who  purchased  land  in  making  their  payments;  and  acquired 
the  reputation  of  a  fair  and  honorable  dealer. 

He  became  a  widower  when  about  eighty  years  old,  and  mar- 
ried a  widow  in  New  York  city.  Arriving  at  Albany  he  sent 
word  to  have  one  of  his  sons  come  after  him :  but  they  were  so 
oflfended  to  think  he  should  marry  at  that  age,  that  neither 
of  them  would  go.  One  Dominick  took  the  happy  couple  to 
Schoharie ;  where,  we  take  it  for  granted,  they  spent  the  honey- 
moon. It  has  been  stated  that  Lawyer  had  several  children  by 
this  late  marriage.  Judge  Brown  assured  the  author  he  had 
indeed,  but  that  they  were  many  years  old  when  he  married  their 
mother.     A  well  executed  family  portrait  of  this  father  of  the 


100  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Lawyers,  in  the  fashion  of  that  day,  is  now  to  be  seen  at  the 
dwelHng  of  the  late  Wm.  G.  Michaels,  near  the  Court  House. 
It  was  painted  in  New  York,  and  tells  credibly  for  the  state  of 
the^w.c  arts  at  that  period. 

A  second  John  Lawyer,  who  usually  wrote  his  given  name 
Johannes  (the  German  of  John),  a  son  of  the  one  mentioned 
above,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  be- 
came a  good  surveyor,  and  surveyed  much  land  in  and  around 
Schoharie  county.  He  was  also  an  extensive  land-holder,  own- 
ing at  least  twenty-five  thousand  acres  of  land,  and  his  name 
appears  in  very  many  conveyances  made  in  that  county  before 
the  year  1760. 

I  have  before  me  a  copy  of  the  will  of  this  man,  which  was 
dated  March  10th,  1760 :  by  which  it  appears  he  was  then  a 
merchant.  He  had  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  his  will 
so  disposed  of  his  large  estate,  as  to  be  equally  distributed  on  the 
death  of  his  widow,  to  the  surviving  children  and  the  lawful  heirs 
of  the  deceased  ones. 

Few  parents  at  the  present  day  in  Schoharie  county,  imitate 
the  commendable  example  of  this  wealthy  man,  and  divide  their 
properly  equally  between  sons  and  daughters.  The  latter,  who 
are  by  nature  the  most  helpless,  are  frequently  unprovided  for, 
and  while  a  son  or  sons  are  enjoying  the  rich  inheritance  of  a 
"  wise  father,"  a  worthy  daughter  is  sometimes  compelled,  on  the 
death  of  her  parents,  either  to  marry  against  her  own  good  sense 
and  inclination,  a  man  unworthy  of  her ;  or  feel  herself  really 
dependant  on  the  charity  of  those  from  whom  she  should  not  be 
compelled  to  ask  it 

Johannes  Lawyer  was  succeeded  by  a  son,  his  namesake,  in  the 
mercantile  business.  He  was  also  a  surveyor,  and  transacted  no 
little  business.  Lawrence  Lawyer,  one  of  his  sons,  who  was  still 
living  in  Cobelskill  in  1837,  informed  me  that  some  person  in 
New  York  presented  his  father  with  a  small  cannon  while  in 
that  city  purchasing  goods,  a  short  time  previous  to  the  French 
war :  and  that  during  that  war,  whenever  the  Schoharie  Indians, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         101 

who  were  engaged  with  the  Mohawks  under  General,  afterwards 
Sir  Win.  Johnson,  returned  home  with  the  scalps  of  ten  or  fifteen 
of  the  enemy,  this  cannon  was  fired  for  joy.  Thus  we  perceive 
that  the  very  cruel  Indian  custom  of  scalping,  condemned  in  the 
savages  during  the  Revolution  about  twenty  years  after,  the 
whites  had  approved  in  the  French  war,  and  demonstrated  that 
approval  by  the  discharge  of  cannon.  Can  we  blame  the  un- 
lettered savage  for  continuing  a  custom  his  fathers — indeed  we 
ourselves  have  taught  him  to  think  fair  and  honorable,  by  our 
own  public  approval  and  celebration  ?  Ought  we  not  rather  to 
pity  the  degraded,  injured  Indian;  and  amid  blushes,  censure 
ourselves  for  encouraging  his  love  of  cruelty  instead  of  tender 
mercy  ? 

I  learned  from  this  old  patriot,  who  was  one  of  the  early. set- 
tlers of  Cobelskill,  the  origin  of  the  name  Punch-kill.  His  grand- 
father took  a  patent  of  lands  adjoining  this  stream :  and  on 
running  out  the  lines  in  making  a  survey,  -punch  was  made  and 
freely  drank  on  the  premises,  on  which  account  the  brook  was 
called  Punch-kill,  and  has  been  so  called  ever  since.  This  kill  is 
in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town,  and  falls  into  the  stream  of  that 
name. 

John  I.  Lawyer,  who  was  a  nephew  of  the  second  Schoharie 
merchant,  was  learned  out,  according  to  a  phrase  of  the  times, 
having  received  a  share  of  his  education  in  Boston,  and  proved  a 
very  correct  surveyor.  He  was  rather  eccentric,  and  perhaps 
was  not  in  all  respects  as  happily  married,  as  it  is  the  good  for- 
tune of  some  men  to  be.  An  anecdote  related  of  him  which 
tends  to  show  his  character,  is  as  follows  :  He  had  been  accus- 
tomed for  a  long  time  to  occupy  a  high  chair  at  the  table  while 
eating.  A  grandson  of  his  coming  home  after  a  long  absence, 
who  was  a  great  favorite  with  his  grandmother,  she  insisted  on 
his  having  the  high  chair  at  the  festive  board.  The  old  gentle- 
man put  up  with  the  treatment  for  a  few  days,  but  at  length 
growing  impatient  at  such  improper  favoritism,  he  entered  his 
dwelling  as  the  table  was  setting,  with  a  saw,  and  before  any  one 
8 


102  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

could  stay  proceedings,  he  raised  the  table  and  sawed  off  its  legs. 
"  JVoiv,"  said  he  to  his  wife,  "  your  favorite  can  have  the  high 
chair.  The  old  lady  cast  her  eyes  on  the  sorry  picture  which  the 
dishes  in  fragments  on  the  floor  presented,  and  began  to  storm — 
but  it  was  of  no  use — the  husband  kept  his  temper.  His  voice 
was  not Jbr  war.  He  went  directly  and  procured  a  new  set  of 
dishes,  and  ever  after  he  had  no  difficulty  in  occupying  such  a 
seat  at  his  own  table  as  he  chose. 

It  was  formerly  customary,  not  only  in  Schoharie,  but  in  almost 
every  county  in  the  state,  to  provide  refreshments  at  funerals. 
Indeed,  within  twenty  years,  the  custom  of  providing  hquor  on 
such  occasions  has  been  in  vogue,  and  the  bearers  and  friends  of 
the  deceased  were  expected  to  return  to  the  house  of  mourning 
after  the  burial,  and  drink.     Neither  was  it  at  all  uncommon  for 
people  in  those  days  to  go  home  from  a  funeral  drunk  :  but  the 
barbarous  and  unfeeling  custom  of  passing  the  intoxicating  bowl 
on  such  occasions,  has  yielded  to  a  better  spirit.     It  is  said  that 
John  Lawyer,  the  second  one  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  kept  a 
barrel  of  wine  for  several  years  before  his  death  to  be  drank  at 
his  funeral ;  that  it  was  carried  out  on  that  occasion  in  pails, 
freely  drank,  and  many  were  drunk  of  it.     Cakes  were  carried 
round  at  such  times  in  large  baskets,  and  in  some  instances  a  fu- 
neral appeared  more  like  a  festival  than  the  solemn  sepulture  of 
the  dead.     The  old  people  give  a  reason  somewhat  plausible  for 
the  introduction  of  such  a  custom  in  this  county.     Its  inhabitants 
were  sparsedly  settled  over  a  large  territory,  and  many  had  to  go 
a  great  distance  to  attend  funerals, — and  as  all  could  not  be  ex- 
pected to  eat  a  regular  meal  from  home,  those  extra  provisions 
were  made  for  friends  present  from  remote  sections.     A  custom  of 
that  kind  once  introduced,  even  if  at  the  time  justifiable,  it  is  easy 
to  perceive  might  be  continued  in  after  years,  until  it  became  ob- 
noxious to  sympathy  and  highly  reprehensible. 

The  following  is  the  copy  of  a  receipt,  evidently  in  the  hand 
writing  of  the  second  mentioned  John  Lawyer,  liis  name  being 
written  as  the  contraction  of  Johannes.  It  was  doubtless  given 
as  it  purports,  for  liquor  drank  at  a  funeral. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        1  03 

"  Scoherie,  March  29,  1738. 

"  Then  Received  of  John  Schuyler  the  sum  of  Twenty  Shilings 
for  the  five  galing  [gallons]  of  Rum  at  the  Bearing  [burying]  of 
Maria  Bratt.     Reed  by  me.  JOH&  LAWYER." 

The  Schoharie  Indians  had  but  few  serious  difficulties  with  the 
early'  white  settlers.  Judge  Brown  mentions  in  his  pamphlet 
that  a  squaw  once  shot  a  man  on  the  sabbath,  while  returning 
from  Church.  The  Indians  often  had  personal  broils  among 
themselves,  and  generally  settled  them  in  their  own  savage  way. 
Brown  also  states  that  in  his  time  he  saw  one  William,  a  son  of 
Jan,  stab  and  kill  another  Indian  at  the  house  of  David  Becker, 
in  Weiser's  dorf.  An  eye-witness  of  the  act  informed  the  author, 
that  the  Indian  killed  was  called  John  Coy.  David  Becker  then 
kept  a  public  house,  which  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  par- 
sonage house  belonging  to  the  brick  church  in  Middleburgh. 
John  had  a  child  in  his  arms  in  the  bar-room,  and  was  asked  by 
William,  another  Indian,  to  drink  with  him.  The  former  de- 
clined drinking,  and  walked  out  of  the  room  upon  a  piazza  in 
front  of  the  house.  William  soon  after  followed  him  out  and  bu- 
ried the  blade  of  a  long  knife  in  his  back — which  he  did  not  at- 
tempt to  draw  out — and  departed.  John  died  almost  instantly. 
The  cause  of  this  assassination  informant  did  not  know :  it  is 
doubtless  to  be  attributed  to  the  red  man's  curse — alcohol. 

Mrs.  Van  Slyck  related  the  following  traditionary  story,  which 
serves  to  illustrate  the  Indian  character.  At  a  house  which  stood 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Henry  Vrooman,  and  contiguous  to 
Wilder  Hook,  about  the  year  1750,  one  Indian  stabbed  another 
on  the  threshold  of  the  door  to  the  entrance  into  the  upper  part 
of  it.  The  deed  was  committed  in  the  evening,  and  was  the  re- 
sult of  a  former  quarrel.  The  tribe  took  little  notice  of  the  act, 
but  when  the  corpse  of  the  murdered  man  was  about  to  be  low- 
ered into  the  grave,  the  father  of  the  murderer  required  his  son  to 
get  into  it  to  dig  one  end  deeper.  He  did  so,  and  while  standing 
there,  the  father  sunk  a  tomahawk  into  his  brains.  He  was  laid 
down  in  the  narrow  house  with  his  implements  of  war  beside  him 
— the  other  victim  placed  upon  the  body  of  his  murderer,  and  both 


104  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

buried  together.  Thus  bodies  which  in  hfe  were  rendered  so 
hateful  to  each  other  by  the  savage  spirits  which  controlled  them, 
mingled  into  one  common  earth  after  death,  by  the  fiendish  act  of 
a  father ;  who,  by  endeavoring  to  punish  the  beheved  wrong  of  a 
son,  became  himself  the  most  guilty  of  the  two.  However  im- 
natural  an  act  like  this  may  seem,  it  was  by  no  means  uncommon 
among  the  unlettered  sons  of  the  forest.  The  father  often  assumed 
the  responsibility  of  punishing  the  son,  and  the  son  the  father,  for 
misdemeanors  which  might  have  a  tendency  to  disgrace  the 
avenger,  even  to  the  taking  of  life. 

The  following  anecdote  will  show  another  pecuharity  of  the 
Indian  character.  One  of  the  Schoharie  Chiefs,  named  Lewis,  is 
said  to  have  gone  to  battle — probably  in  the  French  war, — scalped 
a  squaw,  taken  her  home  as  his  prisoner,  and  afterwards  made  her 
his  wife  and  the  mother  of  his  children. 

The  Indians  were  in  the  annual  habit,  to  considerable  extent, 
of  taking  up  a  temporary  residence  near  corn  fields — when  the 
corn  became  eatable, — ^proving  unprofitable  neighbors  to  the 
whites. 


(  105  )  ?^t 


CHAPTER  IV. 


It  has  been  the  intention  of  the  writer,  as  expressed  in  the  pre- 
face, not  to  confine  this  work  to  the  hmits  of  Schoharie  county, 
but  to  garner  up  as  much  unpublished  historic  matter  as  possible. 
Tradition  has  preserved  but  few  of  the  personal  adventures  origi- 
nated in  the  French  war.  The  facts  contained  in  the  following 
sketch  were  narrated  to  the  author  in  1841,  by  John  L.  Groat. 

]n  the  year  1716,  Philip  Groat,  of  Rotterdam,  made  a  purchase 
of  land  in  the  present  town  of  Amsterdam.  When  removing  to 
the  latter  place.  Groat  was  drowned  in  the  Mohawk  near  Sche- 
nectada,  by  breaking  through  the  ice.  He  was  in  a  sleigh  accom- 
panied by  a  woman,  who  was  also  drowned.  His  widow  and 
three  sons,  Simon,  Jacob  and  Lewis,  the  last  named  being  then 
only  four  years  old,  with  several  domestics,  made  the  intended 
settlement.  In  1730,  the  Groat  brothers  erected  a  grist-mill  at 
their  place,  (now  Crane's  village,)  thirteen  miles  west  of  Sche- 
nectada — the  first  ever  erected  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk. 
This  mill,  when  first  erected,  floured  wheat  for  citizens  who  dwelt 
upon  the  German  flats,  some  fifty  miles  distant.  The  first  bolt- 
ing cloth  in  this  mill,  was  put  in  by  John  Burns,  a  German,  in 
1772. 

When  hostilities  commenced  between  England  and  France,  in 
the  war  alluded  to,  Lewis  Groat  was  living  at  the  homestead. 
He  was  a  widower  at  the  time  with  five  children  ;  and  owning  a 
farm  and  grist-mill,  he  was  comparatively  wealthy.  In  the  af- 
ternoon of  a  smnmer's  day  in  1755,  two  hundred  Highland  troops, 
clad  in  rich  tartans,  passed  up  the  valley  on  their  way  to  Fort 
Johnson,  six  miles  above — then  the  residence  of  Gen.  William 


106  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Johnson.  Groat,  observing  the  swing  gate  across  the  road  had 
been  left  open  by  the  troops,  went,  after  sun  down,  to  shut  it. 
"When  returning  home,  it  began  to  rain,  and  for  temporary  shelter 
he  stepped  under  a  large  oak  tree  :  while  there,  three  Indians,  a 
father  and  sons,  approached  him.  He  took  them  to  be  Mohawks, 
and  extending  his  hand  to  the  oldest,  addressed  him  in  a  friendly 
manner.  The  hand  was  received  and  firmly  held  by  the  Indian, 
who  claimed  Groat  as  his  prisoner.  Finding  they  were  in  earn- 
est, and  seeing  them  all  armed  with  rifles,  he  surrendered  himself. 
The  captors  belonged  to  the  Owenagunga*  or  River  tribe  of  In- 
dians, whither  they  directed  their  steps.  The  object  of  their  ex- 
pedition, which  was  to  capture  several  negroes,  they  soon  disclosed 
to  the  prisoner,  who  told  them  if  they  would  let  him  go  across 
the  river  to  Philips',  he  would  send  them  some.  "  Yes,"  said  the 
old  Indian,  holding  his  thumb  and  finger  together  so  as  to  show 
the  size  of  a  bullet,  "  you  send  Indian  leetle  round  negar,  he  no 
like  such." 

They  had  proceeded  but  a  few  miles,  when  a  pack  was  placed 
upon  the  back  of  the  captive,  after  which  he  walked  much  slow- 
er than  before.  The  old  Indian  threatened  to  kill  him  if  he  did 
not  mcrease  his  speed.  "  What  can  you  get  for  a  scalp?"  asked 
Groat.  "  Ten  litres,"  was  the  reply.  "  And  how  much  for  a 
prisoner  ?"  he  again  asked.  "  Two  hundred  livres,"  replied  the 
Indian.  "  Well,"  said  Groat,  "«/"  ten  livres  are  better  than  two 
hundred,  kill  me  and  take  my  scalp  !"  The  Indian  then  told  the 
prisoner  that  he  would  carry  his  own  pack  and  the  one  apportioned 
him,  if  the  latter  would  but  keep  up  with  the  party.  The  propo- 
sition was  acceded  to,  and  they  moved  forward — the  old  Indian 
with  two  packs  on.  He  took  a  dog  trot  and  Groat  kept  near  him. 
The  feet  of  the  savage  often  had  not  left  the  ground,  when  those 
of  his  captive  claimed  occupancy  of  it.  The  warrior  exerted  all 
his  strength  to  outrun  his  prisoner,  who  kept  constantly  "  bruising 
his  heel :"  until  the  former,  exhausted  and  covered  with  perspira- 

•  The  Owenagungas  settled  above  Albany,  on  a  branch  of  Hudson's  river, 
that  runs  towards  Canada,  about  the  year  1672.— CoWen's  History  of  th« 
Five  Nations. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         107 

tion,  fell  upon  the  ground.     They  had  run  about  a  mile  and  were 
both  greatly  fatigued,  but  Groat  had  triumphed. 

When  the  Indian  had  recovered  from  his  exhaustion,  he  told 
Groat  if  he  would  carry  one  of  the  packs,  he  might  travel  as  he 
pleased.  After  this  adventure  he  was  kindly  treated,  and  often  on 
the  way  did  his  captors  give  him  plenty  of  food  and  go  hungry 
themselves,  saying  that  they  were  Indians  and  could  endure  hun- 
ger better  than  himself,  because  accustomed  to  it.  Nights,  his 
feet  were  tied  to  temporary  stocks  made  by  bending  down  stad- 
dles,  but  always  secured  so  high  that  he  could  not  reach  the  cord 
as  he  lay  upon  the  ground.  After  journeying  a  day  or  two,  the 
prisoner  resolved  on  attempting  his  escape.  One  evening  when 
unbound,  he  hoped  to  give  his  captors  the  slip,  but  suspecting  his 
motives  they  cocked  their  rifles,  and  not  being  able  to  gain  even  tem- 
porary covert  of  a  large  tree,  he  abandoned  the  hazardous  project 
Near  Fort  Edward,  the  party  fell  in  with  two  Mohawk  Indians, 
one  of  whom,  being  an  old  acquaintance,  gave  the  prisoner  a 
hat,  of  which  he  had  been  plundered  by  his  captors.  The  Mo- 
hawks were  on  a  hunting  excursion,  and  remained  in  company 
with  the  party  for  a  day  or  two,  in  the  hope  of  affording  the  pri- 
soner an  opportunity  to  escape.  The  captors  were  to  be  made 
drunk  by  liquor  in  possession  of  the  Mohawks  ;  but  as  the  time 
for  the  expedient  drew  near,  Groat  fell  sick,  and  had  to  see  his 
friends  depart  without  him.  He,  however,  gave  one  of  them  his 
tobacco-box,  and  requested  him  to  carry  it  to  his  family,  and  tell 
them  when  and  where  he  had  seen  its  owner,  that  they  might 
know  he  was  still  alive.  The  Indian  did  return  and  deliver  the 
box  as  requested  :  but  the  family  were  suspicious  the  Indian  had 
killed  him  and  fabricated  the  story  ;  which  his  protracted  absence 
tended  to  confirm.  When  he  got  back,  he  presented  the  friendly 
Indian  with  a  fine  horse. 

They  proceeded  some  distance  by  water  down  Lake  Champlain, 
and  on  landing  at  an  Indian  settlement.  Groat  had  to  run  the 
gantlet.  His  captors  had  conceived  quite  an  attachment  for  him, 
and  offered  before  arriving  at  the  village,  to  place  a  belt  of  wam- 
pum around  his  neck,  which,  according  to  the  custom  of  their 


108  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY 

tribe,  would  have  entitled  him  to  the  same  privileges  as  them- 
selves ;  and  exonerated  him  from  the  running  ordeal.  He  thought 
the  acceptance  of  the  belt  would  be  an  acknowledgment  of  his 
willingness  to  adopt  the  Indian  life,  and  refused  the  offer  proffered 
in  kindness,  which  he  regretted  when  too  late.  As  the  lines  of 
women  and  boys  were  drawn  up  through  which  he  was  to  flee, 
and  he  was  about  to  start,  his  captors,  who  had  relieved  him  of 
his  pack,  buried  their  faces  in  their  hands,  and  would  not  witness 
his  sufferings.  He  was  beaten  considerably,  and  on  arriving  at 
the  goal  of  freedom,  the  blood  from  some  of  his  bruises  ran  down 
to  his  feet.  A  short  time  after,  Groat  was  sold  to  a  French  Ca- 
nadian, itamed  Lewis  De  Snow,  who  told  him,  on  going  to  his 
house,  that  he  was  to  be  his  future  master,  and  his  wife  his  mw- 
tress.  The  former  replied  that  he  had  long  known  his  master — 
"  he  dwells  above,"  he  added,  pointing  his  finger  upward.  At 
first  the  Frenchman  treated  him  unkindly.  He  was  willing  to 
work,  but  would  not  submit  to  imposition  ;  and  on  being  severely 
treated  one  day,  he  assured  his  Canadian  master,  that  sooner  than 
put  up  with  abuse,  he  would  poison  him  and  his  wife,  and  make 
his  escape.  Learning  his  independent  spirit,  his  owner  ever  af- 
ter treated  him  like  a  brother.  The  next  summer,  war  was  form- 
ally declared  between  Great  Britain  and  France.  Groat  was 
claimed  as  a  British  prisoner  previous  to  the  capture  of  Quebec, 
and  was  for  six  months  imprisoned  at  St.  Francis^ -way,  near  Mon- 
treal :  where  he  suffered  from  short  allowance  of  food.  He  was 
finally  liberated  and  returned  home,  after  an  absence  of  four  years 
and  four  months,  to  the  surprise  and  joy  of  his  family,  which  had 
considered  him  as  lost  forever — was  again  married,  and  my  in- 
formant was  a  son  by  his  second  wife.  John  L.  Groat  died  in 
January,  1845,  aged  about  90  years. 

Early  in  the  French  war.  Eve,  the  wife  of  Jacob  Van  Alstine, 
who  resided  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  not  far  from  the  Groat  fami- 
ly, was  proceeding  along  the  road  on  horseback,  with  a  little 
daughter  in  her  arms ;  and  while  in  the  act  of  opening  a  swing- 
gate  which  obstructed  the  road,  was  fired  upon  by  a  party  of  hos- 
tile Indians,  and  wounded  in  one  arm.     The  enemy  then  dispatched 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        109 

and  scalped  her,  but  sparing  her  child,  carried  it  to  Canada.  Af- 
ter a  long  captivity,  the  child  returned, — and  now,  (1843,)  at  the 
age  of  nearly  a  century,  is  still  living  with  her  nephew,  J.  C.  Van 
Alstine,  Esq.,  at  Auriesville,  Montgomery  county. 

The  following  particulars  relating  to  Sir  William  Johnson  and 
his  family,  which  were  mostly  derived  from  Mr.  Groat,  will,  I 
trust,  prove  interesting  to  the  reader.  Lewis  Groat,  his  father, 
lived  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  the  Baronet,  from  his  first  arrival 
in  the  Mohawk  valley,  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

Sir  William  Johnson  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1714,  and  was  de- 
scended from  honorable  parentage.  His  uncle,  Admiral  Warren, 
(Sir  Peter  Warren,)  secured  a  title  to  some  fifteen  thousand  acres 
of  land,  lying  mostly  within  the  present  town  of  Florida :  not 
long  after  which,  Sir  William  became  his  agent  for  those  lands. 
Young  Johnson  had  been  disappointed  in  a  love  affair  in  his  na- 
tive country,  and  was  possibly  sent  to  America  on  that  account. 
He  arrived  in  the  colony  of  New  York  between  the  years  1735 
and  1740,  and  settled  at  a  place  then  known  as  W^arren's  Bush, 
a  few  miles  from  the  present  village  of  Port  Jackson.  On  his 
arrival,  the  Mohawk  valley  was  mostly  peopled  by  Indians. 
Small  settlements  had,  indeed,  been  made  by  Germans  at  Canajo- 
harie.  Stone  Arabia  and  the  German  Flats ;  and  the  Dutch  were 
tardily  extending  their  settlements  westward  of  Schenectada; 
but  the  white  population  in  the  valley  was,  comparatively  speak- 
ing, very  limited.  He  at  once  resolved  on  a  permanent  settle- 
ment— closely  observed  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  natives, 
and  being  an  adept  in  the  study  of  human  nature,  soon  acquired 
their  confidence  and  good  will. 

He  had  not  been  long  in  the  valley  before  he  became  an  agent 
of  the  British  government,  for  the  Six  Indian  Nations,  possibly 
through  the  instrumentality  of  admiral  Warren.  Johnson  had 
been  only  a  few  years  at  Warren's  Bush,  when  his  friend  Lewis 
Groat,  who  lived  but  a  short  distance  from  his  own  residence, 
asked  him  in  a  familiar  manner  why  he  did  not  get  married ? 
He  replied  that  he  wanted  to  marry  a  girl  in  Ireland — that  his 
parents  were  opposed  to  the  match,  and  that  since  he  could  not 


110  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Tnarry  the  girl  of  his  choice,  he  had  resolved  never  to  marry,  but 
would  multiply  as  much  as  he  could.  It  is  believed  that  he  faith- 
fully observed  this  resolution  for  many  years.  Near  the  two 
canal  locks  below  Port  Jackson,  some  two  miles  from  Johnson's 
residence,  lived  at  that  time,  Alexander  and  Harman  Philips, 
brothers.  With  those  brothers,  was  living  in  the  capacity  of  a 
servant  girl,  Miss  Lana  [Eleanor]  Wallaslous,  unless  I  am  mis- 
taken in  her  name,  of  German  parentage.  She  was  a  native  of 
Madagascar,  and  on  arriving  at  New  York  at  an  early  age,  was 
sold  into  servitude,  to  pay  her  passage.  She  was  an  uncommon- 
ly fair — wholesome  looking  maid.  Groat,  knowing  his  friend's 
determination  not  to  marry,  asked  him  why  he  did  not  go  and 
get  the  pretty  High  Dutch  girl  at  Philips^ s,  for  a  housekeeper  ? 
He  repKed,  /  vdll  do  it !  and  they  parted. 

Not  long  after  this  interview.  Groat  was  at  Philips's  on  busi- 
ness, and  not  seeing  her,  enquired  of  one  of  the  brothers  where 
their  High  Dutch  girl  was?  Said  Philips,  "Johnson,  that  d — d 
Irishman  came  the  other  day  and  offered  me  five  pounds  for  her, 
threatening  to  horse-whip  me  and  steal  her  if  I  would  not  sell  her. 
I  thought ^t"e  pounds  better  than  2i  flogging,  and  took  it,  and  he's 
got  the  gal."  Johnson  obtained  the  girt  in  the  precise  manner 
he  had  assured  his  friend  he  would  proceed.  This  German  girl 
was  the  mother  of  Sir  John  Johnson,  and  the  wives  of  Col.  Guy 
Johnson,  an  Irish  relative  of  Sir  William,  and  Col.  Daniel  Claus. 

Henry  Frey  Yates,  Esq.,  in  a  communication  to  his  son,  Ber- 
nard F.,  in  which  he  notes  several  exceptions  to  sayings  of  Col. 
Stone,  in  the  Life  of  Brant,  which  memoranda  have  been  kindly 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  writer  by  the  son  since  the  above  was 
written,  quotes  from  the  first  volume  of  that  work,  page  101,  a  re- 
mark that  "  the  mother  of  Sir  John  Johnson  was  a  German  la- 
dy," and  thus  discourses  : — "  Mr.  Stone  has  been  misinformed  as 
to  the  history  of  the  mother  of  Sir  John  ;  she  was  not  a  German 
lady.  She  was  a  German  by  birth."  After  naming  William 
Harper,  a  former  judge  of  Montgomery  county,  and  his  brother, 
Alexander,  as  authority  for  what  he  says,  he  thus  continues  : — 
"  The  facts  with  respect  to  the  mother  of  Sir  John  are,  that  she 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         Ill 

was  a  poor  German  girl,  who,  on  her  arrival  in  New  York,  was 
sold  for  her  passage  over  from  Germany.  That  was  then  the  uni- 
versal practice,  and  the  only  method  that  the  poorer  class  of  Gtr- 
man  emigrants  had,  when  they  wanted  to  emigrate  to  this  coun- 
try. They  were  obliged,  before  they  embarked  on  ship-board  for 
America,  to  sign  articles  by  which  they  bound  themselves  to  the 
captain,  that,  on  their  arrival  here,  they  should  be  sold  for  their 
passage  money,  for  one,  two,  three,  or  four  years,  as  the  captain 
could  make  a  bargain  with  the  purchaser,  the  captain  being  ob- 
liged to  board  them,  &c.  Whenever  a  ship  arrived,  it  was  imme- 
diately advertised  that  she  had  brought  so  many  male  and  female 
immigrants,  who  were  to  be  sold  for  their  passage." 

They  were  usually  sold  into  servitude,  to  such  persons  as  would 
take  them  at  the  shortest  period  of  services,  and  pay  the  captain, 
in  advance,  his  charges  for  their  passage  and  contingent  expenses. 
Purchasers  were  bound,  on  their  part,  to  treat  those  servants  kind- 
ly, and  release  them  at  the  expiration  of  their  time.  This  custom 
continued  for  some  twenty-five  years  after  the  close  of  the  Ame- 
rican Revolution,  and  numbers  who  proved  valuable  citizens,  avail- 
ed themselves  of  this  method  of  crossing  the  Atlantic.  When 
passengers  were  advertised  for  sale,  says  Mr.  Yates — "  The 
wealthy  Germans  and  Low  Dutch,  from  various  parts  of  the 
country,  w^ould  then  repair  to  New  York  and  make  their  purcha- 
ses. Sometimes  one  would  purchase  for  a  number  of  families. 
In  this  way  it  was,  that  the  mother  of  Sir  John  was  purchased 
for  her  passage  across  the  Atlantic  by  a  man  named  Philips,  re- 
siding about  twelve  miles  above  Schenectada,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Mohawk ;  and  nearly  opposite  Crane's  village  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river.  Sir  Wilham,  seeing  the  young  woman  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Philips,  and  being  pleased  with  her,  bought  her 
of  him  and  took  her  to  his  dweUing  at  the  old  fort.  Sir  William 
had  three  children  by  her.  Sir  John,  Mrs,  Guy  Johnson  and  Mrs. 
Col.  Claus.  Sir  William  never  was  married  to  her,  until  on  her 
death  bed,  and  then  he  did  it  only  with  a  view  to  legitimize 
[legitimatise]  his  children  by  her.  The  ceremony  was  performed 
by  Mr.  Barkley,  the  Episcopal  minister  residing  at  Fort  Hunter, 


112  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

where  he  officiated  in  a  stone  church  built  by  Queen  Anne  for 
the  Mohawk  Indians." 

At  page  387,  vol.  1,  of  Stone's  Brant,  Molly  Brant,  a  sister  of 
that  chief,  is  spoken  of  as  the  wife  of  Sir  William  Johnson.  With 
reference  to  this  woman,  says  the  memoranda  of  Yates — "  It  is 
true  that  Sir  William  was  married  to  Molly  according  to  the  rites 
of  the  Episcopal  church,  but  a  few  years  before  his  death.  The 
Baronet,  feeling  his  life  drawing  to  a  close,  and  abhorring  living 
longer  in  adultery,  to  quiet  his  conscience,  privately  married  Molly 
to  legitimize  his  children  by  her,  as  he  had  done  those  by  the  Ger- 
man girl,  who  was  the  mother  of  Sir  John  and  his  sisters." 

Among  the  few  who  witnessed  the  ceremony  of  the  Baronet's 
second  marriage,  the  memoranda  names  Robert  Adams,  a  mer- 
chant of  Johnstown,  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  Van  Sickler  :  to  the  last 
mentioned  he  accredits  his  authority.  Mrs.  V.  S.,  as  the  manu- 
script continues,  "  was  always  received  into  all  the  respectable  fa- 
milies in  Johnstown  as  a  welcome  guest,  and  was  very  fond  of  re- 
lating anecdotes  of  Sir  William.  Molly  was  a  very  exemplary 
woman,  and  was  a  communicant  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Among 
all  the  old  inhabitants  on  the  Mohawk,  Molly  was  respected,  as 
not  only  reputable,  but  as  an  exemplary,  pious,  christian  woman. 
The  care  that  she  took  of  the  education  of  her  children,  and  the 
manner  in  which  she  brought  them  up,  is  at  once  a  demonstration 
of  the  depth  of  the  moral  sense  of  duty  that  she  owed  her  off- 
spring." 

As  early  as  the  summer  of  1746,  Golden,  in  his  Indian  history, 
speaks  of  Mr.  William  Johnson  (afterwards  Sir  William  John- 
son) as  "  being  indefatigable  among  the  Mohawks."  "  He  dressed 
hunself,"  says  that  writer, "  after  the  Indian  manner,  made  frequent 
dances  according  to  their  custom  when  they  excite  to  war,  and 
used  all  the  means  he  could  think  of,  at  a  considerable  expense, 
(which  His  Excellency,  George  Clinton,  had  promised  to  repay 
him,)  in  order  to  engage  them  heartily  in  the  war  against  Cana- 
da. [The  same  writer,  noticing  the  efforts  made  by  Johnson  to 
engage  the  Mohawk  Nation  in  the  British  interest  against  the 
French,  in  a  war  then  existing,  says  that  with  a  part  of  the  Mo- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         113 

hawks  then  residing  principally  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lower  Cas- 
tle, he  went  to  Albany  to  attend  a  treaty.]     "  That  when  the  In- 
dians came  near  the  town  of  Jllbany,  on  the  8th  of  August,  Mr. 
Johnson  put  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Mohawks,  dressed  and 
painted  after  the  manner  of  an  Indian  war-captain;  and  the  In- 
dians who  followed  him  were  likewise  dressed  and  painted  as  is 
usual  with  them  when  they  set  out  in  war.     The  Indians  saluted 
the  Governor  as  they  passed  the  fort,  by  a  running  fire,  which  his 
Excellency  ordered  to  be  answered  by  a  discharge  of  some  cannon 
from  the  Fort.     He  afterwards  received  the  sachems  in  the  fort- 
hall,  bid  them  welcome,  and  treated  them  with  a  glass  of  wine." 
Sir  WilUam  was  a  military  man  of  some  distiction  in  the  colony, 
and  during  the  French  war,  held  a  general's  commission.     Soon 
after  the  signal  defeat  of  Baron  Dieskau,  in  1755,  by  the  troops 
under  Gen.  Johnson,  in  the  northern  wilds  of  New  York,  the  title 
of  baronet  was  conferred  upon  him,  with  a  gift  of  parliament  to 
mdke  it  set  easy,  oi  Jive  thousand  powids  sterling,  nearly  twenty 
thousand  dollai-s — in  consideration  of  his  success.     His  fortune 
was  now  made,  and  he  was  the  man  to  enjoy  it.     Previously,  he 
erected  Fort  Johnson,  a  large  stone  mansion  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Mohawk,  about  three  miles  west  of  Amsterdam,  where  he 
resided  for  nearly  twenty  years.     This  building,  which  was  a 
noble  structure  for  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  is  pleasantly 
situated  near  the  hill  on  the  west  bank  of  a  creek,  on  which  the 
Baronet  built  a  grist  mill.     This  dwelling,  which  was  finished  in- 
side in  a  then  fashionable  style,  is  said  to  have  been  fortified 
from  the  time  of  its  erection,  until  the  conquest  of  Canada  and 
termination  of  the  French  war. 

This  place,  (now  owned  by  Dr.  Oliver  Davidson,)  is  called 
Fort  Johnson  to  this  day.  At  a  latter  period  he  erected  dwell- 
ings for  his  sons-in-law,  Guy  Johnson  and  Daniel  Claus.  That 
occupied  by  the  first  named,  a  large  stone  dwelling,  is  still  stand- 
ing one  mile  above  Amsterdam,  and  was  formerly  called  Guy 
Park.  Previous  to  its  erection,  he  occupied  a  frame  building 
standing  upon  the  same  site,  which  was  struck  by  lightning  and 
consumed. 


114 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 


SOUTH  VIEW  OF  FORT  JOHNSON. 


The  mansion  of  Col.  Claus,  which  was  about  centrally  distan 
between  Fort  Johnson  and  Guy  Park,  was  also  constructed  of 
stone,  and  was  large  on  the  ground ;  but  being  only  one  and 
and  a  half  stories  high,  it  presented  a  less  imposing  appearance 
than  did  the  other  Johnson  buildings.  The  cellar  of  the  latter 
house  is  still  to  be  seen.  Each  of  those  dwelhngs  had  a  farm 
attached  to  it  of  one  square  mile,  or  six  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
About  ten  years  before  his  death,  Sir  Wm.  Johnson  erected  Johnson 
Hall,  a  large  wood  building  with  detached  stone  wings,  situated  one 
mile  west  from  the  village  of  Johnstown ;  and  on  his  removal  to 
that  place,  (at  present  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Eleazer  Wells,) 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


115 


Fort  Johnson  became  the  residence  of  his  son,  who,  during  a 
visit  to  England,  had  also  been  gifted  by  royalty  with  a  title  to 
his  name ;  and  an  annual  stipend  of  five  hundred  founds  for  the 
honors  of  knighthood.  Sir  John  married  a  Miss  Watts  of  New 
York  city.  He  was  also  on  terms  of  intimacy  for  several  years 
with  Miss  Clara  Putman  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  by  whom  he  had 
several  children 


EAST  VIEW  OF  JOHNSON  HALL. 


The  following  notice  of  the  Baronet  is  from  the  September  No. 
( 1755)  of  the  London  Gentleman's  Magazine.  The  article  was 
an  extract  from  a  journal  written  in  America. 

"  Major  General  Johnson,  (an  Irish  gentleman)  is  universally 
esteemed  in  our  parts,  for  the  part  he  sustains.  Besides  his  skill 
and  experience  as  an  old  officer,  he  is  particularly  happy  in  ma- 
king himself  beloved  by  all  sorts  of  people,  and  can  conform  to  all 
companies  and  conversations.  He  is  very  much  of  the  fine  gen- 
tleman in  genteel  company.  But  as  the  inhabitants  next  him  are 
mostly  Dutch,  he  sits  down  with  them,  and  smokes  his  tobacco, 
drinks  flip,  and  talks  of  improvements,  bears  and  beaver  skins. 
Being  surrounded  with  Indians,  he  speaks  several  of  their  lan- 
guages well,  and  has  always  some  of  them  with  him.  His  house 
is  a  safe  and  hospitable  retreat  for  them  from  the  enemy.  He 
takes  care  of  their  wives  and  children  when  they  go  out  on  par- 
ties, and  even  wears  their  dress.  In  short,  by  his  honest  dealings 
with  them  in  trade,  and  his  courage,  which  has  often  been  suc- 
cessfully tried  with  them,  and  his  courteous  behaviour,  he  has  so 
endeared  himself  to  them,  that  they  chose  him  one  of  their  chief 
sachems  or  princes,  and  esteem  him  as  their  common  father.'' 


116  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Sir  William  Johnson  lived  in  comparative  opulence  from  the 
time  of  his  knighthood  to  the  day  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
suddenly  at  Johnson  Hall,  on  the  24th  of  June,  1774.     He  died 
at  the  age  of  nearly  sixty  years.     It  was  supposed  by  many  of 
his  neighbors  at  that  time,  that  he  found  means  to  shorten  his 
days  by  the  use  of  poison.     Col.  Stone,  in  his  Life  of  Brant,  ex- 
presses a  different  opinion  j  but  several  old  people  still  living, 
who  resided  at  that  time,  and  have  ever  since,  but  a  few  miles 
from  Johnson  Hall,  believe  to  this  day  that  he  took  the  suicidal 
draught.     There  were  certainly  some  very  plausible  reasons  for 
such   a  conclusion.      As  the   cloud   of  colonial  difficulty  was 
spreading  from  the  capital  of  New  England  to  the  frontier  Eng- 
lish settlements,  Sir  William  Johnson  was  urged  by  the  British 
crown  to  take  sides  with  the  parent  country.     He  had  been  taken 
from  comparative  obscurity,  and  promoted  by  the  government  of 
Eno-land,  to  honors  and  wealth.     Many  wealthy  and  influential 
friends  around  him,  were  already  numbered  among  the  advocates 
of  civil  liberty.     Should  he  raise  his  arm   against  that  power 
which  had  thus  signally  honored  him  ?     Should  he  take  sides 
with  the  oppressor  against  many  of  his  tried  friends  in  a  thousand 
perilous  adventures  ?     These  were  serious  questions,  as  we  may 
reasonably  suppose,  which  often  occupied  his  mind.     The  Baronet 
declared  to  several  of  his  valued  friends,  as  the  storm  of  civil  dis- 
cord was  gathering,  that  "  England  and  her  colonies  were  ap- 
proaching a  terrible  war,  but  that  he  should  never  live  to  witness 
it."     Such  assertions  were  not  only  made  to  Lewis  Groat,  but 
also  to  Daniel  Campbell  and  John  Baptist  Van  Eps,  of  Schenec- 
tada,  and  to  some  of  them  repeatedly.     At  the  time  of  his  death, 
a  court  was  sitting  in  Johnstown,  and  while  in  the  court  house  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  his  death,  a  package  from  England,  of 
a  political  nature,  was  handed  him.     He  left  the  court  house, 
went  directly  home,  and  in  a  few  hours  was  a  corpse.     The  fore- 
going particulars  are  corroborated  by  the  researches  of  Giles  F. 
Yates  Esq.     The  excitement  of  the  occasion  may  have  produced 
his  death  without  the  aid  of  poison ;  but  as  he  died  thus  suddenly, 
his  acquaintances  believed  he  had  hastened  his  death.     The  three 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  U? 

individuals  named,  being  together  after  the  event,  and  speaking 
of  the  Baronet's  death,  agreed  in  their  opinion  that  his  former 
declarations  were  prophetic,  and  that  he  was  a  man  sufficiently 
determined  1o  execute  such  design  if  once  conceived.  Col.  Guy 
Johnson  succeeded  Sir  William  at  his  death,as  the  superintendent 
of  Indian  affairs  for  the  colony  of  New  York. 

In  1775,  Guy  Johnson  abandoned  his  situation  on  the  Mohawk, 
and,  with  Joseph  Brant  and  a  formidable  number  of  the  Six  Na- 
tions, went  to  Canada.  Whether  Colonel  Claus  accompanied 
Guy  Johnson  or  Sir  John  to  Canada,  is  uncertain ;  but  sure  it  is, 
he  also  left  his  possessions  in  the  valley  and  removed  thither. 
Sir  John,  violating  a  compact  of  neutrality  made  with  General 
Schuyler,  set  out  for  Canada  in  the  month  of  May,  1776,  ac- 
companied by  about  three  hundred  followers,  mostly  Scotch 
settlers  in  and  around  Johnstown.  After  a  march  of  nineteen 
days  through  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  suffering  severely 
for  the  want  of  provisions,  they  reached  Montreal.  The  wife  of 
Guy  Johnson  died  a  short  time  after  her  removal  to  Canada. 


NORTH  VIEW  OF  GUY  PARK. 

Guy  Park,  which  was  just  completed  when  its  owner  left  it, 
was  occupied  during  the  war  by  Henry  Kennedy ;  Fort  Johnson 
by  Albert  Veeder ;  and  the  Claus'  house  by  Col.  John  Harper, 
until  it  accidentally  took  fire  from  a  supposed  defect  in  the  chim- 
ney, and  burned  down.  A  tavern  was  afterwards  erected  near 
9 


118  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE   COUNTY, 

■*• 

its  site,  and  was  for  years  known  as  the  Simons  place.  These 
buildings,  and  the  lands  of  their  owners,  with  Johnson  Hall  and 
the  lands  belonging  to  it,  were  confiscated  to  the  United  States ; 
as  was  also  the  property  of  Col.  John  Butler,  one  of  the  King's 
justices  for  Tryon  county,  a  man  of  influence  and  wealth,  who  re- 
moved at  the  beginning  of  the  war  from  the  same  neighborhood 
to  Canada. 

The  commissioners  appointed  March  6th,  1777,  for  disposing 
of  confiscated  personal  property  in  Tryon  county,  were  Col.  Fre- 
derick Fisher,  Col.  John  Harper,  and  Maj.  John  Eisenlord.  The 
latter  was,  however,  killed  in  the  Oriskany  battle,  early  in  August 
following,  and  his  place  supplied  by  one  Garrison. 

When  the  personal  property  of  Sir  John  Johnson  was  sold, 
which  was  some  time  before  the  sale  of  his  real  estate,  his  slaves 
were  disposed  of  among  the  "  goods  and  chattels."  Col.  Volkert 
Veeder  bought  the  confidential  one  with  whom  the  Knight  left 
his  plate  and  valuable  papers,  who  buried  them  after  his  former 
master  left.  He  kept  the  concealment  of  those  valuables  a  secret 
in  his  own  breast  for  four  years,  until  Sir  John  visited  the  Mo- 
hawk valley  in  1780,  and  recovered  them  and  the  slave. 

The  commissioners  for  selling  real  estates  in  Tryon  county, 
were  Henry  Otthout  and  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer.  They  sold 
Johnson  Hall,  with  seven  hundred  acres  of  land,  to  James  Cald- 
well of  Albany,  for  ^66,600— who  soon  after  sold  it  for  jE  1,400. 
Caldwell  paid  the  purchase  in  public  securities,  bought  up  for  a 
song,  and  said  he  made  money  in  the  speculation,  although  he 
disposed  of  the  property  for  ^£5,200  less,  "  on  paper,"  than  he 
gave  for  it.  This  transaction  will  serve  to  show  the  state  of 
American  credit  at  that  period — probably  in  1778  or  '79. 

Tradition  says  that  a  black  ghost  appeared  several  times  dur- 
ing the  Revolution,  in  a  room  in  the  north-west  part  of  Fort 
Johnson,  while  occupied  by  Veeder.  In  one  of  the  rooms  at  Guy 
Park,  a  female  ghost  resembling  the  then  deceased  wife  of  Guy 
Johnson  is  said  to  have  appeared,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the 
credulous  Kennedy  family.  Even  in  the  day  time,  they  were 
more  than  once  alarmed.     About  this  time  a  German,  a  stranger 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        119 

to  the  family,  called  there,  and  inquired  if  the  lady  of  its  former 
proprietor  had  not  been  seen ;  and  when  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, he  requested  permission  to  tarry  over  night  in  tlie  haunted 
room.  It  was  readily  granted,  and  he  retired  at  an  early  hour. 
In  the  morning  before  his  departure,  he  told  the  family  they  need 
be  under  no  further  apprehension,  that  the  ghost  would  not  again 
appear ;  and  in  truth  she  did  not.  The  mystery  of  the  visits  to 
those  dwellings,  which  was  a  favorite  theme  on  the  tongue  of  the 
marvelous  for  many  years,  has  never  been  revealed,  and  some  of 
the  old  people  living  in  the  vicinity  still  believe  that  the  visitants 
were  supernatural  beings,  or  real  ghosts.  The  truth  probably  is, 
that  the  black  ghost  seen  at  Fort  Johnson,  was  not  the  ideal,  but 
the  flesh  and  blood  person  of  the  confidential  slave  of  its  former 
proprietor ;  who,  by  showing  his  ivory  to  some  purpose,  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  fears  of  the  family  to  bear  off  some  valuable  arti- 
cle secreted  in  some  part  of  the  building  by  its  former  occupants. 
Nor  is  it  unlikely  that  a  similar  mission  prompted  some  female  to 
visit  Guy  Park — for  ghosts  never  travel  by  daylight — that  she 
could  not  find  the  article  sought  for,  and  that  consequently  a  man, 
a  stranger  to  the  family,  whose  agent  she  may  have  been,  know- 
ing she  had  failed  to  obtain  the  treasure,  visited  the  house,  and 
by  gaining  access  to  the  room,  found  the  object  desired,  and  could 
then  tell  the  family  confidently  that  the  ghost  would  not  reap- 
pear. Many  valuable  articles  were  left  behind  by  tories  in  their 
flight,  who  expected  soon  to  return  and  recover  them ;  and  when 
they  found  the  prospect  of  their  return  cut  off,  or  long  delayed, 
they  then  obtained  them  by  the  easiest  means  possible — and  sure- 
ly none  were  easier  than  through  the  mystery  of  superstition. 

From  the  great  facility  of  Sir  William  Johnson  to  obtain  lands, 
he  became  a  most  extensive  land-holder.  He  was  remarkably 
fond  of  women;  and  is  believed  to  have  been  the  father  of 
several  scores — some  say  an  hundred  children ;  by  far  the  larger 
number  of  whom  were  part  native,  some  by  young  squaws,  and 
others  by  the  wives  of  Indians  who  thought  it  an  honor  to  have 
them  on  intimate  terms  with  the  king's  agent ;  and  would  even 
bring  them  a  great  distance  to  prostitute  them  to  his  insatiable 


120  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

lust.  The  Five  Nations,  says  Colden,  carried  their  hospitali- 
ty to  distinguished  strangers  so  far,  as  to  allow  them  their  choice 
of  a  young  squaw,  from  among  the  prettiest  in  the  neighborhood, 
(washed  clean  and  dressed  in  her  best  apparel)  as  a  companion 
during  his  sojourn  with  them  ;  who  performed  all  the  dviies  of  a 
fond  vnfe.  Of  this  custom,  which  was  in  vogue  when  the  Baron- 
et settled  among  them,  he  availed  himself  He  had  a  rich  scar- 
let blanket  made,  and  bound  with  gold  lace,  which  he  wore 
when  transacting  business  with  the  Indians,  and  it  being  a  par- 
tial adoption  of  their  own  style  of  wardrobe,  it  pleased  them  very 
much.  He  often  boasted  of  the  pleasurable  scenes  of  which  that 
blanket  was  the  sole  witness.  He  erected  buildings  at  a  place 
called  the  Fish  House,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Sacondaga  river, 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  north-east  of  Johnstown,  where  he 
kept  two  white  concubines,  by  the  name  of  Wormwood.  After 
the  death  of  the  mother  of  Sir  John  Johnson  and  his  two  own 
sisters,  the  Baronet  took  to  his  bosom  Molly  Brant,  with  whom 
he  lived  until  his  death.  She  was  the  mother  of  seven  of  his 
children. 

Many  pleasing  anecdotes  are  related  of  Sir  "William  Johnson, 
who  perhaps  exerted  an  unbounded  influence  over  a  greater  num- 
ber of  Indians,  than  it  was  ever  the  lot  of  another  white  man  to 
obtain  in  North  America.  Wisgenei-al  character  was  rather  happily 
elineated  by  Paulding  in  his  Dutchman's  Fireside.  When  he 
had  trinkets  and  other  presents  to  distribute  among  the  Five  Na- 
tions, and  they  assembled  around  Fort  Johnson,  and  afterwards 
Johnson  Hall,  his  tenants  and  neighbors  were  invited  to  be  pre- 
sent. He  was  extravagantly  fond  of  witnessing  athletic  feats, 
and  on  such  occasions  was  gratified.  On  those  festivals,  not  only 
young  Indians  and  squaws,  but  whites,  both  male  and  female, 
were  often  seen  running  foot  races,  or  wrestling  for  some  gaudy 
trinket,  or  fancy  article  of  wearing  apparel.  Men  were  some- 
times seen  running  foot  races  for  a  prize,  with  a  meal-bag  drawn 
over  their  legs  and  tied  under  the  arms.  The  ludicrous  figure 
presented  by  the  crippled  strides  and  frequent  tumbles  of  those 
competitors,  was  a  source  of  no  little  pleasure.     Not  unfrequent- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        121 

ly  a  fat  swine  was  the  prize  of  contention.  Its  tail  being  well 
greased,  the  u'hole  hog  was  given  its  freedom,  and  the  individual 
who  could  seize  and  hold  it  by  the  tail  became  its  lawful  owner. 
It  required  a  powerful  gripe  to  win,  and  many  a  hand  did  such 
prizes  usually  slip  through.  An  old  woman  is  said  to  have  seized 
on  one,  amid  the  jeers  of  the  laughing  multitude,  after  it  had  es- 
caped the  grasp  of  many  strong  hands,  and  firmly  held  it.  The 
secret  was,  she  had  prepared  herself  with  a  handful  of  sand.  On 
one  occasion,  half  a  pound  of  tea  was  awarded  to  the  individual 
who  could,  by  contortion  of  feature,  make  the  wryest  face.  Two 
old  women  were  sometimes  heard  scolding  most  vehemently,  the 
successful  one  to  be  rewarded  with  a  bladder  of  Scotch  snuff. 
The  erection  of  a  straight  pole,  after  it  had  been  peeled  and  well 
besmeared  with  soft-soap,  with  a  prize  upon  its  top  worth  seek- 
ing,— and  after  which  the  young  Indians,  in  a  state  of  nudity, 
would  climb,  was  an  oft  repeated  source  of  amusement.  Children 
were  sometimes  seen  searching  in  a  mud-puddle  for  coppers  Sir 
William  had  thrown  in.  His  ingenuity  was  taxed  for  new  sour- 
ces of  merriment,  and  various  were  the  expedients  adopted  to  give 
zest  to  the  scenes  exhibited  on  those  gala  days.  He  was  also  a 
man  of  considerable  taste,  and  discovered  not  a  little  in  the  culti- 
vation of  shrubbery  around  Fort  Johnson. 

As  the  Johnsons  were  extensive  land-owners,  and  preferred  leas- 
ing to  selling  land,  their  disaffection  to  the  American  govern- 
ment, and  its  final  confiscation,  was  a  good  thing  for  the  country-, 
as  it  became  subsequently  occupied  by  freeholders.  The  confis- 
cated lands  of  the  Johnson  family,  must  have  yielded  no  in- 
considerable sum  to  an  impoverished  treasury. 

The  following  anecdote  is  related  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  who 
preferred  retaining  in  himself  the  right  of  soil  to  his  landed  pos- 
sessions. He  one  day  visited  a  tenant  who  was  engaged  in  chop- 
ping wood  for  him.  After  some  little  conversation,  the  chopper 
described  a  certain  cnie  hundred  acre  lot  in  Albany  bush,  (now  the 
eastern  part  of  Johnstown,)  and  asked  the  Baronet  what  he  would 
take  for  it,  and  execute  him  a  deed.  The  latter,  supposing  the 
man  had  very  little  money,  named  a  sum  which  was  about  the 


122  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

real  value  of  the  soil.  "  /  will  take  it^''  was  the  quick  and  em- 
phatic reply  of  the  laborer  ;  and  he  began  counting  out  the  mo- 
ney to  his  astonished  landlord,  upon  the  very  stump  the  last  fallen 
tree  had  left.  "  I  would  rather  not  have  sold  it  for  twice  that 
sum,"  said  Sir  William,  "  but  since  you  have  fairly  bought  it, 
you  shall  have  a  title  to  it ;"  and  taking  the  money,  he  executed 
a  deed  to  him.  He  was  the  patron  of  many  laudable  enterprises, 
and  I  must  suppose  him  to  have  aided  in  establishing  Queen's 
College,  N.  J.,  as  he  was  the  first  trustee  named  in  the  charter. 

In  the  summer  of  1764,  says  the  Gentleniari's  Magazine,  pub- 
lished soon  after, 

"  Sir  William  Johnson,  with  a  body  of  regular  and  provincial 
forces,  to  which  more  than  one  thousand  friendly  Indians  have 
joined  themselves,  has  lately  marched  to  visit  the  forts  of  Osicego, 
Niagara,  Detroits,  Pittsburg,  ^c,  in  order  to  strike  terror  in  the 
Western  nations,  and  to  reduce  them  to  reason  ;  many  of  these 
nations  are  unknown  to  their  brethren,  and  some  have  already  of- 
fered terms  of  peace  ;  the  Shaivnese  are  the  most  formidable  of 
those  who  stand  out :  And  the  friendly  Indians  express  great  eager- 
ness to  attack  them.  Since  the  march  of  these  troops,  the  back 
settlements  have  enjoyed  perfect  tranquility  ;  and  the  Senecas  have 
sent  in  a  great  number  of  English  prisoners,  agreeable  to  their  en- 
gagement." 

In  the  May  number  of  the  same  Magazine,  for  1765, 1  find  the 
following  additional  notice  of  the  Baronet : 

"  Sir  William.  Johnson  at  his  seat  at  Johnson  Hall,  in  North 
America,  has  had  a  visit  lately  paid  him  by  upwards  of  a  thousand 
Indians  of  different  tribes,  all  in  friendship  ;  greatly  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  Excellency,  as  tending  to  promote  a  good  understand- 
ing with  those  nations,  for  the  good  of  his  Majesty's  subjects." 

Before  his  death.  Sir  William  Johnson  willed  to  his  children  by 
Miss  Brant,  the  valuable  lands  known  as  the  Royal  Gi'ant,  which 
he  obtained  so  easily  from  the  celebrated  warrior  Hendrick.  Af- 
ter death,  his  remains  were  placed  in  a  mahogany  coffin,  and  that 
inclosed  in  a  leaden  one,  previous  to  being  deposited  in  a  vault 
beneath  the  Episcopal  Church ;  which  building  was  erected  m 
Johnstown  about  the  year  1772.  At  some  period  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, lead  being  very  scarce,  the  vault  was  opened  and  the  leaden 
coffin  taken  by  the  patriots  and  moulded  into  bullets.     The  coffin 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


123 


containing  the  body  having  become  somewhat  broken,  a  new  one 
was  made  after  the  war  closed,  and  the  Baronet's  remains  trans- 
ferred to  it.  The  lid  of  the  first  coffin,  which  bore  his  name  in 
silver  nails,  was  afterward  suspended  in  the  church.  Not  many 
years  ago,  the  edifice  was  fitted  up  at  considerable  cost,  at  which 
time  the  vault  was  filled  up  with  sand.  In  a  destructive  fire  which 
subsequently  visited  Johnstown,  the  church  Nvas  burned  down ; 
and  on  its  being  rebuilt,  the  site  was  so  altered  as  to  leave  the 
grave  of  Sir  William*  outside  its  walls. — Alexander  J.  Comrie. 


HENDRICK,   GREAT  CHIEF  OF  THE  MOHAWK  NATION. 

"  The  brave  old  Haidrick,  the  great  Sacheivc  or  Chief  of  the 
Mokaick  Indians,  one  of  the  Six  Nations  now  in  Alliance  with,  and 
subject  to  the  King  of  Great  Britain." 

•  A  portrait  of  Sir  William  Johnson  was  owned  in  Johnstown  until  about 
the  year  1830,  when  it  was  purchased  by  a  member  of  the  Col.  Claus  family 
for  a  small  sum,  and  taken  to  Canada.— Jl/rs-  W.  S. 


124  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  picture  is  the  preceding  explanation. 
This  celebrated  warrior,  commonly  called  King  Hendrick,  was, 
for  a  time,  the  most  distinguished  Indian  in  the  colony  of  New 
York.  For  the  picture  from  which  the  above  was  engraved,  I 
would  here  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  John  S.  Walsh,  Esq.,  of 
Bethlehem.  This  interesting  relic  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  around 
which  cluster  associations  of  classic  interest,  connected  with  the 
colonial  history  of  the  state,  was  sold  in  the  revolution  among  the 
confiscated  property  of  Sir  John  Johnson,  went  into  the  Cuyler 
family  for  a  length  of  time,  and  subsequently  into  that  of  Mr. 
Walsh.  The  tradition  in  the  latter  family  is,  that  Hendrick  visit- 
ed England  in  the  evening  of  his  life,  and  that  while  there  was 
presented,  by  his  Majesty,  with  a  suit  of  clothes  richly  embroid- 
ered with  gold  lace,  in  which  he  sat  for  his  portrait.  As  he  is 
represented  in  full  court  dress,  it  is  highly  probable  the  tradition 
is  correct.  The  original  picture  is  a  spirited  engraving — colored 
to  life  and  executed  in  London,  but  at  what  date  is  unknown ; 
probably  about  the  year  1745  or  '50.  He  visited  Philadelphia 
some  time  before  his  death,  says  the  historian  DvngJit,  at  which 
time  his  likeness  was  taken ;  from  which  a  wax  figure  was  made, 
said  to  have  been  a  good  imitation  of  his  person. 

King  Hendrick  was  born  about  the  year  1680,  and  generally 
dwelt  at  the  Upper  Castle  of  the  Mohawk  nation,  although  for  a 
time  he  resided  near  the  present  residence  of  Nicholas  Yost,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk,  below  the  Nose.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  sagacious  and  active  sachems  of  his  time.  He  stood  high 
in  the  confidence  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  with  whom  he  was  en- 
gaged in  many  perilous  enterprises  against  the  Canadian  French ; 
and  under  whose  command  he  fell  in  the  battle  of  Lake  George, 
September  8th,  1755,  covered  with  glory.  In  the  November 
number  of  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  for  1755,  is  the  following 
notice  of  his  death : 

'*  The  whole  body  of  our  IndiaJis  were  prodigiously  exasperated 
against  the  French  and  their  Bidiafts,  occasioned  by  the  death  of 
the  famous  Hendrick,  a  renowned  Indian  warrior  among  the  Mo- 
hawks,  and  one  of  their  sachems,  or  kings,  who  was  slain  in  the 
battle,  and  whose  son  upon  being  told  that  his  father  was  killed, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        125 

givin£r  the  usual  Indian  p^roan  upon  such  occasions,  and  suddenly 
putting  Ills  hand  on  his  left  breast,  swore  his  father  was  still  alive 
in  that  place,  and  stood  there  in  his  son." 

The  tract  of  land  owned  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  and  called 
the  Royal  Grant,  which  contained  nearly  one  hundred  thousand 
acres  of  choice  land,  now  mostly  situated  in  the  county  of  Herki- 
mer, was  obtained  from  Hendrick  in  the  following  manner.  Be- 
ing at  the  Baronet's  house  (Fort  Johnson)  the  sachem  observed  a 
new  coat,  richly  embroidered  with  gold  lace,  which  the  former 
intended  for  his  own  person ;  and  on  entering  his  presence  after  a 
night's  rest,  he  said  to  him,  "Brother,  me  dream  last  night." 
"  Indeed,"  responded  the  royal  agent,  "  and  what  did  my  red 
brother  dream?"  "Me  dream,"  was  the  chief's  reply,  "that 
this  coat  be  mine  !"  "  Then,"  said  the  sagacious  Irishman,  "  it 
is  yours,  to  which  you  are  welcome."  Soon  after  this  interview, 
Sir  William  returned  his  guest's  visit,  and  on  meeting  him  in  the 
morning  said  to  him,  "  Brother,  I  dreamed  last  night !"  "  What 
did  ray  pale-faced  brother  dream?"  interrogated  the  Sachem. 
"  I  dreamed,"  said  his  guest,  "  that  this  tract  of  land,"  describing 
a  square  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Mohawk,  on  the  east  by 
Canada  creek,  and  on  tbe  north  and  west  by  objects  familiar  to 
them,  "  was  all  my  own  !"  Old  Hendrick  assumed  a  thoughtful 
mood,  but  although  he  saw  the  enormity  of  the  request,  he  would 
not  be  outdone  in  generosity,  or  forfeit  the  friendship  of  the 
British  agent,  and  soon  responded,  "  Brother,  the  land  is  yours, 
but  you  must  not  dream  again  !"  The  title  to  this  land  was  con- 
firmed by  the  British  government,  on  which  account  it  was  called 
the  Royal  Grant. — Henry  Frey  Yates,  Esq. 

In  the  summer  of  1754,  a  plan  of  colonial  alliance  was  pro- 
posed in  the  American  colonies,  to  resist  the  encroachments  of 
the  Canadian  French  and  Indians,  in  furtherance  of  which  the 
chiefs  of  the  Six  Nations  of  New  York  met  the  commissioners 
of  the  several  governments  at  Albany  on  the  2d  of  July ;  when 
those  Sachems  were  addressed  by  James  De  Lancey,  then  lieu- 
tenant governor  of  the  colony.  Hendrick,  whose  speeches  are 
said  to  have  been  correctly  reported  for  the  London  Magazine,  in 


126  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

■which  I  find  them,  was  the  principal  speaker;  and  as  those 
speeches  will  compare  for  reasoning  and  pathos  with  those  of 
modern  statesmen,  indeed,  would  not  have  disgraced  a  Demos- 
thenes, and  will  serve  to  introduce  the  young  reader  to  an  almost 
extinct  race  of  men,  I  insert  them. 

Abraham,  Sachem  of  the  Upper  Castle  of  the  Mohawks,  rose 
up  and  said — 

"  Brethren,  You,  the  governor  of  Neiv  York,  and  the  commis- 
sioners of  the  other  governments,  are  you  ready  to  hear  us  !  The 
governor  replied,  they  were  all  ready. 

"  Then  Hendrick,  brother  to  the  said  Abraham,  and  a  Sachem 
of  the  same  castle,  rose  up  and  spake  in  behalf  of  the  Six  Na- 
tions as  follows  : 

"  Brethren,  just  now  you  told  us  you  were  ready  to  hear  us  ; 
hearken  unto  me. 

"  Brother  Corlaer,  (a  name  given  to  the  governor  of  Neiv  York 
by  the  Indians  long  ago,)  and  brothers  of  the  other  governments, 
Saturday  last  you  told  us  that  you  came  here  by  order  of  the  great 
king  our  common  father,  and  in  his  name  to  renew  the  antient 
chain  of  friendship  between  this  and  the  other  governments  on 
the  continent,  and  us  the  Six  United  Nations :  And  you  said  also, 
there  were  then  present  commissioners  from  Massachusetts  Bay, 
New  Ha?npshire,  Co7mecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Pe?isylvama,  and 
Maryland ;  and  that  Virginia  and  Carolina  desired  to  be  con- 
sidered also  as  present:  We  rejoice  that  by  the  king's  orders,  we 
are  all  met  here  this  day,  and  are  glad  to  see  each  other  face  to 
face ;  we  are  very  thankful  for  the  same,  and  we  look  upon  the 
governors  of  Sojiih  Caroliiia  and  Virgiiiia  as  also  present,  [a  belt. 

"  Brethren,  We  thank  you  in  the  most  hearty  manner  for  your 
condolence  to  us ;  we  also  condole  all  your  relations  and  friends 
who  have  died  since  our  last  meeting  here.  [gave  three 

strings  of  wampum. 

"  Brethren,  (holding  the  chain  belt  given  by  his  honor  and  the 
several  governors  in  his  hand,)  We  return  j'ou  all  our  grateful 
acknowledgements  for  renewing  and  brightening  the  covenant- 
chain. 

"  This  belt  is  of  very  great  importance  to  our  united  nations 
and  all  our  allies.  We  will  therefore  take  it  to  Onondago,  where 
our  council-fire  always  burns,  and  keep  it  so  securely,  that  neither 
thunder  nor  lightning  shall  break  it.  There  we  will  consult  over 
it,  and  as  we  have  lately  added  two  links  to  it,  so  we  will  use 
our  endeavors  to  add  as  many  links  more  as  it  lies  in  our  power : 
And  we  hope  when  we  shew  you  this  belt  again,  we  shall  give 
you  reason  to  rejoice  at  it,  by  your  seeing  the  vacancies  in  it  filled 
up  (referring  to  his  honor's  explanation  of  it  in  his  general  speech). 
In  the  mean  time  we  desire  that  you  will  strengthen  yourselves, 
and  bring  as  many  into  this  covenant  as  you  possibly  can.     We 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         127 

do  now  solemnly  renew  and  brigliten  the  covenant-chain  with  our 
brethren  here  present,  and  with  all  our  other  absent  brethren  on 
the  continent. 

"  Brethren,  As  to  the  accounts  you  have  heard  of  our  livinsr 
divided  from  each  other,  it  is  very  true,  we  have  several  times 
attempted  to  draw  off  those  of  our  brethren  who  are  settled  at 
Oswegatie,  but  in  vain ;  for  the  governor  of  Canada  is  like  a 
wicked  deluding  spirit ;  however,  as  you  desire,  we  shall  persist 
in  our  endeavors. 

"  You  have  asked  us  the  reason  of  our  living  in  this  divided 
manner;  the  reason  is,  your  neglecting  us  these  three  years  past; 
(then  taking  a  stick  and  throwing  it  behind  his  back)  You  have 
thus  thrown  us  behind  your  backs,  and  disregarded  us  ;  whereas, 
the  French  are  subtle  and  vigilant  people,  ever  using  their  utmost 
endeavors  to  seduce  and  bring  our  people  over  to  them.       [a  belt. 

"  Brethren,  The  encroachments  of  the  French,  and  what  you 
have  said  to  us  on  that  article  on  behalf  of  the  king  our  father ; 
as  those  matters  were  laid  before  us  as  of  great  importance,  so 
we  have  made  strict  enquiry  among  all  our  people_,  if  any  of  them 
have  either  sold  or  given  the  French  leave  to  build  the  forts  you 
mention,  and  we  cannot  find  that  either  sale  has  been  made  or 
leave  has  been  given  ;  but  the  French  have  gone  thither  without 
our  consent  or  approbation,  nor  ever  mentioned  it  to  us. 

"  Brethren,  The  governor  of  Virginia  and  the  governor  of 
Canada  are  both  quarrelling  about  lands  which  belong  to  us,  and 
such  a  quarrel  as  this  may  end  in  our  destruction.  They  fight 
who  shall  have  the  land  ;  the  governors  of  Virgiriia  and  Pennsyl- 
vania have  made  paths  through  our  country  to  trade,  and  built 
houses  without  acquainting  us  with  it  ;  They  should  have  first 
asked  our  consent  to  build  there,  as  was  done  -when  Oswego  was 
built.  [ff^ve  a  belt. 

"  Brethren,  It  is  verj'  true,  as  you  told  us,  that  the  clouds 
hang  hea^'y  over  us,  and  it  is  not  very  pleasant  to  look  up,  but 
we  give  you  this  belt  [giving  a  belt]  to  clear  away  all  clouds,  that 
we  may  all  live  in  bright  sunshine,  and  keep  together  in  strict 
union  and  friendship  ;  then  we  shall  become  strong,  and  nothing 
can  hurt  us. 

"  Brethren,  This  is  the  antient  place  of  treaty  where  the  fire  of 
friendship  always  used  to  burn,  and  it  is  now  three  years  since 
we  have  been  called  to  any  public  treaty  here  ;  'tis  tnie,  there  are 
commissioners  here,  but  they  have  never  invited  us  to  smoke 
with  them  (by  w^hich  they  mean,  the  commissioners  had  never 
invited  them  to  any  conference),  but  the  Indians  of  Canada  (Tame 
frequently  and  smoked  with  them,  which  is  for  the  sake  of  their 
beaver,  but  we  hate  them  (meaning  the  Fretich  Indians) :  We 
have  not  as  yet  confirmed  the  peace  with  them :  'tis  your  fault, 
brethren,  we  are  not  strengthened  by  conquest,  for  we  should 
have  gone  and  taken  Crottm  Point,  but  you  hindered  us  :  We  had 
concluded  to  go  and  take  it ;  but  we  were  told  it  was  too  late,  and 


128  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY 

that  the  ice  would  not  bear  us.  Instead  of  this  you  burnt  your 
own  fort  at  Saraghtogee  and  run  away  from  it ;  which  was  a 
shame  and  a  scandal  to  you.  Look  about  your  country,  and  see 
you  have  no  fortifications  about  you,  no,  not  even  to  this  city. 
'Tis  but  one  step  from  Canada  hither,  and  the  French  may  easily 
come  and  turn  you  out  of  doors. 

"  Brethren,  You  desired  us  to  speak  from  the  bottom  of  our 
hearts,  and  Ave  shall  do  it.  Look  about  you,  and  see  all  these 
houses  full  of  beaver,  and  the  money  is  all  gone  to  Canada;  like- 
wise your  powder,  lead,  and  guns,  which  the  French  make  use  of 
at  the  Ohio. 

"  Brethren,  You  were  desirous  we  should  open  our  minds  and 
our  hearts  to  you ;  look  at  the  French,  they  are  men  ;  they  are 
fortifying  everywhere;  but  we  are  ashamed  to  say  it ;  you  are 
like  women,  bare  and  open,  without  any  fortifications." 

At  the  close  of  the  above  speech,  Abraham,  a  brother  of  Hen- 
drick,  rose  up  and  said  : 

"  Brethren,  We  should  let  you  know  what  was  our  desire  three 
years  ago,  when  Col.  Johmon  [he  was  promoted  to  Major  General 
in  1754]  laid  down  the  management  of  Indian  affairs,  which  gave 
us  great  uneasiness  ;  the  governor  then  told  us,  (governor  of  New 
York)  it  was  in  his  power  to  continue  him,  but  that  he  would  con- 
sult the  council  of  New  York  ;  that  he  was  going  over  to  England, 
and  promised  to  recommend  our  desire,  that  Col.  Johnson  should 
have  the  management  of  Indian  affairs,  to  the  king,  that  the  new 
governor  might  have  power  to  reinstate  him.  We  long  waited  in 
expectation  of  this  being  done,  but  hearing  no  more  of  it,  we  em- 
brace this  opportunity  of  laying  this  belt  [and  gave  a  belt]  before 
all  our  brethren  here  present,  and  desire  that  Col.  Johnsvn  may  be 
reinstated  and  have  the  management  of  Indian  affairs  ;  for  we  all 
lived  happy  whilst  under  his  management ;  for  we  love  him,  and 
he  us ;  and  he  has  always  been  our  good  and  trusty  friend. 

"  Brethren,  I  forgot  something  ;  we  think  our  request  about  Col. 
Johnson,  which  governor  Clinto7i  promised  to  carry  to  the  king  our 
father,  is  drowned  in  the  sea ;  the  fire  here  is  burnt  out ;  and 
turning  his  face  to  the  New  York  commissioners  for  Indian  affairs 
in  Albany  there  present,  desired  them  to  notice  what  he  said." 

On  the  same  day,  Hendrick,  in  the  name  of  the  Mohawks  of 
the  Upper  Castle  [Connejohary)  in  a  private  audience,  delivered 
the  following  speech — in  the  presence  of  several  sachems  of  each 
of  the  other  nations,  to  the  governor  of  New  York : 

"  Brother,  We  had  a  message  some  time  smce  to  meet  you  at 
his  place  w^hen  the  fire  burns  ;  we  of  Co?inejohary,  met  the  mes- 
senger you  sent  with  a  letter  at  Col.  Johnson^s  ;  and  as  soon  as 
we  received  it  we  came  running  down,  and  the  Six  Nations  are 
now  here  complete." 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        129 

The  Governor  replied— 

"  Brethren  of  the  Six  Nations,  you  are  welcome.  I  take  this  op- 
portunity, now  you  are  all  together,  to  condole  the  loss  in  the 
death  of  your  friends  and  relations  since  you  last  met  here  ;  and 
with  this  string  of  wampum  1  wipe  away  your  tears,  and  take  sor- 
row from  your  hearts,  that  you  may  open  your  minds  and  speak 
freely."  [a  string  of  wampum. 

Hendrick  continued — 

"  Brother,  We  thank  you  for  condoling  our  loss  ;  for  wiping 
away  our  tears  that  we  may  speak  freely  ;  and  as  we  do  not  doubt 
but  you  have  lost  some  of  your  great  men  and  friends,  we  give  you 
this  string  of  condolence  in  return,  that  it  may  remove  your  sor- 
rows, that  we  may  both  speak  freely :  [gave  a  string.]  (Then  Hen- 
drick, addressing  himself  to  the  Six  Nations,  said,)  "  That  last 
year  he  attended  Col.  Johnson  to  Onondago  to  do  service  to  the 
king  and  their  people ;  that  Col.  Johnson  told  them,  another  gov- 
ernor was  expected  soon,  and  they  would  then  have  an  opportu- 
nity of  seeing  him,  and  laying  their  grievances  before  him. — That 
the  new  governor  arrived  soon  after,  and  scarcely  had  they  heard 
of  his  arrival,  but  they  had  an  account  of  his  death :  and  that 
now  he  was  glad  to  see  his  honor,  to  whom  he  would  declare  his 
grievances. 

"Brother,  We  thought  you  would  wonder  why  we  of  Connejo' 
hary  staid  so  long  ;  we  shall  now  give  you  the  reason.  Last  sum- 
mer we  of  Connejohary  were  at  Neio  York  to  make  our  complaint, 
and  we  thought  then  the  covenant  chain  was  broken,  because  we 
were  neglected ;  and  when  you  neglect  business,  the  French  take 
advantage  of  it ;  for  they  are  never  quiet. — It  seemed  so  to  us, 
that  the  governor  had  turned  his  back  upon  the  Five  Nations,  as 
if  they  were  no  more  ;  whereas  the  French  are  doing  all  in  their 
power  to  draw  us  over  to  them.  We  told  the  governor  last  sum- 
mer, we  blamed  him  for  the  neglect  of  the  Five  Nations  j  and  at 
the  same  time  we  told  him  the  Freyich  were  drawing  the  Five  Na- 
tions away  to  Ostccgechie,  owing  to  that  neglect  which  might  have 
been  prevented,  if  proper  use  had  been  made  of  that  warning ; 
but  now  we  are  afraid  it  is  too  late.  We  remember  how  it  was  in 
former  times,  when  we  were  a  strong  and  powerful  people :  Col. 
Schuyler  used  frequently  to  come  among  us,  and  by  this  means  we 
kept  together. 

"  Brother,  We,  the  Mohawls,  are  in  ver\'  difficult  circumsran- 
ces,  and  are  blamed  for  things  behind  our  backs  which  we  do  not 
deserve.  Last  summer,  when  we  went  up  with  Col.  Johnso7i  to 
Onondago,  and  he  made  his  speech  to  the  Five  Nations,  the  Five 
Nations  said  they  liked  the  speech,  but  that  the  Mohawks  had  made 
it.  We  are  looked  upon  by  the  other  nations  as  Col.  Johnson's 
counsellors,  and  supposed  to  hear  all  the  news  from  him,  which  is 
not  the  case ;  for  Col.  Johnson  does  not  receive  from,  or  impart 
much  news  to  us.  This  is  our  reason  for  staying  behind,  for  if  we 
had  come  first,  the  other  nations  would  have  said  that  we  made  the 


130  mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Governor's  speech ;  and  therefore,  though  we  Avere  resolved  to 
come,  we  intended  the  other  nations  should  be  before  us,  that  they 
might  hear  the  Governor's  speech,  which  we  could  hear  afterwards. 
"  There  are  some  of  our  people  who  have  large  open  ears,  and 
talk  a  little  broken  Ejiglish  and  Dutch,  so  that  they  hear  Avhat  is 
said  by  the  Christian  settlers  near  them,  and  by  this  means  we 
come  to  understand  that  we  are  looked  upon  to  be  a  proud  nation, 
and  therefore  stayed  behind.  'Tis  true  and  known  we  are  so ;  and 
that  we,  the  Mohawks,  are  the  head  of  all  the  other  nations.  Here 
they  are,  and  must  own  it.  But  it  was  not  out  of  pride  we  Conne- 
joharits  stayed  behind ;  but  for  the  reason  we  have  already  given." 

A  speaker  followed  Hendrick,  in  behalf  of  all  the  Six  Nations. 
After  expressing  his  joy  at  the  renewal  of  the  ancient  covenant- 
chain  between  all  his  Majesty's  governments  on  the  continent  and 
the  Six  Nations ;  for  the  promises  on  the  part  of  the  New  York 
Governor  of  future  protection ;  and  the  danger  he  thought  they 
would  be  in,  if  Col.  Johnson  left  off  the  management  of  Indian  af- 
fairs,— observing,  if  he  fail  us,  we  die, — he  alluded  to  Vi'hat  the 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  through  Mr.  Weiser,  his  interpreter,  had 
said  on  the  day  before,  respecting  a  new  road  from  Pennsylvania 
to  Ohio.  "  We  thank  the  Governor  of  Virginia,^'  said  he,  "  for 
assisting  the  Indians  at  the  Ohio,  who  are  our  relations  and  allies ; 
and  we  approve  of  the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  not  having 
hitherto  intermeddled  in  this  affair.  He  is  a  wise  and  prudent 
man,  and  will  know  his  own  time."     He  closed  as  follows  : — 

"  Brethren,  We  put  you  in  mind  in  our  former  speech  of  the  de- 
fenceless state  of  our  frontiers,  particularly  of  the  country  of  Che- 
nectady,  and  of  the  country  of  the  Five  Nations,  You  told  us  yes- 
terday you  were  consulting  about  securing  both  yourselves  and  us. 
We  beg  you  will  contrive  something  speedily:  you  are  not  safe 
from  danger  one  day.  The  French  have  their  hatchet  in  their 
hands  both  at  the  Ohio  and  in  two  places  in  New  England.  We 
don't  know  but  this  very  night  they  may  attack  us.  One  of  the 
principal  reasons  why  we  desire  you  to  be  speedy  in  this  matter  is, 
that  since  Col.  Johnson  has  been  in  this  city,  there  has  been  a 
French  Indian  at  his  house,  who  took  measure  of  the  wall  round 
it,  and  made  a  very  narrow  observation  of  every  thing  thereabouts. 
We  think  him  {Col.  Johnson)  in  very  great  danger,  because  the 
French  will  take  more  than  ordinary  pains  either  to  kill  him  or 
take  him  a  prisoner,  upon  account  of  his  great  interest  among  us, 
being  also  one  of  the  Five  Nation."  {Col.  Johnson  is  one  of  their 
Sachems.)  [Gave  four  strings  of  wampum. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         131 

The  Governor  replied — 

'.'  I  have  now  done  speaking  to  you  ;  but  before  I  cover  up  the 
rire  I  must  recommend  to  you  to  behave  quietly  and  peaceably  to 
all  your  bretliren  and  their  cattle,  in  your  return  home." 

Hendrick  responded — 

"  Your  honor  told  us  you  now  covered  up  the  fires,  and  we  are 
all  highly  pleased  that  all  things  have  been  so  amicably  settled ; 
and  hope  that  all  that  has  passed  between  us  may  be  strictly  ob- 
served on  both  sides. 

"  Brethren  of  the  several  governments.  We  hope  that  you  will 
not  fail  in  the  covenant-chain,  wherewith  we  are  mutually  bound, 
and  have  now  so  solemnly  renewed  and  strengthened ;  if  we  do 
not  hold  fast  by  this  chain  of  friendship  our  enemies  will  laugh  us 
to  scorn. 

"  Brethren,  We  wish  you  would  all  contribute  to  make  some 
provision  for  us  in  our  return  home,  which  will  effectually  prevent 
our  people  from  killing  the  inhabitants'  cattle ;  and  we  desire  you 
will  provide  some  wagons  for  us  to  go  to  Cheneetady.  We  think 
this  expense  will  fall  too  hea\y  upon  our  province,  as  we  have  the 
presents  from  all  to  carry  up.  We  beg  we  may  take  all  care  of 
the  fire  of  friendship,  and  preserve  it,  by  our  mutual  attention, 
from  further  injuries.  We  will  take  care  of  it  on  our  sides, 
and  hope  our  brethren  will  do  so  on  theirs.  We  wish  the  tree  of 
friendship  may  grow  up  to  a  great  height,  and  then  we  shall  be  a 
powerful  people. 

''  We,  the  United  Six  Nations,  shall  rejoice  in  the  increase  of 
our  strength,  so  that  all  other  nations  may  stand  in  awe  of  us. 

"  Brethren,  I  will  just  tell  you  what  a  people  we  were  formerly. 
If  any  enemies  rose  against  us,  we  had  no  occasion  to  lift  our  whole 
hand  against  them,  for  our  little  finger  was  sufficient ;  and  as  we 
have  now  made  so  strong  a  confederacy,  if  we  are  truly  earnest 
therein,  we  may  retrieve  the  ancient  glor\'  of  the  Five  Nations. 

"  Brethren,  We  have  now  done.  But  one  word  more  must  we 
add  :  If  the  French  continue  their  hostilities,  the  interpreter  will 
want  assistance — three  or  four  to  be  joined  with  him ;  but  this 
matter  we  submit  to  the  Governor.  We  have  now  fully  finished 
all  we  have  to  say." 

The  following  speech,  delivered  at  the  same  convention  by  one 
of  the  River  or  Stockbridge  Indians,  is  too  full  of  figure  and  me- 
lancholy truth  to  be  omitted  in  this  place  : 

"  Fathers,  We  are  greatly  rejoiced  to  see  you  all  here;  it  is  by 
the  will  of  Heaven  that  we  are  met  here,  and  we  thank  you  for 
this  opportunity  of  seeing  you  all  together,  as  it  is  a  long  while 
since  we  had  such  a  one. 


132  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  Fathers,  who  are  here  present,  We  will  give  you  a  short  rela- 
tion of  the  long  friendship  which  has  subsisted  between  the  white 
people  of  this  country'  and  us.  Our  forefathers  had  a  castle -on 
the  river :  as  one  of  them  walked  out  he  saw  something  on  the 
river,  but  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  it  was ;  he  took  it  at  first  for 
a  great  fish ;  he  run  into  the  castle  and  gave  notice  to  the  other 
India?is ;  two  of  our  forefathers  went  to  see  what  it  was,  and  found 
it  a  vessel  with  men  in  it ;  they  immediately  joined  hands  with 
the  people  in  the  vessel,  and  became  friends.  The  white  people 
told  them  they  should  not  come  up  the  river  any  further  at  that 
time,  and  said  to  them  they  would  return  back  from  whence  they 
came,  and  come  again  in  a  year's  time,  and  come  as  fair  up  the 
river  as  where  the  old  fort  stood.  Our  fathers  invited  them  ashore, 
and  said  to  them  "  Here  we  will  give  you  a  place  to  make  you  a 
town ;  it  shall  be  from  this  place  up  to  such  a  stream,  (meaning 
where  the  petteroon  mill  now  stands,)  and  from  the  river  back  up 
to  the  hill.  Our  forefathers  told  them,  though  they  were  now  a 
small  people,  they  would  in  time  multiply,  and  fill  up  the  land 
they  had  given  them.  After  they  were  ashore  some  time,  some 
other  Indians,  who  had  not  seen  them  before,  looked  fiercely  at 
them ;  and  our  forefathers  observing  it,  and  seeing  the  white  peo- 
ple so  few  in  number,  lest  they  should  be  destroyed,  took  and  shel- 
tered them  under  their  arms ;  but  it  turned  out  that  those  Indians 
did  not  desire  to  destroy  them,  but  wished  also  to  have  the  same 
white  people  for  their  friends.  At  this  time  which  we  have  now 
spoken  of,  the  white  people  were  small,  but  we  were  very  numer- 
ous and  strong  ;  we  defended  them  in  that  low  state  :  But  now  the 
case  is  altered  ;  you  are  numerous  and  strong,  but  we  are  few  and 
weak ;  therefore  we  expect  that  you  will  act  by  us  in  these  cir- 
cumstances, as  we  did  by  you  in  those  we  have  just  now  related. 
We  view  you  nOAv  as  a  very  large  tree,  which  has  taken  deep  root 
in  the  ground,  whose  branches  are  spread  very  wide.  We  stand 
by  the  body  of  the  tree,  and  we  look  round  to  see  if  there  be  any 
one  who  endeavors  to  hurt  it,  and  if  it  should  so  happen,  that  any 
are  powerful  enough  to  destroy  it,  we  are  ready  to  fall  with  it. 

[gave  a  belt. 

"  Fathers,  you  see  how  early  we  made  friendship  with  you  ;  we 
tied  each  other  in  a  strong  chain :  That  chain  has  not  yet  been 
broken :  We  now  clean  and  rub  that  chain  to  make  it  brighter 
and  stronger ;  and  we  determine  on  our  parts  that  it  shall  never 
be  broken ;  and  we  hope  that  you  will  take  care,  that  neither  you 
nor  any  one  else  shall  break  it ;  and  we  are  greatly  rejoiced,  that 
peace  and  friendship  have  so  long  subsisted  between  us." — Gen- 
tlemen's Magazine. 

The  three  Castles  of  the  Mohawk  Nation,  says  Colden,  were 
all  surprised  and  captured  by  a  party  of  six  or  seven  hundred 
French  and  Indians,  on  the  8th  of  March,   1693.     The  Lower 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         133 

Castle  was  bravely  defended  by  the  few  warriors  who  chanced  to 
be  in  it,  until  they  were  overpowered  by  numbers. 

In  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne  of  England,  and  about  the  year 
1710,  a  frontier  military  post  was  established  at  the  junction  of 
the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk  rivers,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  form- 
er, and  near  the  eastern  Mohawk  Castle.  Captain  John  Scott, 
an  English  officer,  erected  a  small  fort  of  hewn  timber  at  this 
place,  and  called  it  Fort  Hunter,  in  honor  of  Robert  Hunter,  then 
governor  of  the  colony ;  which  fort  was  intended  to  protect  the 
natives  agamst  the  hostile  French,  and  secure  their  trade.  About 
the  same  time  a  small  church  was  built  near  the  fort,  and  called 
Queen  Anne's  Chapel.  It  was  erected  by  the  Queen,  whose  mu- 
nificence endowed  it,  says  Colden,  "  with  furniture,  and  a  valuable 
set  of  plate  for  the  communion  table."  It  was  a  substantial  stone 
edifice,  somewhat  resembling  in  appearance  the  one  afterwards 
erected  at  Caughnawaga,  and  was  for  a  great  length  of  time  un- 
der the  management  of  an  Episcopal  Society  in  England,  for 
propagating  the  gospel  in  foreign  parts,  which  society  supported 
a  minister  ai  this  place  as  a  missionary  among  the  Mohawk  In- 
dians. The  entrance  to  the  chapel  was  on  its  north  side  near  the 
centre.  The  pulpit,  which  was  provided  with  a  sounding  board, 
iJtood  at  the  west  end,  and  directly  opposite  were  two  pews  fin- 
ished for  the  occupancy  of  Sir  William  Johnson  and  the  minister's 
family ;  the  floor  of  which  was  elevated.  Johnson's  pew  was 
also  furnished  with  a  wooden  canopy.  Moveable  benches  served 
the  rest  of  the  congregation  with  seats. 

Fort  Hunter  was  a  place  of  no  little  importance  in  the  early 
history  of  the  Mohawk  valley  ;  and  at  that  post  were  doubtless 
planned  some  important  enterprises  against  the  Canadas.  Speak- 
ing of  the  Indian  "  war  dances,"  Colden  says  : 

"  An  officer  of  the  regular  troops  told  me,  that  while  he  was 
commandant  of  Fnrt  Hunter,  the  Mohaieks  on  one  of  these  occa- 
sions, (that  of  a  war  dance,)  told  him,  that  tliey  (the  Indians)  ex- 
pected the  usual  military  honors  as  they  passed  the  garrison.  The 
men  presented  their  pieces  as  the  hidians  passed,  and  the  drum 
beat  a  march  ;  and  with  less  respect,  the  officer  said,  they  would 
have  been  dissatisfied.  The  Indians  passed  in  single  row  one  af- 
10 


134 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 


ter  another,  with  great  gravity  and  profound  silence ;  and  every 
one  of  them,  as  he  passed  the  officer,  took  his  gun  from  his  should- 
er, and  fired  into  the  ground  near  the  officer's  foot :  They  marched 
in  this  manner  three  or  four  miles  from  their  Castle.  The  women 
on  these  occasions  follow  them  with  their  old  clothes,  and  they 
send  back  by  them  their  finery 
Castle." 


which  they  marched  from  the 


The  ruins  of  old  Fort  Hunter  were  torn  down  at  the  beginning 
of  the  Revolution,  and  the  chapel  enclosed  by  hea^'y  palisades. 
In  the  corners  of  the  yard  were  small  block  houses  mounting  can- 
non. This  place,  which  continued  to  be  called  Fort  Hunter,  was 
garrisoned  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  and  Capt.  Tremper,  from 
below  Albany,  was  its  commandant.  The  chapel  was  torn  down 
about  the  year  1820,  to  make  room  for  the  Erie  canal. 


QUEEN  ANNE'S  CHAPEL  PARSONAGE. 


Queen  Anne's  chapel  was  early  provided  wdth  a  small  bell, 
which  is  now  in  use  on  the  Academy  in  Johnstown.  A  glebe  or 
farm  of  three  hundred  acres  of  good  land  was  attached  to  it, 
which  was  conveyed  at  some  period  by  the  natives  to  Dr.  Bar- 
clay, and  by  him  to  the  society  alluded  to,  on  their  reimbursing 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  135 

him  moneys  expended  upon  it.  The  parsonage  house,  said  to  have 
been  built  about  the  time  the  chapel  was,  is  still  standing  in  Flo- 
rida, half  a  mile  below  the  Schoharie,  and  a  few  rods  south  of 
the  canal,  from  which  it  is  visible.  It  is  a  stone  building,  some 
twenty-five  by  thirty-five  feet  on  the  ground,  two  stories  high, 
with  a  quadrangular  roof,  presents  a  very  ancient  appearance, 
and  is  possibly  the  oldest  house  west  of  Schenectada  in  the  Mo- 
hawk valley.  The  chapel  farm  was  disposed  of  some  years  ago, 
and  part  of  the  proceeds,  nearly  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  were  laid 
out  in  erecting  the  Episcopal  Church  at  Port  Jackson,  in  the 
same  town  ;  and  the  residue,  an  equal  sum,  invested  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church  of  Johnstown. — Spufford's  Gazetteer,  Peter  Put- 
man,  J.  L.  Groat,  A.  J.  Comrie,  and  others. 

The  chapel  parsonage  at  Fort  Hunter,  is  now  owned  and  oc- 
cupied by  Nicholas  Reese.  The  last  occupant  under  the  patron- 
age of  the  Missionary  Society,  was  the  Rev.  John  Stuart,  who 
was  officiating  there  at  the  beginning  of  the  revolution.  He  re- 
moved, with  the  Indians  under  his  charge,  to  Canada — they  choos- 
ing to  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  Johnsons  and  Butlers.  I  have 
in  my  possession  a  bill  of  sale  from  Mr.  Stuart  to  John  Conyn, 
who  returned  to  the  Mohawk  after  the  revolution,  of  a  male  slave 
called  Tom  Doe,  who  went  from  Fort  Hunter  with  his  master  to 
Canada.  The  sale  was  for  $'275  in  specie,  and  was  dated  at 
Montreal,  November  19,  1783.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr. 
Stuart  settled  on  Grand  river,  and  resumed  his  ministerial  labors. 

In  1720,  Captain  Scott  took  a  patent  for  the  lands  extending 
from  Aurie's  creek  to  the  Yates  and  Fonda  line,  near  the  present 
village  of  Fultonville.  Aurie  is  the  Dutch  of  Aaron,  and  the 
creek  was  so  called  after  an  old  Indian  warrior  named  Aaron, 
who  lived  many  years  in  a  hut  which  stood  on  the  flats  now 
owned  by  J.  C.  Yost,  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek.  The  adjoin- 
ing village  was  named  after  the  stream. 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  three  brothers  named  Quack- 
enboss  emigrated  from  Holland  to  the  colony  of  New  York;  one 
of  them  locating  at  New  York  city,  and  the  other  t?vo  at  Albany. 
Peter,  one  of  the  latter,  settled  on  Scott's  patent,  only  two  or 


136  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

three  years  after  it  was  secured.  He  resided  near  Aurie's  creek 
at  the  now  Leslie  Voorhees'  place.  Mr.  Quackenboss  had  several 
children  grown  up  when  he  arrived  in  the  country,  and  David, 
his  elder  son,  after  a  somewhat  romantic  courtship,  married  Miss 
Ann,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Scott,  and  settled  on  Scott^s  Paterit, 
where  the  Montgomery  county  poor  house  now  stands.  A  young 
officer  under  the  command  of  Captain  Scott,  requested  young 
Quackenboss,  then  in  the  employ  of  the  captain,  to  speak  a  good 
word  for  him  to  Miss  Ann,  which  he  readily  promised  to  do. 
While  extolling  the  good  qualities  of  her  admirer,  he  took  occa- 
sion to  suggest  his  partiality  for  herself.  The  maiden,  who  had 
conceived  an  attachment  for  Quackenboss  instead  of  the  young 
subaltern,  shrewedly  asked  him  why  he  did  not  make  advances 
on  his  oion  account.  He  had  not  presumed  on  so  advantageous 
a  match ;  but  the  hint  was  sufficient  to  secure  his  fortune  and 
happiness.  His  son  John,  a  fruit  of  this  connection,  born  about  the 
year  1725,  was  the  first  white  child  born  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Mohawk — west  of  Fort  Hunter,  and  east  of  the  German  settle- 
ments some  distance  above.  Captain  Scott  had  one  son  who  be- 
came a  general  officer. — John  Scott  Quackenboss. 

About  the  year  1740,  a  small  colony  consisting  of  sixteen 
families  of  Irish  immigrants  was  planted,  under  the  patronage  of 
Wm.  Johnson,  afterwards  baronet,  on  lands  now  owned  by 
Henry  Shelp,  a  few  miles  south-west  of  Fort  Hunter,  in  the  pre- 
sent town  of  Glen.  Several  years  after  they  had  built  them- 
selves rude  dwellings,  cleared  lands,  planted  orchards,  and  com- 
menced their  agricultural  labors,  a  disturbance  arose  between  the 
Indian  Confederacy  of  New  York  and  the  Canadian  Indians, 
which  the  colonists  conceived  endangered  their  domestic  tranquili- 
ty ;  in  consequence  of  which  the  settlement  was  broken  up,  and 
the  chicktn-hearted  pioneers,  then  numbering  eighteen  or  twenty 
families,  returned  to  the  Emerald  Isle.  Traces  of  their  residence 
are  visible  at  the  present  day. — John  Hughes  and  Peter  Putman. 

The  first  merchant  in  the  Mohawk  valley  west  of  Schenectada, 
was  Maj.  Jelles  (Giles)  Fonda,  a  son  of  Douw  Fonda,  an  early 
settler  at  Caughnawaga.     For  many  years  he  carried  on  an  ex- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         137 

tensive  business  for  the  times,  at  the  latter  place — trading  with 
the  white  citizens  of  the  valley,  and  the  natives  of  western  New 
York  ;  the  latter  trade  being  carried  on  at  old  Fort  Schuyler,  now 
Utica;  Fort  Stanwix,  (called  in  the  revolution  Fort  Schuyler,) 
now  Rome,  and  Forts  Oswego,  Niagara  and  Schlosser.  An  ab- 
stract from  his  ledger  shows  an  indebtedness  of  his  customers  at 
one  time  just  before  the  revolution,  amounting  to  over  ten  thou- 
sand dollars.  Many  of  his  good  he  imported  directly  from  Lon- 
don. To  his  Indian  customers  he  sold  blankets,  trinkets,  ammu- 
nition and  rum ;  and  received  in  return,  peltries  and  ginseng  root. 
The  latter  was  at  that  time  an  important  item  among  the  ex- 
ports of  what  was  then,  Western  New  York ;  and  the  two  named 
added  to  the  article  of  pot-ash,  almost  the  only  commodities  pur- 
chased in  a  foreign  market. 

The  following  anecdote  is  believed  to  be  true.  In  the  employ 
of  Sir  William  Johnson  a  few  years  before  his  death,  was  an 
Irishman  named  McCarthy,  by  reputation  the  most  noted  pugil- 
ist in  Western  New  York.  The  baronet  offered  to  pit  his  fellow 
countryman  against  any  man  who  could  be  produced  for  a  fist  fight. 
Major  Fonda,  tired  of  hearing  the  challenge,  and  learning  that 
a  very  muscular  Dutchman  named  John  Van  Loan,  was  living 
near  Brakabeen,  in  the  Schoharie  valley,  made  a  journey  of  some 
forty  or  fifty  miles,  to  secure  his  professional  sevices,  for  he,  too, 
was  reputed  a  bully.  Van  Loan  leadily  agreed  to  flog  the  son 
of  Erin,  for  a  ten  pound  note.  At  a  time  appointed,  numbers 
were  assembled  at  Caughnawaga  to  witness  the  contest  between 
the  pugilists.  After  McCarthy  had  been  swaggering  about  in  the 
crowed  for  a  while,  and  greatly  excited  public  expectation  by 
his  boasting,  inducing  numbers  to  bet  on  his  head,  his  competi- 
tor appeared  ready  for  the  contest — clad  for  the  occasion  in  a 
shirt  and  breeches  of  dressed  deer-skin  fitted  tight  to  his  person. 
A  ring  was  formed  and  the  battle  commenced.  The  bully  did 
his  best,  but  it  was  soon  evident  that  he  was  not  a  match  for  his 
Dutch  adversary,  who  slipped  through  his  fingers  like  an  eel, 
and  parried  his  blows  with  the  greatest  ease.  Completely  ex- 
hausted and  almost  bruised  to  a  jelly.  Sir  William's  gamester  was 


138  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY^ 

removed,  looking  if  not  expressing — feccavi. — Abraham  A.  Van 
Home,  who  obtained  the  facts  from  a  son  of  Van  Loan. 

I  have  spoken  in  the  preceding  chaper,  of  the  custom  of  pro- 
viding refreshments  at  funerals ;  a  practice  which  continued  in 
vogue  in  some  degree  for  at  least  one  hundred  years,  and  until 
about  the  year  1825.  Smoking  was  an  attendant  on  the  prevail- 
ing habit,  as  the  following  order  from  Col.  Dl.  Glaus,  will  show. 

"  Sir — I  have  sent  the  bearer  for  four  dozen  of  Pipes  and  a 
few  pounds  of  Tobacco,  for  the  burial  of  Mr.  Raworth's  child 
wh  please  to  charge  to  me. 

"  Monday,  27th  Aug.,  1770.  D.  GLAUS." 

"  To  Maj'r  Jelles  Fonda." 

The  trade  with  the  Indians  along  the  Great  Lakes  and 
the  St.  Lawrence,  was  carried  on  by  the  aid  of  boats  propelled 
from  Schenectada  up  the  Mohawk  at  great  personal  labor,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  being  several  rifts  or  rapids  in  the  stream. 
The  first  obstruction  of  the  kind  was  met  with  six  miles  above 
Schenectada,  and  was  called  Six  Flats'  rift ;  proceeding  west 
came  in  course  similar  obstructions  known  as  Fort  Hunter  rift; 
Caughnawaga  rift ;  Keator's  rift,  at  Spraker's,  the  greatest  on 
the  river,  having  a  fall  of  ten  feet ;  Brandywine  rift,  at  Cana- 
joharie,  short  but  rapid  ;  Ehle's  rift  near  Fort  Plain ;  Kneiskern^s 
rift,  a  small  rapid  near  the  upper  Indian  castle,  a  little  above  the 
river  dam;  ?ind  the  Little  falls*,  so  called  as  compared  with  the 
Cahoes  on  the  same  stream  near  its  mouth.  At  the  Little  Falls, 
a  descent  in  the  river  of  forty  feet  in  half  a  mile,  boats  could  not 
be  forced  up  the  current,  and  it  became  a  carrying  place  for 
them  and  merchandise,  which  were  transported  around  the  rapids 
on  wagons  with  small  wide  rimmed  wheels,  the  water  craft  re- 

•  The  village  of  Little  Falls,  so  romantically  situated  on  the  Mohawk,  al- 
ready has  a  population  numbering  some  three  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is 
rapidly  increasing.  It  seems  destined  to  become  the  largest  place  between 
Albany  and  Utica  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  A  manufactory  for  woolen  goods 
has  recently  been  erected  here,  and  an  academy,  a  large  stone  edifice,  con- 
structed of  masive  granite  from  the  vicinity,  recently  completed,  was  opened 
in  November,  1844,  with  a  male  and  female  department;  the  former  under 
the  charge  of  MerritG.  McKoon,  A.  M.,  and  the  latter  under  the  superin- 
•^endance  of  Miss  Amanda  HodgeraaUj  a  young  lady  of  real  merit. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         139 

launched  and  and  re-loaded  to  proceed  onward.  On  such  occa- 
sions one  of  the  party  usually  staid  with  the  goods  deposited 
above,  while  the  team  returned  for  the  boat.  Small  batteaus, 
known  in  early  times  as  three-handed  and  four-handed  boats,  were 
in  use  on  the  Mohawk,  which  carried  from  two  to  five  tons  each ; 
and  so  sailed  because  three  or  four  men  were  required  to  propel 
them.  There  boats  were  forced  over  the  rapids  in  the  river  with 
poles  and  ropes,  the  latter  drawn  by  men  on  the  shore.  Such 
was  the  mode  of  transporting  merchandize  and  Indian  commodi- 
ties to  and  from  the  west,  for  a  period  of  about  fifty  years,  and  until 
after  the  Revolution.  A  second  carrying  place  in  use  at  an  early 
day  was  near  Fort  Stanwix,  from  the  boatable  waters  of  the 
Mohawk  to  Wood  creek.  Passing  into  Oneida  lake,  the  batteaus 
proceeded  into  the  Oswego  river,  and  from  thence  to  Oswego  on 
lake  Ontario.  From  Oswego  to  Niagara,  a  place  of  much  im- 
portance, merchandize  was  transported  in  the  same  boats  or  on 
sloops.  Major  Fonda,  as  his  papers  show,  had  much  to  do  with 
the  navigation  of  the  river  in  the  French  and  American  wars  with 
England. — Joseph  Spraker. 

After  the  Revolution,  the  tide  of  emigration  was  "  Westward 
Ho  !  "  and  a  corporate  body,  known  as  the  "  Inland  Lock  Navi- 
gation Company,"  constructed  a  dam  and  sluice  to  facilitate  busi- 
ness at  Wood  creek,  and  built  several  locks  at  Little  Falls,  so  that 
boats  might  pass  and  repass  without  unloading.  These  locks  were 
constructed  under  the  supervision  and  direction  of  Gen.  Philip 
Schuyler,  whose  memory,  for  services  rendered  his  country  in  her 
most  trying  period,  will  ever  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by 
the  citizens  of  New  York.  The  locks  at  Little  Falls  were  com- 
pleted m  1795.  The  following  original  paper,  given  by  Gen. 
Schuyler  to  a  namesake,  and  son  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Schuyler,  of 
Schoharie,  will  show  at  what  time  the  business  was  most  actively 
prosecuted. 

To  Mr.  Philip  Schuyler  : 

"  By  virtue  of  the  powers  vested  in  vne  by  the  directors  of  the 
Inland  Lock  Navigation  Companies  in  this  state,  I  do  hereby  ap- 
point you  an  Assistant  Superintendent,  to  superintend,  direct  and 


140         mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

command  the  mechanics  and  labourers,  and  their  respective  over- 
seers, already  employed  in  the  service  of  the  said  companies, 
hereby  requiring  the  said  overseers,  and  others  so  employed,  in 
all  things  to  pay  due  obedience  to  all  your  lawful  requisitions  and 
directions. 

"  Given  under  my  hand,  in  the  county  of  Herkimer,  this  eighth 
day  of  May,  1793. 

"PH:  SCHUYLER, 

'■^President  and  Superifitendent.^^ 

In  June  following,  Gen.  S.  gave  his  namesake  the  annexed  ve- 
ry flattering  testimonial,  which  shows  the  usual  caution  of  that 
great  man  in  guarding  against  accidents  : 

Falls,  June  22,  1793. 
"  Dear  Sir  : — I  experience  so  much  satisfaction  from  your  at- 
tention, and  the  readiness  with  which  you  comprehend  the  hints 
given  by  me  for  the  construction  of  the  works,  that  I  consider  it 
as  a  duty  to  give  you  this  written  testimony  of  my  perfect  satis- 
faction of  your  conduct,  and  to  evince  my  sense  of  it  by  a  pecuni- 
ary reward.  Your  compensation,  from  the  original  time  of  agree- 
ment, will  be  two  dollars  per  day  ;  this,  however,  I  do  not  wish  you 
to  mention,  least  others  should  conceive  that  I  made  a  discrimina- 
tion unfavorable  to  them,  although  in  reality  I  do  not,  for  their  ser- 
vices are  by  no  means  as  important  to  the  Lock  Navigation  Com- 
pany as  yours. 

"  Least  an  accident  should  happen  to  me,  which  might  deprive 
you  of  the  benefit  of  the  above  mentioned  allowance,  you  will 
keep  this  letter  as  a  testimony  thereof. 
"  I  am.  Dear  Sir, 

"  Your  friend  and  humble  servant, 

"PH:  SCHUYLER, 
.    "  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 
"To  Mr.  Philip  Schuyler." 

After  the  locks  were  built  at  Little  Falls,  business  on  the  river 
greatly  increased,  and  apples  and  cider  were  then  among  the  com- 
modities sent  west.  The  clumsy  batteau,  which  had  for  half  a 
century  usurped  the  place  of  the  Indian's  bark  canoe, — the  little 
craft  which  had  danced  on  the  bosom  of  the  Mohawks'  river  for 
many  ages, — soon  gave  place  to  the  Durham  boat,  carrying  from 
ten  to  fifteen  tons,  and  constructed,  in  shape,  not  unlike  a  modern 
canal  boat.  Few  of  them  were  decked  over,  except  at  the  ends, 
but  all  were  along  the  sides,  where  elects  were  nailed  down  to  give 
foothold  to  boatmen  using  poles.  Boating,  at  this  period  was  at- 
tended with  great  personal  labor  ;  the  delay  of  unloading  at  Lit- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         141 

tie  Falls  had  been  obviated,  but  it  was  found  more  diiTicult  to  force 
large  than  small  craft  over  the  rapids.  Several  boats  usually  went 
in  company,  and  if  any  arrived  first  at  a  rift,  they  awaited  the  ap- 
proach of  others,  that  the  united  strength  of  many  men  might  aid 
in  the  labor  before  them.  Those  boats  were  often  half  a  day  in 
proceeding  only  a  few  rods,  and  not  unfrequently  were  they,  after 
remaining  nearly  stationary  on  a  rapid  for  an  hour,  when  the 
strength  of  numbers  was  united  with  poles  and  ropes  in  propel- 
ling, compelled  to  drop  below  the  rift  and  get  anew  start.  Twen- 
ty hands,  at  times,  were  insufficient  to  propel  a  single  boat  over 
Keator's  rift.  When  boat's  crews  were  waiting  at  a  rapid  for  the 
arrival  of  their  fellows,  they  usually  did  their  cooking  on  shore. 
Poles  used  on  those  boats  had  heads,  which  rested  against  the 
shoulder,  which  was  often  calloused  or  galled,  like  that  of  a  col- 
lar-worn horse.  Black  slaves,  owned  by  settlers  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  rapids,  both  male  and  female,  were  often  seen  assist- 
ing at  the  ropes  on  shore,  when  loaded  boats  were  ascending  the 
river. 

Accidents  sometimes  occurred  to  bojitmen,  though  seldom  at- 
tended with  loss  of  life.  A  three-handed  boat  once  struck  a  rock 
in  Keator's  rift,  upset,  and  a  negro  was  drowned.  At  Fort  Hun- 
ter rift,  a  three  handed  boat  upset,  when  Wm.  Hull  and  Kennedy 
Failing  were  drowned, — the  third  person  in  the  boat,  a  son  of 
Abraham  Otthout,  of  Schenectada,  swam  ashore.  One  of  the 
last  accidents  of  the  kind  on  the  river,  occurred  while  the  Erie 
Canal  was  building,  to  a  Durham  boat,  one  of  the  best  of  that 
class  of  river  craft,  called  the  Butterfly.  It  was  descending  the 
river,  then  swollen,  laden  with  flour,  \vhen  it  became  unmanage- 
able, swung  round,  and  struck  its  broadside  against  a  pier  of  the 
Canajoharie  bridge,  and  broke  near  the  centre.  The  contents  of 
the  boat  literally  filled  the  river  for  some  distance,  and  a  hand  on 
the  boat  was  drowned.  His  name  was  afterwards  ascertained  to 
be  John  Clark.  His  body  was  recovered  twelve  miles  below,  and 
was  buried  on  the  river  bank,  in  the  present  village  of  Fulton- 
ville.  His  bones  having  been  disclosed  by  the  sprmg  freshet  ol 
1845,  they  were  taken   up  and  buried  in  the  village  burying- 


142  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ground.  The  owner  of  the  boat,  a  Mr.  Myers,  had  its  fragments 
taken  to  Schenectada  and  rebuilt,  after  which  it  entered  the  ca- 
nal, (the  eastern  sections  being  completed,)  and  from  thence  he 
transported  it  into  Cayuga  lake.  While  there  engaged,  his  boat 
sunk  laden  with  gypsum,  and  he  was  drowned.  Thus  ended  the 
Butterfly  and  its  owner.  Boats  managed  by  skilful  hands  some- 
times sailed  down  the  rapids  at  Little  Falls  when  the  river  was 
high,  but  it  was  always  attended  with  danger.  Several  row-boats, 
constructed  expressly  to  carry  some  twenty  passengers  each,  from 
Utica  to  Schenectada,  and  tastefully  curtained,  were  in  use  on  the 
Mohawk  some  forty  years  ago.  They'were  called  river  packets. — 
Myndert  Stann. 

The  first  bridge  of  any  importance  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  was 
built  by  Maj.  Isaiah  Depuy,  a  resident  of  Glen  at  the  time  of  his 
death  (1841),  and  was  erected  across  the  Schoharie  at  Fort  Hun- 
ter. It  was  commenced  in  October,  1796,  and  on  the  4th  day  of 
July  following,  the  anniversary  of  Liberty  was  celebrated  upon  it. 
The  next  bridge  worthy  of  note  in  the  valley,  was  an  elliptic  or 
arched  one  over  the  Mohawk  at  Schenectada.  It  was  begun  in 
1797,  and  when  nearly  completed,  the  winter  following,  was  up- 
set by  the  wind,  taken  down,  and  rebuilt  on  piers.  While  this 
bridge  was  building,  an  incident  of  no  little  interest  occurred.  Af- 
ter the  string  pieces  had  been  laid,  and  before  they  were  planked, 
a  young  son  of  the  contractor  walked  unobserved  over  the  middle 
of  the  stream.  A  workman  discovering  the  urchin  upon  the  tim- 
bers, directed  the  attention  of  the  father  that  way.  With  feelings 
of  deepest  anxiety  he  beheld  his  darling  boy  in  a  position  from 
which  a  misstep  would  inevitably  launch  him  into  eternity.  Pru- 
dence dictated  silence,  and  after  the  little  fellow  had  surveyed  the 
premises  to  his  satisfaction,  he  returned  to  the  shore,  to  the  great 
relief  of  his  agitated  parent,  who  gave  him  a  good  basting  for  his 
motherly  curiosity. 

A  bridge  was  begun  at  Canajoharie  before  the  Schenectada 
bridge  was  completed.  This  was  also  an  elliptic,  and  required  to 
be  taken  down  at  the  end  of  a  year  or  two,  when  it  was  placed 
on  three  piers.     Some  years  previous  to  the  erection  of  this  bridge , 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         143 

a  ferry  was  established  at  Canajoharie,  and  owned  by  the  Messrs. 
Roseboom,  who  traded  where  the  ferry  was  located,  one  mile  east 
of  the  village.  At  an  early  period,  a  good  bridge  was  built  over 
the  east  Canada  creek,  which  aflbrded  a  pattern  lor  one  construct- 
ed at  Caughnawaga — where,  for  many  years,  there  had  also  been 
a  ferry.  The  last  mentioned  bridge  was  put  up  in  the  summer 
and  completed  by  the  following  winter,  so  as  to  be  used  on  one 
track,  but  the  first  spring  freshet  carried  it  off.  Afterwards,  the 
Mohawk  Turnpike  Company  erected  another,  some  thirty  rods 
farther  up  the  river,  which  is  still  standing.  A  bridge  was  stretched 
across  the  river  many  years  ago,  a  little  below  the  Nose,  but  it 
was  soon  after  swept  away  by  the  ice  and  never  rebuilt.  Bridges 
have  also  been  erected  over  the  Mohawk  at  Cahoes  Falls,  Am- 
sterdam, Fort  Plain,  Little  Falls,  Herkimer  and  Utica. 

Archibald  and  James  Kane,  brothers,  established  themselves  in 
the  mercantile  business  on  the  Mohawk  about  the  year  1795  ;  lo- 
cating between  the  Rosebooms  and  the  present  village  of  Cana- 
joharie, where  one  of  their  buildings,  having  an  arched  roof,  is 
still  to  be  seen.  The  Kanes  were,  for  a  time,  the  heaviest  deal- 
ers west  of  Albany.  At  this  period  there  was  much  gambling 
and  horse-racing  in  the  Mohawk  valley.  Indeed,  there  continued 
to  be  until  about  the  year  1825.  Intemperance,  the  parent  of 
many  vices  and  miseries,  wgs  an  attendant,  and  to  such  an  extent 
did  it  stalk  abroad  for  thirty  or  forty  years,  that  numerous  churches 
were  seriously  affected  by  it,  their  ministers  often  setting  the  ex- 
ample, then  prevalent  in  New  York  and  New  England,  not  only 
of  placing  the  beaded  liquid  before  friends,  but  of  drinking  with 
them  at  taverns.  On  a  certain  occasion  in  1797  or  '98,  when  a 
party  were  playing  cards  (a  game  of  lieu)  at  Canajoharie,  with 
stakes  upon  the  table  amounting  to  some  five  hundred  dollars, 
Archibald  Kane  became  indebted  to  Barney  Roseboom  for  nearly 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  another  of  the  gamesters  becoming  the 
debtor  of  Kane  for  about  the  same  sum,  a  difficulty  originated  in 
trying  to  reconcile  the  liability  of  the  parties  to  each  other,  and 
Kane  gave  Roseboom  a  challenge  to  personal  combat.  It  was 
supposed  that  the  challenge  would  not  have  been  given,  had  the 


144  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

challenger  believed  his  antagonist  would  have  accepted  it,  the  lat- 
ter having  a  lovely  wife  and  several  interesting  children  ;  but  it 
was  accepted,  ground  paced  off,  and  shots  exchanged  with  a  brace 
of  trooper's  pistols.  Kane  was  wounded  in  his  left  arm,  and 
with  the  wound  his  bruised  honor  was  healed  ;  the  combatants  be- 
came as  warm  personal  friends  as  ever,  and  thus  ended  an  affair 
which  created  no  little  excitement  for  a  time,  in  Western  New 
York.  A  few  years  after  the  transaction  above  related,  Archibald 
Kane  went  to  Hayti,  [married  into  the  family  of  the  governing 
nobility y  and  died  there. 

A  pleasing  story  was  originated  when  the  Kanes  were  trading 
at  Canajoharie,  about  an  imposition  practised  by  a  shrewd  Yan- 
kee, upon  an  honest  Dutch  justice  of  Herkimer  county,  who  had 
arrested  him  for  journeying  on  the  Sabbath.  According  to  the 
story,  the  Yankee  was  stopped,  but  as  his  business  was  urgent, 
the  man  of  equity  agreed  to  give  him  a  written  permit  to  proceed 
for  a  nominal  sum.  The  justice,  requesting  the  traveler  to  write 
it,  is  said  to  have  set  his  hand  unconsciously  to  an  order  on  the 
Messrs.  Kane  for  some  fifty  dollars,  instead  of  a  permit  to  travel ; 
which,  when  presented  for  payment,  he  pronounced  the  tarn  Yan- 
kee pass:  but  James  Kane,  who  now  resides  in  Albany,  pronoun- 
ces the  whole  narrative  a  hoax. 

The  Caughnawaga  church,  a  land  mark  of  former  days,  is  a 
Btone  edifice,  and  was  erected  in  1763,  by  voluntary  contribu- 
tions. Sir  William  Johnson  gave  liberally  towards  building  it. 
The  steeple  was  placed  on  it  in  1795.  Of  this  church  and  con- 
gregation, the  Rev.  Thomas  Romeyn  was  the  first  pastor.  He 
died,  and  was  succeeded  in  June,  1795,  by  the  Rev.  Abraham 
Van  Horn,  one  of  the  earliest  graduates  of  Queen's  College,  New 
Jersey.  Mr.  V.  H.  was  settled  in  Ulster  county  five  years  previ- 
ous to  taking  charge  of  the  congregation  at  Caughnawaga,  and 
married,  during  his  whole  ministry,  about  fifteen  hundred  cou- 
ple— more,  perhaps,  than  any  clergyman  now  living  in  the  Unit- 
ed States.  He  died  suddenly  at  an  advanced  age,  January  5, 
1840. 

This  church  was  without  a  bell  until  the  confiscated  property 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


145 


of  Sir  John  Johnson  was  sold  in  the  revolution,  when  the  former 
dinner-hell  of  his  father,  Sir  William,  ^vas  purchased  by  several 
male.raerabers,  conveyed  to  it  on  a  pole  by  friendly  Indians,  and 
placed  upon  it.  On  the  bell  is  the  following  inscription — "  S  R 
William  Johnson  Baronet  1774.  Made  by  .Miller  and  Ross  in 
Eliz.  Town."     It  weighs  something  over  one  hundred  pounds. 


CAUGHNAWAGA  CHURCH. 

This  edifice,  now  under  the  management  of  the  Rev.  Douw 
Van  OLinda,  who  has  fitted  it  up  for  a  classic  school,  is  hereafter 
to  be  known  as  the  Fonda  Academy;  tlie  first  term  of  which  in- 
Btitution  commenced  with  flattering  prospects  in  the  latter  part  of 
1844,  under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Jacob  A.  Hardenbergh,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Rutger's  College,  New  Jersey. 

At  an  early  period,  a  small  church  was  constructed  of  wood 


146  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

near  the  Upper  Mohawk  Castle,  at  which  place  the  missionary 
minister,  resident  at  Fort  Hunter,  sometimes  officiated.  This 
church  was  provided  with  a  small  bell,  similar  to  the  one  on 
Queen  Anne's  chapel,  and  after  the  revolution,  the  Indians  who 
had  removed  from  its  neighborhood,  made  application  to  obtain  it. 
Being  denied  their  request,  they  succeeded  in  getting  it  down  in 
the  night ;  and  in  a  canoe  paddled  up  the  Mohawk  with  it  un- 
molested— transporting  it  as  best  they  could  to  Canada. — Joseph 
Wagner. 

Churches  were  erected  by  Lutherans  at  Stone  Arabia  in  1770, 
in  the  western  part  of  Palatine  in  1772,  and  at  the  German  flats 
before  the  revolution.  The  two  latter  were  of  stone.  The  last 
named  was  situated  in  the  valley,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
four  miles  westward  of  Little  Falls.  Some  ten  rods  west  of  this 
church  stood  the  parsonage,  a  stone  dwelling  (torn  down  to  give 
place  to  the  Erie  canal)  which  was  inclosed  with  palisades  hav- 
ing block-house  corners,  and  known  in  the  revolution  as  Fort 
Herkimer.*  Fort  Dayton,  another  military  post  of  the  Mohawk 
valley,  was  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  present  village  of 
Herkimer.  In  going  from  the  former  to  the  latter  fort,  the  river 
was  crossed  at  a  rapid  one  mile  above  Fort  Herkimer.  Fort 
Plain,  a  military  establishment  of  great  importance  in  the  border 
transactions  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  stood  eighteen  miles  eastward 
of  Fort  Herkimer,  and  within  the  present  thriving  village  which 
bears  its  name.  Forts  Plain,  Herkimer  and  Dayton  were  all  three 
erected  as  early  as  1776,  and  in  their  vicinity  many  thrilling 
events  transpired,  which  characte'rised  the  war  of  the  revolution 
«n  the  frontiers  of  New  York ;  not  a  few  of  which  have  gone 
down  to  oblivion. 

There  was  much  speculation  in  new  lands  in  the  interior  of 
New  York,  between  the  French  and  American  wars  with  Eng- 
land, and  thousands  upon  thousands  of  acres  changed  owners  for 
a  mere  song — land  now  valued  at  millions  of  dollars.     Among 

•  Some  writers  have  stated  that  Fort  Herkimer  stood  near  General  Herki- 
mer's house — not  so  :  although  called  after  him,  it  was  six  miles  westward  of 
his  residence. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


147 


the  speculators  were  Sir  William  Johnson,  Governor  Tryon,  Ma- 
jor Jelles  Fonda,  and  Colonel  John  Butler.  Lands  on  the  Sacon- 
daga  river  were  brought  into  market  at  this  period. 


FORT  PLAIN. 

Above  is  a  view  of  this  Fort  as  it  was  seen  in  the  revolution, 
except  that  it  was  inclosed  by  strong  palisades.  The  little  church 
seen  in  the  right  of  the  picture,  was  burned  down  by  the  Indians 
during  the  war. 

The  following  sketch  of  a  transaction  not  generally  known,  is 
no  doubt  the  most  authentic  account  of  it  ever  obtained.  It  is 
drawn,  by  permission,  from  notes  of  a  journey  to  Niagara,  made 
by  a  friend  in  1806. 

In  the  summer  of  1759,  Sir  William  Johnson  landed  with  a  bo- 
dy of  troops  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek  four  miles  from  Niagara, 
since  called  Johnson's  creek,  and  took  possession  of  forts  Niagara 
and  Schlosser,  posts  of  much  importance,  on  the  east  side  of  Nia- 
gara river,  as  they  commanded  the  trade  of  the  upper  lakes.  In 
1760,  Mr.  Stedman,  an  Englishman,  contracted  with  Sir  William 
to  construct  a  portage  road  from  Queenston  Landing,  now  Lewis- 
ton,  to  Fort  Schlosser,  a  distance  of  about  eight  miles.  The  road 
having  been  completed,  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  Sept.,  1763,  15 
wagons  and  teams,  mostly  oxen,  under  an  escort  of  24  men,  com- 
manded by  a  sergeant,  and  accompanied  by  the  contractor,  Sted- 
man, and  Capt.  Johnson,  as  a  volunteer,  set  out  from  Fort  Niagara, 


148  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

with  stores,  &c.,  intended  for  the  garrison  at  Fort  Schlosser.  Arri- 
ving something  over  two  miles  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  above 
Lewiston,  and  ten  or  twelve  from  Niagara,  the  escort  and  wagons 
halted  about  11  o'clock,  on  a  little  savanna  of  green  sward  to  rest 
and  take  refreshments,  beside  a  gulf  called  in  Indian  and  English, 
the  Devil's  Hole.     This  is  a  semi-circular  precipice  or  chasm  of 
some  two  hundred  feet  diameter  up  and  down  the  river  on  the 
summit,  but  less  at  the  bottom.     A  little  distance  from  the  brink 
of  the  hole  is  a  kind  of  natural  mound,  several  feet  in  height,  al- 
so of  cresent  shape ;  and  sixty  feet  from  the  top  issues  a  fine 
spring,  which  dashes  down  through  the  underbrush  to  the  river. 
A  small  brook  in  the  neighborhood,  called  the  bloody-run,  now 
runs  into  the  chasm.     The  Seneca  Indians  continued  in  the  French 
interest  at  this  period,  and  fearing  a  hostile  movement  on  their  part, 
a  detachment  of  volunteers  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
men,   under  the  command   of  Capt.   Campbell,   marched   from 
Queenston  to  strengthen  the  escort.     Just  as  the  troops  under 
Capt.  C.  reached  the  spot  where  the  escort  had  halted,  about  five 
hundred  Indians,  who  had  been  concealed  behind  the  mound, 
sprang  from  their  covert  with  savage  yells,  and  like  so  many  ti- 
gers began  an  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the  troops,  who  were 
thrown  into  the  utmost  confusion.     Resistance  against  such  odds 
did  not  long  continue,  and  those  of  the  party  who  were  not  killed 
or  driven  from  the  precipice  with  their  teams,  attempted  their  es- 
cape by  flight.     In  the  midst  of  the  conflict,  Stedraan  sprang  up- 
on a  small  horse,   and  giving  the  faithful   animal  a  slap  on  the 
neck  with  his  hand,  it  bore  him  over  the  dead  and  dying,   and 
through  the  thick  ranks  of  the  foe,  who  discharged  their  rifles, 
and  hurled  their  tomahawks  in  vain  at  his  head. 

Of  those  who  jumped  directly  down  the  precipice  in  front,  some 
seventy  or  eighty  feet,  which  has  an  uneven  surface  below,  only 
one  escaped  with  life.  This  was  a  soldier  named  Mathews,  from 
whom  these  particulars  were  obtained  by  the  tourist.  He  was  then 
living  on  the  Canada  shore,  near  Niagara,  and  familiarly  called 
Old  Brittania.  Several  trees  were  growing  from  the  bottom  of 
the  hole,  the  tops  of  which  reached  near  the  surface  of  the  ground. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         149 

Into  one  of  these  trees  Corporal  Noble  leaped  and  hung,  in  which 
position  eleven  bullets  riddled  his  body.  Captain  Johnson,  of  the 
escort,  was  killed,  and  Lieut.  Duncan,  of  the  relief,  a  native  of 
Long  Island,  and  a  promising  young  ofificer,  was  wounded  in  the 
left  arm,  of  which  he  died.  The  whole  number  of  troops  and 
teamsters  was  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five,  of  this  number 
only  some  twenty-five  escaped  with  life,  and  all  of  them,  except 
Stedman  and  Mathews,  did  so  below  or  near  the  north  end  of  the 
hole,  at  a  little  sand  ridge,  which  served  to  break  the  fall.  Of 
Capt.  Campbell's  command,  only  eleven  escaped  with  life.  The 
loss  of  the  enemy  was  inconsiderable  compared  with  that  of 
the  British.  A  short  time  after  this  horrid  affair,  the  Indians, 
who  considered  Stedman  a  charmed  man,  gave  him  as  a  reward  for 
his  daring  feat,  a  large  tract  of  land,  which  embraced  all  that  he 
rode  oyer  in  his  previous  flight.  He  returned  to  England,  taking 
along  this  favorite  horse,  and  never  afterwards  would  he  allow  it 
to  be  saddled  or  harnessed. 

My  friend  T.,  in  whose  journal  I  find  the  above  facts,  first  visit- 
ed the  Devil's  Hole,  with  a  relative,  August  10th,  1806,  at  which 
time  he  entered  it  by  descending  a  tree,  to  search  for  evidences  of 
the  event  related.  In  the  bottom  of  the  chasm  he  found  the  sculls 
of  several  oxen  "mouldering  and  covered  with  moss,"  apiece  of 
a  wagon,  and  the  small  part  of  a  horn  ;  which  latter  relic  he  took 
from  the  place,  and  after  retaining  it  in  his  possession  thirty-eight 
years,  kindly  presented  to  the  author. 

The  close  of  the  French  war  left  the  colony  of  New  York 
deeply  in  debt,  and  resort  was  had  to  direct  taxation  to  sustain  the 
government.  The  assessment  was  levied  "By  virtue  of  three  acts 
of  General  Assembly  of  the  Colony  of  New  York ;  the  first  for 
the  payment  of  the  second  .£100,000  tax,  the  second  for  the  pay- 
ment of  the  je60,000  tax,  and  the  third,  for  the  raising  and  col- 
lecting the  arrears  of  several  acts  therein  mentioned."  The  com- 
missioners of  the  county,  who  set  their  hands  and  seals  to  the  war- 
rant sent  "Mr.  John  Fonda,  Collector  for  Mohawks,"  were 
"  Rens.  Nicoll,  Marte  Halenbeck,  Abraham  Douw,  and  Cornelis 
Van  Schaack."  The  warrant  was  dated  at  Albany,  July  17th, 
11 


150 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY 


1764.  The  tax  on  the  citizens  of  the  Mohawk  valley  amounted 
to  £242,17  6— $607  19,  and  was  collected,  except  $2  81  bad 
debts,  and  receipted  by  John  Stevenson,  in  Albany,  the  11th  of 
October  following.  Were  not  part  of  this  tax  list  gone,  I  would 
present  it  to  the  reader.  The  following  are  some  of  the  largest 
sums  taxed  to  individuals  on  the  portions  of  the  manuscript  re- 
maining : 


Valuation. 

Assess 

Valuation. 

Assess 

Sir  Wra.  Johnson, 

£167 

£20  17 

6 

Peter  Young, 

£13 

£1  12 

6 

Margrit  Flipse, 

24 

3  00 

0 

John  Nukerk, 

13 

1  12 

6 

Marte  Van  OLinda, 

21 

2  12 

6 

Hans  Klyn, 

13 

1  12 

6 

Lewis  Groat, 

20 

2  10 

0 

Daniel  C)as, 

10 

1    5 

0 

Davit  Pruyn, 

20 

2  10 

0 

Guy  Johnson, 

10 

1    5 

0 

Isaac  D.  Graf, 

18 

2    5 

0 

John  Have, 

10 

1    5 

0 

Hans  Antes, 

17 

2    2 

6 

Jacob  Potman, 

10 

1    5 

0 

James  McMaster, 

16 

2    0 

0 

Clas  D.  Graf, 

9 

1    2 

6 

Harme  Vedder, 

16 

2    0 

0 

Harmanis  Mabe, 

9 

1    2 

6 

Wouter  Swart, 

16 

2    0 

0 

Cor's  Potman, 

9 

1    2 

6 

John  Johnson, 

16 

2    0 

0 

Cor's  Nukerk, 

9 

1    2 

6 

The  following  tax  list  will  show  the  names  of  many  of  the  ci- 
tizens living  in  and  near  that  part  of  the  Mohawk  valley  now 
embraced  in  Montgomery  county,  and  their  comparative  wealth 
at  that  period.  The  manuscript,  which  has  been  preserved  among 
the  papers  of  the  late  Maj.  Fonda,  is  without  date:  it  is  written 
in  a  fair,  legible  hand,  and  must  have  been  executed  a  few  years 
prior  to  the  revolution. 

"  A  List  of  the  persons  that  are  assessed  above  Jive  pounds,  u'ith 
the  sums  they  are  to  pay,  and  the  number  of  days  they  are  to  work 
upon  the  King's  highways,  annexed. 


PERSONS  NAMES. 


^ 

> 

<! 

tf. 

C^ 

Q 

c 

<: 

2; 

PERSONS  NAMES. 


U, 

!(^ 

5 

<, 

C^ 

< 

John  Eleven, 
Abraham  Hodges, 
John  &.  Evert  Van  Eps, 
Wm.  &  Woulter  Swart, 
Martinus  Van  OLinda, 
Mary  Phillipse, 
Abraham  Phillipse, 
William  Allen, 
John  Souts, 


£    6 

,9l 

(i6 

4 

10 

1 

6 

4 

15 

3 

0 

5 

10 

1 

6 

4 

17 

3 

5 

17 

3 

5 

6 

1 

6 

4 

15 

3 

5 

6 

1 

6 

4 

Christian  Earnest, 
John  Waters, 
Christopher  McGraw, 
James  Phillipse, 
William  Snook, 
Samuel  Pettingall, 
Patrick  McConnelly, 
John  Van  Dcwake, 
4lPeter  Young, 


£13 

s3 

d 

12 

3 

9 

6 

10 

6 

8 

6 

8 

6 

8 

6 

10 

6 

10 

1 

6 

AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


151 


PERSON'S  NAMES. 


«■ 

^ 

S 

> 

< 

»> 

O" 

a 

Q 

<! 

o 

PERSONS  NAMES. 


Jacobus  Cromwell, 

15.  3| 

5 

I'imothy  Lender.^c, 

15;  ; 

' 

S 

Andrew  Frank, 

If 

3 

5 

Charles  H.  Van  Eps, 

1.5 

s 

Abraham  Van  Alstine, 

hS 

3 

5 

Peler  Jost, 

(j 

6 

4 

Crownidge  Kincade, 

u 

1 

6    4 

Piiilip  Phillipse, 

13 

5 

John  S.  Vrooman, 

7 

1 

6    4 

Jacoi)  Van  Dewarke, 

9 

] 

6 

4 

Adam  Stcrnbergh, 

15 

3 

5 

John  Everse, 

7 

] 

6 

4 

Henry  and  John  Lewis. 

e 

1 

6    4 

Malkcrt  Van  Duesar, 

12 

5 

Abraham  Yates, 

20 

3 

5 

Mrs.  Sophia  Denniston, 

r 

J 

6 

4 

David  and  Peter  Lewis, 

10 

1 

6    4 

Capl.  Norm'd  McLead, 

6 

1 

6 

4 

Hendrick  Divindorf, 

7 

3 

5 

Widow  Vrooman  &  son 

6 

] 

6 

4 

David  Potman, 

15 

3 

5 

Dow  Fonda, 

l(i 

5 

I^ips  Spinner, 

15 

3 

5 

John  Funda, 

C 

] 

6 

4 

Samuel  Rose, 

10 

1 

6    4 

Jelles  Funda, 

40 

c 

8 

Hendrick  Hofl', 

10 

1 

0    4 

Barent  B.  Wcmplc, 

8 

1 

6 

4 

Adam  Gardeneer, 

13 

3 

5 

Gilbert  Tice, 

6 

1 

6 

4 

Arent  Bradt, 

13 

3 

5 

Peter  Cooley 

7 

1 

6 

4 

Adam  Dagstadcr,  Sen. 

18 

3 

5 

Samson  Simens, 

15 

3 

4 

Fredrick  liagstader.  Sen 

20 

3 

5 

John  Wemple, 

fi 

1 

6 

4 

Hendrick  Dagstader,  Sr. 

20 

1 

6    4 

Andries  Wemple, 

fi 

1 

6 

4 

John  Bowen, 

7 

1 

(i    4 

Peter  Conyn,  Esq., 

30 

5 

e 

William  B.  Bowcn, 

6 

1 

6    4 

Harman  Visher, 

27 

5 

6 

John  V.  Potman, 

7 

I 

<J    4 

Hanse  Clement, 

8 

1 

6 

4 

John  Butler,  Esq., 

27 

5 

(i 

Lewis  Clement, 

14 

3 

5 

John  Nare, 

12 

3 

5 

INIichael  Stallor, 

lo;  ] 

6 

4 

John  and  Jacob  Kilts, 

20 

3 

5 

Daniel  McGregor, 

10    1 

6 

4 

Conradt  Linkefeller, 

11 

3 

5 

Pliilip  Weamer, 

e!  1 

6 

4 

Arent  Potman, 

7 

1 

6    4 

Baltus  Ergetsinger, 

8 

] 

6 

4 

Sir  Wm.  Johnson,  Bart., 

202 

12 

9 

Robert  Adams,  " 

14 

3 

4 

Sir  John  Johnson,  Kt., 

25 

5 

6 

Martin  Lessler, 

10 

1 

6 

4 

Col.  Daniel  Claus, 

2] 

5 

6 

Frans  Salts, 

15 

3 

5 

Col.  Guy  Johnson, 

21 

5 

6 

Hanse  Clyne, 

12 

3 

5 

Frederick  Degraff, 

6 

1 

6    4 

Jacob  Potman, 

9|   1 

6 

4 

Nicholas  Degraff, 

6 

] 

6    4 

Corni  lius  Potman, 

lo;  1 

6 

4 

1.  DcgraliJk.  son  Jer'h, 

13 

3 

5 

Harmanus  Meaby, 

8     1 

6 

4 

Lewis  Groat, 

16 

3 

5 

Garrent  C.Newkirk, 

8|   1 

6 

4 

Jacob  Bushart, 

7 

1 

6    4 

John  Newkirk, 

10,   ]'  6 

4 

Hendrick  Bushart, 

7 

1 

6    4 

Peter  INIarlin,  Esq., 

13    3' 

5 

Adam  Tonda, 

9 

1 

6    4 

Isaac  Collier, 

10 

11   6 

4 

Peter  AVhitmore, 

6 

1 

6    4 

Adam  Zeelie, 

13 

3 

5 

John  &  Conradt  Smith, 

6 

1 

6    4 

Ephraim  Wemple, 

13 

3; 

5 

Guysbert  8c  Garret  Van 

Barent  Hansen, 

7 

1    6 

4 

Brachler, 

6 

1 

6    4 

Hendrick  Hansen, 

7 

1    (5 

4 

James  Davis, 

6 

1 

6    4 

Abraliam  Quackenbush, 

8 

1 

6 

4 

Peler  Frederick  &  sons. 

12 

3 

5 

Jeremiah  Quackenbush, 

11 

3 

5 

Jolm  Wilson, 

7 

] 

6    4 

\.  Si  P.  Quackenbush, 

10 

1 

6 

4 

J.  Rupart  &  Lottridge, 

8 

1 

6    4 

Vincent  Quackenbush, 

6 

1 

6 

4 

Peter  Service, 

18 

3 

5 

Ab'm  Quackenbush, 

7 

1 

6 

4 

Hans  Albrant, 

7 

1 

6    4 

John  Malatt. 

8 

1 

6 

4 

Andrics  Snyder, 

8 

1 

)    4j  Samuel  Gardeneer, 

18 

3 

5 

Hans  Doren, 

7 

1 

S    4  Jacob  Gardeneer, 

12 

3 

5 

Philip  Cromwell, 

17 

3 

5  William  Schylder, 

6 

1 

6      4 

Volkert  Vceder, 

6 

1 

5    4  Hans  Wart, 

7 

1 

6      4 

Widow  Smith  and  sons, 
John  V.  Veeder, 

17 
27 

3 
5 

A 

4 

6 

Total  Assess. 

£141 

111 

(3 

>55 

152  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I  have  observed  that  RUM  was  one  of  the  principal  articles  of 
traffic  with  the  Indians  on  the  frontiers  of  New  York.  Says  Col- 
den — 

"  There  is  one  vice  which  the  Indians  have  all  fallen  into,  since 
their  acquaintance  with  the  Christians,  and  of  which  they  could  not 
be  guilty  before  that  time,  that  is  drunkemiess.  It  is  strange,  how 
all  the  Indian  nations,  and  almost  every  person  among  them,  male 
and  female,  are  infatuated  with  the  love  of  strong  drink;  they 
know  no  bounds  to  their  desire,  while  they  can  swallow  it  down, 
and  then  indeed  the  greatest  man  among  them  scarcely  deserves 
the  name  of  a  brute." 

Alcohol  has,  in  a  very  great  degree  depopulated  the  state  of  a 
noble  race  of  men  and  women,  and  much  demoralized  and  ener- 
vated its  present  race  of  inhabitants.  One  single  invoice  now  be- 
fore me,  of  rum  purchased  in  New-York,  in  October  1770,  and  de- 
signed for  the  Mohawk  valley  trade,  was  for  ten  hogsheads  and 
twenty  barrels,  containing  seventeen  hundred  and  seventy-nine 
gallons ;  which,  at  the  low  price  of  two  shillings  and  four  pence, 
amounted  to  over  five  hundred  dollars. 

Tryon  county,  so  called  after  the  Governor  of  New  York  at  the 
time,  was  organized  in  1772,  and  took  in  the  present  counties  of 
Montgomery,  Fulton,  Herkimer  and  portions  of  several  others. 
The  first  court  of  general  quarter  sessions  of  the  peace  for  this 
county,  was  held  in  Johnstown,  so  called  after  Sir  William  John- 
son, on  Tuesday  September  8,  1772.     The  Bench  consisted  of 

"  Guy  Johnson,  Judge. 

"  John  Butler,  Peter  Conyne,  Judges. 

"  Sir  John  Johnson,  knight,  Daniel  Glaus,  John  Wells,  Jelles 
Fonda,  Assistant  Judges. 

"John  Collins,  Joseph  Chew,  Adam  Loucks,  John  Fry,  Fr, 
Young,  Peter  Ten  Broeck,  Justices.'^ 

In  1791,  the  county  of  Herkimer  was  organized  from  Tryon, 
and  called  after  General  Herkimer  who  fell  at  Oriskany ;  and  in 
1794  the  name  of  Tryon  county  was  changed  to  that  of  Mont- 
gomery, who  fell  at  Quebec. 

About  the  year  1800,  might  have  been  seen,  as  in  New  England 
at  a  still  later  period,  at  some  public  place  in  every  town  in  New 
York,  a  public  whipping-post  and  stocks ;  and  justices  of  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        153 

peace  had  authority  to  order  that  individual  confined  in  the  stocks, 
who  got  drunk  or  used  profane  language.  Criminals  guilty  of 
petty  thefts,  and  other  violations  of  the  law,  were  not  unfrequently 
seen  with  their  hands  tied,  and  their  arms  drawn  up  to  their  ex- 
tent around  the  public  post,  which  was  made  square,  receiving 
upon  their  bare  backs,  from  the  hands  of  a  sheriti'  or  constable, 
the  scorpion  lash  of  justice. 

A  few  moments  may  not  be  unprofitably  spent,  in  reflecting  on 
the  great  and  important  changes  that  have  passed  over  New  York 
since  the  peace  of  1783 — changes  not  only  visible  on  every  wa- 
ter-course and  thoroughfare,  but  on  almost  every  acre  of  ground, 
from  the  then  frontier  settlements  of  Albany  and  Tryon  counties 
to  the  shores  of  St.  Lawrence  and  the  great  western  lakes.  In  the 
territory  named,  and  at  the  period  to  which  I  have  alluded,  where 
were  dense  forests,  unbroken  for  many  miles,  may  now  be  seen 
waving  fields  of  grain,  and  flocks  and  herds  upon  a  thousand 
hills — may  now  be  heard  the  complicated  machinery  of  the  me- 
chanic arts — may  now  be  felt  the  genial  influence  of  unfettered 
science.  The  revolution  in  mind  and  individual  interest  in  eastern 
New  York,  under  cultivation  two  generations  removed  from  the 
present,  is  almost  as  apparent  as  that  in  matter,  where  then  roam- 
ed the  happy  savage  in  quest  of  his  game.  The  difference  in  the 
mode  of  traveling,  particulary  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  in  the  last 
thirty  years,  is  worthy  especial  notice.  Pubhc  conveyance  was 
then  either  in  stages  or  boats  propelled  on  the  river  by  manual  la- 
bor ; — rail-road  cars,  moved  by  steam  power  have  now  not  only 
driven  post-coaches  from  the  valley,  but  the  commodious  canal 
packet  drawn  by  horses,  now  subserves  the  purpose  of  the  slow 
moving  Durham  craft.  Indeed,  the  New  England  tourist,  who 
might  then  have  been  seen  mounted  on  horseback,  with  an  enor- 
mous portmanteau  fastened  upon  his  saddle,  journeying  in  the 
valley,  is  seen  no  longer :  his  economy  is  rendered  unnecessary 
by  the  cheapness  of  the  passenger  line-boat. 

Extensive  manufactories — indeed  large  cities  and  villages  have 
sprung  up  as  if  by  enchantment,  where  but  little  more  than  hall 
a  century  ago  might  have  been  heard  the  dismal  howl  of  the 


J54  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

wolf;  the  frightful  scream  of  the  panther ;  or  the  terrific  yell  of 
the  savage.  In  fact,  little  hamlets,  in  number  almost  countless, 
with  the  domes  of  their  seminaries  and  church  spires  towering 
aloft,  are  scattered  over  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  mocasined 
Indian ;  the  site  of  whose  little  bark  dwelling  and  intricate  foot- 
path, has  been  usurped  by  an  iron-bound  road,  or  an  artificial  river. 
Not  only  has  enterprise  peopled  those  portions  of  New  York 
lying  west  of  the  frontier  settlements  at  the  close  of  the  revolution, 
with  a  population  of  one  and  a  half  millions  of  freemen,  with  an 
estimated  valuation  of  property  exceeding  $100,000,000,  and  a 
real  one  more  than  five  times  greater ;  but  it  has  thickly  popu- 
lated several  States  west  of  New  York;  and  the  American  Eagle, 
as  if  undetermined  where  to  alight,  is  conducting  the  hardy  sons 
of  New  England  and  New  York  toward  the  shores  of  the  great 
Pacific.  Judging  from  the  past  and  present,  what  may  we  rea- 
sonably expect  will  be  the  future  condition  and  resources  of  the 
Empire  State  ? — resources  which  now  more  than  equal  those  of 
the  thirteen  States,  when  under  British  tyranny. 


(  155  )  on 


CHAPTER  V. 


There  '^'ere  among  the  early  Schoharie  settlers,  some  remarka- 
ble for  great  personal  strength.  Cornelius,  Samuel,  Peter  and 
Isaac,  sons  of  Peter  Vrooman,  are  said  to  have  possessed  the 
strength  of  giants.  They  erected  the  first  saw-mill  in  the  county, 
which  stood  in  dauvcr-icy,  on  the  little  Schohaiie  kill.  Two  of 
those  brothers  could  easily  carry  a  good  sized  log  on  the  carriage. 
Many  anecdotes  are  related  by  the  aged,  showing  the  strength  of 
the  Vrooman  family.  At  the  hill  mentioned  as  the  Long-berg,  on 
the  road  to  Albany,  Cornelius,  the  strongest  of  the  brothers,  al- 
ways made  a  practice  when  going  to  Albany  with  wheat,  to  car- 
ry one  or  two  bags,  each  containing  two  or  three  skipples,  up 
this  hill  to  favor  his  horses.  Twenty-five  skipples  was  the  ordi- 
nary load  to  Albany,  and  usually  brought  fifty  cents  per  skipple. 

Samuel  Vrooman  is  said  to  have  carried  at  one  time,  twelve 
skipples  of  wheat  and  a  harrow  with  iron  teeth,  from  his  father's 
house  across  a  small  bridge  back  of  it,  and  set  them  down 
in  a  field.  At  another  time,  Cornelius  carried  ten  skipples  of 
peas,  the  same  harrow,  and  a  brother  on  the  top  of  them,  the 
same  distance  :  in  either  case,  eight  or  nine  hundred  pounds. 

The  stout  Vroomans  had  a  remarkably  strong  sister.  A  quar- 
relsome man  being  at  her  father's,  warm  words  passed  be- 
tween him  and  her  brother  Cornelius,  when  the  sister,  fearing  the 
consequences,  if  her  kinsman  laid  hands  upon  the  intruder  in  an- 
ger, seized  him,  although  a  pretty  stout  man,  and  pitched  him 
neck  and  heels  out  of  the  house.  This  we  may  look  upon  as  a 
very  charitable  act,  considering  it  was  done  solely  to  save  his  life. 
There  were  other  individuals  in  Schoharie  who,  if  not  as  strong 


156  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

as  the  brothers  mentioned,  were  sufficiently  so  to  protect  them- 
selves. Several  of  the  Boucks  and  Borsts,  it  is  said,  could  easily 
raise  a  barrel  of  cider  and  drink  from  the  bung-hole. 

Before  the  revolution,  and  for  some  forty  years  after  its  close, 
there  was  much  horse-racing  and  sporting  of  different  kinds  in 
the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk  valleys.  An  ox-race  once  took  place 
in  Cobelskill.  There  was  also  much  fair  boxing,  and  many  quar- 
rels were  settled  by  personal  combat.  The  settlers  sometimes 
played  cards  for  coppers,  but  seldom  for  silver. 

About  the  year  1770,  a  challenge  was  given  and  accepted  be- 
tween the  people  of  the  Mohawk  and  Schoharie  valleys,  to  try 
speed  and  strength.  Which  gave  it,  is  uncertain.  The  Mohawk 
champions  went  to  Schoharie  at  the  appointed  time,  and  multi- 
tudes were  assembled  to  witness  the  strife.  A  sleigh  was  placed 
on  bare  ground,  and  with  twelve  heavy  men  in  it,  Cornelius  Vroo- 
man,  by  the  end  of  the  tongue,  drew  it  one  and  a  half  feet.  Cor- 
nelius Fonda,  the  Mohawk  bully,  attempted,  but  in  vain,  to  start 
it.  On  the  same  day,  Adam  Crysler  ran  a  foot-race  with  one 
Dockstader  from  the  Mohawk  valley — the  former  winning  the 
race  with  ease. 

Formerly,  almost  every  country  woman,  in  some  parts  of  Ame- 
rica, was  to  be  seen  in  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  at  work  on  a 
farm.  It  is  now  very  justly  determined,  that  woman's  place  is  in 
the  house  and  maris  in  the  field. 

Wheat  and  poultry  were  the  most  important  articles  of  traffic 
taken  from  Schoharie  to  Albany,  an  hundred  years  ago,  which 
was  usually  done  by  sleighing.  But  little  grain,  except  wheat? 
was  carried  to  market  for  many  years  by  the  early  settlers :  in 
fact,  much  of  that  grain  was  fed  their  horses  by  the  Germans  and 
Dutch.  The  fondness  of  the  Dutch  for  good  horses,  has  origi- 
nated a  proverb,  that  "  a  Dutchman  thinks  more  of  his  horse 
than  his  wife." 

In  going  from  the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk  valleys,  to  and  from 
Albany,  some  fifty  years  ago,  the  Dutch  were  in  the  habit  of  run- 
ning their  horses  up  a  good  share  of  every  hill.  Starting  the 
team  as  they  neared  it,  they  dashed  on  at  a  furious  rate,  thus  gain- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         157 

ing  an  impetus  which  carried  them  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  hill, 
arriving  at  which  they  often  halted  to  rest  or  feed. 

It  was  customary,  as  already  observed,  for  the  people  of  Scho- 
harie to  go  to  market  in  squads,  and  not  unfrequcntly  fifteen  or 
twenty  teams  were  seen  together,  some  of  which  were  driven  by 
the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  farmers,  who  were  of  the  party. 
The  custom  yet  prevails  of  their  accompanying  their  husbands, 
fathers  and  brothers  to  market ;  not,  however,  in  the  capacity  of 
drivers.  Mounted  upon  the  top  of  a  good  load  of  grain,  the  tidy 
house-wife  or  neatly  clad  daughter  is  often  to  be  seen  as  a  passen- 
ger— or  rather  as  a  mortgage  on  the  load,  as  they  are  not  inaptly 
termed  :  for  she  claims  some  portion  of  the  proceeds  to  be  appro- 
priated to  the  purchase  of  a  new  dress,  or  such  other  articles  as 
her  wardrobe  may  require. 

Weddings,  in  the  days  of  which  I  am  speaking,  were  celebrat- 
ed differently  from  what  they  now  are.  The  law  ihen  required 
the  publishing  of  the  bans  three  successive  times,  in  a  religious 
meeting,  before  a  couple  could  get  married.  After  the  notice  had 
been  once  read,  the  young  friends  usually  had  a  dance,  and  after 
the  couple  were  united,  they  had  several  dances.  Some  good  an- 
ecdotes are  told  of  these  weddings.  Before  the  revolution,  says 
George  Warner^  a  man  came  from  Freehold  and  married  a  Miss 
Schaeffer.  Her  father  was  rather  fastidious  about  asking  some  of 
his  neighbors,  on  the  score  of  their  not  being  sufficiently  opulent, 
but  invited  among  the  guests  an  Indian  friend,  and  gave  him  per- 
mission to  ask  such  of  his  friends  as  he  chose.  The  Indian,  on 
such  an  occasion,  shows  no  great  respect  for  persons — indeed,  he 
never  does  unless  it  be  for  distinguished  prowess,  and  acknowledg- 
ed personal  favors — and  the  sequel  proved  he  had  many  friends : 
for  when  the  guests  began  to  assemble,  a  large  part  of  the  Scho- 
harie tribe  were  there,  some  with  wedding  garments  on,  and  others 
^vith  few  garments,  if  any  at  all  on.  The  dismayed  parent  was 
not  a  little  perplexed,  and  in  order  to  get  rid  of  his  red  guests,  he 
freely  distributed  several  gallons  of  rum,  when  they  pronounced 
the  wedding  a  good  one — gave  a  glorious  whoop  and  retired,  to 
the  great  relief  of  the  family. 


ISj^  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Judge  Brown  related  the  following — to  use  his  own  words — as 
"  a  nobleman's  wedding  j"  which  took  place  in  his  younger  days. 
George  Henry  Stubrach  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  John  Fre- 
derick Bouck,  who  lived  in  the  present  town  of  Fulton.  In  an 
open  field  near  Mr.  Bouck's  residence,  a  booth  was  erected  and  a 
liberty  pole  raised.  The  marriage  ceremony  took  place  in  the 
early  part  of  the  day,  and  the  guests  resorted  to  the  booth.  On 
such  occasions,  there  was  generally  some  quidnunc  present,  who 
assumed  the  responsibilities  of  a  captaincy,  to  direct  the  move- 
ments of  the  joyous  company.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are 
speaking  Nicholas  York  was  the  admitted  dictator.  While  all 
were  busily  engaged  in  such  occupations  as  their  own  taste  se- 
lected, a  circumstance  took  place  which  afforded  the  party  an 
unexpected  source  of  amusement.  A  woodchuck  made  its  ap- 
pearance in  a  fallow  near  the  booth.  Captain  York  instantly  or- 
dered the  field  surrounded,  directing  a  simultaneous  march  to  the 
centre.  The  party  had  not  approached  to  a  concussion,  before 
the  intruder  was  slain.  It  was  handed  over  to  the  captain — 
whose  word  on  such  occasions  was  law.  He  cut  a  piece  of  flesh 
from  the  warm  victim  and  ate  it,  requiring  all,  male  and  female, 
to  follow  his  example.  Most  attempted,  but  few  succeeded  in 
getting  down  the  dainty  morsel.  A  general  "  removal  of  depo- 
sits" was  the  result  of  this  austere  mandate;  after  which  the 
guests  again  resorted  to  their  chosen  occupations.  In  this  jolly 
manner  the  festivities  were  continued  for  three  successive  days. 
What  disposition  to  make  of  the  guests  nights,  1  am  at  a  loss  to 
know.  On  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  the  blushing  bride  was 
taken  home  to  the  residence  of  her  husband,  in  Kneiskern's  dorf. 
Two  barrels  of  home  brewed  beer,  twenty-two  gallons  of  rum  and 
a  proportionate  quantity  of  wine,  were  the  spirits  poured  down  to 
raise  the  spirits  of  the  party  up,  on  this  noted  occasion :  and  it  is 
a  fact  worthy  of  remark,  that  all  the  liquors  were  quaffed  from 
wooden  dippers.  This  wedding  took  place  when  it  was  the  fashion 
for  ladies  to  wear  short  dresses — flowered  ^ilk  hose — and  French- 
heeled  slippers,  fastened  with  silver  buckles.  The  large  pocket 
made  separately  and  worn  loose  over  the  dress,  as  also  the  hoop, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         159 

both  of  which  were  part  of  female  attire  at  a  later  period,  may 
have  been  in  service  at  the  time  of  this  wedding.  This  brief  de- 
scription will  serve  to  give  the  reader  a  pretty  good  idea  of  the 
manner  in  which  most  weddings  of  consequence  were  celebrated 
in  bygone  days.  Nearly  all  the  people — old  as  well  as  young — 
were  then  in  the  habit  of  dancing  on  such  occasions.  Their  style, 
perhaps,  was  not  of  the  most  graceful  kind.  The  French  steps 
had  not  then  been  taught  in  that  beautiful  valley.  The  last  wed- 
ding which  seventy-two  hours  were  required  to  complete,  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  that  of  the  late  Judge  Swart,  and  took  place 
in  April,  1775.  The  revolution  broke  them  up,  as  they  could  not 
in  safety  be  celebrated  then  ;  and  after  the  war  was  over,  few  felt 
as  though  they  could  afford  to  give  them — many  being  under  the 
necessity  of  erecting  themselves  new  dwellings,  upon  the  ashes  of 
their  old  ones. 

Jacob  Becker  related  an  anecdote,  which  shows  the  faithful 
manner  in  which  those  weddings  were  celebrated.  They  had  in 
his  father's  family  at  one  time  a  shoemaker  at  work,  so  that  a 
brother  of  his  might  learn  the  trade.  While  he  was  there,  Joseph 
Kneiskern — a  widower,  was  married.  Becker's  brother  George, 
several  years  older  than  himself,  attended  the  wedding.  As  he 
was  putting  on  a  new  pair  of  shoes  with  very  thick  soles — the 
workmanship  of  the  cobbler,  the  latter  good  humoredly  told  him  if 
he  danced  those  soles  through,  he  would  put  on  a  new  pair  for 
nothing.  Away  went  the  guest  to  the  wedding,  from  which  he 
returned  home  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day.  He  pulled  off 
his  shoes  and  threw  them  to  the  mechanic,  who,  on  examining, 
found  he  had  been  taken  at  his  word — and  that  not  only  the 
outer,  but  the  inner  soles  of  both  were  worn  entirely  through. 
In  those  days  house-floors  in  New  England  and  New  York,  were 
scoured  clean,  and  instead  of  a  carpet,  received  a  coat  of  fine 
white  sand — which  will  enable  the  reader  to  understand  how  the 
shoes  could  have  been  used  up. 

It  was  customary  for  the  groom,  after  the  ordeal  of  proposing 
tJie  question,  to  make  his  intended  a  present  of  some  kind — usually 
a  pair   of  silver  shoe-buckles,   sleeve   buttons — or  snuff-box. 


160  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Whether  the  modern  low-lived  and  Hl-bred  custom  of  celebrating 
weddings  in  the  street,  usually  termed  horning — now  in  vogue  in 
ignorant  communities — prevailed  before  the  revolution  in  Scho- 
harie, I  can  not  say. 

Several  black  fiddlers  were,  in  their  day,  noted  persons.  Jack, 
a  slave  beloging  to  Col.  Zielie,  and  another  of  the  same  name, 
belongmg  to  John  Lawyer,  who,  to  distinguish  them,  were 
called  Jack  ZieHe  and  Jack  Lawyer,  flourished  in  their  way, 
about  the  time  of  the  revolution.  A  frolic  could  not  easily  be 
sustained  then,  unless  one  of  them  was  present.  They  played  the 
fiddle,  holding  it  in  various  positions,  sometimes  before  and  at 
others  behind  them.  One  of  the  two  was  formerly  represented 
on  a  tavern  sign  (painted  by  George  Tiffany,  Esq.)  as  playing  for 
a  jolly  company ;  some  part  of  which  device  is  still  visible  on  the 
sign  now  in  the  cabinet  of  John  Gebhard,  jr.,  Esq.  of  Schoharie. 

Dancing  oifrolicing,  as  then  called,  was  still  the  order  of  the 
day  some  fifty  years  ago,  in  most  of  the  Dutch  and  German  set- 
tlements. Old,  middle-aged,  and  young — dressed  much  alike — 
usually  assembled  on  those  occasions,  which  were  on  Saturday 
evening,  and  as  often  as  two  or  three  times  in  a  month.  Males 
frequently  danced  with  their  hats  on.  The  female  dress  was 
strapped  caps  of  lawn,  striped  linsey  petticoats,  with  short-gowns 
of  differently  striped  calico  or  silk,  an  outside  chintz  pocket  tied 
round  the  waist  with  ribbon  or  tape,  and  high  heeled  cloth  boots. 
After  the  guests  were  assembled,  a  six  or  eight  reel,  then  a  four? 
a  jig,  and  a  hornpipe  were  danced  in  succession,  in  the  centre  of 
a  room  crowded  by  spectators  to  a  small  space  for  the  dancers,  if 
a  fight  did  not  take  place  before  the  hornpipe  was  reached — which 
was  very  frequently  the  case — owing  to  the  impatience  and  fre- 
quent liquoring  of  the  gentlemen  not  dancing.  Then  might  have 
been  seen  a  happy  couple,  manifesting  great  disparity  of  age, 
"jigging  merrily  down  the  middle,  through  a  line  of  succeeding 
generations.''^  The  musician  was  generally  either  Jack  Lawyer 
or  Jack  Zielie,  who  accompanied  the  motion  of  his  bow  with  a 
continual  stamping  of  one  foot — saying,  in  effect,  hear  dis  nigger 
mark  time  on  de  floor.     The  slaves  of  the  citizens,  on  those  oc- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        161 

casions,  were  permitted  to  witness  the  performance  at  the  doors 
and  windows,  which  they  literally  fdled.  At  the  period  of  which 
I  am  speaking,  much  liquor  was  drank  in  all  the  frontier  settle- 
ments, and  j^ugilism,  though  not  then  treated  as  a  science,  was  of 
very  frequent  occurence.  It  was  not  at  all  imcomraon  during 
those  personal  encounters,  for  a  young  miss  to  hold  the  coat  and 
hat  of  her  lover,  while  he  was  knocking  another  man  down,  or 
being  knocked  down  himself.  The  reader  is  aware  that  the  ban- 
ner of  Temperance — the  friend  of  peace  and  social  order — was 
not  unfurled  o'er  the  land  Jifti/  years  ago. 

Judge  Brown  assured  me,  that  in  his  younger  days  he  often 
made  bows  and  arrows,  and  hand-sleds,  to  sell  to  boys.  The  or- 
dinary price  for  one  of  the  latter  was  three  coppers.  This  fact  is 
mentioned  to  show  the  value  of  money  in  the  French  war.  He 
said  he  had,  among  other  things  to  gain  a  livelihood  when  young, 
often  fiddled  for  a  respectable  company  to  dance.  His  wife  hu- 
morously remarked  to  him  while  relating  that  fact — "  and  from  a 
fiddler  you  rose  to  be  a  JtidgeJ' 

Few  dishes  were  formerly  seen  upon  the  tables  of  the  Schoha- 
rie people.  It  was  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  a  family  of  eight 
or  ten  persons  seated  at  an  old  fashioned  round  table — which  was 
tm-ned  up  in  every  dwelling  when  not  in  use — each  with  a  spoon 
eating  from  a  single  dish  of  supaan.  Every  member  had  a  cavi- 
ty in  the  pudding  filled  with  milk,  from  which  he  or  she,  was  al- 
lowed freely  to  scoop.  On  eating  through  into  each  other's  divi- 
sions, a  quickened  motion  of  the  spoon  ensued,  if  trouble  did  not. 
If  bowls  were  not  then  found  indispensible  in  a  large  family,  for 
eating  a  supper  of  supaan  and  milk,  neither  were  plates  in  eating 
a  hearty  dinner.  Each  member  of  the  family — seated  at  the 
round  table,  the  quality  and  neatness  of  which  no  cloth  concealed — 
was  given  a  large  slice  of  bread  upon  which  they  ate  their  meat 
and  potatoes  ;  after  which,  the  time  serving  plate  was  broken  up, 
thrust  into  a  dish  to  receive  a  coat  of  dope  (gravy,)  and  soon  de- 
voured. Bread  was  then  sliced  by  one  of  the  heads  of  the  fami- 
ly, and  dealt  out  around  the  table  as  a  whist  player  would  deal 
his  cards.     Rice  and  milk  was,  like  supaan,  also  eaten  from  one 


IS'S  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

dish,  after  receiving  the  liberal  scrapings  of  a  cake  of  maple  su- 
gar. Happy  days  were  those  when  the  good  house-wife  had  few 
bowls  or  plates  to  wash,  and  little  envy  about  the  quality  or  num- 
ber of  those  possessed  by  her  neighbor. 

That  good  custom  of  calling  on  friends  and  reciprocating  kind 
feelings  on  the  first  day  of  the  year,  which  still  prevails  in  our 
larger  towns,  existed  in  Schoharie  before  the  revolution  :  and  no 
people  improved  the  privileges  of  the  custom  or  turned  them  to 
better  account,  than  did  the  Indians.  They  not  only  called  on  the 
whites  with  a  happy  neiw-jahr,  expecting  to  renew  their  claims 
to  friendship  by  eating  cakes  and  drinking  liquor,  but  also  expect- 
ed a  liberal  donation  of  eatables  to  take  to  their  cabin,  the  squaws 
carrying  baskets  on  their  heads  to  receive  them.  On  those  gala 
days,  the  tables  of  the  Germans  and  Dutch  were  loaded  with  sev- 
eral skipples  of  bread  and  fried  cakes,  and  a  fearful  array  of  li- 
quors. Said  Mattice  Ball  to  the  author — "  I  have  alone  cut  up 
six  loaves  of  bread  on  new  year's  day,  and  distributed  to  the 
Indians." 

In  the  Dutch  settlements  along  the  Mohawk,  calls  began  among 

neighbors  on  new  year's  day  at  midnight,  with  the  following 

greeting : 

"  Ik  wens  u  glucksaalic  nieu  jar  ! 

Dat  gy  Jang  leben  mag — 

Veel  geben  mag — 

En  de  kernigh-reich  von  de  himmel  erben  mogb  !" 

I  wish  you  a  happy  new-year  ! 

May  you  long  live — 

Have  much  to  give — 

And  in  heaven  at  last  appear  ! 

Christmas  is  a  day  still  observed  in  the  Dutch  and  German 
settlements  of  New  York,  though  not  as  much  as  formerly.  On 
the  evening  before  Christmas,  children  hang  up  their  stockings  on 
going  to  bed,  expecting  to  find  them  filled  in  the  morning  with 
presents,  such  as  cakes,  fruit,  nuts,  &c.  by  an  imaginary  visitor 
called  Santa  Claas.  If  the  children  have  been  wilful  and  refrac- 
tory, the  messenger  of  St.  Nicholas,  who  is  only  a  neighbor  dis- 
guised, sometimes  arrives  before  bed-time  with  a  whip  instead  of 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         163 

a  present;  and  lucky  are  the  mischievous  urchins  who  can  hide 
themselves  under  a  bed,  or  their  mother's  apron  to  avoid  chas- 
tisement. Formerly,  the  occasion  was  improved  to  punish  dis- 
obedient slaves,  whose  superstitious  fears  prevented  them  from 
penetrating  the  disguise  which  often  concealed  some  member  of 
the  family  in  which  they  lived. 

Paas,  Easter-day ;  and  Pinkster,  Whitsunday,  are  days  also 
noted  in  the  annals  of  the  Dutch.  The  former  day  is  ushered  in 
by  the  young,  with  presents  of  eggs  colored  various  hues ;  while 
the  latter  is  more  particularly  observed  by  the  colored  population. 
The  blacks  are  seen  with  smiling  faces  on  that  day,  clad  in  thcii 
best  apparel,  going  to  visit  their  friends — often  bearing  flowers 
called  by  them  Pinkster-bloomies ;  which  are  known  in  New  Eng- 
land as  blossoms  of  the  swamp-apple. 

The  early  farmers  of  Schoharie  turned  their  attention  mostly  to 
raising  wheat,  as  do  their  descendants — or  rather  did,  until  the 
weevil  prevented.  They  have  ever  kept  too  many  horses,  and  too 
few  cattle  and  sheep  for  profit — the  well  fed  horse  being  a  very 
expensive  boarder.  Not  many  of  the  Dutch  to  this  day  keep  large 
dairies,  as  very  few  of  them  make  English  cheese.  Some  of  them, 
however,  make  considerable  butter,  and  the  world  may  be  chal- 
lenged to  excel  them  in  making  it  palatable.  Many  of  them 
churn  the  milk  with  the  cream,  and  when  that  is  not  done,  it 
goes  through  a  process  in  working  it  called  washing,  which  in 
either  case,  divests  it  of  a  greasy  flavor  more  common  to  butter 
made  in  English  settlements.  The  Dutch  also  make  excellent 
bread. 

Sour-crout*  is  a  German  dish  much  eaten  in  the  Schoharie  and 
Mohawk  valleys.     Many  families  make  a  barrel  of  it  every  fall. 

•  This  article  is  made  as  follows.  Late  in  the  fall  a  quantity  of  good  sound 
cabbage  is  prepared  as  it  would  be  for  slaugk,  or  salad,  to  conform  to  Web- 
ster. It  is  cut  with  knives  set  in  a  plank.  In  a  clean  barrel  the  packing  is 
commenced.  A  layer  of  cabbage  is  closely  laid  by  the  aid  of  a  heavy  pounder, 
after  which  a  handful  of  common  salt  is  sprinkled  upon  it,  and  also  a  little 
water,  to  moisten  the  whole.  This  process  is  repeated  until  a  sufficiency  is 
secured  ;  when  a  board  is  laid  upon  the  top  and  kept  down  by  weights.  The 
barrel  is  then  put  in  the  cellar.     Fermentation  causes  a  scum  to  rise  upon 


164  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I  have  before  observed  that  witchcraft  was  believed  in  by  some 
of  the  Schoharie  people,  many  years  ago.  A  man  by  the  name 
of  Rector  once  shot,  with  impunity,  an  old  woman  living  on  the 
bank  of  the  Schoharie,  opposite  the  present  village  of  Esperance, 
said  to  have  been  bewitched.  She  was  shot  through  a  window 
of  her  own  house.  Cattle  were  sometimes  killed  for  the  same 
supposed  malady  and  burned  up.  I  have  spoken  of  old  Doctor 
Moulter,  as  a  believer  in  witchcraft.  He  is  said  to  have  had  re- 
peated battles  with  witches,  and  on  one  occasion  to  have  encoun- 
tered seven  at  once,  at  a  small  brook,  near  the  corner  of  the  roads 
in  the  north  part  of  Schoharie  village,  and  retreated  until  he 
placed  his  back  against  the  brick  church,  when  he  overpowered 
them.  It  is  not  unlikely  he  met  a  Mary  Magdalene,  as  they  still 
lurk  at  times  about  the  same  corners.  One  anecdote  more  of  the 
old  Doctor.  He  pretended  he  could  drive  rats  from  one  house  to 
another,  and  was  often  hired  by  the  superstitious — by  whom  he 
was  very  liberally  paid,  to  drive  the  rats  from  their  dwellings  to 
those  of  their  neighbors  with  whom  they  were  not  on  good  terms. 
Moulter,  at  precisely  such  an  hour  of  the  night,  woiild  rap  on  the 
corners  of  the  house — repeat  a  lingo  of  his  own,  and  command 
every  rat,  dead  or  alive,  to  leave  the  house  thus  thumped,  and  go 
to  such  an  one  as  he  was  hired  to  send  them  to.  Possibly  he 
threatened  to  bewitch  them  if  they  did  not  pack  up  and  be  off. 
The  silly  doctrine  of  witchcraft  has  fled  the  Schoharie  valley, 
never  more  to  enter  it. 

The  inhabitants  of  Schoharie  suffered  but  little  in  the  French 
war.  A  block  fort  was  then  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the  road, 
nearly  opposite  the  residence  of  the  late  Philip  Dietz.  It  is  said, 
however,  to  have  been  but  little  used  and  not  even  garrisoned. 
The  Six  Nations  of  Indians  which  embraced  the  Schoharie  tribe, 
were  English  allies  in  the  war,  consequently  the  frontier  settle- 
ments were  not  much  exposed.  A  small  number  of  hostile  In- 
dians entered  Schoharie  once  during  this  war.     Jacob  Folluck 

the  board,  which  should  be  cleansed  as  often  as  the  barrel  is  disturbed.  Sour- 
crout  is  usually  cooked  with  potage,  and  for  persons  who  exercise,  it  is  very 
nutritious.     It  is  much  used  in  long  voyages  at  sea. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         165 

was  the  only  person  killed  by  them.  Near  the  present  residence 
of  David  Lawyer,  on  Foxes  creek,  the  enemy  were  secreted  by 
an  oat-field,  intending  the  capture  of  several  persons  expected 
there  to  cut  oats.  Mr.  Folluck  with  his  dog  and  gun  had  just  left 
home  to  go  hunting.  Passing  the  Indians,  his  dog  began  to  bark ; 
when  the  former,  fearing  discovery,  shot  the  dog  and  his  mas- 
ter, whom  they  scalped ;  and  then  precipitately  left  Schoharie. 
Mr.  Sternberg,  returning  from  Beaver  Dam,  passed  unmolested 
by  his  concealed  foes,  just  before  his  neighbor  was  shot.  They 
were  desirous  of  taking  several  prisoners  at  once,  and  he,  being 
alone,  passed  unmolested.  Sternberg  had  lost  part  of  his  nose, 
which  was  observed  by  the  Indians  in  ambush.  After  the  war 
he  was  recognized  by  some  of  them  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  by 
the  deficiency  of  his  nasal  organ.  He  was  asked  if  he  did  not 
remember  passing  by  the  oat-field  on  the  morning  his  neighbor 
was  killed,  leading  a  cow  by  a  rope  ?  He  replied  that  he  did.  He 
was  then  assured  that  Folluck  would  not  have  been  injured,  but 
for  his  dog. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  French  war  a  treaty  was  held  with  the 
Indians  near  where  Boyd's  mill  now  stands,  in  the  present  town 
of  Middleburgh.  The  meeting  was  very  numerously  attended. 
Queter,  (Peter,)  an  Oquago  chief,  who  it  would  seem  was  in  the 
French  interest,  closed  a  speech  as  follows.  Laying  down  an 
iron  wedge  upon  a  fallen  tree,  said  he,  alluding  to  their  union 
with  the  French,  "  We  are  like  that — strong  and  can  not  be  brO' 
ken  /"  Mrs.  Josiah  Swart,  who  perfectly  understood  the  Indian 
dialect,  is  said  to  have  acted  as  interpreter  on  the  occasion. 
When  the  symbol  was  explained,  Mrs.  S.  emphatically  address- 
ed Queter  in  his  native  tongue,  and  in  behalf  of  the  British 
interest  as  follows.  Said  she — taking  a  guinea  from  her  pocket 
and  laying  it  upon  the  wedge,  "  We  are  like  that,  which  is  equally 
strong  and  can  outlive  your  symbol;  for  if  both  be  buried  in  the 
ground  the  rust  icill  destroy  yours,  while  ours  will  come  out  as 
strorig  and  as  bright  as  ever .'"  When  the  squaw's  speech  was  in- 
terpreted— Indians  call  all  women  squaws — it  was  pronounced 
superior  to  any  other  delivered  on  the  occasion.  It  is  supposed 
12 


l#fi  mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Sir  William  Johnson — under  whom  some  of  the  white  citizens 
and  Indians  of  Schoharie  served  during  this  war,  was  present  at 
this  meeting,  as  there  were  chiefs  assembled  from  several  tribes. 
Abraham,  a  Schoharie  chief,  was  among  the  speakers  on  the  oc- 
casion. On  the  same  ground,  after  the  Canadas  were  conquered, 
a  jubilee  was  held,  at  which  time  a  barrel  of  rum  was  drank.  A 
bonfire  was  also  made  by  piling  a  large  quantity  of  pine  knots 
around  a  dry  tree,  the  light  of  which,  when  "  the  evening  shades 
prevailed,"  beautified  the  rich  mountain  scenery  around.  At  this 
jolly  festival.  Judge  Brown,  from  whom  these  facts  were  obtained, 
wrestled  with  a  young  Indian  and  threw  him.  He  bellowed  ter- 
ribly when  he  got  up,  and  his  mother  hearing  his  cries,  ran  to  the 
spot  and  struck  Brown  upon  the  head  with  a  pine  knot,  which 
felled  him  to  the  ground  and  nearly  extinguished  life. 

Pleasure  wagons  were  unknown  in  Schoharie  in  former  times, 
and  persons  attending  church,  going  to  frolicks,  or  to  visit  distant 
friends,  usually  went  on  horse-back.  Many  a  horse,  to  which 
had  been  fed  a  double  allowance  of  wheat  for  the  occasion,  has 
borne  not  only  his  master  to  a  dance,  but  at  the  same  time  a  sub- 
stantial guest  of  the  gentler  sex.  Riding  on  horse-back  was  a 
healthy  exercise  much  indulged  in  by  ladies  formerly.  The  side- 
saddles upon  which  they  rode,  exhibit  the  pretty  form  of  a  large 
mud-turtle. 

When  neighbors  returned  from  social  visits,  they  always  car- 
ried home  for  the  children,  a  liberal  quantity  of  oli-cooks — small 
round  cakes  with  raisins  in  the  centre  and  fried  in  lard,  and  sweet 
cakes. 

The  practice  among  the  early  Germans  and  Dutch,  of  sparking 
it  without  fuel  or  rush-light,  has  now  become  obsolete. 

That  the  Americans  as  a  people  have  degenerated  from  their 
ancestors  in  point  of  stature,  limitation  of  life,  and  ability  to  en- 
dure fatigue,  would  seem  to  be  a  fact  generally  admitted.  Some 
of  the  causes  it  may  be  well  to  notice,  as  it  is  highly  important 
as  a  nation,  we  should  not  only  have  vigorous  understandings, 
hut  strength  of  body  to  plan  and  execute  any  undertaking  man 
may  perform.      One  of  the  most    obvious  causes  of  declining 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         167 

strength,  is  the  sedentary  hie  of  an  increasing  number  of  our  ci- 
tizens, added  to  the  fact  that  far  too  httle  exercise  is  taken  in  the 
open  air.  It  is  so  ordered  on  our  planet,  that  man  shall  acquire 
a  living  hy  the  sweat  of  his  hroic* — and  it  is  further  ordained,  that 
the  labor  implied  in  the  mandate  shall  invigorate  his  bodily  pow- 
ers. Another  reason  why  we  do  not  possess  the  constitutions  of 
our  ancestors,  is,  our  luxurious  mode  of  life  when  compared  with 
theirs.  We  use  more  tea,  coffee  and  sugar  than  they  did,  and  our 
food  is  frequently  seasoned  to  death.  In  fact,  modern  cookery  is 
becoming  a  science,  calculated  to  pamper  the  appetite  of  the  in- 
dolent ;  leaving  the  victim  no  other  excuse  than  pastry  for  be- 
coming a  gouty  dyspeptic.  Another  palpable  cause  of  pulmona- 
ry habits,  is  fashionable  di-essijig.  What  tends  much  to  weaken 
us,  although  perhaps  not  so  considered,  is  the  use  of  stoves  instead 
of  fire-places  for  warming  rooms :  and  I  may  add  to  this  another, 
in  the  general  introduction  of  bolting-cloths  into  grist-mills,  ^n- 
drew  Loucks,  who,  at  our  interview,  was  in  his  ninety-seventh 
year,  in  answer  to  the  question,  "  why  were  people  of  your  day 
healthier  than  those  born  at  a  later  period,"  replied — "  We  ate 
lighter  food  when  I  was  a  boy  than  at  present,  such  as  soups ; 
used  a  great  deal  of  milk  and  but  little  tea  and  coffee  :  we  some- 
times made  chocolate  by  roasting  wheat  flour  in  a  pot,  though  not 
often.  But  ah  !  added  the  old  man,  "  young  people  are  now  up 
late  nights — to  run  about  evenings  is  not  good,  but  to  take  the 
morning  air  is  good." 

1  should,  perhaps,  have  remarked  that  the  feeding  of  candy 
and  sweat-meats  to  children,  has  tended  more  than  most  people 
imagine,  to  destroy  the  vigor  of  our  race.  There  are,  however, 
in  spite  of  the  evils  of  infant  pupilage,  causes  beginning  to  oper- 
ate favorably,  for  the  extension  of  human  life,  so  that  in  the  ag- 
gregate, it  is  estimated  that  the  average  limitation  of  man's  exist- 
ence is  now  annually  on  the  increase.  Reasons  obvious  for  this 
are,  that  science  is  augmenting  its  mastery  of  disease,  while  tem- 
perance is  manifesting  its  benevolent  operations  in  its  preventicm. 

The  first  tea  party  in  Schoharie  county  was  given  by  one  of  the 
Vrooman  families,  in  Vrooman's  Land.     Miss  Loucks,  a  sister  of 


168  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHAEIE  COUNTY, 

my  informant,  was  a  guest.  When  the  enlivcner  was  announced 
as  ready,  the  party  gathered  about  a  round  table,  upon  which 
stood  not  a  morsel  of  any  thing  to  eat,  except  a  liberal  lump  of 
maple  sugar,  placed  beside  each  cup.  As  the  India  beverage  en- 
tered the  cups  from  a  kettle  in  which  it  had  been  boiled  as  one 
■would  boil  potatoes,  great  was  the  curiosity  to  loiow  how  it  might 
taste  ;  but  it  was  soon  satisfied  in  most  of  the  guests,  who  sipped 
and  did  nothing  but  sip,  at  a  beverage  that  would  have  borne  an 
egg.  No  milk  was  used  in  the  tea  at  Vrooman's.  Miss  Loucks, 
who  did  not  like  sugar,  ashamed  to  have  the  rest  of  the  party 
think  she  had  not  used  her's,  slipped  it  into  a  side  pocket  and  car- 
ried it  home.  The  ancient  Dutch  custom  always  placed  a  lump 
of  sugar  beside  each  cup,  and  did  not  allow  it  to  dissolve  until  it 
entered  the  mouth,  when  a  frequent  nibble  sufficed. — Ji.  Loucks. 
In  doing  the  honors  of  a  tea-table  25  years  ago,  the  question — 
vrill  you  bite  or  stir  ? — was  asked  each  guest. 

Before  tracing  those  events  of  the  American  Revolution,  which 
the  reader,  in  the  course  of  this  work,  is  to  expect,  I  will  insert 
for  the  benefit  of  the  young,  some  of  the  leading  causes  which 
brought  it  about. 

Much  had  occurred  during  the  colonizing  of  the  several  Ame- 
rican states,  to  estrange  their  affection  and  allegiance  from  the 
British  Crown.  Repeated  attempts  had  been  made  to  abrogate 
their  charters — limit  their  manufactures,  and  circumscribe  their 
commerce :  while  numerous  measures  were  adopted  to  render  them 
more  servile,  and  less  confident  in  their  own  capacity  for  govern- 
ment and  self-protection. 

The  war  between  Great  Britain  and  France,  called  the  French 
war,  which  lasted  from  1755  to  1762,  and  ended  so  gloriously  for 
Britain  in  the  conquest  of  Canada  and  other  French  possessions 
in  America,  discovered  to  England  the  importance  of  her  Ameri- 
can colonies.  The  Enghsh,  at  that  period,  knew  but  little  of  the 
true  state  of  feeling  existing  in  America,  except  that  obtained 
through  prejudiced  sources  :  which  remark  is  not  wholly  inappli- 
cable, even  at  the  present  day.  The  war  to  which  I  have  alluded, 
created  for  Britain  a  heavy  national  debt.  To  liquidate  this  debt, 
the  colonies  were  taxed,  without  having  a  voice  in  the  councils 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         1  69 

of  the  mother  country  ;  against  which  they  firmly,  and  with  great 
unanimity  remonstrated.  The  British  ministry,  ignorant  of  the 
geography  of  the  colonies,  treated  those  popular  remonstrances 
with  a  degree  of  indifference  and  contempt,  that  tended  to  lessen 
the  confidence  of  the  colonists  in  the  English  government.  To  the 
mad  policy  the  British  ministry  pursued,  there  were  in  England 
some  most  honorable  opposers.  Among  the  foremost  may  he  re- 
gistered the  illustrious  names  of  a  Pitt,  a  Conway  and  a  Barre. 
From  the  fact,  that  the  colonists  found  some  noble  champions  in 
England  to  assert  their  rights,  they  were  the  more  united  and  un- 
tiring in  their  attempts  to  obtain  redress.  As  the  criminal,  if  re- 
strained even  for  an  imaginary  olfence,  is  the  more  closely  confined 
and  watched  if  he  makes  any  attempt  to  regain  his  liberty,  so  it 
was  with  the  colonies ;  the  more  they  remonstrated,  the  heavier 
the  manacles  that  were  wrought  for  them.  It  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  that  a  people  taught  from  the  cradle  to  appreciate  liber- 
ty, should  manfully  assert  and  maintain  it. 

A  system  of  taxation  was  devised  by  the  British  ministry  as 
early  as  1754.  The  plan  proposed  that  the  colonies  should  erect 
fortifications,  raise  troops,  &c.;  with  power  to  draw  on  the  Bri- 
tish treasury  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  same — the  whole  ulti- 
mately to  he  reimbursed  by  a  tax  from  the  mother  country  on  the. 
colonies.  This  plan  was  objected  to  by  the  sagacious  Franklin, 
who,  in  a  written  reply  to  Governor  Shirley  of  Massachusetts, 
proved  clearly  that  the  Americans  could  never  submit  to  a  tax 
that  would  render  them  servile — that  they  were  already  taxed  in- 
directly without  having  a  voice,  being  compelled  to  pay  heavy  du- 
ties on  the  manufactures  of  the  mother  country  ;  although  many 
of  the  articles  might  be  manufactured  on  American  soil,  or  pur- 
chased cheaper  in  some  other  foreign  market. 

Dissatisfaction  was  for  years  gaining  ground  in  the  colonies; 
and  as  the  intelligence  of  the  people  Increased,  so  that  they  could 
the  better  appreciate  the  value  of  liberty,  the  prejudices  against 
the  mother  country  were  correspondingly  augmented.  Every 
new  step  the  ministry  took,  having  for  its  ultimate  object  to  fix 
upon  the  Americans  a  system  of  taxation,  was  regarded  with  jeal- 


ifO  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ousy.  They  were  aware  that  Great  Britain  had  so  fettered  their 
foreign  trade,  as  almost  wholly  to  confine  their  commerce  to  her- 
self. 

The  French  war  had  swelled  the  national  debt  of  England  to 
nearly  three  Inindred  and  twenty  millions  of  dollars.  George 
Grenville,  then  prime  minister  of  England,  wishing  to  devise  some 
means  for  raising  a  revenue  to  meet  the  increased  expenses  of  the 
British  government,  which  should  not  prove  onerous  at  hornet  pro- 
posed to  raise  a  revenue  in  America  to  go  into  the  exchequer  of 
Great  Britain.  The  first  act  for  this  object  was  passed  in  1764. 
It  imposed  a  duty  on  "  clayed  sugar,  indigo,  ^c,"  and  would  have 
been  submitted  to,  had  it  not  been  closely  followed  by  others  still 
more  oppressive.  Governor  Bernard,  of  Massachusetts,  issued  a 
pamphlet,  doubtless  from  sinister  motives,  justifying  the  course  of 
England.  He  recommended  abolishing  the  colonial  charters — a 
new  division  of  the  colonies — a  nobility  for  life  in  each  division — 
the  whole  to  come  under  one  general  government,  and  that  to  be 
mider  the  control  of  the  King,  abolishing,  at  the  same  time,  re- 
ligious freedom  of  opinion,  etc.  It  may  well  be  imagined  what 
effect  sentiments  would  produce  in  America,  which  were  intended 
to  demolish  colonial  rights.  In  March,  of  the  same  year,  Mr. 
Grenville  reported  a  resolution  imposing  certain  stamj)  deities  on 
the  colonies.  It  was  not  to  be  acted  upon,  however,  until  the 
next  session  of  Parliament.  Opportunity  being  thus  afforded  the 
colonies,  nearly  all  expressed  in  the  interim,  their  disapprobation. 
In  strong  terms  the  House  of  Burgesses,  of  Virginia,  signified  their 
sense  of  the  measure.  They  addressed  lucid  and  sensible  remon- 
strances to  the  King  and  both  houses  of  Parliament.  In  those, 
they  exhibited  the  want  of  a  precedent  to  such  a  proceeding — the 
subversion  of  their  rights  as  subjects  of  Great  Britain — the  ex- 
hausted state  of  their  finances  by  the  late  war,  which  left  that 
colony  involved  in  a  debt,  to  cancel  which  must  impose  for  years 
to  come  a  tax  on  her  citizens — the  general  depression  of  business — 
their  present  exposed  state,  as  the  Indians  on  the  frontier  were 
unsubdued,  and  might  increase  their  colonial  debt,  &c.  The  ad- 
dresses throughout,  breathed  a  tone  of  humble  firmness.     Those 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         171 

memorials  were  not  even  allowed  to  he  read  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. Doctor  Franklin,  who  was  then  in  England,  waited  upon 
Mr.  Grenville  in  person,  to  persuade  him  to  abandon  a  measure, 
he  well  knew  must  excite  the  whole  continent.  Grenville  perse- 
vered, and  in  March,  1765,  the  obnoxious  bill  was  brought  into 
the  House  of  Commons.  General  Conway  was  the  only  member 
who  openly  contended  against  the  right  of  Parliament  to  enact 
such  a  law.  Charles  Townsend,  an  advocate  for  the  bill,  closed 
a  long  and  rather  eloquent  speech  as  follows : 

"  And  now  will  those  Americans,  children  ^planted  hy  our  care, 
nourished  by  oicr  indulgence,  till  they  are  grown  to  a  degree  of 
strength  and  opulence,  and  protected  by  our  arms,  will  they  grudge 
to  contribute  their  mite  to  relieve  us  from  the  heavy  weight  of  that 
burden  which  we  lie  under?" 

Colonel  Barre,  one  of  the  most  respectable  members  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  with  strong  feelings  of  indignation  in  his 
countenance  and  expression,  replied  to  Mr.  Townsend  in  the  fol- 
lowing eloquent  and  laconic  manner  : 

"  They  planted  by  your  care? — No.  Your  oppressions  plant- 
ed them  in  America.  They  fled  from  your  tyranny  into  a  then 
uncultivated  land,  where  they  were  exposed  to  all  the  hardships 
to  which  human  nature  is  liable ;  and  among  others,  to  the  cruel- 
ties of  a  savage  foe,  the  most  subtle,  and,  1  will  take  upon  me  to 
say,  the  most  terrible,  that  ever  inhabited  any  part  of  God's  earth. 
And  j^et,  actuated  by  principles  of  true  English  liberty,  they  met 
all  these  hardships  with  pleasure,  when  they  compared  them  with 
those  they  suffered  in  their  own  country,  from  men  who  should 
have  been  their  friends. 

"  They  nourished  by  your  indulgence  ? — They  grew  up  by 
your  neglect  of  them.  As  soon  as  you  began  to  care  about  them, 
that  care  was  exercised  in  sending  persons  to  rule  them  in  one  de- 
partment and  in  another,  Avho  were  perhaps  the  deputies  of  depic- 
ties  to  some  members  of  this  House,  sent  to  spy  out  their  liberties, 
to  misrepresent  their  actions,  and  to  prey  upon  them. — Men  whose 
behavior  on  many  occasions,  has  caused  the  blood  of  those  sons  of 
liberty  to  recoil  within  them. — Men  promoted  to  the  highest  seats 
of  justice,  some  of  whom  to  my  knowledge  were  glad,  by  going 
to  a  foreign  country,  to  escape  being  brought  to  the  bar  of  a  court 
of  justice  in  their  own. 

"  They  protected  by  your  arms  ? — They  have  nobly  taken  up 
arms  in  your  defence.  They  have  exerted  a  valor  amidst  their 
constant  and  laborious  industry,  for  the  defence  of  a  countr}'  whose 


172  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

frontier  was  drenched  in  blood,  while  its  interior  parts  yielded  all 
its  little  savings  to  your  emolument.  And  believe — remember  I 
this  day  tell  you  so,  that  same  spirit  of  freedom  which  actuated 
that  people  at  first,  will  accompany  them  still:  but  prudence  for- 
bids me  to  explain  myself  further.  God  knows  I  do  not  at  this 
time  speak  from  any  motives  of  party  heat ;  what  I  deliver  are 
the  genuine  sentiments  of  my  heart.  However  superior  to  me  in 
general  knowledge  and  experience  the  respectable  body  of  this 
House  may  be,  yet  I  claim  to  know  more  of  Americans  than  most 
of  you,  having  seen  and  been  conversant  in  that  country.  The 
people,  I  believe,  are  as  truly  loyal  as  any  subjects  the  King  has, 
but  a  people  jealous  of  their  liberties,  and  who  will  vindicate  them, 
if  ever  they  should  be  violated:  but  the  subject  is  too  delicate — I 
will  say  no  more." 

The  bill  was  passed  by  the  Commons,  and  met  with  no  oppo- 
sition at  all  in  the  House  of  Lords.  On  the  twenty-second  of  the 
same  month,  1765,  it  received  the  royal  assent.  Soon  after  the 
passage  of  the  bill.  Doctor  Franklin,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Charles 
Thompson,  afterwards  secretary  to  Congress,  thus  writes  :  "  The 
sun  of  liberty  is  set ;  you  must  light  up  the  candles  of  industry 
and  economy."  Said  Mr.  Thompson,  in  his  reply  to  Franklin, — 
"  Be  assured  that  we  shall  light  up  torches  of  quite  another  sort." 
To  Mr.  Ingersoll,  who  left  London  about  the  time  the  bill  passed, 
Doctor  Franklin  said :  "  Go  home  and  tell  your  people  to  get 
children  [for  soldiers]  as  fast  as  they  can."  The  act,  which  was 
not  to  take  effect  until  the  following  November,  provided,  that  all 
contracts  should  be  written  on  stamped  paper,  or  have  no  force  in 
law.  As  a  matter  of  course,  the  paper  was  to  be  furnished  at 
extravagant  prices.  As  it  was  foreseen  that  unusual  measures 
would  be  required  to  enforce  a  law,  which,  from  its  very  nature, 
must  meet  with  resistance,  provision  was  made  that  all  penalties 
for  its  violation  might  be  recovered  in  the  admiralty  courts,  which 
received  their  appointment  from  the  crown.  This  was  intended 
to  obviate  the  process  of  trial  hj  jury,  as  it  was  supposed  no  co- 
lonial jury  would  aid  in  enforcing  a  law  so  obnoxious.  The  news 
of  its  fmal  passage  was  received  in  the  colonies  with  sorrowing 
of  heart.  Almost  every  thing  was  done  by  the  people  that  could 
be,  to  manifest  their  abhorence  of  the  stamp  act.  The  shipping 
in  the  harbor  at  Boston  displayed  colors  at  half  mastj  church- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        173 

bells  were  mulllcd  and  tolled,  and  societies  in  most  of  the  colonies 
were  formed  to  resist  the  execution  of  the  law.  Masters  of  ves- 
sels who  brought  the  stamps,  were  treated  with  indignity,  and 
compelled  to  deliver  up  the  stamps  to  the  populace,  who  made 
bonfires  of  them  and  the  law.  Effigies  of  Andrew  Oliver,  who 
had  been  appointed  stamp-distributer  for  the  colony  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  the  British  minister,  lord  North,  (who  had  succeeded 
Mr.  Grenville,)  and  some  of  his  advisers,  were  made,  and  in  so- 
lemn mockery,  pubhcly  burned.  Justices  of  the  peace  refused  to 
interpose  their  authority  to  enforce  the  law.  Stamp  officers  were 
compelled  to  yield  to  the  popular  will,  and  agree  never  to  deliver 
a  stamp.  And  what  was  most  alarming  to  Great  Britain,  many 
of  the  merchants  entered  into  solemn  engagements  to  import  no 
more  goods  from  the  mother  country,  until  the  act  was  repealed. 
In  the  month  of  May  following  the  passage  of  the  act,  five 
spirited  resolutions  against  the  law  were  introduced  into  the  le- 
gislature of  Virginia,  by  Patrick  Henry,  and  after  a  very  warm 
debate,  were  adopted.     The  fifth  resolution  read  as  follows : 

"  Resolved  therefore,  That  the  General  Assembly  of  this  colony 
have  the  sole  riglit  and  power  to  lay  taxes  and  impositions  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  this  colony  ;  and  that  every  attempt  to  vest  such 
power  in  any  person  or  persons  whatever,  other  than  the  General 
Assembly  aforesaid,  has  a  manifest  tendency  to  destroy  British  as 
well  as  American  freedom."  [Neaa'ly  at  the  same  time  the  As- 
sembly of  Massachusetts  adopted  similar  resolves.] 

In  the  city  of  New  York  the  stamp-act  was  printed,  under  the 
title  of  "  The  folly  of  England,  and  the  ruin  of  America,"  and 
thus  hawked  about  the  streets.  When  it  became  known  that  co- 
lonial assemblies  were  evincing  hostility  to  the  law,  the  timid  be- 
came more  bold  and  the  tendency  to  mobocracy  could  not  be  re- 
strained. In  many  parts  of  Connecticut  and  Rhode-Island,  mobs 
to  oppose  the  law  were  collected,  while  in  Boston  the  populace 
wantonly  destroyed  the  buildings  and  property  of  the  stamp  offi- 
cers. In  June  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  proposed  the  ex- 
pediency of  calling  a  Continental  Congress,  to  meet  in  New  York 
the  following  October.  Nine  of  the  colonies  sent  delegates.  The 
esult  of  their  deliberations  was,  a  declaration  of  rights,  in  which 


174  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

they  claimed  the  exclusive  right  to  tax  themselves,  and  the  privi- 
lege of  trial  by  jury,  a  memorial  to  the  House  of  Lords,  and  a  pe- 
tition to  the  King,  and  Commons.  Colonies  prevented  by  the  pro- 
roguing power  of  their  governors  from  sending  delegates  to  the 
convention,  expressed  their  earliest  possible  approbation  of  the 
proceedings.  On  the  first  day  of  November,  when  the  stamp-act 
was  to  take  effect,  sadness  was  manifest  in  all  the  colonies.  In 
Boston  the  workshops  and  stores  were  closed,  and  while  the  bells 
tolled  as  for  a  funeral,  effigies  of  the  friends  of  the  act,  were 
marched  in  solemn  procession  through  the  streets,  to  a  gallows 
on  Boston  neck,  where,  after  the  hang-man  had  done  his  duty, 
they  were  cut  down  and  destroyed.  At  Portsmouth,  public  no- 
tice was  given  to  the  friends  of  liberty  to  attend  her  funeral — a 
coffin  was  prepared,  upon  which  was  inscribed  in  large  letters  the 
word  Liberty.  This  was  followed  by  a  numerous  procession, 
while  the  bells  were  tolling  and  minute  guns  were  firing,  to  the 
grave.  There  an  oration  was  pronounced,  in  which  it  was  hinted, 
that  the  deceased  might  possibly  revive.  The  coffin  was  then  dis- 
interred, the  word  Revived  conspicuously  added  to  the  inscription, 
after  which  the  bells  rang  a  merry  peal.  Printers  boldly  printed 
and  circulated  their  papers,  without  the  required  stamp.  Asso- 
ciations were  formed  from  Maine  to  the  Mississippi,  entitled  the 
"  Sons  of  Liberty,"  composed  of  the  talent  and  wealth  of  the 
people ;  pledging  their  fortunes  and  their  lives  to  defend  the 
liberty  of  the  press,  and  put  down  the  stamp-act.  The  scheme 
of  continental  alliance,  which  afterwards  followed,  sprang  from 
these  associations.  Nor  were  the  males  alone  patriotic — females 
of  the  highest  rank,  and  bred  to  luxurious  ease,  became  members 
in  all  the  colonies,  of  societies,  resolving  to  forego  luxuries,  and 
to  card,  spin,  and  weave  their  own  clothing.  Fair  reader !  a  suit 
of  home-spun,  was  then  a  mark  of  popular  distinction.  Such  was 
the  spirit  of  opposition,  to  a  favorite  measure  of  the  British  minis- 
try. Parliament  again  convened  in  January,  1766  ;  when  a  mul- 
titude of  petitions,  from  all  parts  of  England  and  America,  were 
presented  for  the  repeal  of  the  stamp-act.  Some  changes  had 
taken  place  in  the  English  Cabinet,  more  favorable  to  the  colonial 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        175 

cause,  but  Mr.  Grenville  still  retained  a  place  in  it.  After  the 
speech  of  the  King  had  been  read,  Mr.  Pitt,  the  great  champion 
of  equal  rights,  occupied  the  floor.  He  briefly  censured  the  acts 
of  the  late  ministry,  after  which  he  thus  expressed  himself. 

"  It  is  a  long  time,  Mr.  Speaker,  since  I  have  attended  in  Par- 
liament :  when  the  resolution  was  taken  in  this  House  to  tax  Ame- 
rica, I  was  ill  in  bed.  If  I  could  have  endured  to  have  been  car- 
ried in  my  bed,  so  great  was  the  agitation  of  my  mind  for  the  con- 
sequences, I  would  have  solicited  some  kind  hand  to  have  laid  me 
down  on  this  floor,  to  have  borne  my  testimony  against  it.  It  is 
my  opinion,  that  this  kingdom  has  no  right  to  lay  a  tax  upon  the  colo- 
nies. At  the  same  time,  I  assert  the  authority  of  this  kingdom  to 
be  sovereign  and  supreme  in  every  circumstance  of  government 
and  legislation  whatsoever.  Taxation  is  no  part  of  the  governing 
or  legislative  power ;  the  taxes  are  a  voluntary  gift  and  grant  of 
the  Commons  alone.  The  concurrence  of  the  Peers  and  the 
CroAvn  is  necessary  only  as  a  for?n  of  law.  This  House  represents 
the  commons  of  Great  IBritain.  When  in  this  House  we  give  and 
grant,  therefore,  we  give  and  grant  what  is  our  own,  but  can  we 
give  and  grant  the  property  of  the  Commons  of  America  ?  It  is  an 
absurdity  in  terms.  There  is  an  idea  in  some,  that  the  colonies 
are  virtually  represented  in  this  House.  I  would  fain  know  by 
whom  ?  The  idea  of  virtual  represe7itatio7i  is  the  most  contemptible 
that  ever  entered  into  the  head  of  man  : — It  does  not  deserve  a  se- 
rious refutation.  The  commons  in  America,  represented  in  their 
several  Assemblies,  have  invariably  exercised  this  constitutional 
right  of  giving  and  granting  their  own  money ;  they  would  have 
been  slaves  if  they  had  not  enjoyed  it.  At  the  same  time  this 
kingdom  has  ever  professed  the  power  of  legislation  and  commer- 
cial control.  The  colonies  acknowledge  your  authority  in  all 
things,  with  the  sole  exception  that  you  shall  not  take  their  money 
out  of  their  pockets  without  their  consent.  Here  would  I  draw  the 
line — quam  ultra  citraque  7ieqmt  consistere  rectum'''' — [right  forbids 
you  to  go  beyond  or  fall  short  of  it.] 

Mr.  Grenville,  the  prime  mover  of  all  the  mischief,  arose  to  de- 
fend his  measures.  He  compared  the  tumults  in  America  to  an 
open  rebellion — said  he  feared  the  doctrine  that  day  promulgated 
would  lead  to  revolution.  He  justified  the  right  of  taxing  the 
colonies,  &c.     Said  he — 

"  Protection  and  obedience  are  reciprocal.  Great  Britain  pro- 
tects America,  America  is  therefore  bound  to  yield  obedience.  If 
not,  tell  me,  when  were  the  Americans  emancipated  ?  The  sedi- 
tious spirit  of  the  colonies,  oives  its  birth  to  the  factions  in  this 
House.     We  were  told  we  trod  on  tender  ground ;  we  were  bid  to 


176  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

expect  disobedience  ;  what  is  this  but  telling  America  to  stand  out 
against  the  law  ?  To  encourage  their  obstinacy  Avith  the  expecta- 
tion of  support  here  ?  Ungrateful  people  of  America  !  The  nation 
has  run  itself  into  an  immense  debt  to  give  them  protection ; 
bounties  have  been  extended  to  them  ;  in  their  favor  the  act  of 
navigation  has  been  relaxed:  and  now  that  thev  are  called  upon 
to  contribute  a  small  share  towards  the  public  expense,  they  re- 
nounce your  authority,  insult  your  officers,  and  break  out,  I  might 
almost  say,  into  open  rebellion." 

Mr.  Grenville  took  his  seat,  and  Mr.  Pitt,  with  permission  of 
the  House,  rose,  with  indignation  visible  in  his  countenance,  to 
reply. 

"  Sir,"  [addressing  the  Speaker,]  "  a  charge  is  brought  against 
gentlemen  sitting  in  this  House,  for  giving  birth  to  sedition  in 
America.  The  freedom  with  which  they  have  spoken  their  senti- 
ments against  this  zmhappy  act,  is  imputed  to  them  as  a  crime  ; 
but  the  imputation  shall  not  discourage  me.  It  is  a  liberty  which 
I  hope  no  gentleman  will  be  afraid  to  exercise  ;  it  is  a  liberty  by 
which  the  gentleman  who  calumniates  it,  might  have  profited. 
He  ought  to  have  desisted  from  his  project.  We  are  told  America 
is  obstinate — America  is  almost  in  open  rebellion  .  Sir,  /  rejoice 
that  America  has  resisted. _  Three  millions  of  people  so  dead  to  all 
the  feelings  of  libert}',  as  voluntarily  to  submit  to  be  slaves,  would 
have  been  fit  instruments  to  have  made  slaves  of  all  the  rest." 
[After  a  very  happy  reply  to  some  old  law  passages  cited  by  Mr. 
Grenville  ;  he  thus  continued] — "  'When,'  said  the  honorable  gen- 
tleman, '  were  the  colonies  emancipated  V  At  what  time,  say  I  in 
answer,  were  they  made  slaves  ?  I  speak  from  accurate  know- 
ledge when  I  say,  that  the  profits  to  Great  Britain  from  the  trade 
of  the  colonies,  through  all  its  branches,  is  tAvo  millions  per  an- 
num. This  is  the  fund  AA'hich  carried  you  triumphantly  through 
the  war ;  this  is  the  price  America  pays  you  for  her  protection ; 
and  shall  a  miserable  financier  come  Avith  a  boast  that  he  can  fetch 
a  pepper-corn  into  the  exchequer,  at  the  loss  of  millions  to  the  na- 
tion ?  I  knoAV  the  valor  of  your  troops — I  knoAv  the  skill  of  your 
officers — I  knoAv  the  force  of  this  country  ;  but  in  such  a  cause  your 
success  Avould  be  hazardous.  America  if  she  fell,  Avould  fall  like 
the  strong  man  :  she  icould  embrace  the  pillars  of  the  State  and 
pull  doion  the  Constitutimi  with  her.  Is  this  your  boasted  peace  ? 
Not  to  sheathe  the  sAvord  in  the  scabbard,  but  to  sheathe  it  in  the 
boAvels  of  your  countrymen  ?  The  Americans  haA^e  been  Avronged ; 
they  have  been  driven  to  madness  by  injustice.  Will  you  punish 
them  for  the  madness  you  have  occasioned  ?  No :  let  this  country 
be  the  first  to  resume  its  prudence  and  temper ;  I  Avill  pledge 
myself  for  the  colonies,  that  on  their  part  animosity  and  resent- 
ment will  cease.     The  system  of  policy  I  would  earnestly  adopt  in 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        177 

relation  to  America,  is  happily  expressed  in  the  words  of  a  favo- 
rite poet : 

'•■  Be  to  her  faults  a  little  blind, 

Be  to  her  virtues  very  kind, 

Let  a!l  her  ways  be  unconfined 

And  clap  your  padlock  on  her  mind." 

Upon  the  whole  I  heg  leave  to  tell  the  House,  in  a  few  words, 
what  is  really  my  opinion.     It  is  that  the  stamp-act  he  repealed, 

ABSOLUTELY,  TOTALLY  AND  IMMEDIATELY. 

In  addition  to  the  information  contained  in  the  numerous  peti- 
tions laid  before  Parliament,  Doct.  Franklin  was  called  to  the  bar, 
and  questioned  freely  as  to  the  real  state  of  feeling  existing  in  the 
colonies  towards  the  act.  By  a  division  of  the  House  a  large 
majority  were  in  favor  of  not  enforcing ;  and  shortly  after  a  bill 
passed  for  repealing  the  law.  The  news  of  its  repeal  produced 
joy  throughout  England  and  America.  Illuminations  and  deco- 
rations took  place  in  the  former,  while  in  the  latter  country,  public 
thanksgivings  were  offered  in  the  churches — non-importation  re- 
solutions rescinded,  and  the  home-spun  apparel  given  to  the  poor. 
The  difficulty  between  the  two  countries  would  soon  have  been 
healed,  had  not  the  repeal  of  the  stamp- act  been  followed  with 
the  "  Declaratory  Ad,^'  which  was,  "  that  Parliament  have,  and 
of  right  ought  to  have,  power  to  hind  the  colonies  in  all  cases 
whatsoever.''^  In  this  the  vight  to  tax  was  still  maintained  :  in 
addition  to  this  probe  to  open  the  wound  anew,  a  law  remained 
unrepealed,  which  directed  that  whenever  troops  should  be  march- 
ed into  any  of  the  colonies,  necessary  articles  should  be  provided 
for  them  at  the  expense  of  the  colony.  The  Assembly  of  New 
York  refused  obedience  to  this  law,  and  Parliament,  to  punish 
that  body,  suspended  its  authority.  The  alarm  occasioned  by  this 
act,  considered  by  the  people  despotic,  had  not  time  to  die  away, 
before  a  new  and  aggravated  cause  of  grievance  was  added,  by 
the  passage  of  a  law  imposing  duties  on  the  importation  of  glass, 
tea,  and  other  enumerated  articles,  into  the  colonies,  provision  by 
the  act  being  made  for  the  appointment  of  commissioners  of  the 
customs,  to  be  dependent  solely  on  the  Crown.  About  the  same 
time  Gov.  Bernard  of  Massachusetts  who  had  received  private  in- 


|.9'P  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

structions  to  see  that  the  colony  made  provision  to  remunerate  the 
losses  of  those  who  had  honored  the  stamp-act,  Leing  already  very 
unpopular  with  the  people,  assumed,  in  his  message  to  the  As- 
sembly, a  tone  of  haughty  reproach.  This  message  produced  a 
sarcastic  and  indignant  reply.  From  this  time  the  friends  of 
liberty  daily  increased,  and  the  court  party  correspondingly  de- 
clined. The  joy  felt  in  the  colonies  for  the  repeal  of  the  stamp- 
act,  was  of  very  short  duration.  The  non-importation  agreements 
were  revived — looms  and  cards  once  more  set  to  work — the  spin- 
ning-wheel, the  piano  of  the  times,  was  heard  buzzing  in  the 
dwellings  of  the  rich — articles  of  domestic  manufacture  became 
again,  with  patriots,  the  fashion  of  the  day — petitions  and  re- 
monstrances were  drawn  up  and  circulated — and  India  tea,  yield- 
ed its  place  on  the  tables  of  its  fond  drinkers,  to  a  decoction  of 
sassafras,  sage,  or  a  glass  of  cold  water. 

In  1768,  troops  were  stationed  in  New  York  and  Boston,  to 
awe  the  people  into  submission  to  the  acts  of  Parliament.  Early 
in  the  same  year,  Massachusetts  addressed  a  circular  letter  to  the 
legislatures  of  the  sister  colonies,  to  have  them  unite  in  advising 
what  course  it  was  best  to  pursue.  A  series  of  essays,  published 
in  a  Philadelphia  newspaper  at  this  period,  entitled,  "Letters 
from  a  farmer  in  Pennsylvania  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  British 
Colonies,"  from  the  pen  of  that  enlightened  patriot,  John  Dick'- 
inson,  Esq.,  augmented  the  spirit  of  union.  In  1769,  resolutions 
were  adopted  in  Parliament  reprobating  in  strong  terms  the  con- 
duct of  the  people  of  Massachusetts,  and  directing  that  pliant  tool 
of  oppression.  Governor  Bernard,  to  make  strict  inquiry  into  all 
treasonable  acts  committed  in  that  province  since  1767,  that  per- 
sons thus  guilty  might  have  their  offences  investigated,  and  their 
fate  decided  upon  within  the  realm  of  Great  Britain. 

The  House  of  Burgesses  of  Virginia,  which  met  shortly  after, 
adopted,  with  closed  doors,  from  fear  of  being  prorogued  by  the 
Governor,  resolutions  expressive  of  their  sense  of  the  injustice 
and  unconstitutionality  of  transporting  criminals  for  trial  among 
strangers,  believing  it  to  be  highly  derogatory  to  the  rights  of 
British  subjects.     Soon  after  this  public  manifestation  of  popular 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         179 

displeasure,  the  general  court  of  Massachusetts  convened  at  Cam- 
bridge, the  public  buildings  in  Boston  being  filled  at  that  time 
with  Briti^  soldiers.  Governor  Bernard  wished  them  to  provide 
funds  to  defray  the  expenses  of  quartering  his  Majesty's  troops — 
no  notice,  however,  was  taken  of  the  request :  and  he  shortly  af- 
ter left  the  province — unhonored  and  unlaraented.  He  had  for 
some  time  been  a  pliant  tool  for  the  British  ministry,  and  his  sys- 
tem of  espionage  had  won  for  him  the  curses  of  the  Union,  which 
was  then  forming.  Had  the  colonies  been  governed  by  men  who 
were  more  willing  to  redress  known  grievances,  and  less  anxious 
to  please  a  ministry  three  thousand  miles  distant,  it  is  possible  the 
separation  of  the  colonies  from  the  mother  country  might  have 
been  delayed,  if  not  prevented.  Governor  Trumbull  of  Connec- 
ticut, it  should  be  observed,  was  an  exception  to  ihe  general  rule. 

Nothing  occurred  in  1769,  to  avert  the  impending  storm.  The 
mass  of  the  people,  in  the  mean  time,  were  properly  investigating 
the  causes  which  were  agitating  the  country,  and  which  were  fast 
approaching  a  crisis.  Non-importation  agreements  were  now  as- 
suming a  form,  and  producing  an  effect  which  told  on  the  mother 
country.  In  June  of  that  year,  delegates  from  the  several  coun- 
ties in  Maryland  met  at  Annapolis  and  adopted  spirited  resolves : 
in  one  of  which  they  took  measures  to  secure  to  the  country  the 
article  of  wool,  by  agreeing  not  to  kill  any  ewe  lambs. 

The  troops  quartered  hi  New  York  and  Boston  were  a  constant 
source  of  irritation  and  difficulty  with  the  inhabitants.  On  the 
second  day  of  March,  1770,  a  quarrel  took  place  at  Boston,  be- 
tween a  British  soldier  and  a  man  employed  at  a  rope-walk.  This 
quarrel  was  renewed  by  the  citizens  on  the  evening  of  the  fifth, 
when  a  part  of  Captain  Preston's  company,  after  having  been 
pelted  with  snow-balls,  derided,  and  dared  to,  fired  upon  the  mul- 
titude, kilUng  three  and  wounding  five  others.  The  ringing  of 
bells,  the  beating  of  drums  and  the  shout  to  arms  /  by  the  peo- 
ple, soon  brought  together  thousands  of  citizens.  A  body  of 
troops,  sent  in  the  mean  time  to  rescue  Preston's  men,  would 
doubtless  have  been  massacred,  had  not  Governor  Hutchinson  and 
some  of  the  leading  citizens,  among  whom  was  Samuel  Adams, 


ISO  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

interfered.  The  Governor  promised  that  the  matter  should  be 
amicably  adjusted  in  the  morning  ;  and  the  mob  dispersed.  The 
anniversary  of  this  first  martyrdom  in  the  cause  of  American  lib- 
erty, was  celebrated  by  the  Bostonians  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
The  immortal  Warren  delivered  two  of  the  anniversary  orations. 
In  the  first,  which  he  delivered  in  1772,  on  alluding  to  the  events 
of  that  memorable  evening,  he  thus  speaks : 

"  When  Ave  beheld  the  authors  of  our  distress  parading  in  our 
streets,  or  drawn  up  in  a  regular  battalia,  as  though  in  a  hostile 
city,  our  hearts  beat  to  arms ;  we  snatched  our  weapons,  almost 
resolved,  by  one  decisive  stroke,  to  avenge  the  death  of  our  slaugh- 
tered brethren,  and  to  secure  from  future  danger,  all  that  we  held 
most  dear :  but  propitious  heaven  forbade  the  bloody  carnage,  and 
saved  the  threatened  victims  of  our  too  keen  resentment,  not  by 
their  discipline,  not  by  their  regular  array, — no,  it  was  royal 
George's  livery  that  proved  their  shield — it  was  that  which  turned 
the  pointed  engines  of  destruction  from  their  breasts."  [In  a  note 
of  reference  to  the  forgoing  extract,  he  thus  adds  :]  "  I  have  the 
strongest  reason  to  believe  that  I  have  mentioned  the  only  circum- 
stance which  saved  the  troops  from  destruction.  It  was  then  and 
now  is  the  opinion  of  those  who  were  best  acquainted  with  the 
state  of  affairs  at  that  time,  that  had  thrice  that  number  of  troops, 
belonging  to  any  power  at  open  war  with  us,  been  in  this  toAvn,  in 
the  same  exposed  condition,  scarce  a  man  would  have  lived  to 
have  seen  the  morning  light." 

Three  days  after  the  massacre,  the  obsequies  were  solemnized. 
Every  demonstration  of  respect  was  manifested.  The  stores  and 
work-shops  were  closed — the  bells  of  Boston,  Charlestown  and 
Roxbury  were  tolled,  and  thousands  followed  the  remains  to  their 
final  resting  place.  The  bodies  were  all  deposited  in  one  vault. 
This  unhappy  event  and  its  annual  observance,  tended  greatly  to 
widen  the  breach  between  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  and  the 
mother  country.  In  New  York,  quarrels  also  arose  between  the 
citizens  and  soldiers.  Liberty  poles,  erected  by  the  former,  were 
cut  down  by  the  latter. 

While  such  events  were  transpiring,  an  attempt  was  made  in 
England  to  repeal  the  laws  for  raising  a  revenue  in  America.  The 
duties  were  removed  from  all  articles  except  tea,  it  being  thought 
necessary  by  Parliament,  to  have  at  least  one  loaf  constantly  in 
the  oven  of  discord.     The  repeal  of  a  part  of  the  obnoxious  law 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        181 

produced  little  effect  in  the  colonies,  except  to  modify  the  non- 
importation agreements  so  as  to  exclude  only  tea  from  the  coun- 
try ;  and  those  patriots  who  had  not  before  substituted,  instead  of 
tea,  a  cold  water  or  herbaceous  beverage,  did  now. 


J3 


(  182  ) 


CHAPTER  VI. 


The  reader  will  perceive  that  the  Revolution  had,  for  several 
years,  been  progressively  taking  place :  he  is  now  approaching 
that  period,  when,  by  the  clashing  of  steel,  it  was  to  be  main- 
tained. 

In  1772,  his  Majesty's  revenue  cutter  Gaspee,  while  giving 
chase  to  the  Providence,  a  packet  sailing  into  Newport,  and  sus- 
pected of  dealing  in  contraband  wares,  ran  aground  in  Providence 
river,  and  was  burned  by  the  merchants  and  citizens  in  the 
vicinity.  This  was  a  bold  act,  and  the  sum  of  Jive  hundred 
pounds  was  offered  for  the  discovery  of  the  offenders,  and  full  par- 
don to  any  one  who  would  become  state's  evidence :  but  in  this 
case,  as  in  that  of  Andre's  capture,  gold  had  no  influence. 

In  1773,  provinces  not  exposed  to  the  acts  of  a  lawless  soldiery, 
were  fast  breathing  the  same  spirit  manifested  by  those  which 
were  :  propitious  gales  wafted  it  to  the  remotest  parts.  The  ta- 
lented Patrick  Henry,  who  made  human  nature  and  human  events 
his  study,  prophesied,  during  this  year,  that  the  colonies  would 
become  independent.  Virginia,  in  March  of  1773,  again  took  the 
lead  in  legislative  resolves,  against  tyrannic  oppression.  The  le- 
gislatures of  New  England  and  Maryland  responded  cordially  to 
them.  Governor  Hutchinson  of  Massachusetts,  who  succeeded 
Mr.  Bernard,  by  a  system  of  espionage  similar  to  that  carried  on 
by  the  latter,  became  to  the  people  of  that  commonwealth  very 
odious.  During  this  year,  standing  committees  were  appointed 
in  the  colonial  assemblies,  to  correspond  with  each  other.  At  this 
period,  town  committees  had  been  formed  in  almost  every  town  in 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  183 

some  of  the  colonies,  which  liad  for  their  chief  object,  the  speedy 
communication  of  important  information,  there  being  then  but  few 
printing  presses  in  the  country.  Some  time  in  this  year,  Doctor 
Frankhn  obtained  in  London  several  original  letters,  written  by 
governor  Hutchinson  and  others  at  Boston,  to  members  of  the 
British  Parliament ;  stating  that  the  opposition  to  the  laws,  were, 
in  Massachusetts,  confined  to  a  few  factious  individuals  :  recom- 
mending at  the  same  time,  the  abridging  of  colonial  rights,  and 
the  adoption  of  more  vigorous  measures.  These  letters  were 
transmitted  to  America,  and  their  contents  being  soon  known  in 
every  hamlet  in  New  England,  the  popular  indignation  was  great- 
ly increased.  The  legislature  of  Massachusetts,  in  an  address  to 
his  Majesty,  demanded  the  recall  of  the  governor  and  lieut.  gov- 
ernor. This  legislative  proceeding  was  the  cause  of  much  oppro- 
brium being  cast  upon  Franklin  in  England. 

Owing  to  the  rigid  observance  of  the  non-importation  resolves, 
the  East  India  company  now  found  their  tea  accumulating  in  vast 
quantities  in  their  ware-houses.  They  were  therefore  under  the 
necessity  of  petitioning  Parliament  for  relief.  Permission  was 
granted  them  to  import  it  on  their  own  account :  and  they  accord- 
ingly appointed  consignees  in  several  American  sea- ports,  and 
made  heavy  shipments  to  them.  They  intended,  no  doubt,  to 
land  it  free  of  duty  to  the  American  merchant,  but  the  law  im- 
posing the  duty  yet  remained  on  the  statute  book  of  England  ; 
and  the  popular  voice  decided,  that  while  the  right  to  tax  was 
maintained,  the  tea  should  not  be  landed.  In  Philadelphia,  the 
consignees  declined  their  appointment.  In  New  York,  hand-bills 
were  circulated,  threatening  with  ruin  those  who  should  vend  tea; 
and  warning  pilots,  at  their  peril,  not  to  conduct  ships  into  that 
port  laden  with  the  article.  In  Boston,  inflammatory  handbills 
were  also  circulated,  but  the  consignees,  being  in  favor  with  the 
governor,  accepted  their  appointments.  This  excited  the  whole 
colony  of  Massachusetts,  and  enraged  the  citizens.  In  the  mean 
time,  several  ships,  containing  thousands  of  chests,  arrived  on  the 
coast.  So  determined  were  the  people  not  to  allow  the  tea  to  be 
landed,  that  ship  after  ship  was  compelled  to  return  to  England, 


184  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

without  unlading  a  single  chest.  Philadelphia  took  the  lead,  and 
was  nobly  sustained  by  New  York.  In  Charleston,  it  w-as  landed 
but  not  permitted  to  be  sold.  On  the  twenty- ninth  of  November, 
the  Dartmouth,  an  East  India  ship,  laden  with  tea,  entered  the 
harbor  of  Boston.  At  a  numerous  meeting  of  the  citizens,  held 
to  consult  on  the  course  to  be  pursued,  it  was  resolved,  "  that  the 
tea  should  not  be  landed,  that  no  duty  should  be  paid,  and  that  it 
should  be  sent  back  in  the  same  vessel."  To  enforce  the  resolu- 
tions, a  vigilant  watch  was  organized  to  prevent  its  being  secret- 
ly landed.  The  captain  was  notified  to  return  with  his  cargo  ; 
but  Governor  Hutchinson  refused  to  sanction  his  return.  In  the 
mean  time,  other  vessels,  laden  with  tea,  arrived  there.  On  the 
sixteenth  December,  the  citizens  of  Boston  and  vicinity  assembled 
to  determine  what  course  to  adopt.  On  the  evening  of  that  day, 
when  it  was  known  that  the  governor  refused  a  pass  for  the  ves- 
sels to  return,  a  person  in  an  Indian's  dress  gave  the  war  whoop  in 
the  gallery  of  the  Assembly  room.  At  this  signal,  the  people 
hurried  to  the  w^harves  ;  when  a  party  of  about  twenty  men,  dis- 
guised as  Mohawks,  protected  by  thousands  of  citizens  on  shore, 
boarded  the  vessels,  broke  open  and  emptied  the  contents  oi  three 
hundred  and  forty-two  chests  of  tea  into  the  ocean,  without  tu- 
mult or  personal  injury.  What  a  tea  party  the  fishes  and  sea- 
serpent  must  have  had  that  night. 

These  violent  proceedings  greatly  excited  the  displeasure  of  the 
British  government.  Early  in  1774,  an  act  was  passed  in  Par- 
liament, levying  a  fine  on  the  town  of  Boston,  as  a  compensation 
to  the  East  India  company  for  the  tea  destroyed  the  preceding  De- 
cember. About  the  same  time,  an  act  closing  the  port  of  Boston, 
and  removing  the  custom  house  to  Salem  :  and  another  depriving 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts  of  her  constitution  and  charter,  were 
passed  :  and  to  cap  the  climax  of  oppression,  a  bill  was  introduced 
making  provision  for  the  trial  in  England,  instead  of  that  colony 
for  capital  offence ;  which  passed  the  same  year.  A  few  indivi- 
duals strenuously  opposed  those  measures,  believing  that  the  colo- 
nists would  be  driven  to  acts  of  desperation  ;  but  they  were  passed 
by  large  majorities.     When  the  bill  for  blockading  the  town  of 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK,         185 

Boston  was  under  discussion  in  March  of  this  year,  Gov.  John- 
ston, who  opposed  the  measure,  said  in  a  speech  on  that  occasion, 
"  I  now  venture  to  predict  to  this  house,  that  the  effect  of  the  pre- 
sent bill  must  be  productive  of  a  general  confederacy,  to  resist 
the  power  of  this  country."  Gen.  Conway  was  again  found  the 
champion  of  equal  rights,  and  when  the  bill  was  under  discussion 
to  destroy  the  chartered  privileges  of  the  colony,  he  closed  a  brief 
but  pertinent  speech  with  the  following  sentence :  "  These  acts 
respecting  America,  will  involve  this  country  and  its  ministers  in 
misfortunes,  and,  I  wish  I  may  not  add,  in  ruin."  It  has  often 
been  asserted  that  the  M'hole  bench  of  Bishops  in  England,  who 
are  legally  constituted  members  of  Parliament,  were  in  favor  of 
forcing  the  colonies  to  submit  to  the  unwise  acts  of  the  mother 
country.  As  there  was  one  most  honorable  exception,  I  take 
pleasure  in  making  it  more  generally  known.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Jona- 
than Shipley,  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  was  the  nobleman  to  whom  I 
allude.  When  the  bill  for  altering  the  charter  of  the  colony  of 
Massachusetts  was  under  discussion,  he  prepared  a  speech  replete 
with  wisdom,  and  containing  the  most  convincing  proofs,  that  the 
British  government  were  in  the  wrong  and  were  pursuing  a  course 
illy  calculated  to  bring  the  colonies  again  to  prove  profitable  to 
England.  He  showed  the  evil  of  making  the  governors  depend- 
ent on  the  crown,  instead  of  the  governed,  for  support.     Said  he  : 

Your  ears  have  been  open  to  the  governors  and  shut  to  the  peo- 
ple. This  must  necessarily  lead  us  to  countenance  the  jobs  of  in- 
terested men,  under  the  pretence  of  defending  the  rights  of  the 
crown.  But  the  people  are  certainly  the  best  judges  whether 
they  are  well  governed ;  and  the  crown  can  have  no  rights  incon- 
sistent with  the  happiness  of  the  people."  [Speaking  of  the  act 
of  taxation,  he  said:]  "  If  it  Avas  unjust  to  tax  them,  [the  Ameri- 
cans] we  ought  to  repeal  it  for  their  sakes ;  if  it  was  unwise  to 
tax  them,  we  ought  to  repeal  it  for  our  own."  [He  exhibited  the 
fact  that  the  whole  revenue  raised  in  America  in  1772,  amounted 
only  to  eighty-five  pounds.]  "  Money  that  is  earned  so  dearly  as 
this  [said  he]  ought  to  be  expended  with  great  wisdom  and  econo- 
my. My  lords,  were  you  to  take  up  but  one  thousand  pounds  more 
from  North  America  iipon  the  same  terms,  the  nation  itself  woidd 
be  a  bankrupt."  [He  added,  in  another  place:]  "It  is  a  strange 
idea  we  have  taken  up,  to  cure  their  resentments,  by  increasing 
their  provocations,  to  remove  the  effects  of  our  own  ill  conduct,  by 


186  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

multiplying  the  instances  of  it.  But  the  spirit  of  blindness  and 
infatuation  has  gone  forth.  *  *  Recollect  that  the  Americans 
are  men  of  like  passions  with  ourselves,  and  think  how  deeply 
this  treatment  must  affect  them." 

The  able  and  argumentive  speech  of  the  learned  Bishop,  which 
was  not  delivered  in  the  House  for  want  of  an  opportunity,  was 
published  soon  after,  but,  as  he  had  anticipated,  "  not  a  word  of 
it  was  regarded."  While  the  declaratory  bill  of  the  sovereignty  of 
Great  Britain  over  the  colonies  was  under  discussion,  in  March, 
Mr.  Pitt,  then  lord  Chatham,  again  opposed  the  principle  of  taxa- 
tion without  representation,  and  closed  an  animated  speech  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  The  forefathers  of  the  Americans  did  not  leave  their  native 
country,  and  subject  themselves  to  every  danger  and  distress,  to 
be  reduced  to  a  state  of  slavery  :  they  did  not  give  up  their  rights  ; 
they  looked  for  protection,  and  not  for  chains,  from  their  mother 
country ;  by  her  they  expected  to  be  defended  in  the  possession  of 
their  property,  and  not  to  be  deprived  of  it ;  for  should  the  pre- 
sent power  continue,  there  is  nothing  they  can  call  their  own; 
or,  to  use  the  words  of  Mr.  Locke,  '  what  property  have  they  in  that 
which  another  may  by  right  take,  when  he  pleases,   to  himself?'  " 

The  news  in  the  colonies  of  the  passage  of  the  unjust  laws 
above  mentioned,  carried  with  it  gloom  and  terror.  The  better 
informed  saw  the  approaching  contest,  yet  firmly  resolved  to  live 
or  die  freemen.  From  the  north  to  the  south  the  same  spirit  was 
manifested,  and  the  kindest  sympathy  felt  for  the  Bostonians,  who 
were  considered  as  suffering  in  the  cause  of  liberty.  The  first  day 
of  June,  when  the  Boston  iwrt-bill  began  to  operate,  was  observed 
in  most  of  the  colonies  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 

Governor  Hutchinson  of  Massachusetts  was  recalled  early  in 
1774,  and  General  Gage  appointed  his  successor  ;  but  the  inter- 
ests of  the  people  found  no  material  benefit  from  this  change  of 
rulers.  On  the  17th  of  June,  the  general  com-t  of  Massachusetts, 
at  the  suggestion  of  a  committee  in  Virginia,  recoirmended  the 
calling  of  a  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  on  the  first  Monday  of  the 
following  September.  At  a  numerous  meeting  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city  of  New  York,  convened  in  an  open  field  on  the  sixth 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        187 

of  July,  with  Alexander  McDougal  in  the  chair,  a  series  of  spirit- 
ed resolutions  were  adopted,  among  which  was  the  following : 

"  Resolved,  That  any  attack  or  attempt  to  abridge'  the  liberties, 
or  invade  the  constitution  of  any  of  our  sister  colonies,  is  imme- 
diately an  attack  upon  the  liberties  and  constitution  of  all  the  oth- 
er British  colonics." 

About  this  time,  the  motto,  "  United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall  P^ 
originated  in  Hanover,  Virginia ;  while  almost  at  the  same  in- 
stant the  motto,  "  Join  or  die .'"  had  its  origin  in  Rhode  Island. 
On  the  first  day  of  September,  the  following  circumstance  gave  a 
new  impulse  to  the  spirit  of  independence  in  the  colony  of  Massa- 
clmsetts.  Gov.  Gage  had  ordered  a  military  force  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  powder  in  the  provincial  arsenal  at  Charlestown,  near 
Boston.  It  was  rumored  abroad,  that  the  British  fleet  in  the  har- 
bor were  bombarding  the  town,  and  thirty  thousand  men,  in  less 
than  two  days,  mostly  armed,  were  on  their  way  to  Boston.  An- 
other circumstance  took  place  in  that  city,  about  the  same  tune, 
which  added  oil  to  the  lamp  of  liberty.  Gov.  Gage  deprived 
John  Hancock  of  his  commission  as  colonel  of  cadets;  a  volun- 
teer body  of  governor's  guards.  The  company  took  offence  at 
the  act,  and  instantly  disbanded  themselves.  The  late  governors, 
Bernard  and  Hutchinson,  repeatedly  represented  to  the  British 
ministry,  that  the  colonies  could  never  form  a  union.  They  had 
hoped  as  much,  and  taken  no  little  pains  to  prevent  such  an  event ; 
but  when  the  fifth  of  September  arrived,  delegates  from  twelve  of 
the  thirteen  colonies  met  in  convention,  Georgia  alone  excepted : 
she  soon  after  joined  the  confederacy.  Peyton  Randolph,  of  Vir- 
ginia, was  chosen  president,  and  Charles  Thompson,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, secretary  of  this  body.  Patrick  Henry  was  the  first  to  ad- 
dress the  meeting.  While  in  session,  this  Congress  passed  reso- 
lutions, approving  the  course  of  the  citizens  of  Boston — opposing 
the  acts  of  Parliament — advising  union,  peaceable  conduct,  etc. 
They  remonstrated  with  General  Gage  against  fortifying  Boston 
Neck — recommended  a  future  course  to  be  pursued  by  the  colo- 
nies— setting  forth  clearly  the  present  evils,  their  causes  and  re- 
medies.     They  advised  economy  and  frugality — the  abstaining 


188  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

from  all  kinds  of  intemperance,  festivities,  and  the  like — requir- 
ing committees  to  report  all  the  enemies  of  American  liberty, 
that  their  names  might  be  published.  They  also  addressed  a  pe- 
tition to  the  king — a  memorial  to  the  citizens  of  England — an 
address  to  the  people  of  the  colonies — and  another  to  the  French 
inhabitants  of  Quebec,  Georgia,  Nova  Scotia,  and  other  British 
provinces  not  represented.  In  their  petition  to  the  king,  they 
simply  asked  to  be  restored  to  their  situation  in  the  peace  of  1763, 
in  humble,  strong  and  respectful  terms.  They  urged  the  colonies 
"  to  be  prepared  for  every  contingency."  They  invited  the  co- 
operation of  the  British  colonies  not  represented  in  that  congress, 
in  their  resistance  to  oppression  ;  and  adjourned  on  the  twenty- 
sixth  of  October,  after  a  session  of  ffty-two  days,  to  meet  again 
on  the  tenth  of  the  following  May.  Says  Mr.  Allan,  author  of 
the  American  Revolution : 

"  That  an  assembly  of  fifty-two  men,  born  and  educated  in  the 
wilds  of  a  new  world,  unpractised  in  the  arts  of  polity,  most  of  them 
unexperienced  in  the  arduous  duties  of  legislation,  coming  from 
distant  colonies  and  distant  governments,  differing  in  religion, 
manners,  customs  and  habits,  as  they  did  in  their  views  with  re- 
gard to  the  nature  of  their  connexion  Avith  Great  Britain — that 
such  an  assembly,  so  constituted,  should  display  so  much  wisdom, 
sagacity,  foresight  and  knowledge  of  the  world,  such  skill  in  ar- 
gument, such  force  of  reasoning,  such  firmness  and  soundness  of 
judgment,  so  profound  an  acquaintance  with  the  rights  of  man, 
such  elevation  of  sentiment,  such  genuine  patriotism,  and  above 
all,  such  unexampled  union  of  opinion — was  indeed  a  political 
phenomenon,  to  which  history  has  yet  furnished  no  parallel." 

The  resolves  of  Congress  were  strictly  observed,  by  all  the  thir- 
teen colonies,  a  system  of  commercial  non-intercourse  Avith  the 
mother  country  was  maintained,  and  the  militia  were  drilled  and 
preparations  made  for  any  emergency.  In  December  following, 
Maryland  alone  resolved  to  raise  jC  10,000,  for  the  purchase  of 
arms  and  ammunition  for  her  defence.  In  January,  1775,  colo- 
nial difficulties  were  the  cause  of  warm  discussions,  in  both  Houses 
of  the  mother  government.  On  a  motion  for  an  address  to  his 
Majesty,  to  give  immediate  orders  for  removing  his  troops  from 
Boston,  Lord  Chatham  delivered  a  powerful  speech.     He  asserted 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         189 

that  the  measures  of  the  preceding  year,  which  had  placed  their 
American  affairs  in  so  alarming  a  state,  were  founded  upon  mis- 
representation— that  instead  of  its  being  only  a  faction  in  Boston, 
as  they  had  been  told,  who  were  opposed  to  their  unlawful  go- 
vernment, it  was,  in  truth,  the  whole  continent.     Said  he, 

"When  I  urge  this  measure  for  recalling  the  troops  from  Bos- 
ton, I  urge  it  on  this  pressing  principle — that  it  is  necessarily  pre- 
paratory to  the  restoration  of  your  prosperity."  [He  termed  the 
troops  under  General  Gage,]  "  an  army  of  impotence — and  irrita- 
tion— I  do  not  mean  to  censure  the  inactivity  of  the  troops.  It  is 
a  prudent  and  necessary  inaction.  But  it  is  a  miserable  condition, 
where  disgrace  is  prudence ;  and  wliere  it  is  necessarj'  to  be  con- 
temptible. Woe  be  to  him  who  slicds  the  first,  the  unexpiable 
drop  of  blood  in  an  impious  war,  with  a  people  contending  in  the 
great  cause  of  public  liberty.  I  will  tell  you  plainly,  my  lords,  no 
son  of  mine,  nor  any  one  over  whom  I  have  influence,  shall  ever 
draw  his  sword  upon  his  fellow  subjects."  [He  stated,  that  from 
authentic  information  he  knew  that  the  whole  continent  was  unit- 
ing, and  not  commercial  factions,  as  had  been  asserted.  Speaking 
of  the  principles  which  united  the  Americans,  he  said,] — "  'Tis 
liberty  to  liberty  engaged,  that  they  will  defend  themselves,  their 
families  and  their  countr}'.  In  this  great  cause  they  are  immova- 
bly allied.  It  is  the  alliance  of  God  arid  nature — immutable,  eter- 
nal, fixed  as  the  firmament  of  Heaven.  When  your  lordships 
look  at  the  papers  transmitted  us  from  America,  when  you  consi- 
der their  decency,  firmness  and  wisdom,  you  can  not  but  respect 
their  cause  and  wish  to  make  it  your  own — for  myself  I  must  de- 
clare and  avow  that,  in  all  my  reading  and  observation,  and  it  has 
been  my  favorite  study — I  have  read  Thucidydes,  and  have  stu- 
died and  admired  the  master  states  of  the  world — that  for  solidity 
and  reasoning,  force  of  sagacity,  and  wisdom  of  conclusion,  under 
such  a  complication  of  different  circumstances,  no  nation  or  body 
of  men  can  stand  in  preference  to  the  General  Congress  at  Phila- 
delphia. I  trust  it  is  obvious  to  your  lordships,  that  all  attempts  to 
impose  servitude  on  such  men,  to  establish  despotism  over  such  a 
mighty  continental  nation — must  be  vain — must  be  futile.  To 
conclude,  my  lords,  if  the  ministers  thus  persevere  in  misadvising 
and  misleading  the  King,  I  will  not  say  that  they  can  alienate  his 
subjects  from  his  crown,  but  I  will  affirm  that  they  will  make  the 
crown  not  worth  his  wearing.  I  shall  not  say  that  the  King  is  be- 
trayed, but  I  will  pronounce  that  the  kingdom  is  u?idone" 

Lord  Chatham  was  nobly  sustained  by  Lord  Cambdcn,  but 
they  were  of  a  small  minority,  and  their  reasoning  was  buried  in 
the  popular  will  of  that  immortal  mortal,  Lord  North.  A  favo- 
rite measure  of  the  latter  gentleman,  for  healing  the  dissensions 


190  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

in  the  colonies  was  adopted,  which  was  in  substance,  that  if  any 
colony  would  consent  to  tax  itself  for  the  benefit  of  the  mother 
country,  Parliament  would  forbear  to  tax  that  colony,  as  long  as 
the  contribution  was  punctually  paid.  One  would  suppose  that 
head  brainless  that  looked  for  a  very  beneficial  result  from  the 
passage  of  such  a  law.  In  March  of  this  year,  the  celebrated 
Edmund  Burke  delivered  a  long  and  able  speech  in  Parliament  in 
favor  of  conciliating  colonial  difliculties — but  to  no  purpose.  An 
eflfort  was  made  by  the  British  ministry,  when  they  iound  the 
Americans  uniting,  to  create  a  separation  of  interest,  and  prevent 
a  union  of  the  northern  and  southern,  by  conciliating  the  middle 
colonies,  but  without  effect :  the  motto,  United  ice  stand,  had  gone 
forth,  and  no  political  manouvering  could  annual  it.  At  this  pe- 
riod, there  were  not  a  few  in  the  colonies,  who,  from  reverence, 
timidity  or  sinister  motives,  clung  to  the  authority  of  the  mother 
country.  The  most  of  those,  however,  were  recent  immigrants 
from  England  and  Scotland,  and  a  multitude  of  officers  dependent 
on  the  Crown  and  its  authority,  for  a  continuance  of  kingly  honors. 
These  adherents  to  British  authority  were  called  Tories,  and  the 
friends  of  liberty  and  equal  rights  were  called  Whigs;  names 
originated  many  years  before  in  England.  To  compel  New  Eng- 
land to  submit  to  the  acts  of  Parliament,  they  were  prohibited,  in 
the  course  of  this  year,  from  fishing  on  the  banks  of  Newfound- 
land ;  and  armed  vessels  were  sent  to  enforce  the  law.  This  pro- 
hibition was  severely  felt,  as  several  colonies  were  extensively  en- 
gaged in  that  business. 

The  storm  which  had  so  long  been  gathering  over  this  conti- 
nent, was  now  about  to  descend  in  all  its  fury.  On  the  19th  day 
of  April,  1775,  Gen.  Gage  sent  from  Boston  a  detachment  of  8 
or  900  troops,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Smith  and  Maj.  Pit- 
cairn,  to  destroy  a  collection  of  military  stores,  accumulated  at 
Concord  by  the  friends  of  liberty.  At  Lexington,  a  small  village 
which  they  had  to  pass,  a  company  of  sixty  or  seventy  militia  were 
paraded  near  the  village  church.  Maj.  P.  riding  forward,  ex- 
claimed, Disperse,  you  rebels — throw  down  your  arms  and  dis- 
perse !  The  militia  hesitated,  and  the  Maj.  firing  a  pistol,  ordered 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        191 

a  company  under  Capt.  Parker,  to  fire  upon  them :  the  command 
was  obeyed,  and  eight  were  killed  and  several  wounded.  The 
militia  dispersed,  and  the  troops  marched  on  to  Concord.  Some 
of  the  stores  had  been  removed,  what  remained  were  destroyed. 
The  minute  men  of  that  town  had  assembled  belore  the  arrival  of 
the  regulars,  but  being  too  weak  to  oppose  the  latter,  retired  on 
their  approach.  As  the  report  of  the  firing  upon  the  militia  at 
Lexington  spread  with  almost  lightning  rapidity,  from  the  ring- 
ing of  bells,  firing  of  signal  guns,  &c.,  the  country  was  soon  in 
arms.  Finding  themselves  reinforced,  the  Concord  militia  ad- 
vanced, and  a  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  several  were  killed  on 
both  sides.  The  British  troops,  seeing  that  they  were  to  have 
hot  work,  as  almost  every  male  citizen  between  the  ages  of  ten 
and  eighty  were  arming  for  the  fight,  began  to  retreat.  In  their 
course  they  were  fired  upon  from  all  manner  of  concealments. 
Every  stone-wall,  tree,  stump,  rock,  old  barn  or  workshop, 
sent  forth  its  unerring  bullet  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy.  Had 
not  the  British  been  reinforced  by  about  900  men  under  Lord 
Percy,  few  of  the  first  detachment  would  ever  have  reached  Bos- 
ton alive.  The  British  loss  in  this  battle,  called  the  battle  of 
Lexington  because  it  commenced  and  much  of  it  was  fought  in 
that  town,  in  killed  wounded  and  prisoners,  was  273 ;  and  that 
of  the  Provincials,  87.  General  Gage  had  thought,  previous  to 
the  battle  of  Lexington,  that  five  regiments  of  British  infantry 
could  march  from  Maine  to  Georgia.  Possibly  he  had  entered 
the  right  school,  to  learn  how  to  appreciate  American  valor  with 
more  certainty.  Thus  closed  the  opening  scene  of  a  tragedy, 
destined  to  last  eight  long  years.  The  news  of  this  battle  spread 
rapidly  through  the  New  England  provinces.  The  plow  was  left 
in  the  furrow — the  chisel  in  the  mortice — the  iron  in  the  forge ; 
and  the  hand  that  had  placed  it  there,  grasped  the  missile  of  death, 
and  hastened  to  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  In  a  few  days,  a  large 
army  was  assembled  under  the  command  of  Generals  Ward  of 
Massachusetts,  and  Putnam  of  Connecticut,  and  closely  invested 
the  town. 

While  matters  stood  thus,  in  and  around  Boston,  a  plan  for 


192  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  capture  of  the  fortresses  of  Ticonderoga,  Crown  Point  and 
Skeenesborough,  now  Whitehall,  commanding  the  route  of  mter- 
communication  between  the  colonies  and  Canada ;  was  conceiv- 
ed and  boldly  executed.  The  fortresses  were  all  surprised  and 
captured,  as  was  a  sloop  of  war  near  the  outlet  of  Lake  George, 
without  bloodshed,  by  colonels  Ethan  Allen,  and  Seth  Warner, 
with  two  hundred  and  thirty  Green  Mountain  boys,  and  officers 
Dean,  Wooster,  Parsons,  and  Arnold,  and  forty  other  brave 
spirits  of  Connecticut.  On  the  evening  of  the  10th  of  May,  as 
the  invaders  approached  Ticonderoga,  a  sentinel  snapped  his  gun 
at  Colonel  Allen  and  retreated,  followed  by  the  latter  and  his 
brave  comrades.  On  gaining  possession  of  the  fortress,  the  com- 
mander was  found  napping.  Colonel  Allen  demanded  of  him 
the  immediate  surrender  of  the  fort.  "  By  what  authority,  sir  ?" 
It  is  possible  the  thought  may  not  have  entered  the  mind  of  the 
rebel  chieftain,  that  such  a  question  would  be  propounded ;  but 
his  fruitful  genius  instantly  prompted  the  following,  singular,  and 
laconic  reply — "In  the  name  of  the  Great  Jehovah  and  the  Con- 
tinental Congress."  As  may  be  supposed,  the  summons  was 
from  too  high  a  power  to  be  resisted. 

A  minute  account  of  the  battle  of  Lexington,  with  depositions 
to  prove  that  the  British  troops  shed  the  first  blood,  were  trans- 
mitted without  delay  to  England,  by  the  provincial  legislature  of 
Massachusetts  then  in  session ;  closing  with  the  following  sen- 
tence :  Appealing  to  Heaven  for  the  justice  of  our  cause,  we  de- 
termine to  die,  or  he  free.  The  Colonial  Congress  again  assem- 
bled, on  the  very  day  their  authority  had  been  so  successfully  an- 
ticipated, by  the  intrepid  Allen  at  Ticonderoga.  Preparations 
at  this  time,  were  every  where  being  made  in  the  colonies,  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  stand  taken  against  oppression,  by  a  resort 
to  arms.  A  new  impulse  seemed  given  to  the  spirit  of  opposi- 
tion, by  the  defeat  of  the  British  troops  at  Lexington,  and  the 
capture  of  the  northern  military  posts ;  but  a  majority  of  Con- 
gress, had  not  as  yet  formed  the  resolve,  to  aim  at  a  final  sepa- 
ration from  the  mother  country.  John  Hancock,  in  consequence 
of  his  having  been  proscribed  by  the  British  government,  was 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         193 

chosen  president  of  this  Congress.  As  military  preparations  were 
making,  a  resort  to  arms  had  commenced,  and  it  was  pretty 
evident  that  others  must  follow ;  Congress  saw  the  necessity  of 
giving  to  those  preparations  a  head,  and  most  fortunately  ap- 
pointed THE  world's  model  man — George  Washington,  to  that 
honorable  post.  He  received  the  appointment  of  commander-in- 
chief  while  a  member  of  Congress,  on  the  22d  of  May,  and  be- 
gan immediately  to  prepare  for  his  laborious  duties.  He  arrived 
at  the  American  camp  on  the  3d  day  of  July.  Georgia  having 
sent  delegates  to  the  Congress  of  1775,  all  the  colonics  were  then 
represented. 

Early  in  June,  several  transports  filled  with  troops  under  the 
command  of  generals  Howe,  Clinton  and  Burgoyne,  arrived  at 
Boston.  On  the  17th,  the  battle  of  Breed's,  now  called  Bunker's 
hill,  was  fought.  An  intrenchment  was  thrown  up  on  the  pre- 
ceding evening,  by  a  body  of  one  thousand  men  under  Colonel 
Prescot.  The  intention  was  to  have  fortified  Bunker's  hill,  but 
the  officers  sent  to  throw  up  the  redoubt,  found  that  less  tenable, 
and  built  the  fortification  on  Breed's  hill.  Ground  was  broken 
at  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  and  by  daylight  a  redoubt  had  been 
thrown  up  eight  rods  square.  In  the  morning,  a  reinforcement 
of  five  hundred  men  was  sent  to  their  assistance.  Although  a 
heavy  cannonading  was  kept  up  from  daylight  by  the  British 
shipping,  the  Americans,  encouraged  by  General  Putnam  and 
other  brave  officers,  did  not  cease  their  labors.  About  noon, 
General  Gage,  astonished  at  the  boldness  of  the  American  miU- 
tia,  sent  a  body  of  three  thousand  regulars,  under  Generals  Howe 
and  Pigot,  to  storm  the  works.  Generals  Clinton  and  Burgoyne, 
took  a  station  in  Boston,  where  they  had  a  commanding  view  of 
the  hill.  The  towers  of  the  churches — the  roofs  of  the  houses — 
indeed  every  eminence  in  and  around  Boston,  was  covered  with 
anxious  spectators ;  many  of  whom  had  dear  relatives  exposed 
to  the  known  danger,  awaiting  with  almost  breathless  anxiety 
the  deadly  conflict.  Many,  and  heart-felt  were  the  prayers  then 
offered  up,  for  the  success  of  the  patriot  band.  About  the  time 
the  action  commenced,  General  Warren,  who  was  president  of  the 


194  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Provincial  Congress  of  Massachusetts,  joined  the  Americans  on 
the  hill  as  a  volunteer.  The  British  troops,  having  landed  from 
their  boats,  marched  to  attack  the  works.  The  Americans,  re- 
serving their  fire  tmfil  the  lahite  of  the  eye  was  visible,  then  open- 
ed a  most  destructive  one,  dealing  death  on  every  hand.  Indeed, 
rank  after  rank  vv^as  cut  down,  like  grass  before  the  mower. 
The  enemy  wavered,  and  soon  retreated  in  disorder  down  the  hill. 
Then  might  doubtless  have  been  heard  a  stifled  murmur  of  ap- 
plause, among  the  eye  witnesses  in  Boston,  who  beheved  their 
countrymen  fighting  a  just  cause.  And  then  too,  might  have 
been  seen  the  lip  of  the  British  officer  and  rank  tory,  compress- 
ed with  anger  and  mortification.  While  this  attack  was  in  pro- 
gress, the  fire-brand  of  the  licensed  destroyer,  by  the  diabolical 
order  of  Gen.  Gage,  was  communicated  to  the  neighboring  vil- 
lage of  Charlestown,  containing  some  six  hundred  buildings,  and 
the  whole  in  a  short  time  were  reduced  to  ashes ;  depriving  about 
two  thousand  inhabitants  of  a  shelter,  and  destroying  property 
amounting  to  more  than  half  a  million  of  dollars.  The  British  oflS- 
cers  with  much  difficulty,  again  rallied  their  troops,  and  led  them 
a  second  time  to  the  attack.  They  were  allowed  to  approach 
even  nearer  than  before ;  when  the  Americans,  having  witnessed 
the  conflagration  of  Charlestown,  themselves  burning  to  revenge 
the  houseless  mother  and  orphan,  sent  the  messenger  of  death 
among  their  ranks.  The  carnage  became  a  second  time  too  great 
for  the  bravery  of  the  soldier — the  ranks  were  broken,  and  the 
enemy  again  retreated,  some  even  taking  refuge  in  the  boats. 
When  the  British  troops  wavered  a  second  time,  Chnton,  vexed 
at  their  want  of  success,  hastened  to  their  assistance  with  a  re- 
inforcement. On  his  arrival,  the  men  were  again  rallied,  and 
compelled,  by  the  officers,  who  marched  in  their  rear  with 
drawn  swords,  to  renew  the  attack.  At  this  period  of  the  con- 
test, the  ammunition  of  the  Americans  failed,  and  the  enemy 
entered  the  redoubt.  Few  of  the  former  had  bayonets,  yet  for 
a  while  they  continued  the  unequal  contest  with  clubbed  muskets, 
but  were  finally  overpowered.  The  American  loss  in  numbers, 
was  inconsiderable   until   the  enemy  scaled  the  works.     They 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         I  95 

were  forced  to  retreat  over  Charlestown  Neck,  a  narrow  isthmus 
which  was  raked  by  an  incessant  fire  from  several  floating  bat- 
teries. Fortunately,  few  were  killed  in  crossing  the  Neck.  The 
following  anecdote  is  characteristic  of  Bunker  bravery  :  While 
the  Americans  were  retreating  from  the  hill  across  Charlestown 
Neck,  Timothy  Cleveland,  of  Canterbury,  Ct.,  was  marching 
with  others  with  trailed  arms,  when  a  grape  shot  struck  the 
small  part  of  the  breech  of  his  gun-stock,  and  cut  it  off.  He 
had  proceeded  several  rods  before  he  was  aware  of  his  loss — 
but  ran  back  and  picked  it  up,  declaring,  "  27ie  darned  British 
shall  have  no  part  of  my  gun"  The  gun-stock  was  repaired 
with  a  tin  band,  and  was  long  after  in  the  service  of  its  patriotic 
owner,  who  was  from  the  same  county  and  under  the  command 
of  Gen,  Putnam. — Joseph  Simms.  The  British  loss  in  this, 
which  was  the  first  regular  fought  battle  in  the  Revolution,  was, 
in  killed  and  wounded,  one  thousand  and  jijty-four,  including 
many  oflScers,  among  whom  was  Major  Pitcairn  of  Lexington 
memory.*  The  American  loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  was  four 
hundred  and  fifty-three  ;  and  among  the  former  was  the  talent- 
ed, the  kind-hearted  and  zealous  patriot,  Gen.  Warren ;  who 
received  a  musket  bullet  through  the  head.  He  was  a  distin- 
guished physician  in  Boston,  and  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of 
his  country,  and  yielded  his  life  a  willing  sacrifice  in  her  defence ; 
undying  he  his  memory  in  the  American  heart ! 

What  a  scene  of  sublime  grandeur  must  this  battle  have  pre- 
sented, to  the  citizens  of  Boston  and  the  surrounding  hills !  The 
roar  of  cannon  and  musketry — the  clashing  of  steel,  as  hand  to 
hand  the  foeman  met — the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying — 
the  shouts  of  the  combatants — the  dense  cloud  of  smoke  which 
enveloped  the  peninsula,  lit  up  transversely  by  streams  of  death- 
boding  fire — the  sheet  of  flame  and  crash  of  burning  buildings 
and  falling  towers  at  Charlestown — the  intense  anxiety  of  those 
interested  for  the  safety  of  friends  and  their  property — the  proba- 

•  For  some  further  particulars  relating  to  this  battle,  and  ihe  death  of 
Pitcairn,  see  a  sketch  of  the  personal  character  of  Gen.  James  Dana,  insert- 
ed under  Cobelskill. 


J&6  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ble  effect  of  that  day's  transactions,  on  the  future  prosperity  of 
the  colonies — combined  to  render  it  one  of  the  most  thrilUng 
spectacles  mortal  eye  ever  witnessed.  The  British  trumpeted  this 
battle  as  a  victory.  "  If  they  call  this  a  victory,  how  many  such 
can  the  British  army  achieve  without  ruin?"  asked  the  Ameri- 
cans. 

The  following  anecdotes  of  the  battle  of  Bunker's  Hill,  I  find 
in  a  letter  from  Col.  John  Trumbull,  the  artist,  to  Daniel  Putnam, 
a  son  of  Gen.  Israel  Putnam,  dated  New  York,  March  30th,  1818. 
The  letter  is  published  in  a  reply  of  the  latter  to  an  unkind  at- 
tack made  by  Gen.  Dearborn,  some  time  previous,  in  a  public 
journal,  in  which  the  imputation  of  cowardice  was  cast  upon  the 
brave  "  Old  Put" — who  always  dared  to  lead  where  any  dared  to 
follow.  The  writer,  though  a  native  of  the  same  county  in  which 
the  old  hero  died,  never  heard  of  but  one  act  in  his  adventurous 
life  which  evinced  a  want  of  judgment,  and  that  was  far  from  a 
cowardly  one.  It  was  that  of  his  "  entering  a  cavern  to  kill  a 
wolf,  and  leaving  his  gun  outside,"  until  he  entered  a  second  time. 

Says  Trumbull : 

"  In  the  summer  of  1786,  I  became  acquainted,  in  London,  with 
Col.  John  Small,  of  the  British  army,  who  had  served  in  America 
many  years,  and  had  known  General  Putnam  intimately  during 
the  war  of  Canada  from  1756  to  1763.  From  him,  I  had  the  two 
following  anecdotes  respecting  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill :  I  shall 
nearly  repeat  his  words.  Looking  at  the  picture  which  I  had  then 
almost  completed,  he  said :  '  I  don't  like  the  situation  in  which  you 
have  placed  my  old  friend  Putnam ;  you  have  not  done  him  jus- 
tice. I  wish  you  would  alter  that  part  of  your  picture,  and  intro- 
duce a  circumstance  which  actually  happened,  and  which  I  can 
never  forget.  When  the  British  troops  advanced  the  second  time 
to  the  attack  of  the  redoubt,  I,  with  the  other  British  officers,  was 
in  front  of  the  line  to  encourage  the  men :  we  had  advanced  very 
near  the  works  undisturbed,  when  an  irregular  fire,  like  a  feu-de- 
joie,  was  poured  in  upon  us ;  it  was  cruelly  fatal.  The  troops  fell 
back,  and  when  I  looked  to  the  right  and  left,  I  saw  not  one  officer 
standing  ; — I  glanced  my  eye  to  the  enemy,  and  saw  several  young 
men  leveling  their  pieces  at  me  ;  I  knew  their  excellence  as  marks- 
men, and  considered  myself  gone.  At  that  moment,  my  old  friend 
Putnam  rushed  forward,  and  striking  up  the  muzzles  of  their  pieces 
with  his  sword,  cried  out,  "For  God's  sake,  my  lads,  don't  fire  at 
that  man — I  love  him  as  I  do  my  brother."     We  were  so  near 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        197 

each  other  that  I  heard  his  words  distinctly.     He  was  obeyed  ;  I 
bowed,  thanked  him,  and  walked  away  unmolested.'  " 

The  other  anecdote  relates  to  the  death  of  Gen.  Warren  : 

*'  At  the  moment  when  the  troops  succeeded  in  carrying  the  re- 
doubt, and  the  Americans  were  in  full  retreat,  Gen,  Howe  (who 
had  been  hurt  by  a  spent  ball,  which  bruised  his  ancle,)  was  lean- 
ing on  my  arm.  He  called  suddenly  to  me  :  '  Do  you  see  that  ele- 
gant young  man  who  has  just  fallen?  Do  you  know  him?'  I 
looked  to  the  spot  towards  which  he  pointed — '  Good  God,  sir,  I 
believe  it  is  my  friend  Warren.'  '  Leave  me  then  instantly — run  ; 
keep  oft' the  troops,  save  him  if  possible.'  I  flew  to  the  spot:  'My 
dear  friend,'  1  said  to  him,  '  I  hope  you  are  not  badly  hurt.'  He 
looked  up,  seemed  to  recollect  me,  smiled  and  died  !  A  musket- 
ball  had  passed  through  the  upper  part  of  his  head." 

The  Congress  which  met  in  the  summer  of  1775,  had  not  yet 
determined  to  throw  off  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and 
in  July  of  that  year,  prepared  a  declaration  of  American  griev- 
ances for  the  preceding  ten  years,  with  the  causes  which  had  led 
to  them.  They  also  drew  up  a  respectful  address  to  the  King,  in 
which  they  avowed  boldly,  that  they  were  "  resolved  to  die  free- 
men rather  than  live  slaves."  This  Congress  established  a  gener- 
al post  office  and  general  hospital,  and  resolved  to  emit  a  paper 
currency.  Its  proceedings,  however,  effected  nothing  towards 
healing  the  difficulties  with  the  mother  country.  In  November, 
the  House  of  Lords,  at  the  motion  of  the  duke  of  Richmond,  met 
to  interrogate  e.\-governor  Penn,  who  had  been  two  years  gover- 
nor of  Pennsylvania.  He  stated,  in  reply  to  certain  questions, 
that  he  had  resided  four  years  in  the  colonies — that  he  was  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  all  the  members  of  the  American  Con- 
gress— that  the  colonists  were  united — were,  to  considerable  ex- 
tent, prepared  for  war — could  make  powder,  small  arms  and  can- 
non— were  more  expert  at  ship-building  than  Europeans — and 
that  if  a  formidable  force  was  sent  to  America,  the  number  of  co- 
lonists who  would  be  found  to  join  it,  would  be  too  trivial  to  be 
of  any  consequence.  The  duke  of  Richmond  then  proposed  the 
last  petition  of  Congress  to  the  King,  as  a  base  for  a  plan  of  ac- 
commodation, and  urged  the  impossibility  of  ever  conquering 
America,  as  the  learned  John  Wilkes  had  emphatically  done  w 
U 


108  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  House  of  Commons,  the  preceding  February  :  but  the  motion 
was  lost.  In  December,  Mr.  Hartley  made  an  effort  to  have  hos- 
tilities suspended :  and  in  the  following  February,  Mr.  Fox  at- 
tempted the  same  thing ;  soon  after  which,  the  King,  by  a  treaty 
with  the  Prince  of  Hesse  Cassel,  made  an  arrangement  to  hire 
sixteen  thousand  troops  of  that  Prince,  to  aid  in  subduing  his 
American  subjects.  It  was  urged  in  vain,  that  they  were  setting 
the  example  for  the  colonies  to  call  in  foreign  aid.  In  March  of 
1776,  the  duke  of  Grafton  made  another  ineffectual  attempt  to 
open  the  eyes  of  the  King  and  ministry,  after  which  war  was  con- 
sidered as  actually  declared.  It  was  thought  by  the  court  party, 
that  one  or  two  campaigns  at  most,  would  bring  America  in  sack- 
cloth and  ashes  at  the  foot  of  the  British  throne. 

In  1775,  the  colonies  adopted  a  plain  red  flag.  By  a  resolution 
of  Congress,  the  flag  of  the  United  States,  consisting  of  thirteen 
stars  and  thirteen  stripes,  was  adopted  June  14th,  1777.  On  the 
13th  January,  1794,  two  new  states  having  been  added  to  the 
compact,  the  stars  and  stripes  were  increased  to  fifteen  each.  In 
January,  1817,  by  an  act  of  Congress,  it  was  resolved  that  it 
should  consist  of  thirteen  stripes,  and  a  star  for  every  additional 
state. 

If  matters  were  every  day  becoming  worse  in  England,  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1775,  and  the  early  part  of  '76,  they  were 
assuming  an  aspect  no  more  favorable  to  a  reconciliation  in  the 
colonies.  Many  events  had  transpired  after  the  battle  of  Bunker's 
hill,  which  served  to  feed  the  flame  of  discord.  Lord  Dunmore, 
governor  of  Virginia,  had  pursued  a  course  which  rendered  him 
not  only  odious  to  a  majority  of  the  colonists,  but  which  tended 
greatly  to  unite  the  anti-tea  party.  The  governor  of  North  Ca- 
rolina, also  proved  himself  to  be  a  tool  of  the  British  ministry  : 
while  Governor  Tryon,  of  New  York,  in  his  efforts  to  please  his 
master,  became  so  unpopular,  that  he  was  obliged,  in  the  course 
of  the  year  to  follow  the  example  of  Gov.  Dunmore,  and  seek 
personal  safety  on  board  of  an  armed  vessel. 

The  British,  in  1775,  burnt  Stonington  in  Connecticut,  Bristol 
in  Rhode  Island,  and  Falmouth  in  Massachusetts ;  and  during  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         199 

same  year,  the  colonists,  in  several  expeditions,  had  conquered  a 
pood  part  ol'  Canada.  Lord  Dunmore,  governor  of  Virginia,  had 
for  some  lime  been  arming  the  slaves,  and  instigating  them  to  im- 
brue their  hands  in  the  blood  of  their  masters  ;  and  on  the  first  of 
January,  177G,  he  burnt  Norfolk.  On  the  17th  of  March  follow- 
ing, the  liiitish  having  been  compelled  to  evacuate  Boston, 
Washington  entered  it,  to  the  great  joy  of  its  patriotic  citizens. 
A  fleet  under  Sir  Peter  Parker,  with  several  thousand  British  and 
Hessian  troops,  arrived  on  the  coast  of  America  early  that  year. 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  after  leaving  Boston,  intended  to  take  posses- 
sion of  New  York,  but  finding  General  Lee  there  to  oppose  him, 
he  sailed  with  the  British  fleet  to  attack  Charleston,  South  Caro- 
lina. Lee,  learning  his  intentions,  managed  to  arrive  there  before 
him,  and  prepare  the  city  for  an  attack.  A  fort  was  quickly 
thrown  up  on  Sullivan's  Island,  of  palmetto  trees  and  sand,  com- 
manding the  entrance  to  the  harbor. 

On  the  3 1st  of  May,  the  enemy  under  Commodore  Parker  and 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  attacked  it  with  a  strong  force,  but  were  re- 
pulsed with  severe  loss,  by  the  troops  under  Col.  Moultrie^  whose 
name  it  afterwards  bore.  The  conduct  of  two  sergents,  Jasper 
aud  McDonald,  deserves  particular  notice. 

Says  the  biographer  of  Marion :  "  A  ball  from  the  enemy's 
ships  carried  away  our  flagstaff.  Scarcely  had  the  stars  of  liberty 
touched  the  sand,  before  Jasper  flew  and  snatched  them  up  and 
kissed  them  with  great  enthusiasm.  Then  having  fixed  them  to 
the  point  of  his  spontoon,  [a  kind  of  spear,]  he  leaped  upon  the 
breast-work  amidst  the  storm  and  fury  of  the  battle,  and  restored 
them  to  their  daring  station — waving  his  hat  at  th(;  same  time 
and  huzzaing,  ^  God  save  liberty  and  my  country  forever  P  A 
cannon  shot  from  one  of  the  enemy's  guns  entered  a  port-hole 
and  dreadfully  mangled  McDonald,  w;hile  fighting  like  a  hero  at 
his  gun.  As  he  was  borne  off  in  a  dying  state,  he  said  to  his 
comrades,  "  Huzza,  my  brave  fcllou's  !  I  die,  but  don't  Id  the  cause 
of  liberty  die  xoith  meP''  The  day  after  the  action,  many  citizens 
of  Charleston  of  the  first  rank  of  both  sexes  visited  the  fort,  to 
tender  in  person  their  thanks  for  its  gallant  defence,  and  by  it 


200  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

their  own  protection.  Among  them  was  Gov.  Rutledge,  (lis- 
tinguis-hed  for  his  patriotic  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  cause  of  his 
country.  In  the  presence  of  the  regiment  to  which  Jasper  be- 
longed, he  loosed  his  own  sword  and  presented  it  to  him,  tender- 
ing him  at  the  time  a  commission.  The  brave  sergeant  with 
heart-felt  thanks  declined  accepting  the  latter,  because  he  could 
not  read.  Let  parents  who  neglect  to  educate  their  children, 
consider  well  the  reason  this  young  man  gave,  for  not  accepting 
proffered  honor.  Nor  was  this  a  solitary  case,  hundreds  of  dar- 
ing spirits  in  the  course  of  the  war,  were  obliged  to  decline  for 
the  same  reason  the  laurels  their  own  valor  had  won,  and  see 
them  adorn  the  brow  of  their  less  meritorious  brethren. 

A  Mrs.  Elliot,  (whose  husband  was  colonel  of  artillery.)  on  the 
occasion  above  referred  to,  presented  the  regiment  with  a  beauti- 
ful American  standard,  richly  embroidered  by  her  own  hands. 
It  was  delivered  to  Jasper,  who,  on  receiving  it,  declared  he 
never  would  fart  ivith  in  life.  He  kept  his  promise ;  for  some 
time  after  in  an  effort  to  bear  off  those  colors  in  an  attack  on 
Savannah,  he  was  mortally  wounded.  A  short  time  before  his 
death,  he  was  visited  by  Major  Horry.  He  spoke  with  freedom 
of  his  past  life  and  future  prospects,  and  dwelt  with  evident  sa- 
tisfaction on  the  virtues  of  his  mother.  How  true  it  is,  that 
mothers  generally  lay  the  foundation  for  man's  future  greatness — 
future  happiness.  The  last  moments  of  many  a  poor  soldier  and 
weather-beaten  tar,  have  added  their  testimonny  to  the  fact,  that 
lasting  advice  may  generally  be  traced  to  the  affectionate  and 
pious  mother.  Jasper  sent  the  sword  presented  him  by  Gov. 
Rutledge,  to  his  father,  as  a  dying  memento  of  his  own  patriot- 
ism. He  also  left  with  Major  Horry  his  tender  regards  for  the 
Jones  family,*  in  whose  fate  he  had,  by  a  daring  exploit,  become 

•  His  acquaintance  with  the  Joneses  originated  as  follows: 
In  disguise,  and  accompanied  by  his  trusty  friend  Newton,  he  visited  a 
British  post  at  Ebcnezer,  where  they  tarried  several  days.  Before  leaving, 
they  learned  that  a  parly  of  ten  or  twelve  American  prisoners  were  confined 
there  in  irons,  to  be  sent  back  to  Savannah,  from  whence  some  of  them  had 
deserted  the  British  service.  The  friends  begged  permission  to  see  them, 
among  whom  were  a  Mr.  Jones,  his  weeping  wife,  and  smiling  boy.     The 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         201 

interested;  giving  evidence  in  death,  that  a  just  reward  attends 
the  good  deeds  of  the  virtuous. 

About  the  time  the  attack  was  made  on  Fort  Moultrie,  Con- 
gress appointed  Dr.  FrankUn,  Samuel  Chase  and  Charles  Carroll 
commissioners  to  carry  addresses  into  Canada,  but  they  affected 
very  little ;  the  Canadians  being  then,  as  they  have  ever  since 
been,  too  loyal  to  appreciate  liberty. 

Early  in  May,  1776,  Congress  took  measures  to  sound  the  co- 
lonies on  the  propriety  of  casting  off  all  allegiance  to  the  mother 
country.  Richard  Henry  Lee,  of  Virginia,  gave  notice  that  on  a 
future  day  he  would  move  for  a  declaration  of  Independence. 
From  the  time  of  his  notice  the  press  proved  a  powerful  auxiliary 
in  the  popular  cause.  Many  essays  and  pamphlets  were  publish- 
ed and  distributed  on  the  subject,  and  one  from  the  pen  of  Thomas 
Paine,  entitled  Common  Seiise,  aided  much  in  preparing  public 
opinion  to  sanction  the  step  about  to  be  taken.  On  the  1st  of 
July  it  was  introduced,  and  the  three  following  days  it  was  ably 
discussed,  when  the  vote  was  taken  and  six  st:\tes  were  enrolled 
for  and  six  against  the  declaration,  and  one  equally  divided.  One 
of  the  delegates  from  Pennsylvania,  it  is  said,  was  influenced  to 
leave  the  House,  and  thus  a  majority  of  one  vote  in  a  committee 

two  friends  were  much  interested  in  the  fate  of  the  Joneses,  and  soon  after 
left  the  camp  and  retired  to  a  neishboring  wood,  where  they  pledged  their 
lives  to  rescue  the  prisoners  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  They  remained  in  tlie 
British  camp  until  the  prisoners,  under  a  guard  of  a  sergeant,  corporal,  and 
eight  soldiers  set  forward  for  Savannah.  About  two  miles  from  ihe  place 
of  destination,  Jasper  and  Newton  secreted  themselves  near  a  spring,  a  little 
distance  from  the  road,  where  the  party  soon  after  halted.  Watching  their 
opportunity,  they  sprang  from  they  covert,  and  seizing  two  muskets  that 
were  resting  against  a  tree,  they  shot  two  soldiers  who  were  keeping  guard, 
and  reached  them  in  time  to  strike  down  with  clubbed  muskets,  two  others 
who  were  in  the  act  of  taking  up  their  arms.  Seizing  the  two  loaded  guns 
they  gained  command  of  tliose  left  by  five  of  the  party  near  the  road,  and 
the  other  six  surrendered  themselves  prisoners.  The  heroes  liberated  the 
captive  Americans,  and  placing  guns  in  their  hands,  after  stripping  the  four 
dead  soldiers,  led  the  party  in  salety  to  the  American  garrison  at  Purysburg. 
When  the  affray  at  the  spring  commenced,  Mrs.  Jones  fainted  to  the  earth, 
but  recovering  and  finding  her  husband  and  boy  safe,  she  became  frantic 
with  joy,  and  viewing  her  deliverers  in  the  light  of  angels,  she  called  down 
heaven's  blessings  upon  them. 


202  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  the  whole,  decided  the  fate  of  the  declaration.  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson, John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Sherman  and  R. 
R.  Livingston  were  appointed  to  draft  a  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. Each  prepared  one,  but  that  of  Jefferson  was,  with  a  few 
slight  alterations,  adopted,  on  the  fourth  of  July,  1776  ;  and  read 
as  follows. 

"THE  UNANIMOUS  DECLARATION  OF  THE  THIRTEEN 
UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA. 

*'  When  in  the  course  of  human  events,  it  becomes  necessary 
for  one  people  to  dissolve  the  political  bands  which  have  connected 
them  with  another,  and  to  assume  among  the  powers  of  the  earth, 
the  separate  and  equal  station  to  which  the  laws  of  nature  and  of 
nature's  God  entitle  them,  a  decent  respect  for  the  opinions  of 
mankind  requires,  that  they  should  declare  the  causes  which  im- 
pel them  to  the  separation.  We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evi- 
dent— that  all  men  are  created  equal  ;  that  they  are  endowed  by 
their  Creatw  with  certain  unalienable  rights ;  that  among  these 
are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  That,  to  secure 
these  rights,  governments  are  instituted  among  men,  deriving  their 
just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed  ;  that  when  any  form 
of  government  becomes  destructive  of  these  ends,  it  is  the  right  of 
the  people  to  alter  or  to  abolish  it,  and  to  institute  a  new  govern- 
ment, laying  its  foundation  on  such  principles,  and  organizing  its 
powers  in  such  form,  as  to  them  shall  seem  most  likely  to  effect 
their  safety  and  happiness.  Prudence,  indeed,  will  dictate,  that 
governments  long  established  should  not  be  changed  for  light  and 
transient  causes ;  and  accordingly  all  experience  hath  shown,  that 
mankind  are  more  disposed  to  suffer,  while  evils  are  sufferable, 
than  to  right  themselves  by  abolishing  the  forms  to  which  they  are 
accustomed.  But  when  a  long  train  of  abuses  and  usurpations, 
pursuing  invariably  the  same  object,  evinces  a  design  to  reduce 
them  under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their  right,  it  is  their  duty,  to 
throw  off  such  government,  and  to  provide  new  guards  for  their 
future  security.  Such  has  been  the  patient  sufferance  of  these 
colonies ;  and  such  is  now  the  necessity  which  constrains  them  to 
alter  their  former  system  of  government.  The  history  of  the  pre- 
sent king  of  Great  Britain  is  a  history  of  repeated  injuries  and 
usurpations,  all  having  in  direct  object  the  establishment  of  an  ab- 
solute tyranny  over  these  states.  To  prove  this,  let  facts  be  sub- 
mitted to  a  candid  world. 

"  He  has  refused  his  assent  to  laws  the  most  wholesome  and  ne- 
cessary for  the  public  good. 

"  He  has  forbidden  his  governors  to  pass  laws  of  immediate  and 
pressing  importance,  unless  suspended  in  their  operation,  till  his 
assent  should  be  obtained  ;  and,  when  so  suspended,  he  has  ut- 
terly neglected  to  attend  to  them. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         203 

"  He  has  refused  to  pass  other  laws  for  the  accommodation  of 
large  districts  of  people,  unless  those  people  would  relirKiuish  the 
right  of  representation  in  the  legislature — a  right  inestimable  to 
them,  and  formidable  to  tyrants  only. 

"  He  has  called  together  legislative  bodies,  at  places  unusual, 
uncomfortable,  and  distant  from  the  depository  of  their  public  re- 
cords, for  the  sole  purpose  of  fatiguing  them  into  compliance  with 
his  measures. 

"  He  has  dissolved  representative  houses  repeatedly,  for  oppos- 
ing, with  manly  firmness,  his  invasions  on  the  rights  of  the  people. 

"  He  has  refused  for  a  long  time  after  such  dissolutions,  to  cause 
others  to  be  elected  ;  whereby  the  legislative  powers,  incapable  of 
annihilation,  have  returned  to  the  people  at  large,  for  their  exer- 
cise ;  the  state  remaining,  in  the  meantime,  exposed  to  all  the  dan- 
ger of  invasion  from  without  and  convulsions  within. 

"  He  has  endeavored  to  prevent  the  population  of  these  states, 
for  that  purpose  obstructing  the  laws  for  naturalization  of  foreign- 
ers ;  refusing  to  pass  others,  to  encourage  their  migration  hither, 
and  raising  the  conditions  of  new  appropriations  of  lands. 

"He  has  obstructed  the  administration  of  justice,  by  refusing  his 
assent  to  laws  for  establishing  judiciary  powers. 

"  He  has  made  judges  dependent  on  his  will  alone,  for  the  ten- 
ure of  their  offices,  and  the  amount  and  payment  of  their  salaries. 

"He  has  erected  a  multitude  of  offices,  and  sent  here  swarms  of 
officers  to  harrass  our  people,  and  eat  out  their  substance. 

"He  has  kept  among  us,  in  times  of  peace,  standing  armies, 
without  the  consent  of  our  legislatures. 

"  He  has  affected  to  render  the  military  independent  of,  and  su- 
perior to,  the  civil  power. 

"  He  has  combined  with  others,  to  subject  us  to  a  jurisdiction, 
foreign  to  our  constitution,  and  unacknowledged  by  our  laws  ;  giv- 
ing his  assent  to  their  acts  of  pretended  legislation : 

For  quartering  large  bodies  of  armed  troops  among  us: 

For  protecting  them  by  a  mock  trial,  from  punishment  for  any 
murder  they  should  commit  on  the  inhabitants  of  these  states : 

For  cutting  off  our  trade  with  all  parts  of  the  world  : 

For  imposing  taxes  on  us  without  our  consent : 

For  depriving  us,  in  many  cases,  of  the  benefits  of  trial  by 
jury  : 

For  transporting  us  beyond  seas,  to  be  tried  for  pretended  of- 
fences : 

For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  law  in  a  neighboring 
province,  establishing  therein  an  arbitrary  government,  and  enlarg- 
ing its  boundaries  so  as  to  render  it  at  once  an  example  and  fit  in- 
strument for  introducing  the  same  absolute  rule  into  these  colonies  : 

For  taking  away  our  charters,  abolishing  our  most  valuable  laws, 
and  altering  fundamentally  the  forms  of  our  governments  : 

For  suspending  our  own  legislatures,  and  declaring  themselves 
invested  with  power,  to  legislate  for  us  in  all  cases  whatsoever  : 


204  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  He  has  abdicated  government  here,  by  declaring  us  out  of  his 
protection,  and  waging  war  against  us. 

"  He  has  phindered  our  seas,  ravaged  our  coasts,  burnt  our  towns, 
and  destroyed  the  lives  of  our  people. 

"  He  is,  at  this  time,  transporting  large  armies  of  foreign  mer- 
cenaries, to  complete  the  works  of  death,  desolation  and  tyranny, 
already  begun,  with  circumstances  of  cruelty  and  perfidy,  scarcely 
paralleled  in  the  most  barbarous  ages,  and  totally  unworthy  the 
head  of  a  civilized  nation. 

"  He  has  constrained  our  fellow  citizens,  taken  captive  on  the 
high  seas,  to  bear  arms  against  their  countr}'-,  to  become  the  exe- 
cutioners of  their  friends  and  brethren,  or  to  fall  themselves  by 
their  hands. 

"  He  has  excited  domestic  insurrections  amongst  us,  and  has  en- 
deavored to  bring  on  the  inhabitants  of  our  frontiers,  the  merciless 
Indian  savages,  whose  known  rule  of  warfare  is  an  undistinguished 
destruction  of  all  ages,  sexes  and  conditions. 

"  In  every  stage  of  these  oppressions,  we  have  petitioned  for  re- 
dress, in  the  most  humble  terms:  our  petitions  have  been  answered 
only  by  repeated  injury.  A  prince  whose  character  is  thus  marked, 
by  every  act  which  may  define  a  tyrant,  is  unfit  to  be  the  ruler  of 
a  free  people. 

"  Nor  have  we  been  wanting  in  attention  to  our  British  breth- 
ren. We  have  warned  them  from  time  to  time,  of  attempts  made 
by  their  legislature,  to  extend  an  unwarrantable  jurisdiction  over 
us.  We  have  reminded  them  of  the  circumstances  of  our  emi- 
gration and  settlement  here.  We  have  appealed  to  their  native 
justice  and  magnanimity,  and  we  have  conjured  them  by  the  ties 
of  our  common  kindred,  to  disavow  these  usurpations,  which  would 
inevitably  interrupt  our  connexions  and  correspondence.  They, 
too,  have  been  deaf  to  the  voice  of  justice  and  consanguinity. 
We  must,  therefore,  acquiesce  in  necessity,  which  denounces  our 
separation,  and  hold  them,  as  we  hold  the  rest  of  mankind — ene- 
mies in  war ;  in  peace,  friends. 

"  We,  therefore,  the  representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  in  general  congress  assembled,  appealing  to  the  Supreme 
Judge  of  the  world,  for  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions,  DO,  in  the 
name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  good  people  of  these  colonies, 
solemnly  publish  and  declare,  that  these  united  colonics  are,  and 
of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  states;  that  they  are 
absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and  that  all  po- 
litical connexion  between  them  and  the  state  of  Great  Britain,  is 
and  aught  to  be  totally  dissolved ;  and  that  as  free  and  independ- 
ent states,  they  have  full  power  to  levy  war,  conclude  peace,  con- 
tract alliances,  establish  commerce,  and  to  do  all  other  acts  and 
things  which  independent  states  may  of  right  do.  And  for  the 
support  of  this  declaration,  with  a  firm  reliance  on   the  protection 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


205 


of  Divine  Providence,  we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  lives, 
our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor." 

Signed  by  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  Congress. 

JOHN  HANCOCK,  President. 
Attest.     Charles  Thompson,  Secrctanj. 


^cw  Hampshire. 
Josiuh  Bartlelt, 
William  Whipple, 
Matthew  Thornton. 

Massachusetts  Bay. 
Samuel  Adams, 
John  Adams, 
Kohert  Treat  Paine, 
Elbridge  Gerry. 

Rhode  Island,  tfc. 
Stephen  Hopkins, 
William  Ellery. 

Delaware. 
Csesar  Rodney, 
Thomas  M'Kean, 
George  Read, 

Maryland. 
Samuel  Chase, 
William  Paca, 
Thomas  Stone, 
Charles   Caroli  of  Ca- 
roUloii. 


Connecticut. 
Roger  Sherman, 
Samuel  Huntington, 
William  WiUiais, 
Oliver  Wolcott. 

New  York. 
William  Floyd, 
Philip  Livingston, 
Francis  Lewis, 
Lewis  Morris. 

Virginia. 
George  Wythe, 
Richard  Henry  Lee, 
Thomas  Jellerson. 
Benjamin  Harrison, 
Thomas  Nelson,  jr. 
Francis  Lighiloot  Lee, 
Carter  Braxton. 

North  Carolina. 
William  Hooper, 
Joseph  Hewes, 
John  Penn. 


New  Jersey. 
Richard  Stockton, 
John  Witherspoon, 
Francis  Hopkinson, 
John  Hart, 
Abraham  Clark. 

Pennsylvania. 
Robert  Morris, 
Benjamin  Franklin, 
Benjamin  Rush, 
John  Morton, 
George  Clymer, 
James  Wilson, 
George  Ross. 

South  Carolina. 
Fdward  Rutlcdge, 
Thomas  Heyward,  jr. 
Thomas  Lynch,  jr. 
Arthur  Middleton. 

Georgia. 
Button  Gwinnett, 
Lyman  Hall, 
George  Walton. 


(  206  ) 


CHAPTER  Vn. 


While  the  colonists  along  the  sea-board  were  beginning  to 
realize  the  horrors  of  war,  most  of  the  frontier  settlers  were 
spectators  for  a  while — not  idle  ones  however.  There  was  a 
restless  anxiety  which  reached  the  log  tenement  of  the  most  dis- 
tant pioneer.  Committees  of  vigilence,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
gather  information  relative  to  the  portending  storm,  and  prepare 
for  the  defence  of  the  settlements,  were  organized  in  Tryon 
county  as  early  as  1774.  A  council  of  safety  was  chosen  in 
Schoharie  not  long  after. 

At  an  early  period  of  the  difficulties,  an  effort  was  made  by  the 
Schoharie  settlers  to  get  the  Indians  in  their  neighborhood  to  re- 
main quiet,  and  let  the  colonies  settle  their  own  quarrel  with  the 
mother  country.  A  meeting  was  held  for  that  purpose  at  the 
old  council  ground  in  Middleburgh.  Brant  with  several  Mohawk 
chiefs  is  said  to  have  been  present,  on  which  occasion  a  Mrs. 
Richtmyer,  living  in  the  vicinity,  acted  as  interpreter.  The  In- 
dians agreed  to  remain  neutral  or  join  the  Americans,  says  an  old 
citizen  who  was  present  at  the  time ;  but  they  were  too  fond  of 
war  to  remain  inactive,  while  the  British  government  was  urging 
them  at  once  to  take  up  arms. 

Previous  to  the  Revolution,  a  small  castle  had  been  erected  for 
the  natives  at  Brakabeen,*  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Schoharie, 
several  miles  above  Wilder  hook,  to  which  many  of  them  re- 
moved from  the  latter  place.     Near  it  they  had  a  burying  ground. 

A  deputation  from  the  Schoharie  tribe  were  present  in  August, 

*  Brakabeen  is  the  German  word  for  rushes,  and  obtained  from  the  unusual 
quantity  of  that  plant  found  along  the  banks  of  the  river  at  that  place. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        207 

1775,  when  several  commissioners  met  the  chiefs  of  the  Six 
Nations  at  the  German  Flats ;  and  it  is  believed  they  were  at 
Albany,  where  a  subsequent  meeting  was  held  the  same  year, 
for  the  same  purpose.  At  the  time  the  Indians  left  the  Mohawk 
valley  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  Johnsons,  the  Schoharie  In- 
dians, who  survived  a  pestilence,  except  two  or  three  families, 
imitated  their  example,  leaving  the  council  grounds  and  green 
graves  of  their  fathers. 

Broim  says,  that  while  the  Indians  were  assembled  to  treat 
with  the  commissioners  of  the  Indian  department,  a  contagious 
disease — which  he  calls  yellow-fever — broke  out  amongst  them, 
which  carried  them  off  in  great  numbers.  That  the  survivors 
super stitiously  supposed  the  Great  Spirit  was  angry  with  them 
for  not  serving  their  king,  or  for  hesitating  about  entering  his 
service;  and  that  consequently  they  joined  the  royalists  and 
went  to  Canada. 

Warree,  an  old  Cherokee  squaw,  said  to  have  been  105  years 
old,  usually  called  the  mother  of  the  Schoharies,  who  was  living 
at  Brakabeen  at  the  beginning  of  hostilities,  took  the  prevail- 
ing epidemic  in  1775,  and  died  with  it.  This  good  old  squaw 
who  was  familiarly  called  Granny  Warree,  was  the  second  wife 
of  Schenevas,  a  Schoharie  chief,  after  whom  Schenevas  creek 
in  Otsego  county,  was   called.*     For  several  years  before  her 

'Brown's  pamphlet  originates  the  name  ol  this  stream  from  the  following 
circumstance:  Two  Indians,  Schenevas  and  son,  were  there  in  the  winter 
on  a  hunt— a  deep  snow  fell  and  ihey  concluded  to  return  home.  After  tra- 
veling some  distance,  they  kindled  a  fire  and  tarried  over  night.  The  fol- 
lowing morning  they  set  forward  on  their  journey,,  but  the  father  became 
fatigued,  and  finally  returned  to  the  place  from  whence  they  had  first  started. 
The  son,  discovering  his  father  had  taken  the  back  track,  returned  also,  and 
found  him  seated  by  a  fire  which  he  had  kindled.  The  son  killed  his  father 
with  a  tomahawk,  buried  him  in  the  snow  and  returned  to  Schoharie,  since 
which  lime  this  stream  has  been  called  Schenevas  creek. 

At  a  personal  interview.  Judge  Brown  related  the  following  tradition, 
which  he  believed  true:  A  Schoharie  chief  named  Schenevas,  whom  I  sup- 
pose to  have  been  the  one  killed  at  the  Schenevas  creek,  was  living  in  the 
lower  part  of  Schoharie.  His  mother,  an  aged  widow,  was  living  with  him- 
She  was  a  quarrelsome  old  squaw — was  very  fretful,  and  often  wished  her- 
self dead  when  in  a  fit  of  ill  humor.  Her  son,  getting  out  of  patience  with 
her,  went  to  Lambert  Sternberg  and  borrowed   a  shovel,  with  which  he  dug 


308  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

death,  she  used  to  walk  with  two  canes,  a  good  example  for  the 
modern  exquisite,  while  her  hair,  unconfined  and  white  as  the 
Alpine  snow,  floated  loosely  at  the  sport  of  the  breeze.  When 
she  felt  the  prevailing  malady  stealing  upon  her,  and  witnessed 
its  fatal  effects  upon  many  of  her  tribe,  believing  her  days  were 
numbered,  she  desired  to  be  carried  to  the  spot  where  her  hus- 
band had  died.  She  was  universally  beloved  by  the  whole  tribe, 
indeed  by  all  the  white  citizens  who  knew  her,  and  her  request, 
although  it  subjected  Ihera  to  great  inconvenience  in  their  pre- 
sent difficulties,  was  readily  complied  with.  She  survived  the 
journey  but  a  day  and  two  nights,  and  "was  gathered  to  her 
fathers,  to  enter  new  hunting  grounds."  She  was  buried  by  her 
faithful  warriors  who  had  carried  her  the  whole  distance — fifteen 
or  twenty  miles — beside  her  departed  husband,  near  the  present 
residence  of  Mr.  Collier. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  while  a  large  part  of  the  Scho- 
harie Indians  died  of  this  contagious  disease,  not  a  single  white 
citizen  took  it. 

Who  the  first  chosen  council  of  safety  were  in  Schoharie,  1 
am  unable  to  say.  Johannes  Ball,  a  thorough  going  W^hig,  was 
chairman  of  the  committee  from  its  organization  to  the  end 
of  the  war.  It  consisted  generally  of  six  members,  and  under- 
went some  changes  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times.  The 
following  persons  it  is  believed  were  members  in  the  course  of  the 
war :  Joseph  Borst,  Joseph  Becker,  Peter  Becker,  Col.  Peter 
Vrooman,  who  is  said  to  have  done  most  of  the  writing  for  the 
board,  Lt.    Col.   Peter   Zielie,   Peter   Swart,  Wm.    Zimmer  of 

a  grave,  in  Sternberg's  orchard.  He  then  conducted  his  mother  to  it.  You 
have  often  ivisked  yourself  dead,  said  lie,  /  have  prepared  your  grave — you 
must  die.  When  she  saw  the  open  grave,  and  realized  that  she  had  been 
taken  at  her  word,  she  was  terrified  and  began  to  cry.  The  savage  son  told 
her  she  must  not  be  a  baby — that  she  was  going  to  the  Great  Spirit  who 
did  not  like  babies.  He  then  forced  her  into  the  grave — bade  her  lie  down — 
and  buried  her  alive.  She  struggled  hard  as  the  earth  covered  her,  but,  re- 
gardless of  her  entreaties,  he  stamped  down  the  earth  upon  her,  and  closed 
up  the  grave.  We  could  wish  for  poor  human  nature  that  those  parental 
murders  were  mere  (iction;  but  we  have  loo  much  reason  to  believe  them 
true — indeed  history  furnishes  us  with  abundant  evidence  of  inhuman  olro- 
cities  in  savage  life. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        209 

Brakabcen,  Wm.  Dietz,  Samuel  Vrooman,  Nicholas  Sternberg, 
Adam  Vrooman,  George  Warner  of  Cobelskill,  and  Jacob  Zim- 
mer  of  Foxes  creek. 

Mr.  liall,  chairman  of  the  Schoharie  committee,  had  two  sons, 
Peter  and  Mattice — who  were  both  living  in  1837,  in  the  town 
of  Sharon — who,  with  their  father  warmly  espoused  their  coun- 
try's cause;  while  another  son,  and  his  brother,  Captain  Jacob 
Ball — a  leader  among  the  torics  at  Beaverdam ;  and  John  Peter 
Ball,  another  relative,  as  warmly  advocated  that  of  the  oppressor. 

As  appears  by  the  ancient  records  preserved  in  the  Secretary's 
office  at  Albany,  a  regiment  of  militia  was  organized  for  the 
"  Schoharie  and  Duanesburgh  districts,"  as  i\ie  fifteenth  regiment 
of  New  York  militia,  and  commissions  to  its  officers  were  issued 
and  dated  October  20,  1775.  It  was  composed  at  first  of  only 
three  companies,  and  as  their  members  were  not  all  well  affected 
toward  rebellion,  and  scattered  over  considerable  territory,  the 
reader  will  see  their  need  of  foreign  assistance.  The  following 
is  a  list  of  officers  to  whom  commissions  were  at  first  issued. 

"  Peter  Vrooman,  Col. ;  Peter  \V.  Zielie,  Lieut.  Col. ;  Thomas 
Eckerson,  Jr.  1st  Maj. ;  Jost  Becker,  2d  Maj. ;  Lawrence  School- 
craft, Adjt. ;  Peter  Ball,  Qr.  Master. 

"  First  Company — George  Mann,  Capt. ;  Christian  Stubragh, 
1st  Lieut. ;  John  Dominick,  2d  Lieut. ;  Jacob  Snyder,  Ensign. 

"  Second  Compamj — Jacob  Hager,  Capt. ;  Martynus  Van  Slyck, 
1st  Lieut. ;  Johannes  W.  Bouck,  2d  Lieut. ;  Johannes  L.  Lawyer, 
Ensign. 

"  Third  Company — George  Rechtmyer,  Capt. ;  Johannes  I.  Law- 
yer, 1st  Lieut. ;  Martynus  W.  Zielie,  2d  Lieut. ;  Johannes  Lawyer 
Bellinger,  Ensign." 

A  small  company  of  militia  was  afterwards  organized  in  Co- 
belskill, under  Capt.  Christian  Brown  and  Lieut.  Jacob  Borst, 
which  was  possibly  attached  to  the  Schoharie  regiment. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1776,  I  find  by  the  Albany  records,  that 
Schoharie  was  represented  in  the  "  general  committee  chamber," 
by  chairman  Ball  and  Peter  Becker,  of  the  Schoharie  council 
of  safety.  At  a  meeting  of  the  New  York  State  Committee  of 
Safety,  convened  at  Fishkill,  October  9,  1776,  the  following  reso- 
lution was  adopted — 


2U0  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  Resolved,  That  the  persons  hereafter  mentioned,  be  appointed 
to  purchase  at  the  cheapest  rate,  in  their  several  counties,  all  the 
coarse  woollen  cloth,  linse)^  woolsey,  blankets,  woollen  hose,  mit- 
tens, coarse  linen,  felt  hats,  and  shoes  fitting  for  soldiers  ;  and  that 
they  have  the  linen  made  up  into  shirts."  [The  committee  named 
for  Albany  county  were] — "  Capt.  John  A.  Fonda,  of  the  manor  of 
Livingston  ;  Peter  Van  Ness,  of  Claverack  ;  Barent  Van  Beuren, 
of  Kinderhook  ;  Isaac  V.  Arnum,  of  Albany ;  Cors.  Cuyler,  of 
Schenectada ;  James  McGee  and  Henry  Quackenboss,  of  the  ma- 
nor of  Rantselear  ;  Anthony  Van  Bergen,  of  Cocsakie ;  Henry 
Oothout,  of  Katskill ;  and  Johannes  Ball,  of  Schoharie ;  and  that 
the  sum  of  100  pounds  be  advanced  to  each  of  them  for  purchasing 
the  above  articles." 

The  following  oath  of  allegiance  was  found  among  the  papers 
of  the  late  Chairman  Ball — 

"  You  shall  swear  by  the  holy  evangelist  of  the  Almighty  God, 
to  be  a  true  subject  to  our  continental  resolve  and  Provincial  Con- 
gress and  committees,  in  this  difficulty  existing  between  Great 
Britain  and  America,  and  to  answer  upon  such  questions  as  you 
shall  be  examined  in,  so  help  you  God. 

"  Derrick  Laraway  appeared  and  swore  the  above  mentioned, 
before  the  chairman  and  committee,  at  Schoharie,  and  signed  the 
association,  on  the  30th  day  of  June,  in  the  year  1776." 

The  following  papers  are  copied  from  a  record  made  by  Judge 
Swart  some  years  before  his  death.  They  were  obtained  through 
the  politeness  of  the  late  Gen.  Jacob  Hager,  and  although  they 
exhibit  personal  services,  as  they  will  throw  some  light  on  Scho- 
harie affairs  in  the  Revolution,  I  give  them  an  insertion. 

"  JVames  of  the  Persons  that  made  resistance  in  1777,  against 
McDonald  and  his  Party." 

The  Hager  Family.*  Peter  Zielie,  jr.  Storm  Becker  jr. 

Peter  Vrooman, [Col.]  Thomas  Eckerson,  John  H.  Becker, 

Jonas  Vrooman,  Thomas  Eckerson  jr.  John  I.  Becker, 

Peter  Swart,   [after-         [Maj.]  David  Becker, 

wards  judge,]  George  Richtmyer,  Albertus  Becker, 

Peter  A.  Vrooman,      Cornelius  Van  Dyck,  Peter  Zielie,  [Lt.  Col.] 

Peter  Povvlus  Swart,  Tunis  Eckerson,  Peter  Van  Slyck, 

Abraham  Becker,         Cornelius  Eckerson,  Martinus  Zielie, 

John  A.  Becker,  Hendrick  Becker,  Peter  Becker, 

Storm  A.  Becker,        John  S.  Becker,  Christian  Richtmyer. 
John  Van  Dyck, 

•  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  note,  that  while  members  of  almost  every  family  of 
distinction  in  the  Scnoharie  settlements  were  found  in  hostile  array,  as  father 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         211 

The  preceding  memorandum  embraces  few  if  any  names  of  in- 
dividuals north  of  the  present  limits  of  Middleburgh ;  although 
there  were  many  patriots  about  Foxes  creek,  and  the  Schoharie 
valleys  farther  north,  and  not  a  few  in  the  more  distant  set- 
tlements. The  party  named  assembled  at  Middleburgh,  and  be- 
gan fortifying  the  stone  house  of  John  Becker,  afterwards  picket- 
ed in,  and  occupied  as  the  middle  fort.  The  record  of  Swart  thus 
continues : 

"  I  was  enrolled  in  the  militia  at  sixteen  years  of  age  ;  [this  was 
the  lawful  age  for  enrolling  at  that  period]  served  as  a  private  six 
months;  then  I  was  appointed  a  corporal — served  in  that  capacity 
about  one  year;  then  1  was  appointed  sergeant  in  Capt.  Hager's 
company;  1778,  I  was  appointed  ensign  in  said  company,  in  the 
room  of  John  L.  Lawyer;  1786,  I  was  promoted  to  first  major  of 
the  regiment;  1798,  I  was  promoted  to  lieut.  colonel  com't;  1784 
I  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  without  my  knowledge  ;  1796 
I  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the  county,  which  office  I 
have  resigned  1818;  1798  I  was  elected  a  member  of  assembly  ; 
the  next  election  I  was  solicited  to  stand  again  as  a  candidate, 
which  I  utterl}'  refused  ;  1806  I  was  elected  a  member  of  Con- 
gress. I  was  afterwards  again  requested  to  stand  as  a  candidate 
for  Congress,  Avhich  I  refused  ;  when  John  Gebhard,  Judge  Shep- 
ard,  and  Boyd  were  candidates  for  Congress.  Gebhard  and 
Shepard  met  with  their  friends  at  the  Court  House  for  one  of 
them  to  give  way ;  no  arrangement  could  be  made  ;  they  both 
signed  a  written  declaration  to  give  way  in  case  I  would  accept  a 
nomination,  which  I  also  refused.  1816  I  was  elected  a  senator. 
At  the  expiration  of  my  time  I  was  again  requested  to  stand  a  can- 
didate for  the  senate,  which  I  also  refused.  I  never  craved  or  re- 
quested an  office. 

"  I  was  one  of  the  first  that  signed  the  compact  and  association. 
1776  I  turned  out  to  Stone  Arabia  to  check  the  progress  of  the 
enemy  and  tories.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  I  turned  out  to 
Albany,  from  thence  to  Fort  Edward,  from  thence  to  Johnstown, 
to  check  the  enemy.  1777,  in  the  spring,  I  turned  out  to  Har- 
persfield,  from  thence  to  the  Delaware  to  take  up  disaffected,  from 
there  home.  Three  days  home,  I  went  down  the  Hellenber^rh  to 
take  tories ;  after  we  had  together  about  twenty-five  of  them, 
went  to  Albany  and  delivered  them  in  jail.  A  few  days  after- 
wards went  to  Harpersfield  ;  from  thence  to  Charlotte  river  to  take 

against  son,  brother  against  brother,  &.C.,  all  the  members  of  the  Hagcr  fa- 
mily at  once  united  with  those  who  were  unfurling  to  «he  winds  of  Heaven. 
the  stars  and  stripes  of  freedom.  From  the  number  of  Beckers  on  this  lisi, 
we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  few  of  that  name  were  tories. 


212  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

McDonald,  and  send  him  to  jail.  In  August  1777,  was  one  of  the 
thirty-two  that  made  a  stand  to  oppose  McDonald  and  his  party. 
I  was  one  of  the  two  that  risked  our  lives  to  crowd  through  the 
tories'  guns  to  go  to  Albany  for  assistance  ;  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Indians  and  tories  ;  the  same  evening  I  made  my  escape.*  I 
was  one  of  the  six  councillors  that  went  from  the  stone  house 
across  Schoharie  creek  into  the  woods  in  a  cave,  to  consult  what 
measures  to  adopt  — secresy  at  that  time  was  the  best  policy.t 
Did  not  McDonald  and  his  party  come  down  as  far  as  my  house, 
and  there  encamp  till  next  day,  and  destroy  every  thing  ?  I  had 
left  home.  The  same  day  McDonaJd  and  his  party  were  defeated 
and  fled  into  the  woods,  and  went  ofTto  Canada,  and  about  twenty- 
six  from  Brakabeen  went  with  him.  What  Avould  have  been  the 
result  if  our  small  party  had  made  no  resistance,  and  had  tamely 
submitted  ?  McDonald  would  have  marched  through  Schoharie, 
and  in  all  probability  reached  Albany.  What  was  the  conse- 
quence as  far  as  he  came  down?  Was  not  the  farm  of  Adam 
Crysler  confiscated  ?  Also  the  farm  of  Adam  Bouck  and  brothers  ? 
Also  the  farm  of  Frederick  Bouck  ?  Also  the  farm  of  Bastian 
Becker  ?  Also  the  farm  of  John  Brown  ?  Also  the  farm  of  Hen- 
drick  Mattice  ?  Also  the  farm  of  Nicholas  Mattice,  and  a  number 
of  others  that  were  indicted  ?  And  a  number  more  that  had 
joined  McDonald  and  fired  on  our  men." 

Peter  and  Mattice  Ball,  as  their  father  was  chairman  of  com- 
mittee, were  subjected  to  much  arduous  duty,  snd  consequently 
■were  often  pressed  into  unexpected  service.  Pettr  Ball  related 
to  the  author  the  following  melancholy  incident.  He  had  been 
sent  to  Ticonderoga  with  a  sleigh  load  of  stores  for  the  army, 
during  the  winter  preceding  Burgoyne's  campaign.  While  re- 
turning, in  company  with  other  sleighs  which  had  been  there  for 
the  same  purpose,  the  horses  attached  to  one  of  them,  which  was 
driven  by  a  boy  and  contained  six  soldiers,  took  fright  at  the 
sound  of  a  drum  in  one  of  the  sleighs.  They  were  driving  upon 
ice  at  the  time,  and  if  I  mistake  not,  they  were  on  the  Hudson, 

•  Swart  and  his  neighbor,  Ephraim  Vrooman,  were  sent  to  Albany  for  aid, 
by  Col.  Vrooman,  and  started  on  foot,  supposed  the  day  before  Col.  Harper 
did,  and  arrived  there  almost  as  soon.  They  were  detained  on  their  way,  by 
coming  unexpectedly  upon  a  party  of  armed  royalists  ;  but  finally  escaped 
from  them  and  pursued  their  journey. 

t  The  stone  house  to  which  he  alludes,  was  that  of  John  Becker,  after- 
wards fortified  as  the  middle  fori.  The  cave,  or  place  of  concealment,  for- 
merly called  "  the  committee  hole,"  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
from  Middleburgh,  in  a  ravine  between  the  mountains. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        213 

near  Saratoga.  When  the  horses  started,  one  of  the  men  took 
the  reins  from  the  boy,  who  jumped  out  and  escajicd  ;  but  the 
soldiers  and  horses  broke  through  the  ice  and  were  all  drowned. 
Ball  assisted  in  recoverinj^  the  bodies  of  the  soldiers,  and  conveyed 
them  to  Albany  in  his  sleigh. 

Once  he  carried  a  load  of  powder  in  a  wagon  to  Lake  George ; 
three  other  loads  went  at  the  same  time,  and  all  were  guarded  by 
military  from  Albany.  On  two  other  occasions,  he  was  sent  to 
Fort  Edward  with  Hour  from  Schoharie,  and  was  pressed  to  take 
loads  from  there  to  Lake  George.  On  those  occasions  he  had  to 
lie  out  nights,  and  suffered  from  cold. 

Chairman  Ball  resided  about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  stone 
church  in  Schoharie,  known,  when  fortified  in  the  Revolution,  as 
the  Lower  Fort.  His  son,  Wilhelmus  Ball,  now  resides  on  the 
same  ground.  Peter  Ball  once  playfully  remarked  to  the  author, 
that  his  father  had  nine  children  by  his  fust  wife,  and  only  ten  by 
his  second. 

Several  anecdotes  of  interest  are  told  of  Chairman  Ball.  His 
neighbor,  George  Mann,  who  M^as  a  captain  of  militia,  kept  a 
public  house  where  Cornelius  Vrooman  now  lives,  and  warmly 
advocated  royalty.  His  house  was  made  the  rallying  point  for  To- 
ries and  Indians  in  the  year  1776  and  early  part  of  '77,  to  con- 
sider the  past  and  plan  future  operations.  The  individuals  of  this 
stamp  who  usually  met  there,  neither  liked  Johannes  Ball  nor  his 
politics.  It  was  therefore  thought  best  to  get  him  out  of  the  way 
if  possible  :  indeed,  it  was  afterwards  asserted  and  confidently  be- 
lieved, that^i'e  hundred  guineas  were  offered  by  an  a^-ent  of  the 
king  for  his  destruction.  David  Ogeyonda,  a  subtle  Schoharie 
warrior,  who  had  a  hut  on  the  lands  of  Adam  Vrooman,  and  who 
had  been  for  some  time  active  for  the  Tories,  doing  the  duties  of 
a  runner,  spy,  &c.,  was  to  be  the  instrument  of  his  death.  Ball 
was  to  be  invited  to  the  house  of  Mann,  under  the  pretence  of 
having  important  business  to  transact  with  him,  or  some  one  else, 
when  David  was  to  provoke  him  to  a  quarrel,  and  thus  have  a 
plausible  pretext  to  kill  him.  Hostilities  had  not  yet  gone  so  far 
in  Schoharie,  that  either  party  felt  justified  in  imbruing  their 
15 


214  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

hands  in  the  blood  of  an  old  neighbor,  without  the  show  of  cause. 
Ball  went  to  the  house  of  Mann,  at  the  appointed  time,  taking 
the  precaution  to  go  armed  with  a  brace  of  loaded  pistols.  He 
found  that  the  business  was  of  little  importance,  but  that  the  In- 
dian, David,  was  determined  to  quarrel  with  him.  As  the  savage 
not  unfrequently  seized  the  handle  of  a  long  knife  worn  in  his 
girdle,  he  suspected  his  motive  and  made  good  his  escape ;  keep- 
ing a  chair  with  one  hand  between  his  enemy  and  himself  until 
he  reached  the  door,  while  the  other  hand  rested  upon  a  pistol. 
This  transaction  took  place  but  a  short  time  previous  to  the  death 
of  this  Indian,  as  will  appear  hereafter. 

It  had  been  the  usual  custom  for  ministers  of  the  gospel,  to  re- 
member the  king  in  their  prayers  on  the  Sabbath,  previous  to  the 
commencement  of  difficulties.  One  Sunday,  as  Chairman  Ball 
was  leaving  the  stone  church,  just  before  the  outbreak  of  hostili- 
ties, when  the  excitement  of  stifled  feeling  was  scarcely  controlled, 
he  said  to  one  of  his  Whig  neighbors,  who  was  standing  so  near 
old  domine  Schuyler  that  the  latter  could  hear  the  remark,  "  the 
domine  does  not  dare  to  pray  for  King  George  any  more,  and  for 
Congress  he  will  not  pray."  Schuyler  usually  preached  in  Low 
Dutch  at  Middlebuigh,  and  in  German  at  Schoharie. 

Col.  Peter  Vrooman,  one  of  the  Schoharie  committee,  was  a 
major  of  militia  before  the  revolution.  He  was  a  captain  in  the 
French  war,  and  assisted  in  erecting  fortifications  at  Oswego.  If 
not  as  energetic  as  some  officers,  he  was  far  from  being  as  pusil- 
lanimous as  represented  in  the  Annals  of  Tryon  County,  or 
Stone's  Life  of  Brant.  The  old  soldiers  who  served  under 
him,  represent  him  as  having  been  a  bold  and  determined  man, 
and  his  conduct  on  several  occasions  during  the  war,  gave  good 
evidence  of  that  fact.  He  was  very  much  respected  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  is  said  to  have  been  nineteen  years  a  member  of  either  the 
senate  or  assembly  of  New  York.  An  attempt  was  made  to 
take  him  prisoner  during  the  war.  A  liberal  reward  had  been 
offered  for  his  apprehension.  A  meeting  of  the  council  of  safety 
was  to  take  place  at  his  house,  and  supposing  he  would  remain 
at  home,  several  of  the  enemy  had  secreted  themselves,  intending 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        215 

to  secure  his  person  when  the  rest  of  the  committee  retired.  The 
snow  was  deep  and  the  enemy  expected  an  easy  conquest ;  but  it 
became  necessary  for  him  to  leave  home  with  his  guests,  and  the 
intentions  of  the  foe  were  thwarted. 

In  1776,  a  plan  was  devised  by  Governor  Tryon,  aided  by  the 
Mayor  of  New  York,  to  seize  the  person  of  Gen.  Washington  ; 
some  of  whose  guard  were  in  the  plot :  but  the  design  of  the 
enemy  was  seasonably  discovered,  and  those  who  were  conniving 
with  the  enemy,  executed. — Bancrofts  Washington. 

In  the  fall  of  1776,  Congress  sent  Dr.  Franklin,  Silas  Dean 
and  Arthur  Lee  as  commissioners  to  the  court  of  France  for  aid  : 
and  also  resolved  to  build  a  navy. 

The  year  1776  closed  without  any  thing  remarkable  occurring 
to  disturb,  unusually,  the  peace  of  the  frontier  settlements.  After 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  events  transpired  in  other  places, 
involving  the  safety  of  the  republic.  In  August,  the  whole  of 
Long  Island  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  in  September, 
the  city  of  New  York  followed  the  same  fate.* 

•The  masterly  retreat  of  Gen.  Washington  with  his  army  across  the  East 
river  from  Brooidyn  to  New  York,  is  thus  related  by  Major,  afterwards  Col. 
Benjamin  Tallmadge,  in  his  military  journal  :  "  In  the  face  of  many  diffi- 
culties, the  Commander-in-chief  so  an anged  his  business,  that  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  29th,  [Aug.]  by  10  o'clock,  the  troops  began  to  retire  from  the 
lines  in  such  a  manner  that  no  chasm  was  made  in  the  line,  but  as  one  regi- 
ment left  their  station  on  guard,  the  remaining  troops  moved  to  the  right  and 
left,  and  filled  up  the  vacancies,  while  Gen.  Washington  took  his  station  at 
the  ferry,  and  superintended  the  embarkation  of  the  troops.  It  was  one  of 
the  most  an.\ious,  busy  nights  that  I  ever  recollect,  and  being  the  third  in 
which  hardly  any  of  us  had  closed  our  eyes  to  sleep,  we  were  all  greatly  fa- 
tigued. As  the  dawn  of  the  nest  day  approached,  those  of  us  who  remained 
in  the  trenches  became  very  anxious  for  our  own  safety,  at  which  time  there 
were  several  regiments  still  on  duly.  At  this  time  a  very  dense  fog  began  to 
rise,  and  it  seemed  to  settle  in  a  peculiar  manner  over  both  encampments.  I 
recollect  this  peculiar,  providential  occurrence  perfectly  well,  and  so  very 
dense  was  the  atmosphere,  that  I  could  scarcely  discern  a  man  at  six  yards 
distance.  When  the  sun  rose  we  had  just  received  orders  to  leave  the  lines, 
but  before  we  reached  the  ferry,  the  Commander-in-chief  sent  one  of  his  aidi 
to  order  the  regiment  back  to  its  former  station.  Col.  Chester  immediatelj 
faced  about  and  returned  to  the  lines,  where  we  tarried  until  the  sun  had 
risen,  but  the  fog  remained  as  dense  as  ever.  Finally,  the  second  order  ar- 
rived for  the   regiment  to  retire,  and  we  very  joyfully    bid  those  trenches  a 


216  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I  shall  have  repeatedly  to  speak  of  the  difficulty  the  Americans 
experienced  in  procuring  a  supply  of  the  munitif  ns  of  war.  The 
following  anecdote  will  show  that  it  extended  to  small  concerns. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  contest,  gun-Jlints  were  so  scarce,  that 
troops  while  performing  the  manual  exercise,  substituted  wooden 
ones  for  those  of  silex.  While  James  Williamson  was  on  duty 
one  moonlight  night  in  1776,  on  Long  Island  off  Gardiner's  Isl- 
and, as  piquet  guard,  he  saw  an  armed  barge  approaching  the 
shore  near  him  from  one  of  the  British  ships  off  the  Island.  He 
instantly  raised  his  piece  and  cocked  it,  when,  to  his  chagrin,  he 
found  it  had  a  wooden  flint  in  the  lock.  The  men  in  the  barge, 
who  were  sufficiently  near  to  see  the  leveled  musket,  ignorant  of 
its  harmless  condition,  shifted  their  course  without  attempting  to 
land. — James  Williamson. 

The  defeat  of  the  Americans  on  Long  Island  and  the  loss  of 
New  York,  were  succeeded  by  a  catalogue  of  disasters,  which 
tended  to  make  the  royalists  more  bold,  and  greatly  to  dishearten 
the  Americans.  Several  hundied  houses  were  destroyed  in  New 
York  by  fire,  soon  after  the  British  took  that  city.  In  November, 
Forts  Washington  and  Lee,  situated  nearly  opposite  each  other  on 

long  adieu.  When  we  reached  Brooklyn  ferry  the  boats  had  not  returned 
from  their  last  trip,  but  lliey  very  soon  appeared  and  took  the  whole  regi- 
ment over  to  New  York  ;  and  I  think  I  saw  Gen.  Washington  on  the  ferry 
stairs  when  I  stepped  into  one  of  the  last  boats  that  received  the  troops.  I 
left  ray  horse  tied  to  a  post  at  the  ferry. 

"  The  troops  having  all  safely  reached  New  York,  and  the  fog  continuing 
as  thick  as  ever,  I  began  to  think  of  my  favorite  horse,  and  requested  leave 
to  return  and  bring  him  off.  Having  obtained  permission,  I  called  for  a  crew 
of  volunteers  to  go  with  me,  and  guiding  the  boat  myself,  I  obtained  my 
horse  and  got  ofl'  some  distance  into  the  river  before  the  enemy  appeared  in 
Brooklyn.  As  soon  as  they  reached  the  ferry,  we  were  saluted  merrily  from 
Iheir  musketry  and  finally  by  their  field  pieces,  but  we  returned  in  safely.  In 
the  history  of  warfixre,  I  do  not  recollect  a  more  fortunate  retreat.  After  all, 
the  providential  appearance  of  the  fog  saved  a  part  of  our  army  from  being 
captured,  and  myself,  for  certain,  among  others  who  formed  the  rear  guard. 
Gen.  Washington  has  never  received  the  credit  which  was  due  to  him  for  this 
wise  and  most  fortunate  measure.  When  the  enemy  had  taken  possession  of 
the  heights  opposite  to  the  city,  they  commenced  firing  from  the  artillery,  and 
the  fleet  pretty  soon  were  in  motion  to  take  possession  of  those  waters ;  had 
this  been  done  a  little  earlier,  this  division  of  our  army  must  inevitably  have 
fallen  into  their  hands." 


AND  BORDIOl  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  217 

the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  about  ten  miles  above  New  York,  which 
commanded  the  river,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  :  the 
former  after  a  most  gallant  defence,  and  the  latter  by  being  aban- 
doned ;  and  the  Commander-in-chief,  unable  to  oppose  a  superior 
force,  retreated  into  New  Jersey.  By  the  fall  of  Fort  Washing- 
ton, says  the  diary  of  Col.  Tallmadge,  "  we  lost  about  three  thou- 
sand men,  a  great  part  of  whom  'perished  in  prison  hy  severe 
usage,  sickness,  Sfc."  While  a  dark  pall  seemed  spreading  around 
the  cause  of  Liberty,  Gen.  Howe  issued  a  proclamation  offering 
pardon  to  all  who  would  submit  to  royal  authority.  The  pros- 
pects looked  so  gloomy,  that  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  New 
Jersey  were  induced  to  sacrifice  their  feelings — abandon  Free- 
dom's cause,  and  claim  British  protection.  Gen.  W^ashington, 
with  the  remains  of  his  army,  was  obliged  to  retreat  over  the  De- 
laware ;  about  which  time  the  British  gained  possession  of  Rhode 
Island.  The  sagacious  commander,  who  had  seen  his  troops  re- 
peatedly in  retreat  before  a  well  fed  and  well  clothed  enemy,  not 
only  observed  their  numbers  fast  lessening  by  desertion,  but  also 
the  necessity  of  staying  the  tide  of  that  enemy's  success,  and  roll- 
ing back  the  cloud  which  seemed  ready  to  burst  and  obscure  the 
light  of  Liberty  forever.  He  resolved  to  hazard  all  in  one  bold 
effort,  and  on  Christmas  night  he  crossed  the  Delaware  at  Tren- 
ton, surprised  a  body  of  Hessian  soldiers — took  nearly  a  thousand 
prisoners,  and  recrossed  the  river  in  safety,  with  the  loss  of  only 
nine  men. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1777,  the  main  body  of  the  British  ar- 
my under  Cornwallis,  who  had  hastened  on  from  New  York  after 
the  capture  of  the  Hessians,  marched  to  attack  the  Americans. 
They  encamped  near  Trenton  at  night,  intending  to  commence  an 
action  in  the  morning,  when  W^ashington,  knowing  the  compara- 
tive weakness  of  his  famished  troops,  conceived  and  executed  an- 
other bold  project.  After  renewing  his  fires,  he  left  his  encamp- 
ment about  midnight,  and  by  a  circuitous  route  gained  the  rear  of 
the  enemy — pushed  on  to  Princeton,  near  which  place  he  met  and 
defeased  a  body  of  them,  and  again  took  several  hundred  prison- 
ers.    The  enemy  finding  himself  out-generaled,  retreated  to  New 


.218  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Brunswick,  and  the  American  army  went  into  winter  quarters  at 
Morristown,  New  Jersey.  The  brilUant  victories  of  Trenton  and 
Princeton,  while  they  tended  with  magnetic  power  to  raise  the 
drooping  spirits  of  the  patriot  band — in  fact,  of  the  whole  Ame- 
rican people — won  for  their  great  leader  the  appellation  of  the 
American  Fabius.  Few  can  realize  at  this  day,  the  importance 
of  those  victories  to  the  American  arms.  For  months,  a  series  of 
disasters  had  attended  them,  and  the  stoutest  hearts  w^re  begin- 
ning to  yield  to  despair.  The  great  and  good  Washington  led 
forth  to  conquest  on  those  occasions,  a  half-naked,  famished  troop 
of  heroes,  who,  under  similar  circumstances,  would  have  followed 
no  other  leader. 

Reader  !  would  you  realize  the  sufferings  of  that  little  band  of 
patriots,  who  remained  willing  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  your 
bleeeing  country,  in  the  darkest  hour  of  her  adversity  ? — and  by 
so  doing  arrive  at  a  more  just  estimate  of  the  value  of  that  liber- 
ty you  now  enjoy  ?  Imagine  yourself  on  some  of  the  coldest 
nights  of  winter,  when  the  wintry  winds  are  moaning  around  you, 
and  the  stars  are  looking  coldly  from  the  blue  vault  above,  seated 
by  the  road  side  where  is  passing  in  silence  a  body  of  armed  men, 
fatigued,  disheartened,  ragged,  barefooted,  faint  from  want  of 
food,  and  many  with  limbs  frozen  from  exposure  : — and  on  the 
morrow,  go  trace  their  footsteps  o'er  the  frozen  ground  by  their 
oion  hlood ;  then  tell  me  if  you  can  guard  with  too  much  watch- 
fulness— or  look  with  favor  upon  any  attempt  to  mar  that  lib- 
erty ? 

The  proverbial  caution  and  prudence  of  General  Washington, 
were  perhaps  evinced  in  nothing  more  visibly  during  the  war, 
than  in  his  general  orders  to  avoid  the  ill  will  or  needless  suffer- 
ing of  the  citizens.  When  his  cold  and  wearied  troops  encamped 
the  night  after  the  battle  of  Princeton,  as  has  been  stated  by  an 
officer  who  was  present,  his  orders  contained  this  unusual  requisi- 
tion— "  not  to  burn  the  stone  walls  !" — tacitly  implying,  that  they 
might,  on  that  one  occasion,  burn  rail  fences,  which  are  said  to 
have  been  burned  with  impunity. 

The  enemy  having  matured  his  plans  during  the  winter,  began 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        219 

to  move  early  in  the  summer  of  1777,  and  expected  to  make  an 
easy  conquest  of  the  whole  colony  of  New  York.  Gen.  Burgoync 
left  Crown  Point  with  such  an  army  as  he  had  vauntingly  de- 
clared in  the  British  Parliament,  he  could  lead  from  Maine  to 
Georgia ;  and  with  it  one  of  the  best  trains  of  artillery  ever  seen 
in  America.  He  was  to  push  his  way  to  Albany  along  the  Hud- 
son. Colonel  St.  Leger,  with  a  large  body  of  British,  Tories  and 
Indians,  left  Oswego  about  the  same  time,  intending  to  pillage  the 
beautiful  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  rest  himself  after  his  work 
of  destruction,  at  Albany.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  whose  well  fed 
troops  had  been  basking  in  some  of  the  smiles  and  some  of  the 
frowns  of  the  New  YorkyaiV,  after  doing  what  mischief  he  pleased 
along  the  romantic  shores  of  the  Hudson,  was  tO  offer  his  services 
and  compliments  in  person  to  the  citizens  of  Albany.  And  lastly 
Captain  McDonald,  a  noted  Tory  leader — a  Scotchman  who  had 
been  living  for  a  time  on  Charlotte  river,  with  a  body  of  several 
hundred  royalists  and  Indians,  was  making  his  way  down  through 
the  Schoharie  settlements,  intending  to  meet  the  trio  already 
named,  and  revel  with  them  in  "  the  beauty  and  booty"  of  Al- 
bany. 

This  was  a  most  trying  period  for  New  York.  To  meet  and 
repel  the  several  attacks,  appeared  to  some  of  the  most  patriotic 
a  matter  of  impossibility — but  with  a  firm  reliance  on  the  God  of 
battles  for  success,  they  buckled  on  their  armor,  and  resolved  to 
try.  Most  of  the  published  accounts  erroneously  make  the  irrup- 
tion of  McDonald  and  his  legions  at  a  later  date. 

Some  of  the  Schoharie  militia  were  called  into  service  on  seve- 
ral occasions  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1776,  and  early  part  of 
1777.  Matlice  Ball  said  he  was  under  Capt.  Hagcr  in  the  enter- 
prise which  Judge  Swart  alludes  to,  as  having  taken  place  in  the 
spring  of  1777.  The  party  were  volunteers,  and  proceeded  to 
Loonenburg,  now  Athens,  to  arrest  Col.  James  Huetson,  who  was 
maishaling  Tories.  They  were  in  seach  of  him  thirteen  days,  a 
part  of  which  time  they  levied  a  tax  upon  his  poultry  yard,  and 
ate  up  his  chickens.  After  securing  him  and  some  twenty  other 
genial  spirits,  they  delivered  them  to  the  military  department  at 
Albany  for  safe  keeping.     Huetson  was  afterwards  hung. 


220  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I  have  remarked  briefly,  that  members  of  families  in  Schoharie 
were  found  entertaining  different  opinions  respecting  the  belUge- 
rent  attitude  of  England  and  her  colonies,  and  consequently  were 
in  hostile  array.  Capt.  Jacob  Ball,  mentioned  as  the  brother  of 
Johannes  Ball,  raised  a  company  of  63  royahsts  at  the  Beaver- 
dam  and  in  Duanesburgh  and  went  to  Canada,  accompanied  by 
several  relatives.  George  Mann,  another  captain  of  militia  to 
whom  we  have  alluded,  on  being  ordered  out  with  his  company 
to  oppose  the  enemy,  openly  declared  himself  friendly  to  the  royal 
power.  Adam  Crysler  and  his  brothers,  with  several  other  indi- 
viduals, who  were  men  of  no  little  influence  residing  in  the  south 
part  of  the  Schoharie  settlement,  also  sided  with  royalty.  The 
example  of  several  respectable  ofllicers  and  other  individuals  of 
reputation,  as  may  be  inferred,  augured  no  good  for  the  welfare 
of  that  community,  as  the  prudent  knew  full  well  that  "  a  house 
divided  against  itself,^'  like  Franklin's  empty  bag,  "  could  not 
stand  alone.'^ 

As  appears  by  an  affidavit  of  William  Jchnston,jr.,  made  July 
16,  1777,  which  I  find  on  the  journal  of  the  New  York  council 
of  safety,  Joseph  Brant  had  then,  with  some  eighty  warriors, 
commenced  his  marauding  enterprises  on  the  settlements  at  Una- 
dilla;  by  appropriating  their  cattle,  sheep  and  swine  to  his.  own 
benefit.  To  obtain  satisfaction  for  those  cattle,  and  if  possible 
get  the  Indians  to  remain  neutral  in  the  approaching  contest,  in 
the  latter  part  of  June,  1777,  Gen.  Herkimer,  with  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  of  the  Tryon  county  militia,  proceeded  to  Una- 
dilla,  (an  Indian  settlement  on  the  Susquehanna,)  to  hold  an  in- 
terview with  Brant.  That  celebrated  chief,  then  at  Oquago,  was 
sent  for  by  Gen.  Herkimer,  and  arrived  on  the  27th,  after  the 
Americans  had  been  there  about  eight  days  in  waiting. 

Colonel  John  Harper,  who  attended  Gen.  Herkimer  at  this 
time,  made  an  affidavit  on  the  16th  of  July  following  the  inter- 
view, showing  the  principal  grievances  of  which  the  Indians 
complained,  as  al^o  the  fact  that  they  v-erc  in  covenant  with  the 
king,  whose  belts  were  yet  lodged  among  them,  and  whose  service 
they  intended  to   enter.     The  initrument   farther  testified,  that 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         221 

Brant,  instead  of  returning  to  Oswego,  as  he  had  informed  Gen. 
Herkimer  was  liis  intention;  had  remained  in  the  neiglihorhood, 
on  the  withdrawal  of  the  American  militia,  and  ^vas  preparing 
to  destroy  the  frontier  settlements. 

The  fjllowing  particulars  relating  to  the  interview  between 
Gen.  Herkimer  and  Brant,  were  obtained  from  the  venerable 
patriot,  Joseph  Wagner,  of  Fort  Plain.  He  states  that  at  the  first 
meeting  of  Gen.  Herkimer  with  Brant,  the  latter  was  attended 
by  three  other  chiefs,  William  Johnson,  a  son  of  Sir  "William 
Johnson  by  Molly  Brant,  which  son  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Oriskany  the  same  year.  Pool,  a  smart  looking  fellow  with  curly 
hair,  supposed  part  indian  and  part  negro,  and  a  short  dark  skin- 
ned Indian,  the  four  encircled  by  a  body-guard  of  some  twenty 
noble  looking  warriors. 

When  in  his  presence,  Brant  rather  haughtily  asked  Gen.  Her- 
kimer the  object  of  his  visit,  which  was  readily  made  known  ; 
but  seeing  so  many  attendants,  the  chief  suspected  the  interview 
was  sought  for  another  purpose.  Said  Brant  to  Herkimer,  I 
have  Jive  hundred  wairiors  at  my  command,  and  can  in  an  in- 
stant destroy  you  and  your  party  ;  but  ice  are  old  neighbors  and 
friends,  and  I  will  not  do  it.  Col.  Cox,  a  smart  officer  who  ac- 
companied Gen.  Herkimer,  exchanged  several  sarcastic  express- 
ions with  Brant,  which  served  not  a  little  to  irritate  him  and  his 
followers.  The  two  had  had  a  quarrel  a  few  years  previous, 
about  lands  around  the  upper  Indian  castle.  Provoked  to  anger, 
Brant  asked  Cox  if  he  was  net  the  son-in-law  of  old  George  Klock? 
Yes!  replied  Cox  in  a  tone  of  malignity,  and  what  is  that  to  you, 
you  d — d  Indian  ?  At  the  close  of  this  dialogue  Brant's  guard 
ran  off  to  their  camp,  firing  several  guns,  and  making  the  hills 
echo  back  their  savage  yells.  Gen.  Herkimer  then  assured  Brant 
that  he  intended  his  visit  for  one  of  a  pacific  nature,  and  urged 
him  to  prevent  their  moving  to  hostilities.  A  word  from  that 
chief  hushed  the  tempest  of  human  passion,  which  but  an  in- 
stant before  had  threatened  to  deluge  the  valley  with  blood ;  the 
parties,  however,  were  too  heated  to  proceed  with  the  business 
which  convened  them.     Said  Brant,  addressing  Gen.  Herkimer, 


222  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

it  is  needless  to  multiply  words  at  this  time,  I  will  meet  you  here 
at  precisely  9  o'clock  to  morrow  morning.  The  parties  then  se- 
parated to  occupy  their  former  position  in  camp. 

From  what  had  transpired,  I  presume  Gen.  Herkimer  did  not 
feel  wholly  secure  in  his  person  j  for  early  on  the  following  morn- 
ing he  called  on  Mr.  Wagner,  then  an  active  young  soldier  of 
his  party,  and  taking  him  aside,  asked  him  if  he  could  keep  a 
secret.  When  assured  in  the  affirmative,  he  informed  Wagner 
that  he  wished  him  to  select  three  other  persons,  who,  with  him- 
self should  be  in  readiness  at  a  given  signal,  to  shoot  Brant  and 
the  other  three  chiefs,  if  the  interview  about  to  take  place  did  not 
end  amicably.  In  case  of  the  least  hostile  movement  on  their 
part,  the  chiefs  were  to  be  sacrified.  Wagner  selected  Abra- 
ham and  George  Herkimer,  nephews  of  Gen.  Herkimer,  and  a 
third  person  name  now  forgotten.  Col.  Stone,  speaking  of  this 
transaction  in  the  Life  of  Brant,  not  aware  of  its  having  been 
dictated  by  the  circumstances  as  any  arrangement  of  caution, 
which  should  reflect  credibly  on  the  prudence  of  Gen.  Herkimer, 
thus  comments  on  it — "  There  is  something  so  revolting — so  rank 
and  foul — in  this  project  of  meditated  treachery,  that  it  is  difficult 
to  reconcile  it  with  the  known  character  of  Gen.  Herkimer."  In 
another  place  he  adds,  "  A  betrayal  of  his  [Herkimer's]  confi- 
dence, under  those  circumstances,  would  have  brought  a  stain 
upon  the  character  of  the  provincials,  which  all  the  waters  of  the 
Mohawk  could  not  have  washed  away."  Difficult  indeed  would 
it  be  if  necessary,  to  reconcile  this  affair  with  the  honorable  life 
of  the  brave  Herkimer,  but  such  is  not  the  case,  and  I  have 
presented  this  whole  matter  solely  to  correct  an  impression  con- 
veyed in  the  life  of  Brant,  which  reflects  ignobly  on  the  charac- 
ter of  that  officer.  The  whole  proceeding  was  only  one  of  j9re- 
caution,  and  had  it  been  otherwise  would  have  been  executed, 
as  ample  opportunity  was  afforded  Wagner  and  his  accomplices, 
to  assassinate  the  chiefs.  Col.  Stone  quotes  the  manuscript  of 
my  informant  as  authority  for  what  he  states,  but  there  is  some 
mistake  in  the  matter,  as  Wagner  assured  the  writer  he  never 
had  furnished  a  manuscript  account  of  the  affair  to  any  one. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         223 

With  the  arrangement  of  circumspection  on  the  part  of  Gen. 
Herkimer,  as  stated  above,  the  parlies  held  their  interview  on 
the  2Sth  of  June ;  the  last  convention  of  the  kind  held  in  New 
York.  Brant  was  the  first  to  speak :  said  he—"  Gen  Herkimer, 
I  now  fully  comprehend  the  object  of  your  visit,  but  you  are  too 
late,  I  om  already  engaged  to  serve  the  king.  We  are  old  fiends 
and  I  can  do  no  less  than  let  you  return  home  unmolested,  al- 
though you  are  entirely  within  my  power.''  After  a  little  more 
conversation,  in  which  the  parties  agreed  to  separate  amicably, 
the  conference  ended,  at  which  time  Gen.  Herkimer  presented 
to  Brant  seven  or  eight  fat  cattle  that  had  but  just  arrived,  ow- 
ing to  obstructions  on  the  outlet  of  Otsego  Lake,  down  which 
stream  they  were  driven  or  transported.  For  three  days  previous 
to  the  arrival  of  the  cattle,  the  Americans  were  on  very  short 
allowance. 

Whether  Brant  had  five  hundred  men  at  his  command  may  be 
doubted  ;  Col.  Harper  has  given  their  number  as  about  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven — possibly  there  were  foes  in  concealment 
unknown  to  that  officer.  The  Americans  retraced  their  steps  to 
the  Mohawk  valley,  and  scarcely  had  they  set  out,  when  the  In- 
dians began  to  repeat  their  depredations  on  the  patriotic  citizens 
in  the  neighborhood.  Brant  soon  after  fell  back  to  Oquago,  to 
strengthen  his  numbers,  and  prepare  to  act  in  concert  with  St. 
Leger. 

After  the  war  Brant  visited  the  Mohawk  valley,  at  which  time 
Mr.  Wagner  conversed  with  him  about  the  treaty  at  Unadilla. 
On  being  assured  by  ray  informant  that  he  was  in  readiness  at 
the  second  interview  to  shot  hira  down,  that  chief  expressed 
much  surprise  that  Gen.  Herkimer  had  taken  such  precaution. 

Among  the  papers  of  Chairman  Ball  I  find  the  following  : 

"  Schoharie,  July  7th,  1777,  in  Committee  Chamber  first  Re- 
solved, that  all  the  persons  between  tha  ages  of  sixteen  and  fifty 
years,  from  the  dwelling  house  of  Christian  Shaffer  and  to  north- 
ward in  Schoharie,  are  to  bring  their  arms  and  accoutrements 
when  thev  come  to  the  meeting  at  either  of  the  two  churches  in 


224  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Fountain  Town  and  Foxes  Town,*  on  Sunday  or  any  other  day 
when  kept  ;  and  if  any  of  them  shall  neglect  in  bringing  their 
arms  and  accoutrements  to  either  of  the  churches,  shall  for- 
feit and  pay  the  sum  of  three  shillings,  New  York  cuuency,  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Johannes  Ball,  for  the  use  of  paying  the  cost  for 
the  district  of  Schoharie ;  or  if  any  person  shall  not  pay  the  said 
sum  as  aforesaid,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  Mr.  Johannes  Ball  to  give 
a  warrant  directed  to  a  sergeant  or  corporal,  and  levy  the  same  on 
the  offender's  goods  and  chattels,  and  also  the  costs  thereof. 

"  And  the  persons  inhabiting  from  the  dwelling  of  Baltus  Krys- 
ler  to  the  said  Christian  Shaffer,  are  to  bring  their  arms,  &c.  to 
the  church  in  Weiser's  Town,  as  they  are  ordered  to  [in]  Foxes 
Town  ;  and  if  neglected  to  pay  the  same  to  Mr.  Johannes  Becker, 
and  be  put  in  execution  by  him  as  ordered  by  Mr.  Ball  aforesaid. 

"  And  persons  southward  from  Baltus  Krysler's  are  to  be  armed 
when  [they]  come  to  any  meeting  that  may  be  kept  in  Brakabeen, 
and  if  neglected,  to  pay  the  fines  to  Mr.  William  Zimmer,  and^to 
be  put  by  him  in  execution  as  beforementioned,  and  for  the  use  as 
aforesaid. 

"  N.  B.  Their  resolve  in  Fountain  Town  Church  is  to  be  paid 
to  Mr.  Johannes  Lawyer,  and  to  be  put  by  him  in  execution  as 
within  mentioned,  and  for  the  use  as  aforesaid  ;  and  George  War- 
ner is  appointed  to  see  [that]  the  inhabitants  of  Cobelskill  bring 
their  arms  when  [they]  come  to  meeting  there,  and  put  this  re- 
solve in  execution  as  within  mentioned,  and  for  the  use  aforesaid. 

"  Secondly,  Resolved,  that  four  watches  are  to  be  kept  in  Scho- 
harie ever}'  night  from  this  time  constant :  the  first  is  to  be  kept 
at  the  dwelling  house  of  Capt.  George  Mann,  and  under  his  com- 
mand, and  in  his  absence  the  next  in  command;  the  inhabitants 
from  Christian  Shaffer's  dwelling  house  and  to  northward,  are  to 
be  under  Capt.  Mann's  command  for  the  watch  to  consist  of  eight 
men.  The  second  is  to  be  kept  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Mr.  Hen- 
drick  P.  Becker,  and  under  the  command  of  Capt.  George  Richt- 
myer,  and  in  his  absence  the  next  officer  in  command  :  the  inha- 
bitants from  Hendrick  Tansen's  house  and  so  northward  to  Chris- 
tian Shaffer's,  are  under  the  command  of  this  second  watch,  and 
to  consist  of  six  me7i.  The  third  is  to  be  kept  at  the  dwelling 
house  of  Mr.  Johannes  Feak,  and  under  the  command  of  Lieut. 
Martynus  Van  Slyck,  and  in  his  absence  the  next  officer  in  com- 
mand ;  the  inhabitants  from  Baltus  Krysler's  dwelling  house  and 
so  northward  to  Hendrick  Tanse's  are  under  the  command  of  this 
third  watch,  and  to  consist  of  six  men.  And  the  fourth  is  to  be 
kept  by  the  inhabitants  from  Baltus  Krysler's  and  so  southward, 
at  the  dwelling  house  of  Mr.  Hendrick  Hager  under  the  command 
of  Capt.  Jacob  Hager,  in  his  absence  the  next  officer  in  command  ; 

"  The  former  a  Lutheran  church  then  standing  a  little  distance  east  of  tli» 
Court  House,  and  the  latter  the  stone  edifice  erected  by  the  Dutch  church, 
and  still  standing  one  mile  north  of  the  Court  House. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         225 

and  this  watch  is  to  consist  of  six  men.  Every  person  or  persons 
ncgk'cliiii;^  to  serve  on  such  or  either  of  such  watches  aforemen- 
tioned, shall  for  every  neglect  pay  and  forfeit  the  sum  of  twelve 
ihillings  for  the  use  of  the  district  of  Schoharie." 

At  an  early  stage  of  difTicultieS;  the  little  settlement  at  Harpers- 
field,  -which  was  greatly  exposed  to  savage  inroads,  organized  a 
committee  of  vigilance,  of  which  Isaac  Patchin  was  chairman. 
This  settlement  was  within  the  limits  of  Tryon  county.  In  view 
of  the  enemy's  proximity,  Mr.  Patchin  wrote  to  the  State  Coun- 
cil of  Safety,  on  the  4th  of  July,  1777,  as  follows  : 

"  Gentlemen — The  late  irruptions  and  hostilities  committed  at 
Tunadilla,  by  Joseph  Brandt,  with  a  party  of  Indians  and  tories, 
have  so  alarmed  the  well-afTectcd  inhabitants  of  ihis  and  the 
neighboring  setllcinents,  who  are  now  the  entire  frontier  of  this 
state,  that  except  your  honors  doth  afTord  us  immediate  protection, 
we  shall  be  obliged  to  leave  our  settlements  to  save  our  lives  and 
families ;  especially  as  there  is  not  a  man  on  the  outside  of  us,  but 
such  as  have  taken  protection  of  Brant,  and  many  of  them  have 
threatened  our  destruction  in  a  short  time,  the  particular  circum- 
stances of  which  Col,  Harper,  (who  will  wait  on  your  honors,)  can 
give  you  a  full  account  of,  by  whom  we  hope  for  your  protection, 
in  what  manner  to  conduct  ourselves." 

On  the  Sth  July,  William  Harper  wrote  the  Albany  council 
from  Chei  ry  Valley,  also  within  Tryon  county,  stating  the  ex- 
posed condition  of  that  place,  and  the  rumor  of  the  enemy's 
nearness  under  Brant.  The  committee  to  which  was  referred  the 
correspondence  of  Isaac  Patchin  and  Wm.  Harper,  introduced 
several  resolutions  to  the  council  of  safety  on  the  17th  July ;  in 
which  they  recommended  raising  two  companies  of  rangers,  to 
serve  on  the  frontiers  of  Tryon,  Ulster,  and  Albany  counties,  un- 
der the  command  of  John  Harper  and  James  Clyde,  as  captains, 
and  Alexander  Harper  and  John  Campbell  as  lieutenants.  Lt. 
Harper,  as  soon  as  twenty-five  men  were  enlisted  by  Col.  John 
Harper  as  recruiting  officer,  was  to  take  charge  of  them  and 
repair  to  a  post  of  danger. 

In  the  corres^pondcnce  of  the  Provincial  Congress  o/JVew  York, 
I  find  the  following : 

Schoharie  Committee  Chamber,  July  17,  1777. 
'•  Gentlemen — The  late  advantage  gained  over  us  by  the  ene- 


226  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

my,  has  such  effect  upon  numbers  here,  that  many  we  thought 
steady  friends  to  the  state  seem  to  draw  back  ;  our  state  therefore, 
is  deplorable  ;  all  our  frontiers  [frontier  settlers]  except  those  that 
are  to  take  protection  from  the  enemy,  are  gone,  so  that  we  are 
entirely  open  to  the  Indians  and  tories,  which  we  expect  ever)' 
hour  to  come  to  this  settlement :  part  of  our  militia  is  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward; the  few  that  are  here  many  of  them,  are  unwilling  to  take  up 
arms  to  defend  themselves,  as  they  are  not  able  to  stand  against  so 
great  a  number  of  declared  enemies,  who  speak  openly  without 
any  reserve.  Therefore,  if  your  honors  do  not  grant  us  immediate 
relief,  of  about  five  hundred  men  to  help  defend  us,  we  must  either 
fall  a  prey  to  the  enemy,  or  take  protection  also.  For  further  par- 
ticulars we  refer  you  to  the  bearer,  Col.  Wills,  in  whom  we  confide 
to  give  you  a  true  account  of  our  state  and  situation,  and  of  the 
back  settlements,  as  he  is  well  acquainted  with  them.  We  beg 
that  your  honors  will  be  pleased  to  send  us  an  answer  by  the 
bearer.     We  remain, 

your  honors'  most  obed't  humble  servants. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  committee. 
JOHANNES  BALL,  Chairjnan.. 

The  above  letter  was  read  in  Council,  at  their  afternoon  session, 
on  Saturday,  July  19th,  and  after  some  discussion  it  was  referred 
to  Messrs.  Jay,  Piatt,  and  R.  R.  Livingston.  On  the  22d,  the 
Council  wrote  "  To  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Schoha- 
rie" as  follows : 

"  Kingston,  Juhj  22,  1777. 

"Gentlemen :  It  greatly  astonishes  this  Council  that  the  settle- 
ment of  Schoharie,  which  has  always  been  considered  as  firmly 
and  spiritedly  attached  to  the  American  cause,  should  be  panic- 
struck  upon  the  least  appearance  of  danger.  Can  you  conceive 
that  our  liberties  can  possibly  de  redeemed  from  that  vassalage 
which  our  implacable  foes  are,  with  unrelenting  cruelty,  framing 
for  us,  without  some  danger  and  some  vigorous  efforts  on  our 
part  ?  To  expect  that  Providence,  however  righteous  our  cause, 
will,  without  a  vigorous  use  of  those  means  which  it  has  put  in  our 
power,  interpose  in  our  behalf,  is  truly  to  expect  that  God  will  work 
miracles  for  us,  when  those  means,  well  improved,  will  afford  suf- 
ficient security  to  our  inestimable  rights.  It  is  your  bounden  du- 
ty, if  you  wish  for  the  smiles  of  Heaven  in  favor  of  the  public 
cause  in  which  you  are  so  deeply  interested,  to  acquit  yourselves 
like  men.  A  few  worthless  Indians,  and  a  set  of  villains,  who 
have  basely  deserted  their  country,  are  all  the  enemies  you  have  to 
fear. 

"We  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  greatest  and  most  de- 
serving part  of  the  .Six  Nations  are  well  disposed  toward  us.  This 
Council  is  exerting  itself  to  secure  you  against  danger,  and  only 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        227 

wish  you  would  second  their  efibrls,  Tryon  county  is  a  frontier 
to  your  settlement ;  in  that  county  Fort  Schuyler  is  a  respectable 
fortress,  properly  garrisoned.  Major  General  Schuyler  has  sent 
up  a  part  of  a  regiment  as  a  further  reinforcement.  We  have  au- 
thorized Colonel  Harper  to  raise  and  embody  two  hundred  men  for 
covering  and  protecting  the  inhabitants,  and  have  formed  such  a 
disposition  of  the  militia  of  the  county  of  Tryon  for  alternate  re- 
lieves as  we  hope  will  tend  eflectually  to  secure  you. 

"  If  any  proclamations  or  protections  should  be  offered  you  by 
the  enemy,  by  all  means  reject  them.  From  the  woful  experience 
of  those  who  have  fallen  within  their  influence  in  other  parts  of 
the  country,  we  have  the  highest  reasons  to  believe  that  your  ac- 
ceptance of  those  tenders  of  friendship,  should  they  be  made,  will 
render  your  misery  and  slavery  unavoidable. 

"  In  further  attention  to  the  cause  of  your  settlement  and  Tryon 
county,  we  have  this  morning  sent  Mr.  Robert  Livingston  to  Gen. 
Washington.  He  is  authorized  to  concert  with  his  Excellency  the 
most  effectual  measures  for  putting  the  western  frontiers  of  this 
state  in  all  possible  security. 

"  In  the  mean  time  we  expect  much  from  your  public  virtue  ; 
that  it  will  induce  you  to  apprehend  and  send  to  us  the  disafTected 
among  you  ;  that  it  will  lead  you  to  the  most  eflectual  means  of 
securing  your  property  from  the  depredations  of  a  weak  but  insidi- 
ous foe ;  and  that  it  will  teach  you  the  impropriety  of  deserting 
your  habitations,  and  keep  you  in  continual  readiness  to  repel  the 
assaults  of  the  enemies  of  the  liberty  of  your  country.  We  write 
to  the  general  committee  of  the  county  of  Albany,  to  give  you  all 
the  countenance,  assistance,  and  support  in  their  power." 

The  following  is  part  of  a  letter  from  the  same  body,  under 
the  same  date,  to  the  Albany  Committee. 

"  Gentlemen — The  great  depression  of  spirits  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Tryon  county,  and  the  settlers  of  Schoharie,  give  this  Council 
much  uneasiness,  as  it  exposes  them  to  the  depredations  of  an  ene- 
my whom  they  might  otherwise  despise. 

"  We  hope  that  your  committee  will  not  be  wanting  to  support 
the  drooping  spirits  of  the  western  inhabitants  in  general,  and  par- 
ticularly of  those  within  your  county.  Wc  have  great  reason  to 
fear  the  breaking  up  of  the  settlement  of  Schoharie,  unless  our 
exertions  be  seconded  by  your  efforts.  You  well  know  that  such 
an  event  on  the  frontiers  will  not  only  be  attended  with  infinite 
mischief  to  the  inhabitants,  but  will  furnish  cause  for  discourage- 
ment to  the  country  in  general.  Every  means  should  thereforebe 
tried  to  prevent  it. 

"  This  Council  are  earnestly  solicitous  to  put  the  western  fron- 
tiers of  this  state  in  a  situation  as  respectable  as  possible ;  and 
though  they  conceive  the  enemy's  strength  to  consist  principally  in 
those  exaggerations  which  result  from  the  threats  of  our  internal 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

foes,  and  the  fears  of  our  friends  ;  j-^et  as  those  may  be  productive 
of  real  mischief,  they  would  endeavor  by  every  means  in  their 
power  to  prevent  the  evil.  Your  known  exertions  in  the  public 
cause  will  not  permit  them  to  doubt  of  your  straining  every  nerve 
to  second  their  endeavors,"  &:c.,  &c. 

The  reader  will  observe  that  in  the  letter  to  the  Schoharie  com- 
mittee, the  state  council,  in  speaking  of  the  foe  to  which  the  Scho- 
harie settlement  was  exposed,  consisted  only  of  a  few  worthless 
Indians  and  Tories ;  and  that  they  believed  the  Six  Nations,  as 
a  whole,  were  well  affected  towards  the  republicans.  This,  how- 
ever, as  the  result  showed,  was  not  the  fact — as  the  principal 
warriors  of  four  of  the  Six  Nations  had  already  taken  up  the  Bri- 
tish hatchet,  and  were  led  on  by  a  formidable  number  of  royalists. 
They  also  spoke  of  Tryon  county  as  ihc  frontier  of  Schoharie — the 
whole  being  well  protected  by  the  garrison  of  Fort  Schuyler,  ge- 
nerally known  as  Fort  Stanwix.  This  part  of  the  letter  discovers 
the  ignorance  of  the  council  of  the  true  geography  of  the  frontier 
settlements ;  as  that  fort  was  situated  at  least  100  miles  northwest 
of  Schoharie,  while  the  enemies  of  the  latter  were  expected  from 
a  southwest  direction,  from  whence  they  usually  approached.  In 
that  direction  were  the  settlements  of  Unadilla,  Harpersfield  and 
Wyoming,  either  of  which  could  be  avoided  ;  but  the  two  former 
were  early  broken  up  and  their  well  disposed  inhabitants  driven  in 
upon  less  exposed  communities — while  the  fate  of  the  latter  is  too 
well  known  to  be  commented  on  here.  The  truth  is,  that,  as  an 
old  soldier  {James  Williamson)  of  Fort  Schuyler  once  observed 
to  the  writer,  that  fortress  did  not  answer  the  purposes  for  which 
it  was  intended  in  the  revolution,  as  the  enemy  could,  and  did 
pass  round  it  in  every  direction  to  the  frontier  settlements — the 
unbroken  forest  concealing  their  approach,  until,  as  if  by  magic, 
they  appeared  at  the  very  dwellings  of  the  pioneers. 

On  the  22d  of  July,  the  chairman  of  the  Albany  committee 
wrote  to  Gen.  Schuyler  as  follows — 

"  Hon.  Sir — Colo.  Vrooman  and  two  other  gentlemen  from 
Schoharie,  are  now  with  us,  and  represent  the  distress  their  part 
of  the  county  is  driven  to. 

"  Threats',  they  hourly  receive  ;  their  persons  and  property  are 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        229 

exposed  to  imminent  danger:  nearly  one-half  of  the  people  here- 
tofore well  disposed,  have  laid  down  their  arms,  and  propose  to  side 
with  the  enemy.  AH  which  change  has  taken  its  origin  from  the 
desertion  of  Ticonderoga,  the  unprecedented  loss  of  which,  we  are 
afraid,  will  be  followed  by  a  revolt  of  more  than  one-half  of  the 
northern  part  of  this  county.  We  therefore  beg  leave  to  suggest 
whether  it  would  not  be  advisable  to  detain  one  or  two  companies 
of  continental  troops,  which  are  expected  here,  to  be  sent  that  way 
for  a  few  days,  which  we  suppose  might  bring  the  greater  part 
again  to  a  sense  of  their  duty." 

On  the  24th  of  July,  the  chairman  of  the  Albany  committee 
wrote  to  the  council  of  safety  as  follows — 

Gentlemen — Yours  of  the  22d  instant  is  now  before  us,  recom- 
mending us  to  use  our  utmost  influence  to  revive  the  drooping  spi- 
rits of  the  inhabitants  of  this  and  Tryon  county.  A  duty  so  es- 
sential as  this,  has  long  since  been  our  principal  object,  by  follow- 
ing the  example  you  have  recommended  to  us  ;  but  upon  the  whole, 
gentlemen,  they  are  only  words  upon  which  we  have  long  played, 
and  we  earnestly  hope  they  may  be  realized  in  such  a  manner  as 
that  the  usual  confidence  the  people  of  this  and  Tryon  county  have 
in  our  board,  may  not  depreciate  in  the  eyes  of  the  public,  on 
which  head  we  beg  leave  to  remark,  that  your  sanguine  expecta- 
tions of  Col.  Harper's  rangers  will  by  no  means  answer  the  pur- 
pose. The  gentleman  undoubtedly  has  abilities,  and  will  exert 
himself;  but  when  this  matter  is  held  up  in  a  more  clear  view,  it 
will  appear  that  every  man,  almost,  in  this  and  Tr}^on  county, 
adapted  for  the  ranging  service,  is  engaged  in  the  continental, 
occasioned  by  the  amazing  bounty  that  has  been  given ;  and  on 
the  other  hand,  the  necessary  men  employed  in  various  branches 
attending  an  army,  together  with  the  constant  drain  of  militia, 
though  but  few  in  number,  occasioned  by  the  above  circumstance, 
are  still  necessitated  to  discharge  their  duty  to  their  country,  all 
which  point  out  to  you  the  impracticability  of  the  plan.  After  con- 
sidering these  particulars,  (which  we  believe  have  not  been  suffi- 
ciently suggested  by  the  honorable  the  council,)  we  conceive  it 
will  be  impossible  to  collect  any  more  men  on  the  proposed  plan, 
by  reason  that  their  pay  and  encouragement  is  not  adequate  to  the 
times.  If  the  foregoing  difliculties  have  any  weight,  you  may 
judge  that  no  essential  service  can  be  expected  from  the  rangers, 
nor  can  have  any  weight  with  the  people  to  the  westward. 

"  We  enclose  you  a  copy  of  a  letter  by  us  sent  to  Gen.  Schuy- 
ler, from  which  you  will  perceive  the  distressed  situation  the  people 
of  Schoharie  are  in." 

On  the  25th  of  July,  Mr.  Livingston  returned  from  his  confer- 
ence with  the  Commander-in-chief,  and  reported  that  his  excel- 
16 


230  mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

lency  had  already  ordered  Gen.  Glover's  division  of  the  army  to 
march  to  the  relief  of  Tryon  county ;  and  a  letter  was  immediate- 
ly dispatched  to  the  committee  of  that  county,  informing  them 
that  Glover's  brigade  had  marched  to  Albany,  there  to  receive 
directions  from  Gen.  Schuyler,  then  in  command  of  the  northern 
army.  The  latter  officer,  in  a  letter  to  the  Albany  committee, 
dated  Moses  Creek,  four  miles  below  Fort  Edward,  July  24th, 
after  speaking  of  the  gloomy  aspect  of  military  affairs  in  that 
quarter,  the  desertion  of  New  England  troops,  &c.,  thus  adds : 

"  Happy  I  should  still  be,  in  some  degree,  if  I  could  close  the 
melancholy  tale  here ;  but  every  letter  I  receive  from  the  county 
of  Tryon,  advises  me  that  the  inhabitants  of  it  will  lay  down  their 
arms,  unless  I  support  them  with  continental  troops.  From  what  I 
have  said  you  will  see  the  impossibility  of  my  complying  Avith 
their  request.  The  district  of  Schoharie  has  also  pointedly  inti- 
mated, that  unless  continental  troops  are  sent  there,  they  will  also 
submit  to  the  enemy.  Should  it  be  asked  Avhat  line  of  conduct  I 
mean  to  hold  amidst  this  variety  of  difficulties  and  distress,  I  would 
answer,  to  dispute  every  inch  of  ground  with  Gen.  Burgoyne,  and 
retard  his  descent  into  the  country  as  long  as  possible,  without  the 
least  hopes  of  being  able  to  prevent  his  ultimately  reaching  Albany, 
urdess  I  am  reinforced  from  Gen.  Washington,  or  by  a  respectable 
body  of  the  militia.  The  former  I  am  advised  I  am  not  to  have, 
and  whence  to  procure  the  latter  I  know  not.  I  must  therefore 
look  up  to  you  ;  but  though  I  am  under  the  fullest  conviction  that 
you  will  readily  afford  me  every  aid  in  your  power,  yet  I  fear  it 
cannot  be  much. 

*'  In  this  situation  you  will  be  pleased  to  permit  me  to  observe, 
that  I  think  the  council  of  safety  ought  to  press  Gen.  Washington 
for  an  immediate  reinforcement  of  at  least  fifteen  hundred  good 
continental  troops.  Those  of  our  own  state,  if  possible,  if  not  from 
any  of  the  southern  colonies  ;  one  thousand  to  reinforce  me,  the 
remainder  to  be  sent  to  Tryon  county." 

In  the  same  letter  Gen.  Schuyler  expressed  his  fears  that 
should  Burgoyne  be  able  to  penetrate  to  Albany,  the  force  ap- 
proaching the  Mohawk  under  Col.  St.  Ledger  would  be  able  to 
meet  him  there ;  in  which  case  if  Gen.  Howe  pressed  up  the 
river.  Gen.  Washington  would  either  be  put  between  two  fires, 
or  compelled  to  file  off  into  New  England.  He  however  trusted 
such  a  result  might  not  be  realized,  and  hoped  the  freedom  of  his 
sentiments  would  not  be  thought  to  rise  from  a  'principle  which 
would  disgrace  a  soldier.     He  added,  "  I  assure  you  they  do  not ; 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         231 

and  I  hope  my  countrymen  will  never  have  occasion  to  blush  for 
me,  whatever  may  be  the  event  of  this  campaign." 

The  Council  of  Safety,  in  reply  to  the  Albany  Committee's  let- 
ter of  the  24th,  responded  on  the  27th  of  July  as  follows: — 
"  Gentlemen — Your  letter  of  the  24th  inst.  has  just  been  received 
and  laid  before  the  council.  It  was  not  by  words  alone  that  the 
council  expects  the  drooping  spirits  of  the  inhabitants  of  Tryon 
county  should  be  revived,  nor  do  they  know  any  other  way  of 
realizing  those  expectations  than  by  vigorous  exertions. 

"  It  is  highly  unreasonable  to  expect  that  the  militia  of  other 
states  or  additional  detachments  from  the  continental  army  should  be 
sent  to  Tryon  or  Schoharie,  when  their  own  exertions,  with  the  aid 
already  afforded,  would  secure  them.  Harper's  rangers  are  not  the 
only  measures  taken  for  their  support;  a  third  part  of  the  militia 
is  ordered  to  be  embodied,  and  the  council  will  provide  for  their 
pay.  But  if  when  their  all  is  at  stake,  they  should  think  the 
wages  too  little,  and  from  such  degenerate,  mercenary'  principles 
refuse  to  march,  they  will  merit  the  distinction  to  which  their 
want  of  courage  and  public   spirit  will  expose  them. 

"  It  is  by  example,  not  speeches,  that  the  council  wish  they 
may  be  encouraged.  They  expect  the  county  of  Albany  will  ex- 
ert itself;  that  their  leading  men  on  other  occasons,  will  not  be 
backward  now ;  that  they  will  march  with  the  militia,  and  ani- 
mate the  body  of  the  people  by  their  perseverance,  spirit  and  pa- 
triotism. If  the  salvation  of  such  a  cause  be  not  sufficient  to  in- 
duce us  to  such  actions,  future  generations  may  with  propriety 
say  that  we  did  not  deserve  to  be  free.  If  malcontents  among  you 
are  fomenting  divisions  or  encouraging  a  revolt,  they  ought  to  be 
immediately  apprehended,  and  it  is  presumed  you  have  sufficient 
strength  at  least  for  the  purpose  of  internal  goverment.  If  a  few 
dispirited  people  are  permitted  to  lay  down  their  arms,  and  with 
impunity,  not  only  to  disobey  orders,  but  to  say  they  will  side 
with  the  enemy,  government  has  become  base  and  feeble  indeed. 
Your  powers  are  equal  to  all  these  exigences,  and  the  council 
hope  you  will  exert  them.  That  large  drafts  of  men  have  been 
made  from  the  militia  is  a  fact  not  to  be  denied ;  but  it  is  equally 
true  that  their  number  is  still  ver\'  respectable,  and  if  they  please, 
very  formidable.  In  short,  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  the  panic 
and  irresolution  which  seems  to  prevail  in  the  western  district, 
will,  by  being  introduced  into  the  history  of  the  present  glorious 
contest,  injure  the  reputation  which  this  state  has  justly  acquired 
by  its  strenuous  and  noble  exertions  in  the  common  cause  of 
America. 

"P.  S.  "We  have  the  best  assurances  that  Gen.  Glover,  with 
his  brigade,  is  sent  up  to  reinforce  the  northern  department ;  and 
we  flatter  ourselves  that  Major  General  Schuyler  will,  as  he  finds 
himseli'  reinforced,  cause  troops  to  file  off  for  the   defence  of  the 


282  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

western  frontiers.     To  facilitate  this,  we  have  written  pressingly 
to  the  Governor  of  Connecticut  for  aid." 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Col.  Gansevoort  to  Col. 
Van  Schaick,  dated  Fort  Schuyler,  July  28th,  will  show  one  of 
the  earliest  of  those  tragedies  which  crimsoned  the  frontier  forest 
of  New  York. 

"  Dear  Sir — Yesterday,  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  our  garri- 
son was  alarmed  with  the  firing  of  four  guns.  A  party  of  men 
was  instantly  dispatched  to  the  place  where  the  guns  were  fired, 
which  was  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  about  five  hundred  yards  from 
the  fort ;  but  they  were  too  late.  The  villians  were  fled,  after 
having  shot  three  girls  who  were  out  picking  raspberries,  two  of 
whom  were  lying  scalped  and  tomahawked  ;  one  dead  and  the 
other  expiring,  Avho  died  in  about  half  an  hour  after  she  was 
brought  home.  The  third  had  two  balls  through  her  shoulder,  but 
made  out  to  make  her  escape.  Her  wounds  are  not  thought  dan- 
gerous :  by  the  best  discoveries  we  have  made,  there  were 
four  Indians  who  perpetrated  these  murders. 

"  I  had  four  men  with  arms  just  passed  that  place,  but  these 
mercenaries  of  Britain  come  not  to  fight,  but  to  lie  in  wait  to  mur- 
der; and  it  is  equally  the  same  to  them,  if  they  can  get  a  scalp, 
whether  it  is  from  a  soldier  or  an  innocent  babe." 

Instead  of  Gen.  Schuyler's  affording  the  western  settlements 
any  relief  after  having  been  reinforced  by  Glover's  brigade,  we 
find  him,  under  date  of  August  1st,  writing  from  Saratoga  to  the 
New  York  council  as  follows  : 

"  I  have  desired  Col.  Van  Schaick  to  apply  for  all  the  militia  of 
Schoharie,  Duanesburgh,  Schenectada  and  Tryon  county,  that  can 
be  collected ;  but  I  forsee  that  nothing  will  be  effected,  unless  a 
committee  of  your  body  is  deputed  to  repair  to  Albany."  [Those 
militia  were  intended  to  reinforce  the  northern  army.] 

Let  us  take  a  hasty  glance  at  the  progress  of  the  enemy's  cam- 
paign in  the  summer  of  1777 ;  when  he  hoped  by  one  energetic 
blow,  to  separate  the  New  England  from  the  Middle  states.  Col. 
St.  Leger,  checked  in  his  progress  down  the  Mohawk,  by  a 
bloody  battle  with  the  Tryon  county  militia,  at  Oriskany,  on  the 
morning  of  August  6th,  under  the  brave  old  Herkimer,  in  which 
some  of  his  men  performed  prodigies  of  valor ;  and  a  timely  sor- 
tie from  Fort  Schuyler  by  troops  under  Col.  Willet — finding  his 
Indians  deserting  him — Col.  Gansevoort  unwilling  to  surrender — 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        233 

and  a  body  of  troops  under  Gen.  Arnold  advancing  to  raise  the 
siege  of  that  fortress — was  obliged  to  make  good  his  retreat  to 
Canada.  Gen.  Burgoyne,  after  contesting  the  ground  for  some 
time,  and  meeting  with  repeated  defeats — seeing  his  Indian  allies 
deserting  him  from  a  dislike  to  Morgan's  rifle-men,  and  his  own 
retreat  cut  off,  surrendered  his  army  to  Gen.  Gates,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Schuyler,  as  prisoners  of  war.  Gen.  Vaughan,  with  a 
body  of  troops  from  the  army  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  after  ascend- 
ing the  Hudson  as  far  as  Kingston,  and  reducing  that  flourishing 
village  to  ashes,  learning  that  Gov.  Clinton  was  marching  to  op- 
pose him,  fell  back  down  the  river. 

It  remains  for  us  to  follow  the  footsteps  of  McDonald.  At  this 
unsettled  period,  when  no  forts  had  been  erected  in  the  Schoharie 
settlements  to  which  the  timid  might fiee  for  safety,  confusion,  for 
want  of  union,  was  manifest  among  the  courageous.* 

Under  date  of  August  9th,  the  Albany  committee  wrote  to  the 
council  of  safety  as  follows  : 

"  We  inclose  you  a  copy  of  a  letter  just  now  received  from  the 
committee  of  Schenectada.  You  will  perceive  by  its  contents, 
that  a  reinforcement  is  called  for  in  that  quarter.  It  gives  us  pain 
to  inform  you  that  it  is  out  of  the  power  of  this  county  to  send  them 
any.  The  depredations  committed  by  the  tories  is  of  the  worst 
consequences,  as  it  effectually  prevents  the  militia  from  joining  the 
army  pursuant  to  Gen.  Ten  Broeck's  request ;  each  part  calls  for 
more  help  to  assist  themselves.  A  Captain  Mann,  of  the  militia 
of  Schoharie  has  collected  a  number  of  Indians  and  tories  ;  de- 
clares himself  a  friend  to  King  George,  and  threatens  destruction 
to  all  who  do  not  lay  down  their  arms  or  take  protection  from  our 
enemies.  In  order  to  support  our  friends  in  that  quarter,  a  force 
should  be  sent  to  them.  This  is  needless  to  attempt,  as  a  reason 
is  assigned  why  no  force  can  be  had. 

"  In  yours  of  the  27th  ult.,  you  desire  that  every  nerve  may  be 
exerted  ;  this  has  been  done,  though  without  the  desired  effect. 
Our  army  to  the  northward,  we  have  already  informed  you,  does 
not  appear  adequate  to  repel  the  force  supposed  to  be  coming 
against  them,"  &c.,  &c. 

The  above  letter,  and  one  from  Gen.  Schuyler,  dated  at  Still- 

•  In  the  Annals  of  Tryon  County,  the  invasion  of  McDonald  is  erroneously 
set  down  as  having  occurred  in  1778.  Campbell  also  states  that  three  forts 
had  been  erected  in  Schoharie  the  fall  before.  The  forts  were  erected  at  the 
time  he  states  ;  but  not,  however,  until  after  McDonald's  visit. 


^  234  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

water,  August  6th,  were  received  by  the  state  council  on  the  11th: 
from  the  latter,  I  take  the  following  extract : 

"  General  Ten  Broeck  has  ordered  out  the  whole  of  the  militia ; 
but  I  fear  very  few  will  march,  and  that  most  of  them  will  behave 
as  the  Schoharie  and  Schenectada  militia  have  done.  How  that  is, 
you  will  see  by  the  inclosed,  which  are  copies  of  letters  I  have 
this  morning  received."  [What  the  conduct  alluded  to  was,  does 
not  appear  on  the  journal  of  the  council,  but  we  may  suppose  they 
refused  to  march  until  some  provision  was  made  for  the  protection 
of  their  own  families  against  the  common  foe.] 

On  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  the  11th,  Benjamin  Bartholomew, 
from  Schoharie,  was  admitted  to  the  council  chamber,  and  in- 
formed the  council  in  substance  : 

"  That  a  certain  man  at  Schoharie  was  collecting  a  party  in  fa- 
vor of  the  enemy:  had  dispirited  the  inhabitants  ;  that  the  few  re- 
solutely well  affected  were  escaping  from  thence  privately."  [That 
body  then  drafted  the  following  letter  to  Gov.  Clinton:]  "Sir — The 
council  have  received  advice,  that  one  Captain  Mann  is  collecting 
a  force  in  Schoharie,  and  has  prevailed  upon  the  inhabitants, 
through  fear,  to  take  part  with  him,  and  even  to  take  up  arms 
against  us.  As  this  must  expose  the  frontiers  of  Ulster  and  Alba- 
ny counties,  and  the  flame  may  possibly  extend  further,  if  not  in- 
stantly checked — 

"  They  would  suggest  to  your  Excellency  the  propriety  of  send- 
ing a  party  under  the  command  of  an  active  and  intelligent  officer, 
by  the  way  of  Woodstock  or  Catskill,  who  may  fall  upon  the  par- 
ty, arouse  the  spirits  of  our  friends,  and  give  the  Indians  such  an 
impression  of  our  activitj',  as  will  render  them  cautious  of  opposing 
us.  Perhaps  about  two  hundred  men  might  be  spared  for  this  pur- 
pose from  the  garrison  in  the  Highlands,  and,  if  necessary,  they 
might  again  be  reinstated  by  other  militia.  The  council  submit 
this  plan  to  your  Excellency,  and  if  it  should  be  approved,  doubt 
not  but  that  it  will  be  carried  instantly  into  execution,  since  secre- 
cy and  expedition  will  ensure  its  success." 

On  the  11th,  the  Albany  committee,  in  a  letter  to  the  council, 
speaking  of  their  apprehensions  for  the  northern  army  and  the  ul- 
timate fate  of  Albany,  and  the  meritorious  conduct  of  Gen.  Her- 
kimer, after  he  was  severely  wounded,  in  refusing  for  hours  to 
leave  the  Oriskany  battle  field,  thus  observe : 

"The  people  of  Schoharie  have  informed  us  that  they  will  be 
obliged  to  lay  down  their  arms.  The  militia  that  could  be  collect- 
ed in  this  county  have  been  sent  to  the  army:  they  have  been  long 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        235 

in  service,  and  seeing  no  prospect  of  relief,  intend  soon  to  return 
and  remove  their  families  to  a  place  of  greater  safety." 

Gov.  Clinton  addressed  the  president  of  the  council  from  New 
Windsor,  on  the  11th  of  August,  as  follows  : 

"  Sir — I  wrote  this  morning  to  Colo.  Pawling,  advising  him  of 
the  conduct  of  Capt.  Mann,  of  the  Schoharie  militia,  mentioned 
in  the  letter  of  the  committee  of  Albany,  a  copy  of  which  you  sent 
me.  I  am  apprehensive,  that  unless  he  and  his  party  are  speedily 
routed  they  will  become  formidable  and  dangerous  neighbors  to 
our  western  frontiers.  I  therefore  proposed  to  Colo.  Pawling,  in 
the  letter  I  addressed  to  him  this  morning,  the  propriety  of  em- 
bodying a  party  of  men  out  of  his  regiment,  under  an  active  offi- 
cer, for  this  purpose,  and  directed  him  to  call  on  your  Honorable 
House  for  their  advice  and  assistance  on  this  occasion,  which, 
should  they  agree  with  me  in  sentiment,  they  will  please  to  afford 
him. 

"  It  is  clearly  my  opinion,  that  it  is  essential  to  the  public  safe- 
ty to  have  this  business  executed  with  dispatch  and  effectually. 
That  fellow,  without  doubt,  acts  under  the  encouragement  and  by 
the  advice  of  the  enemy  ;  and  even  though  he  should  not  attempt 
to  commit  hostilities  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  western  frontiers, 
the  very  deterring  of  the  militia  from  marching  to  the  aid  of  the 
northern  army  alone  is  a  capital  mischief;  besides  suffering  such 
an  atrocious  and  open  offender  to  pass  with  impunity,  would,  in 
point  of  example,  be  extremely  impolitic.  It  may  be  necessary  to 
exercise  a  good  deal  of  prudence  with  respect  to  the  Indians  who 
are  with  Capt.  Mann,  the  management  of  which  I  must  submit  to 
the  council." 

The  next  day,  his  excellency  again  addressed  the  president  of 
the  council,  as  follows  : 

"  New  Wi7idsor,  I2th  Aug't,  1777. 
"  Dear  sir — On  the  receipt  of  a  letter  yesterday  morning  from 
General  Scott,  enclosing  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  the  committee  of 
Albany,  to  your  honble.  board,  containing  the  same  intelligence 
respecting  Capt.  Mann,  mentioned  in  j'our  letter  of  the  11th  inst.. 
just  now  delivered  me,  I  immediately  Avrote  to  Colonel  Pawling 
on  that  subject,  pointing  out  the  propriety  of  destroying  Mann  and 
his  party  hy  a  sudden  exertion,  with  a  detachment  of  the  militia 
under  an  active  officer,  and  desiring  him,  if  he  thought  it  practica- 
ble, to  set  about  it  immediately;  and  in  that  case  to  call  upon  the 
council  for  their  advice  and  aid.  This  morning  I  addressed  a  let- 
ter to  your  honorable  board  on  the  same  subject,  by  which  you 
will  observe  my  sentiments  coincide  exactly  with  the  council's  on 
this  occasion.  I  dare  not  however,  at  present,  venture  to  take  any 
of  the  continental  troops  from  the  garrison  in  the  Highlands  for 
this  business. 


236  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC. 

"  The  designs  of  the  enemy  under  General  Howe,  are  yet  un- 
certain ;  the  garrison  not  over  strong ;  and  should  any  unlucky  ac- 
cident happen  in  that  quarter,  in  the  absence  of  troops,  which 
might  be  dra^ATi  from  thence  for  this  expedition,  I  would  be  greatly 
and  perhaps  deservedly  censured.  If  the  militia  are  to  be  em- 
ployed, they  can  be  much  easier  and  more  expeditiously  had  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Kingston  and  Marbletown,  than  by  marching 
them  up  from  the  fort. 

"  Major  Pawling  was  charged  with  my  letter  to  council,  and  left 
my  house  this  morning  for  Kingston,  I  mentioned  this  scheme  to 
him,  and  he  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  command  the  party,  to 
which  I  consented,  provided  a  party  proper  for  him  to  command 
should  be  ordered  out  on  this  occasion,  I  know  him  to  be  possessed 
of  prudence  as  well  as  spirit." 


(  237  ) 


CHAPTER  Vm. 


The  reader  will  perceive  by  the  correspondence  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  that  provision  had  been  made,  although  tardily,  to  succor 
Schoharie.  Many  well  disposed  citizens  in  McDonald's  descent 
through  the  southern  settlements,  seeing  no  assistance  at  hand, 
anxious  for  the  safety  of  their  families  and  property,  accepted  his 
offered  protection  of  royalty — while  not  a  few  joined  in  the  wake 
of  the  tory  chief,  to  swell  his  already  formidable  numbers.  In 
his  approach  to  the  more  thickly  settled  parts  of  Schoharie,  he 
could  have  numbered  several  hundred  followers — Indians  and 
loyalists — armed  with  various  weapons,  which  number  rumor,  with 
her  many  tongues,  greatly  multiplied.  It  is  not  surprismg  that 
the  comparatively  small  body  of  militia  assembled  at  the  house  of 
John  Becker — a  part  of  which  house  is  now  standing — felt  them- 
selves too  weak  to  oppose  their  enemies  unaided.  They,  how- 
ever, began  barricading  the  windows  and  doors  of  this  stone  dwel- 
ling ;  and  deputed  two  of  their  number,  Vrooman  and  Swart,  to 
go  to  Albany  for  assistance. 

Henry  Hager,  of  North  Blenheim,  late  a  judge  of  Schoharie 
county,  very  kindly  furnished  the  author  with  a  manuscript  of 
some  facts  relating  to  Schoharie.  He  states  that  McDonald 
reached  the  river  above  Brakabeen,  on  Sunday  the  10th  of  Au- 
gust, and  "marched  up  and  down  the  road,  stationing  guards, 
&c."  As  the  enemy  were  over-running  the  valley,  Henry  Hager, 
grandfather  of  my  informant,  then  over  70  years  old,  was  anxious 
to  inform  the  patriot  party  below  of  the  invader's  progress  and 
espionage  along  the  valley.      There  was  no   whig  near   with 


238  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

whom  he  could  consult — indeed  the  Hager  family  was  the  only 
one,  for  a  distance  of  several  miles,  that  had  not  either  already 
joined  the  enemy's  standard,  or  accepted  of  his  proffered  protec- 
tion :  he  therefore  started  to  do  the  errand  himself,  a  distance  of 
nearly  nine  miles.  Leaving  home  about  sun-down,  he  had  pro- 
ceeded but  a  short  distance  when  he  was  brought  to  a  stand  by 
an  emissary  of  royalty ;  who  demanded  where  he  was  going,  his 
business,  etc.  His  good  judgment  readily  prompting  a  reply,  he 
feigned  business  with  a  blacksmith  living  below.  The  sprig  of 
his  majesty  informed  him  that  the  man  he  wished  to  see  was  in  a 
house  near  by.  He  was  permitted  to  enter  and  do  his  errand, 
which  was  to  order  some  small  job.  We  suppose  the  interview 
between  Mr.  Hager  and  Vulcan  to  have  been  on  Sunday:  the 
latter  told  him  he  would  do  his  work,  and  that  he  might  call  for 
it  as  early  as  he  pleased  next  morning.  Leaving  the  infected 
house,  Hager  again  encountered  the  man  endowed  with  brief  au- 
thority, who  granted  him  permission  to  return  home. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  the  aged  patriot  left  the  tory  senti- 
nel. Proceeding  a  few  hundred  yards  on  his  way  home,  until  out 
of  sight  of  the  enemy,  he  went  down  a  bank  of  the  river  which 
he  forded,  and  by  a  circuitous  route,  reached  the  Stone  House  in 
safety  and  communicated  the  approach  of  the  invaders.  Capt 
Jacob  Hager,  his  son,  was  there  at  the  time.  He  had  returned 
with  a  party  of  Schoharie  militia  from  the  northern  army  but  a 
few  days  before,  where  he  had  distinguished  himself  in  several 
hazardous  enterprises,  transporting  cannon  to  Fort  Edward,  etc. 
On  Monday  morning  Col.  Vrooman,  fearing  Swart  and  his  com- 
rade might  not  reach  Albany  in  season  to  obtain  assistance,  sent 
Capt.  Hager  and  Henry  Becker  on  the  same  errand ;  with  in- 
structions to  keep  the  woods  whenever  there  was  danger  of  meet- 
ing with  detention. 

At  this  juncture  of  their  proceedings,  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
day  on  which  Hager  and  Becker  hadleft.  Col.  John  Harper — whose 
duty  the  reader  will  remember,  required  him  to  look  to  the  pro- 
tection of  Schoharie — arrived,  to  consult  with  Col.  Vrooman  and 
the  Whigs  there  assembled,  on  the  best  course  to  be  adopted  un- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        239 

der  the  circumstances.  It  was  readily  agreed  that  the  friends  of 
equal  rights  assembled,  or  likely  to  be  in  season,  were  too  few  to 
oppose  successfully  McDonald's  progress.  No  time  was  to  be 
lost,  as  it  was  expected  the  band  of  outlaws  would  reach  that  vi- 
cinity on  the  following  day :  in  order,  therefore,  to  get  aid  in 
season  to  be  of  service,  it  was  thought  advisable  for  a  messenger 
to  proceed  immediately  to  Albany  on  horseback.  Col.  Harper 
volunteered  his  services,  and  although  the  day  was  far  spent,  he 
mounted  and  set  forward.  Knowing  that  it  would  be  extremely 
hazardous  to  pursue  his  journey  in  the  night,  he  rode  about  five 
miles  and  put  up  at  a  public  house  then  kept  by  John  I.  Lawyer, 
mentioned  in  Chap.  III.  of  this  work  :  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
war  his  son,  Jacob  Lawyer,  Jr.  was  its  host.  This  ancient  inn 
stood  near  the  old  Lutheran  parsonage.  The  building  is  still 
standing  on  the  premises  of  Chester  Lasell — Mrs.  W.  G.  Michaels. 

On  the  night  Col.  Harper  staid  at  Lawyer's,  there  was  quite  a 
gathering  of  Indians  and  tories,  at  the  tavern  known  in  those  days 
as.  The  Brick  House  at  the  Forks  of  the  Road*  distant  from  the 
former  inn  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter.  The  object  of  this  meet- 
ing of  genial  spirits,  was,  no  doubt,  to  receive  and  commimicate 
intelligence  from  and  to  the  royalist  party  above,  and  also  to 
learn  tidings  from  such  as  kept  an  eye  on  the  movements  at  Law- 
yer's tavern.  A  whig  (George  Warner,  Jr.  of  Cobelskill)  who 
was  a  watchman  secreted  with  others  that  night,  along  the  fences 
south  of  the  Brick  House,  to  note  the  motions  of  the  enemy,  as- 
sured the  author  that  he  saw  individuals  all  night  passing  and  re- 
passing— whom  he  supposed  communicating  with  the  McDonald 
party. 

Col.  Harper,  having  secured  his  horse  and  taken  supper,  retired 
early  to  an  upper  room,  and  locked  the  door,  but  did  not  think  it 
prudent  to  undress.  Some  time  in  the  evening,  a  party  from  the 
Brick  House  arrived  at  Lawyer's.  The  object  of  their  visit  being 
made  known  to  the  landlord,  which  was  to  get  Harper  to  accom- 

•  This  house,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Cornelius  Vrooman,  stood  in  the 
forks  of  the  old  Albany  and  Schenectada  roads.  It  was  a  two  story  dwelling 
at  the  period  of  which  I  am  speaking. 


240  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

pany  them  to  their  rendezvous,  he  expostulated  with  them  for  in- 
truding upon  the  rest  of  his  guest,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  see  him 
they  would.  Knowing  that  he  was  near  an  infected  district,  Col. 
Harper  had  taken  the  precaution  to  leave  a  light  burning.  Hear- 
ing an  imusual  noise  below,  he  seized  his  pistols  and  stepped  to 
the  door,  and  while  listening  to  learn  the  cause  of  his  disturbance, 
he  overheard  the  suppressed  but  earnest  voice  of  the  landlord  on 
on  the  stairs,  urging  the  intruders  not  to  ascend.  Said  he — *^Fot 
God's  sake,  gentlemen,  desist !  for  I  tell  you  he  is  a  soldier,  terri- 
bly armed,  and  some  of  you  must  die  before  he  will  be  taken  ! " 
Expostulation  was  in  vain,  and  the  landlord  was  thrust  aside  by 
the  tory  party,  which  rapped  at  the  door  of  his  guest.  With  pis- 
tol in  hand  he  opened  it,  threatening  death  to  the  first  man  who 
should  step  over  its  threshold.  The  intruders  then  made  known  to 
him  the  object  of  the  visit,  and  the  intrepid  Harper,  with  a  pistol 
in  each  hand,  replied,  "  /  will  be  there  in  the  morning,  but  attempt 
to  take  me  there  to-night  at  your  peril !  "  Seeing  him  thus  arm- 
ed, and  knowing  from  the  flash  of  his  eye  that  his  threat  would 
be  executed,  the  party  quailed  before  him  and  withdrew.  He 
again  locked  his  door,  and  was  not  afterwards  disturbed. 

Col.  Harper  started  next  morning,  about  8  o'clock,  armed  as 
on  the  night  previous,  with  a  sword  and  brace  of  pistols.  Cross- 
ing Foxes  creek  bridge,  which  stood  where  the  present  bridge  now 
stands,  without  any  opposition,  (some  writer  has  erroneously  sta- 
ted that  a  Tory  sentinel  was  on  the  bridge)  he  rode  up  to  Manv^s 
tavern,  as  I  have  been  credibly  informed  by  an  eye-witness,*  fas- 
tened his  horse,  and  went  in.  He  was  in  the  house  but  a  few  mi- 
nutes, came  out,  remounted,  and  started  off  on  the  Schenectada 
road,  via.  Duanesburgh,  for  Albany.  He  rode  a  small  black  mare, 
with  a  white  stripe  in  the  forehead,  which  started  from  the  inn  up- 

•David  Warner,  of  Cobelskill.  At  the  time  alluded  to,  he  states  that  he 
•was  a  lad  about  ten  years  of  age  ;  that  he  then  boarded  with  Capt.  Mann's 
father,  and  went  to  school  near  Foxes  creek  ;  that  several  boys,  himself  with 
the  rest,  had  assembled  after  breakfast  near  the  tavern  to  go  to  school.  The 
morning  vi^as  unusually  pleasant.  It  v?as  not  usual,  at  that  period,  to  see  a 
stranger,  vrith  holsters,  upon  his  saddle.  Mr.  W.  also  saw  Col.  Harper  re- 
turn next  day  with  cavalry. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


241 


on  a  pace,  struck  a  gallop  near  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  soon  bore 
the  rider  out  of  sight.  He  had  disappeared  but  a  few  mi- 
nutes, hefore Jive  Indians  arrived  at  Mann's,  and  entered  the  cellar 
kitchen,  followed  by  the  boys,  who  were  still  at  play  in  the  street. 
Within  half  an  hour,  two  of  Captain  Mann's  horses,  a  black  and 
a  roan,  were  brought  before  the  door,  and  two  Indians,  Seth's 
Henry,*  a  tall,  dark  Schoharie  chief,  sometimes  familiarly  called 
Set,  or  Sethen  Henry,  and  David,  a  small  Indian,  before  noticed, 
mounted  them,  and  started  at  a  full  gallop  on  the  road  Col.  Har- 
per had  taken.  The  Indians,  in  pursuit  were  armed  only  \vith 
knives  and  tomahawks. 


COLONEL  HARPER  CONFRONTING  THE  INDIANS. 

For  a  distance  of  several  miles,  at  that  period,  there  was  scarce- 
ly a  house  on  the  old  Duanesburgh  road.  As  Col.  Harper  drew 
near  Righter's  place,  he  discovered  that  he  was  pursued.  Passing 
over  a  knoll,  or  turn  in  the  road,  which  hid  him  from  his  follow- 


•The  name  of  this  Indian's  father  was  Seth,  and  his  own  Henry  ;  he  was 
known  in  the  war  by  the  name  in  the  context. 


242  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ers,  he  dismounted,  drew  his  sword  from  its  scabbard,  and  stuck 
the  point  of  it  in  a  dry  stump  before  him,  and  holding  a  pistol  in 
each  hand,  ready  cocked,  he  leaned  back  against  his  horse,  and 
awaited  the  approach  of  the  Indians,  the  tallest  of  whom  he  had 
already  recognized.  Riding  at  a  rapid  rate,  and  before  they  were 
aware  of  their  proximity,  they  drew  very  near  the  object  of  their 
pursuit.  The  instant  they  saw  him,  they  reined  up,  within  reach 
of  his  pistols.  Not  choosing  to  risk  a  shot,  he  exclaimed  in  a 
voice  and  manner  that  carried  terror  to  their  savage  breasts — 
"  Stop  you  villains— face  about  and  he  off  this  instant,  or  these 
hullets  shall  whistle  through  your  hearts."  The  Indians,  seeing  him 
thus  armed,  dared  not  advance,  and  wheeling  their  horses,  sullen- 
ly withdrew.  It  is  said,  however,  that  Set  dogged  him,  at  a  res- 
pectful distance,  a  good  part  of  the  way  to  Albany.  I  have 
been  enabled  to  be  thus  circumstantial,  from  having  conversed 
with  several  individuals  who  received  from  Col.  Harper's  own 
mouth  the  account  of  his  pursuit  soon  after  its  occurrence,  whose 
statements  do  not  vary  in  anything  material. 

Col.  Harper's  arrival  in  Albany,  on  Tuesday,  August  12th,  is 
thus  noticed  in  the  Journal  of  the  Council  of  Safety  the  following 
day.  Christopher  Fiero  stated  to  that  body  that  one  Du  Boise, 
who  left  Albany  the  evening  before,  reported  "  That  every  road 
from  Schoharie  is  obstructed  and  filled  up  by  the  tories  there;  that 
Col.  John  Harper  had  escaped  from  thence,  and  that  Col.  Vroo- 
man,  with  about  twenty-five  whigs,  had  fortified  themselves  in  a 
house  there."  Under  the  same  date  on  the  Council's  Journal,  I 
find  the  copy  of  a  letter  written  by  that  body,  to  Col.  Pawling, 
on  the  subject  of  Gov.  Clinton's  letters,  previously  inserted,  which 
reads  as  follows : 

"  Sir — We  enclose  you  two  letters  received  from  the  Governor, 
by  which  it  appears  that  he  is  very  anxious  to  have  the  party 
detached  for  Schoharie.  Wc  have  received  information  that 
Col.  Vrooman,  with  a  party  of  whigs,  is  besieged  there  by  the  to- 
ries. 

"  It  is  necessary  that  he  should  be  relieved  immediately.  You 
will  therefore  be  pleased  to  issue  your  orders  this  night  for  two 
hundred  drafts  to  be  made  from  your  regiment ;  after  which  you 
will,  agreeably  to  the  Governor's  directions,  repair  to  this  plac«, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        243 

and  confer  with  the  Council  about   the  most  practicable  means  of 
executing  your  plan. 

"  We  are  extremely  sorry  that  so  much  precious  time  has  alrea- 
dy been  lost  by  the  miscarriage  of  your  letter."  [The  above  let- 
ter was  signed  by  the  President  and  forwarded  by  a  light- 
horseman  ;  after  which  the  Council]  "Resolved,  That  Gen.  Scott, 
R.  R.  Livingston,  and  Maj.  Tappan,  be  a  committee  to  assist  Col. 
Pawling  in  executing  the  secret  expedition," 

Col.  Harper,  unadvised  of  the  proceedings  of  Gov.  Clinton  and 
the  Council,  on  his  arrival  in  Albany,  applied  either  to  the  Albany 
committee,  or  Col.  Van  Schaick,  then  in  command  of  that  milita- 
ry station — or,  what  is  quite  likely,  to  both — for  assistance  j  and 
a  small  body  of  cavalry  was  granted  him.  The  company  con- 
sisted in  rank  and  file  of  twenty-eight  stout  looking  men.*  They 
were  well-clad,  wore  caps,  and  made  a  fine  military  appearance. 
By  whom  they  were  commanded,  the  author  has  been  imable  sa- 
tisfactorily to  learn.  The  old  citizens  of  Schoharie  all  assert 
that  he  was  a  Frenchman,  and  spoke  imperfect  English.  The 
party,  conducted  by  Col.  Harper,  left  Albany  in  the  evening,  and 
riding  a  good  part  of  the  night,  arrived  in  Schoharie  early  on 
"Wednesday.  One  of  the  party  had  a  trumpet,  the  first,  probably, 
ever  heard  echoing  among  the  mountains  of  Schoharie — an  occa- 
sional blast  of  which  is  said  to  have  carried  terror  to  the  hearts  of 
the  evil  doers,  and  produced  an  effect  equal  to  that  of  an  army 
with  banners. 

On  arriving  at  the  brick  house,  a  halt  was  ordered.  Mine  host 
hearing  the  warlike  sound  of  the  trumpet  while  it  was  yet  a  little 
way  off,  fancying  no  doubt  that  he  heard  his  own  death  knell  in 
every  blast,  fled  to  a  barrackf  of  wheat  on  his  premises,  where  he 
snugly  ensconsed  himself  beneath  its  sheaves  j  thinking,  that 

•  Col.  Stone,  who,  in  the  Life  of  Brant,  (see  chapters  14  and  16,  vol.  1,) 
has  adopted  Campbell's  erroneous  date  of  this  transaction,  placing  it  in  1778, 
gives  the  name  of  Capt.  Woodbake  as  the  commanding  officer  of  the  party. 
The  Schoharie  people  say  that  was  not  the  commandant's  name.  Stone  also 
puts  down  their  number  at  200  :  but  six  or  eight  persons  still  living  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  county  who  counted  them,  state  their  number  to  have  been 
ooly  twenty-eight. 

t  The  word  barrack  is  both  German  aod  Dutch,    la  the  Schoharie  and 


244  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  The  man  who  lives  to  run  away, 
May  live  to  fight  another  day." 

The  commandant  of  the  little  squadron  assumed  a  terrifying 
aspect,  as,  half  drawing  his  sword,  and  rising  in  his  stirrups,  he 
demanded  of  Mrs.  Mann,  who  had  been  summoned  to  the  door 
for  the  purpose,  in  imperfect  English,  the  whereabouts  of  her 
husband.  The  good  woman,  who  should  not  at  that  time  have 
been  so  frightened  as  to  turn  deadly  pale,  assured  the  speaker 
she  could  not  inform  him.  In  fact  she  did  not  herself  know. 
The  premises  of  the  tory  were  then  strictly  searched  for  his  per- 
son, even  to  the  barrack  in  which  he  was  concealed :  and  several 
troopers  ran  their  swords  down  into  the  wheat  sheaves  beneath 
which  he  lay,  without  discovering  him. 

A  small  number  of  men  who  were  found  at  the  brick  house, 
with  some  exceptions,  submitted  to  the  authority  of  the  American 
officers,  and  destroyed  their  royal  protections,  with  the  promise  of 
pardon  for  accepting  them.  A  few  who  had  been  very  active 
amono-  the  tories  were  however  arrested,  among  whom  was  the 
malicious  Indian,  David ;  who  had  gained  notoriety  by  his  attempt 
on  the  hfe  of  Chairman  Ball — his  pursuit  of  Col.  Harper,  and  the 
aid  he  had  rendered  the  British  cause  in  the  capacity  of  messen- 
ger  he  having  just  arrived  from  the  camp  of  McDonald,  when 

arrested.     The  troop  then  proceeded  to  the  public  house  of  Jacob 

Mohawk  valleys,  much  hay  and  grain  was  formerly  deposited  in  barracks— 
indeed,  such  depositaries  are  considerably  used  there  at  the  present  day. 
They  are  commonly  made  by  erecting  four  upright  poles  or  posts,  so  as  to 
form  a  square,  firmly  set  in  the  ground,  or  held  at  equal  distances  by  timbers 
framed  into  them  above  the  ground.  The  upper  part  of  the  posts  is  perfo- 
rated with  holes,  and  a  roof,  made  of  a  quadrangular  form,  terminating  in 
a  vertex,  rests  upon  wood  or  iron  pins  thrust  through  those  holes.  The  roof 
is  usually  constructed  by  framing  two  timbers,  crossing  at  right  angles,  and 
secured  by  side  pieces,  into  which  are  framed  four  upright  poles,  firmly  se 
cured  at  the  apex  above.  The  roof  is  sometimes  boarded  and  shingled,  bul 
usually  thatched.  When  a  barrack  is  to  be  filled,  the  roof  is  raised  to  the 
lop  of  the  corner  posts,  and  the  hay  or  grain  in  the  sheaf  is  stacked  beneath 
it :  and  as  the  contents  arc  removed  the  roof  is  let  down.  Some  barracks 
have  a  floor,  and  are  so  constructed  as  to  last  many  years,  subserving  most 
of  the  purposes  of  a  barn.  They  are  generally  built  with  four  corners,  but 
sometimes  with  more.    Soldiers'  huts  are,  by  the  French,  also  called  barracks. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         2AC 

Snyder,  a  whig  living  a  little  distance  east  of  Mann's  to  obtaii 
refreshments;  in  the  mean  time  the  news  of  Col.  Harper's  arriva 
from  Albany  with  troops  having  wonderful  music,  spread  up  anc 
down  the  valleys  of  Foxes  creek  and  Schoharie,  with  almost 
lightning  rapidity.  Leaving  their  work  unfinished,  the  friends  of 
liberty  began  to  assemble,  and  many  good  citizens  who  had  only 
been  waiting  to  see  a  prospect  of  succor  in  case  they  espoused 
their  country's  cause,  now  did  so  cheerly.  Stone's  account  of 
there  having  been  a  large  body  of  tories,  with  scarlet  patches  on 
their  hats  assembled  at  Capt.  Mann's,  to  whom  that  officer  was 
making  a  speech  on  the  arrival  of  Col.  Harper  and  his  party, 
needs  authentication. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  Col.  Harper  left  the  Stone 
House  to  obtain  assistance,  McDonald  and  his  followers  descend- 
ed the  river  to  the  residence  of  Swart,  as  stated  in  his  diary,  where 
they  encamped  over  night ;  taking  quiet  possession  of  the  pre- 
mises, and  helping  themselves  bountifully  to  the  best  the  house 
afforded. 

As  soon  as  the  steeds  of  the  cavalry  were  rested,  and  them- 
selves refreshed,  quite  a  party  of  militia  variously  armed  having 
already  assembled,  preparations  were  made  to  advance  and  meet 
the  enemy,  about  six  miles  distant.  The  militia,  some  of  whom 
were  mounted  and  others  not,  were  officered  by  Col.  Harper  for 
the  occasion,  and  accompanied  the  cavalry.  David,  the  Indian 
captive,  was  fastened  by  a  cord  around  his  wrist,  to  a  fellow 
prisoner.  The  little  army  a  few  hours  after  its  arrival  in  the  val- 
ley, moved  up  the  river,  at  the  inspiring  sound  of  the  trumpet, 
which  laughed  among  the  cncrinital  and  trilohital  hills — and 
danced  far  away  in  the  distance.  Those  who  had  been  the  most 
boisterous  for  King  George,  were,  as  if  by  magic,  all  converted 
into  Congress-men ;  after  hearing  the  voice  of  the  vociferous 
Frenchman,  and  that  of  his  musician  speaking  to  his  distant  au- 
ditors with  a  brazen  tongue.  No  musician  ever  rendered  his 
country  more  evident  essential  service,  unless  perchance  he  was 
rivaled  by  Anthony  Van  Corlear,  of  Knickerbocker  memory. 
At  times  the  militia  who  were  on  foot,  were  obliged  to  take  a 
17 


246  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

dog  trot  to  keep  up  with  the  excited  commander  of  cavalry, 
while  the  sweat  of  the  brow  as  it  coursed  adown  their  sunburnt 
cheeks,  denoted  their  blood  to  be  at  fever  heat. 

After  proceeding  about  five  miles,  as  the  troops  were  passing 
an  alder  swamp,  in  Hartman's  dorf,  the  prisoner  David,  watch- 
ing a  favorable  opportunity,  slipped  the  cord  from  his  arm  and 
ran  into  it.  The  party  were  halted,  ordered  to  surround  the 
marsh,  and  shoot  down  the  captive  if  he  attempted  to  escape. 
The  mounted  militia  who  knew  the  ground,  led  the  cavalry  round 
the  swamp ;  and  the  Indian  being  observed  skulking  from  tree 
to  tree,  and  just  ready  to  emerge  in  the  direction  of  the  river, 
was  instantly  brought  down  by  a  pistol  shot  in  the  back,  with 
the  exclamation,  "  Ganno  !  ganno  I"  The  commanding  officer, 
impatient  at  the  delay,  ordered  one  of  the  militia  men  to  advance 
and  shoot  him.  He  was  then  lying  partly  upon  his  side,  his 
head  was  resting  upon  his  hand,  and  his  elbow  upon  the  ground, 
while  his  eye  calmly  surveyed  his  foes.  George  Shell,  of  Foxes 
creek,  (who  sometime  after  bravely  assisted  in  the  defence  of 
Major  Becker's  house,)  advanced  from  the  ranks,  presented  his 
old  fire-lock  and  attempted  to  fire.  Click,  click,  click,  said  the 
old  rusty  lock — while  its  antiquated  cylinder  remained  cold  and 
silent.  "  Tam  te  Meleshee  giinsP'  exclaimed  the  oflficer;  as, 
riding  forward,  he  snapped  one  of  his  own  pistols,  which  missed 
fire,  and  ordered  his  troopers  to  shoot  him.  A  pistol  snapped  by 
the  man  next  the  captain  also  missed  fire,  but  that  in  the  hand 
of  his  follower  exploded,  sending  a  bullet  through  the  Indian's 
head.  As  those  pistols  were  l^snapped,  the  Indian  turned  round 
to  avoid  seeing  them.  He  was  left  in  his  gore,  and  the  party 
resumed  their  march.  This  Indian  was  the  first  person  killed 
in  the  Schoharie  settlements  in  the  Revolution;  and  I  have 
been  thus  particular  in  detailing  the  circumstances  attending  his 
death,  because  the  manner  of  it  as  related  in  the  Life  of  Brant, 
where  he  is  misnamed  Peter  Mckus,  is  so  very  far  from  the  truth 
as  stated  by  several  eye  witnesses.* 

•  Jacob  Becker,  Jacob  Enders,  and  George  Warner,  who  were  militia 
men  present. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         247 

Damd  Ogeyonda,  although  a  notorious  offender,  would  not 
have  been  slain  had  he  not  attempted  to  escape  while  a  prisoner. 
The  story  of  his  having  been  "  inhumanly  hacked  to  pieces"  by 
the  cavalry,  is  not  true.  It  is  a  well-known  characteristic  of  the 
Indian,  that  whoever  does  an  injury  to  one  of  his  blood,  incurs 
his  hatred  and  revenge.  This  same  Indian  had  several  sons, 
who,  knowing  all  the  circumstances  attending  their  father's  death, 
not  only  remained  friendly  to  the  American  cause,  but  Yon,  pro- 
bably the  oldest,  rendered  the  citizens  of  Schoharie  no  little  ser- 
vice during  the  war. 

On  arriving  at  the  Stone  House,  a  ladder  was  raised  against 
it,  and  the  prisoners  taken  at  Mann's  were  compelled  to  mount 
upon  the  roof,  which  was  not  very  steep,  when  the  ladder  was 
removed,  and  they  were  placed  in  temporary  and  somewhat  novel 
confinement.  A  squaw  among  them,  is  said  to  have  rendered  the 
situation  of  a  prisoner,  named  Weaver,  so  uncomfortable,  that 
he  requested  Jacob  Enders  to  remove  her. 

The  party  had  been  at  Middleburgh  but  a  short  time,  when  a 
woman  by  the  name  of  Staats,  known  in  the  valley  by  the  un- 
poetic  cognomen  of  Rya^s  Pup,  was  seen  approaching  the  Stone 
House  in  the  direction  of  the  river,  nearly  half  a  mile  distant. 
She  halted  soon  after  being  discovered  as  if  hesitating  about  ad- 
vancing, when  the  officer  of  cavalry  beckoned  to  her  to  come 
forward ;  upon  which  she  faced  about  and  ran  the  other  way. 
Two  troopers  were  sent  in  pursuit,  and  captured  her  while  ford- 
ing the  river ;  and  each  seizing  a  hand  they  turned  their  horses 
and  rode  back  to  the  house,  to  the  great  amusement  of  its  inmates, 
and  discomfiture  of  the  prisoner  who  was  almost — out  of  breath. 
After  panting  a  while,  she  was  enabled  to  answer  the  interroga- 
tories of  the  American  officers.  She  said  she  had  just  come  from 
the  camp  of  McDonald — that  his  numbers  were  very  great — and 
that  he  was  then  preparing  to  march  down  and  capture  the  Stone 
House  and  its  inmates. — George  Warner  and  Jacob  Enders. 

On  receiving  this  information,  the  troops  were  sent  to  collect 
several  fences  to  aid  in  throwing  up  a  temporary  breastwork 
around  the  house,  that  they  might  be  the  better  able  to  repel  an 


248  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

attack.  After  waiting  sometime,  however,  for  the  appearance 
of  the  enemy,  it  was  thought  advisable  by  the  Americans  who 
were  somewhat  respectable  in  numbers,  to  proceed  to  meet  him. 
On  arriving  near  Swarfs  place,  two  miles  distant  from  the  Stone 
House,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  foes  were  on  the  retreat  up 
the  valley ;  and  it  was  only  by  a  rapid  movement  of  the  mounted 
troops  that  they  were  overtaken  at  the  Flockey*  At  this  place 
Adam  Crysler  resided  before  the  war — it  is  now  the  residence  of 
Samuel  Lawyer.  The  house  which  is  situated  at  the  upper  end 
of  Vrooman's  land,  is  pleasantly  located  upon  a  bank  which  slopes 
to  the  road.  A  brook  or  mill  stream  runs  at  the  base  of  the 
bank  near  the  road,  between  which  and  the  river  was  formerly 
a  small  swamp.  As  the  Americans  drew  near,  they  found  Mc- 
Donald had  made  a  stand  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  house,  pre- 
pared to  give  them  a  warm  reception.  A  few  shots  only  were 
exchanged,  when  the  cavalry,  at  a  long  and  terrifying  blast  of 
the  trumpet,  dashed  impetuously  among  the  Indians  and  tories ; 
who,  panic  struck,  took  to  their  heels  and  fled  up  the  river. 
They  were  pursued  but  a  short  distance  as  the  ground  above  was 
unfavorable  for  cavalry ;  besides,  it  was  nearly  dark,  and  the  lat- 
ter were  much  fatigued,  having  rode  about  forty-five  miles  since 
the  evening  before.  David  "Wirt,  lieutenant  of  the  cavalry,  was 
killed  in  this  encounter,  and  two  privates  wounded,  one  Rose, 
mortally — who  died  three  days  after.  Angelica,  a  daughter  of 
Col.  Vrooman,  assured  the  writer  in  1837,  that  she  furnished  the 
winding  sheet  for  Lieut.  Wirt — who  was  the  first  man  that  fell 
in  Schoharie  defending  the  principles  of  a  free  government.  Wirt 
was  shot  as  was  afterwards  learned,  by  one  Shafer,  a  royalist. 
What  loss  the  enemy  sustained  in  this  brush  is  unknown,  few, 
however,  chose  to  stay  long  enough  to  be  killed.  The  cavalry  re- 
turned to  the  Stone  House  and  encamped  for  the  night.  As  it 
was  then  supposed  that  madam  Staats  had  been  sent  down  by 
McDonald  to  afford  him  an  opportunity  to  escape,  she  was  sought 
for  on  the  return  of  the  Americans,  but  had  slept  out. — Mattice 
Ball,  Jacob  Van  Dyck  and  others. 

•  The  name  for  this  spot  as  known  among  the  old  inhabitants,  and  doubt- 
less signified,  ground  near  a  swamp. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         249 

The  enemy  retreated  up  the  river  through  Brakabeen,  and  by 
way  of  the  Susquehanna  laid  their  course  for  Niagara.  Judge 
Hager  states,  that  upwards  of  twenty  male  citizens  went  off  from 
Vrooman's  land,  Brakabeen,  and  Clyberg  (Clay  hill,)  with  the 
enemy ;  among  whom  were  Adam  Crysler,  Joseph  Brown,  sever- 
al of  the  Boucks,  Beckers,  Keysers,  Mattices,  Freemires,  William 
Zimmer,  one  of  the  Schoharie  committee,  one  Shafer  and  one 
Kneiskern.  He  also  adds,  that  while  the  enemy  remained  in 
Schoharie,  they  doubtless  lived  well,  as  they  were  in  a  land  of 
plenty. 

On  the  return  of  the  light  horse,  as  nothing  appeared  to  crimi- 
nate the  father  of  Capt.  Mann,  who  was  inoffensive  and  consider- 
ably advanced  in  life,  he  was  suffered  to  remain  at  liberty — and 
as  the  title  to  the  hrick  house  and  valuable  farm  adjoining  is  said 
to  have  been  vested  in  him  and  not  his  son,  it  was  never  confis- 
cated to  the  republic. 

Not  long  after  the  cavalry  and  militia  had  proceeded  up  the 
valley,  Capt.  Mann  came  down  from  his  hiding  place,  crossed  the 
river  below  the  mouth  of  Fox's  creek,  and  secreted  himself  un- 
der the  Karighondontee  mountain,  at  a  place  where  a  small  stream 
of  water  has  cut  a  ravine.  The  next  day,  David  Warner,  the  lad 
before  mentioned,  and  John  Snyder,  with  a  basket  of  food,  went 
in  pursuit  of  him.  They  crossed  the  river  and  followed  up  the 
ravine  before  named,  just  above  which,  seated  in  a  cavity  of  the 
rock,  they  found  the  object  of  search,  smoking  a  pipe  and  fast- 
ing ;  with  an  apology  for  a  fire,  a  few  brands  smoldering  in  the 
recess.  Mann  had  very  wisely  taken  with  him  from  home  a  tin- 
der box  and  matches,  as  the  chosen  place  of  secretion  was  in- 
fested by  rattle-snakes;  and  it  being  usually  damp,  was  a  cold 
place  at  night  even  in  midsummer.  The  little  nook  in  which 
Mann  was  found  by  his  friends,  is  a  familiar  one  to  the  Schoharie 
geologists,  who  have  been  there  to  obtain  strontian,  especially  if 
they  ever  chanced  to  be  there,  as  the  writer  once  did,  in  a  very 
hea\7  shower.  The  ravine  alluded  to,  affords  the  geologist  some 
of  the  most  beautiful  deposits  o{  fossil  moss  found  in  Schoharie 
county. 


250  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

When  Mann  heard  his  friends  approaching,  his  fearful  appre- 
hension was  aroused,  but  on  hearing  their  familiar  voices  calling 
him  by  name,  he  readily  discovered  himself.  From  his  mountain 
retreat,  he  shortly  after  went  to  Kneiskern's  dorf,  several  miles 
further  down  the  river,  where  he  was  concealed  by  friends  until 
fall  J  at  which  time,  he  surrendered  himself  to  the  military  au- 
thority established  in  the  valley,  by  which  he  was  transfered  to 
Albany  for  trial.  The  following  paper  will  show  the  time  when 
Capt.  Mann  became  a  prisoner. 

"  Schoharie,  Bee.  8th,  1777. 
Gentlemen  of  the  committee : — We  have  taken  it  upon  us  to 
let  George  Mann  come  in,  by  a  sufficient  bail-bond,  which  we 
thought  he  could  not  get ;  but  since  he  did,  we  Avould  not  affront 
the  people,  and  took  it ;  and  if  you  think  that  it  is  not  sufficient, 
let  me  know  it,  for  I  am  ready  now  to  act  against  the  tories  to  the 
utmost  point  Avhich  is  in  my  power,  if  the  other  committee  are 
willing  to  join  :  if  not,  I  will  no  longer  be  a  committee  man. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  beg  one  favor  of  you,  which  is,  to  give  me  in- 
telligence in  what  form  we  are  to  act  with  the  tories  now  :  so  no 
more  at  present.  "  I  remain,  sirs, 

"  Your  friend  and  well  wisher, 

"JOHANNES  BALL." 

Owing  to  the  great  influence  and  respectabihty  of  his  whig 
relatives  and  neighbors,  Mann's  trial  was  kept  off  until  the  war 
closed — when,  a  very  liberal  policy  having  been  adopted  toward 
those  who  had  committed  no  very  flagrant  act,  he  was  set  at  lib- 
erty, and  returned  home  to  the  bosom  of  his  family  and  the  quiet 
possession  of  his  property.  From  the  fact  that  he  surrendered 
himself  a  prisoner,  instead  of  trying  to  flee  to  Canada,  there  can 
remain  no  doubt  but  that  his  views  had  undergone  a  change  in 
regard  to  what  course  he  should  from  the  beginning  have  adopted. 
He  had  early,  beyond  a  doubt,  been  warmly  solicited  by  the  friends 
of  royalty,  and  the  most  flattering  inducements,  to  advance  their 
cause.  But  a  life  of  repentance  showed  his  error  in  judgment  to 
have  been  of  the  head  and  not  the  heart, — while  his  firm  and 
willing  support  ever  after  of  the  newly  established  order  of  things, 
fully  atoned  for  his  single  offence. 

From  a  long  and  intimate  personal  acquaintance  with  the  de- 
scendants and  other  relatives  of  Capt.  George  Mann,  I  express 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        251 

an  opinion  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  they  are  as  patriotic 
citizens  and  as  firm  and  consistent  supporters  of  the  federal  con- 
stitution, as  an  equal  number  of  men  found  in  any  other  part  of 
the  American  union. 

The  command  of  Capt.  Mann's  company,  after  his  disappear- 
ance, was  given  to  his  lieutenant.  Christian  Stubrach. 

Some  individuals  in  the  Schoharie  settlements  who  had  been 
persuaded  to  accept  of  kingly  protection  under  McDonald,  when 
the  prospects  of  the  colonies  looked  to  them  most  gloomy,  soon 
after  his  defeat  and  hasty  flight,  found  means,  in  the  confusion 
that  ensued,  to  return  home  and  become  the  supporters  of  the  fed- 
eral compact,  while  others  followed  his  fortunes  to  Canada  to 
await  the  speedy  triumph  of  the  British  arms,  when  they  expect- 
ed to  return  and  enjoy  not  only  their  own,  but  the  confiscated 
property  of  their  whig  neighbors. 

Letters  from  Colonels  Harper  and  Vrooraan,  dated  August  20th, 
1777,  were  received  by  the  council  of  safety,  as  appears  by  the 
journal  of  that  body,  and  transmitted  on  the  29th  to  his  excellen- 
cy the  governor,  recommending  him  to  provide  five  hundred 
troops — one  hundred  of  whom  to  be  riflemen — to  protect  the 
frontiers  of  Albany  and  Tryon  counties  :  and  under  the  date  of 
August  30th,  I  find  entered  upon  the  council's  journal,  the  follow- 
ing letter : 

"  Schoharie,  August  2Slh,  1777. 

"  Gentlemen — Since  we  put  Capt.  McDonald  and  his  army  to 
flight,  I  proceeded  with  some  volunteers  to  Harpcrsficld,  where 
we  met  many  that  had  been  forced  by  McDonald,  and  some  of 
them  much  abused.  Many  others  were  in  the  woods,  who  were 
volunteers  ;  and  as  we  could  not  get  hands  on  those  that  were  ac- 
tive in  the  matter,  I  gave  orders'  to  all  to  make  their  appearance, 
when  called  on,  at  Schoharie,  in  order  to  give  satisfaction  to  the 
authority  for  what  they  have  done  ;  and  if  they  do  not,  that  they 
are  to  be  proclaimed  traitors  to  the  United  States  of  America  ; 
which  they  readily  agreed  to,  and  further  declare  that  they  will 
use  their  best  endeavors  to  bring  in  those  that  have  been  the  cause 
of  the  present  disturbance.  I  Avould,  therefore,  beg  the  honorable 
council  of  safety,  that  they  would  appoint  proper  persons  to  try 
those  people,  as  there  will  be  many  that  can  witness  to  the  pro- 
ceedings of  our  enemy,  and  are  not  in  abibty  to  go  abroad. 

"From  vour  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 
"  JOHN  HARPER,  Colo. 

"  P.  S.     The  people  here  are  so  confused  that  they  do  not  know 


252  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

how  to  proceed.     I  therefore  would  beg  the  favor  of  your  honora- 
ble body  to  appoint  such  men  as  are  strangers  in  these  parts. 
"  To  the  honorable,  the  council  of  safety,  at  Kingston." 

The  above  letter  was  referred  to  a  committee  who  reported  on 
the  same,  September  1st,  and  the  council  ordered  the  followmg 
letter  written  to  Col.  Harper  in  reply,  under  that  date — 

"  Sir — Your  favor  of  the  28th  of  August  last,  was  received  and 
communicated  to  the  council.  They  congratulate  you  on  the  suc- 
cess of  our  arms  in  that  quarter,  which  must  be  doubly  grateful  to 
the  brave  inhabitants  of  Trj'on  county,  Avhose  virtuous  exertions 
have  so  greatly  contributed  to  it. 

"  The  trial  and  punishment  of  those  inhuman  -wretches  who 
have  combined  with  a  savage  foe  to  imbrue  their  hands  in  the 
blood  of  the  innocent,  demands  a  speedy  attention.  But  while 
the  council  agree  with  you  in  the  impropriety  of  removing  them 
to  any  distance  from  the  witnesses  of  their  guilt,  they  can  not  con- 
sent, nor  indeed  are  they  empowered  to  institute  any  new  court  for 
the  trial  of  such  offences.  These  wicked  parricides,  however  de- 
testable, are  nevertheless,  by  our  free  constitution,  entitled  to  the 
inestimable  privilege  of  a  trial  by  their  peers.  A  court  of  oyer  and 
terminer  will  be  held  in  your  county  [Albany  county  meant — 
Col.  Harper  was  then  a  resident  of  Tryon  county :]  as  soon  as  the 
present  storm  hath  a  little  subsided.  In  the  mean  time  the  public 
officers  of  the  county  will  exert  themselves  to  detect,  apprehend 
and  secm'e  the  rebels. 

"  You  will  be  pleased  to  communicate  this  letter  to  the  commit- 
tee of  Schoharie,  and  to  such  other  persons  as  may  be  concerned 
in  it." 

The  following  letter  directed  to  "  The  Commissioners  for  Se- 
questrings  for  Tryon  County, ^^  and  found  among  the  papers  of 
Col.  Fisher,  one  of  those  commissioners,  was  from  a  member  of 
the  New  York  council  of  safety. 

"  Kingston,  2\st  August,  1777. 
"  Gent. — The  enclosed  resolution  was  thought  necessary,  that 
vou  may  have  it  in  your  power  to  remove  the  women  and  children 

0  such  place  (if  even  it  should  be  to  the  enemy,)  as  you  with  Gen. 
'  jrates  may  think  proper.     Should  you  Avant  any  thing  farther,  you 

nil  please  to  let  the  House  know.     I  wish  you  health  and  spirits 

1  these  trying  times — which  we  will  all  get  over ;  and  that  it  may 
be  soon,  is  the  prayer  of  Gent,  your  most  hum'e  serv't. 

"ABM.  YATES,  Jun." 
[The  resolution  above  alluded  to] — "  Resolved,  That  the  com- 
missioners for  sequestrating  the  effects  of  persons  gone  over  to,  or 


*         AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         253 

who  are  with  the  enemy,  be  directed  immediately  to  seize  the  ef- 
fects of  all  such  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  counties  of  Albany  and 
Tryon,  as  are  gone  over  unto  and  joined  the  enemy,  and  to  dis- 
pose thereof,  agreeably  to  the  resolutions  in  that  case  made  and 
provided.  That  the  said  commissioners  be  empowered  to  remove 
the  wives  and  children  of  such  disaficcted  persons  aforesaid  from 
their  habitations,  to  such  place  or  places  as  they  shall  conceive 
best  for  the  security  of  the  state.  That  the  said  commissioners  (if 
Gen.  Gates  shall  think  it  advisable)  be  empowered  to  send  all  or 
any  part  of  the  said  women  and  children  to  their  said  husbands." 

On  the  council's  journal  under  date  of  September  5th,  I  find  the 
following  entry — 

The  committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  petition  of  William 
Cameron  and  the  other  six  prisoners  brought  by  Maj.  Wjmkoop's 
party  from  Schoharie,  delivered  in  their  report,  which  was  read, 
amended  and  agreed  to,  and  is  in  the  words  following,  to  wit: 
'  That  it  appears  from  the  said  petition  of  William  Cameron  and 
the  six  prisoners  brought  with  him  as  aforesaid,  that  they  have, 
contrar}'  to  the  resolutions  of  this  state,  aided  and  assisted  the  ene- 
mies thereof,  by  taking  up  arms  against  it,  and  therefore  that  they 
be  confined  in  irons  in  one  of  the  jail  rooms  at  Kingston.'  " 

The  above  no  doubt  refers  to  the  prisoners  captured  by  the  ca- 
valry which  accompanied  Col.  Harper  to  Schoharie.  In  alluding 
to  this  transaction,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Gros,  in  a  work  on  Moral 
Philosophy,  published  about  the  year  1806,  thus  observes — 

"  Neither  must  it  be  forgotten  that  Lieut.  Wallace,  Wm.  Wills 
and  John  Harper,  Avho  at  that  time  of  general  distress  on  our 
western  frontiers,  when  tAvo  hundred  royalists  and  Indians  had 
advanced  into  the  heart  of  Schoharie,  where  treachery,  assisted  by 
the  panic  with  Avhich  the  inhabitants  had  been  struck,  had  al- 
most accomplished  a  total  defection  among  them,  with  forty  men, 
cellected  in  a  strong  brick  house,  [stone  house,]  braved  the  ene- 
my, hindered  the  defection  from  taking  the  intended  effect ;  and 
afforded  time  for  succor,  by  which  the  whole  design  of  the  enemy 
was  defeated,  and  a  valuable  part  of  the  frontier  preserved." 

On  the  13th  of  August,  the  same  day  on  which  Col.  Harper  so 
opportunely  led  troops  to  Schoharie,  Lt.  Col.  Schermerhorn  pro- 
ceeded to  Norman's  k-ill  with  a  body  of  Schenectada  militia,  and 
forty  Rhode  Island  troops, — in  all  about  one  hundred  men, — to 
root  up  a  tory  gathering  at  that  place.  The  expedition  was  very 
successful ;  David  Springer,  a  noted  royalist,  was  killed,  thirteen 


254  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  his  comrades  captured,  the  remainder  dispersed,  and  confidence 
again  restored,  where  all  was  doubt  and  disaffection,  without  the 
loss  of  a  single  man  on  the  part  of  the  Americans. — John  J. 
Schemerhorn,  son  of  Col.  S.  ?iamed  in  the  context. 

In  the  fall  of  this  year  the  following  resolution  was  made  pub- 
lic : 

"Advertisement. — This  is  to  give  notice  to  all  persons,  that  the 
Committed  of  Schoharie  have  Resolved  that  nobody  shall  sell  any- 
thing to  disaffected  persons,  and  especially  to  such  persons  as  buy 
and  send  it  to  the  Scotch  settlements  [on  the  Charlotte  and  Sus- 
quehanna rivers ;]  and  if  any  person  does  it,  we  shall  seize  it. 

"  By  order  of  the  committee, 
"  Schoharie,  Nov.  24.th,  1777.          JOHANNES  BALL,  Ch'n." 

The  citizens  of  Schoharie  were  engaged  in  the  fall  in  trans- 
porting provisions  to  the  army  under  Gen.  Gates,  as  the  follow- 
ing will  show. 

"  Half  Moon,  18th  Oct.,  1777:  Received  of  Jacob  Cuyler,  Esq., 
D.  C.  G.  of  P.,  [deputy  commissary  general  of  provisions]  sixty- 
six  barrels  and  two  tierces  of  flour,  containing  13 Ic.  3qr.  81b. — 
tare  1471,  in  seventeen  wagons,  which  I  promise  to  deliver  to 
Dirck  Swart,  D.  C.  of  P.  at  Stillwater,  having  signed  two  receipts 
of  the  same  tenor  and  date.  JOHANNES  BALL." 

About  twenty  of  Mr.  Ball's  neighbors  were  engaged  with  their 
teams  in  conveying  the  flour  mentioned,  as  appears  by  another 
certificate  in  possession  of  the  writer. 

The  following  anecdote  will  serve  to  show  the  patriotism  of  the 
late  patroon,  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer.  When  the  troops  under 
Gen.  Gates  were  opposing  Burgoyne  near  Saratoga,  Gen.  Ten 
Broeck,  who  was  the  guardian  of  the  patroon,  then  in  his  minori- 
ty, visited  some  of  his  nephew's  tenants  near  the  Helleberg,  and 
requested  them  to  take  all  the  provisions  and  grain  they  could 
spare  (reserving  a  bare  competency  for  their  families,)  to  the  Ame- 
rican army.  Several  emptied  their  granaries,  pork-barrels,  cattle- 
stalls  and  pig-styes,  and  delivered  their  effects  to  the  commissary 
department  at  Saratoga  ;  not  expecting  any  usual  reward  for  so 
doing.  Some  time  after,  to  their  surprise,  the  young  patroon  in_ 
vited  those  tenants  to  Albany  and  'presented  them  with  valid  titles 
to  their  lands.     Such  was  one  of  the  many  acts  of  that  good 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         255 

man,   distinguished  through  life  for  his  generosity  and  benevo- 
lence.* 

When  news  first  reached  Schoharie  that  the  British  had  been 
defeated  at  Bennington,  the  tories  believed  it  a  falsehood,  told  to 
excite  their  fear. 

In  the  Revolution,  that  part  of  Sharon  contained  in  the  town 
of  Seward,  was  called  New  Dorlach.  It  was  a  settlement  of 
twenty-five  or  thirty  families,  only  four  of  which,  those  of  Jacob 
Hynds,  William  Hynds,  Bastian  France,  and  William  Spurnheyer 
were  active  whigs.  An  old  man  named  Hoffman,  who  took  no 
part  on  either  side,  was,  with  his  whig  neighbors,  made  an  object 
of  savage  cupidity.  When  St.  Leger  was  beseiging  Fort  Schuy- 
ler, about  thirty  individuals  went  from  this  settlement  and  united 
with  his  forces.  When  the  seige  was  raised,  they  would  gladly 
have  returned  to  their  homes,  but  were  compelled  to  go  to  Ca- 
nada ;  only  two  came  back  at  that  time,  and  they  deserted  in  the 
night. — Henry  France,  son  of  Bastian  France. 

In  the  summer  of  1777,  when  the  several  British  commanders 
were  proceeding  towards  Albany,  some  of  its  citizens,  fearing  the 
enemy  would  reach  that  city,  secreted  their  money.  A  man 
named  Ten  Eyck  buried  a  tin  cup  full  of  gold  and  silver  in  his 
cellar.  After  Burgoyne's  surrender,  search  was  made  in  vam 
for  this  treasure ;  one  Jacob  Radley  dug  the  ground  floor  of  the 
cellar  all  over  without  finding  it,  and  the  superstitious  notion 
obtained  in  the  familiy,  that  it  had  disappeared  through  super- 
natural agency.  Here  is  a  spook  story  for  the  credulous.  The 
cup  had  been  removed  by  animam  viventum — a  living  soul. — 
Judge  Brown. 

The  surrender  of  Burgoyne  to  Gen.  Gates,  which  took  place 
after  the  other  British  enterprises  in  New  York  had  proved  ab- 
ortive, diffused  joy  and  gladness  throughout  the  union.  In  Al- 
bany, the  event  was  celebrated  with  much  display.  An  ox  was 
roasted  whole  for  the  occasion.  A  pole  passing  through  It  and 
resting  on  crotches  served  as  a  spit,  while  a  pair  of  cart  wheels 

'Frederick  Vogel,  to  -whom  the  facts  were  communicated  after  the  war,  by 
Frederick  Crounse,  one  of  the  tenants  alluded  to  in  the  context. 


256       msTORY  OF  schoharie  county, 

.  at  the  ends  of  the  pole  were  used  to  turn  it.  A  hole  was  dug 
in  the  ground,  in  which,  beneath  the  ox  a  fire  was  made.  While 
cooking,  several  pails  of  salt  water  were  at  hand,  to  be  applied 
with  swabs  to  keep  the  meat  from  burning.  When  roasted  it 
was  drawn  through  the  principal  streets,  and  the  patriotic  secur- 
ed a  good  slice.  A  constant  roar  of  artillery  was  kept  up  during 
the  day. 

/  The  aged  met  with  joy  of  heart, 

The  youthful  met  with  gleej 
While  little  children  played  their  part, 
The  happiest  of  the  three. 

In  the  evening  almost  every  dwelling  in  the  city  was  illumin- 
ated. A  pyramid  of  pine  fagots  which  had  been  collected  for 
the  occasion,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  a  liberty  pole  sup- 
porting on  its  top  a  barrel  of  tar,  was  set  on  fire  on  the  hill 
near  the  city  early  in  the  evening.  When  the  fire  reached  the 
tar,  it  not  only  illuminated  every  part  of  the  city,  but  sent  its 
ominous  light  for  many  miles  around,  presenting  a  most  impos- 
ing effect.* 

To  show  the  enthusiasm  that  prevailed  during  the  celebration 
above  related,  I  insert  the  following  incident.  Evert  Yates,  of 
Montgomery  county,  who  then  lived  in  Albany,  assured  the  writer 
that  he,  with  several  young  friends,  was  without  the  city  firing 
muskets  in  honor  of  the  happy  event.  After  firing  a  good  many 
loud  guns  they  returned  home — when  he  found  to  his  great  sur- 
prise, his  gun  was  half  full !  The  party,  as  often  as  they  had 
loaded,  fired  together ;  and  he  continued  to  load,  not  doubting 

*  The  author  is  indebted  to  Mrs.  Henry  France  of  Seward,  who  was  a 
resident  of  Albany  at  the  time,  for  the  manner  in  which  this  event  was  cele- 
brated ;  and  also  for  the  following  narrative:  Her  father,  John  Home,  was 
a  butcher  in  Albany  previous  to  the  French  war.  In  the  early  part  of  that 
war,  he  with  six  other  Albanians,  went  up  the  Hudson  in  a  battcau  with 
merchandize  to  trade  with  the  Indians  for  furs.  Landing  at  some  place  and 
leaving  their  boat  in  which  were  their  weapons  of  defence,  they  were  pro- 
ceeding a  little  distance  from  it,  when,  as  they  were  crossing  a  small  bridge 
a  party  of  seven  armed  Indians,  who  had  been  sometime  watching  their  mo- 
tions, sprang  out  from  under  the  bridge  and  made  them  captives.  As  they 
all  had  prisoners,  each  Indian  at  night  took  care  of  his  own,  and  Home* 
watching  his  opportunity  after  traveling  several  days  with  his  new  master, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        257 

but  his  old  fusee  went  off — too  much  excited  to  discover  the^n- 
creasing  length  of  his  ramrod. 

The  following  anecdote  was  told  the  author  by  Jacob  Van  Al- 
styne,  who  was  at  the  taking  of  Burgoyne.  He  was  then  adju- 
tant of  a  regiment  of  Rensselaer  county  militia,  under  Col.  Ste- 
phen J.  Schuyler,  Lieut.  Col.  Henry  K.  Van  Rensselaer,  and  act- 
ed in  the  two-fold  capacity  of  adjutant  and  quarter-master.  Col. 
Schuyler  was  a  brother  of  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler,  and  having  the 
oldest  commission  among  the  colonels  on  that  station,  he  acted  as 
brigadier  general  in  the  latter  part  of  the  campaign.  A  German, 
named  John  Tillman,  a  portly  gentleman  who  resided  at  Albany 
after  the  war,  acted  as  German  interpreter  for  Gen.  Gates,  and 
was  requested  by  the  latter  to  select  a  proper  person  to  go  into 
the  British  camp  as  a  s^py  ;  the  object  of  whose  mission  was,  to 
circulate  letters  among  the  Hessian  soldiers,  to  induce  them  to  de- 
sert, and  to  bring  on  an  engagement  in  such  a  manner  as  Gates 
desired.  TilJman  selected  Christopher  Fisher,*  a  private  in  Col. 
Schuyler's  regiment — a  shrewd  fellow  and  always  ready  with  an 
answer  to  any  question  that  might  be  asked  him.  Fisher,  being 
well  acquainted  vnih.  my  informant,  visited  him  to  ask  his  advice 
in  the  hazardous  undertaking,  naming  the  reward  offered.  The 
Jatter  told  him  what  the  consequence  would  be  if  he  was  detect- 
ed, but  declined  giving  counsel.  "  Well,"  said  Fisher,  "  if  you 
will  not  advise  me  how  to  proceed,  then  I  must  act  on  my  own 

effected  his  escape  when  the  party  were  all  asleep.  He  -went  a  short  dis- 
tance and  secreted  himself  in  a  hollow  log.  As  soon  ?.s  his  absence  was  dis- 
covered, several  of  the  enemy  pursued  him;  and  he  in  his  concealment 
heard  them  pass  and  repass,  hallooing  to  each  other.  After  their  return 
he  directed  his  course  to  the  Mohawk,  and  at  the  end  of  eight  or  nine  days 
journey  through  the  forest,  in  which  time  he  suffered  much  from  hunger 
and  exposure,  he  reached  the  bank  of  West  Canada  creek,  and  discovered 
an  Indian  and  squaw  upon  its  opposite  shore.  He  called  to  them  to  come  to 
him,  but  they  did  not  move  until  he  held  up  a  piece  of  money.  The  Indian 
then  sent  the  squaw  in  a  canoe  after  him.  He  obtained  food  from  them,  who 
proved  to  be  of  a  friendly  tribe,  and  in  a  few  days  more  reached  home  in  safety; 
but  it  was  a  long  lime  before  his  comrades  in  the  perilous  enterprize  all  re- 
turned. 

•  Fisher  was  a  native  of  Schoharie  county,  of  German  origin,  and  had  re- 
moved to  Rensselaer  county  just  before  the  war. 


258  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

judgment :"  so  saying,  he  took  his  leave  of  Van  Alstyne,  who 
thought  but  httle  more  of  the  matter  until  after  the  battle,  which 
occured  October  7th.  While  in  his  tent  after  that  engagement, 
Fisher  entered  and  showed  him  a  purse  of  gold  and  his  discharge 
from  the  service.  Van  Alstyne  then  desired  to  know  how  he  had 
proceeded.  Fisher  stated  that  on  the  day  appointed,  he  ap- 
proached the  enemy's  picket  with  a  sheep  upon  his  back,  which 
had  been  killed  for  the  occasion.  He  was  hailed  by  the  guard, 
who  demanded  of  him  his  residence  and  the  object  of  his  visit. 
Fisher  replied,  that  he  lived  a  few  miles  back  in  the  country — 
"  that  the  d — d  Yankees  had  destroyed  all  his  property  but  one 
sheep,  which  he  had  killed,  and  was  then  taking  to  his  friends.''^ 
On  hearing  this  reply,  the  sentinel  treated  him  kindly,  and  deliv- 
ered him  over  to  an  officer  with  a  favorable  report.  In  the  Bri- 
tish camp,  he  was  asked  by  a  superior  officer,  what  proof  he  could 
give  that  he  was  not  deceiving.  Said  Fisher,  "the  rebels  are 
preparing  to  give  you  battle,  and  if  you  will  go  with  me,  I  will 
convince  you  of  its  truth."  The  officer  followed  Fisher  to  a  cer- 
tain place,  from  which  was  visible  a  wood.  Here  had  been  sta- 
tioned, agreeable  to  the  order  of  Gates,  a  body  of  Morgan's  rifle 
corps,  who  were  to  exhibit  themselves  in  a  stealthy  manner.  The 
rifle-men  wore  frocks  and  were  easily  distinguished.  "  There — 
there" — says  Fisher,  "dont  you  see  them  devils  of  Morgan's 
dodging  about  among  the  trees  ?"  And  sure  enough,  as  fast  as 
the  spy  directed  his  vision,  the  British  officer  could  see  the  moving 
frocks  of  the  American  rifle-men.  When  urged  to  enlist  into  the 
British  service,  Fisher  pretended  an  aversion  to  war,  pleading  also 
the  necessity  of  returning  home  to  protect  his  family  against  the 
rebels.  He  was  allowed  to  leave  the  camp  when  he  chose,  and 
embraced  the  opportunity  while  the  armies  were  engaged.  He 
was,  however,  admitted  into  communion  as  a  genuine  royalist, 
and  being  allowed  to  mingle  for  several  hours  with  those  who 
spoke  German,  he  discharged  the  duties  of  his  perilous  mission 
to  the  satisfaction  of  Gen.  Gales.  A  party  of  British  troops  were 
sent  to  dislodge  the  rifle-men  pointed  out  by  Fisher — a  general 
engagement  followed,  and  the  result  is  known  to  every  American 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        259 

reader.  Burgoyne  capitulated  soon  after.  The  spy  executed 
faithfully  the  principal  object  of  his  hazardous  enterprise,  and 
many  of  those  Hessian  soldiers  deserted  the  British  service  in  that 
campaign,  and  either  entered  the  American  service,  or  became 
good  citizens  of  New  York.  Mr.  Van  Alstyne  died  in  May,  1844, 
aged  nearly  95  years. 

Gen.  Fraser,  a  distinguished  officer  in  the  British  army,  was 
looked  upon  by  some  of  the  Americans  as  a  more  dangerous  lead- 
er to  oppose  than  Bnrgoyne  himself.  Several  published  accoimts 
state  that  such  was  the  opinion  of  Col.  Morgan.  During  the  en- 
gagement of  October  7th,  it  fell  to  the  fortune  of  Morgan's  rifle 
corps  to  meet  in  battle  the  troops  under  Fraser.  Morgan  select- 
ed a  few  of  his  best  marksmen,  who  were  placed  in  a  favorable 
position,  and  instructed  to  make  Fraser  their  especial  mark. 
Timothy  Murphy,  who  afterwards  went  to  Schoharie,  was  one  of 
the  riflemen  selected  to  execute  this  unholy  design.  The  party 
thus  stationed  had  each  a  chance  to  fire,  and  some  of  them  more 
than  once,  before  a  favorable  opportunity  presented  for  Murphy ; 
but  when  it  did,  the  effect  was  soon  manifest.  The  gallant  gene- 
ral was  riding  upon  a  gallop  when  he  received  the  fatal  ball,  and 
after  a  few  bounds  of  his  charger,  fell,  mortally  wounded.  The 
fact  that  Murphy  shot  Gen.  Fraser,  was  communicated  to  the 
writer  by  a  son  of  the  former. 

A  letter  dated  Amherst,  Mass.,  Oct.  7, 1835,  and  first  published 
in  the  Saratoga  Sentinel,  introduces  a  new  competitor  for  the 
honor,  if  such  it  was  considered,  of  having  slain  Gen.  Fraser. 
The  letter  is  from  the  pen  of  E.  Mattoon,  Esq.,  being  a  reply  to 
an  interrogatory  letter  of  a  preceding  date,  from  Philip  Schuyler, 
Esq.,  a  son  of  the  late  Gen.  Schuyler.  Mr.  Mattoon  expresses 
his  belief,  in  the  letter,  that  Gen.  Fraser  was  killed  by  an  old 
man  with  a  long  hunting  gun,  and  not  by  one  of  Morgan's  men. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  old  gentleman  to  whom  he 
alludes,  shot  an  officer,  but  that  he  killed  Gen.  Fraser  I  cannot 
believe,  since  not  only  Murphy  was  positive  he  fell  before  his 
rifle,  but  several  authors  have  stated  that  Fraser  told  his  friends 
after  he  fell,  that  he  saw  the  man  who  shot  him,  and  that  he  was 


260  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

a  rifleman  posted  in  a  tree.     The  remains  of  Gen.  Fraser  were 
taken  to  England  after  the  war. 

After  Gen.  Burgoyne  had  resolved  on  retreating  from  Saratoga 
to  Canada,  Gen.  Nixon,  of  the  First  Massachusetts  brigade,  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  Fort  Edward  in  his  rear  ;  and  the  first  intima- 
tion the  retreating  hero,  who  was  to  march  through  the  colonies 
with  three  British  regiments,  had  that  his  retreat  was  cut  off,  was 
from  hearing  the  evening  gun  fired  at  that  fortress.  As  its  thun- 
der came  booming  along  the  valley  of  the  Hudson,  borne  upon 
the  evening  breeze,  it  sounded  in  his  unwilling  ears  the  knell  of 
his  military  glory. — Capt.  Ehen  Williams. 

David  Elerson,  who  was  a  private  in  Capt.  Long's  company 
of  Morgan's  rifle  corps,  and  compatriot  of  Timothy  Murphy  in 
many  hazardouus  enterprises,  related  the  following  anecdote  to 
the  author  in  1837.  Morgan's  riflemen  had  acquired  much  cele- 
brity as  marksmen  while  under  Gen.  Gates.  When  in  the  vici- 
nity of  Albany,  on  their  return  from  the  northern  army,  a  gentle- 
man near  whose  residence  they  halted,  expressed  a  wish  to  witness 
their  skill.  The  captain  signified  his  willingness  to  gratify  his 
curiosity,  and  a  piece  of  paper  was  fastened  upon  a  small  poplar 
tree.  Elerson  handed  his  rifle,  one  of  the  best  in  the  company, 
to  John  Garsaway,  who,  informant  said,  took  a  surer  aim  than 
himself.  The  rifle  was  leveled  100  yards  distant  from  the  mark 
and  fired.  The  leaden  messenger  passed  through  the  paper  and 
the  tree — splitting  the  latter  several  inches,  and  ruining  it.  Said 
the  gentleman,  looking  at  his  crippled  tree,  which  had  almost 
been  converted  into  a  weeping  willow  (it  will  be  remembered 
that  fashion  then  made  the  poplar  a  very  desirable  shade  tree) 
"  I  do  not  wonder  the  Indians  are  afraid  of  Morgan's  riflemen,  if 
that  is  the  way  they  shoot."  He  then  treated  the  company  to 
liquor,  as  was  the  custom  of  the  times — expressed  his  satisfaction 
at  their  skill,  as  he  again  cast  his  eye  upon  his  blasted  poplar, 
and  the  troops  resumed  their  march. 

Maj.  Stephen  Watts,  the  brother-in-law  of  Sir  John  Johnson, 
was  left  mortally  wounded  on  the  Oriskany  battle-ground  -,  and 
as  an  American  soldier  named  Martin  G.  Van  Alstyne  was  passing 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        261 

him,  he  was  addressed  by  the  dying  royalist,  who  begged  of  him 
to  be  borne  to  a  stream  of  water  at  a  little  distance  off;  saying 
that  he  could  not  survive  his  wounds,  but  that  the  crystal  ele- 
ment would  afford  him  a  little  comfort  in  his  dying  moments. 
He  was  carried  to  the  place  indicated,  and  presented  Van  Alstyne 
with  his  watch  as  a  reward  for  his  services.  Watts  survived  his 
wounds  but  a  few  hours.  The  watch  Van  Alstyne  would  never 
part  with  in  his  lifetime,  although  offered  several  times  more  than 
its  real  value  by  a  friend  of  the  Watts  family,  who  were  very  de- 
sirous of  obtaining  a  keepsake  of  their  deceased  kinsman. — Joshua 
Reed. 

Col.  Hendrick  Frey,  (a  colonel  of  colonial  troops  under  Sir 
William  Johnson  in  the  French  war,)  a  wealthy  royalist  who  re- 
sided during  the  revolution  in  a  large  stone  house*  one  mile  above 
the  present  village  of  Canajoharie,  was  at  home,  as  he  feigned 
neutrality,  and  on  the  day  after  the  Oriskany  battle  a  party  of 
hostile  Indians  levied  a  tax  on  his  hospitality.  As  they  assembled 
around  a  table  to  eat,  a  sister  of  Frey  who  was  waiting  upon 
them,  discovered  on  the  person  of  one,  the  shirt  of  Maj.  John 
Frey,  their  patriotic  brother — one  sleeve  of  which  had  been  per- 
forated by  a  bullet  and  left  very  bloody.  Her  worst  fears  were 
aroused,  and  nearly  letting  fall  something  she  held,  she  ran  to 
her  brother  Hendrick,  placed  her  hands  on  his  shoulders  and  ex- 
claimed in  a  tone  of  i^al  sorrow  "  Brother  John  is  dead !"  as- 
signing as  her  reason  for  such  belief  the  sight  of  the  bloody  trophy 
before  them.  The  colonel  who  could  speak  the  Indian  dialect  well, 
desired  his  sister  not  to  show  any  emotion  before  the  Indians; 
and  endeavored  to  quiet  her  fears  by  remarking  that  probably  the 
shirt  had  belonged  to  some  one  else.  The  agitated  maiden  could 
not  be  persuaded  into  such  a  consoling  belief,  as  the  garment  had 
been  the  workmanship  of  her  own  hands ;  and  her  mental  agony 
seemed  almost  insufferable. 

In  a  short  time  the  Indians  left  the  house,  and  proceeded  down 
the  river,  followed  at  a  little  distance  by  Col.  Frey,  who  was  de- 

•This  house  took  fire  in  the  night,  from  a  deposit  of  ashes,  and  burned 
dcrvn  about  the  year  1832. 

18 


262  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

sirous  of  knowing  the  fate  of  his  brother.  Near  the  mouth  of  the 
Canajoharie  creek  he  overtook  them,  and  inquired  of  the  possessor 
where  he  got  the  shirt  which  covered  his  brawny  frame.  He  re- 
plied that  he  had  wounded  an  officer  the  day  before  in  the  Oris- 
kany  contest,  in  an  arm  which  he  had  exposed  from  behind  a 
tree,  had  made  him  his  prisoner,  and  after  taking  from  him  such 
portion  of  his  clothing  as  he  desired,  had  sold  him  to  a  British 
officer  who  would  probably  take  him  to  Canada.  Frey  hastened 
home  and  communicated  to  his  sister  what  he  had  learned,  which 
tended  somewhat  to  calm  her  agitated  mind,  for  to  know  that  he 
still  lived,  although  a  wounded  prisoner,  was  some  consolation. 
Maj.  Frey  was  taken  to  Canada,  suffering  much  on  the  way,  and 
while  there  confined  ;  a  durance  which  lasted  nearly  two  years. — 
/.  Reed. 

The  timely  sortie  of  the  brave  Willet  on  the  camp  of  the  be- 
siegers at  Fort  Schuyler,  caused  their  comrades  engaged  in  the 
crimsoned  fields  of  Oriskany,  to  withdraw  and  leave  the  militia  of 
the  Mohawk  valley  victors  of  the  field.  The  Indians,  who  were 
among  the  last  to  leave,  had  mostly  disappeared,  and  the  firing 
had  nearly  ceased,  when  Capt.  John  James  Davis  remarked  to 
Isaac  Covenhoven,  a  soldier  who  stood  behind  a  tree  near  to  the 
one  which  concealed  himself — "  I  believe  the  red  devils  have 
pretty  much  all  left  us !"  "  1  don't  know,"  said  C.  "  there  may 
be  some  of  them  lurking  about  yet."  The  words  were  scarcely 
utterered  when  Capt.  D.,  who  was  a  brave  and  meritorious  officer, 
fell  mortally  wounded  ;  a  bullet  from  the  rifle  of  an  Indian  having 
passed  through  his  lungs. — Isaac  Covenhoven. 

Capt.  Jacob  Gardinier,  of  the  Tryon  county  militia,  was  distin- 
guished for  his  daring  bravery  and  personal  acts  in  this  terrible 
conflict.  Some  account  of  this  officer's  exploits  in  that  battle  are 
very  properly  related  in  the  Life  of  Brant.  The  Rev.  Daniel 
Gros,  in  his  work  on  "  Moral  Philosophy,"  to  which  I  have  allud- 
ed, in  some  of  his  remarks  on  civil  liberty,  while  speaking  of  the 
moral  obligations  of  free  citizens  to  act  in  defence  of  their  country, 
referring  to  that  battle,  thus  observes :  "  Let  it  stand  recorded 
among  other  patriotic  deeds  of  that  little  army  of  militia,  that  a 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        263 

Jacob  Gardinier,  with  a  few  of  his  men,  vanquished  a  whole  pla- 
toon, killing  the  captain  thereof,  after  he  had  held  him  for  a  long 
time  by  his  collar  as  a  shield  against  the  balls  and  bayonets  of  the 
whole  platoon.  This  brave  militia  captain  is  still  alive,  and  was 
cured  of  thirteen  wounds."  After  being  literally  riddled  by  bul- 
lets and  bayonets,  Capt.  Gardinier  crept  into  a  cavity  at  the  roots 
of  a  fallen  tree,  and  continued  the  fight.  He  had  with  him  a 
German  lad,  as  a  waiter,  who  then  became  very  useful,  bringing 
to  his  master,  guns  of  the  fallen,  loading  such  as  were  not  loaded, 
&c.  He  was  so  wounded  that  he  could  neither  stand  or  load  his 
own  gun,  and  yet  from  his  place  of  temporary  safety,  he  did  no 
little  execution.  Observing  an  Indian  stealthily  dodging  from 
tree  to  tree  to  get  a  shot  at  an  American  officer,  upon  whom  he 
had  brought  his  rifle  several  times  with  partial  aim,  Capt.  G.  shot 
him,  and  sent  his  High  Dutch  hoy,  as  he  called  him,  to  get  his 
gun.  The  lad  returned  with  a  report  that  the  Indian  was 
not  dead,  hut  was  kicJcivg.  He  had  fallen  across  a  log  with  his 
feet  up,  and  was  probably  in  the  death  struggle.  After  a  few 
minutes,  the  boy  was  again  sent,  and  soon  returned  with  all  the 
Indian  possessed  save  his  dead  carcase. 

Capt.  Gardinier,  who  was  a  blacksmith  before  the  war,  and  re- 
sided near  the  river  opposite  Caughnawaga,  had  in  his  employ  a 
man  named  Henry  Thompson,  a  native  of  New  Jei-sey.  He  was 
a  tall,  lank  looking  fellow,  as  odd  as  he  was  ungainly.  He  was 
in  the  Oriskany  battle  as  a  private  under  his  employer,  and  after 
the  conflict  had  lasted  some  time,  and  groans  and  death  were  ren- 
dered familiar,  he  approached  the  captain  and  told  him  he  was 
hungry.  ^'Fight  away  !"  said  the  intrepid  officer.  "/  canl  wUh- 
out  eating,^'  said  Thompson.  ^^Thengo  and  get  ymi  a  piece,"  was 
the  reply.  He  did  so — sat  down  in  the  midst  of  the  battle,  on 
the  body  of  a  dead  soldier,  and  ate  heartily,  while  the  bullets 
were  cutting  the  air  around  his  head  like  hail-stones.  Having  fi- 
nished his  repast,  he  arose  and  fought  with  renewed  energy,  ap- 
pearing in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  Such  an  evidence  of  cool 
bravery,  to  gratify  hunger,  I  beheve  was  never  excelled,  if  before 
equalled. 


264  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Samuel  Gardinier,  a  brother  of  Jacob,  was  also  in  the  post  of 
danger  at  Oriskany.  He  had  two  balls  shot  into  his  body  just 
above  the  groin.  They  were  fired  from  opposite  direictions  almost 
at  the  same  instant ;  and  so  near  did  they  lodge  that  when  an  in- 
cision was  made  to  one,  the  other  was  visible,  and  both  were  ta- 
ken out  together.  He  recovered  and  lived  several  years  after  the 
war  was  over.  The  bullets  were  evidently  fired  from  fowling 
guns,  and  are  treasured  as  sacred  relics  by  his  descendants. — An- 
ecdotes Jrom  Rynier,  a  son  of  Samuel  Gardinier. 

Valentine  Fralick,  of  Stone  Arabia,  was  a  militiaman  at  Oris- 
kany. In  the  heat  of  battle,  a  little  aside  from  the  main  array, 
William  Merckley,  a  neighbor  of  Fralick,  fell  near  the  latter, 
by  the  shot  of  an  Indian,  mortally  wounded.  The  former  kindly 
offered  to  assist  his  wounded  friend,  but  the  assistance  was  de- 
clined. "  Take  care  of  yourself  and  leave  me  to  my  fate,' ^  was 
the  wounded  man's  reply.  Fralick,  seeing  several  Indians  ap- 
proaching, instantly  sought  shelter  under  a  fallen  tree,  and  while 
thus  concealed,  they  passed  and  repassed  over  the  tree,  in  search 
of,  but  without  finding  him.  When  the  immediate  danger  was 
over,  he  returned  to  the  body  of  his  comrade,  who  had  been  toma- 
hawked and  scalped,  and  giving  it  a  temporary  burial,  he  sought 
the  American  camp. — John,  a  son  of  Valentine  Fralick, 

During  one  of  the  earliest  invasions  of  the  Saratoga  county  set- 
tlements by  the  enemy,  (probably  in  1777,)  the  following  singular 
incident  occurred.  A  party  of  Canadian  Indians  arrived  just  at 
night  at  the  house  of  Angus  McDermott,  a  Scotchman,  who  had 
but  recently  arrived  in  the  country.  The  soldiers  were  helping 
themselves  to  whatever  the  house  afforded  to  eat  and  drink,  when 
all  at  once  the  floor  gave  way,  and  they  were  precipitated  into  the 
cellar.  No  one  was  seriously  injured,  and  the  jollification  was 
continued  there.  The  Indians  kept  the  family  within  doors,  so 
that  their  arrival  should  be  unknown  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
scattering  about  the  settlement  early  in  the  morning,  they  com- 
menced their  diabolical  deeds  of  destruction  and  death. — Angus 
McKinlay. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


265 


It  has  been  said  of  the  brave  Gen,  Herkimer — who  was  hurried 
into  the  Oriskany  conflict  through  the  rashness  of  his  young  offi- 
cers, several  of  whom  called  him  a  tory  for  his  prudence,  and  soon 
after  lost  their  own  lives — that  after  he  was  wounded,  and  no 
longer  able  to  remain  upon  his  horse,  his  saddle  was  placed 
against  a  tree,  upon  which  he  sat  down,  and  from  whence  he 
continued  to  issue  his  orders.  While  thus  seated,  he  took  from 
his  pocket  a  tinder-box,  and  with  his  pocket-knife  and  a  flint 
arrow-head,  which  he  carried  for  the  purpose,  he  lit  his  pipe  and 
smoked  it  with  as  much  apparent  satisfaction  as  he  would  have 
done  in  his  own  house.  Gen.  Herkimer  was  taken  to  his  resi- 
dence— a  large  gambrel-roofed  brick  building,  still  standing  a  lit- 
tle distance  from  the  canal,  two  miles  east  of  Little  Falls,  where 
he  lived  several  days. 


GEN.  HERKLMER'S  HOUSE,  DANUBE. 

After  the  battle  of  Oriskany,  a  song,  commemorative  of  the 
event  was  composed,  and  for  a  long  time  sung  in  the  Mohawk 
valley,  of  which  the  following  is  a  stanza  : 

"  Brave  Herkimer,  our  General,  's  dead, 
And  Col.  Cox  is  slain; 
And  many  more,  and  valiant  men, 
We  ne'er  shall  see  again." 

In  June,  1777,  Congress  resolved  to  establish  a  corps  of  inva- 
lids, consisting  of  8  companies,  each  to  have  1  captain,  2  lieuten- 


266  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ants,  2  ensigns,  5  sergeants,  6  corporals,  2  drums,  2  fifes,  and  100 
men,  to  be  employed  in  garrison  duty.  A  company  of  this  kind 
was  formed  in  Schoharie  in  the  fall  of  1777,  or  early  in  1778,  of 
which  Tunis  Vrooman,  who  had  served  in  the  French  war,  was 
appointed  captain,  Peter  Snyder  and  Martinus  Vrooman  lieuten- 
ants, and  John  L.  Lawyer  its  ensign.  This  company,  which  was 
mostly  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Upper  Fort,  w^as  called  in  Schoharie, 
the  "  Associate  Exempts.''^ 

In  the  fall  of  1777,  Congress  adopted  thirteen  articles  of  con- 
federation ;  Maryland  was  the  last  state  to  adopt  them.  In  No- 
vember, Forts  Mifflin  and  Mercer,  which  prevented  the  passage  of 
British  shipping  to  Philadelphia,  w^ere  taken  by  the  enemy,  after 
a  severe  loss  on  their  part,  and  a  most  gallant  defence  of  them  by 
Colonels  Greene,  Smith,  and  Simms,  and  Maj.  Thayer,  and  the 
enemy  entered  that  city  in  triumph,  where  they  wintered.  About 
the  same  time  Washington  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Valley 
Forge,  Pa.,  fifteen  miles  northwest  of  Philadelphia,  where  his  ar- 
my erected  temporary  huts,  but  their  sufferings  were  most  acute 
from  a  want  of  nearly  all  the  munitions  of  war.  The  winter 
was  a  very  severe  one,  and  the  American  soldier  might  daily  he 
traced  hy  his  own  blood  !  Nothing  but  an  unconquerable  love  of 
Liberty,  deep  rooted  and  steadfast,  could  have  induced  men  to  con- 
tinue in  the  American  service. — Allan,  and  Tallmadge's  Journal. 

The  following  anecdote  will  not  only  show  the  true  piety  of 
Gen.  "Washington,  but  the  power  on  which  he  relied  for  the  final 
success  of  his  suffering  country.  While  the  American  army  was 
in  camp  at  Valley  Forge  Isaac  Potts,  a  respectable  Quaker,  who 
had  often  seen  Washington  going  to,  or  returning  from  a  grove  at 
a  little  distance  from  his  own  dwelling  early  in  the  morning, 
had  the  curiosity  to  learn  the  object  of  those  visits.  En- 
tering the  thicket  one  morning  very  early,  he  secreted  himself; 
soon  after  which  the  American  commander  advanced  to  a  retired 
spot  near  him,  and  upon  his  knees  offered  a  fervent  prayer  to  the 
God  of  battles  for  the  triumph  of  patriotic  principles.  Soon  af- 
ter, Potts  returned  home :  his  wife  observing  his  thoughtful  coun- 
tenance, thus  said  to  him — "  Isaac,  something  moves  thee  I  per- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        267 

ceive."  "  Yea,  Sarah  !"  he  replied,  "  I  never  believed  until  this 
morning  that  a  soldier  could  be  a  Christian.'^  He  then  related 
what  he  had  witnessed  and  remarked,  "  that  such  prayers  as 
George,  the  Virginian  offered,  must  prevail ;  and  that  England 
never  could  subdue  her  colonies." — Capt.  Ebcn  Williams. 

In  the  course  of  this  year,  (1777)  Gov.  Tryon  became  almost 
a  savage — sending  out  parties  to  burn  buildings  and  wantonly  de- 
stroy the  property  of  many  inoffensive  colonists.  When  remon- 
strated with  by  Gen.  Parsons,  he  declared  that  had  he  more  au- 
thority, he  would  burn  every  committee- man's  house  within  his 
reach,  and  expressed  a  willingness  to  give  twenty  silver  dollars 
for  every  acting  committee-man  who  should  be  delivered  to  the 
King's  troops. — ^llan. 

The  preceding  paragraph  will  show  the  reader  the  reason  why 
the  county  called  Tryon,  was  afterwards  given  the  name  of  the 
immortal  Montgomery,  in  whose  veins  coursed  the  very  best  of 
Americanised  Irish  blood. 

The  year  3777  was  one  of  alternate  hopes  and  fears  to  the 
American  people.  They  had  witnessed  with  gratitude  the  success 
of  their  arms  in  northern  New  York — while  several  forts  along 
the  Hudson  had  been  captured  by  the  enemy,  and  the  battles  of 
Brandywine  and  Germantown  had  been  followed  by  disaster.  In 
April  of  this  year,  it  should  not  be  forgotten,  a  new  impulse  was 
given  the  cause,  by  the  opportune  arrival,  wdth  several  of  his 
countrymen,  of  the  hrave^  noble  hearted,  generous  Lafayette  :  who 
not  only  bared  his  own  breast  to  the  storm  in  its  fury,  but  who, 
with  a  magnanimity  that  put  sinister  nature  to  the  blush,  threw 
into  the  exhausted  treasxiry  of  the  nation,  his  ample  fortune — bury- 
ing beneath  it  the  scabbard  of  his  sword.  Let  that  patriot  who 
glories  in  being  an  American,  love  and  venerate  the  virtues  of 
Lafayette  as  did  Washington ;  and  let  him  remember,  too,  that 
this  country  should  ever  be  a  home  for  the  oppressed  of  every 
land,  for  good  men  of  other  lands  aided  in  establishing  its  free- 
dom. With  many  other  gallant  foreigners,  a  DeKalb  and  Pulaski 
mingled  their  life-blood  with  that  of  a  Warren,  a  Woodhull,  a 
Montgomery,  a  Herkimer  and  Mercer,  to  water  the  shriveled  roots 


268  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  the  tree  of  liberty — while  a  Lafayette,  a  Kosciusko  and  a  Stew- 
hen,  prompted  to  deeds  of  noble  daring,  aided  more  fortunately  in 
sustaining  the  American  flag. 

It  was  during  the  year  1777,  that  an  attempt  was  made  by  foul 
intrigue,  to  supplant  Gen.  Washington  and  promote  Gen.  Gates 
to  the  chief  command.  Several  officers  of  rank  favored  the 
Gates'  party,  among  whom  were  Generals  Mifflin  and  Conway — 
the  latter  an  Irishman — and  several  members  of  Congress.  Anony- 
mous letters,  reflecting  on  the  character  and  military  skill  of 
Washington,  were  put  in  circulation.  Mr.  Laurens,  president  of 
Congress,  and  Patrick  Henry,  one  of  its  master  spirits,  communi- 
cated to  Washington  the  character  of  his  foes  and  the  nature  of 
their  design.  Happily  for  the  country,  the  machinations  of  this 
unholy  ambition  recoiled  upon  the  heads  of  its  instigators.  Con- 
way found  it  necessary  to  resign  his  commission.  This  subject 
matter  afterwards  originated  a  duel  between  Conway  and  Gen. 
Cadwallader.  After  the  duel,  the  former,  thinking  himself  mor- 
tally wounded,  expressed  to  Gen.  W^ashington  by  letter,  his  deep 
regret  for  the  part  he  had  acted  in  the  Gates  transaction,  adding 
his  own  testimony  to  the  many  virtues  of  the  Commander-in- 
chief — Bancroft''s  Waslmigton  and  Wirt^s  Henry. 

The  following  romantic  incident  is  copied  from  the  journal  of 
Col.  Tallmadge.  In  December,  1777,  when  the  British  army  was 
at  Philadelphia  and  the  Americans  under  Washington  were  at 
"Valley  Forge,  Major  Tallmadge  was  stationed  between  the  armies 
with  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  for  the  purpose  of  observation,  and 
to  circumscribe  the  range  of  British  foraging  parties.  The  duty 
was  an  arduous  one,  the  horses  being  seldom  unsaddled,  or  the 
squad  remaining  all  night  in  the  same  position,  from  fear  of  a 
visit  from  the  enemy,  which  on  one  occasion  they  received  with 
the  loss  of  several  men.     While  on  this  duty,  says  the  journal : 

"  Beings  advised  that  a  countrT/  girl  had  gone  into  Philadelphia 
with  eggs,  instructed  to  obtain  some  information  respecting  the 
enemy,  I  moved  my  detachment  to  Germantown,  where  they  halt- 
ed, while  with  a  small  party  I  advanced  several  miles  towards  the 
British  lines,  and  dismounted  at  a  small  tavern  called  the  Rising 
Sun,  in  full  view  of  their  out  posts.     Very  soon  I  saw  a  young  fe- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        269 

male  comings  out  from  the  city,  who  also  came  to  the  same  inn. 
After  we  had  made  ourselves  known  to  each  other,  and  while  she 
was  communicating  some  intelligence  to  me,  I  was  informed  that 
the  British  light  horse  were  advancing.  Stepping  to  the  door,  I 
saw  them  at  full  speed  chasing  in  my  patroles,  one  of  whom  they 
took.  I  immediately  mounted,  when  I  found  the  young  damsel 
close  by  my  side,  entreating  that  I  would  proteA  her.  Having  not 
a  moment  to  reflect,  I  desired  her  to  mount  behind  me,  and  in  this 
way  I  brought  her  off'  more  than  three  miles,  up  to  Germantown, 
where  she  dismounted.  During  the  Avhole  ride,  although  there 
was  considerable  firing  of  pistols,  and  not  a  little  wheeling  and 
charging,  she  remained  unmoved,  and  never  once  complained  of 
fear  after  she  mounted  my  horse.  I  was  delighted  with  the  trans- 
action, and  received  many  compliments  from  those  who  became 
acquainted  with  the  adventure."  [The  journal  does  not  say  at 
whose  instigation  this  heroine  had  visited  Philadelphia,  but  Gen. 
Washington  was  doubtless  her  employer.] 

Three  forts  were  erected  in  the  Schoharie  valley,  the  central 
being  the  first  one  built.  It  was  known  during  the  Revo- 
lution as  the  Middle  Fort,  and  stood  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Ralph  Manning,  about  half  a  mile  east  of  north  from  the 
Middleburgh  bridge.  It  was  constructed  in  the  fall  of  1777,  by 
the  citizens  and  soldiers — the  former  drawing  together  suitable 
timber,  and  the  latter,  with  their  aid,  giving  it  a  proper  place. 
The  two  story  stone  dwelling,  owned  and  occupied  by  John  Beck- 
er— the  kitchen  part  of  which  is  still  standing — was  inclosed 
within  the  pickets  of  the  fort. 

The  Upper  Fort,  situated  five  miles  west  of  south  from  the 
middle  fort,  was  commenced  in  the  fall  of  1777  and  completed 
the  summer  following.  The  one  story  frame  dwelling  of  John 
Feeck  was  there  inclosed  within  the  pickets.  This  fort  stood  not 
far  distant  from  the  present  site  of  Murphy's  mill,  in  the  upper 
end  of  Vrooman's  land. 

The  Lower  Fort,  situated  six  miles  north  of  the  middle  fort,  was 
begun  and  completed  about  the  same  time  as  was  the  upper  fort. 
The  stone  church,  still  standing  one  mile  north  of  the  Court  House, 
was  there  inclosed  within  the  pickets.  The  two  latter  forts  were 
built  as  was  the  former,  by  the  joint  labor  of  citizens  and  soldiers. 
The  middle  fort  was  known  as  head  quarters  during  the  war, 
where  usually  resided  the  principal  commandant  of  all  three,  and 


270  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

at  which  place,  the  business  involving  the  welfare  of  the  settle- 
ment, was  generally  transacted. 


ANCIENT  DUTCH  CHURCH,  SCHOHARIE,  AS  SEEN  IN  1817. 

The  Lower  Fort  consisted  of  an  inclosure  by  strong  pickets  of 
about  half  an  acre  of  ground,  embracing  the  stone  church,  (a 
view  of  which  is  here  given,)  with  block-houses  in  the  south-west 
and  north-east  corners  mounting  small  cannon.  Along  the  west 
side  of  the  inclosure,  small  huts  were  erected  of  rough  boards  for 
the  summer  residence  of  the  inhabitants  in  that  part  of  the  valley; 
with  a  board  roof  sloping  from  near  the  top  of  the  pickets  to- 
ward the  centre  of  the  yard.  Each  family  which  claimed  the 
protection  of  the  small  garrison  at  this  place,  had  such  a  rude 
dwelling,  in  which  w^ere  deposited  their  most  valuable  effects. 
Near  the  north-east  corner,  or  in  that  part  of  the  inclosure  toward 
the  burying-ground,  was  a  temporary  tavern  kept  by  Snyder,  a 
former  inn-keeper  of  that  vicinity.  The  Middle  Fort  was  an  in- 
closure of  an  area  of  ground  rather  larger  than  that  picketed  in 
at  the  lower  fort,  with  block-houses  in  the  north-east  and  south 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         271 

west  corners,  where  cannon  were  mountet].  The  principal  en- 
trance was  on  the  south  side,  and  on  each  side  of  the  gate  were 
arranged  the  soldiers'  barracks.  The  pickets,  as  at  the  fort  be- 
low, were  about  a  foot  through,  and  rose  some  ten  feet  from  the 
ground  ;  with  loop  holes,  from  which  to  fire  on  invaders.  A 
brass  nine  pound  cannon  was  mounted  on  the  south-west  block- 
house, and  an  iron  one  at  the  diagonal  corner,  each  of  which,  as 
the  block-houses  projected,  commanded  two  sides  of  the  inclosure; 
while  along  the  eastern  and  western  sides  were  arranged  huts  for 
citizens,  similar  to  those  at  the  lower  fort.  The  Upper  Fort  stood 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  as  at  those  on  its  opposite  side, 
a  fair  plot  of  ground  was  inclosed.  One  side  of  this  inclosure 
was  picketed  in,  while  on  its  other  sides  a  breast-work  was  thrown 
up  of  timbers  and  earth,  some  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  and  suffi- 
ciently thick  to  admit  of  drawing  a  wagon  upon  its  top,  with 
short  pickets  set  in  the  outside  timbers  of  the  breast-work.  A 
ditch  surrounded  the  part  thus  constructed.  Military  barracks  and 
small  log  huts  were  erected  within  the  inclosure,  to  accommodate 
the  soldiers  and  citizens.  Block-houses  and  sentry-boxes  were 
built  in  the  north-west  and  south-east  corners,  each  mounting  a 
small  cannon  to  guard  its  sides.  From  its  construction,  this  fort- 
ress, probably,  better  merited  the  name  of  fort  than  either  of  the 
others ;  although  some  have  stated  that  a  moat  partially  surround- 
ed the  middle  fort. 


(  272  ) 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Much  that  transpired  in  the  American  revolution  of  the  most 
thrilling  interest,  not  only  in  Schoharie  but  in  all  the  frontier  set- 
tlements, is  now  lost  forever,  to  the  American  reader.  To  adopt 
the  language  of  a  beautiful  writer — "  Many  prudent  counsels  con- 
ceived in  perplexing  times — many  heart-stirring  words  uttered 
when  liberty  was  treason — many  brave  and  heroic  deeds,  per- 
formed when  the  halter  and  not  the  laurel  was  the  promised 
meed  of  patriotic  daring,  are  already  lost  and  forgotten  in  the 
graves  of  their  authors." 

The  capture  of  Burgoyne  and  his  army  not  only  inspired  Ame- 
ricans with  confidence  of  their  final  triumph,  but  the  truly  phi- 
lanthropic all  over  the  civilized  world  hailed  the  event  as  ominous 
of  good.  Fortune  is  a  fickle  goddess.  Let  success  attend  the 
ambitious  adventurer,  and  a  sycophantic  world  is  ready  to  rend 
the  air  with  shouts  of  praise,  and  strew  his  path  with  flowery  gar- 
lands ;  but  if  misfortune  attend  him,  his  imagined  friends  are 
changed  to  foes.  It  is  probable  that  few  leaders  under  similar 
circumstances  could  have  done  more  for  his  royal  master  than 
had  poor  Burgoyne ;  and  yet  on  his  return  to  England,  he  was 
treated  with  contempt  by  the  parasites  of  royalty. 

Early  in  1778,  mortified  at  the  result  of  her  Canadian  expe- 
ditions, England  sought  a  reconciliation  with  the  states.  Lord 
Chatham,  known  at  an  earlier  period  in  the  House  of  Commons 
as  the  talented  Pitt,  the  champion  of  civil  liberty,  attended  on  one 
occasion  in  the  House  of  Lords  during  the  session  of  that  year. 
He  was  desirous  of  a  compromise,  but  opposed  to  acknowledging 


inSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  273 

our  independence.  While  laboring  to  show  how  the  difliculties 
could  be  settled,  his  emotions  overcame  him  and  he  sunk  nerveless 
into  the  arms  of  his  friends.  He  was  carried  home — survived  his 
last  effort  to  speak  but  a  few  weeks,  and  his  grave  oratory  was 
hushed  forever.  The  love  of  country  rose  paramount  in  the  last 
effort  of  this  truly  great  man.  Parliament  passed  an  act  that  ses- 
sion declaring  that  they  would  not  in  future  again  tax  the  colo- 
nies, and  commissioners  were  sent  to  treat  with  the  state  authori- 
ties. The  terms  proposed  by  the  mother  country  were  rejected. 
An  attempt  was  then  made  to  bribe  some  of  the  influential  Ame- 
rican statesmen,  but  the  proposition  met  with  deserved  scorn. 

Early  this  season  the  French  nation,  which  had  looked  with 
jealousy  upon  England  after  the  loss  of  the  Canadas,  concluded  a 
treaty  of  commerce  and  alliance  with  the  American  commissioners. 
It  was  signed  on  the  6th  of  February.  The  acknowledgment  of 
the  independence  of  the  United  States  by  France,  had  a  very  be- 
neficial tendency.  It  was  greeted  every  where  as  the  passport 
to  independence,  consequently  every  demonstration  of  joy  was 
manifested.  The  treaties  were  read  by  the  chaplains  at  the  head 
of  each  brigade — published  in  the  colonial  papers,  and  made 
known  from  the  sacred  desk  by  ministers  of  the  gospel,  from 
Maine  to  Georgia.  Many  who  were  before  wavering  in  their 
course,  when  they  saw  a  powerful  nation  becoming  their  ally, 
manifested  a  willingness  to  exert  themselves  in  their  country's 
cause. 

The  rich  Jlats  along  the  Cobelskill  at  the  out-break  of  hostili- 
ties, contained  some  20  families  in  the  distance  of  three  miles,  be- 
lieved to  have  been  all  whigs.  They  organized  a  company  of 
militia  for  their  own  defence,  of  which  Christian  Brown  (a  brother 
of  the  late  Judge  Brown)  was  captain,  and  Jacob  Borst,  lieute- 
nant :  but  had  erected  no  fortifications.  The  first  appearance  of 
tlie  enemy  in  the  Schoharie  settlements  in  1778,  was  at  Co- 
belskill. The  events  which  transpired  there,  were  communicated 
to  the  author  by  JVicholas  and  George  Warner  brothers,  Laurence 
Lawyer,  and  Judge  Brown.  The  three  former  were  in  the  battle 
fought  in  that  town.     In  the  latter  part  of  May  several  straggUng 


274  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Indians  were  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  that  settlement,  and  Capt. 
Brown,  anticipating  a  hostile  movement  of  the  enemy,  thought  it 
prudent  to  send  to  the  fort  at  Middleburgh  for  assistance.  The 
lower  fort  was  not  quite  completed  at  that  time.  Captain  Pa- 
trick was  dispatched  with  a  small  company  of  volunteers,  and  ar- 
rived at  the  residence  of  Capt.  Brown  on  the  26th  of  May,  where 
they  remained  until  the  28th,  when  they  moved  up  to  the  dwel- 
ling of  Lawrence  Lawyer.  Scouts  were  kept  out  constantly,  but 
nothing  worthy  of  notice  transpired  until  that  day,  when  Lieut. 
Borst,  his  brother  Joseph,  and  one  of  the  Freemires  were  on  a 
scout  some  miles  up  the  creek.  The  latter  was  several  hundred 
yards  from  his  companions,  seated  upon  a  pile  of  drift-wood,  fish- 
ing, when  two  Schoharie  Indians,  Ones-Yaap  and  Han-Yerry  (the 
latter  a  chief)  with  a  savage  yell,  intended  to  intimidate,  sprang 
up  the  bank  of  the  creek  from  a  place  of  concealment  and  ap- 
proached them.  After  a  friendly  salutation,  they  began  to  re- 
prove the  brothers,  for  being  in  the  woods,  to  shoot  Indians  who 
did  them  no  harm.  Joseph  replied  to  the  speaker,  that  they  in- 
tended no  harm  to  those  who  were  friendly.  Han-Yerry  ap- 
proached him,  seized  his  gun  in  a  playful  manner,  threw  open  the 
pan,  and  gave  the  gun  a  sudden  jerk  to  spill  out  the  priming,  ex- 
claiming as  he  did  so,  Yo  yenery  hatste  !  signifying — It  is  good  if 
this  be  gone  !  Borst,  seeing  the  object  of  the  Indian  was  to  disarm 
him,  instantly  dropped  his  own  gun  and  seized  that  of  his  adver- 
sary, and  wrenching  the  flint  from  the  lock,  he  replied  in  the  In- 
dian dialect,  Yo  yenery  sagat !  It  is  good  if  this  is  served  so ! 
The  Indian  then  dropped  his  gun  and  clinched  Borst,  but  the 
latter,  giving  a  loud  whoop  closed  manfully  with  his  antagonist 
and  soon  brought  him  upon  his  knees.  While  they  were  strug- 
gling for  mastery,  the  other  Indian  approached  the  lieutenant  and 
bade  him  surrender  himself  his  prisoner :  but  instead  of  doing  so, 
he  stepped  back  and  sent  a  bullet  through  his  body.  Han-Yerry 
succeeded  in  freeing  himself  from  the  grasp  of  his  adversary,  and 
seeing  his  comrade  upon  the  ground,  instantly  fled  leaving  his 
gun.  The  lieutenant  ran  and  caught  up  the  gun  of  his  brother 
and  snapped  it  at  the  fleeing  Indian,  but  as  it  was  not  primed  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        275 

latter  escaped.  On  the  same  day,  George  Warner  and  John  Fes- 
ter returned  from  Cherry-Valley,  where  they  had  been  the  day 
before  to  carry  a  letter — doubtless  to  apprize  that  settlement  of 
the  proximity  of  the  enemy. 

The  day  after  the  Borsts  had  the  rencounter  with  the  Indian 
scout,  the  Cobelskill  battle  was  fought ;  which  occurred  on  Sa- 
turday the  first  day  of  June.*  On  the  morning  of  that  day  Cap- 
tain Miller,  who  was  sent  from  the  Schoharie  fort  with  part  of  a 
company  to  reconnoitre,  arrived  at  Lawyer's.  Several  of  his 
men,  one  of  whom  was  named  Humphrey,  volunteered  to  remain 
with  Patrick,  and  he  returned  to  the  fort,  before  the  enemy  in 
force  were  discovered.  The  regulars  under  Capt.  P.  numbered 
between  30  and  40 ;  and  the  militia  volunteers  under  Capt. 
Brown  were  15.  After  Capt.  Miller  left  Lawyer's,  the  troops 
under  Patrick  marched  up  the  creek  to  the  residence  of  George 
Warner,  who  was  one  of  the  Schoharie  committee,  and  father  of 
the  namesake  before  mentioned.  Warner's  was  the  southernmost 
house  in  the  settlement,  and  stood  on  a  knoll  at  Cobelskill  Centre. 
An  orchard  at  this  time  covers  the  site. 

The  troops  had  been  at  Warner's  but  a  short  time,  when  15  or 
20  Indians  discovered  themselves  a  little  distance  above  the  house, 
and  the  whole  force  was  marched  in  pursuit  of  them.  Brown 
was  opposed  to  the  pursuit,  and  told  Patrick  he  feared  they  would 
be  ambuscaded.  The  latter  ridiculed  the  idea,  and  was  disposed 
to  assign  another  motive  than  that  of  caution  to  the  militia  cap- 

•  Several  writers  who  have  published  some  notice  of  this  battle,  have  given 
it  an  erroneous  date.  Brown,  in  his  pamphlet  history,  says  it  transpired  "  on 
the  first  day  of  June  or  July,  in  the  year  1776,"  but  at  a  personal  interview 
he  said  that  date  was  wrong,  and  that  it  took  place  on  Saturday  be/ore  Pink- 
iter,  the  year  after  Burgoyne's  capture.  Campbell,  in  the  Annals  of  Tryon 
County,  dates  it  in  May,  1779.  Stone  has  entered  it  in  two  places  in  the  Life 
of  Brant,  supposing  from  Brown's  account  and  one  he  found  among  the  pa- 
pers of  Col.  Gansevoort,  as  they  differed  in  dates  and  material  facts,  that  he 
was  recording  two  transactions.  The  last  notice  he  accredits  to  a  letter  from 
Col.  Varick  to  Col.  Gansevoort,  dated  Schenectada,  June  3.  177S,  which  let- 
ter stated  that  this  invasion  of  the  enemy  took  place  on  the  preceding  Satur- 
day. This  last  date  corresponds  with  the  one  given  the  author  by  the  three 
living  witnesses  named,  who  slated  that  it  took  place  on  Saturday  preceding 
PiDkster — Whitsunday,  which  came  that  year  on  the  2d  day  of  June, 


276  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

tain  who,  stung  by  the  imputation,  then  yielded  to  the  wishes  of 
Patrick,  notwithstanding  the  misgiving  of  his  own  better  judg- 
ment. The  enemy,  who  kept  up  a  running  fight,  had  not  been 
pursued  a  mile,  before  it  was  evident  their  numbers  were  increas- 
ing. A  halt  was  then  made  by  the  Americans  near  the  present 
residence  of  Lambert  Lawyer,  with  the  militia  on  the  right  to- 
wards the  creek,  and  a  sharp  engagement  followed.  Both  parties 
fought  in  the  Indian  style,  under  the  cover  of  trees.  It  soon  be- 
came manifest  from  the  firing,  that  the  number  of  the  enemy  wais 
very  great.  After  several  of  his  men  had  fallen  around  him, 
Capt.  Patrick  received  a  shot  which  broke  his  thigh.  Two  of  his 
brave  soldiers,  in  an  attempt  to  bear  him  from  the  field,  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  party  of  the  enemy,  and  shared  his  unhappy  fate. 
A  lieutenant  under  Capt.  Patrick  is  said  to  have  been  spared,  by 
giving  a  masonic  sign  to  Brant.  "When  Capt.  Patrick  fell.  Brown 
ordered  a  retreat,  which  was  most  timely,  for  had  it  been  delayed 
but  a  few  minutes  until  the  enemy  could  have  extended  his  flanks, 
so  as  to  surround  the  little  band  of  patriots,  few  if  any  would 
have  survived  that  day.  The  families  in  the  settlement,  hearing 
the  firing,  very  properly  sought  safety  in  the  depths  of  the  forest, 
or  by  a  rapid  flight  to  Schoharie,  ten  miles  distant.  On  arriving 
at  the  house  from  which  they  had  been  so  artfully  drawn  into  an 
ambush  designedly  laid,  three  of  Patrick's  men  and  two  of  Brown's 
took  refuge  within  it.  which  providentially  favored  the  escape  of 
their  fugitive  friends.  Being  fired  on  from  the  house,  the  Indians 
halted  to  dislodge  its  inmates,  by  which  the  rest  of  the  party 
gained  time  sufficient  to  make  good  their  retreat.  The  house  was 
set  on  fire,  and  three  of  its  inmates  were  buried  in  its  ruins.  The 
continental  soldiers,  in  attempting  to  make  their  escape  from  the 
burning  building,  were  slain.  One  was  evidently  shot,  but  the 
other  was  supposed  to  have  been  taken  alive  and  tortured  to  death- 
The  party  who  first  visited  the  scene  of  blood  after  the  battle, 
found  this  soldier  not  far  from  where  the  house  had  stood,  with 
his  body  cut  open  and  his  intestines  fastened  round  a  tree  several 
feet  distant.  In  one  hand  was  a  roll  of  continental  bills,  placed 
there  by  the  enemy  in  derision  of  our  country's  almost  valueless 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         277 

"promises  to  pay.'*  It  was  subsequently  known,  that  the  enemy 
fired  at  least  Jijly  balls  into  one  window  of  this  house,  at  its  in- 
mates. 

The  names  of  the  men  under  Capt.  Brown  in  this  engagement 
were,  Lieut.  Jacob  Borst,  Nicholas  Warner,  George  Warner,  jr., 
George  Freemire,  John  Shafer  and  Lawrence  Lawyer,  who  es- 
caped uninjured,  6 ;  John  Zeh,  Martinus  and  John  Fester,  Jacob 
and  John  Freemire  and  Jacob  Shafer,  killed,  6 ;  Peter  and  Henry 
Shafer  and  Leonard  King,  wounded,  ^.  The  whole  number  killed 
in  the  engagement,  including  Capt.  Patrick  and  his  men,  was 
about  22 :  five  or  six  of  his  men  were  also  wounded  and  two  were 
made  prisoners.  More  than  half  the  Americans  engaged  were 
either  killed  or  wounded.  The  enemy,  as  was  afterwards  ascer- 
tained, consisting  of  Indians  (mostly  Senecas,  Schoharies  and 
Oquagos,  instead  of  Onondagas  as  stated  by  some  writers)  and  to- 
ries,  numbered  over  three  hundred  and  fifty,  and  were  commanded 
by  Joseph  Brant.  Service,  a  noted  lory,  who  lived  near  the  Char- 
lotte river,  and  the  Schoharie  chief,  Seth's-Henry,  acted  a  con- 
spicuous part  in  the  engagement.  The  loss  the  enemy  sustained 
was  never  exactly  known,  but  was  supposed  to  equal,  if  it  did  not 
exceed  that  of  the  Americans.  A  mulatto,  who  was  with  the 
enemy  at  this  time  and  returned  after  the  war,  stated  that  twenty- 
five  of  their  number,  mostly  Indians,  were  buried  in  a  mud-hole 
near  David  Zeh's.  He  also  stated,  that  seven  of  the  enemy  who 
were  wounded  in  the  battle,  died  on  their  way  to  Canada.  Georo-e 
Warner's  was  the  first  house  burnt  in  the  Schoharie  settlements 
in  the  revolution.  The  enemy,  after  the  engagement,  plundered 
and  burnt  all  the  dwellings  in  Cobelskill  as  far  down  as  the 
churches,  except  an  old  log  house,  formerly  occupied  by  George 
Warner,  which  stood  near  the  present  residence  of  his  son  David. 
This  house  was  left,  as  was  afterwards  supposed,  with  a  belief 
that  its  owner  might  return  and  occupy  it,  after  losing  his  framed 
dwelling,  which  would  afford  an  opportunity  to  capture  a  com- 
mittee-man. The  dwellings  burnt  at  this  time  were  those  of 
George  Warner  and  his  son  Nicholas,  George  Fester,  Adam  Sha- 
fer, William  Snyder,  John  Freemire,  Lawrence  Lawyer,  John 
19 


278  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Zeh,  John  Bouck  and  John  Shell ;  (the  latter  owned  by  Law- 
rence Lawyer,)  in  all,  ten^  with  the  barns  and  other  out-houses ; 
making,  as  stated  in  the  record  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Scho- 
harie, "  twenty  buildings  burned." 

The  two  militia-men  who  took  shelter  in  the  house  of  Warner, 
were  Martinus  Fester  and  John  Freemire.  The  remains  of  Fester 
fell  into  a  tub  of  soap  in  the  cellar,  and  were  known  by  his  to- 
bacco-box ;  and  those  of  Freemire  were  identified  by  his  knee- 
buckles  and  gun-barrel.  Jacob  Shafer  was  wounded  in  one  leg 
early  in  the  action,  and  was  carried  by  his  neighbor,  George  War- 
ner, jr.,  to  a  place  of  temporary  safety,  who  agreed  to  get  a  horse 
and  take  him  to  the  fort.  As  the  battle  terminated  unfavorably, 
he  was  left  to  his  fate — was  discovered  next  morning  by  the  ene- 
my and  killed.  The  remains  of  John  Fester  were  not  discovered, 
until  a  piece  of  wheat  was  harvested,  into  which  he  had  fallen. 
Jonas  Belknap,  one  of  Patrick's  men,  received  a  ball  in  his  right 
hip  and  was  borne  out  of  the  battle  by  Lawrence  Lawyer,  as  the 
latter  assured  the  author.  The  following  additional  facts  respect- 
ing this  soldier,  who  died  a  few  years  since  at  Gorham,  Ontario 
county,  were  told  the  author  by  Ezekiel  Howe,  a  nephew  of  said 
Belknap.  After  having  been  "  carried  one  side,"  to  use  the  words 
of  Lawyer,  Belknap  discovered  a  hollow  log  into  which  he  crept 
The  next  day  he  backed  out  of  his  resting  place  cold  and  stiff,  and 
while  seated  upon  a  fence,  reflecting  on  the  events  of  the  last 
twenty-four  hours,  he  discovered  two  Indians  laden  with  plunder 
approaching  him,  having  two  dogs.  Unobserved  by  them,  he  let 
himself  fall  into  a  bunch  of  briers.  The  Indians  halted  near  him, 
and  their  dogs  placed  their  paws  on  the  fence  and  growled.  He 
supposed  himself  discovered,  but  soon  one  of  them  took  out  a 
bottle,  from  which  both  drank,  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing them  resume  their  march,  without  noticing  the  irritation  of 
their  canine  friends.  Casting  his  eyes  along  the  beautiful  valley 
and  surveying  the  ruins  of  the  preceding  day,  he  discovered  the 
old  house  of  Warner,  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek,  still  standing, 
to  which  he  made  his  way.  We  found  it  unoccupied,  but  victuals 
were,  on  a  table,  and  after  eating,  he,  laid  down,  faint  and  sad,  up- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        279 

on  a  bed  which  the  house  also  afforded.  In  the  afternoon,  two 
men  came  and  conveyed  him  to  the  Schoharie  fort,  where  his 
wound  was  properly  drest  and  he  recovered. 

Henry  Shafer,  mentioned  as  being  wounded  in  this  engagement, 
received  a  ball  in  his  thigh  which  brought  him  to  the  ground. 
The  bone  was  not  fractured,  but  the  limb  was  benumbed.  He 
regained  his  feet  but  fell  the  instant  his  weight  came  upon  the 
wounded  limb.  Disencumbering  himself  of  his  gun  and  powder- 
horn,  after  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  run,  action  returned  to 
the  limb  and  he  fled.  He  directed  his  steps  toward  Schoharie, 
and  on  the  way  fell  in  with  Peter  Snyder,  his  brother-in-law. 
They  traveled  nearly  to  Punchkill  together,  when  Shafer,  too 
weak  to  proceed,  concealed  himself  and  requested  his  comrade  to 
inform  his  friends  at  the  fort  where  he  might  be  found,  desiring 
them  to  come  after  him.  His  fellow-traveler  went  to  the  fort, 
but  instead  of  doing  the  errand  as  desired  by  his  wounded  rela- 
tive, he  reported  him  dead.  Shafer  tarried  beneath  a  shelving 
rock  until  Monday  morning,  when,  by  great  exertion,  he  arrived 
at  the  house  of  a  friend  in  Kneiskern's  dorf.  As  he  was  much 
exhausted,  he  was  very  prudently  fed  gruel  until  he  revived,  when 
he  was  taken  to  the  fort  and  cured  of  his  wound. — From  Peter, 
son  of  Henry  Shafer."^ 

The  night  after  the  Cobelskill  battle  it  rained,  and  a  dreary 
one  it  must  have  been  to  the  surviving  citizens  of  the  Cobel- 
skill valley,  many  of  whom  were  in  the  forest  to  which  they  had 
fled  from  their  burning  dwellings,  exposed  to  the  mercy  of  wild 
beasts — foes  less  to  be  dreaded  than  those  left  behind.  The  wife 
of  Lawrence  Lawyer,  with  several  other  persons,  was  in  the 
woods  three  days,  and  finally  came  out  near  the  mouth  of  the  Co- 

•  Mr.  Shafer  lived  to  become  a  very  useful  citizen.  He  was  for  many  years 
a  justice  of  the  peace — frequently  represented  Cobelskill  in  the  board  of  su- 
pervisors— for  several  years  was  a  member  of  ihe  state  legislature — and  was 
for  a  great  length  of  time  a  judge  of  Common  Pleas  ;  which  several  stations, 
considering  his  early  opportunities,  he  discharged  with  credit  to  himself  and 
fidelity  to  the  public.  He  was  remarkably  punctual  in  the  performance  oJ 
his  olficial  duties.  He  died  on  the  15th  of  April,  I8J3,  in  the  eighty-second 
fear  of  his  age. 


280  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

belskill.  Scouts  were  sent  out  to  reconnoitre  and  look  after  the 
wounded,  and  absent  members  of  families,  but  it  was  several  days 
before  the  dead  were  buried.  Some  day  in  the  course  of  the 
week  following  the  engagement.  Col.  Vrooman  with  part  of  the 
Schoharie  troops,  and  Col.  Yates  with  a  detachment  of  Schenec- 
tada  militia,  went  to  perform  the  last  sad  duties  to  those  martyrs 
to  the  cause  of  liberty.  As  the  weather  had  been  wet  and  cool, 
the  bodies  were  found  to  have  suffered  but  little  change.  A  pit 
was  dug  near  where  George  Warner's  house  had  stood,  into 
which  several  boards  were  laid  :  the  charred  remains  of  the  three 
soldiers  taken  from  the  cellar,  and  the  mutilated  remains  of  those 
near,  were  then  buried  within  it.  Pits  were  also  dug  so  as  to  re- 
quire as  little  moving  of  the  bodies  as  possible,  in  which  Captain 
Patrick  and  the  other  soldiers  were  deposited.  None  can  realize 
at  a  period  of  nearly  seventy  years  after  it  transpired,  the  solem- 
nities of  that  burial.  Several  of  the  deceased  left  wives  and  chil- 
dren to  mourn  their  untimely  fate ;  while  all  left  friends  who  had 
centered  on  them  hopes  of  future  usefulness  and  aggrandizement. 
This  blow  was  a  most  severe  one  for  the  little  settlement  of  Co- 
belskill.     Peaceful  be  your  rest  brave  warrior  !  for 

"  When  ye  sank  on  your  bed  of  death, 
No  gentle  form  hung  over  you  ; 
No  fond  eye  caught  your  parting  breath, 
Or  shrunk  in  anguish  from  the  view  ! 
But  o'er  you,  in  that  hour  of  fate, 
Bent  the  dark"  Indian's  "  vengeful  form  ; 
And  the  stern  glance  of  ruthless  hate 
Gleamed  dreadful,  'mid  the  hurrying  storm. 
No  mourning  dirge  did  o'er  you  swell, 
Nor  winding  sheet  your  limbs  inclosed  j 
For  you  was  tolled  no  passing  bell  ; 
No  tomb  was  raised  where  you  reposed, 
"Vour  bed  of  death — the  battle  ground, 
'Twas  there  they  heaped  your  funeral  mound, 
'  *  And  all  unhallowed  was  your  grave, 

Save  by  the  ashes  of  the  brave.'^ — Lines  on  Waterloo. 

On  the  knoll  where  stood  the  house  of  George  Warner,  which 
was  burnt  in  the  Revolution,  as  before  stated,  the  patriotic  citizens 
of  Cobelskill  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  our  national  indepe»- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         281 

dencej  on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1837.  An  appropriate  oration 
was  delivered  on  the  occasion  by  Demosthenes  Lawyer,  Esq. 

How  proper,  after  so  long  a  time,  to  assemble  on  that  day,  on 
ground  consecrated  by  patriot's  blood,  and  water  it  with  the  tear 
of  gratitude. 

A  few  days  previous  to  the  irruption  of  the  enemy  into  Cobels- 
kill,  they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Cherry  Valley.  Brant  had  his 
destructives  there  with  the  intention  of  laying  waste  that  place. 
He  secreted  them  on  Lady  hill,*  about  a  mile  east  of  the  fort,  to 
await  a  favorable  opportunity  to  strike  the  fatal  blow,  and  slayor 
capture  some  of  its  influential  citizens.  A  company  of  boys 
happened  to  be  training,  for  boys  then  caught  the  martial  spirit, 
as  Brant,  like  the  eagle  from  its  eyrj-,  was  looking  down  from  his 
hiding  place  upon  the  devoted  hamlet.  Mistaking  these  miniature 
soldiers  for  armed  men,  he  deferred  the  attack  for  a  more  favora- 
ble opportunity.  After  killing  Lieut.  Wormwood,  a  promising 
young  officer  from  Palatine,  who  had  left  the  fort  but  a  few  min- 
utes before  on  horseback,  and  taking  Peter  Sitz,  his  comrade,  pri- 
soner,! Brant  directed  his  steps  to  Cobelskill. 

On  the  4th  day  of  July,  1778,  the  beautiful  valley  of  Wyoming 
in  Pennsylvania,  fell  a  prey  to  the  savage  cupidity  of  the  British, 
Tory  and  Indian  forces  under  Col.  John  Butler  ;  and  its  inhabit- 
ants were  either  killed,  carried  into  captivity,  or  escaped  by  a 
most  appalling  flight.  The  poem  entitled  "  Gertrude  of  Wyo- 
ming," from  the  pen  of  the  English  poet  Campbell — founded  up- 
on the  tragedies  of  that  massacre — is  doubtless  familiar  to  most  of 
my  readers.  Many  of  the  most  unfeeling  and  inhuman  acts  of 
cruelty  committed  on  the  fleeing  inhabitants  and  soldiers  of  this 
ill-fated  place,  were  committed  by  tories.  On  this  occasion,  a  to- 
ry  found  a  brother  secreted,  who  had  been  an  American  militia- 
man, but  had  fled,  abandoning  his  gun.  On  recognizing  his 
brother,  the  tory  said  to  him,  "  So  it  is  you,  is  it .?"     The  unarmed 

•  This  hill  was  embraced  in  a  patent  owned  by  a  rich  lady  in  England,  from 
which  circumstance  it  was  formerly  called  Lady  Ji'dL— Moses  Nelson. 

t  For  the  death  of  Lt.  Wormwood  and  capture  of  Sitz,  see  Jnnals  of  Tryon 
County. 


282  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

man  approached  his  kinsman,  fell  upon  his  knees  and  besought 
him  to  spare  his  life ;  promising,  if  he  would,  to  live  with  him 
and  become  his  servant.  "  ^11  this  is  mighty  Jine,^^  replied  the 
human  fiend,  "  but  you  are  a  d — d  rebel  /"  At  the  close  of  this 
sentence,  he  leveled  his  gun  and  sent  the  death-telling  ball  through 
his  body. — Chapman's  History  of  Wyoming. 

About  the  first  of  September  of  this  year,  the  enemy  destroyed 
several  of  the  western  settlements  on  the  south  side  of  the  Mo- 
hawk. In  a  letter  written  at  one  of  the  frontier  posts,  by  CoL 
Klock  to  Gov.  Clinton,  and  sent  by  "  Col.  Fisher  and  Zep. 
Batchellor,  Esq.,"  probably  in  September  (it  being  without  date,) 
he  thus  observes — 

"  I  beg  leave  to  represent  to  your  Excellency  the  most  deplora- 
ble situation  of  this  countr}^  The  enemy  have  from  time  to  time 
desolated  and  destroyed  the  settlements  of  Springfield,  Andreas- 
Town,  and  the  German-Flats;  by  which  at  least  o7ie  hu7idred  and 
fifty  families  are  reduced  to  misery  and  distress.  People  who  were 
in  flourishing  circumstances  are  thus,  by  one  wanton  act,  brought 
to  poverty. 

"  Nothwithstanding  I  have  repeatedly  wrote  our  situation  down 
and  asked  relief,  we  have  obtained  none  except  Alden's  regiment, 
which  is  stationed  at  Cherry- Valley,  where  they  remain  in  garri- 
son. Woful  experience  teaches  us  that  the  troops  in  Cherry-Val- 
ley are  by  no  means  a  defence  for  any  other  part  of  the  country. 
[After  speaking  of  the  ungovernable  spirit  that  influenced  the  con- 
duct of  some  of  the  settlers,  the  desertion  of  a  part  of  the  militia 
to  the  enemy,  and  the  necessitj'  of  immediate  succor,  he  adds] — 
From  the  information  we  are  able  to  collect  from  prisoners  and 
otherwise,  we  learn  that  the  enemy  when  at  the  German-Flats 
were  500  or  upwards  strong,  commanded  by  Capt.  Caldwell — that 
they  intended  soon  to  make  another  incursion,  and  that  a  reinforce- 
ment of  5  or  600  was  on  its  march  to  join  the  enemy." 

During  the  invasions  above  noticed,  nearly  1000  horses,  cattle, 
sheep  and  swine  were  killed  or  driven  away.  The  settlers  at  the 
German-Flats,  by  receiving  timely  notice  of  danger,  with  one 
single  exception,  fled  into  the  neighboring  forts  and  escaped  the 
tomahawk.  The  loss  of  so  many  dwellings,  with  most  of  their 
furniture,  and  barns  well  filled  with  the  recompense  of  the  hus- 
bandman's toils,  must  have  been  a  most  serious  one  to  this  district 

Capt.  Walter  Butler  was  a  son  of  Col.  John  Butler,  a  justice  of 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        283 

the  king's  court  for  Tryon  county,  who  resided,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  war,  about  a  mile  from  the  ancient  village  of  Caugh- 
nawaga.  He  went  with  the  royalists  who  left  the  county  in  1775, 
to  Canada.  In  the  summer  of  1778,  he  returned  to  the  Mohawk 
valley — was  arrested,  and  confined  in  the  Albany  jail.  Under 
the  pretence  of  ill  health  he  was  removed  to  a  private  dwelling, 
from  which,  aided  by  treachery,  he  escaped.  Burning  with  re- 
venge for  his  imprisonment,  on  his  arrival  in  Canada  he  obteimed 
command  of  a  part  of  his  father's  regiment  of  tories  called  But- 
ler^ s  Rangers  ;  and  with  them  directed  his  steps  towards  the  fron- 
tier settlements  of  New  York.  On  his  way  he  met  Brant  return- 
ing to  Canada  from  his  Mohawk  river  expedition,  who  reluctantly 
joined  him  in  his  enterprise.  Their  united  forces  were  500  In- 
dians, and  200  tories,  worse  than  Indians.  On  the  morning  ot 
Nov.  11th,  they  surprised  Cherry-Valley,  killing  32  of  the  in- 
habitants and  16  continental  soldiers,  among  whom  was  Col.  Al- 
den,  the  imprudent  commander  of  the  garrison,  who  is  said  to 
have  been  a  man  of  intemperate  habits.  Nearly  all  the  dwelUngs 
and  barns  in  the  settlement — just  filled  with  an  abmidant  harvest, 
were  burned,  and — 

House-less  were  those  who  from  the  wood  returned, 

The  fate  of  relatives  to  mourn  ; 
While  other  friends  to  living  death,  they  learned, 

By  human  fiends,  were  captive  borne. 

The  enemy,  making  between  30  and  40  prisoners  at  Cherry- 
Valley,  passed  down  the  Susquehanna  to  its  junction  with  the 
Tioga — up  the  latter  to  near  its  source,  thence  along  the  Seneca 
lake  to  the  Indian  castle  at  Kanadaseago,  near  the  present  village 
of  Geneva ;  where  a  division  of  the  prisoners  took  place.  The 
day  after  the  massacre,  200  militia  arrived  at  Cherry-Valley,  and 
buried  the  dead.*  The  sufferings  of  the  prisoners  on  their  way  to 
Canada,  must  have  been  very  severe  :  many  of  them  were  women 
and  children,  illy  fitted  to  endure  the  fatigues  of  a  journey  of  three 
or  four  hundred  miles,  at  that  inclement  season. 

•  For  a  more  minute  account  of  the  destruction  of  this  place,  see  Campbell'i 
Annals  of  Tryon  County. 


284  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

The  following  anecdote  was  related  by  Joseph  Brant  after  the 
Revolution,  to  John  Fonda  while  at  his  house  near  Caughnawa- 
ga.  Brant,  on  being  censured  by  Fonda  for  his  cruelties  at 
Cherry-Valley  at  the  time  of  its  desolation,  said  the  atrocities 
were  mostly  chargeable  to  Walter  Butler.  He  then  stated  that 
among  the  captives  made  by  him  at  that  place,  was  a  man  named 
Vrooman,  with  whom  he  had  had  a  previous  acquaintance.  He 
concluded  to  give  Vrooman  his  liberty,  and  after  they  had  pro- 
ceeded several  miles  on  their  journey,  he  sent  him  back  about  two 
mUes,  (done,  to  procure  some  birch  bark  for  him ;  expecting  of 
course  to  see  no  more  of  him.  After  several  hours  Vrooman 
came  hurrying  back  with  the  bark,  which  the  chieftain  no  more 
wanted  than  he  did  a  pair  of  goggles.  Brant  said,  he  sent  his 
prisoner  back  on  purpose  to  afford  him  an  opportunity  to  make 
his  escape,  but  that  he  was  so  big  a  fool  he  did  not  know  it ;  and 
that  consequently  he  was  compelled  to  take  him  along  to  Cana- 
da.— Mrs.  Evert  Yates,  a  daughter  of  John,  Fonda. 

The  English  government  on  being  officially  informed  of  the 
treaty  of  alliance  between  France  and  the  United  States,  declar- 
ed war  against  the  former ;  and  thought  it  prudent  to  concentrate 
its  forces.  On  the  18th  of  June,  the  British  troops  under  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  evacuated  Philadelphia,  and  set  out  for  New  York. 
Gen.  Washington  hung  upon  his  rear,  watching  a  favorable  op- 
portunity to  give  him  battle.  On  the  28th  of  that  month,  the 
battle  of  Monmouth  was  fought.  Both  armies  were  flattered 
during  the  day  by  alternate  success,  and  encamped  in  the  evening 
on  the  battle  ground.  W^ashington  slept  in  his  cloak  after  the 
fatigues  of  that  day,  in  the  camp  of  his  brave  men.  In  the  night, 
Clinton  silently  withdrew,  thus  conceding  the  victory  of  the  pre- 
ceding day  to  the  spangled  banner.  The  loss  of  the  Americans 
in  this  engagement  was  from  two  to  three  hundred  in  killed  and 
wounded  ;  and  that  of  the  enemy  about  one  thousand,  nearly  half 
of  whom  were  killed.  The  day  on  which  this  action  was  fought 
was  extremely  hot,  and  the  suffering  of  both  armies  was  very 
great  for  the  want  of  proper  drink.  Says  the  Journal  of  Col. 
Tallmadge,  "  Many  died  on  both  sides  from  excessive  heat  and 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        285 

fatigue,  the  day  being  oppressively  warm,  and  the  troops  drink- 
ing too  freely  of  cold  water."  Ja7nes  Williamson,  a  soldier  who 
assisted  in  burying  the  dead  after  the  battle,  assured  the  writer 
that  he  saw  around  a  spring  in  a  grove  not  far  from  the  battle- 
field, the  dead  bodies  of  twelve  soldiers,  sujtposed  to  have  been  vic- 
tims of  cold  water. 

American  historians  have  recorded  few  instances  of  female  pa- 
triotism and  bravery,  which  rival  the  following :  In  the  battle 
of  Monmouth  a  gunner  was  killed,  and  a  call  was  made  for  an- 
other, when  the  wife  of  the  fallen  soldier,  who  had  followed  his 
fortune  to  the  camp,  advanced  and  took  hi»  station ;  expressing 
her  willingness  to  discharge  the  duty  of  her  deceased  husband, 
and  thus  revenge  his  death.  The  gun  was  well  managed  and 
did  good  execution,  as  I  have  been  informed  by  an  eye  witness. 
After  the  engagement.  Gen.  Washington  was  so  much  pleased 
with  the  gallant  conduct  of  this  heroine,  that  he  gave  her  a 
lieutenant's  commission.  She  was  afterwards  called  Captain 
Molly. — Capt.  Eben  Williams. 

A  short  time  after  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  Lieut.  Col.  Wm. 
Butler,  with  the  4th  Pennsylvania  regiment,  and  three  companies 
of  rijle  men  from  Morgan's  corps  under  Maj.  Posey,  commanded 
by  Captains  Long,  Pear  and  Simpson,  was  ordered  to  Albany, 
and  from  thence  to  Schoharie.  While  there  he  commanded  the 
Middle  Fort.  The  command  of  the  Schoharie  forts  devoled  on 
Col.  Peter  Vrooman  during  the  war,  when  no  continental  officer 
of  equal  rank  was  there. 

Among  the  rifle  men  who  went  to  Schoharie  at  this  time,  were 
some  most  daring  spirits — men  whose  names  should  live  forever 
on  her  fairy  mountains  and  in  her  green  valleys.  We  do  not  be- 
lieve it  necessary,  although  it  is  a  fact  too  generally  conceded, 
that  glittering  epaulets  are  indispensable  in  forming  a  hero.  Of 
the  brave  soldiers  sent  to  aid  the  Schoharie  settlers  in  their  de- 
fence, and  guard  from  savage  cruelties  the  unprotected  mother 
and  helpless  orphan,  whose  names  I  would  gladly  chronicle 
could  I  collect  them,  were  Lieut.  Thomas  Boyd,  (whose  tragic 


286  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

end  will  be  shown  hereafter,)  Timothy  Murphy,  David  Elerson,* 

William  Leek,t  William  Lloyd,  a  sergeant,  John  Wilber,| 

Tufts,  Joseph  Evans,  Philip  Hoever,§  Elijah  Hendricks,  John 
Garsaway,  a  very  large  man,  and  Derrick  Haggidorn.  Nor 
should  we  forget  to  name  several  of  the  native  citizens  who 
encountered  many  dangers  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty ;  of  the 
latter  were  Jacob  and  Cornelius  Van  Dyck,  Jacob  Enders,  Bar- 
tholomew C.  Vrooman,  Peter  Van  Slyck,  Nicholas  Sloughter, 
Yockam  Folluck,  Joackam  Van  Valkenberg,||  Jacob  Becker,  and 
Thomas  Eckerson.  There  were  no  doubt  others  equally  merito- 
rious, whose  deeds  are  unknown  to  the  writer. 

The  following  facts,  relating  to  the  attempted  arrest  and  death 
of  Christopher  Service,  a  tory  of  no  little  notoriety,  living  on  the 
Charlotte  river,  were  communicated  by  Judge  Eager,  Mrs.  Van 
Slyck,  and  David  Elerson. 

The  people  of  Schoharie  had  long  suspected  Service — who  re- 
mained with  his  family  entirely  exposed  to  the  enemy — of  clan- 
destinely affording  them  assistance.  Captain  Jacob  Hager,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  Upper  Fort,  in  the  summer  of  1778,  sent 
Abraham  Becker,  Peter  Swart,  (not  the  one  already  introduced,) 
and  Frederick  Shafer,  on  a  secret  scout  into  the  neighborhood  of 
Service,  to  ascertain  if  there  were  any  Indians  in  that  vicinity, 
and  to  keep  an  eye  of  espionage  on  the  tory.  They  arrived  in 
sight  of  his  dwelling  after  sundown,  and  concealed  themselves  in 
the  woods,  intending  to  remain  over  night.  After  dark  the  mus- 
quitoes  began  to  be  very  troublesome,  but  the  party  did  not  dare 

•  He  was  married  in  Schoharie  during  the  war,  and  became  a  permanent 
resident  of  tlie  county.  He  Was  a  ranger  for  several  years,  and,  as  he  stal- 
ed to  the  writer,  an  extra  price  was  set  on  his  own  and  Murphy's  scalps  by 
the  enemy.  He  was  95  years  old  at  our  interview,  at  which  time  he  wa» 
boarding  with  Dr.  Origin  Alien,  near  the  Baptist  church  in  Broome,  of  which 
the  old  hero  was  a  member. 

t  Went  west  after  the  war,  and  died  in  Cayuga  county. 

X  Was  from  Reddington,  Pa.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  married  a 
Miss  Mattice  and  settled  on  Charlotte  river. 

§  Remained  in  Schoharie  county  after  the  war. 

li  Killed  in  battle  near  Lake  Utsayuntho,  in  1781. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         287 

to  make  a  fire  to  keep  them  ofT.  Becker  told  his  companions  he 
was  well  acquainted  with  Service,  having  lived  near  him  for  some 
time  ;  said  he  would  go  and  reconnoitre,  and  if  there  were  none 
of  the  enemy  abroad,  he  would  inform  them,  in  which  case  all  agreed 
to  go  to  the  house  and  tarry  over  night.  Becker,  after  a  short 
absence,  returned  with  the  assurance  that  the  "  coast  was  clear," 
and  that  he  had  made  arrangements  for  their  accommodation; 
whereupon  all  three  went  to  the  dwelling.  As  they  approached 
the  door,  the  light  was  extinguished,  but  Becker  went  in,  followed 
by  his  friends.  They  advanced  to  the  centre  of  the  room,  at  which 
time  one  of  the  family  re-lit  the  candle,  the  light  of  which  show- 
ed Swart  and  Shafer  their  real  situation.  Along  the  wall,  upon 
one  side  of  the  room,  were  arranged  a  party  of  armed  savages, 
who  instantly  sprang  upon,  and  bound  them.  The  two  pri- 
soners were  kept  there  until  morning,  when  they  were  hurried  off 
to  Canada.  Becker,  who  had  not  been  bound,  was  suffered,  after 
giving  the  Indians  his  gun  and  ammunition,  to  depart  for  home. 
He  returned  to  the  fort,  and  reported  that  the  scout,  near  Charlotte 
river,  had  fallen  in  with  a  party  of  Indians  in  ambush,  from  whom 
they  attempted  to  escape  by  flight ;  that  he  was  in  advance  of  his 
comrades,  who  were  both  captured  ;  that  he  came  near  being  over- 
taken, when  he  threw  away  his  gun  and  equipage,  and  thus  re- 
lieved, made  his  escape.  Shafer,  who  remained  in  a  Canadian 
prison  until  the  war  was  closed,  returned  to  Schoharie  and  made 
known  the  above  facts.  Swart  never  returned  to  Schoharie.  He 
was  taken  by  distant  Indians,  as  his  friends  afterwards  learned,  be- 
yond Detroit,  where  he  took  a  squaw  and  adopted  the  Indian  life. 
From  the  commencement  of  the  border  difficulties,  Service  had 
greatly  aided  the  enemies  of  his  country,  by  sheltering  and  victual- 
ing them,  in  numerous  instances.  He  was  comparatively 
wealthy,  for  the  times,  owning  a  well-stocked  farm  and  a  grist- 
mill. When  the  tories  and  Indians  from  Canada  were  on  their 
way  to  destroy  the  settlements,  they  always  found  a  home  at  his 
house,  from  whence,  after  recruiting,  they  sallied  forth  on  their 
missions  of  death.  Several  attempts  were  made  to  take  him  be- 
fore the  Schoharie  committee,  previous  to  his  joining  Brant  in  his 
expedition  against  Cobelskill. 


288  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Soon  after  the  return  of  Becker  with  his  hypocritical  narrative, 
Col.  Butler  sent  Capt.  Long  with  some  twenty  volunteers  in  the 
direction  of  Charlotte  river  to  reconnoitre,  and  if  possible  discov- 
er some  traces  of  the  enemy.  One  object  of  the  expedition  was, 
to  arrest  Service  and  take  him  to  the  Schoharie  forts,  or  to  slay 
him  in  case  of  resistance.  Arriving  near  the  head  waters  of  the 
Schoharie,  Capt.  Long  unexpectedly  took  a  prisoner.  On  his  per- 
son he  found  a  letter  directed  to  Service,  and  on  opening  it,  learned 
that  Smith,  its  author,  a  tory  captain  who  had  enlisted  a  company 
of  royalists  on  the  Hudson  near  Catskill,  was  then  on  his  way  to 
the  house  of  Service,  who  was  desired  in  the  letter  to  have  every 
thing  in  readiness  to  supply  the  wants  of  his  men  on  their  arrival 
Learning  from  their  prisoner  the  route  by  which  Smith  would  ap- 
proach, the  Americans  at  once  resolved  to  intercept  him.  Some 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distant  from  the  Upper  fort,  while  proceed- 
ing cautiously  along  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Smith  and  his  fol- 
lowers were  discovered  on  the  opposite  bank.  Capt.  Long  halted 
his  men,  and  proposed  to  get  a  shot  at  Smith.  It  was  thought  by 
some  of  the  party  an  act  of  folly  to  fire  at  so  great  a  distance,  but 
the  captain,  accompanied  by  Elerson,  advanced  and  laid  down  be- 
hind  a  fallen  log.  Some  noise  was  made  by  this  movement,  and 
the  tory  chief  stepped  into  an  open  piece  of  ground  a  little  dis- 
tance from  his  men  to  learn  the  cause  of  alarm,  and  thus  fairly 
exposed  his  person.  At  this  moment  the  rifles  were  leveled. 
Capt.  Long  was  to  fire,  and  in  case  he  missed  his  victim,  Elerson 
was  to  make  a  shot.  At  the  crack  of  the  first  rifle,  the  spirit  of  Smith 
left  its  clay  tenement  to  join  kindred  spirits ;  but  where — God  on- 
ly knows.  The  scout  then  advanced  and  poured  in  a  volley  of 
balls,  wounding  several,  and  dispersing  all  of  the  tories.  Thus 
unexpectedly  did  justice  overtake  this  company  of  men,  whose 
zeal  should  have  led  them  to  serve  their  country  instead  of  her 
foes. 

Capt.  Long  and  his  companions  then  directed  their  steps  to  the 
dwelling  of  Service.  On  arriving  near,  proper  caution  was  taken 
to  prevent  his  escape,  and  Murphy  and  Elerson^were  deputed  to 
arrest  him.     They  found  the  tory  back  of  his  house,  making  a 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         289 

harrow.     On  the  approach  of  the  two  friends,  Mrs.  Service,  sus- 
pecting the  object  of  their  visit,  came  out  ami  stood  near  them, 
when  they  informed  her  husband  the  nature  of  their  visit.     Ser- 
vice called  them  d — d  rebels,  and  retreating  a  few  steps,  he  seized 
an  axe  and  aimed  a  blow  at  the  head  of  Murphy.     But  the  man 
who  could  guard  against  surprise  from  the  wily  Indian,  w^as  not 
to  fall  thus  ignobly.     Elerson,  who  stood  a  few  feet  from  his  com- 
panion, as  he  assured  the  author,  told  Murphy  to  shoot  the  d — d 
rascal.     The  wife  of  Service,  seeing  the  determined  look  of  Mur- 
phy, caught  hold  of  his  arm  and  besought  him  not  to  fire.     He 
gently  pushed  her  aside,  and  patting  her  on  the  shoulder  said, 
"  Mother,  he  never  will  sleep  imth  you  again."     In  another  in- 
stant, the  unerring  bullet  from  his  rifle  had  penetrated  the  tory's 
heart.     Capt.  Long  and  his  men  now  advanced  to  the  house,  in 
which  was  found  forty  loaves  of  fresh  bread,  proving  that  some 
notice  had  already  reached  there,  of  Smith's  intended  visit.     Many 
have  supposed  that  injustice  was  done  to  Service.     The  author 
has  taken  considerable  pains  to  inform  himself  on  this  point,  and 
finds  proof  most  satisfactory  to  his  own  mind,  that  from  his  ability 
and  willingness  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  enemy  and  his  retired 
residence,  he  was  a  very  dangerous  man  to  the  cause  of  liberty. 
An  old  tory,  who  returned  after  the  war,  and  died  a  few  years 
ago  in  the  town  of  Mohawk,  was  accustomed,  when  intoxicated, 
to  "  hurrah  for  king  George."     At  such  times  he  often  told  about 
being  in  person  at  the  house  of  Service,  who,  as  he  said,  "  lived 
and  died  a  tory,  as  he  meant  to."     Had  not  Service  made  an  at- 
tempt on  the  life  of  Murphy,  he  would  probably  have  been  con- 
fined until  the  war  closed,  and  then  liberated,  as  was  the  case 
with  several  wealthy  royalists.     The  property  of  Service  was 
confiscated  in  the  war.     Not  many  years  ago,  a  son  of  his  suc- 
ceeded in  recovering  the  confiscated  property  of  his  father,  and 
thus  came  into  the  undivided  possession  of  an  estate  amounting  to 
eight  or  ten  thousand  dollars.     The  fortune  thus  obtained,  how- 
ever, was  soon  dissipated. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  1778,  the  Lower  Fort,  but  recent- 
ly completed,  was  commanded  by  Lieut.  Col.  John  II.  Beeckman. 


290  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC. 

Early  in  October,  Col.  Butler  proceeded  from  Schoharie  "with 
the  troops  under  his  command,  to  Unadilla  and  Oquago,  Indian 
towns  on  the  Susquehanna,  which  they  eflectually  destroyed, 
with  large  quantities  of  provisions. 

The  troops  under  Col.  Butler,  in  this  excursion,  among  whom 
were  several  volunteers  from  the  Schoharie  militia,  suffered  in- 
credible hardships.  *'  They  were  obliged  to  carry  their  provi- 
sions on  their  backs;  and,  thus  loaded,  frequently  to  ford  creeks 
and  rivers.  After  the  toils  of  hard  marches,  they  were  obliged 
to  camp  down  during  wet  and  chilly  nights  without  covering,  or 
even  the  means  of  keeping  their  arms  dry." — Dr.  Ramsay,  After 
an  absence  of  sixteen  days,  they  were  greeted  with  a  hearty  wel- 
come at  the  forts  in  Schoharie. 

A  regiment  of  New  York  state  troops,  mider  Col.  Duboise,  went 
into  winter  quarters  at  Schoharie,  in  the  fall  of  1778.  Adjt. 
Dodge,  Maj.  Rosencrans,  Capt.  Stewart,  and  Ensign  Johnson,  of 
Duboise's  regiment,  were  quartered  in  the  kitchen  of  Chairman 
Ball's  dwelling.— Pe^er  Bdl. 

On  the  6th  of  August  of  this  year,  M.  Gerard  was  publicly  re- 
ceived by  the  United  States  government  as  minister  of  the  king  of 
France  On  the  14th  of  September  following,  Dr.  Franklin  was 
appointed  minister  to  France,  the  first  American  minister  delegated 
to  a  foreign  court. 

"  The  alliance  of  France  gave  birth  to  expectations  which 
events  did  not  fulfil ;  yet  the  presence  of  her  fleets  on  the  coast 
deranged  the  plans  of  the  enemy,  and  induced  them  to  relinquish 
a  part  of  their  conquests." — Hale. 

The  reward  paid  by  English  agents  for  the  scalps  of  the  Ame- 
ricans, eight  dollars  each,  excited  the  avarice  of  both  Indians  and 
tories ;  and  many  innocent  women  and  children  were  slain  not 
only  in  this,  but  in  the  several  years  of  the  war,  to  gratify  the 
cupidity  of  a  merciless  and  unfeeling  enemy. 

Late  in  the  fall,  the  army  under  Washington  erected  huts  near 
Middlebrook,  in  New  Jersey,  and  went  into  winter  quarters.  In 
December  of  this  year,  Mr.  Laurens  resigned  his  office  as  presi- 
dent of  Congress,  and  John  Jay  was  chosen  in  his  place. 


(  291  ) 


CHAPTER  X. 


t 


Early  in  the  spring  of  1779.  two  men  named  Cowley  and 
Sawyer,  were  captured  near  Harpersfield,  by  four  Schoharie  In- 
dians ;  Han-Yerry,  who  escaped  from  the  Borsts  the  day  before 
the  Cobelskill  engagement,  Seth's-Henry,  Adam,  a  sister's  son, 
and  Nicholas,  also  a  relative.  One  of  the  captives,  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  Emerald  Isle;  and  the  other  of  the  green  hills  of 
Scotland.  They  were  among  the  number  of  refugees  from  Har- 
persfield, who  sought  safety  in  Schoharie  at  the  beginning  of 
difficulties. 

The  prisoners  could  not  speak  Dutch,  which  those  Indians  un- 
derstood nearly  as  well  as  their  own  dialect  ,•  and  the  latter  could 
understand  but  little,  if  any,  of  the  conversation  of  those  Anglo- 
Americans.  When  surprised,  they  intimated  by  signs  as  well 
as  they  could,  that  they  were  friends  of  the  king  ;  and  not  only 
evinced  a  willingness  to  proceed  with  their  captors,  but  a  desire 
to  do  so.  An  axe  belonging  to  one  of  them  was  taken  along  as 
a  prize.  The  prisoners  set  off  with  such  apparent  willingness  on 
their  long  journey  to  Canada,  that  the  Indians  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  bind  them.  They  were  compelled  to  act,  however, 
as  "  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water,"  for  their  red  masters. 

They  had  been  captives  eleven  days,  without  a  favorable  op- 
portunity to  mature  a  plan  for  their  escape,  which  they  had  all 
along  premeditated.  On  arriving  at  a  deserted  hut  near  Tioga 
Point,  the  captives  were  sent  to  cut  wood  a  few  rods  distant. 
On  such  occasions,  one  cut  and  the  other  carried  it  where  it  was 
to  be  consumed.  While  Cowley  was  chopping,  and  Sawyer 
waiting  for  an  armful,  the  latter  took  from  his  pocket  a  news- 
paper, and  pretended  to  read  its  contents  to  his  fellow ;  instead 
of  doing  which,  however,  he  proposed  a  plan  for  regaining  their 


'^ 


292  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

liberty.  After  carrying  wood  enough  to  the  hut  to  keep  fire 
over  night,  and  partaking  of  a  scanty  supper,  they  laid  down 
in  their  usual  manner  to  rest,  a  prisoner  between  two  Indians. 

The  friends  kept  awake,  and  after  they  were  satisfied  their 
foes  were  all  sound  asleep,  they  arose  agreeable  to  concert,  and 
secured  their  weapons,  shaking  the  priming  from  the  guns. 
Sawyer  with  the  tomahawk  of  Han-Yerry — who  was  thought 
the  most  desperate  of  the  four — took  his  station  beside  its  owner ; 
while  Cowley  with  the  axe,  placed  himself  beside  another  sleep- 
ing Indian.  The  fire  afforded  sufficient  light  for  the  captives  to 
make  sure  of  their  victims.  At  a  given  signal  the  blows  fell 
fatal  upon  two ;  the  tomahawk  sank  deep  into  the  brain  of  its 
owner,  giving  a  sound,  to  use  the  words  of  an  informant,*  like 
a  blow  upon  a  pumpkin.  Unfortunately,  Sawyer  drew  the  handle 
from  his  weapon  in  attempting  to  free  it  from  the  skull  of  the 
savage,  and  the  remainder  of  the  tragic  act  devolved  upon  his 
companion.  The  first  one  struck  by  Cowley  was  killed,  but  the 
blows  which  sent  two  to  their  final  reckoning,  awoke  their  fel- 
lows, who  instantly  sprang  upon  their  feet.  As  Seth's-Henry 
rose  from  the  ground,  he  received  a  blow  which  he  partially 
warded  off  by  raising  his  right  arm ;  but  his  shoulder  was  laid 
open  and  he  fell  back  stunned.  The  fourth,  as  he  was  about  to 
escape,  received  a  heavy  blow  in  his  back  from  the  axe.  He 
was  pursued  out  of  the  hut — fled  into  a  swamp  near,  where  he 
died.  The  liberated  prisoners  returned  into  the  hut,  and  were 
resolving  on  what  course  to  pursue,  when  Seth's-Henry,  who  had 
recovered  and  feigned  himself  dead  for  some  time,  to  embrace 
a  favorable  opportunity,  sprang  upon  his  feet — dashed  through 
the  fire — caught  up  his  rifle,  leveled  and  snapped  it  at  one  of  his 
foes — ran  out  of  the  hut  and  disappeared. 

The  two  friends  then  primed  the  remaining  guns,  and  kept  a 
vigilant  watch  until  daylight,  to  guard  against  surprise.  They 
set  out  in  the  morning  to  return,  but  dared  not  pursue  the  route 

♦  Lawrence  Mattice.  The  adventures  of  Cowley  and  Sawyer  were  princi- 
C'.pally  derived  from  Mr.  Mattice  and  Henry  Hager,  who  learned  the  partico- 
lari  from  the  captives  themselves. 


m 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         293 

they  came,  very  properly  supposing  there  were  more  of  the  enemy 
not  far  distant,  to  whom  the  surviving  Indian  would  communi- 
cate the  fate  of  his  comrades.  They  recrossed  a  river  in  the 
morning  in  a  bark  canoe,  which  they  had  used  the  preceding 
afternoon,  and  then  directed  their  course  for  the  frontier  settle- 
ments. The  first  night  after  taking  the  responsibility,  Cowley 
was  light  headed  for  hours,  and  his  companion  was  fearful  his 
raving  would  betray  them ;  but  when  daylight  returned,  reason 
again  claimed  its  tenement.  As  they  had  anticipated,  a  party  of 
Indians  thirsting  for  their  blood,  were  in  hot  pursuit  of  them. 
From  a  hill  they  once  descried  ten  or  a  dozen  in  a  valley  below. 
They  remained  concealed  beneath  a  shelving  rock  one  night  and 
two  days,  while  the  enemy  were  abroad,  and  when  there,  a  dog 
belonging  to  the  latter,  came  up  to  them.  As  the  animal  ap- 
proached, they  supposed  their  hours  were  numbered ;  but  after 
smelling  them  for  some  time,  it  went  away  without  barking. 
On  the  third  night  after  their  escape,  they  saw  fires  lit  by  the 
enemy,  literally  all  around  them.  They  suffered  much  from  ex- 
posure to  the  weather,  and  still  more  from  hunger.  They  ex- 
pected to  be  pursued  in  the  direction  they  had  been  captured,  and 
very  properly  followed  a  zig-zag  course ;  arriving  in  safety  after 
much  suffering,  at  a  frontier  settlement  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
they  found  friends.  When  fairly  recruited  they  directed  their 
steps  to  Schoharie,  and  were  there  welcomed  as  though  they 
had  risen  from  the  dead,  among  which  latter  number,  many  had 
supposed  them. 

Sawyer  is  said  to  have  died  many  years  after,  in  Williamstown, 
Mass.;  and  Cowley  in  Albany.  At  the  time  Cowley  and  Saw- 
yer returned  from  their  captivity,  the  upper  Schoharie  fort  was 
commanded  by  Maj.  Posey,  a  large,  fine  looking  officer,  who,  as 
an  old  lady  of  Schoharie  county  once  declared  to  the  author,  was 
tlie  handsomest  man  she  ever  saw. 

Friendly  Indians  were  sometimes  in  the  habit  of  taking  up  a 

winter's  residence  in  the  vicinity  of  American  frontier  posts.     In 

the  spring  of  this  year  several  Indians,  who  pretended  friendship, 

left  the  Johnstown  fort,  where  they  had  for  some  time  been  a  tax 

20 


294  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

on  the  charity  of  its  officers ;  but  they  had  gone  but  a  few  miles 
north  of  the  garrison  when  they  halted  and  murdered  an  old  gen- 
tleman named  Durham  and  his  wife,  whose  scalps  they  could  sell 
in  an  English  market. — James  Williamson. 

The  manuscript  furnished  the  author  by  Judge  Hager,  states 
that  in  the  year  1779,  probably  in  the  spring,  a  rumor  reached 
the  Schoharie  forts  that  Capt.  Brant,  on  the  evening  of  a  certain 
day,  would  arrive  at  some  place  on  the  Delaware  river  with  a 
band  of  hostile  followers.  Col.  Vrooman  thereupon  dispatched 
Capt.  Jacob  Hager  with  a  company  of  about  fifty  men  to  that 
neighborhood.  Hager  arrived  with  his  troops  after  a  rapid  march, 
at  the  place  where  it  was  said  Brant  was  to  pass — thirty  or  forty 
miles  distant  from  Schoharie;  and  concealed  them  amidst  some  fall- 
en timber  beside  the  road.  This  station  was  taken  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  day  on  which  Brant  was  expected  to  arrive,  and  continued 
to  be  occupied  by  the  Americans  until  the  following  day  between 
ten  and  eleven  o'clock,  when,  no  new  evidence  of  Brant's  visit 
being  discovered,  Capt.  Hager  returned  home — thinking  it  possi- 
ble that  Brant  was  pursuing  a  different  route  to  the  Schoharie 
settlements. 

Capt.  Hager  afterwards  learned  from  a  loyalist,  in  whose  neigh- 
borhood he  had  been  concealed,  that  he  had  not  been  gone  an 
hour  when  the  enemy  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  strong — In- 
dians and  tories,  arrived  and  passed  the  fallow  where  he  had  been 
secreted.  On  being  informed  that  a  company  of  Americans  had 
so  recently  left  the  neighborhood,  prepartions  were  made  to  pur- 
sue them.  When  about  to  move  forward,  Brant  enquired  of  a 
tory  named  Sherman,  what  officer  commanded  the  Americans, 
and  on  being  informed  that  it  was  Capt.  Hager,  whose  courage 
from  a  French  war  acquaintance  was  undoubted,  he  consulted  his 
chiefs  and  the  pursuit  was  abandoned. 

Brant,  on  learning  that  Schoharie  was  well  defended,  seems  to 
have  given  up  the  idea  of  surprising  that  settlement,  and  directed 
his  steps  to  more  vulnerable  points  of  attack.  Several  settlements 
were  entered  simultaneously  by  the  enemy  along  the  Mohawk 
river  early  in  the  season — directed  no  doubt  by  this  distinguished 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        295 

chief.  Apprised  of  Sullivan's  intended  march  to  the  Indian  coun- 
try, he  hurried  back  to  prepare  for  his  reception. 

A  party  of  Indians  under  the  celebrated  chief  Complanter,  ap- 
peared in  the  vicinity  of  Fort-Plain  at  this  time,  and  after  burning 
a  small  church  not  far  from  the  fort,  among  other  depredations, 
captured  John  Abeel  an  old  inhabitant.  They  had  traveled  but 
a  few  miles  before  they  discovered  that  he  could  talk  their  own 
language  nearly  as  well  as  themselves.  This  discovery  soon  led 
to  another  of  a  more  singular  character,  but  truly  fortunate  for 
the  captive,  for  on  enquiring  his  name,  Cornplanter  knew  at  once 
he  stood  before  his  own  father.  Abeel  had  been  a  trader  among 
the  Indians  some  twenty-five  years  before  in  Western  New  York, 
and  in  one  of  his  visits  became  enamored  with  a  pretty  squaw. 
The  graceful  warrior  "  John,"  called  among  his  race  Complanter, 
now  before  him,  was  the  fruit  of  this  libidinous,  wayward  affection. 
The  chief  had  learned  the  history  of  his  parentage  from  his  mother, 
who  called  him  by  the  christian  name  of  her  lover.  A  pleasing 
recognition  followed,  the  father  was  instantly  set  at  liberty,  and 
conducted  in  safety  to  his  own  home. — P.  J.  Wagner,  Esq. 

Cornplanter  visited  his  relatives  at  Fort-Plain,  who  were  among 
the  most  repectable  citizens  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  several  times 
after  the  war ;  and  was  treated  with  the  civihties  his  dignified  and 
manly  bearing  merited. 

The  repeated  assaults  along  the  whole  frontier  of  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania  during  the  preceding  year  by  the  enemy,  arrest- 
ed the  attention  of  Congress,  which  resolved  to  send  an  army  into 
the  Indian  country  in  the  summer  of  1779,  and  retaliate  their  at- 
trocities  by  a  destruction  of  their  settlements.  Accordingly,  an  ar- 
my was  assembled  under  Gen.  Sullivan,  at  Tioga  Point,  at  which 
place  he  was  met  by  Gen.  James  Clinton,  who  marched  from  Ca- 
najoharie,  on  the  Mohawk,  with  a  division  of  the  army.  As  a 
preliminary  movement  to  the  invasion  of  the  Indian  country  by 
Gen.  Sullivan,  Col.  Van  Schaick  went  from  Fort  Schuyler,  under 
the  instructions  of  Gen.  James  Clinton,  with  detachments  of  his 
own  and  Col.  Gansevoort's  regiment,  and  destroyed  the  possessions 
of  the  Onondasras. 


296  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

While  Gen.  Clinton  was  waiting  at  Canajoharie  for  his  troops 
and  supplies  to  assemble,  and  also  for  the  construction  of  bateaus, 
two  tories  were  there  hung,  and  a  deserter  shot.  The  following 
letter  from  Gen.  Clinton  to  his  wife,  dated  July  6th,  1779,  briefly 
narrates  the  death  of  the  two  former  : 

"  I  have  nothing  further  to  acquaint  you  of,  except  that  we  ap- 
prehended a  certain  Lieut.  Henry  Hare,  and  a  Sergeant  Newbury, 
both  of  Col.  Butler's  regiment,  who  confessed  that  they  left  the 
Seneca  country  with  sixty-three  Indians,  and  two  white  men,  who 
divided  themselves  into  three  parties — one  party  was  to  attack 
Schoharie,  another  party  Cherry-Valley  and  the  Mohawk  river, 
and  the  other  party  to  skulk  about  Fort  Schuyler  and  the  upper  part 
of  the  Mohawk  river,  to  take  prisoners  or  scalps.  I  had  them  triep 
by  a  general  court  martial  for  spies,  who  sentenced  them  both  to 
be  hanged,  which  was  done  according!}^  at  Canajoharie,  to  the  sa- 
tisfaction of  all  the  inhabitants  of  that  place  who  were  friends  to 
their  country,  as  they  were  known  to  be  very  active  in  almost  all 
the  murders  that  were  committed  on  these  frontiers.  They  were 
inhabitants  of  Tryon  county,  had  each  a  wife  and  several  children, 
who  came  to  see  them  and  beg  their  lives." 

The  name  of  Hare  was  one  of  respectability  in  the  Mohawk 
valley,  before  the  revolution.  Members  of  the  Hare  family  were 
engaged  for  years  in  sundry  speculations  with  Maj.  Jelles  Fonda, 
who,  as  already  observed,  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  with  the 
Indians  and  fur  traders  at  the  western  military  posts ;  his  own  re- 
sidence being  at  Cavghnawaga*  Henry  Hare  resided  before  the 
war  in  the  present  town  of  Florida,  a  few  miles  from  Fort  Hunter. 
At  the  time  he  left  the  valley  with  the  royalist  party  to  go  to  Ca- 
nada, his  family  remained,  as  did  that  of  William  Newbury,  who 

•  AH  the  territory  on  the  north  side  of  the  Mohawk,  from  The  Nose  to 
Tribe's  Hill,  a  distance  of  nearly  ten  miles,  was  called  Cavghnawaga — an  In- 
dian name,  which  signified  Slone  in  the  water.  Some  writers  have  given  as 
its  signification,  "  The  coffin-shaped  stone  in  the  water."  Tradition  has 
handed  down  from  a  family  which  early  settled  on  the  bank  of  the  river  near 
this  stone,  the  interpretation  first  given.  This  Indian  name,  we  must  suppose, 
originated  long  before  this  state  was  settled  by  the  whites  :  of  course  the  abo- 
rigines could  have  known  nothing  about  coffins — they  had  no  tools  by  uhich 
they  could  possibly  make  them.  When  the  revolution  began,  Maj.  Fonda  was 
erecting  buildings  for  the  prosecution  of  business,  six  miles  westward  of  his 
Caughnawaga  residence,  on  a  farm  since  known  as  the  Schenck  place.  At  a 
later  day  he  built  the  dwelling  now  owned  by  C.  McVean,  Esq.,  so  pleasant- 
ly situated  on  the  hill  in  Fonda,  where  he  died  June  23d,  1791,  aged  64  years. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        297 

lived  about  3  miles  from  Hare,  toward  the  present  village  of  Glen. 
If  Hare  had  rendered  himself  obnoxious  to  the  whigs  of  Tryon 
county,  Newbury  had  doubly  so,  by  his  inhuman  cruelties  at  the 
massacre  of  Cherry-Valley,  some  of  which,  on  his  trial,  were  pro- 
ven against  him.  Hare  and  Newbury  visited  their  friends,  and 
were  secreted  for  several  days  at  their  own  dwellings.  The  form- 
er had  left  home  before  daylight  to  return  to  Canada,  and  was  to 
call  for  his  comrade  on  his  route.  Maj.  Newkirk,  who  resided  but 
a  short  distance  from  Hare,  met  a  tory  neighbor  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  day  on  which  Hare  left  home,  who  either  wished  to  be  con- 
sidered one  of  the  knowing  ones,  or  lull  the  suspicions  resting  upon 
himself,  who  communicated  to  him  the  fact  that  Hare  had  been 
home — and  supposing  him  then  out  of  danger,  he  added,  "  per- 
haps he  is  about  home  yet."  He  also  informed  him  that  Newbu- 
ry had  been  seen.  Hare  brought  home  for  his  wife  several  arti- 
cles of  clothing,  such  as  British  calicoes,  dress-shawls,  Indian  mo- 
casons,  &c.,  and  on  the  very  day  he  set  out  to  return  to  Canada, 
she  was  so  imprudent  as  to  put  them  on  and  go  visiting — the  sight 
of  which  corroborated  the  story  told  Newkirk.  The  Major  noti- 
fied Capt.  Snooks,  who  collected  a  few  armed  whigs,  and  in  the 
evening  secreted  himself  with  them  near  the  residence  of  Hare, 
if  possible,  to  give  some  further  account  of  him.  Providence 
seems  to  have  favored  the  design,  for  the  latter,  on  going  to  New- 
bury's, had  sprained  an  ankle.  Not  being  willing  to  undertakes© 
long  a  journey  with  a  lame  foot,  and  little  suspecting  that  a  friend 
had  revealed  his  visit,  he  concluded  to  return  to  his  dwelling. 
While  limping  along  through  his  own  orchard,  Francis  Putman, 
one  of  Snook's  party,  then  but  15  of  16  years  old,  stepped  from 
behind  an  apple  tree,  presented  his  musket  to  his  breast,  and  or- 
dered him  to  stand.  At  a  given  signal,  the  rest  of  the  party  came 
up,  and  he  was  secured.  They  learned  from  the  prisoner  that 
Newbury  had  not  yet  set  out  for  Canada,  and  a  party  under  Lieut. 
Newkirk  went  the  same  night  and  arrested  him.  They  were  ena- 
bled to  find  his  house  in  the  woods  by  following  a  tame  deer  which 
fled  to  it.  The  prisoners  were  next  day  taken  to  Canajoharie, 
where  they  were  tried  by  court  martial,  found  guilty,  and  exccut- 


298  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ed  as  pre^aously  shown.  The  execution  took  place  near  the  pre- 
sent village  of  Canajoharie.*  The  influence  exerted  by  the  friends 
of  Hare  to  save  him  would  have  been  successful,  had  he  declared 
that  he  visited  the  valley  solely  to  see  his  family.  He  may  have 
thought  they  dared  not  hang  him  ;  certain  it  is,  that  when  he  was 
interrogated  as  to  the  object  of  his  visit,  he  unhesitatingly  said  that 
he  not  only  came  here  to  see  his  family,  but  also  came  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  a  spy.  A  deserter,  named  Titus  was  shot  at  Canajoha- 
rie about  the  time  the  spies  were  hung,  as  I  have  been  informed 
by  an  eye  witness  to  all  three  executions. — James  Williamson. 

Deserters  were  shot  for  the  first,  second,  or  third  offence,  as  cir- 
cumstances warranted.  Newbury  and  Titus  were  buried  near 
the  place  of  execution,  and  the  bones  of  one  of  them  were 
thrown  out  at  the  time  of  constructing  the  Erie  Canal,  by 
workmen  who  were  getting  earth  for  its  embankment. f  The  bo- 
dy of  Hare  was  given  to  his  relatives  for  interment.  Previous  to 
burial  the  coffin  was  placed  in  a  cellar-kitchen,  before  a  window, 
in  which  position  a  snake  crawled  over  it.  This  circumstance 
gave  rise  to  much  speculation  among  the  superstitious,  who  said 
"tY  was  the  Devil  after  his  spirit." 

The  troops  under  Gen.  Clinton  opened  a  road  from  Canajoha- 
rie through  the  town  of  Springfield,  to  the  head  of  Otsego  lake, 
where  they  launched  their  fleet  of  bateaus  and  floated  down  its 
placid  waters  nine  miles  to  its  outlet — now  the  location  of  the  ro- 
mantic and  tastefully  built  village  of  Cooperstown.  This  passage 
down  the  lake  was  made  on  a  lovely  summer's  day,  and  the  sur- 
rounding hills  being  covered  with  living  green,  every  dash  of  the 
oar  throwing  up  the  clear,  sparkling  water,  a  thousand  delighted 
warblers  greeting  them  from  the  shores  as  the  response  of  the 
martial  music  from  the  boats — the  whole  being  so  entirely  novel — 
the  effect  must  have  been  truly  enchanting  and  picturesque.  On 
arriving  at  the  foot  of  the  lake,  the  troops  landed  and  remained 
several  weeks,  until  it  was  sufficiently  raised  by  a  dam  constructed 
at  the  outlet,  to  float  the  boats.     When  a  sufficient  head  of  water 

*John  S.  Quackenboss  and  Mrs.  E.  Gardinier. 

^Daniel  Spencer,  a  worthy  pensioner,  now  living  at  Canajoharie. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        299 

was  thus  obtained — the  boats  having  been  properly  arranged  along 
the  outlet  and  filled  with  the  troops,  stores  and  cannon — the  dam 
was  torn  away,  and  the  numerous  fleet  of  small  fry,  (two  hun- 
dred and  eight  boats)  floated  off  in  fine  style,  and  passed  down  the 
tributary  into  the  winding  Susquehanna.  (This  is  an  aboriginal 
word,  said  to  signify,  the  crooked  river.)  It  is  said  that  prepara- 
tory to  opening  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  a  dam  made  by  the  saga- 
cious beavers  on  one  of  the  larger  inlets,  which  flooded  considera- 
ble ground,  was  ordered  to  be  destroyed  to  obtain  the  water.  It 
was  partially  so  served,  but  the  night  following  it  was,  by  the  in- 
dustrious animals,  again  repaired.  A  more  effectual  destruction 
followed,  and  a  guard  of  men  was  stationed  all  night,  to  prevent 
its  being  again  built  by  its  lawful  owners. 

While  the  army  were  quartered  at  ihe  outlet  of  Otsego  lake, 
two  men  were  tried  for  desertion,  and  both  were  sentenced  to  be 
shot.  The  youngest  of  the  two,  whose  name  was  Snyder,  was 
pardoned  by  Gen.  Clinton.  The  other  man  was  a  foreigner,  who 
had  previously  deserted  from  the  British,  and  having  now  desert- 
ed from  the  American  flag,  and  persuaded  Snyder  to  desert,  Clin- 
ton said  of  him — "  He  is  good  for  neither  king  or  country,  let 
him  be  shot."  The  order  was  executed  on  the  west  side  of  the 
outlet,  not  far  distant  from  the  lake.  Not  a  house  had  then  been 
erected  where  Cooperstown  now  stands. — Williamson. 

The  company  to  which  Williamson  belonged,  was  attached  in 
Sullivan's  campaign  to  the  second  New  York  regiment,  command- 
ed by  Col.  Rigne,  a  French  officer.  He  was  a  large,  well  made, 
jovial  fellow,  of  whom  Mr.  Williamson  related  the  following  an- 
ecdote. Among  the  men  who  aided  in  our  glorious  struggle  for 
independence,  was  a  regiment  of  blacks,  who  generally  proved  to 
be  good,  faithful  soldiers.  That  they  might  readily  be  distin- 
guished, they  wore  wool  hats  with  the  brim  and  lower  half  of  the 
crown  colored  black — the  remainder  being  left  drab  or  the  native 
color.  While  waiting  for  Otsego  lake  to  rise,  the  troops  were 
drilled  every  day.  As  Col.  Rigne  was  thus  engaged  with  his 
own  and  parts  of  several  other  regiments,  among  whom  were  one 
or  two  companies  of  black  soldiers,  one  of  the  latter  men,  from 


300  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

inattention,  failed  to  execute  a  command  in  proper  time.  "  Hal- 
loo !"  said  the  colonel,  "  you  plack  son  of  a  b h  wid  a  wite 

face  ! — why  you  no  mind  you  beezness  ?"  This  hasty  exclama- 
tion in  broken  English  so  pleased  the  troops,  that  a  general  burst 
of  laughter  followed.  Seeing  the  men  mirthful  at  his  expense,  he 
good  humoredly  gave  the  command  to  order  arms.  "  JYow/'  said 
he,  ^' laugh  your  felly  full  all !"  and  joining  in  it  himself,  hill 
and  dale  sent  back  their  boisterous  merriment. 

In  the  summer  of  1779,  Col.  Win.  Butler  received  timely  or- 
ders to  move  from  Schoharie  and  join  the  forces  under  General 
CHnton  at  Canajoharie.  Among  Col.  Butler's  men,  who  had  ren- 
dered good  services  in  Schoharie  during  their  sojourn,  were  Lieut. 
Thomas  Boyd,*  Timothy  Murphy  and  David  Elerson.  Murphy 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  of  Irish  parentage,  and  Elerson  a 
Virginian,  of  Scotch  descent. 

While  Col.  Butler  was  in  Springfield,  in  the  month  of  June,  as- 
sisting to  open  a  wagon  road  for  the  transportation  of  the  boats, 
David  Elerson  obtained  permission  of  his  captain  to  proceed  about 

•  Lieut.  Boyd  was  a  native  of  Northumberland  county,  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  about  the  usual  height,  and  vi'as  a  stout  built,  fine  looking  young  man  ; 
being  very  sociable  and  agreeable  in  his  manners,  which  had  gained  him  many 
friends  in  Schoharie.  While  there,  he  paid  his  addresses  to  Miss  Cornelia,  a 
daughter  of  Bartholomew  Becker,  who  gave  birth  to  a  daughter  after  his 
death,  of  which  he  was  the  reputed  father.  This  child,  named  Catharine, 
grew  up  a  very  respectable  woman,  and  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Mar- 
tinus  Vrooman.  While  the  troops  under  Col.  Butler  were  preparing  to  leave 
Schoharie,  Miss  Becker,  in  a  state  of  mind  bordering  onphrensy,  approached 
her  lover,  caught  hold  of  his  arm,  and  in  tears  besought  him  by  the  most 
earnest  entreaties,  to  marry  her  before  he  left  Schoharie.  He  endeavored  to 
put  her  off  with  future  promises,  and  to  free  himself  from  her  grasp.  She 
told  him  "  if  he  went  off  without  marrying  her,  she  hoped  he  would  be  cut  to 
■pieces  by  the  Indians '."  In  the  midst  of  this  unpleasant  scene.  Col.  Butler 
rode  up  and  reprimanded  Boyd  for  his  delay,  as  the  troops  were  ready  to 
march — and  the  latter,  mortified  at  being  seen  by  his  commander,  thus  im- 
portuned by  a  girl,  drew  his  sword  and  threatened  to  stab  her  if  she  did  not  in- 
stantly leave  him.  She  did  leave  him,  and  anticipating  future  shame,  called 
down  the  vengeance  of  heaven  upon  him.  Her  imprecation  was  answered, 
as  will  hereafter  be  seen,  to  the  fullest  extent :  a  fearful  warning  to  those 
who  trifle  with  woman's  affection.  Such  was  the  last  interview  of  Lieut. 
Boyd  with  the  girl  he  had  engaged  to  marry. — Josias  E.  Vrooman,  who  wit 
nessed  the  parting  scene. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  301 

a  mile  from  the  camp  to  a  deserted  house,  and  gather  some  mus- 
tard for  greens.  While  thus  engaged  early  in  the  day,  he  heard 
a  rustling  in  some  rank  weeds  near,  and  on  looking  in  that  direc- 
tion, discovered  to  his  surprise,  nearly  a  dozen  Indians  cautiously 
advancing  to  capture  him.  He  sprang  and  seized  his  rifle,  which 
stood  against  the  house,  at  which  instant  several  tomahawks  were 
hurled  at  him,  one  of  them  nearly  severing  a  finger  from  his  left 
hand.  He  dropped  his  haversack  of  greens  and  fled.  In  starting 
from  the  house,  his  foes  ran  so  as  to  cut  otT  his  flight  to  his 
friends.  He  had  to  pass  over  a  small  clearing  between  the  house 
and  the  woods,  and  on  arriving  at  the  farther  edge  of  the  former, 
he  found  his  progress  obstructed  by  fallen  trees.  He  plunged  in 
among  them,  when  his  pursuers,  fearing  he  might  escape,  dis- 
charged their  rifles  at  him.  The  volley  rattled  the  old  timber 
harmlessly  about  his  head.  Driven  from  the  direction  of  the 
American  camp,  he  fled,  not  knowing  whither.  Afl;er  running 
for  several  hours,  and  when  he  began  to  think  he  had  eluded  the 
vigilance  of  his  pursuers,  an  Indian  appeared  before  him.  As  he 
raised  his  rifle  the  savage  sprang  behind  a  tree.  At  that  instant, 
a  ball  fired  from  an  opposite  direction  entered  his  body  just  above 
the  hip — making  a  bad  flesh  wound.  He  then  changed  his  di- 
rection, and  renewed  his  flight.  Descending  a  steep  hill  into  a 
valley,  through  which  coursed  a  small  stream  of  water,  he  reached 
the  level  ground  much  exhausted ;  but  the  moment  his  feet  struck 
the  cool  water  his  strength  revived,  and  scooping  some  up  in  his 
hand,  which  he  drank,  so  invigorated  him,  that  he  gained  the 
summit  of  the  opposite  hill  with  comparative  ease.  He  had  pro- 
ceeded but  a  little  way  further,  however,  when  he  found  himself 
again  growing  faint ;  and  stepped  behind  a  fallen  tree  just  as  an 
Indian  appeared  in  pursuit.  Not  doubting  but  his  hours  were 
numbered,  he  resolved  not  to  die  unrevenged,  and  instantly  raised 
his  rifle  to  shoot  him.  Too  weak  and  excited  to  hold  his  gun,  he 
sat  down  upon  the  ground,  rested  it  upon  his  knees,  fired,  and  the 
Indian  fell.  He  had  barely  time  to  reload  his  faithful  piece,  be- 
fore several  other  foes  came  in  sight.  His  first  thought  was  to 
bring  down  another,  but  as  they  gathered  around  their  fallen 


302         mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

chief,  and  began  their  death  yell,  the  hope  of  escape  again  re- 
vived. While  they  were  lingering  around  their  comrade,  Elerson 
darted  off  into  the  forest.  He  followed  the  windings  of  a  creek 
for  some  distance,  and  finding  in  a  thicket  of  hemlocks  a  large 
hollow  tree,  crawled  into  it,  and  heard  no  more  of  the  Indians.  It 
was  near  night,  and  being  greatly  exhausted,  he  soon  fell  into  a 
sound  sleep.  On  the  following  morning  he  backed  out,  found  it 
rained,  was  lost,  and  again  entered  his  gloomy  shelter.  As  it 
continued  to  rain,  he  tarried  in  the  log  three  nights  and  two  days, 
without  food  or  having  his  wounds  dressed.  He  then  crept  from 
his  concealment,  cold,  stiff  and  hungry,  unable  at  first  to  stand 
upright.  He  was  enabled,  by  the  sun's  welcome  rays  to  direct 
his  course,  and  came  out  at  a  place  in  Cobelskill,  known 
in  former  days  as  Brown's  Mills,  distant  about  three  miles  from 
where  he  had  been  concealed,  and  at  least  25  from  the  place 
where  he  had  first  been  surprised.  Capt.  Christian  Brown,  the 
owner  of  the  mills,  was  acquainted  with  Elerson,  treated  him 
kindly,  and  sent  him  to  the  Middle  Fort,  ten  miles  distant,  where 
his  wounds  were  properly  dressed,  and  he  recovered.  The  writer 
saw,  at  his  interview  with  this  old  soldier  in  1837,  when  he  ob- 
tained these  facts,  the  scars  from  the  wounds  above  noticed,  and 
also  other  similar  marks  of  honor. 

Captain  Brown,  (a  brother  of  Judge  Brown,)  is  the  officer 
mentioned  as  having  been  engaged  under  Captain  Patrick  the 
summer  before,  in  the  Cobelskill  battle.  His  mills — a  grist-mill 
and  saw-mill,  were  among  the  first  erected  in  that  part  of  Scho- 
harie county,  and  were  not  burned  during  the  war,  because  a 
tory  named  Sommer,  who  owned  lands  not  far  distant,  expected 
if  Brown's  place  was  confiscated  to  the  British  government,  to 
obtain  it.  To  gratify  him  the  buildings  were  spared.  Brown's 
home,  a  small  one  story  dwelling,  now  covered  with  moss,  is  still 
standing.  At  the  time  the  lower  part  of  Cobelskill  was  burnt, 
a  party  of  Indians  plundered  it.  Captain  Brown,  learning  that 
the  enemy  were  in  his  vicinity,  hurried  his  family  into  the  woods, 
and  then  returned  to  secure  some  of  his  effects.  While  thus 
engaged,  he  saw  from  a  window  a  party  of  Indians  approaching, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        303 

and  as  he  could  not  leave  the  house  so  as  to  avoid  being  seen  by 
them,  he  secreted  himself  in  some  part  of  it.  The  enemy  enter- 
ed and  supposing  it  entirely  deserted,  plundered  and  left  it,  after 
which  Capt.  Brown  sought  his  family,  and  with  them  fled  to  a 
place  of  greater  safety. — James  Becker.  At  the  house  of  Capt. 
Brown,  (said  George  Warner,)  during  the  absence  of  the  former, 
and  in  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  a  wedding  was  consummated. 
The  groom  and  bride  were  Brown's  hured  man  and  servant  girl. 
The  Cobelskill  soldiers  were  invited  guests,  and  of  course  attend- 
ed— for  who  does  not  attend  a  wedding  when  they  can  ?  After 
the  lovers  were  united,  the  party  as  abundantly  served  with 
good  pork  and  sour-crout ;  and  being  the  best  the  bride  could 
provide,  they  were  received  with  as  much  gratification  as  would 
have  been  the  rich  dainties  of  a  modern  festival  of  the  same  cha- 
racter. The  parties  were  poor,  and  the  friends  knew  it,  and 
made  themselves  merry.  The  wedding  was  in  truth  a  good  one, 
for  certainly  "  All 's  well  that  ends  well.'' 

Brown's  mills  were  situated  on  a  road  now  leading  from 
Barnerville  to  the  village  of  Cobelskill,  about  two  miles  from  the 
latter  place.  They  were  erected  on  a  stream  of  water  a  few  rods 
from  a  deep  pool,  whence  it  issued.  It  was  unknown  for  many 
years  where  the  water  came  from,  until  a  saw-mill  was  erected 
at  Abraham  Kneiskern's  in  Carhsle,  on  a  stream  of  water,  which, 
near  the  mill,  sank  into  the  earth  and  disappeared.  After  this 
mill  began  to  operate,  saw-dust  made  its  appearance  in  the  pool 
near  Brown's  mills,  three  miles  distant.  This  mill-stream  runs 
into  the  Cobelskill  at  Barnerville.  Several  mill-streams  in  Car- 
lisle and  Sharon,  sink  into  the  earth,  and  re-appear  at  considerable 
distances  from  the  place  of  entrance. 

While  Gen.  Sullivan,  with  his  army,  was  at  Tioga  Point,  he 
was  much  annoyed  by  small  parties  of  Indians,  who  crept  up  in 
the  long  grass  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  fired  upon 
his  men,  killing  or  wounding  them  in  repeated  instances ;  and 
he  devised  a  plan  to  intercept  them :  the  execution  of  which  was 
committed  to  Lieut.  Moses  Van  Campen.     The  following  is  Van 


304  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Campen's  own  account  of  his  manner  of  proceeding,  as  publish- 
ed in  a  small  volume  entitled,  Sullivan's  Campaign. 

"  Major  Adam  Hoops — 

"  An  aid-de-camp  to  Gen.  Sullivan,  presented  to  me  my 
instructions,  with  a  sheet  of  white  paper  folded  up,  a  leaden 
weight  within,  and  a  twine-cord  about  twenty  feet  long  fastened 
to  it.  I  was  to  get  as  near  the  enemy's  camp  as  was  prudent,  and 
to  select  one  of  the  shady  oaks,  conceal  my  men  in  the  bush,  and 
place  my  sentinel  in  the  top  of  the  oak,  with  the  paper  and  twine- 
cord — to  give  the  signal  if  he  discovered  a  party  of  Indians — to 
sink  the  paper  down  the  tree  as  many  feet  as  they  were  in  num- 
bers— if  passing  to  the  right  or  left  to  give  the  signal  accordingly. 
"  It  Avas  one  of  the  warm  days  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  I 
marched  as  near  to  the  enemy's  camp  as  I  was  directed.  I  se- 
lected my  tree — my  sentinel  ascended  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet, 
and  my  men  were  concealed.  We  laid  in  watch  about  an  hour. 
Every  eye  was  fixed  on  the  sentinel.  At  length  the  paper  drop- 
ped down  about  four  feet.  I  spoke  to  my  men,  saying,  'My  good 
fellows,  we  shall  soon  have  sport.'  The  paper  continued  to  drop 
to  ten  feet.  I  observed  again,  '  We  shall  have  somethimg  more 
to  do.'  The  paper  continued  to  drop  to  fifteen  feet.  'Now,  my 
good  fellows,  we  shall  have  enough  to  do — fifteen  to  twenty  of 
us.  Let  every  shot  make  their  number  less."  Behold  !  the  fel- 
low had  fallen  asleep — let  the  twine-cord  slip  through  his  fingers — 
lost  his  balance — and  came  down  like  a  shot  head  foremost.  He 
Avas  much  bruised  by  the  fall.  I  make  my  report  to  the  general, 
&c.,  &c. 

Gen.  Clinton  joined  Gen.  Sullivan  at  Tioga,  August  22d,  and 
four  days  after,  the  army,  then  five  thousand  strong,  moved  for- 
ward. All  the  Indian  huts  discovered  on  the  route  from  Tioga 
westward,  with  the  fields  of  growing  corn,  beans,  &c.,  were  de- 
stroyed by  the  American  troops.  At  Newtown,  now  Elmira,  the 
enemy  under  Cols.  Butler  and  Johnson,  and  the  chieftain  Brant, 
collected  a  force,  threw  up  a  breastwork,  and  prepared  to  dispute 
the  further  progress  of  the  invaders  of  their  soil.  On  the  29th  of 
August  the  troops  under  Sullivan  reached  the  fortifications  of  the 
enemy,  and  a  spirited  action  followed.  The  enemy  evinced  great 
bravery,  but  being  overpowered  by  numbers,  they  abandoned  their 
works  with  considerable  loss. 

Gen.  Sullivan  had  a  morning  and  evening  gun  fired  daily  while 
proceeding  to  and  from  the  Indian  country,  for  which  he  has  been 
much  censured  by  some  chroniclers.     His  object  in  doing  it  was. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        305 

to  notify  the  numerous  scouting  parties  which  were  daily  kept 
out,  of  his  position. 

Several  pleasing  incidents  owed  their  origin  to  the  signal  guns. 
In  one  instance  a  large  party  of  Indians  were  in  ambush  to  sur- 
prise an  advanced  guard  M'hen  the  signal  gun  was  fired  from  ele- 
vated ground  not  far  distant.  The  Indians — who  ever  dread  the 
sound  of  cannon,  supposing  the  gun  fired  at  them,  scampered  off 
like  frightened  sheep.  Upon  the  firing  of  a  signal  gun  after  the 
battle  of  Newtown,  a  white  woman  came  into  the  American  camp. 
Knowing  Col.  John  Butler,  whom  she  supposed  could  give  her 
some  account  of  her  red  husband,  she  enquired  for  Col.  Butler, 
and  was  immediately  introduced  to  Col.  William  Butler.  On 
coming  into  his  presence  and  finding  him  a  stranger — the  truth 
flashed  upon  her  mind — she  was  in  the  American  camp,  and  in 
the  presence  of  those  who  would  protect  her.  She  stated  that 
she  was  a  native  of  Danbury,  Connecticut ;  had  been  married 
several  years,  and  was  living  at  Wyoming  the  year  before,  when 
that  delightful  country  was  devastated  by  the  enemy — at  which 
time  she  was  made  a  prisoner.  Her  husband  had  been  killed 
among  the  numerous  victims  of  savage  cruelty.  She  further 
stated  that  at  the  time  she  was  captured  she  had  three  children — 
two  small  boys  and  an  infant  child  at  the  breast.  The  boys  were 
given  to  different  Indians,  and  the  brains  of  the  infant  were  dash- 
ed out  against  a  tree  j  after  which  she  was  compelled  to  live  with 
an  Indian  as  his  wife.  When  she  thus  providentially  entered  the 
American  camp,  she  had  an  infant  child — the  fruit  of  her  late  un- 
happy connection.  This  child  died  not  long  after,  and  it  was 
suspected  that  an  American  soldier,  from  sympathy  to  the  woman, 
had  given  it  poison.  As  the  Indian  country  had  been  invaded, 
this  woman  had  been  obliged  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  her  master, 
and  having  been  separated  from  him  by  the  discomfiture  of  the 
enemy,  Sullivan's  cannon,  which  she  supposed  fired  in  the  British 
camp,  directed  her  course.  On  the  return  of  the  army,  she  went 
back  to  her  friends  in  Connecticut. — James  Williamson. 

After  the  battle  of  Newtown,  Gen.  Sullivan  sent  back  to  Tioga 
much  of  his  heavy  baggage,  and  pushed  forward  in  pursuit  of  the 


306  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

enemy — fully  executing  in  the  destruction  of  the  settlements  the 
orders  of  the  Commander-in-chief.  The  country  of  the  Cayugas 
and  Senecas,  where  the  Indians  had  many  flourishing  settlements 
and  several  well  built  villages  of  good  painted  frame-houses,  were 
entirely  destroyed — together  with  the  fields  of  growing  corn  and 
beans.  Fruit  trees,  of  which  the  Indians  had  an  abundance,  laden 
with  green  apples,  peaches,  and  pears,  were  cut  down.  Ears  of 
corn  were  found  in  that  country  full  eighteen  inches  long,  showing 
the  exceeding  fertility  of  the  soil.  It  seems  indeed  lamentable  that 
stern  necessity  should  require  the  destruction  oi  fruit  trees,  the 
growth  of  many  years — but  when  we  consider  that  they  afforded 
the  enemy  an  important  item  of  his  annual  food,  we  must  admit 
that  the  measure  as  one  of  retaliation,  was  justifiable. 

At  the  Indian  village  of  Kanadaseago,  situated  a  little  distance 
west  of  Geneva,  a  white  male  child  was  found  by  the  American 
army.  It  was  not  more  than  three  or  four  years  old,  and  when 
discovered,  was  naked,  with  a  string  of  beads  about  its  neck. 
This  child,  which  had  been  abandoned  by  the  enemy  in  their  pre- 
cipitate flight,  was  supposed  to  have  been  among  the  captives 
made  the  year  before,  on  the  frontiers  of  New  York  or  Pennsylva- 
nia. He  was  found  before  the  door  of  a  hut  playing  with  small 
sticks,  and  when  accosted  could  only  say,  sago — how  do,  and  a  few 
other  Indian  words ;  having  been  captured  too  young  to  give  the 
least  clue  to  his  paternity. — James  Williamson. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  I  learn  from  the  son  of  Capt.  Machin, 
respecting  this  probable  orphan  child,  that  it  found  in  that  officer, 
(an  engineer  in  the  army,)  a  god-father,  and  was  christened 
Thomas  Machin — that  it  was  nearly  famished  when  found,  and 
could  not  have  been  kept  alive,  had  not  the  Americans  providen- 
tially taken  a  fresh-milk  cow  which  had  strayed  from  the  enemy — 
that  the  milk  of  this  cow,  which  was  driven  with  the  army  on  the 
return  march  for  that  purpose,  afforded  its  noumishment — that  the 
lUtle  unknown  was  taken  in  the  fall  to  the  house  of  Maj.  Logan  at 
New  Windsor,  where  it  took  the  small-pox  in  the  hard  winter 
following  and  died,  without  any  information  ever  being  disclosed 
as  to  its  birth-place  or  parentage. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        307 

Major  Paar  coinmamled  the  rifle  corps  which  accompanied  Sul- 
livan in  his  expedition.  When  the  army,  which  had  met  with 
little  opposition  from  the  enemy  after  the  battle  of  Newtown,  ar- 
rived at  the  inlet  of  Conesus  Lake,  a  scout  was  sent  out  early  in 
the  evening,  under  Lieut.  Thomas  Boyd,*  one  of  which  was 
Timothy  Murphy.  Says  Major  Hoops,  in  a  letter  I  find  in  Sulli- 
varCs  Campaign — 

"  I  was  in  the  General's  tent  when  he  gave  his  instructions  to 
Lieut.  Boyd,  wliich  were  very  particular — verbal,  of  course.  The 
country  before  us  was  unknown.  We  had  heard  of  an  Indian 
Castle  on  the  river  Genesee,  which,  by  our  reckoning,  might  be  a 
few  miles  ahead  of  us.  The  term  Castle  was  taken  from  Chateau 
— the  French-  having  long  before  magnified  Indian  villages  into 
Chateaux,  afterwards  rendered  literally  into  English.  There  were 
the  Oneida  Castle,  perhaps  at  or  near  to  Utica, — the  Seneca  Cas- 
tle, near  to  the  present  village  of  Geneva,  as  well  as  some  others. 
The  Castle  Lieut.  Boyd  was  detached  to  discover,  consisted,  pro- 
bably, of  a  few  Indian  huts,  near  Williamsburgh,  a  few  miles 
above  the  present  village  of  Geneseo. 

"  The  evening  before  Lieut.  Boyd  was  detached  by  Gen.  Sulli- 
van from  the  inlet  of  the  Kanaghsas  Lake,  a  log  bridge  was  begun 
and  finished  in  the  night,  or  early  in  the  next  morning,  over  the 
inlet.  Boyd,  not  having  returned  by  daylight,  the  General  was 
very  uneasy ;  particularly  from  finding  that,  to  the  six  riflemen  he 
meant  Boyd's  party  should  consist  of,  twenty-two  musketmen  had 
been  added." 

The  bridge  alluded  to  was  constructed  by  a  strong  covering 
party,  sent  in  advance  of  the  main  army  to  open  a  road  through 
a  marshy  piece  of  ground,  and  erect  the  bridge.  The  object  of 
the  scout  was,  to  reconnoitre  the  ground  near  the  Genesee  river, 
at  a  place  now  called  Williamsburgh,  at  a  distance  from  the  camp 
of  nearly  seven  miles.  The  party  were  guided  by  Han  Yerry — 
John  George — a  faithful  Oneida  warrior. 

In  a  skirmish  which  took  place  the  afternoon  previous  to  the 
surprise  and  massacre  of  Boyd's  command,  between  Sullivan's 
advance  guard  and  the  enemy,  the  latter  captured  two  friendly 
Oneidas,  who  had,  from  the  beginning  of  the  war,  rendered  the 
Americans  constant  service,  and  one  of  whom  was  then  acting  as 

•Some  published  account  has  erroneously  stated  the  given  name  of  this  man 
to  have  been  William. 


308  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Gen.  Sullivan's  principal  guide.  This  Indian  had  an  older  broth- 
er engaged  with  the  enemy,  who,  as  they  met,  is  said  (in  Stone's 
Brant)  to  have  addressed  him  as  follows  : 

"  Brother  !  You  have  merited  death.  The  hatchet  or  the  war- 
club  shall  finish  your  career.  When  I  begged  of  you  to  follow  me 
in  the  fortunes  of  war,  you  Avere  deaf  to  my  entreaties. 

"Brother!  You  have  merited  death,  and  shall  have  your  deserts. 
When  the  rebels  raised  their  hatchets  to  fight  against  their  good 
master,  you  sharpened  your  knife,  you  brightened  your  rifle,  and 
led  on  our  foes  to  the  fields  of  our  fathers. 

"  Brother  !  You  have  merited  death,  and  shall  die  by  our  hands. 
When  those  rebels  had  driven  us  from  the  fields  of  our  fathers  to 
seek  out  new  houses,  it  was  you  who  could  dare  to  step  forth  as 
their  pilot,  and  conduct  them  even  to  the  doors  of  our  wigwams, 
to  butcher  our  children  and  put  us  to  death.  No  crime  can  be 
greater.  But  though  you  have  merited  death,  and  shall  die  on 
this  spot,  my  hands  shall  not  be  stained  with  the  blood  of  a  bro- 
ther.    Who  will  striheV^ 

In  an  instant  the  tomahawk  of  Little  Beard  was  twirled  wilh 
lightning  rapidity  over  his  head,  and  in  another  the  brave  Oneida, 
the  friend  of  America  and  of  humanity,  lay  dead  at  the  feet  of  the 
infuriated  chief. 

When  we  contrast  the  conduct  of  this  Indian,  who  declared 
that  his  hands  should  not  be  stained  with  the  blood  of  a  brother; 
with  that  of  the  fratricide,  who  sought  out  his  brother  among  the 
fleeing  inhabitants  of  Wyoming,  and  shot  him  while  in  the  act  of 
begging  for  his  life ;  with  that  of  William  Newbury,  at  the  mas- 
sacre of  Cherry-Valley,  who,  finding  a  little  girl  by  the  name  of 
Mitchell  among  the  fallen,  in  whom  the  spark  of  life  was  re- 
viving, with  the  blow  of  his  hatchet,  in  the  presence  of  her  con- 
cealed father,  laid  her  dead  at  his  feet ;  with  that  of  a  tory  named 
Beacraft,  who  was  with  the  desolaters  of  Vrooman's  Land ;  and 
other  instances  of  no  less  savage  spirit — we  shall  find  that  of  the 
unlettered  Indian  to  rise  in  the  scale  of  our  just  estimation,  as  that 
of  his  more  savage  allies,  sinks  them  to  abhorrence  and  contempt. 

One  mile  and  a  half  from  Sullivan's  camp,  the  Indian  path  di- 
vided, one  branch  leading  to  Canasaraga,  in  the  direction  of  Wil- 
liamsburg, and  the  other  to  Beard's  Town.  Boyd  advanced  cau- 
tiously and  took  the  Canasaraga  path.     On  arriving  at  the  latter 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         309 

place,  he  found  it  deserted,  although  the  fires  of  the  enemy  were 
still  burning.  As  the  night  was  far  advanced,  he  encamped  near 
the  village,  intending  to  seek  out  on  the  morrow,  (he  location  of 
the  enemy.  This  was  a  most  hazardous  enterprise.  Twenty- 
eight  men,  seven  miles  from  their  camp — a  dense  forest  interven- 
ing— and  a  thousand  foes  besetting  their  path  to  cut  off  their  re- 
treat. But  danger  was  what  the  parly  courted.  Before  day 
break,  ]3oyd  dispatched  two  of  his  men  to  Sullivan's  camp — in- 
tending to  push  forward  still  farther  into  the  wilderness — but  as 
they  never  reached  it,  it  is  quite  probable  they  were  intercepted  by 
the  enemy  and  slain. — 5^.  Treat's  Oration,  in  Sullivan's  Campaign. 
Before  they  were  put  to  death,  the  enemy  no  doubt  learned  from 
them  the  exact  situation  of  Boyd's  command.  Just  after  day- 
light, Lieut.  B.,  accompanied  by  Murphy  cautiously  crept  from  his 
place  of  concealment.  Near  the  village  of  Canasaraga,  they  dis- 
covered two  Indians  coming  out  of  a  hut,  fired  at  them,  and  a 
ball  from  Murphy's  rifle  sealed  the  fate  of  one.  The  other  in- 
stantly fled.  Murphy,  as  was  his  usual  custom  when  he  killed  an 
Indian,  took  off  his  scalp,  and  as  he  had  on  a  good  pair  of  moca- 
sons,  he  transferred  them  to  his  own  feet.  After  the  escape  of  the 
Indian  fired  upon  by  Boyd,  he  rightly  supposed  his  visit  w^ould 
soon  be  made  known,  and  he  resolved  to  return  immediately  to 
the  American  camp.  Boyd  was  advised  by  Han-Yerry  to  pursue 
a  different  route  back,  which  commendable  advice  he  did  not 
choose  to  follow. — James  Williamson. 

About  the  time  Murphy  shot  the  Indian  in  the  morning,  an  in- 
cident of  interest  occurred  near  the  main  army,  which  is  thus  re- 
lated by  J\Iaj.  Hoops. 

"  Early  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Lodge,  the  surveyor,  proceeded  to 
chain  from  the  west  side  of  the  inlet,  Avhere  there  was  a  picquet 
posted,  and  ascended  a  little  way  from  the  foot  of  the  hill,  outside 
ihe  sentinels,  in  advance  from  the  picquet,  and  was  noting  his 
work,  when  he  was  fired  on  by  a  single  Indian  who  had  crept  up 
near  him.  Leaving  his  Jacob-staff  standing,  he  made  the  best  of 
his  way  toward  a  sentinel — the  Indian  almost  at  his  heels,  toma- 
hawk in  hand.  It  is  probable  the  Indian  had  not  seen  the  senti- 
nel till  he  raised  his  piece  and  (when  Mr.  Lodge  had  passed  him) 
fired,  bringing  him  down,  perhaps  not  mortally  wounded.  The 
21 


3 1 0  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

whole  picquet  immediately  advanced,  strongly  supported  ;  and  as- 
cending the  hill,  found  a  line  of  packs." 

Lieut.  Boyd  and  his  followers  pursued  their  back  track  with 
the  most  zealous  caution,  with  Han-Yerry  in  front  and  Murphy  in 
the  rear,  to  guard  against  surprise.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the 
two  messengers  sent  forward  by  Boyd  a  few  hours  before,  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  contiguous  to  the  American 
camp,  and  that  they  had  left  their  packs  to  intercept  the  returning 
scout,  which  were  found  soon  after  Mr.  Lodge  was  fired  upon. 
Not  the  rustling  of  a  leaf  or  spear  of  grass  escaped  the  observa- 
tion of  the  returning  scout.  Nearly  two-thirds  of  the  distance 
was  overcome — less  than  two  miles  intervened  between  them  and 
the  camp — and  the  party  were  beginning  to  breathe  freely,  when 
they  were  surprised  by  500  Indians  under  Brant,  and  500  Royal- 
ists under  Butler.  The  enemy  w^ere  secreted  in  a  ravine  through 
which  they  rightly  conjectured  Boyd  would  approach. — Statement 
of  John  Salmo7i,  in  Sullivan's  Campaign.  What  could  28  men 
do,  when  opposed  by  1000,  or  nearly  forty  to  one.  Discovering 
the  enemy  to  be  concealed  in  great  numbers,  Boyd  resolved  on  at- 
tempting his  escape  by  cutting  through  his  thickly  opposing  ranks. 
In  the  first  onset,  not  one  of  his  men  fell,  although  their  fire  told 
fearfully  upon  the  enemy.  A  second  and  third  attempt  was  made, 
and  seventeen  of  the  Americans  had  fallen. — Salmon.  At  the 
third  onset  of  the  brave  scout,  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  were 
broken,  and  Murphy,  tumbling  a  huge  warrior  in  the  dust  who  ob- 
structed his  passage — even  to  the  merriment  of  his  dusky  com- 
panions— led  his  thus  liberated  comrades. — Treafs  Oration. 
Boyd,  supposing  if  any  one  escaped  with  life  it  would  be  Mur- 
phy, determined  to  follow  him,  but  not  being  as  fast  a  runner,  he 
was  soon  taken,  and  with  him  one  of  his  men  named  Parker. 
Murphy,  as  he  found  the  path  unobstructed,  exclaimed  of  himself, 
in  hearing  of  the  enemy,  "  Clean  Tim.  hy  G — d .'"  shaking  his 
fist  at  the  same  time  at  his  pursuers. — Treats  Oration.  After 
Murphy  had  been  pursued  for  some  time,  he  observed  that  he  had 
distanced  all  his  blood-thirsty  followers  except  two,  a  tall  and  a 
short  Indian.     Several  times  as  they  neared  him,  Murphy  would 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         311 

raise  his  rifle,  which  was  unloaded,  and  they  would  fall  back.  He 
found  as  he  ran,  that  his  mocasons  began  to  prove  too  tight,  ow- 
ing to  the  swelling  of  his  feet.*  He  opened  a  pocket  knife,  and 
while  running  (at  the  hazard  of  cutting  his  shins)  he  slit  the  tops 
of  bis  mocasons,  which  afforded  relief.  Shortly  after,  he  entered 
a  piece  of  swale,  and  his  feet  becoming  entangled  in  long  grass 
and  rank  weeds,  he  fell.  The  place  proved  a  favorable  one  for 
concealment,  and  he  did  not  immediately  rise.  As  his  pursuers 
broke  over  a  knoll  so  as  to  gain  a  view  of  the  grass  plot,  not  dis- 
covering him,  although  he  did  them,  they  altered  their  course. 
Murphy  then  loaded  his  rifle,  and  cautiously  proceeded  on  his  way 
to  the  camp.  He  knew  from  the  beginning  of  the  melee,  should 
he  be  taken  prisoner,  what  his  fate  would  be,  having  the  scalp  of 
an  Indian  in  his  pocket,  and  his  mocasons  on  his  feet.  Shortly  af- 
ter Murphy  again  set  forward,  he  discovered  himself  to  be  head- 
ed by  an  Indian  in  the  woods  :  which  discovery  was  mutual  and 
both  took  trees.  After  dogging  each  other  for  some  tinje.  Mur- 
phy'drew  his  ramrod,  placed  his  hat  upon  it  and  gently  moved  it 
aside  the  tree  ;  when  the  Indian,  supposing  it  contained  a  head, 
fired  a  ball  through  it.  The  hat  was  thereupon  dropped,  and  run- 
ning up  to  scalp  his  man,  the  Indian  received  the  bullet  of  Mur- 
phy's rifle  through  his  breast ;  exclaiming,  as  he  fell  backwards, 
"0-u-ahr 

Murphy,  Garret  Putman  of  Fort  Hunter  (afterwards  a  captain,) 
and  a  French  Canadian,  were  all  of  Lieut.  Boyd's  command  who 
regained  the  American  camp.  The  two  latter  secreted  them- 
selves early  in  their  flight  under  a  fallen  tree,  around  which  was 
growing  a  quantity  of  thrifty  nettles,  and  escaped  observation ; 
although  several  Indians  passed  over  the  log  in  pursuit  of  Mur- 
phy. John  Putman,  a  cousin  of  Garret,  also  from  the  vicinity 
of  Fort  Hunter,  was  killed  in  Groveland.  At  his  burial  it  was 
supposed  he  had  been  shot  in  the  act  of  firing,  as  a  ball  and 

•  It  has  been  stated,  and  is  now  believed  by  many,  that  Murphy  skinned 
the  feet  of  this  Indian  and  put  the  green  hides  on.  It  was  not  so  ;  and  had 
he  been  disposed  to  have  done  it,  which  I  cannot  possibly  admit,  he  could  not 
have  hid  time  on  that  mornin". 


312  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

several  buck-shot  had  entered  the  right  arm-pit,  without  injuring 
the  arm. — Peter,  a  brother  of  John  Putman,  corroborated  by  James 
Williamson. 

A  soldier  named  Benjamin  Custom,  who  joined  Gen,  Sullivan 
with  the  troops  from  Schoharie,  attempted  to  follow  Murphy, 
but  was  overtaken  and  slain  in  Groveland. — Geo.  Richtmyer. 
When  Murphy  reached  the  camp,  and  told  the  sad  fate  of  his 
companions.  Gen.  Sullivan  declared  it  was  good  enough  for  them, 
as  they  had  disobeyed  his  orders ;  possibly  in  advancing  farther 
than  he  intended  they  should. — /.  Williamson. 

When  Boyd  found  himself  a  prisoner,  he  obtained  an  inter- 
view with  Brant,  who  was  a  freemason.  After  the  magic  signs 
of  a  brotherhood  were  exchanged,  the  dusky  warrior  assured  the 
captain  he  should  not  be  injured.  Soon  after  their  capture,  Boyd 
and  Parker  were  hurried  off  to  the  vicinity  of  Beard's  Town,  now 
in  the  town  of  Leicester,  ten  or  fifteen  miles  distant  from  the  bat- 
tle-field. Brant  was  called  off  on  some  enterprise  not  long  af- 
ter, and  the  prisoners  were  kept  in  charge  of  one  of  the  Butl<?irs, 
probably  Weaker,  the  destroyer  of  Cherry- Valley ;  who  began  to 
interrogate  them  about  the  future  instructions  of  Gen.  Sullivan, 
threatening  them,  if  true  and  ready  answers  were  not  given,  with 
savage  tortures.  Boyd,  believing  the  assurance  of  Brant  ample 
for  his  safety,  too  high  minded  to  betray  his  country  on  the  ap- 
pearance of  danger,  refused,  us  did  Parker,  to  answer  Butler's 
questions ;  and  the  latter,  executing  his  threat,  gave  them  over 
to  a  party  of  Seneca  Indians.  Little  Beard  and  his  warriors, 
seized  the  helpless  victims,  and  having  stripped,  bound  them  to 
trees.  They  then  practised  their  favorite  pastime  for  such  occa- 
sions, of  throwing  their  hatchets  into  (he  tree  just  over  ihe  heads 
of  their  victiins.  Becoming  wearied  of  this  amusement,  a  single 
blow  severed  Parker's  head  fiom  his  body.  The  attenlicn  of  the 
tormentors  being  undivided,  they  began  to  tax  their  innenuity 
for  tortures  to  inflict  on  his  surviving  comrade.  Making  an  in- 
cission  into  the  abdomen,  they  fastened  his  intestines  to  a  tree, 
and  compelled  him  to  move  round  it,  until  they  were  thus  all  drawn 
out.     He  was  again  pinioned  to  a  tree,  his  mouth  enlarged — his 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         313 

nails  dug  out — his  tongue  cut  out — his  ears  cut  off — his  nose  cut 
oft'  and  thrust  into  his  mouth — his  eyes  dug  out,  and  when  sinking 
in  death,  he  was  also  decapitated,  and  his  disfigured  head  raised 
upon  a  sharpened  pole.  To  those  Indian  cruelties  we  must  sup- 
pose Butler  was  not  only  a  witness,  but  that  they  were  rendered 
the  more  inhuman,  in  the  hope  of  gratifying  his  revengeful  dis- 
position. Thus  fell  the  brave  Lieutenant  Thomas  Boyd,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years. 

On  the  arrival  of  Murphy,  Gen.  Sullivan  ordered  Gen.  Hand 
forward  to  relieve  Boyd  and  party.  At  the  spot  where  the  en- 
gagement had  taken  place,  he  discovered  several  Indian  blankets, 
and  an  Indian's  corpse,  which  had  been  accidently  left  among 
the  fallen  Americans ;  but  returned  to  the  main  army,  ignorant 
of  the  fate  of  Boyd. — Oration  of  Treat. 

Poor  Han-Yerry,  who  had  performed  prodigies  of  valor  in  the 
conflict  of  Oriskany,  and  who  had  rendered  the  American  cause 
much  real  service,  fell  literally  hacked  in  pieces.  The  army,  as 
it  moved  on  towards  the  Genesee  river,  buried  the  bodies  of  those 
who  fell  in  the  present  town  of  Groveland.  On  the  following 
day,  Generals  Clinton  and  Hand,  with  about  two  thousand  troops, 
were  sent  across  the  Genesee  river  to  Beard's  Town,  to  destroy 
the  dwellings,  crops,  &c.  of  the  Senecas. —  Treat's  Oration  and 
Letter  of  Van  Campen. 

Mr.  Sanborn,  a  soldier  who  was  on  the  extreme  right  wing  of 
Clinton's  army,  discovered  the  headless  bodies  of  Boyd  and  Par- 
ker. The  rifle  company  of  Captain  Simpson,  of  which  Boyd  had 
been  lieutenant,  performed  the  melancholy  duty  of  burying  the 
mutilated  remains  of  their  comrades,  which  was  done  under  a  wild 
plum  tree,  and  near  a  stream  of  water. — James  Williamson. 

Beard's  Town,  one  of  the  largest  Indian  villages  in  the  Gene- 
see valley,  was  effectually  destroyed,  as  were  several  other  Indian 
towns  on  the  west  side  of  the  Genesee,  by  the  troops  under  Gen. 
Clinton,  together  with  every  growing  substance  found,  that  the 
enemy  would  eat.  While  this  destruction  was  in  progress,  offi- 
cers Poor  and  Maxwell  proceeded  along  the  east  side  of  the  river 
and  destroyed  the  villages  of  Canaivagus  and  Big  Tree.     Three 


^J,4  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

days  being  thus  occupied  in  this  vicinity,  in  the  work  of  devasta- 
tion, Sullivan  commenced  his  return  march  to  Tioga  Point.  As 
the  American  troops  approached  the  western  Indian  villages,  the 
women  and  children  fled  from  them  to  Niagara,  while  the  Indians 
and  their  tory  allies  prowled  about  the  forest,  watching  the  move- 
ments of  their  foes,  and  seeking  a  favorable  opportunity  to  strike 
an  effective  blow.  During  the  winter  following,  the  Indians  be- 
came a  tax  upon  the  British  government,  and  as  the  weather  was 
intensely  cold,  and  they  were  fed  on  salt  provisions,  to  which  they 
were  unaccustomed,  they  died  in  fearful  numbers  by  the  scurvy. — 
Treat's  Oration. 

It  is  gratifying  to  know,  that  justice  has  now  been  done  to  the 
memory  of  Boyd  and  his  companions.  In  the  autumn  of  1841, 
sixty-two  years  after  their  massacre,  their  remains  were  taken  up, 
through  the  commendable  zeal  of  the  citizens  of  Rochester,  re- 
moved to  that  city  and  deposited  at  Mount-Hope  cemetery.  On 
the  delivery,  by  the  citizens  of  Livingston  county,  of  the  bones 
of  Boyd  and  Parker,  which  were  found  near  the  junction  of  two 
creeks,  hereafter  to  be  known  as  Boyd's  creek  and  Parker'' s  creek, 
and  those  of  that  unfortunate  lieutenant's  command  who  fell  in 
Groveland,  to  the  receiving  committee  of  Monroe  county,  an 
appropriate  oration  was  delivered  at  Geneseo,  by  S.  Treat,  Esq. 
of  that  place,  to  an  audience,  estimated  dX  jive  thousand  persons. 
"When  the  procession  arrived  at  Mount-Hope,  near  Rochester,  and 
had  deposited  the  sarcophagus  and  urn  in  their  final  resting  place, 
a  patriotic  address  was  delivered  by  his  Excellency  William  H. 
Seward.  Several  old  soldiers  took  part  in  the  ceremonies,  among 
whom  were  Maj.  Moses  Van  Campen,  who  had,  in  early  life,  been 
a  near  neighbor  of  Boyd,  and  Mr.  Sanborn,  who  discovered  the 
remains  of  Boyd  and  Parker  the  day  after  they  were  killed.  The 
proceedings  were  highly  creditable  to  the  enterprise  and  patriotism 
of  Monroe  and  Livingston  counties,  and  will  forever  be  hailed  as 
a  bright  page  in  the  history  of  Western  New  York.  The  place 
of  their  burial  at  Mount-Hope,  is  set  apart  not  only  to  receive  the 
remains  of  those  brave  men,  but  of  any  other  soldiers  of  the  revo- 
lution that  may  desire  a  burial  there. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        315 

To  a  State  Convention,  called  to  devise  measures  ^'•for  appre- 
ciating the  currency,  restraining  extortion,  regulating  prices,  and 
other  similar  purposes,"  Frederick  Fisher,  John  Frey,  Christopher 
W.  Fox,  Crowneage  Kincade,  John  Petrie,  and  Werner  Deygert 
were  elected  by  the  people  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  as  certified  to 
by  Jacob  G.  Klock,  chairman  of  Tryon  county  committee.  Da- 
ta!, Committee  Chamber,  August  16,  1779. 

In  October  of  this  year,  the  enemy,  about  two  hundred  strong, 
under  Major  Monroe,  consisting  of  British  regulars,  tories,  and  In- 
dians, entered  the  Ballston  settlement.  Most  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Saratoga  county  were  from  New  England,  and  were  good  li- 
vers. An  invasion  had  been  anticipated,  and  two  hundred  Schen- 
ectada  militia  were  sent  to  aid  in  protecting  the  settlement.  A 
church,  called  afterwards  the  red  meeting-house,  was  being  erected 
at  the  time,  and  opposite  and  near  it,  a  dwelling  owned  by  a  Mr. 
Weed  was  inclosed  in  pickets,  at  which  place  the  Schenectada 
troops  were  stationed.  About  the  same  time,  the  Ballston  mili- 
tia, thinking  the  troops  sent  to  aid  them  were  not  sufficiently  cou- 
rageous, erected  a  small  defence  on  Pearson's  Hill,  afterwards 
called  Court  House  Hill,  nearly  two  miles  in  advance  of  the  stock- 
ade named,  and  where  the  invaders  were  expected  to  enter.  The 
little  fortress  on  the  hill  was  guarded  for  several  nights,  but  as  the 
enemy  did  not  appear,  it  was  abandoned. 

The  second  night  (Sunday  night)  after  the  Ballston  troops  dis- 
persed, the  enemy  broke  into  the  settlement.  They  made  their 
first  appearance  at  Gordon's  Mills,  situated  on  a  stream  called  the 
Morning  kill,  entering  the  pubUc  road  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  no- 
ticed. Col.  James  Gordon,  who  commanded  the  Ballston  militia, 
and  Capt.  Collins,  an  active  partizan  officer,  living  near  him,  were 
both  surprised  at  their  dwellings,  and  borne  into  captivity,  with 
nearly  thirty  of  their  neighbors.  On  the  arrival  of  the  enemy  at 
the  house  of  Capt.  Collins,  Mann  Collins,  his  son,  escaped  from 
it,  and  gave  the  alarm  to  John  and  Stephen  Ball,  his  brothers-in- 
law.  The  latter  mounted  a  horse,  and  rode  to  the  house  of  Maj. 
Andrew  Mitchell,  (Major  under  Col.  Gordon,)  who,  with  his  fa- 
mily, fled  into  the  lields,  and  escaped.     The  Balls  also  comrauni- 


3 16  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

cated  intelligence  of  the  enemy's  proximity  to  the  Schenectada 
troops  at  the  Fort. 

At  Gordon's  Mills,  one  Stowe,  his  miller,  was  captured  on  the 
arrival  of  Monroe's  party,  and,  for  some  reason,  soon  after  libera- 
ted. Feeling  himself  obligated  to  Col.  Gordon,  he  thought  it  his 
duty  to  inform  him  of  his  danger,  and  afford  him  a  chance  of  es- 
cape. Crossing  a  field  with  that  laudable  intent,  he  met  an  In- 
dian, who,  seeing  a  fugitive,  as  he  supposed,  attempting  to  escape, 
thrust  a  spontoon  through  his  body,  and  instantly  killed  him. 

Great  numbers  of  cattle  and  hogs  were  driven  away  at  this 
time,  or  killed,  several  dwellings  and  out-buildings  burned,  and 
the  whole  settlement  greatly  alarmed  by  the  invaders,  who  pro- 
ceeded directly  back  to  Canada  by  the  eastern  route.  Among  the 
dwellings  burned  were  those  of  one  Waters,  one  Pearson,  several 
Spragues,  and  several  Patchins.  Two  dwellings,  a  little  north  of 
the  present  residence  of  Judge  Thompson,  owned  at  the  time  by 
Kennedys,  escaped  the  torch,  as  they  had  a  friend  among  the  in- 
vaders. 

The  troops  assembled  in  the  neighborhood  were  on  their  trail 
by  dayhght  on  Monday  morning,  and  followed  some  distance ;  but 
meeting  a  liberated  captive,  who  bore  a  message  from  Col.  Gor- 
don advising  the  Americans  to  abandon  the  pursuit,  it  was  given 
over.  Why  the  message  was  sent,  I  am  not  informed,  but  pre- 
sume he  either  thought  the  enemy  too  strong  to  warrant  it,  or  the 
prisoners  in  danger  of  assassination  if  a  hasty  retreat  was  neces- 
sary. Col.  Gordon  was  an  Irishman  by  birth,  and  a  firm  patriot. 
He  was  confined  in  a  Canadian  prison  for  several  years,  and  was 
one  of  a  party  of  six  or  eight  prisoners,  who  effected  their  escape 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  and  after  much  suffering  succeeded 
in  reaching  home.  Henry  and  Christian  Banta,  Epenetus  White, 
an  ensign  of  militia,  and  several  others,  neighbors  of  Col.  G.,  and 
captured  subsequently,  also  escaped  with  him.  Procuring  a  boat, 
the  fugitives  crossed  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  from  its  southern  shore 
directed  their  steps  through  the  forest,  coming  out  at  Passama- 
quoddy  Bay,  in  Maine,  where  they  found  friends.  Before  reach- 
ing a  dwelUng  the  party  were  all  in  a  starving  condition,  and  Col. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        317 

Gordon  pave  out,  and  was  left,  at  his  request,  by  his  friends,  who 
proceeded  to  a  settlement,  obtained  assistance,  returned,  and  bore 
him  in  a  state  of  entire  helplessness  to  a  place  of  safety,  where 
he  recovered. 

While  the  party  were  journeying,  they  agreed  that  if  either  of 
them  obtained  any  thing  to  eat,  he  should  be  permitted  to  enjoy  or 
distribute  it  as  he  chose.  In  the  forest,  to  which  the  trapper  had 
not  been  a  stranger,  one  of  the  number  found  a  steel-trap,  in  which 
an  otter  had  been  caught,  and  suffered  to  remain.  It  was  mostly 
in  a  state  of  decomposition.  The  leg  in  the  trap  was  whole,  how- 
ever, and  a  sight  of  that,  Col.  Gordon  afterwards  assured  his 
friends,  looked  more  inviting  to  him  than  the  most  savory  dish  he 
had  ever  beheld  ;  but  pinching  hunger  did  not  compel  a  violation 
of  their  agreement — his  mouth  watered  in  vain,  and  the  finder  ate 
his  dainty  morsel  undisturbed.  When  the  fugitives  arrived  at  a 
house,  and  asked  for  bread,  the  woman  told  them  she  had  not  seen 
a  morsel  in  three  years.  After  crossing  the  St.  Lawrence,  two 
Indians  accompanied  them  as  guides,  but  under  some  pretext  left, 
and  finally  abandoned  them.  The  party,  after  suffering  almost  in- 
credible hardships,  all  reached  their  homes  in  Ballston  to  the  great 
joy  of  their  friends. — Charles  and  Hugh,  sons  of  Major  Mitchell. 

In  the  fall  of  1779,  several  stockades  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mo- 
hawk river  were  under  the  command  of  Col.  Fr.  Fisher,  as  ap- 
pears by  a  journal  of  that  officer's  military  correspondence,  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  author  by  his  son  Maj.  Daniel  Visscher.  Col. 
Fisher  established  his  head  quarters  at  Fort  Paris.  The  following 
facts  are  gleaned  from  the  memoranda.  His  first  patrol  for  the 
several  garrisons  was  "  Washington,"  and  countersign  "  Sulli- 
van." Subject  to  his  direction  were  the  troops  stationed  at  the 
Johnstown  Fort,  Fort  Plank,  and  the  block-houses  at  Sacandaga, 
and  Reme  Snyder's  bush.  The  last  named  was  a  little  distance 
northeast  of  Little  Falls. 

About  the  10th  of  November,  as  reported  to  Gen.  Ten  Broek, 
then  commanding  at  Albany,  Col.  Fisher  mentions  the  burning  of 
a  dwelling  in  the  back  part  of  Mayfield.  The  owner,  Harmanus 
Flanke,  suspected  of  disaffection  to  the  American  cause,  was  then 


318  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

living  in  Johnstown.  The  house  was  supposed  to  have  been  de- 
stroyed by  some  one  from  the  block-house  at  Sacandaga.  The 
roof  of  another  house,  the  owner  of  which  was  of  similar  politics, 
was  torn  off,  such  was  the  spirit  of  party  animosity. 

In  a  letter  to  Maj.  Taylor,  then  commanding  the  Johnstown 
Fort,  dated  November  27,  Col.  Fisher  states  that  he  is  under  the 
necessity  of  convening  a  court  martial  on  the  following  day,  and 
that  he,  the  Major,  should  attend,  bringing  with  him  another  offi- 
cer, also  to  act  as  a  member.  The  same  letter  states  that  an  ac- 
cident happened  at  that  fort  the  same  morning,  by  which  two 
men  were  wounded — one  mortally.  The  nature  of  the  accident 
is  perhaps  explained  in  a  letter  from  Col.  Fisher  to  Gen.  Ten 
Broek,  dated  the  28th  instant.  In  it  he  states,  that  during  his  ab- 
sence to  visit  Fort  Plank,  a  detachment  of  men  from.  Col.  Stephen 
J.  Schuyler's  regiment  mutinied,  and  expressing  a  determination 
to  leave  the  fort,  charged  their  pieces  with  ball,  in  presence  of 
the  officers.  They  were  at  first  persuaded  to  unsling  their  packs 
and  remain  until  Col.  Fisher  returned,  but  seeing  Captain  Jelles 
Fonda,  (known  afterwards  as  Major  Fonda,)  then  in  temporary 
command  of  the  garrison,  writing  to  Col.  F.,  the  mutineers  again 
mounted  packs,  and  knocking  down  the  sentmels  in  their  way,  be- 
gan to  desert  in  earnest.  Capt.  Fonda  ordered  them  to  stand,  but 
not  heeding  his  command  they  continued  their  ffight,  when  he  or- 
dered the  troops  of  the  Fort  to  fire  upon  them :  the  order  was 
obeyed,  and  Jacob  Valentine,  one  of  the  number,  fell  mortally 
wounded,  and  expired  the  next  morning.  The  letter  does  not  so 
state,  but  I  have  been  advised  that  the  deserters  considered  their 
term  of  enlistment  at  an  end.  The  court  martial,  I  suppose,  con- 
vened to  try  Capt.  Fonda,  as  I  have  been  credibly  informed  that 
he  was  thus  tried  for  a  similar  offence,  and  honorably  acquitted. 

Early  in  December,  as  the  season  was  so  far  advanced  that  an 
enemy  was  unlooked  for,  and  provisions  were  becoming  scarce,  it 
was  resolved,  at  a  meeting  of  Colonels  Fisher,  J.  Klock,  and  Lt 
Col.  B.  Wagner,  with  the  sanction  of  Gen.  Ten  Broek,  to  dismiss 
the  three  months  militia  from  further  service ;  and  some  of  the  gar- 
risons were  for  a  time  broken  up. 


.  AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        319 

The  early  and  energetic  measures  adopted  in  1779,  against  the 
enemy,  prevented  the  sallies  of  the  latter  upon  most  of  the  fron- 
tiers of  New  York,  and  that  year  was  one  in  which  the  pioneers 
sulTered  comparatively  but  little,  from  the  tomahawk  and  scalping 
knife. 

At  this  period  of  the  contest  the  states  were  beginning  to  gain 
favor  in  Europe.  Early  in  1779,  the  king  of  Naples  opened  his 
ports  to  the  striped  bunting  of  the  United  States ;  and  in  the 
course  of  the  season  Spain  declared  war  against  England.  John 
Jay  was  appointed  by  Congress,  of  which  he  was  then  a  member, 
a  minister  to  the  court  oi  Spain. 

Although  no  great  enterprises  were  achieved  to  the  United 
States  during  this  season,  if  we  except  the  destruction  of  the  In- 
dian possessions  in  western  New  York ;  still  many  events  oc- 
curred in  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  to  raise  and  depress 
the  hopes  of  the  Americans.  The  south  became  the  theatre  of 
some  of  the  most  important  events.  An  attempt  was  made  by 
the  American  troops  under  Gen.  Lincoln,  and  the  French  under 
the  Count  d'Estaing,  to  take  Savannah;  and  notwithstanding  the 
allied  forces  displayed  great  bravery,  they  were  repulsed  with  a 
loss  of  1000  men.  Several  good  officers  were  killed  in  this  un- 
fortunate attack,  among  whom  was  the  noble  and  generous  Pole, 
Count  Pulaski,  then  a  brigadier-general. 

Although  several  brilliant  exploits  were  performed  at  the  south 
by  the  American  troops,  still  the  year  closed  without  any  event 
transpiring  to  greatly  accelerate  the  close  of  the  contest.  In  the 
course  of  the  season.  Gen.  Tryon  and  Gen.  Garth  wantonly  de- 
stroyed much  property  along  the  coast  of  Connecticut.  After 
sacking  New  Haven,  they  laid  Fairfield  and  Norwalk  in  ashes, 
committing  numerous  outrages  upon  the  helpless  citizens.  As 
the  militia  turned  out  promptly  on  those  occasions,  the  British 
sought  safety  on  shipboard.  While  the  enemy  were  thus  en- 
gaged in  Connecticut,  Gen.  Wayne  most  gallantly  stormed  the 
fortress  of  Stony  Point  in  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson. 

It  was  also  in  the  autumn  of  this  season  that  Com.  John  Paul 
Jones,  a  meritorious  and  distino-uished  naval  officer  in  the  Ameri- 


320  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC. 

can  service,  alarmed  several  towns  in  Scotland,  and  in  an  en- 
gagement off  that  coast,  took  the  British  frigate  Serapis,  after  one 
of  the  most  bloody  battles  ever  fought  upon  the  ocean.  Both 
ships  were  repeatedly  on  fire,  and  when  the  enemy  struck  his  co- 
lors, the  wounded  could  scarcely  be  removed  to  the  conquered 
vessel,  which  was  also  much  crippled,  before  the  Bon  Homme 
Richard,  Jones's  ship,  went  down. 

At  the  close  of  the  season,  part  of  the  northern  army  went  into 
winter  quarters  under  Gen.  Washington  a  second  time  at  Morris- 
town,  New  Jersey,  and  the  remainder  in  the  vicinity  of  "West 
Point.  Owing  to  the  almost  valueless  currency  of  the  country, 
which  would  not  buy  provisions,  a  want  of  proper  management 
in  the  commissary  department,  a  lack  of  suitable  clothing,  and  the 
extreme  severity  of  the  winter,  the  American  troops  suffered  in- 
credible hardships.  But  this  suffering  was  endured,  for  their  be- 
loved commander  suffered  with  them,  and  the  object  for  which 
the  soldier  had  taken  up  arms,  had  not  yet  been  accomplished. 


(  321  ) 


CHAPTER  XL 


If  the  Indians  had  been  severly  chastised  in  New  York  in  1779, 
and  had  been  obhged  to  seek  out  new  habitations  for  their  fami- 
lies, and  consequently  were  not  very  troublesome  that  season ; 
they  were  early  treading  the  war  path  the  succeeding  year,  to 
revenge  the  lasting  injuries  done  them. 

The  following  incident  transpired  in  the  spring  of  1780,  in  the 
Mohawk  valley.  The  facts  were  related  to  the  author  by  John 
S.  Quackenboss,  and  Isaac  Covenhoven,  the  latter  one  of  the  ac- 
tors : 

George  Cuck,  a  tory  who  had  become  somewhat  notorious 
from  his  having  been  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  Oriskany, 
Cherry-Valley,  and  elsewhere,  entered  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk 
late  in  the  fall  of  1779,  with  the  view  of  obtaining  the  scalps  of 
Capt.  Jacob  Gardiner,  and  his  Lieut.  Abraham  D.  Quackenboss, 
(father  of  John  S,,)  for  which  the  enemy  had  offered  a  large 
bounty.  Cuck  was  seen  several  times  in  the  fall,  and  on  one  oc- 
casion, while  sitting  upon  a  rail  fence,  was  fired  upon  by  Abra- 
ham Covenhoven,  a  former  whig  neighbor.  The  ball  entered  the 
rail  upon  which  he  sat,  and  he  escaped.  As  nothing  more  was 
seen  of  him  after  that  event,  it  was  generally  supposed  he  had 
returned  to  Canada.  At  this  period,  a  tory  by  the  name  of  John 
Van  Zuyler.  resided  in  a  small  dwelling  which  stood  in  a  then 
retired  spot,  a  few  rods  south  of  the  present  residence  of  Maj. 
James  Winne,  in  the  town  of  Glen.  Van  Zuyler  had  three 
daughters,  and  although  he  lived  some  distance  from  neighbors, 
and  a  dense  forest  intervened  between  his  rei>idence  and  the  river 
settlements,  several  miles  distant,  the  young  whigs  would  occa- 
sionally visit  his  girls.  Tory  girls,  I  must  presume,  sometimes 
made  agreeable  sparks^  or  sparkers,  especially  in  sugar  time. 


322  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

James  Cromwell,  a  young  man  who  lived  near  the  Mohawk, 
went  out  one  pleasant  summer  evening  in  the  month  of  March, 
to  see  one  of  Van  Zuyler's  daughters.  Most  of  the  settlers  then 
made  maple  sugar,  and  Cromwell  found  his  fair  Dulcinea,  boiling 
sap  in  the  sugar  bush.  While  they  were  sparking  it,  the  term  for 
courting  in  the  country,  the  girl,  perhaps  thinking  her  name 
would  soon  be  Mrs.  Cromwell,  became  very  confiding  and  com- 
municative. She  told  her  beau  that  the  tory  Cuck,  was  at  their 
house.  Cromwell  at  first  appeared  incredulous — "  he  is  surely 
there,"  said  she,  "  and  when  any  one  visits  the  house,  Ae  is  secret- 
ed under  the  floor. ^^  The  report  of  his  having  been  seen  in  the 
fall  instantly  recurred  to  his  mind,  and  from  the  earnestness  of  the 
girl,  he  beUeved  her  story.  Perhaps  Cromwell  was  aware  that 
the  girl  when  with  him  was  inclined  to  be  whiggish — be  that  as 
it  may,  he  resolved  instantly  to  set  about  ascertaining  the  truth 
or  falsehood  of  the  information.  In  a  very  short  time  he  com- 
plained of  being  made  suddenly  ill,  from  eating  too  much  sugar. 
The  girl  whose  sympathy  was  aroused,  thinking  from  his  motions 
that  he  was  badly  griped,  finally  consented  to  let  him  go  home 
and  sugar  off  alone.  Away  went  Cromwell  pressing  his  hands 
upon  his  bowels,  and  groaning  fearfully  until  he  was  out  of  sight 
and  hearing  of  his  paramour,  when  the  pains  left  him.  Taking 
a  direct  course  through  the  woods,  he  reached  the  dwelling  of 
Capt.  Jacob  Gardinier,  some  four  miles  below  his  own,  and  with- 
in the  present  village  of  Fultonville,  about  12  o'clock  at  night, 
and  calling  him  up,  told  him  what  he  had  heard.  Capt.  Gardin- 
ier sent  immediatly  to  his  Lieut.  Quackenboss,  to  select  a  dozen 
stout  hearted  men  and  meet  them  as  soon  as  possible  at  his  house. 
The  lieutenant  enquired  what  business  was  on  hand — the  mes- 
senger replied — "  Capt.  Gardinier  said  I  should  tell  you  that  there 
was  a  black  bear  to  be  caught.''  In  a  short  time  the  requisite 
number  of  whigs  had  assembled,  and  the  captain,  taking  his 
heutenant  aside,  told  him  the  duty  he  had  to  perform.  He  de- 
clined going  himself  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  entrusted  the 
enterprise  to  his  lieutenant.  He  directed  him  to  proceed  with 
the  utmost  caution,  as  the  foe  was  no  doubt  armed,  and   as  his 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         323 

name  was  a  terror  in  the  valley,  to  kill  him  at  all  hazards.     The 
party  well  armed,  set  off  on  the  mission. 

The  snow  yet  on  the  ground  was  crusted  so  hard,  that  it  bore 
them,  and  having  the  advantage  of  a  bright  moon-light  night, 
they  marched  rapidly  forward.  Halting  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
Van  Zuyler's  house,  the  lieutenant  struck  up  a  fire,  and  as  his 
men  gathered  round  an  ignited  stump,  he  addressed  them  near- 
ly as  follows  :  "  My  brave  lads !  It  is  said  the  villian  Cuck, 
is  in  yonder  house,  secreted  beneath  the  floor.  The  object  of  our 
visit  is  to  destroy  him.  He  is  a  bold  and  desperate  fellow — 
doubtless  well  armed,  and  in  all  probability  some  of  us  must  fall 
by  his  hand.  Those  of  you,  therefore,  who  decline  engaging  in 
so  dangerous  an  undertaking,  are  now  at  liberty  to  return  home." 
"  We  are  ready  to  follow  where  you  dare  to  lead  !"  was  the  re- 
sponse of  one  and  all.  It  is  yet  too  early,  said  the  heutenant, 
and  while  they  were  waiting  for  the  return  of  day,  the  plan  of 
attack  was  agreed  upon.  At  the  stump  w^as  assembled  Lieut. 
Quackenboss,  Isaac  and  Abraham  Covenhoven,  twin  brothers, 
John  Ogden,  Jacob  Collier,  Abraham  J.,  and  Peter  J.  Quacken- 
boss, Martin  Gardinier,  James  Cromwell,  Gilbert  Van  Alstyne, 
Nicholas,  son  of  Capt.  Gardinier,  a  sergeant,  Henry  Thompson, 
and  Nicholas  Quackenboss,  also  a  sergeant.  It  was  agreed  that 
the  party  should  separate  and  approach  the  house  in  different 
directions,  so  as  not  to  excite  suspicion.  The  appearance  of  a 
light  in  the  dwelling  was  the  signal  for  moving  forward,  and  se- 
lecting Ogden,  Collier,  and  Abraham  J.  Quackenboss  to  follow 
him,  the  lieutenant  led  directly  to  the  house.  As  they  approach- 
ed it,  a  large  watch  dog  met  them  with  his  yelping,  which  caus- 
ed the  opening  of  a  little  wooden  slide  over  a  loophole  for  ob- 
servation, by  a  member  of  the  family ;  but  seeing  only  four  per- 
sons, the  inmates  supposed  they  were  sugar-makers.  On  reach- 
ing the  door  and  finding  it  fastened,  the  soldiers  instantly  forced 
it — the  family,  as  may  be  supposed,  were  thrown  into  confusion 
by  the  unexpected  entrance  of  armed  men.  "  What  do  you  want 
here  ?"  demanded  Van  Zuyler.  "  The  tory  George  Cuck !"  was 
the  lieutenant's  reply.     Van  Zuyler  declared  that  the  object  of 


324  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

their  search  was  not  in  his  house.  The  three  daughters  had  al- 
ready gone  to  the  sugar-works,  and  their  father  expressed  to 
Lieut.  Quackenboss,  his  wish  to  go  there  too.  He  was  permitted 
to  go,  but  thinking  it  possible  that  Cuck  might  also  have  gone 
there,  several  men  then  approaching  the  house,  were  ordered  to 
keep  an  eye  on  his  movement.  Abraham  Covenhoven  was  one 
of  the  second  party  who  entered  the  house.  There  was  a  dark 
stairway  which  led  to  an  upper  room,  in  which  it  was  thought 
the  object  of  their  search  might  be  secreted.  Covenhoven  was 
in  the  act  of  ascending  the  stairs  with  his  gun  aimed  upward, 
and  ready  to  fire,  as  Abraham  J.  Quackenboss,  drew  a  large  chest 
from  the  wall  on  one  side  of  the  room,  disclosing  the  object  of 
their  search.  Discharging  a  pistol  at  Nicholas  Gardinier,  the 
tory  sprang  out  before  Quackenboss,  who  was  so  surprised  that 
he  stood  like  a  statue,  exclaiming,  "dunderf  dunder  !  dunder!" 
The  wary  lieutenant  was  on  his  guard,  and  as  Cuck  leaped  upon 
the  floor  from  a  little  cellar  hole,  made  on  purpose  for  his  secre- 
tion, he  sent  a  bullet  through  his  head,  carrying  with  it  the  eye 
opposite.  He  fell  upon  one  knee,  when  the  lieutenant  ordered 
the  two  comrades  beside  him  to  fire.  Ogden  did  so,  sending  a 
bullet  through  his  breast,  and  as  he  sank  to  the  floor,  Collier, 
placing  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  near  his  head,  blew  out  his  brains. 
Thus  ended  the  life  of  a  man,  who,  in  an  evil  hour,  had  resolved 
to  imbrue  his  hands  in  the  blood  of  his  former  neighbors  and  coun- 
trymen. 

When  the  first  gun  was  fired,  Covenhoven  said  the  report  was 
so  loud  and  unexpected  that  he  supposed  it  fired  by  Cuck  him- 
self, and  came  near  falling  down  stairs.  Had  the  party  not  divi- 
ded into  several  squads,  the  peep  from  the  slide  window  would 
have  betrayed  the  object  of  their  visit,  and  more  than  one  would 
doubtless  have  fallen  before  the  villain  had  been  slain,  for  he  had 
two  loaded  guns  in  the  house,  and  a  brace  of  well  charged  pistols, 
only  one  of  which  he  had  taken  into  his  kennel.  They  also  found 
belonging  to  him,  a  complete  Indian's  dress,  and  two  small  bags 
of  parched  corn  and  maple  sugar,  pounded  fine  and  mixed  to- 
gether, an  Indian  dish,  called  by  the  Dutch  quitcheraw — intended 
as  food  for  a  long  journey. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        325 

After  his  death,  it  was  ascertained  that  Cuck  had  entered  the 
valley  late  in  the  fall — that  he  had  been  concealed  at  the  house 
of  this  kindred  spirit,  who  pretended  neutrality  in  the  contest, 
whose  retired  situation  favored  the  plans  of  his  guest,  and  was 
watching  a  favorable  opportunity  to  secure  the  scalps  mentioned, 
and  return  to  Canada.  The  making  of  maple  sugar  he  had  sup- 
posed would  favor  his  intentions,  as  an  enemy  was  unlooked  for 
so  early  in  the  season,  and  the  ptrsons  whose  scalps  he  sought, 
would  probably  expose  themselves  in  the  woods.  He  had  intend- 
ed, if  possible,  to  secure  both  scalps  in  one  day,  and  by  a  hasty 
flight,  pursue  the  nearest  route  to  Canada.  As  the  time  of  sugar- 
making  had  arrived,  it  is  probable  his  enterprise  was  on  the  eve  of 
being  consummated  ;  but  the  goddess  of  liberty,  spread  her  wings 
in  his  path,  and  defeated  his  hellish  intentions. 

Van  Zuyler  was  made  a  prisoner  by  the  party,  and  lodged  in 
the  jail  at  Johnstown  ;  from  whence  he  was  removed  not  long  af- 
ter to  Albany.  When  they  were  returning  home  with  Van  Zuy- 
ler in  custody,  as  they  approached  the  sugar  bush  of  Evert  Van 
Epps,  near  the  present  village  of  Fultonville,  one  of  them,  put- 
ting on  the  Indian  dress  of  Cuck,  (which,  with  the  guns  and  pis- 
tols were  taken  home  as  trophies,)  approached  the  sugar  makers 
as  an  enemy,  which  occasioned  a  precipitate  retreat.  The  fugi- 
tives were  called  back  by  others  of  the  party,  when  a  rope  being 
provided,  their  prisoner  was  drawn  up  to  the  limb  of  a  tree  sev- 
eral times  by  the  neck ;  but  as  he  had  been  guilty  of  no  known 
crime,  except  that  of  harboring  Cuck,  although  suspected  of  burn- 
ing Covenhoven's  barn  in  the  fall,  his  life  was  spared  and  he  was 
disposed  of  as  before  stated.  Cuck  was  a  native  of  Tryon 
county,  and  was  born  not  many  miles  from  where  he  died. 

On  the  2d  day  of  April,  1780,  a  scout  of  fourteen  individuals, 
commanded  by  Lieut.  Alexander  Harper,  (not  Col.  John  Harper 
as  stated  by  some  writers,)  were  sent  from  the  Schoharie  forts  by 
Col.  Vrooman  into  the  vicinity  of  Harpersfield,  to  keep  an  eye  on 
the  conduct  of  certain  suspected  persons  living  near  the  head  wa- 
ters of  the  Delaware,  and  if  possible  to  make  a  quantity  of  ma- 
ple sugar.  The  party  were  surprised  after  being  there  a  few  days, 
22 


326  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

by  a  body  of  Indians  and  tories  under  Joseph  Brant,  and  hurried 
off  to  Canada.  The  scout  consisted  of  Lt.  Harper,  Freegift  Pat- 
chin,*  Isaac  Patchin  his  brother,  Ezra  Thorp,  Lt.  Henry  Thorp, 
Thomas  Henry,  afterwards  major,  and  his  brother  James  Henry, 
CorneUus  Teabout,  one  Stevens  and  five  others.  About  the  time 
they  arrived  at  their  place  of  destination,  a  heavy  snow  fell,  and 
not  anticipating  the  approach  of  a  foe,  they  began  their  sugar 
manufacture.  The  preceding  winter  has  justly  been  designated  in 
the  annals  of  mercury  as  the  cold  winter,  and  the  spring  was  ve- 
ry backward.  They  were  busily  engaged  in  sugar  making — 
which  can  only  be  done  while  the  weather  thaws  in  the  day  time 
and  freezes  in  the  night — from  the  time  of  their  arrival  until  the 
7th,  when  they  were  surprised  by  forty-three  Indians  and  seven 
tories. 

So  unlooked  for  was  the  approach  of  an  enemy,  and  so  com- 
plete was  their  surprise,  that  the  Americans  did  not  fire  a  gun. 
Two  of  them  were  shot  down,  and  eleven  more,  who  were  in  the 
sugar  hush,  surrendered  themselves  prisoners.  Poor  Stevens,  who 
was  on  that  day  sick  in  bed,  and  unable  to  proceed  with  the  pri- 
soners, was  killed  and  scalped  in  cold  blood.  Brant,  on  recognis- 
ing Harper,  approached  him.  "  Harper .'"  said  he,  "  lam  sorry 
to  find  you  here!"  "  Why?" — asked  the  latter.  "  Because"  re- 
plied he,  "  /  must  kill  you,  although  we  were  once  school  mates!" 
The  ostensible  object  of  Brant's  mission  had  been,  to  lay  waste 
the  Schoharie  settlements.  Confronting  Harper,  with  his  eyes 
keenly  fixed  upon  him,  he  enquired — "  Are  there  any  troops  at 
Schoharie  ?"  Harper's  anxiety  for  the  settlers  prompted  the  ready 
answer — "  Yes,  three  hundred  continental  troops  froin  the  castioard, 
arrived  at  the  forts  hut  three  days  since."  The  intelligence — false, 
although  the  occasion  justified  it — was  unwelcome  to  the  great 
chief,  whose  countenance  indicated  disappointment.  The  eleven 
prisoners  were  then  pinioned,  and  secured  in  a  hog-pen.  Several 
tories  were  stationed  to  guard  them  during   the   night,  among 

•  Mr.  Patchin  was  a  fifer  during  the  war,  and  a  general  of  milit'a  after  its 
close.  He  wos  a  very  worthy  man,  and  once  represented  his  county  in  the 
Legislatare. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        327 

whom  was  one  Bcacraft,  a  notorious  villain,  as  his  after  conduct 
will  show. 

The  Indians  built  a  large  fire  near,  and  were  in  consultation  for 
a  long  time,  about  what  disposition  should  be  made  with  the  pri- 
soners. Harper  could  understand  much  of  their  dialect,  and  ov- 
erheard several  of  the  Indians  and  tories  urging  the  death  of  the 
prisoners,  as  they  did  not  consider  the  enterprise  sufficiently  ac- 
complished. The  opinion  of  Brant,  which  was  that  the  party  re- 
turn immediately  to  Niagara,  finally  prevailed.  Often  during  the 
night,  while  an  awful  suspense  was  hanging  over  the  fate  of  the 
prisoners,  would  Bcacraft  comfort  them  with  this  and  similar  salu- 
tations— "  You  d — d rebels!  youHl  all  he  in  hell  before  moming.^^ 

Lieut.  Harper  discovered,  while  the  enemy  were  consulting  the 
preceding  evening,  that  his  word  was  doubted  by  many  of  the  par- 
ty, and  early  in  the  morning  he  was  ordered  before  an  Indian 
council  consisting  of  Brant  and  five  other  chiefs.  He  was  told 
that  his  story  about  the  arrival  of  troops  at  Schoharie  was  unbe- 
Ueved.  The  question  as  to  its  truih  was  again  asked,  while  the 
auditors — tomahawk  in  hand — awaited  the  answer.  Harper, 
whose  countenance  indicated  scorn  at  having  his  word  thus  doubt- 
ed, replied  that  what  he  had  before  told  them  was  true,  and  that 
if  they  any  longer  doubted  it,  they  should  go  there,  and  have  their 
doubts  removed.  Not  a  muscle  of  the  brave  man's  countenance 
indicated  fear  or  prevarication,  and  full  credit  was  then  given  to 
the  statement.  Fortunate  would  it  be  if  every  falsehood  was  as 
productive  of  good,  for  that  alone  prevented  the  destroyers  from 
entering  the  Schoharie  valley,  when  it  was  feebly  garrisoned,  and 
where  they  intended  to  strike  the  first  effectual  blow  in  revenge  of 
the  injuries  done  them  the  year  before,  by  the  armies  under  Van 
Schaick  and  Sullivan. 

The  rest  of  the  prisoners  were  now  let  out  of  the  pig-stye,  when 
Brant  told  them  in  English  that  the  intended  destination  of  the 
party  was  Schoharie,  which  he  had  been  informed  was  but  feebly 
garrisoned — that  his  followers  were  much  disappointed  at  being 
obliged  thus  to  return— that  it  had  been  with  difficulty  he  and  his 
chiefs  had  restrained  the  desire  of  their  comrades  to  kill  the  pri- 


328  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

soners  and  proceed  to  the  Schoharie  valley — that  if  they  would 
accompany  him  to  Niagara,  they  should  be  treated  as  prisoners 
of  war,  and  fare  as  did  their  captors.  The  latter  expressed  a  wil- 
lingness to  proceed.  They  were  compelled  to  carry  the  heavy 
packs  of  the  Indians,  filled  with  plunder  taken  at  the  destruction 
of  Harpersfield  but  a  few  days  before,  and  all  set  forward  for  Ca- 
nada. They  were  still  bound,  and  as  the  snow  was  several  feet 
deep,  they  at  first  found  it  very  difficult  to  keep  up  with  the  In- 
dians, who  were  provided  with  show- shoes.  Some  ten  or  fifteen 
miles  from  the  place  of  capture,  the  party  halted  at  a  grist-mill, 
upon  the  Delaware  river,  owned  by  a  tory.  This  royalist  told 
Brant  he  might  better  have  taken  rfiore  scalps  and  less  prisoners  ; 
and  his  daughters,  sensitive  creatures,  even  urged  the  more  gene- 
rous chieftain  to  kill  his  prisoners  then,  lest  they  might  return  at 
some  future  day  and  injure  their  family.  The  enemy  obtained  of 
this  tory  about  three  bushels  of  shelled  corn,  which  was  also  put 
upon  the  backs  of  the  prisoners,  and  they  resumed  their  march. 
They  had  proceeded  but  a  few  miles  down  the  river,  when  they 
met  Samuel  Clockstone,  a  tory  well  known  to  Brant  and  most  of 
the  prisoners.  When  Brant  made  known  to  him  the  intended  ex- 
pedition, and  its  termination  from  what  Lieut  Harper  had  told 
him,  Clockstone  replied — "  depend  upon  it,  there  are  no  troops  at 
Schoharie — I  have  heard  of  none."  With  uplifted  tomahawk 
Brant  approached  Harper,  who  was  confronted  by  Clockstone. 
"  Why  have  you  lied  to  me  ?" — asked  the  Indian,  with  passion  de- 
picted in  every  feature  and  gesture.  Harper,  apprised  of  what 
the  tory  had  said,  in  his  reply,  thus  addressed  the  latter.  "I 
have  been  to  the  forts  but  four  days  since,  the  troops  had  then  ar- 
rived, and  if  Capt.  Brant  disbelieves  me,  he  does  so  at  his  peiil.'' 
Noble,  generous  hearted  fellow,  thas  to  peril  his  own  life  to  save 
the  lives  of  others.  He  had  alone  visited  the  forts  after  the  party 
were  at  the  sugar-bush,  which  Clockstone  happened  to  know,  and 
the  latter  admitted  that  possibly  troops  had  arrived.  Brant  was 
now  satisfied  that  his  prisoner  had  not  deceived  him,  and  the 
march  was  resumed. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Harpersfield  the  Indians  made  prisoners  an 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         329 

aged  man  named  Brown,  and  two  little  boys — his  grand-sons. 
On  the  day  after  the  party  met  Clockstone,  as  the  traveling  was 
very  bad,  Brown,  having  also  a  heavy  pack  to  carry,  found  himself 
unable  to  keep  up  with  the  company,  and  begged  permission  of  his 
captors  to  return ;  telling  them  that  he  was  too  old  to  take  any 
part  in  the  war,  and  could  not  injure  the  king's  cause.  On  his 
making  this  request,  the  party  halted  and  the  old  gentleman's 
pack  was  taken  from  him.  Knowing  the  Indian  character,  he  read 
his  fate  in  the  expressive  gestures  of  his  silent  masters,  and  told 
his  grand-sons,  in  a  low  voice,  that  they  would  never  see  him 
again,  for  the  Indians  were  going  to  kill  him.  He  took  an  affect- 
ing leave  of  the  boys  and  was  then  compelled  to  fall  in  the  rear, 
where  he  was  left  in  the  charge  of  an  Indian,  whose  face,  painted 
black,  denoted  him  as  being  the  executioner  for  the  party.  In  a 
short  time  this  Indian  overtook  his  comrades  with  the  hairless 
scalp  of  the  murdered  prisoner,  hanging  at  the  end  of  his  gun. 

The  party  proceeded  down  the  Delaware  river  to  the  Cook- 
house flats,  from  whence  they  directed  their  course  to  Oquago. 
Constructing  rafts,  they  floated  down  the  Susquehanna  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Chemung.  The  prisoners  were  unbound  when  on 
the  raft,  but  rebound  on  leaving  it. 

The  Indians,  capable  of  enduring  more  fatigue  than  their  pri- 
soners on  a  scanty  supply  of  food — being  provided  with  snow-shoes, 
and  having  little  baggage  to  carry,  would  probably  have  wearied 
out  most  of  their  prisoners,  whose  bodies,  like  that  of  poor  Brown, 
would  have  been  left  to  feast  wild  beasts,  and  their  bones,  like 
his,  to  bleach  upon  the  mountains,  had  not  Brant  providentially 
fallen  ill  of  fever  and  ague,  which  compelled  the  party  for  a  time 
to  lay  by  every  other  day  on  his  account.  They  had  been  jour- 
neying about  a  fortnight,  and  were  approaching  a  warmer  lati- 
tude, when  a  rattle-snake,  which  had  left  its  den  in  a  warm  spot, 
was  killed,  and  a  soup  made  of  it,  a  free  use  of  t\-hich  effected  a 
cure  for  the  invalid. 

The  corn  obtained  near  the  head  of  the  Delaware,  was  equally 
distributed  among  the  whole  party,  by  an  allowance  of  about  two 
handfuls  a  day,  which  was  counted  out  by  the  berry  to  deal  jus- 


330  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

tice.  This  is  a  noble  trait  of  the  Indian  character.  He  never 
grudgingly  gives  a  scanty  allowance  to  his  prisoner,  and  satiates 
his  own  appetite,  but  shares  equally  his  last  morsel  with  him. 
The  corn  was  boiled  in  small  kettles  carried  by  the  Indians  pre- 
paratory to  eating. 

While  in  the  vicinity  of  Tioga-Point,  the  prisoners  came  near 
being  sacrificed,  to  gratify  the  savage  disposition  to  revenge,  even 
on  the  innocent,  an  injury  done  to  a  friend.  While  the  Indians 
■were  on  their  way  down  the  Chemung,  Brant  detached  ten  of  his 
warriors,  mostly  Senecas,  to  a  place  called  Minisink,*  an  old 
frontier  settlement  on  the  borders  of  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
Tania,  in  the  hope  of  making  prisoners  and  plunder.  They  ar- 
rived in  due  time  at  the  place  of  destination,  and  succeeded  in  ob- 
taining several  scalps  and  five  prisoners,  three  men  and  two  small 
children.  The  following  particulars  of  their  capture  and  escape, 
I  find  in  a  note  subjoined  to  Treafs  Oration,  delivered  at  Geneseo 
in  3841,  on  exhuming  the  remains  of  Lieut.  Boyd  and  his  com- 
mand. 

"  The  father  of  Major  Van  Campen  was  thrust  through  with  a 
spear ;  and  whilst  the  red  warrior  was,  with  his  foot  on  the  breast 
of  his  victim,  endeavoring  to  extricate  his  spear,  another  savage 
had  dashed  out  the  brains  of  Moses  Van  Campen's  brother  with  a 
tomahawk,  and  was  aiming  a  blow  at  Moses'  head.  He  seized  the 
Indian's  arm,  and  arrested  the  descending  blow.  Whilst  thus  en- 
gaged, his  father's  murderer  thrust  his  spear  at  his  side.  But  he 
avoided  the  Aveapon,  being  onl)'  slightly  wounded.  At  this  mo- 
ment the  chief  interfered,  and  his  life  was  spared. 

"  After  several  days'  march,  the  party  of  Senecas  above  men- 
tioned, arrived  near  Tioga  point,  with  Lieut,  (now  Major)  Van 
Campen  ;  a  Dutchman  b}'  the  name  of  Pence  ;  Pike,  a  robust 
Yankee;  and  two  small  children.  During  the  day,  these  prison- 
ers marched  with  the  party,  bearing  the  baggage  ;  and  at  the  eve-- 
ning  halt,  were  made  to  carry  the  wood  for  the  fires. 

"  Van  Campen  had,  for  some  time,  urged  upon  the  two  men, 
prisoners  with  him,  to  make  an  attempt  to  escape  during  the  night, 
by  tomahawking  the  Indians  whilst  sleeping.  He  depicted  to 
them  the  horrors  of  a  long  captivity,  and  of  the  agonizing  tortures 
to  which  they  would  probably  be  subjected.  His  companions, 
however,  were  at  first  alarmed  at  the  danger  of  a  contest  with  ten 
warriors.     During  the   afternoon  preceding  the   eventful  night  of 

•  This  word  signifies,  as  I  have  been  told,  "  The  water  is  gone.". 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         331 

their  delivery,  he  succeeded  in  persuading  them  to  join  him  in  the 
meditated  blow,  before  they  crossed  the  river  and  their  retreat  was 
thereby  cut  ofT.  He  advised  tlicni  to  remove  the  Indians'  rifles  ;  and 
with  the  head  of  the  tomahawks,  dash  out  their  brains  ;  for  if  the 
edf^es  of  the  weapon  were  used,  th«  time  required  to  extricate  the 
hatchet  after  each  blow,  would  prove  a  dangerous  delay.  He  was 
over-ruled  by  his  comrades  ;  and  after  some  discussion  among 
them,  that  plan  was  adopted,  which  was  finally  acted  upon. 

"  At  evening,  the  savages,  according  to  their  custom,  lighted 
their  fires,  and  bound  the  arms  of  the  captives  behind  their  backs. 
They  then  cut  two  forked  stakes  for  each  side  of  the  fire,  and 
placed  between  them  (resting  on  the  forks)  two  poles,  against  which 
they  could  lean  their  rifles.  During  the  evening  meal,  one  of  the 
savages,  after  sharpening  a  stick  on  which  to  roast  his  meat,  laid 
down  his  knife  in  tlie  grass,  near  the  feet  of  Van  Campen,  who 
saw  it,  and  so  turned  his  feet  as  to  cover  it,  hoping  the  Indian 
would  forget  it  before  going  to  rest.  After  the  meal  was  finished, 
the  ten  Indians  having  first  examined  their  prisoners  to  ascertain  if 
they  were  fast  bound,  lay  down  to  sleep.  Five  were  on  each  side 
of  the  fire — their  heads  under  the  poles,  and  his  rifle  standing  at 
the  head  of  each,  ready  to  be  grasped  at  the  instant. 

"About  midniglit.  Van  Campen  sat  up  and  looked  around,  to 
learn  if  all  were  asleep.  Their  loud  snoring  told  him  the  hour  to 
strike  had  arrived.  He  then,  with  his  feet  drew  the  knife  within 
reach  of  his  pinioned  hands.  Rising  cautiously,  he  roused  his 
companions.  Pence  cut  the  bands  from  Van  Campen's  arms,  and 
the  latter  then  cut  loose  his  two  comrades.  There  had  been  a 
slight  fall  of  snow,  which  had  frozen  among  the  leaves,  and  ren- 
dered every  footstep  fearfully  audible.  But  they  succeeded  in  re- 
moving all  the  rifles  to  a  tree  at  a  short  distance  from  the  fire, 
without  awaking  one  of  the  warriors.  During  the  afternoon,  sev- 
eral of  the  rifles  had  been  discharged  in  killing  a  deer,  and,  through 
forget  fulness,  left  unloaded.  The  plan  proposed  was,  that  Pence, 
who  was  an  excellent  marksman,  should  lie  down  on  the  left  of 
one  row  of  Indians,  with  three  rifles  ;  and,  at  the  given  signal,  fire. 
They  supposed  the  same  ball  would  pass  through  at  least  two  sav- 
ages. In  the  mean  time.  Van  Campen  should  tomahawk  three  of 
those  on  the  other  side  and  Pike,  two.  Then  there  would  be  but 
three  Indians  remaining,  and  each  of  the  captives  was  to  fasten  on 
his  foe — Van  Campen  and  Pike  with  their  tomahawks,  and  Pence 
with  one  of  the  undischarged  rifles.  Fortunately,  for  their  safety, 
Pence  had  taken  the  two  unloaded  rifles. 

"  All  things  being  ready,  Van  Campen's  tomahawk  dashed  out 
the  brains  of  one  of  the  Indians  at  a  single  blow ;  but  Pence's  ri- 
fle snapped  without  discharging.  At  the  noise,  one  of  the  two  as- 
signed to  Pike's  charge,  with  a  sudden  "  ugh  .'"  extended  his  hand 
for  his  rifle.  Pike's  heart  failing  him  at  this  awful  crisis  :  he 
crouched  to  the  ground  and  stirred  not.  But  Van  Campen  saw  the 
Indian  starting  to  his  feet ;  and,   as  quick  as  thought,   drove  the 


332  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

tomahawk  through  his  head.  Just  as  the  fifth  blow  of  Van  Camp- 
en  had  despatched  the  last  savage  on  his  side  of  the  fire,  Pence 
tried  the  third  rifle,  and  the  ball  passed  through  the  heads  of  four. 
The  fifth  on  that  side,  John  Mohawk,  bounded  to  his  feet,  and 
rushed  towards  the  rifles.  Van  Campen  darted  between  him  and 
the  tree,  and  Mohawk  turned  in  flight.  Van  Campen  pursued  him, 
and  drove  the  tomahawk  through  his  shoulder.  Mohawk  imme- 
diately grappled  his  adversary ;  and,  in  the  struggle,  both  fell — 
Van  Campen  undermost.  Each  knew  his  life  depended  on  the 
firmness  of  his  grasp  ;  and  they  clung  to  each  other  with  unre- 
laxed  nerve,  and  writhed  to  break  free.  Van  Campen  lay  under 
the  wounded  shoulder,  and  was  almost  suffocated  with  the  Indian's 
blood  which  streamed  over  his  face.  He  eagerly  stretched  his 
hand  around  Mohawk's  body  to  reach  the  knife  of  the  latter ;  for 
the  tomahawk  had  fallen  from  his  hand  in  the  struggle.  But  as 
they  fell,  the  Indian's  belt  had  been  twisted  around  lais  body,  and 
the  knife  was  beyond  his  reach.  At  length  they  break  away,  and 
both  spring  to  their  feet.  MohaAvk's  arms  had  been  round  Van 
Campen's  neck,  and  the  arm  of  the  latter  over  the  back  of  the 
former.  As  they  gained  their  feet.  Van  Campen  seized  the  toma- 
hawk and  pursued  the  again  retreating  Indian.  His  first  impulse 
was  to  hurl  the  hatchet  at  his  foe ;  but  he  saw  at  once  the  impru- 
dence of  the  course.  If  it  missed  its  object,  it  would  be  turned  in 
a  moment  against  his  OAvn  life ;  and  he  therefore  gave  over  the 
pursuit,  and  one  alone  of  the  ten  Senecas  escaped. 

"  On  returning  to  his  comrades,  he  found  Pike  on  his  knees  beg- 
ging for  his  life,  and  Pence  standing  over  him  with  loaded  rifle, 
ready  to  fire.  Pence  answered  V.  C.'s  inquir}'  into  his  conduct,  by 
saying,  "  De  tarn  Yankee  bee's  a  cowart,  and  I  musht  kill  um." 
With  difficulty  Van  Campen  prevailed  upon  the  Dutchman  to  spare 
the  frightened  and  dastardly  Pike.  They  then  scalped  their  victims  ; 
and,  taking  their  rifles,  set  forAvard  with  the  two  boys,  on  their  return 
home,  which  they  reached  in  safety.  Among  the  scalps  which 
were  strung  to  the  belt  of  one  of  the  warriors,  were  those  of  Van 
Campen's  father  and  brother." 

Mohawk,  the  sachem  who  had  escaped  from  Van  Campen,  was 
occupying  a  little  hut  near  Tioga  Point,  where  the  Minisink  party 
were  to  await  Brant's  arrival,  endeavoring  to  cure  his  wound, 
when  he  returned  with  his  prisoners.  As  the  party  under  Brant 
drew  near  that  place,  the  war  whoop  was  sounded,  and  was  soon 
answered  by  a  pitiful  howl — the  death  yell  of  the  lone  Indian. 
The  party  halted  in  mute  astonishment,  when  the  Indian,  with  the 
nine  pairs  of  mocasons,  taken  from  the  feet  of  his  dead  comrades, 
came  forward  and  related  the  adventures  of  himself  and  friends, 
and  the  terrible  disaster  that  had  overtaken  them.     Instantly,  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         333 

whole  band  under  Brant  seemed  transformed  to  so  many  devils  in- 
carnate, gathering  round  their  prisoners  with  frantic  gestures,  and 
cutting  the  air  with  their  weapons  of  death.  At  this  critical  mo- 
ment, when  the  fate  of  the  prisoners  seemed  inevitable  from  the 
known  rule  of  Indian  warfare,  Mohawk  threw  himself  into  the 
midst  of  the  circle,  and  made  a  signal  for  silence.  This  Indian 
knew  most  of  the  prisoners,  having  lived  about  Schoharie  before 
the  war.  He  told  his  attentive  auditors,  that  the  prisoners  were 
not  the  men  who  had  killed  his  friends,  and  that  to  take  the  lives 
of  innocent  men  to  revenge  the  guilt  of  others,  could  not  be  right : 
he  therefore  desired  them  to  spare  their  lives.  The  storm  of  pas- 
sion which  seemed  ready  but  a  moment  before  to  overwhelm  the 
prisoners,  now  yielded  to  the  influence  of  reason,  and  the  toma- 
hawks of  the  savages  were  returned  to  their  girdles. 

The  company  again  moved  forward,  the  prisoners  grateful  to 
the  Almighty  for  their  deliverance  from  such  obvious  perils.  On 
arriving  near  Newtown,  the  whole  party,  Indians  as  well  as 
prisoners,  were  on  the  point  of  starvation,  when  an  unusual 
number  of  wolf-tracks  arrested  their  attention.  They  led  to  the 
half-devoured  carcase  of  a  dead  horse,  supposed  to  have  been  a 
pack  horse,  left  by  accident  the  fall  before  by  the  army  under 
Gen.  Sullivan.  The  under  side  of  the  animal,  frozen,  and  buried 
in  snow,  was  found  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  It  was  in- 
stantly cut  up,  and  equally  distributed,  even  to  the  fleshless  bones, 
among  the  whole  party.  Fires  were  built — the  meat  cooked — 
and  the  nearly  famished  travelers  feasted  upon  the  remains  of  this 
horse,  with  far  more  satisfaction  than  would  the  epicure  upon 
his  most  dainty  meats. 

In  the  present  county  of  Steuben,  the  prisoners  saw  the 
"  Painted  Post,"  which  had  been  erected  by  the  Indians,  to  com- 
memorate some  signal  battle  fought  upon  the  spot.  Leaving  the 
route  of  Sullivan  on  the  Chemung,  they  proceeded  farther  north. 
On  their  journey,  the  tories,  Beacraft,*  and  Barney  Cane,  boast- 

•  Priest  states,  that  Beacraft  boasted  at  this  time  of  killing  a  Vrooman 
boy  in  Schoharie.  He  had  no  lack  of  evil  deeds  at  that  period,  but  that 
writer  must  have  misunderstood  Gen.  Patchin  in  that  part  of  the  narrative. 


334  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ed  of  the  acts  of  cruelty  each  had  then  perpetrated  during  the 
war.  The  party  descended  to  the  Genesee  river  nearly  famished, 
and  there  met  a  company  of  Indians  that  had  arrived  to  make 
preparations  to  plant  corn.  The  latter  had  brought  with  them 
from  Niagara,  a  fine  looking  horse,  which  Brant  instantly  order- 
ed killed,  and  distributed  to  his  again  starving  men  and  prisoners. 
No  part  of  the  animal,  not  even  the  intestines  were  suffered  to 
be  lost.  They  roasted  the  meat,  using  white  ashes  as  a  substi- 
tute for  salt.  They  also  found  upon  the  Genesee  flats,  small 
ground  nuts,  which  they  roasted  and  ate  with  their  horse  flesh. 

From  this  place,  Brant  sent  forward  a  runner  to  Niagara,  a 
distance  of  eighty  miles,  to  announce  the  result  of  his  expedition, 
the  number  of  prisoners,  and  their  character.  Brant  was  in  pos- 
session of  a  secret  which  he  kept  in  his  own  breast,  that  doubt- 
less operated  as  an  incentive  for  him  to  save  the  life  of  Lieut. 
Harper  and  his  men.  Among  the  prisoners  taken  at  the  massa- 
cre of  Cherry-Valley,  in  the  fall  of  1778,  was  Miss  Jane  Moore, 
whose  mother  was  a  sister  of  Harper.  Not  long  after  her  arrival 
at  Niagara,  she  was  courted,  and  became  the  wife  of  Capt. 
Powel,  a  British  officer  of  merit.* 

Beacraft  did  kill  a  boy  named  Vrooman  in  Schoharie  in  the  manner  there  de- 
scribed, but  it  was  not  until  the  9th  day  of  the  following  August,  as  will  be 
shown.  He  also  boasted  of  the  act  after  it  was  committed.  He  was  a  no- 
torious villain,  and  partial  justice  was  awarded  him  subsequently. 

•  "  In  person,  Brant  was  about  the  middling  size,  of  a  square,  stout  build, 
fitted  rather  for  enduring  hardships  than  for  quick  movements.  His  complex- 
ion was  lighter  than  that  of  most  of  the  Indians,  which  resulted,  perhaps, 
from  his  less  exposed  manner  of  living.  This  circumstance,  probably,  gave 
rise  to  a  statement,  which  has  been  often  repeated,  that  he  was  of  mixed 
origin.  [The  old  people  in  the  Mohawk  valley  to  whom  he  was  known, 
generally  agree  in  maintaining  that  he  was  not  a  full  blooded  Indian,  but 
was  part  white.]  He  was  married  in  the  winter  of  1779,  to  a  daughter  of 
Col.  Croghan,  by  an  Indian  woman.  The  circumstances  of  this  marriage  are 
somewhat  singular.  He  was  present  at  the  wedding  of  Miss  Moore  from 
Cherry-Valley,  who  had  been  carried  away  a  prisoner,  and  who  married  an 
officer  of  the  garrison  at  Fort  Niagara. 

"  Brant  had  lived  with  his  wife  for  some  time  previous,  according  to  the 
Indian  custom,  without  marriage;  but  now  insisted  that  the  marriage  cere- 
mony should  be  performed.  This  was  accordingly  done  by  Col.  Butler,  who 
was  still  considered  a  magistrate.    After  the  war  he  removed  with  his  na- 


AND  BOBDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        335 

Brant  suggested  to  his  runner  to  the  fort,  that  Capt.  Powel 
should  send  the  warriors  from  both  Indian  camps  contiguous, 
down  the  hike  to  the  Nine  Mile  Landing — there  to  await  his 
arrival  with  the  prisoners.  Having  obtained  permission  from 
Col.  Butler  to  do  so,  Powel  gave  the  Indians  a  quantity  of  rum 
to  aid,  as  they  supposed,  in  their  celebration,  and  away  they 
went.  The  danger  Brant  justly  apprehended,  was,  from  the  im- 
possibility of  restraining  the  violent  acts  of  many  of  the  Indians, 
while  the  prisoners  were  running  the  gantlet,  knowing  that  re- 
lations of  the  Minisink  party  would  be  present  burning  with  re- 
venge, and  all  were  smarting  under  the  chastisement  they  had 
received  the  preceding  year.  He  knew  that  no  act,  however 
atrocious,  would  be  considered  by  many  of  his  warriors,  too  se- 
vere to  inflict  at  this  time  on  the  prisoners.  That  Harper  was  a 
relative  of  Mrs.  Powel,  Brant  concealed  from  every  individual  of 
his  party. 

Four  days  after  the  messenger  had  been  sent  forward,  they  ar- 
rived near  Niagara,  when  the  tories  began  to  tantalize  the  prison- 
ers, by  telling  them  that  in  all  probability  few  of  them  would  sur- 
vive running  the  gantlet.  On  arriving  at  the  first  encampment 
the  prisoners  were  as  happily  disappointed  to  find  that  the  lines 
through  which  they  were  to  pass  were  composed  of  old  women 
and  children,  who  would  not  be  likely  to  inflict  much  injury,  as 
were  the  tories  to  find  the  revengeful  warriors  all  absent.  Most 
of  the  prisoners  escaped  with  little  injury,  except  Freegift  Patch- 
in.     He  was  approached  by  an  old  squaw,  who,  as  she  exclaim- 

lion  to  Canada.  There  he  was  employed  in  transacting  important  business 
for  his  tribe.  He  went  out  to  England  after  the  war,  and  was  honorably 
received  there." — Memoirs  of  Dr.  Whcelock — see  N.  Y.  Hist.  Coll. 

Joseph  Brant  died  on  the  24ih  November,  1807,  at  his  residence  near  the 
head  of  Lake  Ontario,  in  tlie  65th  year  of  his  age.  Not  long  before  that 
event,  the  British  government  refused,  for  the  first  time,  to  confirm  a  sale  of 
lands  made  by  that  chief,  which  mortified  him  very  much.  The  sale  was 
afterwards  confirmed,  at  which  he  was  so  n\uch  elated,  that  he  got  into  a 
frolick,  that  is  said  to  have  laid  the  foundation  for  his  sickness,  and  re- 
sulted in  his  death.  The  wife  of  Brant,  who  was  very  dignified  in  her  ap- 
pearance, would  not  converse  in  English  before  strangers,  notwithstanding 
she  could  speak  it  fluently.  ' 


336  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ed  "poor  shild,^'  gave  him  a  terrible  blow  upon  the  head.  As 
the  prisoners  drew  near  the  second  encampment,  they  were  grati- 
fied to  perceive  that,  through  the  policy  of  Capt.  Powel,  a  regi- 
ment of  British  troops  was  thrown  into  parallel  lines  to  protect 
them.  When  Patchin  had  arrived  within  a  few  rods  of  the  gate- 
way, an  Indian  boy  ran  up  and  gave  him  a  blow  on  the  forehead 
with  a  hatchet,  which  had  nearly  proven  fatal.  A  soldier  stand- 
ing by,  snatched  the  weapon  from  the  hand  of  the  young  savage 
and  threw  it  into  the  lake.  The  unexpected  meeting  of  Harper 
with  friends  among  the  enemies  of  his  country,  was  no  doubt  very 
gratifying. 

On  arriving  at  the  fort,  the  prisoners  were  brought  before  seve- 
ral British  officers,  among  whom  sat  Col.  John  Butler  as  presiding 
officer.  The  colonel  put  several  abusive  questions  to  the  pri- 
soners, and  addressing  Freegift  Patchin,  who  stood  nearest  his 
seat,  he  asked  him  "  if  he  did  not  think  that  by  and  by  his  In- 
dians would  compel  a  general  surrender  of  the  Yankees?"  Smart- 
ing under  his  wounds,  he  replied  that  "  he  did  not  wish  to  answer 
for  fear  of  giving  offence."  The  unfeeling  officer  insisted  on  an 
answer,  and  the  young  American,  whose  patriotic  blood  was  ri- 
sing to  fever  heat,  replied — "  If  I  must  answer  you,  it  is  to  say, 
JVb — you  might  as  well  think  to  empty  the  adjoining  lake  of  its 
waters  with  a  bucket,  as  attempt  to  conquer  the  Yankees  in  that 
manner."  Butler  flew  into  a  passion,  called  Patchin  "  a  d — d 
rebel"  for  giving  him  such  an  insolent  reply,  and  ordered  him  out 
of  his  sight.  At  this  instant,  a  generous  hearted  British  officer  in- 
terfered. Said  he  to  Col.  B.,  "the  lad  is  not  to  blame  for  an- 
swering your  question,  which  you  pressed  to  an  answer :  he  has 
no  doubt  answered  it  candidly,  according  to  his  judgment."  Ex- 
tending a  glass  of  wine  to  Patchin,  whose  spirit  he  admired — 
"  Here,  my  poor  fellow,"  said  he,  "  take  this  glass  of  wine  and 
drink  it."  Such  unexpected  kindness  received  his  grateful  re- 
membrance. The  examination  of  the  prisoners  having  ended, 
Mrs.  Nancy  Bundy,*  who  was  also  a  prisoner  at  the  time,  prepared 

•Tliis  woman  stated  to  Freegift  Patchin,  "  that  herself,  her  husband,  and 
two  children  were  captured  at  the  massacre  of  Wyoming,  and  brought  to  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        337 

as  speedily  as  possible,  a  soup  made  of  proper  materials  for  them. 

The  captors  received  as  their  reward  for  the  delivery  of  the 
Schoh.uic  party  eight  dollars  per  head.  This  it  is  believed  was 
the  stii)ulatc(l  reward  for  American  scalps  or  prisoners,  to  be  paid 
for  by  Col.  John  Butler,*  the  British  agent  for  that  business,  dur- 
ing the  war :  but  it  was  often  the  case  that  the  delivery  of  a  com- 
mittee-man's scalp  or  his  person,  or  that  of  an  officer  or  noted  sol- 
dier, entitled  the  possessor  to  a  larger  sum.  From  Niagara,  the 
prisoners,  except  Harper,  were  sent  from  post  to  post,  and  finally 
lodged  in  prison  at  Chamblee.  Here  they  remained  in  irons  nearly 
two  years,  suffering  most  acutely  for  the  necessaries  of  life.  Free. 
Patchin  was  reduced  to  such  a  state,  as  to  be  unable  to  rise  from 
the  floor  without  the  aid  of  one  of  the  Thorps. 

Doctor  Pendergrass,  a  physician  who  had  the  care  of  the  prison- 
ers, totally  neglected  to  require  into  their  real  condition,  the  con- 
sequence was  that  some  of  them  became  objects  of  loathing,  even 
to  themselves.  Of  the  latter  number  was  Free.  Patchin.  A  wor- 
thy physician  at  length  succeeded  Pendergrass  in  his  station,  and 
the  sufferings  of  the  prisoners  was  at  once  mitigated.  On  his  first 
visit  to  the  prisoners  confined  in  the  room  with  the  Palchins, 
Steele,  the  commanding  officer  of  the  fort,  accompanied  him. 
The  doctor  proceeded  to  examine  the  prisoners  singly.    Ashamed 

Genesee  country.  There  she  had  been  parted  from  her  husband,  the  Indians 
carrying  him  she  knew  not  where.  She  had  not  been  long  in  the  possession 
of  the  tribe  with  whom  she  had  been  left,  when  the  Indian  who  had  taken 
her  prisoner  was  desirous  of  making  her  his  wife  ;  but  she  repulsed  him,  say- 
ing, very  imprudently,  she  had  one  husband,  and  it  would  be  unlawful  to  have 
more  than  one.  This  seemed  to  satisfy  him,  and  she  saw  him  no  more  for  a 
long  time.  After  a  while  he  came  again,  and  renewed  his  suit,  alleging  that 
now  there  was  no  objection  to  her  marrying  him,  as  her  husband  was  dead, 
'  for,'  said  he,  '  I  found  where  he  was,  and  have  killed  him.'  She  then  told 
him,  if  he  had  killed  her  husband  he  might  kill  her  also,  for  she  would  not 
marry  a  murderer.  When  he  saw  that  his  person  was  hateful  to  her,  he  tied 
her,  took  her  to  Niagara,  and  sold  her  for  eight  dollars.  The  fate  of  her  chil- 
dren she  did  not  know. — Priest." 

•  This  man,  who  died  some  years  after  the  war  near  Niagara,  partially  re- 
ceived punishment  in  this  life  for  his  cruellies  in  the  Revolution,  for  he  was 
tix  weeks  djin^ — or  rather  continued  to  breathe  in  the  most  acute  suffering  for 
that  length  of  ti  ne,  every  hour  of  which  it  was  thought  would  prove  his  last. 
A  fact  communicated  by  a  friend  who  was  in  Niagara  at  the  lime. 


338  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  being  seen,  Free.  Patchin  was  occupying  the  darkest  corner  of 
the  room,  and  had  thrown  an  old  blanket  around  him,  to  hide  his 
naked  limbs.  The  doctor  at  length  approached  him.  "  Well, 
my  lad,"  he  asked,  "  what  is  the  matter  with  you  ?"  "  Nothing, 
sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  Then  get  upon  your  feet,"  added  the  doc- 
tor. "  I  cannot  do  it,"  replied  Patchin.  The  former  then  thrust  the 
end  of  his  cane  under  the  blanket  and  removed  it,  discovering  his 
pitiful  condition.  The  doctor  possessed  a  humane  heart,  and  his  sym- 
pathy for  the  prisoner  was  instantly  aroused.  Turning  to  Steele, 
with  a  look  that  denoted  surprise  and  anger,  he  demanded  to 
know  why  this  prisoner  had  been  so  cruelly  neglected,  ordering 
his  shackles  instantly  removed.  The  language  and  treatment  of 
this  medical  officer  was  so  unexpected,  and  so  diiferent  from  what 
he  had  previously  experienced,  that  Patchin  could  not  refrain 
from  weeping  like  a  child.  With  proper  treatment  his  health 
was  soon  improved. 

From  Chamblee  the  prisoners  were  taken  to  Rebel  Island 
where  they  remained  until  peace  was  proclaimed.  From  that 
place  they  were  sent  to  Quebec,  via  Montreal,  and  put  on  board 
of  a  cartel  ship  bound  for  Boston :  where  they  arrived  after  many 
perils  at  sea.  They  then  directed  their  course  to  Albany,  and 
from  thence  to  Schoharie,  where  they  arrived  nearly  three  years 
after  their  capture.  Gen.  Patchin  was  married  after  the  war,  and 
settled  in  Blenheim,  Schoharie  county,  where  he  resided  until  the 
close  of  his  life.  His  widow  assured  the  writer,  that  Mr.  Patchin's 
constitution  received  a  shock  while  a  prisoner,  from  which  he 
never  entirely  recovered. 

A  large  body  of  the  enemy  having  been  seen  in  the  latter  part 
of  March,  in  the  vicinity  of  Putman's  creek,  as  stated  in  a  letter 
from  Col.  Van  Schaick,  of  Albany,  to  Col.  Fisher,  the  former  re- 
commended sending  a  reasonable  force  to  the  Sacandaga  block- 
house. Col.  Fisher  accordingly  despatched  to  that  post  one-third ' 
of  his  regiment,  and  ordered  Lieut.  Col.  Veedcr  to  repair  thither, 
and  take  the  command.  The  remainder  of  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered out,  and  stationed  at  Fort  Johnson  and  other  commanding 
points  near  the  Mohawk,  until  the  1st  of  April,  and  then  dispers- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        339 

ed.     The  enemy,  however,  had  lingered  about  the  settlements,  as 
the  following  letter  will  show  : 

CaiigJinarcaga,  3<f  April,  17S0. 

"  Sir — On  Tuesday  nif^ht  last,  the  block-house  [at  Sacandaga] 
was  attacked  by  a  scouting- party  of  Indians,  to  the  number  of  se- 
ven, as  near  as  could  be  ascertained,  [proved  to  be  five]  and  en- 
deavored to  set  it  on  fire  in  two  different  places,  which  they  would 
have  effected  had  it  not  been  for  the  activity  of  one  brave  man  who 
lived  there,  named  Solomon  Woodworth,  who,  although  alone,  sal- 
lied out  and  extinguished  the  fire.  Whilst  he  was  doing  it,  five 
shots  were  fired  at  him,  one  of  w'hich  only  touched  him.  On  his 
return  into  the  house  he  fired  at  them,  one  of  whom  he  wounded 
in  the  thigh,  on  which  the  rest  fled  and  took  the  wounded  Indian 
with  them.  The  reason  of  the  block-house  being  without  men  at 
that  time,  was  through  the  neglect  of  one  of  the  militia  officers, 
which  I  have  taken  notice  of  already  in  a  particular  manner.  I 
immediately  sent  out  a  party  after  them,  wdio  returned  without 
success  for  the  want  of  snow  shoes.  Seven  volunteers  [six,  as  sta- 
ted in  a  subsequent  letter]  turned  out  on  last  Thursday,  and  came 
up  with  them  on  Saturday  about  12  o'clock,  when  five  of  the  In- 
dians fired  upon  my  men,  and  the  whole  missed,  upon  which  the 
brave  volunteers  run  up  and  fired  upon  them  with  buck-shot  and 
wounded  every  one  of  them,  took,  and  killed  the  whole,  and  brought 
in  all  their  packs  and  guns  without  ever  receiving  the  least  hurt. 
This  intelligence  I  just  received  from  Col.  Veeder,  by  express  from 
the  block-house,  M'here  he  commands  sixty  men. 

"  You'll  please  order  up  some  rum  and  ammunition  for  the  use 
of  my  regiment  of  militia,  being  very  necessary  as  the  men  are 
daily  scouting.  Your  commands  at  any  time  shall  be  punctually 
obeyed,  by 

"  Your  most  humble  servant, 

"FREDERICK  FISHER,  Colonel. 

"  Col.  Goshen  Van  Schaick — sent  by  express." 

In  a  letter  from  Col.  Fisher  to  Col.  Van  Schaick,  dated  April 
13th,  the  names  of  the  volunteers  in  the  above  enterprise  are  gi- 
ven, and  are  as  follows  :  Solomon  Woodworth,  John  Eiklcr,  Pe- 
ter Pruyn,  David  Putman,  Rulf  Yores,  and  Joseph  Mayall.  The 
Indians  were  overtaken  and  killed  about  forty  miles  north  of  Sa- 
candaga. 

At  this  period  of  the  war,  Marcus  Bellinger  was  supervisor,  and 
William  Dietz,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Schoharie.  Agreeable 
to  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  Feb.  12,  17S0,  assessors  were  ap- 
pointed in  the  frontier  districts  to  ascertain,  as  nearly  as  possible, 


340  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

how  much  grain  each  family  might  need  for  its  consumption,  that 
the  remainder  of  the  stock  might  be  in  readiness  for  their  less  pro- 
vident neighbors  or  the  army.  Bellinger  gave  written  certificates 
to  the  requisite  quantity  for  each  family  in  his  district,  and  Dietz 
gave  written  permits  to  such  as  had  not  a  supply,  to  draw  one. 

The  following  particulars  were  narrated  to  the  author  in  1841, 
by  Moses  JYelson,  then  a  resident  of  Otsego  county.  He  stated, 
that  on  the  morning  Cherry-Valley  was  destroyed,  in  the  fall  of 
1778,  he,  then  in  his  14th  year,  was  at  the  fort ;  that  when  the 
alarm  was  given  of  the  enemy's  approach,  he  ran  home — some 
half  a  mile  distant — and,  with  his  mother,  then  a  widow  with 
whom  he  was  living,  fled  to  Lady  hill,  east  of  the  village ;  where 
they  remained  concealed  until  the  enemy  had  left.  Nelson  had 
four  half-brothers  at  the  time,  older  than  himself,  who  were  all  in 
the  service  of  their  country.  In  the  month  of  March  following, 
he  enlisted  in  the  bateau  service,  for  a  term  of  ten  months,  on 
the  Hudson  river,  rendezvousing  at  Fishkill.  After  the  time  of 
his  enlistment  expired,  he  again  returned  to  Cherry-Valley,  and 
was  living  with  his  mother  at  that  place,  where  a  few  daring 
spirits  still  continued  their  residence,  when,  on  the  24th  of  April, 
1780,  a  party  of  seventy-nine  hostile  Indians  and  two  tories,  broke 
in  upon  the  settlement.  One  of  the  latter,  named  Bowman,  a 
former  resident  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  was  the  leader  of  the  band. 
They  had  previously  been  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Mohawk,  where 
they  had  made  several  prisoners ;  and  passing  along  Bowman's 
creek — called  at  its  outlet  the  Canajoharie  creek — they  captured 
several  more,  among  whom  were  two  persons  named  Young. 
This  party  killed  eight  individuals  and  took  fourteen  prisoners  in 
this  expedition,  and  among  the  former  was  the  mother  of  my  in- 
formant, whose  bloody  scalp  he  was  compelled  to  see  torn  off^ 
and  home  off  as  a  trophy. 

This  band  of  furies  consisted  of  warriors  from  various  tribes ; 
and  among  the  number  were  two  Stockbridge  Indians,  one  of 
whom  claimed  Nelson  as  his  prisoner.  The  route  pursued  by  the 
enemy,  after  completing  the  work  of  destruction  at  that  doomed 
place,  was  down  the  Cherry- Valley  creek :  and  from  Otsego  lake. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        341 

down  the  Susquehanna  lo  the  Tioga,  and  thence  westward  via  the 
Genesee  flats  to  Niagara. 

The  eneray  while  returning  to  Canada,  separated  into  small 
parties,  the  better  to  procure  the  means  of  subsistence.  The  two 
Stockbritlge  Indians  with  whom  he  journeyed,  made  a  canoe  from 
a  bass-wood  tree,  in  which,  with  their  prisoner,  they  floated  down 
the  Susquehanna.  At  Indian  villages,  the  party  usually  assem- 
bled. At  two  of  those.  Nelson  had  to  run  the  gantlet,  but  he 
escaped  with  little  injury.  One  of  the  prisoners,  an  aged  man, 
who  ran  with  a  heavy  pack  on  his  back,  was  nearly  killed.  When 
Nelson  was  about  to  run,  his  master,  who  was  called  Capt.  Da- 
vid, took  off  his  pack  to  give  him  a  fair  chance  for  his  Ufe ;  and 
on  one  accasion  placed  himself  at  the  entrance  of  a  wigwam  to 
which  the  prisonesrs  were  to  flee,  to  witness  the  feat.  Owing 
to  his  fleetness,  he  was  not  much  injured.  Said  his  master  as  he 
approached  the  goal,  you  did  run  well.  Many  of  the  party — and 
among  the  number  was  his  master  David,  tarried  nearly  two 
weeks  to  plant  corn,  in  the  Genesee  valley — at  which  time  he 
was  sent  forward  with  David's  brother  to  Niagara,  where  he  ar- 
rived after  a  journey  of  eighteen  days  from  his  captivity. 

As  one  of  the  Stockbridge  Indians  was  an  excellent  hunter, 
Nelson  did  not  suffer  for  the  want  of  provisions,  such  as  they  were. 
The  party,  on  their  start  from  Cherry- Valley,  took  along  several 
hogs  and  sheep,  which  were  killed  and  then  roasted  whole,  after 
burning  off  the  hair  and  wool.  On  his  arrival  at  Niagara,  Nel- 
son was  told  by  his  master  that  he  was  adopted  as  an  Indian,  and 
was  at  liberty  to  hunt,  fish,  or  enlist  into  the  British  service.  Not 
long  after  this  he  was  sold  into  the  forester  service  of  the  enemy, 
the  duties  of  which  were  "  to  procure  wood,  water,  &c.,  for  the 
garrison,  and  do  the  boating ;"  being  attached  to  what  was  called 
the  Indian  department.  He  was  sent  on  one  occasion  with  a 
party  to  Buffalo.  He  was  for  a  while,  with  several  other  captives 
whose  situation  was  like  his  own,  in  the  employ  of  Col.  John 
Butler.  More  than  a  year  of  his  captivity  was  spent  in  the  vici- 
nity of  Niagara. 

In  the  spring  of  1782,  when  the  enemy  set  about  rebuilding 
23 


342  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Fort  Oswego,  three  officers,  Capt.  Nellis,  Lieut.  James  Hare,  and 
Ensign  Robert  Nellis,  a  son  of  the  captain,  all  of  the  forester  ser- 
vice, had  charge  of  the  Indians  there  employed.  Nelson  and  two 
other  lads,  also  prisoners,  accompanied  this  party,  which  was  con- 
veyed in  a  sloop,  as  waiters.  About  one  hundred  persons  were 
employed  in  rebuilding  this  fortress,  which  occupied  most  of  the 
season.  The  winter  following,  Nelson  remained  at  this  fort,  and 
was  in  it  when  Col.  Willet  advanced  with  a  body  of  troops  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1783,  with  the  intention  of  taking  it  by  surprise.  The  en- 
terprise is  said  to  have  proved  abortive  in  consequence  of  Col 
Willet's  guide,  who  was  an  Oneida  Indian,  having  lost  his  way 
in  the  night  when  within  only  a  few  miles  of  the  fort.  The  men 
were  illy  provided  for  their  return — certain  victory  having  been 
anticipated,  and  their  sufferings  were,  in  consequence,  very  severe. 
This  enterprise  was  undertaken,  says  Col.  Stone,  agreeably  to  the 
orders  of  Gen.  Washington ;  but  it  certainly  added  no  laurels  to 
the  chaplet  of  the  brave  Willet. 

Col.  Willett,  possibly,  may  not  have  known  that  Fort  Oswego 
had  been  so  strongly  fitted  up  the  preceding  year,  and  conse- 
quently the  difficulties  he  had  to  encounter  before  its  capture — 
be  that  as  it  may,  the  iprohahility  is,  that  had  the  attack  been  made, 
the  impossibility  of  scaling  the  walls,  would  have  frustrated  the 
design,  with  the  loss  of  many  brave  men.  The  fort  was  surrounded 
by  a  deep  moat,  in  the  centre  of  which  were  planted  heavy  pick- 
ets. From  the  lower  part  of  the  walls  projected  downward  and 
outward,  another  row  of  pickets.  A  draw-bridge  enabled  the  in- 
mates to  pass  out  and  in,  which  was  drawn  up  and  secured  to  the 
wall  every  night,  and  the  corners  were  built  out  so  that  mounted 
cannon  commanded  the  trenches.  Two  of  Willett's  men,  badly 
frozen,  entered  the  fort  in  the  morning,  surrendering  themselves 
prisoners,  from  whom  the  garrison  learned  the  object  of  the  en- 
terprise. The  ladders  prepared  by  Willett  to  scale  the  walls, 
were  left  on  his  return,  and  a  party  of  British  soldiers  went  and 
brought  them  in.  The  longest  of  them,"  said  JYelson,  "  when  pla- 
ced against  the  walls  inside  the  pickets,  reached  only  about  two 
thirds  of  the  way  to  the  top."     The  post  was  strongly  garrisoned, 


,   AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         343 

and  it  was  the  opinion  of  Mr.  N.  that  the  accident  or  treachery 
which  misled  the  troops,  was  most  providential,  tending  to  save 
Col.  Willett  from  defeat,  and  most  of  his  men  from  certain  death. 

While  Nelson  was  with  the  two  Indians  on  his  way  from  Cher- 
ry-Valley to  Niagara,  David,  his  owner,  afterwards  told  him  that 
the  other  Indian  wanted  to  kill  him.  He  said  he  replied  to  his 
brother — "  You  must  first  kill  me,  then  you  will  have  two  scalps 
and  be  a  big  man."  On  their  route  to  Canada,  they  passed  the 
body  of  a  white  man,  who  had  been  killed  by  some  other  party. 

Peace  was  proclaimed  in  the  spring  of  1783,  and  Nelson,  with 
many  other  prisoners — none  however,  who  were  taken  when  he 
was — returned  home  via  Ticonderoga  and  Fort  Edward.  Previ- 
ous to  his  return  he  visited  Montreal,  where  he  was  paid  for  labor 
done  in  the  British  service  the  year  before. 

Several  times  in  April,  of  this  year,  the  Mohawk  river  settle- 
ments were  alarmed  by  anticipated  invasions,  but  those  alarms  died 
away  and  were  not  renewed  until  near  the  middle  of  May.  The 
following  correspondence  addressed  to  "  Col.  Fisher,  at  Caughna- 
waga,"  gives  the  earliest  rehable  testimony  of  the  enemy's  ap- 
proach. 

"  Fort  Paris,  May  15tk,  1780. 
"  Sir — I  have  intelligence  which  I  believe  is  ver^'  certain,  that 
the  enemy  are  on  their  way,  and  will  attack  in  four  different  places 
in  this  county  within  a  few  days.  I  hope  you  will  exert  yourself 
to  discover  them,  and  make  every  possible  preparation  to  defeat 
their  design. 

"  It  is  expected  that  they  will  come  by  the  way  ofSacandaga. 
''  I  am  your  hble  servt. 

"  JACOB  KLOCK,  Col/' 

Bearing  the  same  date,  Col.  Fisher  received  an  anonymous  let- 
ter written  at  Caughnawaga,  stating  that  an  invasion  of  the  ene- 
my under  Sir  John  Johnson  was  hourly  expected,  adding  as  a  cor- 
roborating circumstance,  that  a  number  of  his  near  neighbors,  five 
of  whom  were  named,  had  gone  away  the  night  before  to  join  the 
invaders.  The  writer  added,  that  he  had  written  some  days  pre- 
vious what  he  suspected,  and  that  the  enemy  would  be  very  strong. 

x\mong  the  Fisher  papers  on  this  subject  I  also  find  the  following 


344  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Sckenectada,  17th  May,  1780. 
*'  Dear  Sir — Just  this  moment  returned  from  Albany,  Col.  Van 
Schaick  has  requested  of  me  to  write  to  you,  requesting  you  to 
send  me  by  the  bearer,  Sergt.  Carkeright,  an  account  of  all  the 
persons  that  have  gone  to  the  enemy  from  your  county,  with  their 
names,  which  request  I  wish  you  to  comply  with ;  also  let  me  know 
if  any  thing  of  the  alarm  has  turned  up. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  j^our  friend, 

"  H.  GLEN." 

"  Col.    ViSGER." 

Nothing  more  was  heard  of  the  enemy  until  Sunday  night  the 
21st  day  of  May,  when  Sir  John  Johnson,  at  the  head  of  about 
five  hundred  troops,  British,  Indians  and  tories,  entered  the  Johns- 
town settlements  from  the  expected  northern  route.  The  objects 
of  the  invasion  doubtless  were,  the  recovery  of  property  concealed 
on  his  leaving  the  country,  the  murder  of  certain  whig  partizans, 
the  plunder  of  their  dwellings,  and  the  capture  of  several  indi- 
viduals as  prisoners :  intending,  by  the  execution  of  part  of  the 
enterprize,  to  terrify  his  former  neighbors. 

About  midnight  the  destructives  arrived  in  the  north  east  part  of 
the  town,  from  which  several  of  the  tories  had  disappeared  the  day 
before,  to  meet  and  conduct  their  kindred  spirits  to  the  dwellings  of 
their  patriotic  neighbors :  for  when  Johnson  was  censured  for  the 
murder  of  those  men,  he  replied  that  "  their  tory  neighbors  and 
not  himself  were  blameable  for  those  acts."  A  party  of  the  ene- 
my proceeded  directly  to  the  house  of  Lodowick  Putman,  an  hon- 
est Dutchman,  living  two  miles  and  a  half  from  the  court  house. 
Putman  had  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  On  the  night  the  en- 
emy broke  into  his  house,  two  of  his  sons  were  fortunately  gone 
sparking  a  few  miles  distant.  Old  Mr.  Putman,  who  was  a 
whig  of  the  times,  and  his  son  Aaron  who  was  at  home,  were  taken 
from  their  beds,  murdered,  and  scalped.  "While  the  Indians  were 
plundering  the  house  and  pulling  down  clothing  from  hocks  along; 
the  wall,  Mrs.  Putman  snatched  several  articles  of  female  apparel, 
such  as  gowns,  petticoats,  &c.  from  the  hands  of  a  large  Indian, 
telling  him  that  such  and  such  things  she  must  and  would  have 
for  her  daughter.  The  fierce  looking  savage,  whom  few  women, 
of  the  present  day  would  care  to  meet,  much  less  to  contend  with. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         345 

offered  some  resistance  to  her  gaining  several  garments,  and  they 
jerked  each  other  about  the  room ;  but  seeing  her  determination  to 
possess  thera,  he  finally  yielded  to  her  entreaties  and  prowess,  and 
with  a  sullen  "  t/mpA/"  let  go  his  hold.  After  the  enemy  had 
been  gone  sometime  from  the  house,  Mrs.  Putman  and  her  daugh- 
ter Hannah,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Jacob  Shew,  Esq.,  leaving  the 
mangled  remains  of  their  murdered  friends,  proceeded  to  the  Johns- 
town fort,  where  they  arrived  about  sun-rise.  The  jail  was  pa- 
lisaded, and,  with  several  block-houses  built  within  the  inclosure, 
constituted  the  Johnstown  fort. 

At  this  period,  one  of  Putman's  daughters  was  married  to  Ama- 
sa  Stevens,  also  a  whig,  living  in  the  neighborhood.  While  some 
of  the  enemy  were  at  Putman's,  another  party  approached  the 
dwelling  of  Stevens,  and  forcing  the  doors  and  windows,  entered 
it  from  different  directions  at  the  same  instant.  Poor  Stevens 
was  also  dragged  from  his  bed,  and  compelled  to  leave  his  house. 
Mrs.  Stevens,  in  the  act  of  leaving  the  bed,  desired  a  stout  savage, 
or  a  painted  tory,  as  she  afterwards  supposed,  not  to  allow  the 
Indians  to  hurt  her  husband.  He  forced  her  back  upon  the  bed 
with  her  terrified  children,  a  boy,  named  after  his  grandfather,  two 
and  a  half  years  old,  and  an  infant  daughter  named  Clarissa,  tell- 
ing her  she  should  not  be  hurt.  A  few  rods  from  the  house  Ste- 
vens was  murdered,  scalped  and  hung  upon  the  garden  fence.  Af- 
ter the  enemy  had  left  the  dwelling,  Mrs.  Stevens  looked  out  to 
see  if  she  could  discover  any  one  about  the  premises.  She  had 
supposed  her  husband  taken  by  them  into  captivity ;  but  seeing  in 
the  uncertain  star-light  the  almost  naked  form  of  a  man  leaning 
upon  the  fence,  she  readily  imagined  it  to  be  that  of  her  husband. 
In  a  tremulous  voice  she  several  times  called  "  Amasa!  Amasa  .'" 
but  receiving  no  answer  she  ran  to  the  fence.  God  only  knows 
what  her  mental  agony  was,  on  arriving  there  and  finding  her  hus- 
band stiffening  in  death.  With  almost  supernatural  strength  she 
took  down  the  body  and  bore  it  into  the  dwelling,  (which,  with 
Putman's,  had  been  spared  the  incendiary  torch  from  motives  of 
policy,)  and  depositing  it,  sprinkled  with  the  scalding  tears  of 
blighted  affection,  she  snatched  the  two  pledges  of  her  early  love 


346  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

and  sought  safety  in  flight  to  the  fort ;  where  she  found  her  sur- 
viving relatives. 

The  amorous  Putman  brothers  set  out  on  their  return  home  to- 
wards day-light,  from  what  is  now  called  Sammons'  Hollow,  and 
discovering  the  light  of  the  burning  buildings  at  Tribes'  Hill,  they 
hastily  directed  their  steps  to  the  fort,  meeting  at  the  gate-way 
their  mourning  relatives. 

Stevens  had  just  finished  planting  when  murdered,  and  the  next 
week  purposed  to  have  journeyed  eastward  with  his  family.  The 
Putmans  were  killed  on  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Col.  Archibald  Mclntyre.  They  were  both  buried  in  one  grave 
in  a  single  rough  box  ;  and  while  their  neighbors  were  perform- 
ing the  act  of  burial,  they  were  once  alarmed  by  the  supposed  ap- 
proach of  the  enemy  and  left  the  grave,  but  soon  returned  and 
filled  it. — Clarissa,  relict  of  Joseph  Leach,  and  daughter  of  Amasa 
Stevens. 

Dividing  his  forces,  Col.  Johnson  sent  part  of  them,  mostly  In- 
dians and  tories,  to  Tribes'  Hill ;  under  the  direction,  as  believed, 
of  Henry  and  William  Bowen,  two  brothers  who  had  formerly 
lived  in  that  vicinity  and  removed  with  the  Johnsons  to  Canada, 
These  destructives  were  to  fall  upon  the  Mohawk  river  settlements 
at  the  Hill,  and  proceed  up  its  flats,  while  Johnson  led  the  remain- 
der in  person  by  a  western  route  to  Caughnawaga,  the  appointed 
place  for  them  to  unite.  The  Bovvens  led  their  followers  through 
Albany  Bush,  a  tory  settlement  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town, 
where,  of  course,  no  one  was  molested,  and  directed  their  steps 
to  the  dwelling  of  Capt.  Garret  Putman,  a  noted  whig.  Putman, 
who  had  a  son  named  Victor,  also  a  whig,  had  been  ordered  to 
Fort  Hunter  but  a  few  days  before,  and  had  removed  his  family 
thither ;  renting  his  house  to  "William  Gault,  an  old  English  gar- 
dener who  had  resided  in  Cherry-Valley  before  its  destruction,  and 
Thomas  Plateau,  also  an  Englishman.  Without  knowing  that 
the  Putman  house  had  changed  occupants,  the  enemy  surrounded 
it,  forced  an  entrance,  and  tomahawked  and  scalped  its  inmates. 
The  house  was  then  pillaged  and  set  on  fire,  and  its  plunderers 
knew  not  until  next  day,  that  they  had  obtained  the  scalps  of 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        347 

two  tories.  In  the  morning,  Gault,  who  was  near  eighty  years 
old,  was  discovered  alive  outside  the  dwelling,  and  was  taken 
across  the  river  to  Fort  Hunter,  where  his  wounds  were  properly 
drest,  but  he  soon  after  died. 

Among  the  early  settlers  in  the  Mohawk  valley  was  Harman 
Visscher,  who  died  before  the  Revolution,  leaving  an  aged  widow, 
three  sons,  Frederick  a  colonel*  of  militia,  John  a  captain,  and 
Harman;  and  two  sisters,  Margaret  and  Rebecca.  Frederick 
the  elder  brother,  who  waS  born  on  the  22d  of  February,  1741; 
was  married  and  resided  a  little  distance  below  the  paternal 
dwelling,  which  stood  nearly  on  the  site  of  the  present  residence 
of  the  Hon.  Jesse  D.  De  Graff.  The  other  Fisher  brothers  were 
unmarried,  and,  with  their  mother  and  sisters,  lived  at  the  home- 
stead. The  Fisher  family  was  one  of  much  influence,  and  warm- 
ly advocated  the  popular  cause.  The  following  anecdote  will 
show  the  position  of  ihe  elder  brother,  at  an  early  period  of  the 
contest.  Soon  after  the  difficulties  commenced  at  Boston,  a  meet- 
ing of  the  citizens  along  the  Mohawk  valley  was  called  at 
Tribes'  Hill,  on  which  occasion  Col.  John  Butler  was  present, 
and  harrangued  the  multitude  on  the  duties  of  subjects  to  their 
sovereign,  &c.,  and  then  proposed  a  test  for  his  hearers,  some 
three  hundred  in  number.  Having  formed  a  line,  he  desired 
those  who  were  willing  to  oppose  the  king,  to  remain  standing, 
and  those  who  favored  royal  pretensions  to  advance  a  few  paces 
forward.  The  result  was,  Frederick  Fisher  stood  alone,  as  the 
only  avowed  opposer  of  the  British  government. — David,  his  son. 

A  few  days  before  the  invasion  of  Johnson,  a  bateau  from 
Schenectada  was  seen  opposite  Col.  Fisher's,  taking  in  his  most 
valuable  effects;  and  his  neighbors,  living  along  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  among  whom  was  Nicholas  Quackenboss,  crossed 
over  to  learn  the  cause  of  his  removal.  On  his  arrival,  the 
neighbor  enquired  of  Col.  Fisher  if  an  enemy  was  expected,  that 

•  Some  of  the  family  write  this  name  Visscher,  and  others  Fisher.  The 
original  Dutch  name  was  Visger.  Harman  Visscher's  son  Frederick,  the 
colonel,  wrote  his  name  Fisher  until  just  before  his  death,  at  which  time  he 
desired  his  children  to  spell  the  name  as  in  the  context.  Fisher  is  the  Eng. 
lish  of  Visscher. 


348  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

he  was  thus  preparing  to  move  his  family  and  effects?  The 
colonel  replied  that  he  knew  of  no  hostile  movement  unknown  to 
his  neighbors.  After  a  little  conversation  of  the  kind,  and  when 
about  to  recross  the  river,  said  Quackenboss,  clenching  his  fist 
in  a  threatening  manner  and  addressing  him  playfully  in  Low 
Dutch,  "  Ah,  colonel !  if  you  know  something  of  the  enemy  and 
don't  let  us  know  it,  I  hope  you  '11  be  the  first  one  scalped !" 
Having  sent  his  family  to  Schenectada,  Col.  Fisher  went  to  the 
homestead,  thinking  himself  and  brothers  would  be  the  better 
able  to  defend  themselves,  if  attacked  by  an  enemy. 

On  Sunday  evening,  about  eight  o'clock.  Captain  Walter 
Vrooman,  of  Guilderland,  arrived  at  the  Fisher  dwelling  with  a 
company  of  eighty  men,  on  his  way  to  the  Johntown  fort.  He 
had  intended  to  quarter  his  men  over  night  at  Fisher's,  for  their 
own  comfort  and  the  safety  of  the  family ;  but  the  colonel,  ob- 
serving that  himself  and  brothers  could  probably  defend  the  house 
if  attacked,  forwarded  the  troops  to  Johntown,  knowing  that  that 
place  was  feebly  garrisoned. 

After  the  murder  of  Gault  and  Plateau,  the  enemy  proceeded 
up  the  river  to  the  dwelling  of  Capt.  Henry  Hansen,  which  stood 
where  John  Fisher  now  resides.*  On  reaching  the  dweUing  of 
Hansen,  who  was  an  American  captain,  the  enemy  forced  an  en- 
trance— and  taking  him  from  his  bed  they  murdered  and  scalped 
him.  His  sons,  Victor  and  John  L,  then  at  home  were  captured. 
Margaret,  a  daughter,  was  hurried  out  of  the  house  by  an  Indian, 
who  told  her  it  was  on  fire.  She  asked  him  to  aid  her  in  carry- 
ing out  the  bed  on  which  she  had  been  sleeping,  and  he  did  so. 
Depositing  it  in  an  old  Indian  hut  near  by,  and  learning  that  her 
mother  was  still  in  the  burning  building,  finding  access  through 
the  door  too  dangerous,  she  broke  a  window  in  her  room  and 

•  Henry  Hansen  was  a  son  of  Nicholas  Hansen,  who  with  his  brother 
Hendrick,  took  two  patents,  each  for  one  thousand  acres  of  land  along  the 
north  side  of  the  Mohawk,  above  Tribes'  Hill.  The  patents  were  executed 
by  Gov.  Hunter,  and  dated  July  12,  1713.  The  brothers  settled  on  those 
lands  soon  after,  and  Henry  Hansen  was  the  first  white  child  born  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Mohawk  west  of  Fort  Hunter,  and  east  of  the  German 
settlements,  many  miles  above. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        349 

called  to  her.  As  may  be  supposed,  the  old  lady  was  greatly 
terrified  and  bewildered  at  first ;  but  recovering,  she  groped  her 
way  to  the  window,  and  was  helped  out  by  her  daughter,  who 
assisted  her  to  the  hut — from  whence,  after  day  light  she  was 
conveyed  to  a  place  of  safety.  The  enemy  made  no  female  scalps 
or  captives  at  this  time,  and  offered  indignities  to  but  few  of  the 
sex.  In  the  garret  of  Hansen's  dwelling  was  a  keg  of  powder, 
which  exploded  with  terrific  effect. 

Proceeding  west  along  the  river,  the  enemy  next  halted  at  the 
dwelling  of  Barney  Hansen,  which  stood  where  Benj.  R.  Jenkins 
now  lives.  Hansen,  who  chanced  to  be  from  home,  had  a  son 
about  ten  years  of  age,  who  was  then  going  to  school  at  Fort 
Hunter.  On  Saturday  evening  preceding  the  invasion,  Peter,  a 
son  of  Cornelius  Putman,  of  Ca-daiigh-ri-ty,*  about  the  same  age 
as  young  Hansen,  went  home  with  the  latter,  crossing  the  river  in 
a  boat,  to  tarry  with  him  over  Sunday.  The  lads  slept  in  a  bunk, 
which,  on  retiring  to  rest  on  Sunday  night,  was  drawn  before  the 
outside  door ;  and  the  first  intimation  the  family  had  of  the  ene- 
my's proximity,  was  their  heavy  blows  npon  the  door  with  an  axe, 
just  before  daylight,  sending  the  splinter's  upon  the  boys'  bed,  cau- 
sing them  to  bury  their  heads  beneath  the  bedding.  An  entrance 
was  quickly  forced,  and  the  house  plundered.  The  boys  were  led  f 
out  by  two  Indians,  and  claimed  as  prisoners,  but  owing  to  the  ear- 
nest entreaties  of  Mrs.  Hansen  that  they  might  be  left,  a  British 
officer  interfered,  saying  that  they  were  too  young  to  endure  the 
journey :  they  were  then  liberated.  This  house  was  built  and 
owned  by  Joseph  Clement,  atory,  who  was  supposed  to  have  been 
present;  consequently,  it  was  not  burned. 

From  the  house  of  Barney  Hansen,  the  enemy  proceeded  to  that 
of  Col.  Fisher,  where  Adam  Zielie  now  resides,  and  where,  too, 
they  were  disappointed  in  not  finding  any  of  the  family  :  plunder- 

•Ca-daugh-ri-ty,  is  an  Indian  word,  and  signifies  The  Steep  Bank,  back  mall, 
or  -perpendicular  wall !  In  the  southeast  part  of  Glen  is  a  high  bank  on  the 
Schoharie,  a  mile  or  two  from  its  mouth  or  the  ancient  Fort  Hunter,  occasion- 
ed by  an  extensive  slide  at  least  one  hundred  years  ago,  the  Indian  name  for 
which  originated  at  the  time. 


350  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ing  and  setting-  it  on  fire,  they  hastened  onward  to  the  Fisher 
homestead,  where  they  arrived  just  at  daylight.  Among  the  plun- 
der made  at  Hansen's,  was  the  clothing  of  young  Putman,  and 
as  the  Indians  threw  away  such  articles  as  they  considered  useless, 
he  followed  them  at  a  distance,  recovering  and  putting  on  his  ap- 
parel as  fast  as  rejected.  He  obtained  the  last  of  it  near  the 
dwelling  of  Col.  Fisher — entering  which  lie  discovered  it  to  be 
on  fire.  Looking  for  pails  he  found  several  which  the  enemy  had 
broken,  but  a  further  search  discovered  a  tub  of  sour  milk  :  this 
he  drew  near  the  fire,  and  throwing  it  on  the  flames,  with  his 
hands  extinguished  them — not,  however,  until  a  large  hole  had 
been  burned  entirely  through  the  floor.  This  house  was  consumed 
in  October  following. 

About  twenty  of  the  enemy  first  arrived  at  the  old  Fisher  place, 
and  attempted  to  force  an  entrance  by  cutting  in  the  door,  but  be- 
ing fired  upon  from  a  window  by  the  intrepid  inmates,  they  re- 
treated round  a  corner  of  the  house,  where  they  were  less  exposed 
the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  nearly  three  hundred  in  number,  ar- 
rived soon  after  and  joined  in  the  attack.  The  brothers  defended 
the  house  for  some  length  of  time  after  the  enemy  gained  entrance 
below,  and  a  melee  followed  in  the  stairway,  on  their  attempting 
to  ascend.  Several  balls  were  fired  up  through  the  floor, — the 
lower  room  not  being  plastered  over  head,  which  the  brothers 
avoided  by  standing  over  the  large  timbers  which  supported  it. 
At  this  period  the  sisters  escaped  from  the  cellar-kitchen,  and  fled 
to  the  woods  not  far  distant.  They  were  met  in  their  flight  by  a 
party  of  savages,  who  snatched  from  the  head  of  one,  a  bonnet ; 
and  from  the  bosom  of  the  other  a  neckerchief — but  were  allowed 
to  escape  unhurt.  Mrs.  Fisher,  about  to  follow  her  daughters 
from  the  house,  was  stricken  down  at  the  door  by  a  blow  on  the 
head  from  the  but  of  a  musket,  and  left  without  being  scalped. 

The  brothers  returned  the  fire  of  their  assailants  for  a  while 
with  spirit,  but  getting  out  of  ammunition  their  castle  was  no 
longer  tenable ;  and  Harraan,  jumping  from  a  back  window,  at- 
tempted to  escape  by  flight.  In  the  act  of  leaping  a  garden  fence, 
a  few  rods  from  the  house,  he  was  shot,  and  there  killed  and  scalp- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        351 

ed.  As  the  enemy  ascended  the  stairs,  Col.  Fisher  discharged  a 
pistol  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  calling  for  quarters,  threw  it  behind 
him  in  token  of  submission.  An  Indian,  running  up,  struck  him 
a  blow  on  the  head  with  a  tomahawk,  which  brought  him  to  the 
floor.  lie  fell  upon  his  face,  and  the  Indian  took  two  crown 
scalps  from  his  head,  which  no  doubt  entitled  him  to  a  double  re- 
ward, then  giving  him  a  gash  in  the  back  of  the  neck,  he  turned 
him  and  attempted  to  cut  his  throat,  which  was  only  prevented  by 
his  cravat,  the  knife  penetrating  just  through  the  skin.  His  broth- 
er, Capt.  Fisher,  as  the  enemy  ascended  the  stairs,  retreated  to  one 
corner  of  the  room,  in  which  was  a  quantity  of  peas,  that  he  might 
there  repel  his  assailants.  An  Indian,  seeing  him  armed  with  a 
sword,  hurled  a  tomahawk  at  his  head,  which  brought  him  down. 
He  was  then  killed  outright,  scalped  as  he  lay  upon  the  grain,  and 
there  left.  The  house  was  plundered,  and  then  set  on  fire,  (as 
stated  by  Wm.  Bowen,  who  returned  after  the  war,)  vnth  a  chemi- 
cal match,  conveyed  upon  the  roof  by  an  arrow. 

Leaving  the  progress  of  the  distructives  for  a  time,  let  us  follow 
the  fortunes  of  Col.  Fisher.  After  the  enemy  had  left,  his  con- 
sciousness returned,  and  as  soon  as  strength  would  allow,  he  as- 
certained that  his  brother  John  was  dead.  From  a  window  he 
discovered  that  the  house  was  on  fire,  which  no  doubt  quickened 
his  exertions.  Descending,  he  found  his  mother  near  the  door,  faint 
from  the  blow  dealt  upon  her  head,  and  too  weak  to  render  him  any 
assistance.  With  no  little  effort  the  colonel  succeeded  in  remov- 
ing the  body  of  his  brother  out  of  the  house,  and  then  assisted  his 
mother,  who  was  seated  in  a  chair,*  the  bottom  of  which  had  al- 
ready caught  fire,  to  a  place  of  safety ;  and  having  carried  out  a 
bed,  he  laid  down  upon  it,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house,  in  a 
state  of  exhaustion.  Tom,  a  black  slave,  belonging  to  Adam 
Zielie,  was  the  first  neighbor  to  arrive  at  Fisher's.  He  enquired 
of  the  colonel  what  he  should  do  for  him  1  Fisher  could  not  speak, 
but  signified  by  signs  his  desire  for  water.     Tom  ran  down  to  the 

•  This  chair  is  preserved  as  a  sacred  relic  by  the  De  Graff  family,  at  the 
Visscher  house. 


352  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Da-de-nos-cu'ra*  a  brook  running  through  a  ravine  a  little  distance 
east  of  the  house,  and  filling  his  old  hat,  the  only  substitute  for  a 
vessel  at  hand,  he  soon  returned  with  it;  a  drink  of  which  restored 
the  wounded  patriot  to  consciousness  and  speech.  His  neighbor, 
Joseph  Clement,  arrived  at  Fisher's  while  the  colonel  lay  upon  the 
bed,  and  on  being  asked  by  Tom  Zielie  what  they  should  do  for  him, 
unblushingly  replied  in  Low  Dutch,  *'  Laat  de  vervlukten  rabble 
starven  /"     Let  the  cursed  rebel  die  ! 

Tom,  who  possessed  a  feeling  heart,  was  not  to  be  suaded  from 
his  Samaritan  kindness,  by  the  icy  coldness  of  his  tory  neighbor, 
and  instantly  set  about  relieving  the  suffering  man's  condition. 
Uriah  Bowen  arrived  about  the  time  Tom  returned  with  the  wa- 
ter, and  assisted  in  removing  the  dead  and  wounded  farther  from 
the  burning  building.  Col.  Fisher  directed  Tom  to  harness  a  span 
of  colts,  then  in  a  pasture  near,  (which,  as  the  morning  was  very 
foggy,  had  escapped  the  notice  of  the  enemy,)  before  a  wagon, 
and  take  him  to  the  river  at  David  Putman's.  The  colts  were 
soon  harnessed,  when  the  bodies  of  the  murdered  brothers,  and  those 
of  Col.  Fisher  and  his  mother,  were  put  into  the  wagon,  (the  two 
latter  upon  a  bed,)  and  it  moved  forward.  The  noise  of  the  wagon 
was  heard  by  the  girls,  who  came  from  their  concealment  to  learn 
the  fate  of  the  family,  and  join  the  mournful  groupe.  When  the 
wagon  arrived  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  several  tories  were  pres- 
ent, who  refused  to  assist  in  carrying  the  Fishers  down  the  bank 
to  a  canoe,  whereupon  Tom  took  the  colts  by  their  heads,  and  led 
them  down  the  bank ;  and  what  was  then  considered  remarkable, 
they  went  as  steadily  as  old  horses,  although  never  before  har- 
nessed. The  family  were  taken  into  a  boat  and  carried  across  the 
river  to  Ephraim  Wemple's,  where  every  attention  was  paid  them. 
When  a  person  is  scalped,  the  skin  falls  upon  the  face  so  as  to  dis- 
figure the  countenance ;  but  on  its  being  drawn  up  on  the  crown 
of  the  head,  the  face  resumes  its  natural  look  ;  such  was  the  case 
with  Col.  Fisher,  as  stated  by  an  eye  witness. 

•  Da-de-nosca-ra  or  Dada-nus-ga-ra,  "  means  literally,  bearded  trees,  or 
tress  with  excrescences  or  tufts  to  them."  (Gi7es  F.  Yates.  Esq.)  Lands  ad- 
joining this  stream  were  originally  timbered  with  hemlock  and  black  ash, 
which  originated  the  significant  name. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        353 

Seeing  the  necessity  of  his  having  proper  medical  attention, 
Col.  Fisher's  friends  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  sent  him  for- 
ward in  the  canoe  by  trusty  persons,  to  Schenectada,  where  he  ar- 
rived just  at  dark  the  same  day  of  his  misfortune.  There  he  re- 
ceived the  medical  attendance  of  Doctors  Mead  of  that  place, 
Stringer,  of  Albany,  and  two  Surgeons,  belonging  to  the  U.  S. 
army.  His  case  was  for  some  time  a  critical  one,  and  he  did  not 
recover  as  was  anticipated ;  but  on  turning  him  over,  the  reason 
why  he  did  not  was  obvious.  The  wound  inflicted  by  the 
scalping  knife  in  the  back  of  the  neck,  had  escaped  the  observa- 
tion of  his  attendants,  and  the  flies  getting  into  it,  and  depositing 
their  larva,  had  rendered  it  an  offensive  sore,  but  on  its  being  pro- 
perly dresesd,  the  patient  recovered  rapidly.  At  the  time  Col.  Fisher 
received  his  wounds,  Nicholas  Quackenboss  previously  mentioned, 
happened  to  be  at  Albany,  purchasing  fish  and  other  necessaries, 
and  on  learning  that  his  neighbor  was  at  Schenectada,  called,  on 
his  way  home,  to  see  him.  On  enquiring  of  Fisher  how  he  did, 
the  latter,  placing  his  hand  on  his  wounded  head,  replied  in  Dutch, 
"  Well,  J^icholas,  you've  had  your  wish .'"  The  reader  must  not 
suppose,  from  what  took  place  between  Fisher  and  Quackenboss, 
at  the  two  interviews  named,  that  the  former  at  the  time  of  remov- 
ing his  family,  was  in  possession  of  any  intelligence  of  the  enemy 
unknown  to  his  neighbors.  It  was  then  notorious  in  the  valley 
that  an  invasion  was  to  be  apprehended. 

Several  attempts  were  made  to  capture  Col.  Fisher  during  the 
war,  which  proved  abortive.  After  he  recovered,  he  gave  the 
faithful  negro*  who  had  treated  him  so  kindly  when  suffering  un- 
der the  wounds  of  the  enemy,  a  valuable  horse.  Gov.  George 
Clinton,  as  a  partial  reward  lor  his  sufferings  and  losses  in  the 
war,  appoinied  Col.  Fisher  a  brigadier  general ;  but  refusing  to 
equip  himself,  his  commission,  which  was  dated  February  6, 
1787,  was  succeeded  on  the  7th  of  March  following,  by  his  ap- 

•  Tom  afterwards  lived  in  Schoharie  county,  where  he  was  much  respect- 
ed for  his  industrious  habits,  and  where  at  a  good  old  age  he  died.  After 
his  removal  to  Schoharie,  he  usually  paid  Col.  Fisher  a  visit  every  year, 
when  he  received  substantial  evidence  of  that  patriot's  gratitude. 


354  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

pointment  of  first  judge  of  the  Montgomery  county  common 
pleas. 

After  the  war  was  over,  a  party  of  Indians  on  their  way  to 
Albany  halted  a  day  or  two  at  Caughnawaga,  among  whom  was 
the  one  who  had  tomahawked  and  scalped  Col.  Fisher,  in  1780, 
leaving  him  for  dead.  This  Indian  could  not  credit  the  fact  of 
his  being  still  alive,  as  he  said  he  had  himself  cut  his  throat ; 
and  was  desirous  of  having  occular  demonstration  of  his  exist- 
ence, and  possibly  would  have  been  gratified  by  the  family,  but 
information  having  reached  the  ears  of  the  colonel  that  his  tor- 
mentor was  in  the  valley,  a  spirit  of  revenge  fired  his  breast,  and 
himself  and  John  Stoner,  then  living  with  him,  who,  in  the  mur- 
der of  his  father,  had  some  reason  for  not  kindly  greeting  those 
sons  of  the  forest;  having  prepared  several  loaded  guns,  the 
friends  of  the  family  very  properly  warned  the  Indian  and  his  fel- 
lows, not  to  pass  the  house  within  rifle  shot  distance ;  which  hint 
was  duly  taken,  and  serious  consequences  thus  avoided.  Judge 
Fisher — a  living  monument  of  savage  warfare — was  an  active 
and  useful  citizen  of  the  Mohawk  valley  for  many  years,  and  died 
of  a  complaint  in  the  head — caused,  as  was  supposed,  by  the  loss 
of  his  scalp,  on  the  9th  day  of  June,  1809.  His  widow,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Gazena  De  Graflf",  died  in  1815. 

Some  years  after  the  Revolution,  Judge  Fisher,  or  Visscher,  as 
it  is  now  written  by  several  of  the  family,  to  whom  the  homestead 
reverted  on  the  death  of  his  brothers,  erected  a  substantial  brick 
dwelling  over  the  ashes  of  his  birth  place,  where  he  spent  the 
evening  of  his  days  amid,  the  association*  of  youthful  pleasure  and 
manly  suffering.  This  desirable  farm  residence,  a  view  of  which 
is  shown  in  the  plate  opposite,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a  rise  of 
ground  in  the  town  of  Mohawk,  several  miles  east  of  Fonda, 
Montgomery  county.  It  is  given  the  Indian  name  of  the  adjoin- 
ing creek,  in  the  hope  of  preserving  that  name.  Between  the 
house  and  the  river,  which  it  fronts,  may  be  seen  the  Mohawk 
turnpike,  and  the  track  of  the  Utica  and  Schenectada  railroad. 
The  place  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  De  Graff,  who  mar- 
ried a  grand-daughter  of  its  former  patriotic  proprietor. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         359 

lives,  at  which  place  she  then  kept  a  public  house.  The  enemy 
making  her  son,  Mina,  a  prisoner,  locked  her  up  in  her  own 
dwelling  and  set  it  on  fire.  From  an  upper  window,  she  made 
the  valley  echo  to  her  cries  of  murder  and  help,  which  brought 
some  one  to  her  relief.  Her  voice  arrested  the  attention  of  John 
Fonda,  who  sent  one  of  his  slaves  round  the  knoll  which  former- 
ly stood  west  of  the  Fonda  Hotel,  to  learn  the  cause  of  alarm  j 
but  hardly  had  the  slave  returned,  before  the  enemy's  advance 
from  both  parties  was  there  also,  making  Fonda  a  prisoner,  and 
burning  his  dwelling. 

The  eastern  party,  on  arriving  at  the  dwelling  of  Maj.  Fonda, 
plundered  and  set  it  on  fire.  There  were  then  few  goods  in  his 
store ;  but  his  dwelling  contained  some  rare  furniture  for  that  pe- 
riod, among  which  was  a  musical  clock,  that  at  certain  hours  per- 
formed three  several  tunes.  The  Indians  would  have  saved  this 
house  for  the  great  respect  they  had  for  its  owner,  but  their  more 
than  savage  allies,  the  tories,  insisted  on  its  destruction.  As  the 
devouring  element  was  consuming  the  dwelling,  the  clock  began 
to  perform,  and  the  Indians,  in  numbers,  gathered  round  in  mute 
astonishment,  to  listen  to  its  melody.  They  supposed  it  the  voice 
of  a  spirit,  which  they  may  have  thought  was  pleased  with  them 
for  the  manner  in  which  they  were  serving  tyranny.  Of  the 
plunder  made  at  this  dwelling,  w-as  a  large  circular  mirror,  which 
a  citizen  in  concealment  saw,  fu-st  in  the  hands  of  a  squaw,  but 
it  being  a  source  of  envy  it  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  stout 
Indian — not  however  without  a  severe  struggle  on  her  part.  The 
Indians  were  extravagantly  fond  of  mirrors,  and  it  is  not  unhkely 
this  costly  one  was  broken  in  pieces  and  divided  between  them. 
Among  the  furniture  destroyed  in  the  house,  was  a  marble  table 
on  which  stood  the  statue  of  an  Indian,  whose  head  rested  on  a 
pivot,  which,  from  the  slightest  motion  was  continually — 

"  Niding,  nodding,  and  nid,  nid  nodding." 

Neither  the  parsonage,  which  stood  a  little  north  of  the  present 
one,  or  the  church  at  Caughnawaga,  were  harmed.     Dr.  Romeyn, 
then  its  pastor,  was  from  home.     Mrs,  Romeyn,  as  she  was  flee- 
24 


360  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ing  up  the  hill  north  of  her  house  with  her  family,  carrying  two 
children,  was  seen  by  the  Indians  who  laughed  heartily  at  the 
ludicrous  figure  she  presented,  without  offering  to  molest  her,  un- 
less possibly  by  an  extra  whoop. 

When  the  alarm  first  reached  the  family  of  Douw  Fonda,  Pene- 
lope Grant,  a  Scotch  girl  living  with  him,  to  whom  the  old  gen- 
tleman was  much  attached,  urged  him  to  accompany  her  to  the 
hill  whither  the  Romeyn  family  were  fleeing ;  but  the  old  patriot 
had  become  childish,  and  seizing  his  gun  he  exclaimed — "  Pene- 
lope, do  you  stay  here  with  me — /  will  fight  for  you  to  the  last 
drop  of  blood  /"  Finding  persuasion  of  no  avail,  she  left  him  to 
his  fate,  which  was  indeed  a  lamentable  one ;  for  soon  the  enemy 
arrived,  and  he  was  led  out  by  a  Mohawk  Indian,  known  as  One 
Armed  Peter  (he  having  lost  an  arm)  toward  the  bank  of  the 
river,  where  he  was  tomahawked  and  scalped.  As  he  was  led 
from  the  house,  he  was  observed  by  John  Hansen,  a  prisoner,  to 
have  some  kind  of  a  book  and  a  cane  in  his  hand.  His  murderer 
had  often  partaken  of  his  hospitality,  having  lived  for  many  years 
in  his  neighborhood.  When  afterwards  reproved  for  this  murder, 
he  replied  that  as  it  was  the  intention  of  the  enemy  to  kill  him, 
he  thought  he  might  as  well  get  the  bounty  for  his  scalp  as  any 
one  else !  Mr.  Fonda  had  long  been  a  warm  personal  friend  of 
Sir  William  Johnson,  and  it  is  said  that  Sir  John  much  regretted 
his  death,  and  censured  the  murderer.  This  Indian,  Peter,  was 
the  murderer  of  Capt.  Hansen,  on  the  same  morning.  With  the 
plunder  made  at  Douw  Fonda's  were  four  male  slaves  and  one 
female,  who  were  all  taken  to  Canada.  Several  other  slaves 
were  of  the  plunder  made  in  the  neighborhood,  and  doubtless  be- 
came incorporated  with  the  Canada  Indians.* 

An  incident  of  no  little  interest  is  related  by  an  eye  witness 
from  the  hill,  as  having  occurred  in  this  vicinity  on  the  morning 

•  The  preceding  facts  relating  to  this  invasion  vi^ere  obtained  from  Daniel 
Visscher  and  John  Fisher,  sons  of  Col.  Fr.  Fisher ;  Mrs.  Margaret  Putman, 
a  sister  of  Col.  Fisher;  Angelica,  daughter  of  Capt.  Henry  Hansen,  and 
widow  of  John  Fonda ;  Catharine,  daughter  of  John  Fonda,  late  the  wife  of 
Evert  Yates;  Peter,  a  son  of  Cornelius  Putman ;  Volkert  Voorhees ;  Cornelius, 
on  of  Barney  Wemple  ;  David,  son  of  Adam  Zielie ;  and  John  S.  Quackenbost. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        361 

of  this  invasion.  A  little  distance  in  advance  of  the  enemy,  a  man 
was  seen  in  a  wagon  which  contained  several  barrels,  urging  his 
liorses  forward.  Despairing  of  making  his  escape  with  the  wa- 
gon, he  abandoned  it,  and  mounting  one  of  his  horses  he  drove  to 
the  river,  into  which  they  plunged  and  swam  across  with  him  in 
safety.  On  reaching  the  wagon,  the  barrels  were  soon  found  to 
contain  rum,  which  had  been  destined  to  one  of  the  frontier  forts. 
Knocking  in  the  head  of  a  cask,  the  Indians  were  beginning  to 
drink  and  gather  round  with  shouts  of  merriment,  when  a  British 
officer  dressed  in  green  came  up,  and  with  a  tomahawk  hacked 
the  barrels  in  pieces,  causing  the  liquor  to  run  upon  the  ground, 
to  the  mortification  of  his  tawny  associates,  who  dispersed  with 
evident  displeasure. — Mrs.  Penelope  Forbes.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Grant. 

The  enemy,  led  by  Col.  Johnson  in  person,  on  their  way  to 
Caughnawaga,  plundered  and  burned  the  dwellings  of  James  Da- 
vis, one  Van  Brochlin  and  Sampson  Sammons. — Mrs.  John  Fon- 
da. Sammons  with  his  sons,  Jacob,  Frederick  and  Thomas,  were 
captured,  but  himself  and  youngest  son,  Thomas,  were  set  at  lib- 
erty :  the  other  two  were  carried  to  Canada.  For  an  account  of 
their  sufferings,  see  Life  of  Brant. 

Cornelius  Smith,  who  lived  two  miles  west  of  Major  Fonda,  on 
the  morning  of  Johnson's  invasion,  was  going  to  mill,*  and  called 
just  after  daylight  at  Johannes  Veeder's.  The  latter  was  then  at 
Schenectada,  but  his  son,  Simon,  (afterwards  a  judge  of  Mont- 
gomery county,)  who  resided  with  him,  was  at  home,  and  had 
arisen.  On  his  way  to  Veeder's,  Smith  had  discovered  the  smoke 
of  the  Sammons  dwelling,  but  being  unable  to  account  for  it, 
continued  his  journey,  and  was  captured  just  below.  Mr.  Veeder, 
who  had  accompanied  Smith  toward  the  road  from  hearing  the  dis- 
charge of  musketry  down  the  valley,  soon  after  his  neighbor  was 
out  of  sight,  beheld  to  his  surprise  a  party  of  Indians  approach- 
ing him  from  that  direction ;  upon  which  he  ran  to  his  house, 

•  A  small  grist  mill,  -which  stood  near  the  present  site  of  the  district  school 
bouse  in  Fonda.  This  mill  was  inclosed  by  palisades  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  war,  to  serve  the  purposes  of  a  fort. 


362  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

(which  stood  a  little  distance  above  the  present  village  of  Fonda, 
where  a  namesake  now  resides,)  pursued  by  them.  He  alarmed 
his  family,  which  consisted  of  Gilbert  Van  Deusen,  Henry  Vroo- 
man,  a  lame  man,  and  James  Terwilleger,  a  German ;  and  seve- 
ral women  and  slaves.  The  three  men  snatched  each  .a  gun  and 
fled  from  a  back  door,  Vrooman  with  his  boots  in  his  hand;  and 
as  Veeder,  minus  a  hat,  was  following  them  with  a  gun  in  each 
hand,  the  enemy  opened  the  front  door.  They  leveled  their  guns 
but  did  not  fire,  supposing,  possibly,  that  he  would  be  intimidated 
and  surrender  himself  a  prisoner.  As  Veeder  left  the  house,  the 
women  fled  down  cellar  for  safety.  The  fugitives  had  to  pass  a 
board  fence  a  few  rods  from  the  house,  and  as  Veeder  was  leaping 
it,  several  of  the  enemy  fired  on  him,  three  of  their  balls  passing 
through  the  board  beneath  him.  One  of  his  comrades  drew  up 
to  return  the  fire,  but  Veeder,  fearing  it  might  endanger  the  safe- 
ty of  the  women,  would  not  permit  him  to.  The  house  was  then 
plundered,  and  after  removing  the  women  from  the  cellar,  an  act, 
I  suppose,  of  an  Indian  acquaintance,  the  house  was  fired,  and 
with  it  several  out  buildings.  The  dwellings  of  Abraham  Veeder, 
Col.  Volkert  Veeder,  that  of  Smith  already  named,  and  those  of 
two  of  the  Vroomans,  situated  above,  also  shared  a  similar  fate, 
and  became  a  heap  of  ruins. —  Volkert,  a  son  of  Simon  Veeder. 

At  this  period,  George  Eacker  resided  where  Jacob  F.  Dock- 
stader  now  does,  just  below  the  Nose.  Having  discovered  the 
fire  of  the  burning  buildings  down  the  valley,  he  sent  his  family 
into  the  woods  on  the  adjoining  mountain,  but  remained  himself 
to  secure  some  of  his  effects.  While  thus  busily  engaged,  several 
of  the  enemy  arrived  and  made  him  prisoner.  As  they  began  to 
plunder  his  house,  they  sent  him  into  the  cellar  to  procure  them 
food.  On  entering  it,  he  discovered  an  outside  door  ajar ;  passing 
which,  he  fled  for  the  woods.  As  they  thought  his  stay  protract- 
ed, the  Indians  entered  the  cellar,  and  had  the  mortification  to  see 
their  late  prisoner  climbing  the  hill,  beyond  the  reach  of  their 
guns.  Finding  his  family,  he  led  them  to  a  place  of  greater  se- 
curity in  the  forest,  where  they  remained  until  the  present  danger 
was  past,  and  their  buildings  reduced  to  ashes. — David  Eacker, 
first  judge  of  Montgomery  county  at  his  death. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         363 

The  enemy  proceeded  at  this  time  as  far  west  as  the  Nose,  de- 
stroying; a  new  dwelling-,  ashery,  &c.,  just  then  erected  by  Major 
Jelles  Fonda. — Mrs.  John  Fonda. 

When  Sir  John  Johnson  removed  from  Johnstown  to  Canada, 
a  faithful  slave  owned  by  him,  buried,  after  he  had  left,  his  most 
valuable  papers  and  a  large  quantity  of  silver  coin,  in  an  iron 
chest,  in  the  garden,  at  Johnson  Hall.  Among  the  confiscated 
property  of  Sir  John  sold  at  auction,  was  this  very  slave.  He 
was  bought  by  Col.  Volkert  Veeder,  and  no  persuasion  could  in- 
duce him  to  reveal  any  secrets  of  his  former  master.  This  slave 
was  recovered  by  Johnsin  on  the  morning  of  his  invasion  ;  and 
returning  to  the  Hall  with  his  first  owner,  he  disinterred  the  iron 
chest,  and  the  contents  were  obtained.  Some  of  the  papers,  from 
having  been  several  years  in  the  ground,  were  almost  destroyed. 
This  slave,  although  well  treated  by  Col.  Veeder,  was  glad  of  an 
opportunity  to  join  Col.  Johnson,  (who  had  made  him  a  confidant,) 
and  accompany  him  to  Canada. — Mrs.  Fonda. 

Several  boys  were  captured  along  the  river,  who  were  liberat- 
ed at  Johnson  Hall,  and  returned  home,  among  whom  were  James 
Romeyn,  and  Mina  Weraple.  The  latter,  hearing  the  proposi- 
tion made  by  Sir  John,  to  allow  the  boys  to  return,  who  was 
rather  larger  than  any  of  the  others,  stepped  in  among  them  say- 
ing, me  too !  me  too !  and  was  finally  permitted  to  accompany 
them  off;  and  returned  to  the  ashes  of  her  inn,  to  console  his 
mother.  Thomas  Saramons,  Abraham  Veeder,  and  John  Fonda, 
(and  possibly  some  others)  were  also  permitted,  on  certain  condi- 
tions, to  return  home ;  the  latter,  and  his  brother  Adam,  casting 
lots  to  see  which  should  be  retained  a  prisoner.  The  captives  thus 
liberated,  were  given  a  jxiss,  by  Col.  Johnson,  lest  they  might 
meet  some  of  the  enemy,  and  be  retaken.  They  had  not  proceeded 
far  when  Veeder,  (who  was  a  brother  of  Col.  Volkert  Veeder,) 
halted,  to  read  his  pass.  "  Well,"  said  his  companion,  Fonda,  in 
I>ow  Dutch,  "  you  may  stop  here  to  read  your  pass,  if  you  choose, 
but  I  prefer  reading  mine  when  out  of  danger  of  them  red  devils 
of  Sir  John's."— Euer^  Yates. 

Colonels  Harper  and  Volkert  Veeder,  collected,  as  speedily  as 


364  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,    ETC. 

possible,  the  scattered  militia  of  Tryon  county,  to  pursue  the  inva- 
ders, but  being  too  weak  successfully  to  give  them  battle,  they 
were  permitted,  almost  unmolested,  to  escape  with  their  booty  to 
Canada.  John  J.  Hanson,  captured  at  Tribes'  Hill,  after  journey- 
ing with  the  enemy  two  days,  effected  his  escape,  and  arrived 
half-starved,  at  the  dwelling  of  3  German,  living  back  of  Stone 
Arabia,  who  supplied  him  with  food,  and  he  reached  Fort  Hunter 
in  safety.— -Jtfrs.  Evert  Yates. 


(  365  ) 


CHAPTER  XII. 


The  following  facts  were  obtained  in  1837,  from  Henry  Hynds, 
a  son  of  William  Hynds,  who  was  one  of  the  few  whigs  living  in 
New  Dorlach,  in  the  Revolution.  On  the  evening  of  July  4th, 
1780,  a  party  of  the  enemy,  consisting  of  seven  Indians,  a  squaw, 
and  one  white  man,  Capt.  Adam  Crysler,  arrived  in  the  settle- 
ment and  put  up,  as  was  afterwards  learned,  at  the  house  of  Mi- 
chael Merckley.  The  ostensible  object  of  their  visit  was,  to  cap- 
ture Bastian  France,  as  a  son  of  the  latter  informed  the  author ; 
but  as  he  chanced  to  be  from  home,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
Merckley  family,  they  concluded  to  seize  upon  some  other  whigs 
in  the  vicinity.  As  there  was  but  little  intercourse  among  distant 
neighbors  in  that  busy  season  of  the  year,  and  William  Hynds  was 
living  in  quite  a  retired  place,  it  was  suggested  to  Crysler,  that  if 
this  family  was  carried  into  captivity,  and  the  house  not  burned, 
they  might  be  gone  a  week,  and  no  one  else  know  of  their  ab- 
sence. The  suggestion  was  received  with  favor,  and  the  next  day, 
as  the  family  of  Hynds  were  at  dinner,  they  were  surprised,  and 
taken  prisoners.  As  the  captors  approached  the  dwelling,  they 
fired  a  gun  in  at  an  open  door,  to  imtimidate  the  family  ;  and  en- 
tering secured  Mr.  Hynds,  his  wife,  daughters  Catharine,  and  Ma- 
ry, who  were  older  than  my  informant,  and  four  children,  younger, 
Elizabeth,  William,  Lana,  and  an  infant.  The  Indians  then  plun- 
dered the  house  of  whatever  they  desired  to  take  along.  Henry 
was  compelled  to  catch  four  horses  belonging  to  his  father,  obedi- 
ence to  which  command  several  of  the  party  stood  with  ready  ri- 
fles to  enforce,  and  prevent  his  escape.  Upon  the  backs  of  three 
horses  was  placed  the  plunder  made  in  the  dwelling ;  and  upon 
the  fourth,  on  a  man's  saddle,  Mrs.  Hynds,  with  several  of  her 
youngest  children,  was  permitted  to  ride.     The  party  moved  for- 


380  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ward  about  2  o'clock,  and  traveled  that  afternoon  to  Lake  Utsay- 
antho,  and  encamped  near  the  Champion  place,  seven  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  dwelling  of  Hynds.  The  second  night  they  en- 
camped in  an  orchard  near  Collier's.  Among  the  plunder  taken 
from  the  dwelling  of  Hynds,  was  a  quantity  of  ham  and  pork, 
which  the  Indians  ate ;  giving  the  prisoners  flour,  which  they 
made  into  pudding. 

Mr.  Hynds  was  bound  nights,  and  a  rope  laid  across  his  body, 
each  end  of  which  was  tied  to  an  Indian.  The  party  were  three 
weeks  going  to  Niagara  ;  and  killed  on  the  route  one  deer,  sev- 
eral muskrats,  otters,  &c.,  which  served  for  food.  In  heu  of  salt, 
they  used  ashes,  and  the  family  continued  well  until  they  reached 
Niagara.  The  large  children  went  barefooted  nearly  all  the  way 
to  Canada.  Soon  after  they  started,  the  squaw  took  from  Henry, 
his  shoes,  which,  as  she  could  not  wear  them,  she  threw  away. 
While  journeying,  they  built  tires  nights,  around  which  they  slept 
upon  the  ground.  Soup  was  their  usual  supper.  On  passing 
Indian  villages,  the  prisoners  were  much  abused  by  squaws  and 
children  ;  and  on  one  occasion,  Mr.  Hynds  was  knocked  down  by 
a  blow  upon  the  head  with  an  empty  bottle. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  at  Niagara,  Mr.  Hynds  and  all  his  fa- 
mily, except  Henry,  took  the  fever  and  ague,  of  which  William, 
a  promising  lad,  died.  The  prisoners  were  at  Niagara  when  the 
troops  under  Sir  John  Johnson,  destined  to  ravish  the  Schoharie 
and  Mohawk  valleys,  set  out  on  their  journey.  The  tories  from 
Schoharie  and  New  Dorlach,  who  accompanied  the  army,  often 
boasted  to  the  prisoners,  that  Albany  would  soon  be  taken  by  the 
British,  when  themselves  were  to  possess  certain  choice  sections 
of  the  Schoharie  flats.  Mary,  then  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age, 
was  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  family  at  Niagara,  and  taken  to 
supply  a  vacancy  in  an  Indian  family,  occasioned  by  the  death  of 
one  of  its  members.  Some  time  in  the  fall,  the  prisoners  were  re- 
moved to  Buck's  Island,  where  Elizabeth,  the  child  next  older 
than  William,  also  died.  From  the  Island,  they  were  removed  to 
Montreal,  where  Lana,  the  youngest  child  but  one,  died.  Mrs. 
Hynds,  whose  constitution  was  undermined  by  the  accumulating 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        367 

load  of  her  mental  and  bodily  sufferings,  with  her  infant  child 
soon  after  followed  her  other  three  children  to  the  grave  ;  reduc- 
ing the  family  from  nine  to  four.  In  the  winter  following  his 
capture,  Henry  had  a  severe  attack  of  fever  and  ague,  and  was 
removed  from  the  guard-house  to  the  hospital ;  where  he  was 
properly  treated  and  soon  recovered. 

About  two  years  and  a  half  after  their  capture,  Mr.  Hynds,  his 
son  Henry,  and  daughter  Catharine,  with  nearly  three  hundred 
other  prisoners,  returned  home  by  the  usual  route  down  the  Hud- 
son river.  Mary  was  detained  nearly  three  years  longer  in  Ca- 
nada, but  finally  returned  home.  As  was  surmised,  the  whigs  of 
New  Dorlach  knew  nothing  of  the  capture  of  Mr.  Hynds  and  his 
family  until  they  had  been  gone  three  or  four  days. 

The  greater  part  of  the  month  of  July,  1780,  Seth's  Henry, 
and  a  few  other  Indians,  were  secreted  about  the  Schoharie  set- 
tlements, in  the  hope  of  killing  or  surprising  some  of  the  princi- 
pal settlers,  as  he  stated  after  the  war. 

One  dark  night,  this  Indian,  says  Josias  E.  Vrooman,  visited  the 
upper  fort,  in  the  hope  of  surprising  a  sentinel.  He  commenced 
climbing  up  at  one  of  the  sentry-boxes,  with  a  spear  in  his  hand, 
but  before  he  was  within  reach  of  the  sentinel,  who  chanced  on 
that  night  to  be  Frederick  Quant,  the  latter  heard  his  approach, 
and  gave  the  usual  challenge.  The  Indian  then  dropped  down 
upon  the  ground,  and  threw  himself  under  one  of  the  farm  wag- 
gons which  usually  clustered  around  the  outside  of  the  pickets.  A 
ball  from  the  rifle  of  Quant,  fired  in  the  direction  he  ran,  entered 
a  waggon  near  his  head,  but  the  Indian  made  his  escape. 

For  the  following  particulars  the  author  is  indebted  to  the  ma- 
nuscript of  Judge  Hager,  to  Col.  J.  W.  Bouck,  and  the  memory  of 
Dick,  a  former  slave  belonging  to  the  Bouck  family. 

About  the  25th  of  July,  William  Bouck,  an  elderly  man,  the 
one  mentioned  as  the  first  white  male  child  born  in  Schoharie, 
went  from  the  upper  fort  to  his  dwelling,  situated  where  Wilhel- 
mus  Bouck  now  resides,  (nearly  two  miles  distant  from  said  fort,) 
to  secure  his  crops,  taking  with  him  a  girl  named  Nancy  Latti- 
more,  a  female  slave,  and  her  three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daugh- 


368  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ter.  As  the  family  were  making  preparations  in  the  evening  to 
retire  to  rest,  Seth's  Henry  and  three  other  Indians  entered  the 
house  and  captured  them,  securing  the  little  plunder  it  chanced  to 
contain.  The  leader  was  disappomted  in  not  finding  either  of  Mr. 
Bouck's  three  sons  at  home. 

Dick  Bouck,  the  youngest  of  the  slaves,  as  the  enemy  entered 
the  house,  sprang  behind  a  door  which  stood  open,  and  escaped 
their  notice.  The  other  prisoners  were  taken  out,  and  as  they 
were  about  to  start  on  their  journey.  Master  Dick,  afraid  of  being 
left  alone  in  the  dark,  made  some  noise  on  purpose  to  attract  their 
attention,  and  one  of  the  Indians  re-entered  the  house  and  "  hus- 
tled him  out."  Speaking  of  his  capture,  Dick  said,  "  1  made  a 
noise,  like  a  tarn,  fool,  and  de  Ingens  took  me  dar  prisoner."  The 
party  then  set  forward,  and  the  captor  of  Dick  (then  eight  years 
old)  took  him  upon  his  back,  and  carried  him  as  far  as  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Gen.  Patchin,  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight  miles, 
where  they  encamped.  The  enemy  expected  to  be  pursued  the 
following  day,  when  it  would  undoubtedly  become  known  that 
Mr.  Bouck  had  been  captured,  and  before  daylight  the  march  was 
resumed.  After  sunrise,  Dick  had  to  travel  on  foot  with  the  other 
prisoners  ;  and  on  the  following  night  encamped  at  Harpersfield. 
At  this  place  lived  a  Scotch  tory,  named  Hugh  Rose,  who  made 
jonny-cake  for  the  Indians,  which  the  latter  shared  wdth  their  pri- 
soners. "  Dis,  said  Dick,  "  was  de  fus  food  de  gabe  us  fore  we 
lef  home."  While  on  their  way  from  the  Patchin  place  to  Har- 
persfield, the  party,  for  obvious  reasons,  avoided  the  beaten  road, 
but  Dick,  who  said  "  de  bushes  hurt  him  pare  feet,"  embraced  re- 
peated opportunities  to  steal  into  it,  and  sometimes  traveled  seve- 
ral rods  in  it,  before  his  violation  of  their  commands  was  ob- 
served. He  often  was  cunning  enough  to  leave  the  road  just  in 
time  to  avoid  detection,  but  repeatedly  he  was  caught  in  "the  for- 
bidden path,"  when  he  was  put  upon  a  new  trail,  with  a  threat  or 
a  slap.  Rose  furnished  provisions  for  the  enemy  to  subsist  on  a 
part  of  the  way  to  Canada,  and  they  left  his  house  about  8  o'clock 
the  next  morning. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        369 

William  Bouck,  Jr.  was  out  on  a  scout  from  the  upper  fort  at  the 
time  his  father's  family  was  captured.  The  scout  consisted  ol 
Bouck,  John  Haggidorn,  Bartholomew  C.  Vrooman,  (the  first  hus- 
band of  Mrs.  Van  Slyck  before  mentioned,)  and  Bartholomew 
Haggidorn.  They  were  sent  on  the  errand  which  had  led  so  ma- 
ny scouts  in  that  direction — to  anticipate,  if  possible,  any  hostile 
movement  of  the  enemy.  The  Indians,  with  their  prisoners,  had 
been  gone  but  a  very  short  time  from  the  house  of  Rose,  before 
the  scout  named  entered  it.  They  enquired  of  Rose  if  there  were 
any  Indians  in  that  vicinity.  "  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  the  woods  are 
full  of  them."  They  desired  to  know  in  what  direction  they  were 
from  his  house,  when,  instead  of  sending  them  from,  he  directed 
them  towards  the  enemy.  The  footsteps  of  the  scout  arrested  the 
attention  of  the  Indians,  who  halted,  leveled  their  rifles,  and  wait- 
ed the  approach  of  the  former.  The  Indians  were  on  a  rise  of 
ground,  and  as  Bouck  looked  up  he  saw  Nancy,  waving  her  bon- 
net, with  fear  depicted  in  her  countenance,  which  signal  he  right- 
ly conjectured  was  intended  to  warn  him  of  danger,  and  direct  his 
flight  in  another  course.  He  instantly  divined  the  reason  of  her 
being  there,  and  apprising  his  comrades  of  their  peril,  he  turned 
and  fled  in  an  opposite  direction.  At  that  instant  the  Indians 
fii'ed,  and  John  Haggidorn  was  wounded  in  the  hip,  and  a  ball 
passed  through  the  cravat  of  Bouck,  which  was  tied  around  his 
neck.  Haggidorn  fell,  but  instantly  sprang  up  and  followed  his 
companions.  Had  they  known  that  there  were  but  four  of  the 
enemy,  they  would  no  doubt  have  turned  upon  them  and  rescued 
the  prisoners.  The  scout  returned  to  the  house  of  Rose,  and  as 
Haggidorn  was  too  severely  wounded  to  proceed,  he  was  left  by 
his  friends,  who  assured  the  tory  that  if  harm  befel  their  wounded 
friend,  or  he  was  not  well  taken  care  of,  his  own  life  should  be  the 
forfeit. 

As  was  anticipated,  Bouck  was  missing  in  the  morning,  and  as 
soon  as  information  of  the  fact  reached  the  fort,  Capt.  Hager  des- 
patched about  twenty  men,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenants 
Ephraim  Vrooman  and  Joseph  Harper,  in  pursuit  of  the  captors. 
They  rightly  conjectured  the  enemy  would  take  the  usual  route  to- 


370  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

wards  Harpersfield,  and  after  proceeding  in  uncertainty  until  they 
discovered  the  track  of  Dick  in  the  path,  which  they  at  once  sup- 
posed left  the  impression  of  his  heel,  they  pushed  forward  rapidly. 
The  scout  had  gone  but  a  few  miles  towards  the  fort,  when  they 
fortuately  fell  in  with  the  pursuing  party,  and  instantly  joined  it. 
After  arriving  at  the  place  where  Haggidorn  had  been  wounded, 
they  soon  struck  upon  the  trail  of  the  enemy,  which  ascended  the 
high  grounds  near.  The  Indians  had  gone  but  a  mile  or  two  be- 
yond where  the  scout  saw  them,  and  halted  to  rest  upon  a  narrow 
plain  near  the  top  of  the  mountain,  where  three  of  them  remain- 
ed with  the  prisoners,  while  Seth's  Henry  ascended  to  the  summit, 
which  afforded  a  most  extended  prospect,  to  reconnoitre.  The  In- 
dians left  with  the  prisoners,  feeling  themselves  secure,  had  laid 
down  their  packs,  and  were  in  the  act  of  mending  their  mocasons, 
as  the  Americans  were  cautiously  winding  their  way  up  the  ac- 
clivity. 

Seth's  Henry,  from  his  elevated  position,  completely  overlooked 
his  approaching  foes,  and  feeling  satisfied  that  they  were  now 
safe,  he  had  just  returned  to  his  companions  and  told  them  they 
were  out  of  danger  from  pursuit,  as  the  Americans  gained  a  view 
of  them  within  rifle-shot  distance.  The  lives  of  the  prisoners 
being  endangered,  several  of  whom  were  nearest  the  Americans, 
prevented  the  instant  discharge  of  a  volley  of  balls,  but  as  Leek 
had  a  fair  aim  upon  an  Indian,  he  snapped  and  his  rifle  unfortu- 
nately missed  fire.  Hearing  the  click  of  this  lock,  the  Indians 
instantly  sprang  to  their  feet,  seized  their  weapons,  and  leaving 
their  prisoners  and  packs,  giving  a  whoop  and  exclaiming  Yan- 
kees, fled  barefooted  down  the  mountain  in  an  opposite  direction. 
The  prisoners  were  then  unbound,  grateful  for  so  unexpected  a 
deliverance,  and  the  party  descended  the  hill,  and  proceeded  to 
the  dwelling  of  Rose.  A  kind  of  litter  was  there  prepared,  on 
which  Haggidorn  was  carried  by  his  friends  to  the  fort,  where, 
under  proper  treatment,  he  recovered. 

If  Seth's  Henry,  was  foiled  in  taking  Mr.  Bouck  and  his  family 
to  Canada,  it  did  not  discourage  him  from  making  other  attempts 
to  surprise  some  of  the  Schoharie  citizens.     Familiar  as  he  was 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        371 

with  every  hill,  dale,  ravine,  and  cluster  of  shrubbery  along  the 
river,  he  was  enabled  often  to  approach  the  very  dwelhngs  of  the 
settlers,  without  being  observed. 

He  told  Mrs.  Van  Slyck,  after  the  war,  that  en  Tuesday,  one 
week  before  the  destruction  of  Vrooman's  Land,  and  about  a  week 
after  his  capture  of  William  Bouck,  himself  and  two  other  In- 
diems,  one  of  whom  was  called  William,  his  sister's  son,  lay  con- 
cealed near  a  spring,  in  an  angle  of  a  fence,  by  the  thick  shade  of 
a  sassafras  tree,  not  far  from  her  father's  dwelling,  when  she  with 
a  pail  went  to  the  spring  for  water — that  Wilham  wanted  to  shoot 
her,  but  he  would  not  let  him. 

Mrs.  Van  Slyck  stated,  that  on  the  day  referred  to,  her  father, 
Samuel  Vrooman,  was  at  work,  with  several  others,  in  a  field  of 
grain  not  far  from  his  house,  where  a  small  party  of  riflemen  from 
the  fort  were  in  attendance  to  guard  them ;  and  that  she  was  at 
home  alone  to  prepare  their  dinner.  When  she  had  it  about 
ready,  she  went  with  a  pail  to  the  spring  mentioned  for  water. 
As  she  approached  it  she  saw  the  mocasoned  track  of  an  In- 
dian, which  she  at  once  recognized  as  such,  but  recently  made 
in  the  soft  earth  near  it.  In  an  instant  she  was  seized  with  the 
most  lively  apprehension ;  and  the  first  thought — as  she  felt  her 
hair  move  on  her  head — was,  that  she  would  turn  and  run ;  but 
this  would  betray  to  the  enemy  her  knowledge  of  their  supposed 
proximity ;  whereas,  if  she  did  not  pretend  to  notice  the  track,  if 
her  scalp  was  not  what  the  foe  sought,  she  would  doubtless  es- 
cape. She  therefore  walked  boldly  up  to  the  spring,  dipped  her 
pail,  with  little  caution  about  roiling  the  water,  and  walked  back 
to  the  house.  She  expected,  at  every  step,  to  hear  the  crack  of 
a  rifle  discharged  at  herself,  and  passing  several  stumps  on  the 
way,  this,  and  this,  thought  she,  will  shield  me  for  the  moment. 
On  arriving  at  the  house,  she  set  down  her  pail,  and  ran  to  the 
field  (leaving  several  gates  open)  to  tell  her  friends  what  she  had 
seen  at  the  spring.  The  soldiers  visited  it  and  saw  the  Indian 
foot-marks,  but  the  makers,  observing  their  approach,  had  fled. 

Soth's  Henry  pretended,  after  the  war,  that  nothing  but  his 
friendship  for  her  saved  informant's  life  at  the  spring,  but  the  fear 


372  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  pursuit  from  the  riflemen  near,  was,  perhaps,  the  real  cause  of 
her  escape.  William,  who  leveled  his  rifle  at  her,  and  was  pre- 
vented firing  by  the  caution  of  his  leader,  had,  for  many  years, 
held  a  grudge  against  her.  Being  often  at  her  father's  house  be- 
fore the  war,  she  one  day  accused  him  of  stealing  geese  eggs, 
which  he  resented,  although  perhaps  guilty,  drew  his  knife  and 
struck  a  blow  at  her,  the  blade  of  which  entered  the  right  thigh, 
leaving  an  indellible  evidence  of  his  resentment. 

The  same  day  that  those  Indians  were  concealed  at  Vrooman's 
spring,  they  were  discovered  elsewhere  by  some  person  in  the 
settlement.  Seth's  Henry  told  Mrs.  Van  Slyck,  that  the  night 
preceding  his  visit  to  the  spring,  he,  with  his  companions,  had 
entered  the  kitchen  of  Ephraim  Vrooman's  dwelling,  and  finding 
a  kettle  of  supawn,  made  use  of  it  for  their  suppers.  Two  Ger- 
mans lodged  in  the  house  that  night ;  a  fact  unknown  to  the  In- 
dians, as  was  to  the  former  the  nocturnal  visit  of  the  latter.  Af- 
ter procuring  food  at  this  house,  they  went  to  the  barn  of  Samuel 
Vrooman,  where  they  tarried  over  night.  Thus  were  an  armed 
and  savage  foe  often  prowling  about  the  very  dwellings  of  the 
frontier  settlers  of  New  York,  without  their  knowledge. 

Seth's  Henry,  at  his  interview,  also  stated  to  Mrs.  Van  Slyck, 
that  some  time  in  the  summer  of  1780,  seven  Indians  (of  which 
number,  was  the  Schoharie  Indian,  William,)  went  into  the  vici- 
nity of  Catskill  to  capture  prisoners.  That  they  visited  a  small 
settlement  where  the  whites  were  from  home,  and  soon  succeeded 
in  capturing  seven  lusty  negroes.  The  latter  generally  went  so 
willingly  into  captivity  that  they  were  seldom  bound  in  the  day- 
time. After  traveling  some  distance,  the  party  halted  upon  the 
bank  of  a  spring  to  rest :  when  the  Indians,  leaving  their  guns 
behind  them,  descended  to  drink.  The  favorable  moment  was 
seized  by  the  prisoners  to  liberate  themselves,  and  snatching  up 
the  guns,  they  fired  upon  their  captors,  four  of  whom  were  killed : 
the  other  three  fled,  and  William  was  the  only  one  who  recovered 
his  trusty  riile.  The  negroes,  with  the  six  guns,  returned  home 
in  due  lime,  without  further  molestation. 

Capt.  Richtmyer,  who  resided  near  the  Middle  fort,  was  told 


ANT)  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        373 

by  Joseph  Ecker,  (a  tory  who  returned  to  Schoharie  after  the 
war,)  that  on  a  certain  day,  four  tories,  a  Shafer,  a  Winne,  a  Mil- 
ler, and  another  person  he  would  not  name,  (supposed  by  Captain 
R.  to  have  been  Ecker  himself,)  were  secreted  all  day  near  his 
meadow,  not  far  from  the  present  site  of  the  county  poor  house, 
in  the  hope  of  making  him  their  prisoner.  The  grass  was  cut, 
and  they  expected  the  captain  would  be  there  to  cure  it,  but  for- 
tunately Col.  Zielie  ordered  him  to  superintend  the  making  of 
cartridges  at  the  fort,  and  next  day  several  soldiers  were  sent 
from  the  fort  to  guard  the  workmen.  Thus  was  the  design  of  the 
enemy  frustrated.  Four  places  of  concealment  were  made  and 
occupied  by  the  tories  near  the  field,  by  setting  up  green  twigs, 
which  were  afterwards  noticed  by  the  citizens. — George,  a  son  of 
Capt.  Richtmyer. 

On  the  second  and  third  days  of  August,  1780,  the  settlements 
in  and  around  Canajoharie  were  laid  waste  by  a  body  of  Indians 
under  Brant.  Sixteen  of  the  inhabitants  were  killed,  between 
fifty  and  sixty  made  prisoners ;  over  one  hundred  buildings  burnt, 
and  a  large  amount  of  property  destroyed.  This  happened  at  a 
time  when  theTryon  county  militia  were  mostly  drawn  off  to  Fort 
Schuyler.  See  letter  of  Col.  Clyde  to  Gov.  George  Chnton,  da- 
ted, "  Canajoharie,  August  6th,  1780 ;"  first  published  in  the  An- 
nals of  Tryon  County. 

At  this  time  a  party  of  the  enemy  appeared  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Dayton.  Two  Indians  had  the  temerity  to  approach  a  barn, 
in  which  two  men  were  threshing,  on  whom  they  fired.  The  flail- 
stick  in  the  hands  of  one  was  nearly  severed  by  a  bullet,  but  the 
young  farmers  escaped  to  the  fort.  It  was  well  garrisoned,  and 
a  party  of  Americans  being  then  mounted,  pursued  and  killed 
both  the  Indians.  The  enemy  succeeded,  however,  in  capturing 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Shoemaker,  and  her  son,  a  lad  some  ten  years 
old,  who  were  in  a  field  picking  green  peas.  On  their  arrival  in 
Canada,  Sir  John  Johnson,  paid  seven  dollars  to  ransom  the 
mother,  who,  leaving  her  son  in  captivity,  arrived  at  Albany  some 
time  after,  from  whence  she  was  carried  to  Schenectada  in  a 
wagon,  by  Isaac  Covenhoven,  and  from  thence  she  accompanied 


374  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

one  Walradt,  a  former  neighbor  to  Herkimer. — Isaac  Covenhoven, 
who  was  at  Fort  Dayton  during  the  invasion. 

It  is  probable  the  Schoharie  settlers  had  been  notified  of  the 
misfortunes  of  their  friends  in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  were  anx- 
ious to  guard  against  surprise.  The  Schoharie  forts  were  feebly 
garrisoned  at  the  time,  but  small  parties  of  soldiers  were  constantly 
engaged  during  the  day,  to  guard  the  more  exposed  inhabitants 
while  harvesting  an  unusual  growth  of  wheat. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  the  same  month,  a  scout, 
consisting  of  Coonradt  Winne,  Leek,  and  Hoever,  was  sent  by 
Capt.  Hager,  from  the  Upper  fort  to  reconnoitre  in  the  western 
part  of  the  present  town  of  Fulton.  The  scout  was  instructed  to 
return  immediately  to  the  fort  without  firing,  if  they  saw  any  of 
the  enemy,  and  were  not  themselves  discovered.  In  that  part  of 
Fulton,  now  called  Byrnville,  or  Sap  Bush  Hollow,  some  five  or 
six  miles  distant  from  the  Upper  fort ;  the  scout  seated  themselves 
upon  a  fallen  tree,  near  the  present  residence  of  Edwin  M.  Dexter, 
to  eat  their  breakfast ;  and  while  eating,  a  white  man,  painted  as 
an  Indian,  made  his  appearance  within  some  fifty  yards  of  them. 
Stooping  down  as  nature  prompted,  he  became  so  good  a  mark, 
that  Leek,  who  was  a  dead  shot,  not  seeing  any  one  else,  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  to  fire,  and  levelling  his  rifle,  the  tory  was 
instantly  weltering  in  his  gore.  As  surgical  instruments  were  af- 
terwards found  upon  his  person,  he  was  supposed  to  have  been  a 
surgeon,  in  the  employ  of  Brant.  A  sinall  stream  of  water  near, 
which  took  its  name  from  the  killing  of  this  man,  whose  carcase 
rotted  by  it,  has  been  called  Dead  Man's  creek,  ever  since. 

Leek  had  not  had  time  to  reload  his  piece,  before  the  enemy 
appeared  in  sight.  The  scout  fled,  hotly  pursued  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, who  passed  their  dying  comrade  without  halting.  Hoever 
had  to  drop  his  knapsack,  containing  some  valuable  articles,  to 
outrun  his  pursuers,  which  he  afterwards  recovered,  the  enemy 
supposing  it  contained  nothing  more  than  a  soldier's  luncheon. 
They  were  so  closely  followed  that  they  were  separated.  Leek  fly- 
ing towards  the  fort,  while  Hoever  and  Winne  were  driven  into 
the  woods,  in  an  opposite  direction.     The  two  latter  afterwards 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        375 

saw,  from  a  place  of  concealment  near  the  Schoharie,  in  the  pre- 
sent town  of  Blenheim,  their  foes  pa«s  up  the  river  with  their  pri- 
soners and  plunder.  Leek  reached  the  fort  in  safety,  after  a  race 
of  nine  or  ten  miles,  but  not  enough  in  advance  of  his  pursuers,  to 
have  a  seasonable  alarm  given  to  warn  the  citizens  of  impending 
(langer.  The  single  discharge  of  a  cannon  was  the  usual  signal ; 
if  the  discharge  was  repeated,  it  was  considered  hazardous  to  ap- 
proach the  fort,  while  a  third  successive  discharge  served  to  as- 
sure the  citizen  that  he  could  not  possibly  reach  the  fort,  without 
encountering  the  enemy. 

The  invaders,  consisting  of  seventy-three  Indians,  almost  naked, 
Ami  Jive  torics — Benjamin  Beacraft,  Frederick  Sager,  Walter  Al- 
let,  one  Thompson,  and  a  mulatto,  commanded  by  Capt.  Brant, 
approached  Vroomah's  Land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Upper  fort, 
about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They  entered  the  valley  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river,  above  the  Onistagrawa  in  three  places; 
one  party  coming  down  from  the  mountain  near  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Charles  Watson  :  another  near  that  of  Jacob  Haines, 
then  the  residence  of  Capt.  Tunis  Vrooraan ;  and  the  third  near  the 
dwelling  of  Harraanus  Vrooman,  at  that  time  the  residence  of  Col. 
Peter  Vrooman,  who  chanced  to  be  with  his  family,  in  the  Mid- 
dle fort. 

Capt.  Hager,  h?d  gone  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  to  his  farm, 
attended  by  a  small  guard,  to  draw  in  some  hay  nearly  seven 
miles  distant  from  the  Upper  fort,  the  command  of  which  then  de- 
volved on  Tunis  Vrooman,  captain  of  the  associate  exempts.  Al- 
though the  citizens  of  Schoharie  had  huts  at  the  several  forts 
where  they  usually  lodged  nights,  and  where  their  clothing  and 
most  valuable  cfiects  were  kept  during  the  summer,  the  female 
part  of  many  families  were  in  the  daily  habit  of  visiting  their 
dwellings  to  do  certain  kinds  of  work,  while  their  husbands  were 
engaged  in  securing  their  crops.  On  the  morning  of  the  day  in 
question,  Capt.  Vrooman  also  returned  home  to  secure  wheat,  ac- 
companied by  his  family,  his  wife  to  do  her  week's  washing. 
The  command  of  the  garrison  next  belonged  to  Ephraim  Vroo- 
man, a  lieutenant  under  Capt.  Hager,  but  as  he  went  to  his  farm 
25 


376  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

soon  after  Capt.  Vrooman  left,  it  finally  devolved  on  Lieut.  "Wil- 
liam Harper,  who  had  not  a  dozen  men  with  him  in  the  fort.  The 
wife  of  Lieut.  Vrooman  also  returned  home  to  do  her  washing.* 

Capt.  Vrooman,  who  had  drawn  one  load  of  wheat  to  a  bar- 
rack before  breakfast,  arose  on  that  morning  with  a  presentiment 
that  some  disastrous  event  was  about  to  happen,  which  he  could 
not  drive  from  his  mind ;  and  he  expressed  his  forebodings  at  the 
breakfast-table.  Four  rifle-men  called  at  his  house  in  the  morn- 
ing and  took  breakfast  with  him,  but  returned  to  the  fort  soon  af- 
ter, to  attend  the  roll-call.  Capt.  Vrooman's  family  consisted  of 
himself,  wife,  four  sons,  John,  Barney,  Tunis  and  Peter,  and  two 
slaves,  a  male  and  female.  After  breakfast,  Capt.  Vrooman  and 
his  sons  drew  another  load  of  wheat  to  the  barrack  :  and  while  it 
was  unloading,  he  stopped  repeatedly  to  look  out  towards  the  sur- 
rounding hills.  The  grain  had  not  all  been  pitched  from  the  wag- 
on, before  his  worst  fears  were  realized,  and  he  beheld  descend- 
ing upon  the  flats  near,  a  party  of  hostile  savages.  He  descend- 
ed from  the  barrack,  not  far  from  which  he  was  tomahawked, 
scalped,  and  had  his  throat  cut  by  a  Schoharie  Indian  named  John : 
who  stood  upon  his  shoulders  while  tearing  off"  his  scalp. 

Many  of  the  old  Dutch  dwellings  in  Schoharie  (the  outside 
doors  of  which  were  usually  made  in  two  parts,  so  that  the  lower 
half  of  the  passage  could  be  closed  while  the  upper  remained 
open,)  had  a  kitchen  detached  from  them  :  and  such  was  that  of 
Capt.  Vrooman.  His  wife  was  washing  in  a  narrow  passage  be- 
tween the  buildings,  where  she  was  surprised  and  stricken  down. 
After  the  first  blow  from  a  tomahawk,  she  remained  standing,  but 
a  second  blow  laid  her  dead  at  the  feet  of  an  Indian,  who  also 
scalped  her.  The  house  was  then  plundered  and  set  on  fire,  as 
was  the  barn,  barracks  of  grain,  hay,  &c.;  and  the  three  oldest 
boys,  with  the  blacks,  made  captives.  Peter,  who  fled  on  the 
first  alarm  and  concealed  himself  in  some  bushes,  would  probably 
have  escaped  the  notice  of  the  enemy,  had  not  one  of  the  blacks 

•  Mrs.  Vrooman  said  to  her  friends  as  she  left  the  fort,  "This  is  the  last 
morning  I  intent  to  go  to  my  house  to  work,"  Her  worJs  were  truly  pro- 
phelic — ySndrtw  Louck$. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         377 

made  known  his  place  of  concealment :  he  was  then  captured 
nnd  taken  along  a  short  distance,  but  crying  to  return,  he  ran  to 
a  fence,  to  which  he  was  pursued  by  the  tory  Beacraft,  who  caught 
him,  and  placing  his  legs  between  his  own,  lent  him  back  and 
cut  his  throat ;  after  which,  he  scalped  and  hung  him  across  the 
fence.*  Vrooman's  horses  were  unharnessed  and  given  to  the 
boys  to  hold,  as  were  several  more,  while  the  Indians  were  plun- 
dering, killing  cattle  and  other  animals,  and  burning  buildings. 
While  the  Indians  were  shooting  hogs  in  the  pen,  a  ball  went 
through  it  and  lodged  in  the  calf  of  John's  leg ;  which  instantly 
brought  him  to  the  ground  :  the  horses  then  ran  towards  the  river, 
and  two  of  them  were  not  recaptured. 

The  party  which  entered  the  valley  at  the  dwelling  of  Colonel 
Vrooman,  were  led  by  Brant  in  person,  who  hoped  to  surprise  a 
rebel  colonel ;  but  the  services  of  that  brave  man  were  to  be 
spared  to  his  country.  His  family  were  also  at  the  Middle  fort.f 
From  the  dwelling  of  Col.  Vrooman,  which  was  a  good  brick 
tenement,  and  to  which  was  applied  the  torch  of  destruction, 
Seth's  ffcnry  (with  whom  the  reader  has  some  acquaintance,)  led 
several  of  the  enemy  to  the  dwelling  of  Lieut.  Vrooman;  which 
stood  where  Peter  Knciskern  now  lives.  His  family  consisted  of 
himself,  wife  Christina,  sons  Bartholomew  and  Josias  E.,  and 

•  Of  the  murder  of  lliis  Vrooman  boy,  Beacraft  took  occasion  repeatedly 
to  boast,  in  the  presence  of  the  prisoners,  while  on  his  way  to  Canada  ;  as 
also  he  did  on  several  subsequent  occasions  :  and  yet  he  had  the  impudence 
10  return,  after  the  war  closed,  to  Schoharie.  Ilis  visit  becoming  known,  a 
parly  of  about  a  dozen  \vhip;s  one  evenincr  surrounded  the  house  he  was  in, 
near  where  the  bridge  in  Blenhein  now  stands,  and  leading  him  from  it  into 
a  grove  near,  they  stripped  and  bound  him  to  a  sapling  ;  and  then  inflicted 
fijly  lashes,  witii  hickory  gads,  upon  Jiis  bare  back,  telling  him,  at  intervals 
of  every  len,  for  what  particular  offence  they  were  given.  He  was  then  un- 
bound, and  given  his  life  on  condition  that  he  would  instantly  leave  that  val- 
ley, and  never  more  pollute  its  soil  with  his  presence.  He  expressed  his 
gratitude  that  his  life  was  spared,  left  the  settlement  and  was  never  afterwards 
heard  from  by  the  citizens  of  Schoharie. — Captivity  of  Pat  chin,  corroborated. 

t  From  what  has  appeared  in  several  publications,  a  belief  has  gone 
abroad  that  Col.  Vrooman  was  a  cowardly,  weak  man.  The  impression  is 
very  erroneous,  he  was  far  otherwise,  as  tLe  author  Las  had  i/u-ubitable  ai.d 
repeated  evidence. 


378  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

daughters  Janctt  (four  years  old,)  and  Christina,  (an  infant,)  two 
Germans,  Crcshibooin  and  Hodman,  (captured  at  Burgoyne's  sur- 
render,) and  several  slaves :  the  latter,  however,  were  at  work 
near  the  river  and  escaped.  On  hearing  the  alarm,  Vrooman  ran 
to  his  house,  caught  up  his  infant  child  and  fled  into  the  corn-field, 
between  his  dwelling  and  the  Onislagrawa,  followed  by  his  wife 
leading  her  little  daughter ;  said  to  have  had  long  and  beautiful 
hair  for  a  child.  He  seated  himself  against  the  trunk  of  a  large 
apple  tree,  and  his  wife  was  concealed  a  few  rods  from  him  in 
the  thrifty  corn.  The  road  is  now  laid  between  the  orchard  and 
mountain,  but  at  the  period  of  which  I  speak,  it  passed  over  the 
flats  east  of  the  dwelling.  His  family  would,  no  doubt,  have  re- 
mained undiscovered,  had  Mrs.  Vrooman  continued  silent ;  but 
not  knowing  where  her  husband  was,  and  becoming  alarmed,  she 
rose  up  and  called  to  him  in  Low  Dutch — "  Ephraim,  Ephraim, 
where  are  you  :  have  you  got  the  child  ?"  The  words  were 
scarcely  uttered,  when  a  bullet  from  the  rifle  of  Seth's  Henry 
pierced  her  body.  When  struggling  upon  the  ground,  he  ad- 
dressed her  in  the  Dutch  tongue,  as  follows:  "Now  say — what 
these  Indian  dogs  do  here  ?"*  He  then  tomahawked  and  scalped 
her. 

While  Seth's  Henry  was  killing  and  scalping  Mrs.  Vrooman, 
the  tory  Beacraft  killed  her  little  daughter  with  a  stone,  and  drew 
off  her  scalp  :  in  the  mean  time  a  powerful  Indian  directed  by  her 
call  to  her  husband's  place  of  concealment,  approached  him  and 
thrust  a  spear  at  his  body,  which  he  parried,  and  the  infant  in  his 
arms  smiled.  Another  pass  was  made,  was  parried,  and  the  child 
again  smiled.  At  tLe  third  blow  of  the  spear,  which  was  also 
warded  o(f,  the  little  innocent,  then  only  five  months  old,  laughed 
aloud  at  the  supposed  sport ;  which  awakened  the  sympathy  of 

•This  Indian  had  held  a  grudge  against  Mrs.  Vrooman  for  many  years. 
She  was  a  Swart  before  marriage  ;  at  which  time,  and  just  after  the  ceremo- 
ny was  performed,  she  entered  the  kitchen  of  her  father's  dwelling,  and  see- 
ing sc\eral  young  Indians  there,  she  imprudently  asked  a  by  slMnJer,  in 
Dutch,  what  do  these  I'ldian  do^s  do  here?  He  remembered  the  expression, 
and  his  resentment  IcJ  him  directly  to  her  residence,  to  revenge  Ihe  insull. — 
Mit.  VanSlyck. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


379 


the  savac^o,  and  he  made  Vrooman  a  prisoner. 
Germans  named,  were  also  captured. 


His  sons  and  the 


THE  OXISTAGRAWA  AND  SCENE  BENEATH  IT. 
Upon  the  top  of  this  mountain  (called  by  some  Vrooman's  Nose)  which  af- 
forded a  fine  prospect  of  the  valley,  the  enemy  were  often  secreted  to  watch 
for  exposed  citizens. 

John  Vrooman,  who  dwelt  where  Bartholomew  Vrooman  now 
lives,  was  captured,  as  were  his  wife  and  children.  His  house 
was  set  on  fire  but  put  out.  Adam  A.  Vrooman,  who  lived  where 
Josias  Vrooman  now  does,  fled  to  the  upper  fort,  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  distant,  after  being  twice  fired  upon  by  the  enemy.  He 
had  a  pistol,  and  when  the  Indians  gained  upon  him  he  presented 
it  and  they  would  fall  back,  but  renewed  the  chase  when  he  set 
forward.  He  was  pursued  until  protected  by  the  fort.  On  his 
arrival  he  was  asked  how  he  had  escaped :  his  answer  was,  "  / 
pulled  foot.''  From  that  day  to  his  death  he  was  called  Ptdl 
Foot  Vrooman.     His  wife  was  made  a  prisoner. 


380  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Simon  Vrooman,  who  resided  where  Adam  P.  Vrooman  now 
does,  was  taken  prisoner,  as  were  his  wife  and  son  Jacob,  a  boy 
three  years  old.  John  Daly,  aged  over  sixty,  Thomas  Meriness, 
and  James  Turner,  young  men.  Abbey  Eliza  Stowits,  a  girl  of 
seventeen  summers,  the  wife  of  Philip  Hoever,  the  widow  of  Cor- 
nelius Vrooman,  and  several  slaves  not  mentioned,  were  also  cap- 
tured in  Vrooman's  Land,  making  the  number  of  prisoners,  in  all, 
about  thirty.  The  jive  persons  mentioned,  were  all  that  were 
killed  at  this  time.  Brant  might  easily  have  taken  the  Upper  fort, 
had  he  known  how  feebly  it  was  garrisoned. 

Abraham  Vrooman,  who  happened  to  be  in  Vrooman's  Land 
with  his  wagon,  on  which  was  a  hay-rack,  when  the  alarm  was 
given,  drove  down  through  the  valley  and  picked  up  several  of 
the  citizens.  On  arriving  at  the  residence  of  Judge  Swart,  who 
hved  in  the  lower  end  of  the  settlement,  he  reined  up  and  called 
to  Swarfs  wife,  then  at  an  oven  a  little  distance  from  the  house — 
"  Cornelia,  jump  into  my  wagon,  the.  Indians  are  vj)on  us .'"  She 
ran  into  the  house,  snatched  up  her  infant  child*  from  the  cradle, 
returned,  and  with  her  husband  bounded  into  the  wagon,  which 
started  forward  just  before  the  enemy,  tomahawk  in  hand,  reached 
their  dwelling.  Vrooman  had  a  powerful  team,  and  did  not  stop 
to  open  the  gates  which  then  obstructed  the  highway,  but  drove 
directly  against  them,  forcing  them  open.  Passing  under  an  ap- 
ple tree,  the  rack  on  his  wagon  struck  a  limb,  which  sent  it  back 
against  his  head,  causing  the  blood  to  flow  freely.  He  drove  to 
the  Middle  fort,  which  was  also  feebly  garrisoned. 

The  destructives  burnt  at  this  place  nine  dwellings  and  the  fur- 
niture they  contained,  with  their  barns  and  barracks,  which  were 
mostly  filled  with  an  abundant  harvest.  JS met y  good  horses  were 
also  driven,  with  their  owners,  into  captivity.  Large  slices  of  meat 
were  cut  from  the  carcases  of  the  cattle  and  hogs,  strewed  along 
the  valley,  and  hung  across  the  backs  of  some  of  the  horses,  to 
serve  as  provisions  for  the  party  on  their  way  to  Canada.     Among 

•The  child  thus  seasonably  rescued,  is  now  the  wife  of  David  Swart,  of 
Shelby,  Orleans  counly,  r\ew  Yerk. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         391 

the  plunder  was  a  noble  stud- horse,  belonging  to  Judge  Swart, 
and  as  the  Indians  were  afraid  of  him,  he  was  given  young  Tunis 
Vrooinan  to  ride,  who  rode  him  all  the  way  to  Canada.  His 
having  the  care  of  this  horse  caused  the  enemy  to  treat  him 
kindly  :  and  he  was  not  compelled  to  run  the  gantlet 

Before  Seth's  Henry  left  the  settlement,  he  placed  his  war  club, 
which  he  believed  was  known  to  some  of  the  citizens,  in  a  con- 
spicuous place  and  purposely  left  it.  Notched  upon  it  were  the 
evidences,  as  traced  by  the  Indians  on  similar  weapons,  of  thirty' 
Jive  scalps  and  forty  prisoners.  No  very  pleasing  record,  as  we 
may  suppose,  for  the  people  of  Schoharie,  who  knew  that  several 
of  their  own  valuable  citizens  helped  to  swell  the  startling,  though 
no  doubt  authentic  record  of  the  deeds  of  this  crafty  warrior. 

On  the  arrival  of  Leek  at  the  upper  fort,  after  being  so  hotly 
pursued,  John  Hager,  then  at  work  on  his  father's  place,  hearing 
the  alarm  gun  of  the  fort,  mounted  a  hor«-e,  and  rode  up  and  in- 
formed Capt.  Hager  that  the  buildings  were  on  fire  in  the  valley 
below.  The  hay  on  his  wagon,  which  was  unloading  in  the  barn, 
was  quickly  thrown  off,  and  the  few  inhabitants  of  that  vicinity- 
were  taken  into  it,  driven  into  the  woods,  and  concealed  near  Key- 
ser's  kill.  Henry  Hager  started  with  the  wagon,  when  a  favorite 
dog,  that  began  to  bark,  was  caught  by  him,  and  fearing  it  would 
betray  the  fugitives,  he  cut  its  throat  with  his  pocket  knife.  Af- 
ter proceeding  some  distance  from  his  house,  having  forgotten  some 
article  he  intended  to  have  taken  with  him,  he  returned  and  found 
it  already  occupied  by  the  enemy,  who  made  him  their  prisoner- 
He  was  nearly  eighty  years  old ;  and  as  he  was  known  to  the 
enemy  to  be  a  firm  whig — his  sons  (one  a  captain)  and  several  of 
his  grandsons  all  being  in  the  rebel  army — he  was  treated  with 
marked  severity. 

The  enemy,  on  leaving  Vrooman's  Land,  proceeded  with  their 
booty  and  prisoners  directly  up  the  river.  A  grist-mill,  owned  by 
Adam  Crysler,  a  tory  captain,  and  standing  on  the  Lower  Brak- 
abeen  creek,  as  called  in  old  conveyances,  which  runs  into  the 
Schoharie  near  the  residence  of  Benjamin  Best,  was  sacked  of  the 
little  floiu"  it  chanced  to  contain,  and  then  set  on  fire — the  tories, 


382  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

with  the  enemy,  declaring  that  the  whigs  of  Vrooman's  Land  should 
not  be  longer  benefited  by  said  mill.  Several  fragments  of  the 
mill-stone  used  in  this  mill,  which  was  an  Esopus  conglomerate, 
have  been  recovered  from  the  creek  since  1841,  and  deposited  in 
the  cabinets  of  geologists.  The  Indians,  on  their  arrival  in  that 
part  of  Brakabeen,  burned  all  of  Captain  Hager's  buildings,  and 
Henry  Hager's  barn.  Henry  Mattice  and  Adam  Brown,  tories, 
accompanied  the  enemy  from  Brakabeen  of  their  own  accord. 

I  have  said  that  the  famiUes  of  Capt.  Hagcr  and_^his  father  were 
concealed  at  Keyser's  kill.  The  waggon  which  carried  them  from 
their  homes  was  left  in  one  place,  the  horses  in  another,  and  the 
women  and  children  were  sheltered  beneath  a  rock  in  a  ravine  of 
the  mountain  stream  before  named.  After  the  women  and  chil- 
dren were  disposed  of,  Capt.  Hager,  taking  with  him  his  brother, 
Lawrence  Bouck,  Jacob  Thomas,  and  several  others  who  composed 
the  guard  mentioned,  proceeded  from  Keyser's  kill  with  due  cau- 
tion, to  ascertain  if  the  Upper  fort  had  been  captured.  It  was 
nearly  noon  when  Brant  left  the  vicinity  of  that  fort,  and  nearly 
night  when  its  commandant  and  his  men  reached  it.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  party  concealed  near  Keyser's  kill,  were  conveyed 
to  the  fort. 

The  iOth  day  of  August,  1780,  was  one  of  sadness  and  mourn- 
ing for  the  citizens  of  Vrooman's  Land,  some  of  whom  had  lost 
near  relatives  among  the  slain,  and  all,  among  the  captives,  either 
relatives  or  valued  friends ;  while  the  destruction  of  property  to 
individuals  was  a  loss,  especially  at  that  season  of  the  year,  when 
too  late  to  grow  sustenance  for  their  families,  to  be  most  keenly 
felt  and  deplored.  The  burial  of  the  dead  took  place  the  day  af- 
ter their  massacre,  on  the  farm  of  John  Feeck,  near  the  fort.  The 
bodies  ot  Capt.  Vrooman,  his  wife  and  son,  were  deposited  in  one 
grave,  and  that  of  Mrs.  Ephraim  Vrooman  and  her  daughter,  in 
another.  The  remains  of  the  former  body  presented  a  most  hor- 
rid appearance.  Left  by  her  murderers  between  the  burning  build- 
ings, her  flesh  was  partly  consumed,  exposing  her  entrails. 

When  the  dead  body  of  Mrs.  Ephraim  Vrooman  was  first  dis- 
covered in  the  corn-field,  it  was  evident  that  she  had  partially  re- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        383 

covered,  and  had  vainly  endeavored  to  staunch  the  flowing  blood 
from  the  wound  in  her  breast,  first  with  her  cap  or  some  portion 
of  her  dress,  and  afterwards  with  earth,  having  dug  quite  a  hole 
in  the  ground.  This  woman,  as  one  of  her  sons  assured  the  wri- 
ter, had  had  a  presentiment  for  nearly  three  years  that  she  was  to 
be  shot.  She  fancied  she  felt  a  cold  substance  like  lead  passing 
througii  her  body,  from  the  back  to  the  breast,  and  often  the  same 
sensation  returned.  She  frequently  expressed  her  fears  in  the  fa- 
mily that  she  was  to  be  shot,  and  singular  as  the  coincidence  may 
appear,  when  she  was  shot,  the  ball  passed  through  her  body 
where  she  had  so  long  imagined  it  would.  Nearly  three  years 
before  her  death,  in  the  month  of  November,  several  of  their  ap- 
ple tiees  were  observed  to  be  in  blossom,  which  freak  of  nature 
the  svpcrstUiovs  also  considered  an  unfavorable  omen.  After  her 
death  those  circumstances  were  often  discussed  by  her  relatives. 

The  destroyers  of  Vrooman's  Land  proceeded  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  same  day  about  fifteen  miles,  and  encamped  for  the  night. 
The  scalps  of  the  slain  were  stretched  upon  hoops,  and  dried  in 
the  presence  of  the  relative  prisoners,  the  oldest  of  whom  were 
all  bound  nights.  As  the  party  were  proceeding  along  the  east 
shore  of  the  Schoharie,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day,  after 
journeying  some  six  miles.  Brant  permitted  the  wife  of  John  Vroo- 
man,  with  her  own  infant,  and  that  taken  with  Ephraim  Yroo- 
man,  to  return  back  to  the  settlement.  The  reader  may  desire  to 
know  the  fate  of  this  child,  whose  infant  smiles  had  saved  its 
father's  life.  Its  mother  being  already  dead,  it  was  necessarily 
weaned,  but  at  too  tender  an  age,  and  three  months  after,  it  sick- 
ened and  died.  On  the  morning  after  the  massacre,  the  line  of 
march  was  again  resumed,  and  when  about  half  way  from  the 
Patchin  place  to  Harpersfield,  Brant  yielded  to  the  repeated  im- 
portunities of  several  of  his  female  captives,  and  perhaps  the  sea- 
sonable interference  of  several  tory  friends  living  near,  and  per- 
mittcil  all  of  them,  (except  Mrs.  Simon  Vrooman,)  with  several 
male  children — nearly  one  half  the  whole  number  of  prisoners — 
to  return  to  Schoharie.  Brant  led  the  liberated  captives  aside 
nearly  half  a  mile  to  a  place  of  concealment,  where  he  required 


384  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

them  to  remain  until  night.  The  female  prisoners,  when  captured, 
were  plundered  of  their  bonnets,  neckerchiefs,  beads,  ear-rings, 
etc.,  which  articles,  of  course,  they  did  not  recover.  Word  hav- 
ing been  been  sent  to  Schoharie  that  those  prisoners  had  been  li- 
berated, Maj.  Thomas  Ecker,  Lieut.  Harper,  and  Schoharie  John, 
a  friendly  Indian,  who  lived  at  Middleburgh  during  the  war,  met 
them  not  far  from  where  Mrs.  Vrooman  had  been  left  the  preced- 
ing afternoon,  with  several  horses ;  and  placing  three  persons  on 
a  horse,  they  conveyed  them  to  the  Upper  fort,  where  they  arrived 
just  at  dusk. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  the  journeying  party  reach- 
ed the  Susquehanna.  The  prisoners  were  obliged  to  travel  on 
foot,  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Vrooman,  and  the  lad,  Tunis 
Vrooman.  The  provisions  on  the  journey  were  fresh  meat  after 
the  first  day,  as  they  obtained  but  little  flour,  which  was  boiled 
into  a  pudding  the  first  night.  The  meat  taken  from  Schoharie 
was  soon  fly-blown,  but  when  roasted  in  the  coals  it  was  feasted 
upon  by  the  hungry  prisoners.  They  progressed  slowly,  because 
they  were  obliged  to  hunt  deer,  and  catch  fish  for  food  on  their 
way,  generally  having  enough  to  eat,  such  as  it  was.  Fish  they 
usually  roasted  whole  in  the  coals,  ate  the  flesh,  and  then  threw 
the  off'al  away.  The  parties  that  had  been  led  by  Brant  and  Qua- 
kock,  a  chief  second  in  command,  into  Tryon  county  and  the 
Schoharie  settlements,  assembled  at  Oquago,  when  several  hun- 
dred of  the  enemy,  with  their  prisoners,  came  together. 

The  prisoners  again  separated  at  Oquago,  and  proceeded  by 
different  routes  to  Canada.  Josias  E.  Vrooman,  who  was  among 
the  prisoners,  claimed  by  Seneca  warriors,  went  with  a  party  up 
the  Chemung.  In  the  Genesee  valley  he  saw  a  stake  planted  in 
the  ground,  some  five  or  six  feet  high,  which  was  painted  red  and 
sharpened  at  the  top,  on  which  was  resting  a  fleshless  skull.  The 
Indians  told  the  prisoners  it  was  the  skull  of  Lieut.  Boyd,  who 
was  killed  in  that  vicinity  the  year  before,  and  each  of  them  was 
compelled  to  hold  it.  Whether  the  skull  shown  the  Vrooman's 
Land  prisoners  was  that  of  Lieut.  Boyd,  or  some  other  prisoner 
who  had  shared  a  similar  fate,  cannot  now  be  known  ;  but  as  se- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         385 

veral  teeth  were  found  with  Boyd's  and  Parker's  bones,  when  re- 
moved, there  can  remain  no  doubt  but  that  the  head  of  Parker, 
which  was  identified  by  an  old  scar,  was  buried  by  his  comrades. 
—C.  Melcalf,  Esq. 

While  on  their  journey,  Lieut.  Vrooman  was  once  led  out  be- 
tween two  Indians — one  armed  with  a  tomahawk  and  the  other  a 
knife— to  be  murdered.  Standing  on  a  log  which  lay  across  a 
marsh  or  mire  between  the  Indians,  he  addressed  them  in  their 
own  dialect,  and  finally  made  his  peace  with  them  for  some  tri- 
fling otfence,  and  his  life  was  spared.  The  old  patriot  Hager  was 
cruelly  treated  all  the  way,  and  was  several  times  struck  upon  the 
head  with  the  flat  side  of  a  tomahawk. 

I  have  said  that  John,  a  son  of  Capt.  Vrooman,  was  wounded 
by  the  enemy  while  holding  his  father's  horses.  He  was  com- 
pelled to  travel  on  foot,  and  as  no  attention  had  been  paid  to  the 
wound,  it  was  soon  filled  with  maggots,  becoming  exceedingly 
painful.  The  Indians  began  to  talk  of  killing  him,  if  he  failed 
to  keep  up  with  them.  His  namesake,  who  was  his  uncle,  then 
assumed  the  care  of  him,  and  dressed  his  wound  with  tobacco 
leaves;  when  it  gained  a  healthy  appearance,  and  he  was  greatly 
relieved.  While  going  through  the  Tonawanda  swamp,  the  ball 
worked  out  and  the  wound  soon  after  healed. 

On  arriving  in  the  Genesee  valley,  Mrs.  Vrooman,  then  quite 
ill,  was  left  there.  Adam  Vrooman,  a  brother  of  her's,  from  be- 
low the  Ilelleberg,  on  hearing  of  her  captivity,  paid  her  ransom. 
Some  of  the  prisoners  were  twenty-two  days  on  their  journey. 
On  arriving  at  the  Indian  settlements,  they  were  compelled  to  run 
die  gantlet ;  when  some  of  them  were  seriously  injured.  A  girl 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  old,  who  was  among  the  prisoners  made 
in  the  Mohawk  valley,  was  nearly  killed  ;  and  Simon  Vrooman 
and  John  Daly  were  so  badly  hurt,  that  they  both  died  soon  after 
arriving  at  their  journey's  end.  Vrooman's  widow  afterwards 
married  a  man  named  Markell,  in  Canada,  and  remained  there. 
Meriness  was  taken  to  Quebec,  and  while  there,  attempted,  with 
several  other  prisoners  to  blow  up  the  magazine.  The  design 
was  discovered,    and  the  conspirators  were  nearly  whipped   to 


386  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

death — two  of  them  did  die ;  but  ]\Ieriness  finally  recovered.  Ne- 
gro captives  were  seldom  bound  while  on  their  way  to  Canada, 
nor  were  they  compelled  to  run  the  gantlet.  They  hardly  ever 
returned  to  the  States  to  remain,  generally  adopting  the  Indian's 
life.  A  negro  belonging  to  Isaac  Vrooman,  usually  called  Tom 
Vrooman,  who  was  taken  to  Canada  at  (his  time,  became  a  wait- 
er to  Sir  John  Johnson,  and  in  that  capacity,  passed  through  the 
Schoharie  and  Mohawk  valleys  in  the  following  October.  He 
was,  however,  captured  by  Joseph  Naylor,  an  American  soldier, 
near  Fort  Plain,  and  with  him  an  elegant  horse  belonging  to  his 
new  master,  with  saddle,  holsters  and  valise. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Schoharie  prisoners  were  taken  to  Ni- 
agara, where  they  remained  until  November  :  when  they  proceed- 
ed in  a  vessel  down  Lake  Ontario.  A  new  ship,  called  the  Sene- 
ca, left  Niagara  at  the  same  time  with  the  commandant  of  that 
garrison,  and  three  hundred  and  sixty  soldiers  on  board.  Not 
long  after  they  sailed,  a  terrible  storm  arose,  and  in  the  following 
night,  the  Seneca  foundered  and  all  on  board  were  lost.  The  ves- 
sel contained  a  large  quantity  of  provisions  destined  for  Montreal, 
which  were  also  lost.  The  prisoners  were  conveyed  down  the 
St.  Lawrence  in  bateaus ;  and  some  of  them  suffered  much  for 
the  want  of  suitable  clothing,  being  barefooted,  although  the 
ground  was  covered  with  snow  where  they  encamped  on  shore 
over  night.  They  arrived  at  Monti  eal  about  the  first  of  Decem- 
ber ;  from  which  place,  after  a  few  weeks  stay,  they  were  re- 
moved nine  miles  farther,  to  an  old  French  post,  called  South  Ra- 
kela,  where  they  were  confined  until  the  summer  following,  and 
then  exchanged  for  other  prisoners.  While  confined  at  the  latter 
place,  their  provisions  consisted,  for  the  most  part,  of  salt-beef — 
not  always  of  the  best  kind — and  oat-meal ;  the  latter  being 
boiled  into  puddings  and  eaten  with  molasses.  When  an  ex- 
change was  efifected,  most  of  the  Schoharie  prisoners,  with  others, 
were  sent  on  board  a  vessel  to  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain, 
where  they  were  landed,  and  from  which  place  they  returned 
home  on  foot,  via.  Saratoga.     They  arrived  at  Schoharie  on  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         387 

30lli  (lay  of  August,  after  an  absence  of  little  more  than  a  year. 
Mr.  Ilager  was  gone  about  eighteen  months.* 

•The  particulars  relating  to  the  destruction  of  Vroomnn's  Land,  and  the 
captivity  of  the  citizens,  so  minutely  detailed,  were  obtained  from  Tunis,  a 
son  of  Capt.  Tunis  Vrooman  ;  Josias  E.  and  Bartholomew  E.,  sons  of  Lieut. 
Ephraim  Vrooman  ;  Maria,  daughter  of  John  Vrooman,  and  afterwards  the 
toife  of  Frederick  Matticc,  who  were  captives  at  the  time  ;  the  manuscript  of 
Henry  Hnger  ;  Mrs.  Susannah  Van  Slyck,  daughter  of  Samuel  Vrooman;  An- 
gelica, daughter  of  Col.  Peter  Vrooman,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Major  Peter 
Vrooman  :  Lawrence  Bouck  and  Lawrence  Matlice. 


r^  (  388  ) 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


An  affair  of  love :  for  Cupid  was  unchained  even  in  perilous 
limes.  Timothy  Murphy,  who  so  providentially  escaped  from  the 
enemy  in  Sullivan's  campaign,  returned  to  Schoharie  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1780.  While  on  duty  there  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1778 
and  spring  of  1779,  Murphy  became  acquainted  with — yes^  ena- 
mored vyith — Miss  Margaret,  daughter  of  John  Feeck,  whose  house 
was  inclosed  at  the  Upper  fort.  She  was  an  only  child,  and  at  that 
period  was  cons'dered,  in  prospective  wealth,  the  richest  girl  in 
the  Schoharie  settlements. 

Perhaps  the  reader  would  be  gratified  with  a  brief  outline  of 
the  personal  appearance  of  a  young  lady,  whose  artless  smiles 
could,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  or  sixteen,  win  the  affections  of  a  rough 
soldier,  and  cause  him,  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  to  transfer  the 
services  he  considered  due  his  country,  to  the  fertile  valley  in 
which  she  dwelt.  The  writer  has  conversed  with  not  a  few  who 
were  well  acquainted  with  her,  several  of  whom  were  numbered 
among  her  most  intimate  female  friends,  all  of  whom  ascribe  to 
her  the  character  of  a  virtuous  and  amiable  girl. 

At  the  period  of  which  I  am  writing,  she  had  just  passed  "sweet 
seventeen,"  and  was  entering  her  eighteenth  year;  a  period  in  the 
life  of  woman  peculiarly  calculated  to  convey  and  receive  tender 
impressions.  She  was. rather  tall,  and  slim;  possessing  a  genteel 
form,  with  a  full  bust ;  and  features,  if  not  handsome,  at  least 
pretty  and  very  insinuating.  Her  hair  was  a  rich  auburn ;  her 
eyes  a  dark  hazel,  peering  from  beneath  beautiful  eye-lashes;  her 
teeth  clean  and  well  set ;  her  nose — but  alas  !  that  was  large,  and 
^     altogether  too  prominent  a  nasal  organ  to  grace  the  visage  of  a 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  389 

perfect  beauty.  Her  ruby  lips  and  peach-colored  checks,  how- 
ever, contrasted  charmingly  with  her  clear  white  skin,  besides, 
nature  had  given  her,  what  all  men  like  to  sec,  a  neatly  turned 
ankle.  Miss  Fecck's  literary  acquirements,  we  must  conclude, 
were  limited.  She  had  not  been  sent  to  a  fashionable  boarding 
school,  and  instructed  in  the  genteel  and  desirable  arts,  to  the  en- 
tire exclusion,  indeed  abhorrence,  of  a  practical  knowledge  of 
domestic  household  duties,  as  is  too  often  the  case  at  the  present 
day.  She,  however,  possessed  a  good  share  of  common  sense, 
was  not  too  vain  to  be  instructed,  and  practically  understood  house- 
keeping. Uniting,  as  she  did,  a  very  amiable  disposition  with  her 
other  good  qualities,  it  is  not  surprising  that  she  won  the  soldier's 
affections,  and  proved  to  him  an  agreeable  and  happy  companion. 

Murphy,  who  was  twelve  years  the  senior  of  Miss  Feeck,  was 
a  stout,  well  made  man,  with  rather  a  large  body  and  small  limbs, 
was  not  quite  as  tall  as  his  lady-love,  but  was  handsomely  fea- 
tured, having  jet  black  hair,  black  eyes,  and  a  skin  shaded  in  the 
same  dye.  He  possessed  great  muscular  power,  was  fleet  on  foot, 
and  wary  in  the  covert  as  an  Indian.  He  indulged  too  much  in 
profane  levity — was  passionate,  and  often  rough-tongued  ;  but 
was  warm-hearted  and  ardent  in  his  attachment,  and  proved  him- 
self a  kind  and  indulgent  husband,  an  obliging  neighbor  and  wor- 
thy citizen.  He  returned  to  Schoharie  soon  after  the  enemy  de- 
solated V'rooman's  Land. 

He  had  been  back  but  a  short  time  before  it  became  apparent 
that  what  had,  at  an  earlier  day,  seemed  only  a  partiality  on  his 
part,  and  a  juvenile  perfercnce  on  hers — \ron,  perhaps,  by  his 
"  deeds  of  noble  daring" — was  ripening  into  ardent,  reciprocal 
love.  But  when  did  love's  torrent  ever  flow  smoothly  on  ?  As 
soon  as  their  mutual  preference  became  known  to  the  parents  of 
Miss  Feeck,  every  effort  was  made  by  them  to  prevent  the  young 
lovers  from  meeting  ;  and  when  they  did  chance  to  steal  an  inter- 
view, which  sometimes  happened  when  duty  called  him  from  the 
Middle  to  the  Upper  fort,  it  was,  of  necessity,  brief  and  unsatisfac- 
tory. Every  effort  was  made  by  the  parents  to  prevent  those  in- 
ten-iews,  and  Margaret  was  prohibited  from  leaving  her  father's 


390  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

house,  alone,  on  any  account  Indeed,  she  was  not  allowed  to  go 
out  of  the  picketed  inclosure  to  milk,  unless  a  vio;ilant  cousin,  or 
some  member  of  the  family  attended  her — while  Murphy  was  for- 
bidden to  enter  the  house  under  any  pretext.  The  couple  were 
plighted,  but  a  serious  obstacle  interposd  between  them  and  Hy- 
men's altar.  The  law  then  required  the  publishing  of  the  banns 
for  several  Sabbaths  in  a  religious  meeting.  Those  marriage  pro- 
posals were  usually  read  by  a  clergyman,  but  as  the  Schoharie 
flocks  were  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  wolves,  that  of  IMurphy  and 
his  affianced  was  publicly  read  for  several  successive  Sabbaths  by 
John  Van  Dyck,  (a  good  old  deacon,  living  in  the  vicinity,)  at  a 
conference  meeting  held  at  the  Middle  fort,  a  certificate  of  which 
ceremony  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  groom. 

Cupid  is  seldom  wanting  in  stratagems,  and  agents  to  execute 
them.  Although  it  had  been  contemplated  by  the  parents  to  con- 
fine Margaret  in  a  small  room  of  the  house,  and  she  was  so  close- 
ly observed,  still  Murphy  found  repeated  opportunities  to  nullify 
the  paternal  edict  of  non-intercourse,  and  communicate  with  his 
betrothed — not  by  letter,  for  he  could  not  write — but  through  the 
agency  of  a  trusty  female  named  Maria  Teabout,  who  was,  as  I 
have  elsewhere  stated,  part  native.  Maria  was  the  bearer  of  five 
or  six  verbal  messages  between  the  couple.  As  she  was  about  to 
start  on  one  of  those  errands,  expressing  some  fear  about  her  own 
safely.  Murphy,  whose  character  she  almost  venerated  for  the  act, 
placed  his  hand  upon  her  head,  and  repeating  a  few  words — ^no 
doubt  a  lingo  of  his  own,  as  he  was  at  no  loss  for  words — told 
her  that  no  harm  would  ever  befal  her  if  she  proved  faithfid  to 
him.  She  assigned  as  a  reason  why  she  escaped  injury  or  capti- 
vity in  the  war,  the  protection  invoked  at  that  time.  As  eveiy 
thing  was  in  a  state  of  preparation  for  consummating  their  hap- 
piness, on  a  certain  day  about  the  1st  of  October,  1780,  Maria 
was  sent  with  the  final  message  from  Murphy  to  his  sweetheart — 
which  was,  in  substance.  Come,  for  all  things  are  now  ready.  A 
report  had  some  time  before  reached  the  ears  of  Margaret's  pa- 
rents, that  she  had  engaged  to  marry  Murphy ;  which  report,  in 
answer  to  Iheir  interrogatories,  she  denied,  hoping  by  white  lies 


AND  BOEDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         391 

to  lull  their  suspicions.  Still  their  vigilance  was  not  relaxed,  and 
it  was  with  no  little  difTiculty  Maria  found  an  opportunity  at  this 
time  to  inform  Margaret,  that  her  lover  had  the  necessary  certifi- 
cate of  publication,  and  would  meet  her  that  evening  near  the  ri- 
ver, with  a  horse,  and  convey  her  to  the  Middle  fort.  The  answer 
to  Murphy's  last  message  was  brief  and  artless  ;  "  Tell  Aim,"  said 
Margaret,  "/  vnll  meet  him  near  the  river,  at  the  time  appointed." 
The  day  designated  for  a  meeting  with  her  lover,  was  one  of 
no  little  anxiety  to  Margaret.  The  thought  of  leaving  the  home 
of  her  childhood  against  the  wishes  of  her  parents — possibly  for- 
ever, and  uniting  her  future  destiny  with  that  of  a  poor,  though 
brave  soldier,  whose  life  was  surrounded  with  constant  danger,  to 
say  nothing  of  future  prospects,  was  one  of  serious  moment,  as 
may  be  imagined,  to  a  reflecting  mind.  But  love  will  brave  every 
danger,  and  encounter  every  hardship.  In  the  course  of  the  day 
she  had  matured  her  plan  for  eluding  the  vigilance  of  her  parents, 
who  little  suspected  her  intended  elopement;  and  with  impatience 
she  awaited  the  setting  sun.  Margaret  dared  not  change  an  article 
of  apparel,  as  that  would  excite  suspicion,  and  in  any  thing  but  a 
bridal  dress,  she  went  at  the  evening  hour  for  milking,  to  per- 
form that  duty,  accompanied  as  usual  by  a  neighboring  female 
cousin  on  the  same  errand.  The  task  accomplished,  the  girls  se- 
parated, her  cousin  to  go  to  her  own  home  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  fort,  and  our  heroine  to  the  presence  of  her  mother.  On  ar- 
riving with  her  pail  of  milk,  some  of  which  had  been  emptied 
upon  the  ground,  she  told  her  mother  that  one  of  the  cows,  it  not 
being  with  the  rest,  had  not  been  milked. — "  Then,"  said  her 
mother,  "  you  must  go  after  it,  that  cow  must  be  milked."  This 
was  placing  matters  precisely  as  she  desired,  and  taking  another 
pail  she  left  the  house  with  a  light  heart — barefooted,  the  better 
to  disguise  her  real  object.  Hanging  her  pail  upon  a  stake  at 
the  cow-yard,  she  stole  away  unobserved  in  the  direction  of  the 
river,  and  was  soon  concealed  from  observation  by  the  darkness 
then  fast  obscuring  the  Onistagrawa.  Murphy,  "  as  the  evening 
shades  prevailed,"  accompaned  by  three  of  his  trusty  comrades 
well  armed,  left  the  Middle  fort,  crossed  the  river  and  proceeded 
26 


392  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

along  its  western  bank  to  meet  his  intended.  Having  gone  full 
two-thirds  of  the  way  to  the  Upper  fort,  and  above  where  she  was 
to  await  his  arrival,  without  meeting  her,  he  began  to  apprehend 
his  plan  had  proven  abortive,  and  that  her  parents — aware  of  her 
intention — had  taken  proper  means  to  prevent  her  leaving  home. 
Satisfied  in  his  mind  that  such  was  the  case,  he  began  to  retrace 
his  steps, — gently  calling  her  name  as  he  with  his  friends  pro- 
ceeded homeward.  On  arriving  just  below  the  present  site  of  the 
Middleburgh  bridge,  great  was  his  surprise  to  hear  her  sweet 
voice  respond  to  his  call  from  the  opposite  shore  of  the  river. 
Fearing  she  might  be  followed,  our  heroine  had  not  stopped  where 
her  lover  had  agreed  to  seek  her,  but  went  forward.  Not  meet- 
ing him,  she  supposed  some  military  duty  had  called  him  away, 
and  believing  her  intention  to  leave  home  had  already  been  dis- 
covered, by  finding  the  cow  in  the  yard  and  the  pail  near,  she  re- 
solved to  proceed  alone  to  the  Middle  fort,  and  had  actually  forded 
the  Schoharie,  the  water  at  the  time  being  quite  cold,  before  the 
voice  of  Murphy  greeted  her  ear.  On  his  crossing  the  river,  she 
mounted  the  horse  behind  him,  and  they  rode  to  the  fort  where 
they  were  heartily  welcomed  by  its  inmates,  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening. 

Some  little  time  elapsed  before  the  absence  of  Margaret  was 
known  at  the  paternal  dwelling,  which  favored  her  flight ;  but 
when  the  discovery  was  made,  it  aroused  the  most  lively  appre- 
hension of  the  parents,  for  her  safety.  Scouts  were  daily  return- 
ing to  the  fort,  with  reports  of  either  seeing  parties  of  the  enemy, 
or  evidence  of  their  recent  proximity  to  the  settlement;  and  the 
first  supposition  was,  that  one  of  those  straggling  parties  had  sur- 
prised and  carried  her  into  captivity.  But  on  finding  the  empty 
milk-pail,  and  learning  from  Margaret's  cousin  that  the  cows  had 
all  been  milked  while  she  was  present,  and  that  Maria  had  been 
up  that  morning  from  the  fort  below — the  elopement  of  the  daugh- 
ter was  rendered  evident.  Margaret's  father,  accompanied  by 
Joachim  FoUock,  a  soldier  in  the  Upper  fort,  proceeded  without 
delay  to  the  Middle  fort,  the  former  often  calling  in  Low  Dutch 
to  his  Mar-chra-che,  to  which  call  the  Onistagrawa  feebly  echoed, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         393 

"  Scratch-you."  On  approaching  the  fort  late  in  the  evening, 
they  were  challenged  by  a  sentinel,  and  not  being  able  to  give 
the  countersign,  came  near  being  fired  upon.  Mr.  Feeck  could 
not,  by  the  most  earnest  entreaties,  prevail  upon  his  daughter  to 
return  home  with  him  that  night — still,  to  know  that  she  was  safe 
and  unharmed,  he  felt  amply  compensated,  after  so  great  an  ex- 
citement, for  his  journey  to  the  fort,  and  the  danger  of  having  a 
bullet  sent  through  his  head.  He  returned  home,  as  we  must  sup- 
pose, little  suspecting  what  the  second  arfwas  to  be  in  the  comedy, 
of  which  he  was  not  even  to  be  a  spectator,  much  less  an  actor. 

As  Margaret  had  left  home  in  a  sad  plight  to  visit  Hymen's 
altar,  her  young  female  friends  at  the  fort  lent  her  from  their  own 
wardrobes,  for  the  occasion — one  a  gown,  another  a  bonnet  and 
neckerchief,  a  third  hose,  shoes,  &c. ;  until  she  was  so  clad  as 
to  make  a  very  respectable  appearance.  Early  in  the  day  suc- 
ceeding the  elopement — preliminaries  having  been  arranged  the 
evening  before — Murphy  and  Miss  Feeck,  accompanied  by  Miss 
Margaret  Crysler,  William  Bouck,  an  uncle  of  the  latter,  and 
Sergt.  William  Lloyd,  a  Virginian,  set  out  in  a  wagon  furnished 
by  Garret  Becker,  for  Schenectada.  Although  Murphy  had  the 
certificate  of  Mr.  Van  Dyck,  a  worthy  old  gentleman  who  was  pretty 
well  known  abroad,  that  a  notice  of  his  intention  "  to  commit  ma- 
trimony" had  been  legally  read,  still  it  was  feared  the  father 
might  take  effectual  means  in  the  cities  of  Albany  and  Schenec- 
tada to  prevent  the  marriage  of  his  daughter :  and  in  anticipation  of 
such  an  event,  Maj.  Woolsey,  who  then  commanded  the  fort,  gave 
Murphy  a  furlough  to  go  to  the  head-quarters  of  the  Commander- 
in-chief,  if  necessary,  to  have  the  marriage  take  place. 

The  party  went  to  Schenectada,  where  Murphy  on  his  arrival 
purchased  silk  for  a  gown,  and  other  articles  necessary  to  com- 
plete the  female  attire  of  a  bride,  and  the  immediate  requisition  of 
several  dress-makers  of  that  ancient  town  hastily  fitted  them  to 
the  pretty  form  of  our  heroine ;  soon  after  which  she  was  united 
in  wedlock  to  the  heroic  Murphy — who  had  discovered  himself  suc- 
cessful, thus  far,  not  only  in  the  art  of  war,  but  of  love.  The  cou- 
ple were  united,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson, 


394  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

who  preached  in  Princetown  several  years,  and  subsequently  in 
Harpersfield.  On  the  following  day  the  party  returned  to  Scho- 
harie, where  the  successful  groom  was  loudly  cheered  by  his  com- 
patriots in  arms.  During  the  absence  of  the  wedding  party,  the 
officers  of  the  garrison,  assisted  by  the  young  ladies  in  the  vici- 
nity, made  preparations  for  their  reception  in  a  becoming  manner, 
at  the  house  of  Peter  Becker,  who  then  lived  where  Ralph  Man- 
ning now  resides — but  a  short  distance  from  the  Middle  fort.  A 
sumptuous  feast  was  prepared  for  the  numerous  guests,  which 
was  followed  in  the  evening  by  a  ball,  given  in  honor  of  the  happy 
event.  Nearly  all  the  officers  of  the  garrison  were  among  the 
guests ;  on  which  occasion  the  beauty  and  fashion  then  existing 
in  that  valley  were  brought  together.  After  the  delighted  com- 
pany had  partaken  of  a  rich  supper,  the  tables  were  removed  and 
the  guests  began  to  dance.  The  young  wife,  from  her  modest 
and  unsophisticated  demeanor,  as  an  old  lady  who  was  present 
assured  the  author,  appeared  to  very  good  advantage  in  the  eve- 
ning, and  "  was  indeed  a  pretty  hride.'"  She,  however,  had  pre- 
viously been  allowed  to  go  into  company  but  little,  and  her  know- 
ledge of  dancing  was  limited — consequently  at  this  ball,  given  in 
honor  of  her  nuptials,  she  was  led  while  performing  her  part  of 
the  dance. 

Only  two  or  three  figures  were  danced,  when  a  scout  returned 
to  the  fort  and  reported,  that  they  had  fallen  in  with  a  party  of 
Indians  not  far  distant,  whereupon  the  linstock  was  applied  to  the 
alarm  gun,  and  its  thunder  went  booming  along  the  valley,  echo- 
ing and  re-echoing  among  the  surrounding  mountains — a  most 
unwelcome  sound  at  the  moment,  but  its  import  too  well  under- 
stood to  be  disregarded;  and  the  party  all  repaired  to  the  fort  to 
finish  the  festival. 

JVbw)  for  a  reconciliation.  When  Margaret's  parents  learned 
that  she  was  married — that  she  was  in  truth  the  wife  of  Murphy — 
they  were  at  first  highly  offended,  and  resolved  never  aga  n  to  ad- 
mit her  into  their  house.  But  time,  which  has  healed  worse 
wounds  than  theirs — which  were  occasioned  more  by  the  poverty 
of  their  son-in-law  than  by  his  demerits — began  to  work  its  own 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        395 

cure  of  wounded  pride.  The  mother,  who  felt  the  absence  of  an 
only  child,  who  had  been  her  constant  companion,  the  most  sensi- 
bly, was  the  first  to  yield  to  the  dictates  of  nature ;  and  Maria, 
who  had  acted  as  a  stair-case  between  the  lovers,  was  now  em- 
ployed by  Mrs.  Feeck,  to  obtain  for  her  an  interview  with  her 
daughter.  Margaret,  if  she  had  not  dimpled  cheeks,  or  a  hand 
of  French,  and  a  foot  of  Chinese  dimensions,  had  an  affectionate 
and  feeling  heart,  and  longed  to  see  her  mother.  The  meeting, 
according  to  appointment,  was  held  in  a  field  not  far  from  her 
father's  dwelling  :  but  as  she  dared  not  approach  her  mother, 
much  less  enter  the  picketed  inclosure  which  surrounded  their 
dwelling — fearful  that  an  effort  would  be  made  to  detain  her — 
they  conversed  on  a  grass  plot  for  some  time,  at  a  little  distance 
apart.  The  parent  was  anxious  to  effect  a  reconciliation  with 
Margaret  and  have  her  come  home,  but  she  could  not  think  of  ad- 
mitting her  Irish  husband  with  her.  "  Never,"  said  the  daughter 
with  spirit,  "  as  much  as  I  love  home  and  my  parents,  will  I  en- 
ter your  house  until  my  husband,  who  is  quite  as  good  as  I  am, 
enters  it  with  me !"  As  Margaret  was  about  to  return  to  the 
fort  below,  her  mother  requested  her  to  remain  until  she  could  go 
to  the  house  and  get  her  something  to  eat.  She  soon  returned 
with  a  pie,  which — as  the  daughter  retreated  on  her  approach — 
she  set  down  on  the  ground,  then  retired  a  little  distance,  and  had 
the  satisfaction  to  see  her  darling — her  only  child — advance,  take 
it  up,  and  eat  of  it.  This  act  was  witnessed  by  J\Irs.  Frederick 
Mattice.  After  eating  part  of  the  pie,  she  set  out  to  go  back, 
and  the  moistened  eye  of  the  mother  followed,  with  womanly 
pride,  the  retreating  footsteps  of  her  daughter. 

The  father  had  not  been  present  at  the  interview  mentioned,  and 
his  heart  also  yearned  to  embrace  his  daughter,  although  pride 
prevented  its  acknowledgment.  Repeated  messages  were  sent  to 
Margaret,  offering  full  pardon  on  her  part  for  the  past,  urging  her 
to  visit  the  paternal  dwelling :  to  all  of  which,  her  answers  were 
similar  to  the  one  previously  given  her  mother.  After  a  little 
time,  it  was  hinted  that  Murphy  intended  to  take  his  wife  to  Penn- 
sylvania., which  report  caused  the  parents  of  Margaret  much  anx- 


396  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

iety.  A  new  mediator,  in  the  person  of  Cornelius  Feeck,  a  re- 
lative of  the  young  bride,  was  now  deputed  to  wait  upon  the  lat 
ter.  Among  other  fine  sayings  of  his,  which  were  uttered  to  in- 
duce her  to  return  home,  he  told  her  "  how  much  her  father  thought 
of  her."  "  Yes,"  she  replied,  with  dignity  and  some  warmth — 
conscious  of  the  change  in  her  personal  appearance  which  the 
goodly  apparel  bought  by  her  generous  husband  had  wrought — 
"  When  at  home,  I  had  two  or  three  striped  linsey  petticoats  and 
a  calico  frock :  now  see  how  I  am  drest !"  she  added,  at  the 
same  time  flouncing  the  skirt  of  a  rich  silk  gown — "  This  shows 
who  cares  most  for  me !"  She  also  intimated  the  intention  of 
soon  accompanying  her  husband  to  Pennsylvania. 

On  learning  the  result  of  their  kinsman's  interview  with  their 
daughter,  who  had  heard  from  her  own  pretty  mouth  (which,  gen- 
tle reader,  was  neither  too  large  nor  too  small,)  that  she  expected 
soon  to  remove  to  another  state,  the  anxiety  of  the  parents  be- 
came exceedingly  irksome.  The  fear  of  losing  their  daughter 
forever,  wrought  a  wonderful  change  in  the  feelings  of  the  pa- 
rents, and  false  pride  now  yielded  at  once  to  the  Christian  spirit 
of  forgiveness  and  reconciliation;  and  the  next  message  from 
them  offered  a  full  pardon  to  groom  and  bride  for  past  offences, 
promising  to  bury  in  oblivion  all  former  animosities — receive  them 
home  with  a  festival  such  as  the  Germans  and  Dutch  were  pro- 
verbially known  to  make  at  weddings  in  former  days — and  treat 
them  as  children  deserved,  having  no  bad  habits,  and  no  serious 
fault ;  unless  genuine  love  could  be  so  called.  The  liberal  terms 
proposed  were  accepted :  a  treaty  of  family  alliance  formed ;  and 
at  an  appointed  time,  the  happy  couple,  accompanied  by  about 
thirty  ofUcers  and  soldiers,  and  a  party  of  citizens — the  whole  at- 
tended by  martial  music — proceeded  to  the  Upper  fort.  As  the 
guests  drew  near  the  entrance,  Mr.  Feeck  ran  forward,  threw 
open  the  gate,  and  extending  to  Murphy  and  his  wife  each  a  hand, 
welcomed  them  home.  Said  he,  as  he  grasped  the  hand  of  the 
patriot  soldier,  "  You  have  my  daughter,  but  you  shall  not  take 
her  to  Pennsylvania  :  I  have  enough  to  support  us  all."  Murphy 
was  a  man  of  powerful  lungs,  and  giving  the  old  man's  hand  a 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         397 

gripe  he  long  remembered,  replied  in  his  usually  loud  voice — "She 
is  no  longer  your's,  Masther  Fake ;  she  is  my  wife.  I  did  not 
marry  her  to  get  your  property,  as  I  can  take  care  of  her  myself." 
As  the  party  entered  the  house,  the  parents  both  wept  for  joy  at 
the  restoration  of  their  child  ;  and  the  good  things  were  abun- 
dantly served  to  the  guests,  whose  hearts — if  I  dare  tell  it  in  tem- 
perance times — "were  made  glad  with  good  wine."  This  recon- 
ciliation took  place  about  a  month  after  the  marriage ;  from  which 
time,  the  couple  made  their  home  at  Mr.  Feeck's.  On  the  death 
of  her  parents,  Margaret  inherited  their  valuable  estate,  and  her 
sons  still  live  on  the  patrimonial  farm. — Mrs.  Angelica  Vrooman, 
Mrs.  Van  Sli/ck,  Mrs.  Frederick  Mattice,  Maria  Teabout,  and 
others. 

Most  of  the  riflemen  who  continued  in  Schoharie  during  the 
war,  and  some  of  the  more  fearless  citizens,  enlisted  to  perform 
the  duty  of  scouts,  more  or  less  of  whom,  were  kept  constantly  out 
from  the  Schoharie  forts,  in  the  summer  season.  They  were  called 
Raiigers,  a  term  very  applicable.  Their  duties  were  at  times  of 
the  most  dangerous  and  fatiguing  kind,  and  not  unfrequently  in 
the  fall  and  spring  of  the  year,  when  they  had  to  encamp  on  the 
ground  at  night  without  a  fire,  they  suffered  almost  incredible 
hardships.  The  music  of  those  scouts,  was  that  produced  by 
a  conch-shell,  which  was  carried  by  the  leader,  and  served  to  call 
the  party  together  when  they  chanced  to  become  separated  in  the 
woods. — David  Elerson. 

If  the  duties  of  the  Schoharie  Rangers  were  peculiarly  hazard- 
ous and  perplexing,  still  they  saw  some  happy  hours.  Among  the 
soldiers  at  the  Middle  fort  were  two  fiddlers,  who  often  played  for 
their  comrades  to  dance,  when  the  latter  could  find  female  part- 
ners. On  a  certain  occasion,  the  officers  at  the  Middle  fort,  re- 
solved to  have  a  dance.  The  soldiers  concluded  to  have  one  on 
the  same  night,  and  spared  no  pains  or  expense  to  rival  the  offi- 
cers. They  sent  to  Albany  for  ten  gallons  of  wine  among  other 
necessaries,  and  succeeded  in  getting  the  ladies  all  away  from 
their  epauletted  superiors,  so  as  entirely  to  prevent  the  latter  from 
dancing.  My  informant  said  that  this  dance  cost  him  thirty  dol- 
l  ars,  and  he  supposed  it  cost  several  others  quite  as  much. — Elerson 


398  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

In  the  fall  of  1780,  a  small  party  of  the  enemy,  a  dozen  or 
more  in  number,  entered  the  Ballston  settlement,  under  the  di- 
rection of  Joseph  Bettys,  a  subaltern  officer  in  the  British  ser- 
vice, known  in  border  difficulties  by  the  familiar  name  of  Jo. 
Bettys.  He  resided  in  the  Ballston  settlement  previous  to  the  war, 
and  when  the  contest  began,  took  up  arms  for  the  states,  but  af- 
terwards entered  the  British  service,  proving  to  his  former  neigh- 
bors a  source  of  frequent  terror. 

Major  Andrew  Mitchell,  of  Ballston,  having  visited  Schenec- 
tada  on  business,  there  learned,  possibly  through  the  Oneida  run- 
ners, that  a  small  detachment,  mostly  tories,  had  left  Canada, 
the  destination  of  which  was  unknown.  In  the  afternoon,  Mitch- 
ell set  out  for  home  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  one  Arm- 
strong, a  neighbor.  After  proceeding  several  miles,  and  arriv- 
ing on  the  north  side  of  Allplass  creek,  the  thought  occurred  to 
him,  that  possibly  he  might  not  be  free  from  danger,  as  a  liberal 
reward  was  paid  for  the  persons  or  scalps  of  officers.  He  was 
riding  through  the  woods  at  the  time,  and  scarcely  had  the 
thought  visited  his  mind,  which  caused  him  to  quicken  the  speed 
of  his  horse,  when  he  was  hailed  in  a  commanding  voice  to  stop, 
by  a  man  who  sprang  upon  a  fallen  tree  near  the  road.  The 
Major  put  spurs  to  his  gallant  steed  and  was  soon  out  of  sight  of 
the  highwayman,  who  fired  at  him  as  he  passed.  Armstrong  could 
not  keep  up  with  his  companion,  but  as  his  person  was  not  sought 
for,  he  escaped  unmolested. 

Before  the  Revolution,  Jo.  Bettys  and  Jonathan  Miller,  another 
celebrated  tory,  dwelt,  one  on  each  side  of  Maj.  Mitchell.  After 
the  transaction  occurred  which  is  noticed  above,  it  was  satisfac- 
torily ascertained  that  the  man  who  fired  on  the  major,  was  his 
old  neighbor  Miller ;  who  had  accompanied  Bettys  in  his  expedi- 
tion, and  then  had  at  his  beck  some  half  a  dozen  genial  spirits. 
The  ground  being  sandy,  the  horse's  hoofs  made  but  little  noise, 
and  the  militia  officer  was  not  observed  until  opposite  the  party, 
secreted  on  both  sides  of  the  road  expressly  to  capture  him. 

An  enterprise  of  Bettys  in  the  Ballston  settlement,  within  a 
few  days  of  the  affair  related,  proved  more  successful.     He  sur- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        399 

prised  and  captured  Aaron  Banta,  and  his  sons,  Henry  and  Chris- 
tian, Ensign  Epenetus  White,  and  some  half  a  dozen  others. 
The  elder  Banta  was  left  on  parole,  and  the  rest  of  the  prisoners, 
who  were  among  the  best  citizens  in  the  vicinity,  hurried  off  to 
Canada.  The  escape  and  return  of  part  of  them  with  Col.  Gor- 
don, who  was  taken  the  year  before,  is  already  known  to  the 
reader. — Charles  and  Hugh,  sons  of  Maj.  Mitchell. 

A  scout,  consisting  of  Timothy  Murphy,  Bartholomew  C.  Vroo- 
raan,  William  Leek,  and  Robert  Hutt,  under  the  command  of 
Sergeant  Lloyd,  left  the  Middle  fort  only  a  day  or  two  after  the 
celebration  of  Murphy's  marriage,  expecting  to  be  gone  eight  or 
nine  days.  Their  absence  was  protracted  to  the  thirteenth  day, 
when  they  were  welcomed  at  the  fort,  on  the  evening  preceding 
the  invasion  of  Schoharie  by  Sir  John  Johnson.  The  scout 
while  absent,  visited  Punchkill,  Sharon,  Cherry-Valley,  Unadilla, 
Susquehanna,  Delhi,  Minisink,  and  Cairo ;  seeing  the  tracks  of 
Indians  in  several  places,  but  none  of  their  persons.  They  how- 
ever captured  a  tory  prisoner  at  Prattsville,  and  brought  him  to 
the  fort.  The  return  of  this  scout  was  most  opportune  for  the 
welfare  of  the  garrison,  as  will  soon  appear. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September,  1780,  Sir  John  Johnson  left 
Niagara  with  about  five  hundred  British,  Royalist,  and  German 
troops,  and  pursued  the  road  opened  the  year  before  by  Gen.  Sul- 
Uvan,  most  .of  the  way  from  the  Genesee  valley  to  the  Susque- 
hanna ;  where  he  was  joined  by  a  large  body  of  Indians  and  tories 
there  assembled  under  Capt.  Brandt ;  making  his  effective  force  as 
estimated  at  the  several  forts,  one  thousand  men.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition, that  several  hundred  of  the  Indians  who  left  Niagara  with 
Brant,  returned,  owing  to  a  quarrel.  Johnson's  object  in  making 
this  long  journey  so  late  in  the  season,  was  to  ravage  the  beauti- 
ful valleys  of  the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk  rivers,  when  the  crops 
of  the  husbandman  were  secured  and  could  be  burned,  and  if  pos- 
sible to  capture  and  destroy  the  three  Schoharie  forts. 

From  Charlotte  river,  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Susquehanna, 
the  enemy  proceeded  toward  the  Schoharie,  and  passing  down 
Panther  creek,  arrived  near  its  shore  in  the  evening:  of  October 


400  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

16th,  and  encamped  just  above  Ottegus-berg,*  a  romantic  moun- 
tain on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  near  the  upper  end  of  Vroo- 
man's  Land. 

Judge  Brovm  assured  the  author,  that  two  days  before  the  ar- 
rival of  the  enemy,  he  obtained  a  knowledge  of  their  approach 
through  a  sister  who  was  tory-fied,  and  communicated  the  fact  to 
Col.  Vrooman ;  whereupon  Marcus  Bellinger,  the  supervisor,  was 
sent  to  Albany  to  procure  a  wagon-load  of  ammunition,  in  antici- 
pation of  such  an  event.  Bellinger  was  detained  in  the  city  from 
some  cause,  but  arrived  in  safety  at  the  Lower  fort,  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  16th  inst. 

Col.  Johnson  intended  to  resume  his  march  sufficiently  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  17th,f  to  pass  the  Upper  fort,  situated  about 
three  miles  from  his  encampment,  unobserved,  and  arriving  at 
the  Middle  fort,  just  at  daylight,  surprise  and  capture  it ;  supposing, 
with  very  good  reason,  that  the  possession  of  it  would  soon  cause  the 
surrender  of  the  other  two  more  feebly  garrisoned.  The  enemy, 
passmg  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  crossed  it  nearly  opposite, 
and  not  one  third  of  a  mile  distant  from  the  Upper  fort.  Owing 
to  some  unknown  delay,  the  troops  were  not  in  motion  as  early  as 
they  had  intended,  and  the  rear  of  the  army  was  yet  upon  the 
bank  of  the  river,  when  Peter  Feeck,  who  had  started  to  go  after 
cows  just  as  day  began  to  dawn,  discovered  it,  and  notified  a  sen- 
tinel, who  discharged  his  musket.  The  troops  were  instantly 
called  out,  and  the  alarm  gun  thrice  fired.     Captains  Jacob  Ha- 

•  This  mountain  was  so  called  by  the  early  German  settlers,  and  signified 
the  Panther-mountain,  the  creek  taking  its  name  from  it  near  which  it  enters 
the  Schoharie.  A  mountain  situated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  above 
Panther  mountain,  distant  from  the  latter  not  more  than  a  mile  or  two,  was 
called  by  the  early  Germans,  Wock-holter-berg ;  and  signified  the  Berry 
mountain — so  called  from  the  unusual  quantity  of  juniper  or  other  berries 
found  upon  it.  The  Schoharie  by  its  serpentine  course,  flows  at  the  base  of 
both  mountains,  giving  its  banks  a  rugged  appearance. 

t  Col.  Stone,  in  the  "  Life  of  Br  ant, ^'  erroneously  dates  this  transaction  on 
the  16th  of  October.  Campbell,  who  wrote  at  an  earlier  period,  has  given  its 
true  date,  and  so  far  as  it  goes,  a  much  more  authentic  account  of  the  inva- 
sion. Col.  Stone  blended  part  of  the  invasion  in  August,  with  that  in  Octo- 
ber, and  incorporated  several  popular  errors  in  the  narrative. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         401 

ger,  and  Joseph  Harper,  both  men  of  acknowledged  courage,  with 
two  companies  of  troops,  numbering  it  is  believed,  less  than  one 
hundred  men,  were  in  this  fort  at  the  time.  The  command  of  the 
garrison  devolved  on  Capt.  Hager,  the  senior  officer,  who  sent  a 
party  of  volunteers  to  the  river  early  in  the  morning,  among 
whom  were  Henry  Hager,  his  son,  Lawrence  Bouck,  and  Isaac 
Vrooman.  They  saw  several  of  the  enemy  on  the  opposite  shore, 
and  crossed  the  river  and  captured  an  Indian  who  lagged  behind 
his  fellow.  As  they  approached  him  he  fired  upon  them,  the 
ball  striking  the  powder-horn  of  Vrooman.  When  they  drew  up 
to  fire,  he  sprang  behind  a  tree,  which  received  three  of  the  bul- 
lets discharged  at  him  :  he  then  fled,  abandoning  his  horse,  a  poor 
black  mare  with  a  sore  back,  which,  with  a  heavy  pack  on,  was 
taken  to  the  fort. 

The  Middle  fort,  at  this,  time  was  under  the  command  of  Major 
Woolsey,  a  continental  officer,  unfitted  for  the  important  duties  of 
the  station  he  held,  who  is  said  to  have  been  a  broken  officer  be- 
fore going  to  Schoharie.*  Col.  Vrooman  was  fortunately  in  the 
fort,  as  were  Lieut.  Col.  Zielie  and  Maj.  Thomas  Ecker,  officers 
belonging  to  his  regiment.  Captains  Lansing,  Pool,  Hall,  Miller 
and  Richtmyer,  were  in  the  fort  on  that  day,  several  of  whom 
were  continental  officers,  and  all,  it  is  believed,  were  men  of  real 
courage.  The  fort  was  garrisoned  by  about  two  hundred  conti- 
nental troops,  or  nine  months'  men,  as  then  called,  and  between 
one  and  two  hundred  militia.  Once  during  the  night  preceding 
the  invasion,  the  sentinels  gave  a  partial  alarm,  caused  by  the  ap- 
proach of  a  hostile  scout. 

Some  of  the  citizens  and  soldiers  were  already  up  at  the  Middle 
fort,  and  hearing  the  alarm  gun  of  the  fort  above,  the  drums  were 
quickly  beating  to  arms.  Livingston,  an  officer  of  artillery,  was 
looking  for  a  match  to  respond  to  the  evidence  of  danger,  when 
Susannah  Vrooman  ran  to  the  house  and  brought  him  a  live  coal, 

•When  Major  Woolsey,  who  was  remarkably  spry,  first  went  to  Schoharie, 
and  was  seen  to  leap  fences,  and  give  other  evidences  of  agility,  he  was  ta- 
ken to  be  very  smart,  and  was,  of  course,  much  respected,  until  found  want- 
ing in  courage.  He  was  the  first  man  who  M-ore  a  garment,  since  called  a 
roundabout,  in  the  Schoharie  valley,  considered  at  the  time  a  novelty. — Mrs. 
.Angelica  Vrooman. 


402  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

with  which  the  gun  was  instantly  fired.  The  voice  of  a  brass  nine 
pounder  was  thrice  responded  to  from  the  Lower  fort,  and  war's 
thunder  rolled  along  the  valley.  The  discharge  of  the  alarm 
guns  at  the  forts,  became  the  signal  for  the  foe  to  apply  the  in- 
cendiary torch,  which  was  accordingly  done  to  the  buildings  of 
Frederick  Mattice,  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in  Clauver- 
wy,  (where  Edward  Pindar  now  resides)  and  opposite  that  part  of 
Vrooman's  Land  which  was  desolated  the  preceding  August.  The 
barn  of  Mattice  was  the  first  of  the  beacon  lights  seen  at  the  Mid- 
dle fort  that  day,  the  number  of  which,  from  buildings,  barracks 
of  grain,  and  stacks  of  hay,  viewed  at  that  place,  was  estimated 
by  an  eye-witness,  at  three  hundred.  An  invasion  having  been 
anticipated,  the  citizens  lodged  at  the  several  garrisons,  and  the 
movement  of  the  hostiles  commencing  thus  early,  no  individuals 
were  found  in  their  dwellings  except  such  as  were  either  tinctured 
with  royalty,  or  chose  to  brave  the  coming  dangers  to  save  their 
property. 

A  strong  northeast  wind  continued  to  blow  throughout  the  day, 
and  served  to  fan  the  flames  of  destruction.  The  weather  was 
also  exceedingly  cold,  and  snow  in  squalls  almost  constantly  filled 
the  air.  Maj.  Ecker  called  for  volunteers  soon  after  daylight,  and 
nineteen  bold  spirits  left  the  fort  with  him  to  learn  the  cause  of 
alarm,  just  as  the  fire  of  Mattice's  buildings  was  discovered.  As 
the  wind  then  blew  almost  a  gale,  the  soldiers  left  their  hats,  and 
substituted  kerchiefs  tied  closely  about  their  heads.  The  head  of 
Timothy  Murphy  was  adorned  by  the  one  that  had  concealed  the 
pretty  neck  of  his  young  bride,  placed  there  by  her  own  trembling 
hands;  the  head  of  Bartholomew  C.  Vrooman  with  that  of  Susan- 
nah Vrooman,  his  intended,  (to  whom  he  was  married  about  two 
weeks  afterwards,)  and  those  of  others  by  the  shawls  of  friends  or 
lovers.  Maj,  Ecker,  among  whose  followers  were  Lieut.  Martin- 
us  Zielie,  Sergeant  Lloyd,  Murphy,  Elerson,  Hoever,  Vrooman, 
Richard  Hanson,  Peter  Van  Slyck,  Wilbur,  Joachim  Folluck,  Ad- 
am Shell,  Tufts,  and  Leek,  proceeded  from  the  fort  in  the  direction 
of  the  present  village  of  Middleburgh,  and  fell  in  with  the  ene- 
my's advance  not  far  from  the  site  of  the  Brick  church.    Murphy 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        403 

was  on  the  extreme  right  toward  the  river.  Ecker's  men  now  fired 
upon  the  encray  from  behind  a  board  fence,  and  some  of  them  se- 
veral times.  From  his  position,  Murphy  discovered  that  the  ene- 
my was  extending  his  right  to  cut  off  their  retreat  to  the  fort,  and 
communicated  the  fact  to  Maj.  Ecker,  who  instantly  ordered  are- 
treat.  Murphy,  although  he  had  the  greatest  distance  to  run,  was 
the  last  man  who  left  the  ground,  and  remained  at  the  fence  until 
he  obtained  a  fair  extra  shot,  when  he  also  fled  to  the  fort.  Hun- 
dreds of  balls  were  fired  within  gun-shot  at  the  volunteers,  and 
several  boards  in  the  fence  from  which  Murphy  fled,  were  literal- 
ly riddled  with  bullets  ;  and  yet  not  one  of  the  party  was  wound- 
ed. Most  of  the  volunteers  were  riflemen,  and  wore  short  linen 
frocks,  through  which  several  of  the  enemy's  shot  passed,  as  also 
they  did  through  other  parts  of  their  dress,  and  one  struck  the 
powder-horn  of  Vrooman. 

Colonel  Johnson  had  given  orders  to  his  troops  to  spare  the 
churches  in  Schoharie,  but  the  Dutch  church,  standing  opposite 
the  burying  ground,  and  near  the  present  residence  of  Dr.  James 
Van  Gaasbeck,  in  Middleburgh,  was  burned.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  set  on  fire  by  William  Crysler,  a  tory,  owing  to  a  grudge 
he  held  against  some  of  its  members. — Andrew  Louc/cs.  This 
church  was  built  after  the  model  of  the  ancient  Dutch  church  in 
Albany,  with  a  steeple  rising  from  the  centre.  It  was  well  finish- 
ed within,  and  painted  white  outside. — Mrs.  Van  Slyck. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  Maj.  Joseph  Becker,  then 
in  command  of  the  Lower  fort,  knowing  the  lack  of  powder  at 
the  Middle  fort,  sent  two  men,  each  with  a  bag  containing  the 
necessary  article  on  his  back  to  that  garrison.  Hearing  the  alarm 
guns  of  the  Upper  fort,  and  the  response  of  the  other  two,  they 
increased  their  speed,  and  fortunately  arrived  at  their  destination 
just  as  the  enemy  invested  that  post.  Mattice  Ball,  one  of  the 
two,  and  from  whose  lips  this  fact  was  obtained,  said  they  were 
detained  there  during  the  day. 

The  enemy,  crossing  the  flats  obliquely,  passed  the  fort  near 
the  hill  east,  and  halted  on  a  small  eminence  nearly  north  of  it, 
in  the  orchard  of  Peter  Becker,  near  the  present  residence  of  Peter 


404  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I.  Borst.  At  this  time  many  of  the  Indians  were  scattered  over  the 
flats,  engaged  in  the  work  of  destruction.  As  the  enemy  were 
proceeding  from  the  river  toward  the  hill  east  of  the  fort ;  Lansing, 
a  captain  of  the  Albany  militia,  followed  by  a  party  of  volunteers, 
sallied  in  that  direction  and  met  the  advance,  with  which  he  ex- 
changed several  shots.  Elerson,  stated  that  at  this  time  he  was 
behind  a  board  fence  near  the  wood,  beyond  his  comrades,  when 
he  observed  an  officer  in  a  red  coat  advance  from  the  British  ranks, 
at  whom  he  discharged  his  rifle.  He  saw  the  enemy's  guns  lev- 
eled at  him,  and  instantly  fled  to  the  fort.  He  supposed  that 
seven  hundred  fired  at  him  in  this  flight,  yet  he  escaped  from  them 
untouched.  The  fence  from  which  he  ran,  like  that  which  had 
concealed  Murphy  just  before,  was  completely  peppered  with 
bullets.  Capt.  Miller,  who  commanded  a  company  of  Claverack 
militia,  then  in  the  fort,  called  to  Elerson's  wife,  to  see  her  hus- 
band run.  Col.  Vrooman,  also,  as  Elerson  was  informed,  watched 
his  flight  with  intense  anxiety.  A  shot  sent  among  the  Bri- 
tish troops  from  the  brass-cannon,  while  they  were  firing  on  El- 
erson, caused  some  confusion  among  Jolmson's  Greens.  They 
were  then  passing  the  most  exposed  part  of  the  fortress.  There 
was  a  small  gate  on  the  east  side,  through  which  Capt.  Lan- 
sing and  his  men  entered. 

Col.  Johnson  had  w^ith  him  a  small  mortar,  and  a  field-piece — 
the  latter  a  brass  six-pounder.  The  carriage  for  the  cannon  was 
carried  in  parts,  and  required  screwing  together.  They  were  made 
ready  to  fire,  at  the  stand  he  had  chosen  in  Becker's  orchard,  and 
a  cannonading  and  bombardment  commenced,  while  a  constant 
firing  was  kept  up  with  small  arms,  but  generally  at  too  great  a 
distance  for  the  latter  to  take  effiect.  Three  shells  were  well 
thrown  from  this  position  by  the  enemy  at  the  fort,  and  many  can- 
non-shot were  fired  but  with  less  precision,  the  most  of  them  pass- 
ing entirely  over  the  destined  object.  The  first  shell  fired,  sung  in 
the  air  like  a  pigeon,  and  exploded  directly  over  the  house;  and 
as  its  fragments  fell  upon  the  roof,  Mrs.  Richtmyer,  an  old  lady, 
then  in  an  upper  room,  who  had  been  an  invalid,  and  unable  to 
rise  alone  from  her  bed  for  a  long  time,  was  so  frightened  that  she 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         405 

sprang  from  it,  and  went  below,  surviving  the  effect  but  a  short 
time.  The  second  shell  fell  within  the  pickets  near  the  well,  and 
while  the  fuse  was  burning  off  and  the  ball  dancing  in  a  mud  hole, 
every  person  exposed  to  its  explosion  had  ample  time  to  gain  a 
respectful  distance,  and  it  scattered  its  fragments  without  injuring 
any  one.*  The  third  shell  fell  through  the  roof  of  the  main 
building,  and  lodging  on  a  pile  of  feather-beds  in  the  chamber, 
which  were  deposited  upon  several  chests  of  bedding,  it  exploded 
tearing  the  beds  in  pieces,  doing  little  other  mischief,  except 
that  of  frightening  Christian  Rickard,  an  old  bachelor,  who 
chanced  to  be  in  the  room,  almost  to  death.  The  explosion  com- 
pletely fdled  the  room  with  feathers,  and  groping  his  way  down 
stairs,  Rickard  made  his  appearance  below,  where  many  of  the 
women  and  children  were,  covered  with  feathers,  and  spitting 
down  from  his  mouth,  which  sudden  fear  had  caused  him  to  open 
too  widely  for  such  an  atmosphere.  When  asked  what  had  hap- 
pened, he  replied  in  Low  Dutch,  (as  kindly  rendered  by  a  Dutch 
friend,  at  my  elbow)  "  Ik  donk  de  duyvel  is  op  de  solder,  de  verivUe- 
gen  so  rondt  dot  ik  niet  zien  con.'' — I  think  the  devil  is  in  the  cham- 
ber, for  the  feathers  fly  around  so  that  I  cannot  see.  The  beds 
were  set  on  fire  but  were  easily  extinguished,  as  water  had  been 
provided  for  such  emergency. 

After  the  firing  had  been  continued  for  some  time  by  the  ene- 
my, and  several  shells  thrown,  it  suddenly  ceased,  and  a  white 
flag  was  seen  to  leave  the  British  ranks  and  advance  toward  the 
fort.  The  flag-bearer  was  accompanied  on  his  right  by  an  ofiicer 
in  a  green  uniform,  and  on  his  left  by  a  fifer,  playing  Yankee- 
doodle.  When  the  flag  was  discovered  approaching,  Maj.  Wool- 
sey  gave  orders  to  have  it  admitted,  but  not  another  ofiicer  m 
the  fort,  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  was  in  favor  of  its  admission ; 
and  Murphy  and  Elerson,  who  conjectured  what  their  fate  might 

•It  is  stated  in  the  Life  of  Brant,  that  a  woman  brought  several  buckets  of 
water /rom  a  well  without  the  works  exposed  to  the  enemy's  fire,  for  the  thirsty 
soldiers;  one  of  whom,  when  required,  dared  not  perform  the  feat.  This 
ttory  has  no  foundation  in  truth.  The  well  was  within  the  pickets,  and  af- 
forded  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  as  I  have  been  assured  by  nearly  a  do- 
zea  credible  witnesses,  who  were  in  the  Middle  fort  at  the  time  alluded  to. 


406  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

he,  should  the  enemy  learn  the  actual  strength  of  the  garrison, 
and  succeed  in  its  capture — determined,  so  the  latter  informed  the 
author,  that  before  the  flag  should  enter  the  fort,  one  or  the  other 
of  them  should  shoot  Woolsey  himself.  On  that  day.  Murphy 
used  his  double-barreled  rifle,*  and  as  the  flag  drew  near  he  fired 
upon  it — not  with  the  intention  of  killing  its  bearer,  or  either  of 
his  companions,  as  is  generally  supposed,  but  to  say,  in  effect, 
"  approach  any  nearer  and  you  are  a  dead  man."  The  trio,  with 
the  flag  halted,  faced  about  and  marched  back  to  their  former 
station. 

When  Murphy  fired  on  the  flag,  Maj.  Woolsey  was  not  present, 
having  visited  his  quarters  to  prepare  himself  to  enforce  submis- 
sion to  his  commands ;  for  soon  after,  he  returned  pistol  in  hand, 
and  demanded  who  had  dared  to  disobey  his  orders ?  "I  fired 
on  the  flag,"  said  Murphy.  Maj.  W.  then  threatened  the  brave 
soldier  with  instant  death  if  he  repeated  the  act ;  and  the  latter, 
who  believed  the  willingness  of  the  commandant  to  admit  the  flag 
proceeded  from  cowardice  alone,  retorted  with  warmth — "  Sooner 
than  see  that  flag  enter  this  fort,  will  I  send  a  bullet  through  your 
heart."  Seeing  an  evident  disposition  in  all  the  officers  present 
to  sustain  Murphy — for  they  had  rallied  round  him  to  a  man,  (not 
from  a  desire  to  see  just  commands  violated,  but  to  defend  the  fort 
at  all  hazards,)  the  major  walked  towards  the  house.  In  this 
time,  the  flag  attended  as  before,  had  again  advanced,  and  Maj. 
W.  had  not  proceeded  two  rods  when  Murphy  again  fired,  and  its 
bearer  faced  about  and  retired. 

During  this  parley  the  firing  on  both  sides  had  ceased,  with 
the  exception  stated,  and  was  not  resumed  until  after  Col.  John- 
son, from  his  great  desire  to  get  a  flag  into  the  fort,  despatched  it 
by  the  same  party  a  third  time.  It  is  possible  that  from  his  posi- 
tion he  had,  with  a  spy-glass,  observed  the  movement  of  Maj. 

•  Much  has  been  said  about  Murphy's  double-barreled  gun — and  more 
than  it  merited:  at  least,  so  a  son  of  Murphy  assured  the  writer  he  had  oftea 
heard  his  father  say.  He  had  scuh  a  gun,  while  at  Schoharie,  but  it  was  bo 
heavy  he  seldom  used  it,  except  on  garrison  duty.  An  anecdote  told  by 
Campbell,  of  the  use  of  this  gun,  I  have  not  been  able  to  authenticate  so  as  to 
vrarrant  its  insertion. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        407 

Woolsey.  They  had  not  proceeded  as  far  as  at  first,  however, 
when  a  third  bullet  from  Murphy's  rifle  passed  over  their  heads, 
saying,  in  efl'ect,  "  thus  far,  but  no  farther ;"  and  they  returned  to 
the  ranks.     The  firing  was  then  renewed. 

Maj.  Woolsey,  after  the  spar  with  Murphy,  entered  the  dwelling 
where  the  women  and  children  were  confined ;  but  their  jeers  sa- 
voring too  much  of  satire,  he  left  their  presence  and  sought  safely 
elsewhere.  The  cellar  under  the  kitchen  part  of  the  dwelling 
was  occupied  as  a  magazine,  and  Col.  Vrooman,  to  conceal  the 
deficiency  of  powder,  brought  it  himself  when  wanted.  All  the 
officers  in  the  fort,  except  Woolsey,  divested  themselves  of  their 
hats  early  in  the  siege  and  substituted  cravats  :  while  several  of 
them  laid  off  their  coats,  and  taking  guns,  all  fought  manfully.* 
As  powder  was  needed  Col.  Vrooman  laid  down  his  gun  and 
sword  and  went  to  get  it.  Near  the  cellar  door  he  encountered 
Maj.  Woolsey,  who  had  just  left  the  presence  of  the  women,  as 
may  be  supposed,  not  in  very  good  humor.  "  Maj.  Woolsey,  is 
this  your  place,"  interrogated  the  brave  colonel,  "  who  are  placed 
here  to  defend  this  fort  ?"  He  replied,  half  dead  through  fear — 
"  Col.  Vrooman,  the  men  will  not  obey  me,  and  I  give  up  the  com- 
mand to  you."  At  this  moment  a  cannon  shot  struck  the  house 
and  fell  harmless  at  their  feet.  The  colonel  instantly  caught  it 
up,  and  playfully  extended  it  to  the  major,  with  the  simple  excla- 
mation— "  Send  that  back  to  them !"  With  perfect  indifference 
the  coward  replied,  "  That  I  think  would  be  s — n  work."  The 
fire  of  the  Dutch  colonel  was  instantly  ignited  at  the  indifference 
and  filthy  expression  of  the  commandant,  and  speaking  in  his 
usually  quick  manner,  he  rejoined — "  Maj.  Woolsey,  had  I  my 
sword  I  would  run  you  through  with  it."  The  major,  perhaps 
ashamed  of  his  conduct,  wheeled  and  walked  off,  and  the  colonel 
got  his  powder  and  returned  to  his  men,  exclaiming  as  he  gave 
them  the  necessary  article,  "  Fire  away  my  brave  lads,  we  have 
plenty  of  aramuniton."     The  troops  were  gratified  to  learn  that 

•  In  the  early  part  of  the  war  the  captains  all  carried  guns,  but  at  a  later 
period  they  were  prohibited  from  bearing  them,  from  a  complaint  that  while 
loading  they  neglected  dtUies  to  their  men. 

27 


408  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  command  of  the  fort  was  surrendered  to  him,  and  obeyed  his 
orders  with  alacrity.  More  than  once  when  he  went  for  powder, 
as  he  afterwards  confessed,  did  his  hair  rise  on  his  head,  not  from 
fear  of  the  enemy,  but  lest  the  small  supply  of  ammunition  should 
be  completely  exhausted,  and  the  foe,  becoming  conscious  of  it, 
storm  their  works. — Mrs.  Angelica  Vrooman. 

The  firing  of  shells  was  not  renewed  by  the  enemy,  and  the 
discharge  of  grape  and  round  shot  was  only  continued  at  inter- 
vals from  the  fort,  as  the  supply  of  powder  would  not  warrant  its 
constant  use.  Destructionisls  were  to  be  seen  at  this  period  of 
the  siege,  scattered  over  the  flats  in  almost  every  direction.  The 
o-arrison  was  too  weak  to  make  a  bold  sortie,  but  many  small  par- 
ties were  sent  out  during  the  day  to  harass  the  enemy,  and  save, 
if  possible,  a  large  barn  belonging  to  John  Becker,  which  stood 
almost  in  the  direction  of  Col.  Johnson's  position  :  around  which 
clustered  numerous  stacks  of  hay  and  grain.  As  several  Indians 
were  seen  approaching  the  barn,  a  party  from  the  fort  went  to 
meet  them.  Several  shots  were  exchanged,  and  Sergeant  Coop- 
er, of  Albany,  received  a  wound  in  one  leg ;  and  was  instantly 
borne  off  by  two  of  his  comrades  to  the  fort :  but  while  proceed- 
ing thither,  he  received  a  ball  through  his  body,  of  which  his  car- 
riers were  unconscious.  As  they  entered  the  fort,  Susannah  Vroo- 
man enquired  where  Cooper  was  wounded  1  The  reply  Avas,  "  in 
the  leg."  She  remarked  that  he  bled  from  the  body,  and  on  lay- 
ing him  down,  it  was  ascertained  that  he  had  received  a  wound 
there,  of  which  he  soon  after  died. 

About  this  time,  several  volunteers  entered  the  fort,  who  had 
been  pursued  by  the  enemy.  Miss  Vrooman  stood  near  the  en- 
trance in  an  exposed  situation,  and  Samuel  Reynolds,  as  he  en- 
tered, said  to  her — "  Susannah,  get  away  from  here  or  you  will 
be  shot !"  The  words  were  scarcely  uttered  before  a  ball  entered 
his  own  head,  of  which  wound  he  died  nine  days  after.  He  was 
from  New  Jersey  :  was  a  likely  soldier,  and  died  lamented.  Je- 
remiah Loucks  was  also  wounded  in  one  arm,  and  Tufts  slightly 
in  the  head — the  latter,  while  entering  the  fort — who,  with  the 
two  mortally  wounded,  it  is  beUeved,  were  all  that  were  injured 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        409 

belonging  to  the  Middle  fort.  The  wounded  were  properly  at- 
tended by  Doct.  John  King,  the  settled  physician  at  that  place, 
who  acted  as  surgeon  during  the  war. 

Nicholas  Sloughtcr,  who  acquired  the  reputation  of  a  good  sol- 
dier, had  a  very  sick  child  in  the  fort,  and  as  he  was  leaving  it, 
with  a  party  of  volunteers  under  Murphy,  was  told  that  his  child 
appeared  to  be  dying,  and  he  had  better  remain.  "  I  can  do  the 
child  no  good,"  was  his  reply ;  "  my  duty  is  to  protect  the  living 
as  well  as  the  dying"  Before  his  return,  he  and  Murphy  took  a 
prisoner,  dressed  in  a  green  uniform  ;  who  gave  his  name  as  Ben- 
jamin Butts.  He  was  a  New  England  man,  who  had  been  made 
prisoner  some  time  before,  and  while  in  Canada,  had  enlisted  into 
the  British  service  as  a  ranger,  to  embrace  an  opportunity  to  de- 
sert.    He  returned  home  soon  after. — Mis.  Van  Slyck. 

During  the  seige  of  the  Middle  fort,  a  scout  under  Lieut.  Mar- 
tinus  Zielie,  captured  a  French  Indian  while  stealing  a  horse 
owned  by  Harmanus  Bouck.  Lewis  Denny,  a  French  Indian, 
nearly  white,  (mentioned  as  having  scalped  a  squaw  and  after- 
wards married  her,)  joined  the  Americans  in  the  Revolution,  and 
remained  at  Middleburgh.  Being  in  the  fort  when  Lieut.  Zielie 
returned  with  his  prisoner,  the  latter  was  so  saucy,  that  Lewis, 
who  could  understand  his  insolent  gibberish,  instantly  knocked 
him  down.  This  prisoner  is  said  to  have  been  an  Indian  interpre- 
ter.— George  Richtmyer. 

Elerson  had  command  of  a  few  rangers  during  the  day  ;  one  of 
whom,  John  Wilbur,  fell  in  with  a  tory,  catching  a  horse,  near 
the  present  residence  of  Peter  Swart,  and  asked  him  to  what  par- 
ty he  belonged  ?  He  replied,  "  the  Indian  party  ;"  and  instantly 
received  a  bullet  from  Wilbur's  rifle.  He  took  off  his  scalp,  and 
as  he  entered  the  fort  with  it  in  his  hand,  Maj.  Woolsey  told  him 
he  ought  to  have  his  own  scalp  taken  off.  This  man  and  another, 
shot  during  the  day,  were  supposed  to  be  Indians  at  the  time,  but 
proved  to  be  tories  from  the  vicinity  of  Albany. — David  Elerson, 
Mrs.  Van  Slyck  and  George  Richtmyer. 

While  Elerson  was  out  with  his  party,  he  saw  an  Indian  ap- 
proaching the  stacks  at  the  barn  near  the  fort,  at  whom  he  fired. 


410  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

The  warrior  ran  off  towards  the  woods  east  of  the  barn.  In  the 
following  spring,  a  dead  Indian  was  discovered  in  that  direction, 
by  Bill,  a  slave  owned  by  John  Becker,  while  getting  tire-wood. 
He  was  found  sitting  with  his  back  against  a  tree,  having  his  gun 
between  his  knees  and  resting  in  his  arms.  His  eyes  had  been 
dug  out,  as  supposed,  by  birds.  This  Indian  was  presumed  to  have 
been  the  one  fired  on  by  Elerson. — Elerson,  Mrs.  Van  Slyck  and 
Judge  Hager. 

We  have  seen  that  Murphy  did  not  spare  his  rifle  balls  when 
the  Middle  fort  was  invested.  Needing  an  additional  supply,  An- 
gelica Vrooman,  as  she  informed  the  author,  took  Murphy's  bullet 
mould,  lead,  and  an  iron  spoon,  went  to  her  father's  tent,  and 
there  moulded  a  quantity  of  bullets  for  that  fearless  ranger,  amidst 
the  roar  of  cannon  and  musketry. 

Jacob  Winne,  of  Albany,  was  commissary  at  the  Schoharie 
forts;  occupying  a  part  of  the  Becker  house,  two  rooms  in  which 
are  said  to  have  accommodated  Jive  families  each.  Samuel  Van 
Vechten,  of  Albany,  was  press-master,  and  Douw  Fonda,  forest- 
er, all  of  whom,  it  is  believed,  were  in  the  Middle  fort  when  be- 
sieged by  the  troops  under  Johnson.  The  commissary  was  a  lit- 
tle corned  during  the  action,  and  finding  Maj.  Woolsey  stowed 
away  in  one  of  the  small  family  huts,  bored  him  not  a  little.  Not 
only  the  commissary,  but  many  others,  some  of  whom  were  fe- 
males, made  themselves  merry  at  the  coward's  expense,  jeering 
and  teasing  him  with  perfect  impunity. — Mrs.  Van  Slyck  and 
Andrew  Loucks. 

Col.  Johnson  remained  with  the  regular  troops  near  the  Middle 
fort,  until  his  destructives  had  effectually  demolished  every  species 
of  property  they  possibly  could  in  that  vicinity,  when  he  moved 
down  the  valley  about  3  o'clock,  P.  M.  After  the  enemy  were 
out  of  sight,  Maj.  Woolsey  ordered  several  apple  trees  near  to  be 
cut  down  and  brought  around  the  fort,  fearing  the  enemy  might 
return  and  attempt  to  storm  the  works.  He  left  Schoharie  the 
next  day,  and  was  never  seen  again  leaping  fences  on  horseback, 
in  that  delightful  valley. — Andrew  LotLcks  and  others. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         411 

As  may  be  supposed,  the  most  intense  anxiety  was  felt  at  the 
Upper,  while  the  firing  continued  at  the  Middle  fort ;  and  soon  af- 
ter it  began,  Capt.  Hager  gave  orders  that  in  case  the  enemy  ap- 
peared before  that  fort,  the  women  and  children  should  go  into  a 
long  cellar  under  the  Feeck  house.  While  preparations  were  in 
progress  to  resist  an  attack  should  it  be  made,  Mary  Haggidorn,  a 
buxom  lass  of  goodly  proportions,  who  partook  of  the  spirit  which 
animated  her  brothers,  and  who  had  heard  the  cellar  order  with 
other  feelings  than  those  irispired  by  fear,  stepped  up  to  the  com- 
mandant and  thus  addressed  him  :  "  Captain,  I  shall  not  go  into 
that  cellar !  Should  the  enemy  come  I  will  take  a  spear,  which 
I  can  use  as  well  as  any  7nan,  and  help  defend  the  fort."  Capt. 
Hager  was  gratified  to  find  a  soldier  where  he  little  expected  one, 
and  admiring  her  fearless  spirit,  he  replied,  "  Then  take  a  spear, 
Mary,  and  be  ready  at  the  pickets  to  repel  an  attack !"  She  did 
take  a  spear,  nor  was  it  discarded  until  the  danger  was  past.  As 
soon  as  the  firing  ceased  the  second  time  at  the  fort  below,  Capt. 
Hager  dispatched  Ensign  Peter  Swart,  William  Zimmer,  and  Jo- 
seph Evans  to  learn  whether  their  worst  fears  were  to  be  realized 
— whether  the  British  cross  had  taken  the  place  of  Freedom's 
stars.  On  their  return  with  the  report  that  all  was  safe,  the  wel- 
kin rang  with  huzzas  for  the  American  JIag. — Manuscript  of  Judge 
Hager. 

What  loss  the  besiegers  sustained  in  their  attack  on  the  Middle 
fort  is  uncertain,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  several  times 
greater  than  that  of  the  Americans.  W'here  had  formerly  stood 
the  barn  of  Judge  Borst,  charred  bones  were  found,  supposed  to 
have  been  those  of  several  of  their  number  which  they  had  pur- 
posely burned.  What  induced  Sir  John  to  abandon  further  at- 
tempts to  take  the  fort  is  uncertain,  but  it  is  conjectured  that  from 
the  firing  on  the  flag  he  was  led  to  suppose  the  troops  were  con- 
scious of  being  able  to  defend  it.  The  enemy  succeeded,  during 
the  day,  in  burning  part  of  the  grain  which  had  been  stacked  near 
the  fort  for  safety. — Mrs.  Van  Slyck. 

Maj.  Becker  had  at  his  command  at  the  Lower  fort,  on  the  ar- 
rival of  Sii-  John  Johnson  in  its  vicinity,  Capt.  Stubrach  with  his 


412  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

company  of  militia,  a  part  of  the  associate  exempts  under  Captain 
Peter  Snyder,  (who  succeeded  Capt.  Vrooraan  at  his  death,)  and 
a  body  of  Norman's- kill  militia  ;  making  his  effective  force,  from 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  men. — Peter  Vrooman* 

Early  in  the  morning,  Jacob  Van  Dyck,  Anthony  Brontner  and 
Barney  Cadugney  were  dispatched  by  Maj.  Becker  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  the  firing  at  the  forts  above.  Arriving  at  the  house 
of  Jacob  J.  Lawyer,  they  found  his  wife  and  a  wench  at  home 
preparing  to  bake.  At  the  house  of  Hendrick  Shafer,  the  females 
were  also  at  home,  where  they  saw  food  upon  a  table.  The  wo- 
men of  those  families  chose  to  brave  the  dangers  of  the  day,  to 
save  their  dwellings  from  the  general  conflagration,  while  the 
men  were  in  the  fort  below.  The  scout  proceeded  as  far  as  Bel- 
linger's, and  saw  the  British  troops  about  a  mile  distant.  Near 
this  place,  they  met  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  and  were  pursued 
by  seven  Indians  led  by  Seth's  Henry.  They  were  fired  upon, 
and  the  balls  struck  near  them.  A  ball  striking  the  fence  by  Ca- 
dugney's  side,  threw  a  splinter  into  his  arm.  He  called  to  his 
companions  that  he  was  wounded  ;  and  near  the  present  residence 
of  Peter  Richtmyer,  Van  Dyck  drew  the  splinter  from  his  arm, 
telling  him  he  w^as  not  hurt  much  :  which  he  would  hardly  believe. 
Gaining  upon  the  Indians,  who  had  halted  to  reload  their  pieces, 
Cadugney  took  occasion,  as  the  latter  were  out  of  sight,  to  con- 
ceal himself  in  a  hollow  stump — near  which  they  passed  without 
discovering  him. 

When  the  firing  ceased  in  the  Middle  fort  for  the  flag  to  ad- 
vance, the  inmates  of  the  fort  below  were  apprehensive  it  had 
been  taken,  and  Major  Becker  dispatched  another  scout,  consisting 
of  George  Snyder,  Jacob  Endcrs,  John  Van  Wart  and  JohnHutt, 
to  ascertain  whether  the  fort  had  been  captured.  The  second 
scout  met  the  first  near  where  Storm  Becker  resides,  and  joined  it 
in  flight.  They  were  hotly  pursued,  and  were  obliged  to  scatter. 
Enders  and  Snyder  were  together,  and  as  the  enemy  were  level- 
ing a  volley  of  balls  at  them,  they  sprang  behind  a  rock,  against 

•  He  was  a  major  of  militia  after  the  war.  He  married  Angelica,  daugh- 
ter  of  Col.  Peter  Vrooman. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         413 

which  several  of  the  leaden  messengers  spent  their  force.  End- 
ers,  who  was  fleet  as  an  antelope,  often  took  trees  to  favor  the 
flight  of  his  less  speedy  companions,  which  always  treed  the  ene- 
my. Van  Dyck  struck  off  into  the  woods  east  of  the  residence  of 
Jacob  II.  Shafer,  again  struck  the  flats  below,  and  regained  the 
fort  in  safety.  Enders  and  Snyder  also  arrived  there  before  the 
enemy.  Van  Wart  (who  is  said  to  have  put  on  his  go-to-meet- 
ing hat  before  he  left  the  fort,)  had  observed  on  his  way  up,  sev- 
eral apple-pies  just  taken  from  the  oven  at  Lawyer's,  and  not 
having  had  any  breakfast,  declared  his  intention  of  having  some 
of  the  pie  on  his  return.  He  was  warned  not  (o  stop;  but  disre- 
garding the  caution  of  his  companions,  as  the  enemy  were  not 
then  in  sight,  he  halted.  While  he  was  eating,  Westhoft,  a  Ger- 
man school  teacher,  who  had  been  teaching  school  the  preceding 
summer  in  Ingold's  barn  near  by,  opened  the  door  and  exclaimed : 
"  Here  they  come  !"  as  a  party  of  Indians  arrived  at  the  house. 
In  the  act  of  jumping  from  a  back  window,  he  was  fired  upon  in 
front  and  rear,  the  enemy  having  already  surrounded  the  house. 
He  was  instantly  dispatched,  and  his  body  much  mutilated.  He 
was  a  Low  Dutchman,  born  near  Albany  ;  was  a  cooper  by  trade, 
and  had  resided  nine  years  in  the  Ingold  family,  near  where  he 
was  shot. 

As  the  Indians  entered  Lawyer's  dwelling,  one  of  them  raised 
a  tomahawk  to  strike  the  schoolmaster,  but  Mrs.  Lawyer  seized 
his  arm  and  arrested  the  fatal  blow.  She  pleaded  for  his  life  and 
it  was  spared,  adding  another  evidence  to  the  influence  of  woman. 
Brett,  an  old  female  slave,  was  considered  a  lawful  prize,  and  was 
taken  along  a  little  distance,  but  was  finally  permitted  to  return. 
— Jlnna  Eve,  undo  w  of  Jacob  J.  Lawyer* 

John  Ingold,  who  dwelt  where  his  son  and  namesake  now  re- 
sides, was  in  the  fort  that  day  with  all  his  family  except  Anthony 
Witner,  his  step-father.     As  a  hostile  invasion  w^as  expected,  the 

•  Mrs.  Lawyer  stated  to  the  writer,  in  1835,  that  while  her  husband  and  a 
hired  man  were  harvesting  grain  during  the  war,  they  were  fired  upon  by  the 
enemy,  and  the  laborer  killed  ;  the  former  fled  across  the  river  and  escaped. 
Mrs.  Lawyer  was  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Christina  Berg.  She  had  two 
children,  a  son  and  daughter.     The  latter  is  now  the  wife  of  Ex-Gov.  Bouck 


414  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

present  John  Ingolcl,  then  a  lad  fourteen  years  old,  went  the  eve- 
ning before  with  a  wagon  to  take  old  Mr.  Witner  to  the  fort, 
but  he  declined  going,  and  said  he  chose  to  stay  and  defend  his 
house.  He  had  given  his  grandson  an  old  gun  which  was  then 
at  the  fort ;  this  he  requested  to  have  sent  to  him  in  the  morning. 
The  Ingold  dwelling  was  burned,  and  as  a  part  of  two  skeletons 
were  found  in  its  ruins,  it  was  conjectured  that  a  plunderer  had 
been  killed  by  Mr.  Witner,  before  his  death.  The  remains  of  the 
latter  were  identified  by  his  silver  knee-buckles.  A  barrack  fdled 
with  peas,  standing  scarcely  three  yards  distant  from  Ingold's 
barn,  was  set  on  fire  and  the  enemy  supposed  from  its  proximity 
it  would  burn  the  latter ;  but  as  the  foimer  stood  west  of  the  build- 
ing and  the  wind  blew  a  gale  from  the  northeast,  the  fire  was  for- 
tunately not  communicated  to  it.  A  fence  on  fire  and  slowly  burn- 
ing to  the  windward,  which  would  have  carried  the  flame  to  the 
barn,  was  extinguished  after  the  enemy  left.  The  dwelHng  of 
Hendrick  Shafer  was  not  burned,  that  of  Tunis  Shafer,  which  stood 
where  David  Shafer  lives,  was  burnt  with  its  out  buildings ;  and 
that  of  Lawyer,  below  Ingold's,  shared  the  same  fate  the  night 
following. — John  Ingold,  Mattice  Ball,  and  others. 

The  firing  at  Middleburgh  was  heard  in  Cobelskill,  ten  miles 
distant,  and  Lawrence  Lawyer  and  Henry  Shafer  proceeded  to- 
wards Schoharie,  to  learn  the  cause.  Arriving  on  the  hills  near, 
they  caught  a  view  of  the  general  conflagration ;  and  they  un- 
expectedly fell  in  with  a  party  of  Indians,  but  escaped  their  no- 
tice by  the  timely  movement  of  several  cattle  in  the  woods  close 
by,  which  directed  the  enemy  from  their  concealment.  The  two 
friends  remained  secreted  until  the  Indians  had  retired,  when  they 
hastened  back  to  Cobelskill,  to  warn  the  citizens  of  their  danger. — 
Laiorence  Lawyer. 

Johnson's  troops  had  been  so  long  in  the  valley,  that  ample 
time  was  gained  to  get  every  thing  in  readiness  at  the  Lower 
fort,  for  its  defence.  Several  barrels  of  water  were  provided  to 
extinguish  the  church,  which  contained  the  women  and  children, 
should  it  be  set  on  fire.  The  magazine  which  was  thus  hbcrally 
replenished,  was  kept  beneath  the  pulpit  in  the  churchy  and  w  as 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         415 

under  the  charge  of  Dr.  George  Werth,  a  physician,  settled  in 
the  vicinity,  who  acted  as  surgeon.  In  the  tower  of  the  church 
were  stationed,  under  Ensign  Jacob  Lawyer,  jr.,  fifteen  or  twenty 
good  marksmen,  who  could  command  considerable  territory. 
Quite  a  number  of  fearless  women  at  the  Lower  fort  are  said  to 
have  stood  ready  at  the  pickets,  when  the  enemy  appeared  in 
sight,  armed  with  spears,  pitchforks,  poles,  &c.,*  to  repel  an  at- 
tack.— Maj.  Peter  Vrooman,  Col.  Vietz,  of  Beaver  Dam,  Jacob 
Becker,  Judge  Brown  and  others. 

The  enemy  approached  the  Lower  fort  in  a  body,  about  four 
o'clock  P.  M.,  and  were  saluted  with  a  small  mounted  cannon 
without  the  pallisades,  (the  one  formerly  owned  by  John  Law- 
yer,) charged  with  grape  and  cannister  shot.  Col.  Johnson  rais- 
ed a  spy-glass  as  the  swivel  was  drawn  out,  and  suddenly  lower- 
ing it,  said  to  his  men.  It  is  only  a  grass-hopper,  march  on !  It 
was  supposed  to  have  done  fearful  execution,  as  many  of  the 
enemy  fell,  but  to  the  surprise  of  the  Americans,  they  arose  and 
advanced  ;  having  only  fallen  to  let  the  shot  pass  over  them.  A 
grape  shot  entered  the  knapsack  of  a  soldier,  and  lodged  against 
a  pair  of  shoes.  He  was  more  frightened  than  hurt,  and  carried 
the  shot  to  Canada.  The  American  soldiers  were  hardly  able  to 
obtain  shoes,  and  this  Canadian  had  an  extra  new  pair,  which 
saved  his  life. — Becker,  Van  Dyck,  Vrooman  and  Dieiz. 

Jacob  Van  Dyck,  Nicholas  Warner,  Jacob  Becker,  John  Ingold, 
Sen.,  and  John  Kneiskern,  were  among  the  men  stationed  with 

•Judge  Brown,  who  was  accounted  a  genuine  whig,  was  suspected, 
though  unjustly  I  believe,  of  disaffection  on  the  day  Schoharie  was  burnt. 
He  stated  to  the  writer,  that  he  was  at  the  Lower  fort  on  the  morning  of  that 
day,  and  aided  in  the  early  preparations  for  its  defence  ;  and  had  intended 
to  volunteer  his  services  in  case  of  a  hostile  attack.  His  wife  was  deter- 
mined  lo  go  to  Livingston's  manor,  where  she  had  relatives;  and  to  set  out 
that  day.  She  went  out  and  seated  herself  in  the  wagon,  outside  the  pick- 
ets; and  declared  her  intention  to  remain  there  and  be  shot  rather  than 
again  enter  the  fort,  where  she  had  already  been  over  two  years.  Brown 
probably  knew,  that  "  I/a  woman  will,  she  will,"  and  he  might  '^depend  on't;'' 
said  he  felt  ashamed  to  be  seen  quarreling  with  his  wife — reluctantly  yielded 
to  her  wi>hes — entered  the  wagon  and  drove  off.  The  smoke  of  burning 
buildings  was  then  visible  up  the  valley.  This  I  consider  another  specimen 
of  female  injluence. 


416  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Lawyer  in  the  church  tower.  When  Capt.  Stubrach  and  others 
were  firing  the  "  grass-hopper,"  Peter,  a  brother  of  Ensign  Law- 
yer, who  had  command  of  the  men  on  the  church,  was  seen  to  ap- 
proach the  fort  from  the  direction  of  the  river,  in  advance  of  the 
enemy.  He  proceeded  to  the  tower,  and  held  a  secret  conference 
with  his  brother,  soon  after  which  they  both  left  the  fort  together, 
and  did  not  return  until  the  invaders  were  out  of  sight.  The  con- 
duct of  the  ensign  subjected  him  to  some  censure  at  the  time — in- 
deed, it  needs  an  explanation  at  the  present  day. 

Hearing  that  his  ensign  had  deserted  his  station,  which  was  too 
commanding  not  to  be  properly  occupied,  Capt.  Snyder  immedi- 
ately took  charge  of  the  men,  who  rendered  good  services  by  their 
skill  as  marksmen. — Becker,  Van  Dyck,  and  Warner. 

The  enemy,  w^hen  fired  upon,  filed  off,  the  regulars,  under  John- 
son, to  the  west,  and  the  Indians,  under  Brant,  to  the  east.  The 
former  crossed  the  flats,  between  the  fort  and  the  river,  and  did  not 
halt  until  after  they  had  passed  Foxes  creek,  helow  the  old  saw- 
mill. They  were  several  times  fired  upon  from  a  block- house, 
upon  that  side,  which  mounted  a  six-pounder,  charged  with  grape 
and  canister,  but  with  what  effect  is  unknown.  Most  of  the  In- 
dians crossed  Foxes  creek  in  a  body,  but  a  few  stragglers  lingered 
to  burn  buildings.  The  wood-work  of  Tunis  Swarfs  tavern,  the 
present  residence  of  Lodowick  Fries,  was  burned.  The  parson- 
age, which  stood  some  tw^enty  rods  east  of  the  present  one,  was 
not  consumed.  A  house  now  standing  on  a  knoll  some  thirty 
rods  southeast  of  the  church,  was  occupied  in  1780  by  the  w' idow 
of  Domine  Schuyler,  and  one  of  her  sons.  It  was  erected  one 
and  a  half  stories,  with  a  gambrel  roof,  but  was  altered  to  its  pre- 
sent form  after  the  war.  About  the  time  Swarfs  dwelling  was 
fired,  an  Indian  was  seen  approaching  this  house  with  a  fire-brand. 
Several  rifles  were  instantly  discharged  at  him  from  the  tower, 
and  he  sprang  behind  the  trunk  of  an  apple-tree,  which  is  still  to 
be  seen.  Five  balls  struck  the  tree  as  he  sprang  behind  it.  No 
more  was  seen  of  the  Indian,  who  abandoned  the  attempt  to  burn 
the  house. — JYlcholas  Wai-ner  and  Jacob  Becker.  This  apple-tree 
has  an  antiquated  look,  stands  alone,  and  I  really  hope  that  the 

''  Woodman"  will  "  spare  that  tree  !" 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        417 

I  have  said  Col.  Johnson  halted  after  crossing  Foxes  creek. 
Preparations  were  now  made  to  give  the  Americans  a  passing  sa- 
lute— the  gun  carriage  was  screwed  together,  and  the  gun  placed 
upon  it.  At  this  time  it  was  supposed  by  the  men  in  the  tower, 
from  the  case  with  which  the  gun  was  carried  and  the  manner  of 
its  transportation  in  a  wagon,  to  be  a  "  peeled  log,"  placed  with 
the  design  of  frightening  its  inmates  to  surrender  the  fort.  On 
applying  the  linstock  it  twice  flashed,  and  the  Americans  were 
the  more  confirmed  in  their  opinion  that  the  foe  was  "  playing 
possum" — but  the  third  application  of  the  match  was  followed 
by  a  peal  of  war's  thunder,  which  sent  a  ball  through  one  side  of 
the  roof  of  the  church,  and  lodged  it  in  a  heavy  rafter  on  the  op- 
posite side.  The  shock  jarred  the  whole  building.  A  second 
discharge  of  the  enemy's  gun  lodged  a  ball  in  the  purhn-plate ; 
and  the  hole  made  by  its  entrance  is  visible  at  the  present  day. — 
Jacob  Beefier,  and  Cyrus  Clark,  corroborated  by  others* 

While  the  enemy  were  discharging  their  cannon,  rum  sweeten- 
ed with  gun-powder  was  carried  round  in  a  pail  to  the  soldiers, 
by  Mrs.  Snyder,  to  divest  them  of  fear.  This  was  a  common 
beverage  in  former  times,  when  hostile  armies  were  about  to  con- 
ilict.  The  liquor  was  thought  to  embolden,  while  the  powder 
maddened  the  warrior.  As  she  presented  the  glass  to  the  soldiers 
at  the  pickets,  the  hands  of  some  trembled  so  as  scarcely  to  hold 
it. — Peter  M.  Snyder. 

While  the  enemy  were  firing  on  the  church,  an  Indian  crept 
behind  an  elm  tree  on  the  bank  of  the  creek  northwest  of  it,  and 
lodged  three  rifle  balls  in  the  tower.  They  struck  nearly  in  the 
same  spot  over  head,  but  the  first  two  were  not  buried  sufficiently 
deep  to  remain,  and  fell  upon  the  deck,  one  of  which  was  taken 
up  by  John  Kneiskern,  but  found  it  too  hot  to  be  retained.  By  re- 
moving part  of  the  paling,  a  rifle  was  brought  to  bear  on  the 

•  Not  many  years  ago,  a  new  covering  was  put  upon  the  church  by  Mr. 
Clark,  who  stales  that  the  cannon  shot  lodged  in  the  western  plate  in  1780, 
was  then  taken  out  and  presented  to  John  Gebhard,  Esq.  of  Schoharie ;  and 
the  one  from  the  rafter  to  P.  M.  Snyder,  in  consequence  of  the  intrepidity  of 
Snyder's  mother  when  the  balls  were  lodged.  This  relic  was  presented  the 
writer  by  Mr.  Snyder  in  1837.    It  weighs  a  little  over  six  pounds. 


418  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

presumptuous  foe.  As  he  showed  part  of  his  face,  to  try  a  fourth 
shot,  a  marksman  planted  a  bullet  in  the  tree  near  his  head,  when 
he  decamped  in  hot  haste. — Jacob  Becker,  and  Jacob  Van  Dyck. 

The  enemy  made  but  a  short  stay  near  the  Lower  fort.  Brant, 
after  burning  the  tavern  and  out  building  of  Jacob  Snyder,  and 
those  of  some  other  citizens  along  Foxes  creek,  came  into  the 
river  road  a  few  rods  north  west  of  the  Brick  House  of  Capt. 
Mann.  This  house  was  two  stories  in  the  Revolution,  but  was 
razed  a  story  some  time  after.  Brant  was  joined  on  the  rise  of 
ground  above  Mann's,  by  the  regulars  under  Johnson,  who  made 
a  little  show  of  giving  another  salute ;  but  a  shower  of  rifle  balls 
from  the  church  tower,  with  several  successive  and  well  directed 
discharges  of  grape-shot,  from  the  block-house  in  the  north  east 
corner  of  the  inclosure,  caused  him  to  move  down  the  valley.  A 
dwelling  and  grist  mill  standing  near  the  fort,  (where  those  of 
Griggs  nowr  are,)  were  set  on  fire,  but  extmguished  after  the  ene- 
my left.  The  barn  and  other  out  buildings  were  consumed. — P. 
M.  Snyder,  Maj.  P.  Vrooman  and  Jacob  Becker. 

Whether  the  enemy  sustained  any  loss  in  their  attack  on  the 
Lower  fort  is  unknown.  If  any  had  been  killed,  their  bodies  were 
no  doubt  consumed  in  some  of  the  burning  buildings  in  Kneiskern's 
dorf. 

At  an  interview  with  Jacob  Enders,  the  soldier  previously 
mentioned,  he  related  the  following  incident.  After  the  enemy 
began  to  move  down  the  valley,  he  left  the  fort  to  hang  upon 
his  rear.  Discovering  an  Indian,  he  followed  him  along  the 
creek  toward  the  river,  until  he  got  a  shot  at  him.  He  had  on  a 
large  pack,  and  over  one  shoulder  hung  a  goose,  he  had  recently 
killed.  When  Enders  fucd,  the  Indian  fell  upon  his  knees,  and 
dropped  his  pack  and  goose  ;  then  springing  upon  his  feet,  he  set 
off  on  a  moderate  trot  toward  the  river.  Enders  pursued  until 
the  Indian  turned  and  raised  his  rifle  on  him,  when  he  halted  to 
load,  and  the  Indian  without  firing,  again  ran  off.  After  pursu- 
ing until  he  was  exposed  to  the  fire  of  others  of  the  enemy,  En- 
ders gave  over  the  chase.  On  arriving  where  he  had  left  the  pack 
and  goose,  he  found  that  John  Rickard,  a  fellow  soldier,  who  had 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         419 

seen  the  spoils  abandoned  from  his  position  in  the  block-house, 
had  been  there  and  taken  them  to  the  fort.  Enders  claimed  them, 
but  Rickard  would  not  give  them  up,  or  any  part  of  them.  The 
pack  contained  eiglit  pairs  of  new  mocaso7is. 

On  the  day  Schoharie  was  burned,  three  soldiers,  Abraham 
Bergh,  Jacob  luieiskern,  and  one  Grenadare,  with  several  other 
persons,  were  returning  to  the  Lower  fort  with  three  head  of  fat 
cattle  for  that  garrison ;  and  on  arriving  near  the  present  residence 
of  Daniel  Larkin,  they  discovered  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  and 
drove  the  cattle  into  the  adjoining  woods.  The  citizens  made 
good  their  retreat,  and  the  soldiers  secreted  themselves  to  watch 
the  motions  of  the  enemy.  They  observed  a  small  party  of  In- 
dians approach  Mercle's  place,  on  the  Ferry  road.  The  trio  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  within  gun  shot  of  the  party,  and  as  the  latter 
were  at  a  pump,  fired  upon  them,  killing  one  of  their  number  with 
a  buckshot.  The  Americans  then  made  good  their  retreat,  and 
reached  the  fort  in  safety. — David,  a  so7i  ofAhr.  Bergh. 

Having  executed  his  mission  in  Schoharie  so  far  as  he  found  it 
practicable.  Sir  John  Johnson  encamped  for  the  night  near  Harman 
Sidney's,  the  present  residence  of  John  C.  Van  Vechten,  nearly  six 
miles  north  of  the  Lower  fort.  A  noble  deer  confined  in  a  pen  at 
Sidney's,  which  he  was  fatting  with  no  little  care  for  his  own  use, 
was  killed  and  feasted  on  by  the  enemy.  Some  soldiers  at  work 
for  its  owner  a  few  days  before,  wanted  to  kill  the  animal  then, 
but  he  chose  to  reserve  it  for  another  occasion.  In  the  morning. 
Col.  Johnson  sank  his  mortar  and  shells  in  a  morass,  and  directed 
his  course  to  Fort  Hunter.  One  of  the  shells  was  recovered  some 
weeks  open  in  mud  knee  deep ;  and  on  being  broken  open  it  was 
found  to  contain  dry  powder,  which  was  divided  among  the  vic- 
tors.— Col.  Deitz,  William  Becker,  and  Jacob  Enders. 

After  Sir  John  Johnson  passed  the  Lower  fort,  George  Meri- 
ness  was  despatched  to  Albany  by  Maj.  Becker,  with  intelligence 
of  his  invasion,  and  success  in  Schoharie. — William  Snyder. 

That  beautiful  valley,  on  the  evening  after  the  invasion,  pre- 
sented a  most  gloomy  picture.  Ruin  and  desolation  followed  in 
the  train  of  the  foe,  and  many  a  man  who  had  risen  in  the  morn- 


420  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC. 

ing  in  comfortable,  if  not  in  affluent  circumstances,  found  himself 
in  the  evening  houseless,  and  almost  ruined  in  property.  His 
barns  and  barracks  which  the  morning  light  had  disclosed  well 
filled  with  the  rich  reward  of  his  season's  labors,  were  so  many- 
heaps  of  smouldering  ruins.  His  cattle,  horses  and  swine,  which 
had  grazed  "  upon  a  thousand  hills,"  either  lay  dead  in  the  ad- 
joining fields,  or  had  been  taken  by  the  ravagers :  while  some  of 
his  fences  had  been  burned  and  others  demolished.  Thus  was  re- 
vencred  the  destruction  of  the  Indian  possessions  in  the  Chemung 
and  Genesee  valleys  the  year  before  by  Gen.  Sullivan ;  which, 
had  they  a  historian,  would  be  found  a  no  less  gloomy  picture. 
Scarcely  a  log  house  at  that  early  day  was  to  be  seen  in  the  Scho- 
harie valley  :  the  dwellings  were  mostly  good  framed  buildings, 
well  finished  and  some  of  them  painted.  But  here  and  there  a 
building,  from  some  cause,  escaped  the  devouring  element,  to  ren- 
der the  general  ruin  the  more  obvious.  The  dwelling  of  Peter 
Rickard  was  set  on  fire,  and  after  the  enemy  had  left  it,  an  old  ne- 
gro, owned  by  John  Lawyer,  went  to  it  from  his  concealment  in 
the  woods  near,  found  a  quantity  of  milk  on  the  premises,  and 
with  that  extinguished  the  flames.  The  house  of  one  of  his  neigh- 
bors was  also  set  on  fire  and  put  out. — Andrew  Loucks.  It  is 
possible  one  or  two  other  houses  may  have  escaped  the  general 
conflagration  under  somewhat  similar  circumstances.  Several  fa- 
milies residing  on  the  uplands,  east  of  the  Court  House,  remained 
at  home  undisturbed  by  the  enemy. — Eleanor,  widow  of  Kicholas 
Feeck. 

Henry  Haines,  jr.,  of  New  Dorlach,  who  was  with  the  enemy 
in  the  Schoharie  valley,  on  the  evening  after  its  conflagration,  ar- 
rived at  the  Lower  fort,  and  enquired  for  John  Rickard,  his  half 
brother,  who  was  a  whig.  Haines  had  burned  his  feet  so  badly 
in  plundering  a  building  on  fire,  that  he  could  not  travel ;  and 
claimed  the  sympathy  of  his  kinsman.  Rickard  pitied  the  wretch 
and  concealed  him  in  his  hut  for  several  days  under  lock  and  key, 
to  keep  him  from  the  revenge  of  his  injured  fellow  countrymen : 
allowing  him,  possibly,  to  pick  the  bones  of  Enders'  goose. — 
Peggy  Ingold,  corroborated. 


(  421  ) 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


On  the  morning  of  October  18th,  Col.  Vrooman,  collecting 
what  troops  could  be  spared  from  the  three  forts,  pursued  the  re- 
treating foe.  He  hung  upon  his  rear  all  the  way  to  the  Mohawk 
valley,  and  by  a  timely  movement  circumscribed  his  burning  foot- 
steps.— Jacob  Becker,  JVicholas  Warner,  and  David  Zeh. 

The  fire  and  smoke  of  the  burning  buildings  in  the  lower  part 
of  Schoharie,  fifteen  or  tTventy  miles  distant,  were  distinctly  seen 
at  the  residence  of  Cornelius  Putman,  on  the  Schoharie,  about  a 
mile  from  its  junction  with  the  Mohawk. — Peter,  a  son  of  Corne- 
lius PiUman,  who  lives  on  the  "paternal  farm. 

On  the  following  morning,  Victor,  a  son  of  Cornelius  Putman, 
and  Garret,  a  son  of  Cornelius  Newkirk,  proceeded  on  horseback 
from  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Hunter  in  the  direction  of  Schoharie,  to 
discover  the  cause  of  the  light  seen  the  previous  afternoon,  and 
learn  if  a  foe  was  approaching  the  Mohawk.  They  fell  in  with 
the  enemy's  advance  on  the  Oak  Ridge,  a  few  miles  from  their 
last  encampment,  retreated,  were  hotly  pursued,  and  Newkirk 
made  ca[)tivc.  The  timely  return  of  his  companion,  however, 
who  borrowed  ahorse  of  William  Hall,  a  pioneer  settler,  (having 
been  obliged  to  abandon  his  own,)  enabled  several  families  in  the 
neighborhood  to  make  good  their  escape,  or  guard  against  sur- 
prise and  capture. 

At  this  period  dwellings  had  been  erected  by  Richard  Hoff 
and  Marcus  Hand,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Schoharie,  some  four 
miles  from  Fort  Hunter,  in  the  present  town  of  Glen.  Those 
houses  were  plundered  and  burnt  by  the  Indians  under  Brant. 
The  family  of  Hoff  escaped  captivity  by  flight,  and  Hand  was  in 
Florida  at  the  time. 


■If 

422  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Cornelius  Patman  removed  his  family  into  the  woods,  and  se- 
creted a  part  of  his  most  valuable  effects  before  the  enemy  ap- 
peared in  sight.  His  neighbors,  Cornelius  and  John  Nev^^kirk, 
brothers,  who  lived  on  the  cast  side  of  the  river,  also  secreted  a 
part  of  their  property,  and  their  families  escaped,  except  WilUam, 
a  son  of  the  latter,  and  three  or  four  slaves,  who  had  lingered  a 
little  too  long  at  the  house,  and  were  captured.  The  enemy  did 
not  fire  any  buildings  in  the  valley,  until  they  had  been  there 
some  time.  Putman,  after  securing  his  effects,  secreted  himself, 
with  a  loaded  gun,  near  his  house,  and  saw  the  first  Indian  enter 
upon  his  premises.  He  went  into  the  barn  and  brought  out  his 
arms  full  of  tobacco  (most  of  the  farmers  then  raised  a  patch  of 
the  plant)  which  he  laid  down  and  began  twisting  into  suitable 
hanks ;  and  as  often  as  made,  thrust  into  his  blanket  above  the 
belt  which  encircled  his  waist.  Putman  several  times  drew  up 
his  gun  to  fire  on  the  Indian,  but  when  he  reflected  that  he  would 
doubtless  be  pursued,  and  his  flight  might  lead  not  only  to  his  own, 
but  to  the  death  of  his  family,  and  the  destruction  or  plunder  of 
his  concealed  property,  he  desisted  from  firing.  From  his  retreat, 
however,  he  watched  the  motions  of  the  enemy  for  hours.  A 
party  entered  his  house,  and  among  the  spoils  brought  from  the 
cellar  a  keeler  full  of  eggs,  which  they  took  to  the  kitchen,  a  lit- 
tle building  detached  from  the  dwelling,  where  they  made  a  fire, 
boiled,  and  divided  them.  He  saw  them  rob  his  bee-hives,  and  a 
part  of  the  robbers  sit  down  and  feast  upon  the  dainty  product  of 
the  insect's  labor.  Soon  after  this  a  gun  was  fired,  which  was  the 
signal  for  applying  the  incendiary  torch,  and  one  of  the  party,  in 
Putman's  presence,  after  swinging  a  fire-brand  several  times  over 
his  head  until  it  blazed,  applied  it  to  the  well-filled  barns  which 
were  soon  in  flames.  The  house  was  set  on  fire,  and  several  of  the 
party  fired  their  guns  into  a  number  of  stacks  and  barracks  of 
grain  near,  and  all  were  soon  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins.  The 
dwellings  and  out-buildings  of  the  Newkirk's  were  also  set  on 
fire  at  the  given  signal,  and  soon  shared  the  same  fate. — Peter 
Putman^  AVm  V.,  son  of  Victor  Pidman,  and  John,  son  of  Mar- 
CVS  Hand. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         423 

The  family  of  Putman  had  crossed  the  river,  and  with  the 
Newkirk  families  was  on  its  way  to  Fort  Hunter,  when  the 
enemy  in  a  body  appeared  in  sight,  at  which  time  several  hun- 
dred of  the  Indians  and  tories  were  seen  riding  Schoharie  horses, 
'llie  fugitives  then  concealed  themselves  in  the  woods,  at  which 
place  the  ashes  blown  from  John  Newkirk's  barn  and  barracks, 
completely  covered  them.  Putman,  very  fortunately,  had  a  large 
stack  of  peas  out  of  sight  from  his  house,  which  escaped  the  con- 
ilagration,  and  enabled  him,  by  an  exchange  of  peas  for  rye, 
which  he  made  at  Claverack,  to  provide  his  family  with  bread  the 
next  season.  On  the  west  side  of  the  river,  a  little  distance  above 
Putman,  dwelt  Harmanus  and  Peter  H.  Mabee,  brothers.  A  short 
time  previous  to  this  invasion  they  had  removed  to  Rotterdam. 
Many  of  their  effects  were  left  in  their  dwellings,  which,  with 
their  well-filled  barns  and  barracks,  shared  the  same  fate  as  those 
of  their  neighbors.  One  of  the  Mabees  had  seven  large  fat  hogs, 
in  a  pen  near  the  house,  which  were  all  killed  by  the  enemy,  and 
left  in  the  pen.  They  were  killed  with  a  pitchfork  taken  from 
Putman's  barn,  being  all  stabbed  with  it  between  the  eyes. 
Putman  had  several  large  hogs  in  a  pen,  which  he  let  out  before 
the  enemy  arrived.  They  were  yet  round  the  pen  when  the  first 
Indian  appeared,  but  had  fortunately  found  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment before  the  destructives  were  ready  to  slay  them. — Peter  Put- 
raan. 

The  citizens  of  Cadaughrity  built  temporary  huts  next  day, 
and  erected  log  dwellings  soon  after,  in  which  they  passed  the 
winter.  Leaving  the  Schoharie  valley  the  enemy  entered  that  of 
the  Mohawk.  They  avoided  Fort  Hunter,  from  which  they  were 
fired  upon,  approaching  no  nearer  to  it  in  a  body,  than  the  pre- 
sent residence  of  Richard  Hudson,  distant  half  a  mile  or  more. 
At  the  latter  place  there  resided  a  German  named  Schrembhng, 
who,  although  a  tory,  chanced  to  be  outside  of  his  house,  and 
being  unknown,  was  killed  and  scalped ;  his  family  were  how- 
ever left  undisturbed.  The  enemy,  after  taking  a  few  women  and 
children  prisoners,  among  whom  were  Mrs.  Peter  Martin,  (whose 
husband  was  then  a  merchant  in  Quebec,)  proceeded  up  the  Mo- 
28 


424  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

hawk.  Soon  after  the  invasion  of  Johnson,  a  small  block-house 
was  erected  on  the  land  of  Cornelius  Putman,  which  was  also  un- 
der the  management  of  Capt.  Treraper. — Peter  Putman. 

At  Martin's,  the  Indians  obtained  a  two  horse  iron-shod  wagon, 
a  vehicle  rarely  seen  in  those  days,  and  a  horse  which,  with  a 
pack-horse,  was  harnessed  before  it.  Mrs.  Martin  and  her  two 
boys,  Barney  and  Jeremiah,  after  seeing  their  house  burnt  and 
all  their  property  destroyed,  were  put  into  the  wagon  with  se- 
veral scullions  and  a  quantity  of  baggage ;  among  which  were 
a  few  pans  of  honey  from  Putman's.  The  party  proceeded  up 
the  valley  as  far  as  the  present  residence  of  George  J.  E.  Lasher, 
(just  below  the  Nose,  and  l^nown  on  the  Erie  canal  as  the  Willow 
Basin,)  where  they  encamped  for  the  night ;  plundering  and 
burning  all  the  whig  dwellings  which  had  escaped  former  visita- 
tions of  a  similar  character.  The  road  was  so  bad  at  that  time, 
that  the  enemy  found  it  very  difficult  to  get  along  with  the  wa- 
gon, and  finally  abandoned  it  near  the  present  village  of  Fulton- 
ville.  It  was  unloaded,  filled  with  rails  from  an  adjoining  fence, 
and  set  on  fire ;  the  iron-work  was  afterwards  recovered.  Jere- 
miah Martin,  then  only  four  or  five  years  old,  was  eating  honey 
in  the  wagon  unconscious  of  danger,  and  on  leaving  it,  was  li- 
terally covered  with  the  vegetable  nectar  from  head  to  foot 
The  prisoners,  around  whom  was  placed  a  guard  of  British  sol- 
diers to  prevent  the  Canadian  Indians  from  murdering  them,  suf- 
fered from  the  cold  that  night,  and  the  following  morning,  John- 
son, learning  that  troops  were  on  their  way  from  Albany  and 
Schenectada  to  attack  him,  gave  Mrs.  Martin  and  her  children 
permission  to  return,  which  liberty  was  gratefully  received ;  they 
"Were,  however,  plundered  of  some  of  their  clothing — Jeremiah 
Martin. 

On  the  evening  of  the  I8th,  Gen.  Robert  Van  Rensselaer  of 
Claverack,  with  a  body  of  the  Claverack,  Albany  and  Schenec- 
tada militia,  and  about  two  hundred  Oneida  Indians  under  Col. 
John  Harper,  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  encamped  on  the  hill  near 
the  Stanton  place,  in  the  present  town  of  Florida,  perhaps  fifteen 
miles  east  of  Johnson's  encampment. — John  Ostr&m,  who  was  a 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         425 

soldier  present*  Learning  at  this  place  that  Fort  Paris  in  Stone 
Arabia,  about  twenty  miles  north-west  from  the  American  camp, 
was  to  be  attacked  the  following  morning,  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer 
sent  a  note  to  Col.  John  Brown,  its  gallant  commander,  to  turn 
out  and  head  the  enemy  at  nine  o'clock,  and  he  would  fall  upon 
tiieir  rear.  Sir  John  passed  along  the  foot  of  the  mountain  and 
crossed  the  river  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  at  Keator's  rift,  near 
Spraker's  Basin,  and  leaving  the  river  above  the  Nose,  a  large 
part  of  his  forces  marched  towards  Stone  Arabia.  Col.  Brown, 
a  braver  man  than  whom  bore  not  a  commission  in  the  continen- 
tal service,  left  his  little  fortress  and  led  his  men  to  attack  the 
foe.  After  marching  some  distance  from  the  fort,  he  thought  it 
possible  he  might  be  killed  or  captured,  and  lest  the  letter  of 
Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  he 
dispatched  a  messenger  with  it  to  the  fort.  As  this  letter  could 
not  afterwards  be  found  at  the  fort,  it  was  conjectured,  that  pos- 
sibly the  bearer  had  acted  the  iraifor,  and  borne  it  directlv  to  the 
enemy,  as  the  greater  part  of  his  forces  united  soon  after  the  fir- 
ing began  between  Brown  and  the  advance. — Jacob  Becker. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselear,  who  had  an  effective  force  nearly  double 
that  of  the  enemy,  put  his  army  in  motion  at  the  moon's  rising. 
Near  Fort  Hunter,  where  he  arrived  before  day-light  and  was 
joined  by  the  Schoharie  militia :  the  wrong  road  was  taken  for 
some  little  distance,  when  Gen.  V.  R.  uttered  expressions  his  offi- 
cers thought  unbecoming  his  station.  The  American  commander 
arrived  at  Keator's  rift  soon  after  the  enemy  had  passed  it,  but 
instead  of  crossing  the  river  and  seconding  the  movement  of  Col. 
Brown  as  he  had  agreed,  and  as  a  brave  and  prudent  officer  would 
have  done,  he  remained  upon  the  south  side,  where  news  was 
brought  him  by  a  fugitive  from  Brown's  command,  that  the  latter 
officer,  with  many  of  his  men,  was  slain.  Fort  Paris  was  three 
miles  north  of  the  Mohawk,  and  yet  Brown  met  the  enemy  nearly 
two-thirds  of  the  way  to  the  river,  where  the  contest  began. 
Overpowered  by  numbers  he  continued  the  conflict,  slowly  re- 

•  Col.  Stone  erroneously  slates  the  place  of  Van  Rensselaer's  encamp- 
ment, on  the  night  in  question,  to  have  been  at  Van  Epps's. 


426  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

treating,  expecting  every  moment  to  hear  the  firing  in  the  ene- 
my's rear — but  in  vain.  And  contesting  the  ground  inch  by  inch 
for  some  distance,  he  at  length  fell  a  martyr  to  freedom,  and  his 
blood,  with  that  of  more  than  thirty  of  his  brave  followers  dyed 
the  fertile  fields  of  Stone  Arabia.  What  loss  the  enemy  sustained 
in  this  engagement  is  unknown,  but  as  they  were  better  sheltered 
by  fences  and  trees  than  were  the  Americans,  and  were  enabled 
to  outflank,  and  had  nearly  surrounded  them  when  Brown  fell,  it 
is  supposed  their  loss  was  not  as  great. — John  Ostrom,  and  Jacob 
Becker. 

The  following  particulars,  in  addition  to  those  above,  were  ob- 
tained in  November,  1843,  from  Maj.  Joseph  Spraker,  of  Pala- 
tine. Col.  Brown  left  Fort  Paris  (so  called  after  Maj.  Paris,)  a 
httle  distance  north  of  where  the  Stone  Arabia  churches  now 
stand,  on  the  morning  of  his  death,  with  a  body  of  levies  and  mi- 
litia ;  and  as  he  passed  Fort  Keyser,  a  little  stockade,  at  which  a 
small  stone  dwelling  was  inclosed — perhaps  a  mile  south  of  Fort 
Paris,  and  about  tvfo  miles  distant  from  the  river — he  was  joined 
by  a  few  militiamen  there  assembled,  making  his  effective  force 
from  150  to  200  men.  He  met  the  enemy  nearly  half  way  from 
Fort  Keyser  to  the  river.  They  were  discovered  on  the  opposite 
side  of  a  field  which  contained  some  under-brush,  and  which  was 
partly  skirted  by  a  forest.  As  the  Indians  were  observed  behind 
a  fence  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  field,  Capt.  Casselman  remon- 
strated with  Brown  against  his  leaving  the  covert  of  the  fence ; 
but  the  hero,  less  prudent  on  this  occasion  than  usual,  ordered  his 
men  into  the  field,  and  they  had  hardly  begun  to  cross  it,  before 
a  deadly  fire  was  opened  upon  them;  which  was  returned  with 
spirit  but  far  less  effect,  owing  to  the  more  exposed  condition  of 
the  Americans.  Brown  maintained  his  position  for  a  time,  but 
seeing  the  Indians  gaining  his  flank,  he  ordered  a  retreat ;  about 
which  time,  (nearly  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,)  he  received  a  musket 
ball  through  the  breast.  The  enemy  pressed  on  in  such  over- 
powering numbers,  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  his  men  to  bear 
off  his  body,  and  the  brave  colonel  was  left  to  his  fate. 

At  the  fall  of  their  commander,  some  of  the  Americans  fled  to- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        427 

ward  the  Mohawk,  and  others  north  into  the  forest.  Two  of 
them  took  refuge  in  the  dwelling  of  the  late  Judge  Jacob  Eacker, 
in  the  hope  of  defending  themselves,  but  the  house  was  surround- 
ed by  a  party  of  Indians,  who  set  it  on  fire,  and  laughed  at  the 
shrieks  of  its  inmates  who  perished  in  the  flames. 

None  of  the  citizens  who  were  not  in  the  battle,  it  is  believed, 
were  either  killed  or  captured,  they  having  gained  one  of  the  two 
forts,  or  sought  safety  in  the  woods. 

John  Zielie,  a  captain  of  militia,  had  charge  of  Fort  Keyser  on 
that  day.  Geo.  Spraker,  father  of  informant,  and  John  Waffle, 
elderly  men,  Joseph  and  Conrad  Spraker,  WilHara  Waffle,  War- 
ner Dygert,  and  possibly  one  or  two  other  young  men,  were  all 
who  were  ready  to  aid  Capt.  Z.  in  the  defence  of  his  little  fortress, 
when  the  British  regulars  passed  near  it  in  column,  soon  after 
Brown's  engagement.  It  might  easily  have  fallen  into  their 
hands,  had  they  known  the  number  of  its  defenders.  The  few- 
men  in  it  were,  however,  at  the  port  holes,  each  with  his  gun  and 
a  hat  full  of  cartridges  by  his  side,  although  its  commandant  re- 
strained their  firing  from  motives  of  policy.  Informant  had  two 
older  brothers  under  Col.  Brown,  who  effected  their  escape  after 
he  fell. 

Soon  after  the  enemy  were  out  of  sight,  the  four  young  men 
named,  proceeded  in  the  direction  the  firing  had  been  heard,  and 
leaping  a  fence  into  the  fatal  field,  Joseph  Spraker  stood  beside 
the  mangled  remains  of  the  brave,  ill-fated  Brown.  His  scalp 
had  been  taken  off  so  as  completely  to  remove  all  the  hair  on  his 
head  :  this  was  unusual,  as  only  the  crown  scalp  was  commonly 
taken,  but  knowing  his  distinction  and  prowess,  we  may  justly 
infer  the  red  man's  motive.  He  was  stripped  of  every  article  of 
his  clothing,  except  a  ruffled  shirt.  The  four  young  militiamen 
took  the  body  of  their  fallen  chief,  and  bore  it  in  their  arms  to 
Fort  Keyser.  The  remains  of  the  soldiers  who  fell  in  this  battle 
were  all  buried  in  one  pit,  and  Col.  Brown  with  them,  but  a  day 
or  two  after  it  was  opened  and  his  remains  removed  to  a  place  of 
interment  near  the  churches.  Col.  Brown  was  of  middling  sta- 
ture, with, dark  eyes  and  a  fine  military  countenance:  he  usually 


428  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

■wore  glasses.  He  was  agreeable  and  urbane  in  his  manners,  but 
possessed  a  spirit  when  in  danger,  fearless  as  the  dashing  cataract. 
He  fell  deeply  lamented  by  his  numerous  friends,  and  the  few 
silver-haired  heroes  of  his  acquaintance  who  still  survive,  are  en- 
thusiastic in  his  praise. 

Col.  Brown  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  born  Oct. 
19th,  1744.  On  the  19th  day  of  Oct.,  \SZQ,jifty-six  years  after 
his  death,  arrangements  having  been  made  for  the  occasion,  a 
monument  was  erected  over  his  remains  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
assemblage  of  respectable  citizens  of  the  county,  convened  to 
honor  the  ashes  of  a  hero.  The  monument  was  reared  at  the  ex- 
pense of  Henry  Brown,  Esq.,  of  Berkshire,  Mass.,  a  son  of  the 
warrior,  who,  I  regret  to  add,  has  since  deceased.  The  following 
is  the  monumental  inscription  : 

"  In  Memory  of  Col.  John  Brown, 

who  was  killed  in  battle  on  the  19  day  of  October,  1780, 

at  Palatine,  in  the  county  of  Montgomery, 

JE.  36.'' 

After  the  ceremony  of  raising  the  monument,  a  sermon  was 
preached  by  the  Rev.  Abraham  Van  Home,  of  Caughnawaga, 
and  a  very  patriotic  address  delivered  by  G.  L.  Roof,  Esq.,  of  Ca- 
najoharie  :  portions  of  which  I  have  been  kindly  furnished  by  the 
author.     The  following  is  an  extract  from  that  address : 

"  Col.  Brown  foil  in  battle  on  the  19th  day  of  October,  1780 ; 
the  very  day  he  reached  the  age  of  thirty-six,  so  that  the  anni- 
versary of  his  birth  was  also  the  day  of  his  death.  But  though 
he  fell  thus  early  in  life,  ca\d  before  he  had  filled  the  measure  of 
his  fame,  yet  his  deeds  of  bravery  and  patriotism  will  not  be  for- 
gotten by  posterity ;  and  the  name  of  Brown  will,  for  ages  to 
come,  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  His  was  that  bravery, 
that  quailed  not  before  tyranny,  and  that  feared  not  death.  His 
was  that  patriotism  that  nerves  the  arm  of  the  warrior  battling  for 
the  liberties  of  his  country,  and  leads  him  on  to  the  performance 
of  deeds  of  glory." 

The  forces  of  Col.  Johnson,  a  part  of  which  had  crossed  the 
river  near  Caughnawaga,  destroyed  all  the  Whig  property,  not 
only  on  the  south,  but  on  the  north  side,  from  Fort  Hunter  to  the 
Nose  :  and  in  several  instances  where  dwellings  had  been  burned 


XND   BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        429 

by  the  Indians  under  his  command  in  May,  and  temporary  ones 
rebuilt,  they  were  also  consumed.  Of  the  latter  number  was  that 
of  Barney  Wemple.  After  his  dwelling  was  burnt  in  May,  he 
went  to  Tribe's  Hill,  tore  down  a  tory  dwelling,  and  erected  it  up- 
on the  ruins  of  his  former  one. — Rynier  Gardinicr*  After  Brown 
fell,  the  enemy,  scattered  in  small  bodies,  were  to  be  seen  in  eve- 
ry ilirection  plundering  and  burning  the  settlements  in  Stone  Ara- 
bia. In  the  afternoon.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  after  being  warmly 
censured  for  his  delay  by  Col.  Harper  and  several  other  officers, 
crossed  the  river  at  Fort  Plain,  and  began  the  pursuit  in  earnest. 
The  enemy  were  overtaken  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  above 
St.  Johnsville,  near  a  stockade  and  block-house  at  Klock's,  just 
before  night,  and  a  smart  brush  took  place  between  the  British 
troops  and  the  Americans  under  Col.  Duboise ;  in  which,  several 

*  On  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  the  Stone  Arabian  battle  was  fought 
Fred.  II.  Dockstader,  who  lived  on  the  "Sand  Flats"  in  the  present  town  of 
Mohawk,  having  seen  the  fires  along  the  river,  concealed  his  family  and  per- 
sonal effects  in  the  woods,  and  then  approached  the  Mohawk  valley  to  gain 
a  view  of  passing  events  ;  thinking  the  enemy  would  confine  their  move- 
ments to  the  river  settlements.  As  he  was  about  to  gain  the  desired  position, 
he  was  surprised  to  see  a  party  of  Indians  approaching  him.  He  walk  bold- 
ly up,  and  addressing  them  with  confidence  assured  them  he  was  their  friend, 
and  on  his  way  to  meet  them.  They  proceeded  with  him  to  his  house.,  and 
after  laying  him  under  contribution  in  the  way  of  plunder,  left  him  and  his 
buildings  unharmed.  Before  leaving,  they  took  several  of  his  horses,  one  of 
which  was  a  favorite,  although  he  dared  not  protes-t  against  their  taking  it. 
This  party  of  the  enemy  burned  the  house  of  F.  H.  Dockstader's  brother, 
within  sight  of  his  own,  and  left  a  war  club  in  a  conspicuous  place  ;  as  much 
as  to  say,  we  will  kill  the  proprietor  if  we  can  catch  him. 

A  pleasing  incident  occurred  at  Dockstader's,  illustrative  of  the  red  man's 
character.  One  of  the  Indians  caught  a  colt  that  had  never  been  rode,  and 
with  his  belt  and  some  cords  made  a  kind  of  bridle  which  he  put  upon  its 
head.  The  colt  stood  still  until  the  Indian  mounted  with  a  bundle  of  plunder 
in  one  hand  and  his  rifle  in  the  other,  seemingly  delighted  with  his  new  mas- 
ter ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  made  ready  to  set  forward,  and  struck  his  heels 
against  the  animal,  it  dashed  onward  and  reared  several  times,  sending  the 
Indian  heels  over  head  upon  the  ground  in  one  direction,  and  his  rifle  and 
duds  in  another.  Thus  rid  of  his  load,  the  colt  stopped  and  looked  back  to 
witness  the  plight  of  the  rider.  The  rest  of  the  Indians  laughed  as  though 
their  sides  would  split,  and  Dockstader,  who  dared  not  laugh,  expected  to 
see  the  Indian  rise  and  shoot  the  animal ;  but  instead  of  doing  so,  he  sullen- 
ly gained  his  feet— picked  up  his  portable  wealth,  and  moved  off  amid  the 
merry  jeers  of  his  companions. — Hennj  F.,  son  of  Fred.  H.  Dockstader. 


430  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

on  each  side  "were  killed  or  wounded.  Johnson  was  compelled  to 
retreat  to  a  peninsula  in  the  river,  where  he  encamped  with  his 
men  much  wearied.  His  situation  was  such  that  he  could  have 
been  taken  with  ease.  Col.  Duboise,  with  a  body  of  levies,  took 
a  station  above  him  to  prevent  his  proceeding  up  the  river  ;  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer,  with  the  main  army,  below  :  while  Col.  Harper, 
with  the  Oneida  Indians,  gained  a  position  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river,  nearly  opposite.  The  general  gave  express  orders  that 
the  attack  should  be  renewed  by  the  troops  under  his  own  imme- 
diate command,  at  the  rising  of  the  moon,  some  hour  in  the  night. 
Instead,  however,  of  encamping  on  the  ground  from  which  the 
enemy  had  been  driven,  as  a  brave  officer  would  have  done,  he 
fell  back  down  the  river  and  encamped  three  miles  distant.  The 
troops  under  Duboise  and  Harper  could  hardly  be  restrained  from 
commencing  the  attack  long  before  the  moon  arose  ;  but  when  it 
did,  they  waited  with  almost  breathless  anxiety  to  hear  the  rattle 
of  Van  Rensselaer's  musketry.  The  enemy,  who  encamped  on 
lands  owned  by  the  late  Judge  Jacob  G.  Klock,  spiked  their  can- 
non, w^hich  was  there  abandoned ;  and  soon  after  the  moon  ap- 
peared, began  to  move  forward  to  a  fording  place  just  above  the 
residence  of  Nathan  Christie,  and  not  far  from  their  encampment. 
Many  were  the  denunciations  made  by  the  men  under  Duboise 
and  Harper  against  Van  Rensselaer,  when  they  found  he  did  not 
begin  the  attack,  and  had  given  strict  orders  that  their  command- 
ers should  not.  They  openly  stigmatised  the  general  as  a  coward 
and  traitor  ;  but  when  several  hours  had  elapsed,  and  he  had  not 
yet  made  his  appearance,  a  murmur  of  discontent  pervaded  all. 
Harper  and  Duboise  were  compelled  to  see  the  troops  under  John- 
son and  Brant  ford  the  river  and  pass  off  unmolested,  or  disobey 
the  orders  of  their  commander,  when  they  could,  xinaided,  have 
given  them  most  advantageous  battle.  Had  those  brave  colonels, 
at  the  moment  the  enemy  were  in  the  river,  taken  the  responsibili- 
ty of  disobeying  their  commander  as  Murphy  had  done  three  days 
before,  and  commenced  the  attack  in  front  and  rear,  the  conse- 
quences must  have  been  very  fatal  to  the  retreating  army,  and 
the  death  of  Col.  Brown  and  his  men  promptly  revenged. — Jacob 
Becker,  a  Schoharie  militiaman. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         431 

Garret  Newkirk,  the  prisoner  who  was  captured  on  his  way  to 
Schoharie,  effected  his  escape  the  second  night  after,  and  returned 
home  unmolested.  As  if  to  cap  the  climax  of  Gen.  Van  Rensse- 
laer's management,  he  had  sent  an  express  to  Fort  Schuyler  ;  from 
whence,  Capt.  Walter  Vrooman*  (the  same  mentioned  as  being  at 
the  Johnstown  fort  in  May  preceding,)  was  dispatched  with  a 
company  of  fifty  men  to  Oneida  lake,  to  destroy  the  enemy's  con- 
cealed boats.  Col.  Johnson,  informed  of  the  movement,  as  sup- 
posed, through  the  treachery  of  one  of  Vrooman's  men,  surprised 
and  captured  the  entire  command. 

It  was  confidently  asserted  in  the  American  army,  that  some 
relationship  by  marriage  existed  between  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer 
and  Sir  John  Johnson,  which  induced  the  former  to  favor  the  es- 
cape of  the  latter. — Becker  and  Ostrom. 

The  Americans  took  two  nine  pounders  from  Schenectada, 
which  were  left  at  Fort  Plain.  So  much  dallying  took  place  on 
the  part  of  the  commanding  officer,  that  the  enemy,  although  pur- 
sued some  distance  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  were  not  pre- 
vented from  making  their  escape.     At  a  small  block-house  and 

•  Soon  after  Capt.  Vrooman,  who  was  a  large  muscular  man,  (as  brave  as 
strong,)  was  taken,  an  Indian,  claiming  liim  as  his  prisoner,  fastened  to  his 
shoulders  a  heavy  pack,  which  he  compelled  him  to  carry.  Those  Indian 
packs  were  usually  made  of  striped  linsey  petticoats,  stolen  from  frontier  set- 
tlers :  such  was  the  one,  filled  with  plunder  made  in  Stone  Arabia,  imposed 
on  Capt.  Vrooman.  He  had  not  borne  it  far,  before  he  was  observed  by  Col. 
Johnson,  who  enquired  why  he  carried  it?  He  replied  that  an  Indian  had 
placed  it  upon  him.  The  colonel  then  drew  his  sword  and  severed  its  fasten- 
ings. In  a  short  time,  the  owner  of  the  pack,  who  was  in  the  rear  at  the 
time  it  fell,  came  up,  and  in  anger  replaced  it,  with  a  threat  of  death  if  he 
did  not  continue  to  carry  it.  It  had  been  restored  but  a  little  while,  when  Sir 
John  again  observed  the  American  captain  (who  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
early  Dutch,)  under  the  ungainly  load,  and  once  more  cut  its  bands  ;  placing 
a  guard  around  him  to  prevent  his  receiving  any  injury  or  insult  from  the  red 
warrior.  In  a  few  minutes,  the  latter  reappeared  with  uplifted  tomahawk, 
threatening  vengeance  ;  but  finding  his  approach  to  the  prisoner  prevented  by 
bristling  bayonets,  he  sullenly  fell  back  :  he,  however,  continued  to  watch 
for  a  favorable  opportunity  all  the  way  to  Canada,  to  execute  his  threat. 
While  crossing  a  rapid  stream  on  a  log  shortly  after,  this  Indian  fell  ofl"  with 
his  pack  on,  and  would  have  been  drowned,  but  for  the  timely  aid  of  his  com- 
rades.  On  arriving  at  Montreal,  Capt.  Vrooman  was  incarcerated  in  prison 
and  did  not  see  the  sun  again  for  two  long  years. — Volkerl  Voorhees. 


432  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

stockade  between  Fort  Plain  and  Fort  Herkimer,  called  Fort 
Windecker,  after  a  German,  near  whose  house  it  was  erected, 
(which  house  stood  just  above  Grouse's  Lock,  on  the  Erie  Canal,) 
seven  men  and  a  boy  killed  an  Indian  and  took  nine  prisoners, 
several  of  whom,  worn  out  with  constant  exertions,  purposely 
surrendered.  They  stated  that  if  the  Americans  had  followed 
up  their  advantages,  Johnson  and  most  of  his  men  must  have 
been  captured.  Forty  or  fifty  horses  belonging  to  citizens  of 
Schoharie  were  recovered,  and  either  taken  back  by  the  sol- 
diers at  this  time,  or  reclaimed  in  the  Mohawk  valley  the  follow- 
ing winter,  by  some  half  a  dozen  men  who  went  from  Schoharie 
on  purpose. — Jacob  Becker  and  David  Zeh. 

In  the  pursuit  of  Johnson  from  Schoharie,  the  militia  being  de- 
ficient in  knapsacks,  carried  bread  on  poles.  Holes  being  made 
in  the  loaves,  a  pole  was  passed  through  several,  and  borne  be- 
tween two  soldiers,  who  also  added  a  loaf  at  each  end. — Mattice 
Ball. 

In  the  summer  of  1843,  I  obtained  from  John  Ostrom,  a  wor- 
thy citizen  of  Glen,  some  additional  particulars  relating  to  this 
invasion.  Mr.  Ostrom  was  a  militiaman  under  Gen.  Van  Rensse- 
laer, in  the  pursuit  of  Sir  John  Johnson.  When  the  Americans 
arrived  at  the  Nose,  on  the  enemy's  trail  in  the  morning.  Col. 
Brown  was  then  engaged  with  the  latter  not  two  miles  distant, 
and  they  heard  the  firing,  but  made  no  attempt  to  cross  the 
river  where  the  enemy  had  crossed.  When  the  skirmish  took 
place  between  Col.  Duboise  and  Col.  Johnson,  the  reason  assigned 
by  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  for  not  following  up  the  success  gained, 
and  leading  his  men  to  the  attack,  was,  its  being  so  near  night. 
Henry  Ostrom,  a  captain  of  militia,  from  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  and 
father  of  informant,  to  whose  company  the  latter  was  attached ; 
surprised  at  the  indifference  of  the  general,  asked  him  if  he  did  not 
intend  to  prosecute  the  attack.  He  replied  that  it  was  so  near 
night  his  men  would  not  march.  Capt.  Ostrom,  still  remonstrat- 
ing with  his  commander,  for  what  he  considered  a  neglect  of  duty, 
finally  received  orders  to  lead  his  own  men  forward ;  which  he 
did  with  promptness,  to  the  surprise  of  the  general,  who,  having 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         433 

mistaken  his  mettle,  countermanded  the  order  after  the  company 
liad  proceeded  several  rods.  Why  Van  Rensselaer  chose  to  fall 
back  down  the  river  three  miles  to  encamp,  remains  among  the 
mysteries  of  the  past. 

Capt.  Duncan,  an  officer  under  Sir  John  Johnson,  in  this  inva- 
sion, returned  after  the  war  closed  to  the  residence  of  his  father, 
situated  a  few  miles  from  Schenectada.  His  return  having  been 
kept  private  for  a  little  time,  he  invited  in  several  of  his  former  ac- 
quaintances, some  of  whom  he  had  opposed  in  arms,  of  which 
number  was  Capt.  Ostrom.  On  this  occasion  he  informed  his 
guests,  while  speaking  of  Johnson's  invasion  now  under  considera- 
tion, that  after  the  skirmish  with  Col.  Duboise,  the  British  officers 
held  a  consultation,  at  which  it  was  agreed  to  surrender  the  whole 
army,  worn  out  with  fatigues  as  it  was,  prisoners  of  war ;.  but 
that  General  Van  Rensselaer  did  not  give  them  a  chance.  Capt. 
Duncan  finding  himself  kindly  treated  by  his  old  neighbors,  re- 
mained in  the  state. 

But  to  return  to  the  Schoharie  valley  which  we  left  in  ruins. 
Fearing  an  invasion,  considerable  grain  had  been  stacked  in  the 
woods  and  by-places  remote  from  dwellings  the  preceding  harvest, 
in  the  hope  that  if  he  did  appear,  possibly  those  stacks  might  es- 
cape the  fire-brand.  Andrew  Loucks  had  two  stacks  thus  con- 
cealed, as  had  also  Chairman  Ball,  which  were  not  burnt. 
Loucks  had  very  fortunately  let  out  his  hogs  to  live  on  acorns, 
and  they,  too,  were  spared.  Some  individuals  lost  at  this  time 
from  eight  to  ten  horses,  comparatively  few  of  which  were  reco- 
vered.    Mr.  Ball  lost  nine. — Andrew  Loucks  and  Peter  Ball. 

On  his  return  to  the  Middle  fort.  Col.  Vrooman  found  himself 
once  more  its  lawful  commander,  Maj.  Woolsey  having  taken 
P^rench  leave  during  his  absence.  Col.  Vrooman  was  often  from 
liome  on  public  business  during  the  winter  months  of  the  war ; 
and  sometime  after  the  destruction  of  Schoharie — being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  legislature,  he  went  to  Poughkeepsie,  where  it 
was  about  to  convene.  Among  other  members.  Col.  Vrooman 
was  an  invited  guest  at  an  evening  party.  On  his  arrival  at  the 
place  of  mirth,  almost  the  first  person  who  caught  his  eye  was 


434  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Maj.  Woolsey.  He  laid  off  his  loose  clothing,  and  very  soon  af- 
ter sought  an  interview  with  his  military  friend,  but  to  his  sur- 
prise, he  found  the  latter  had  suddenly  left  the  house ;  nor  did  he 
reappear  that  night.  Recollecting  their  last  interview  near  the 
magazine,  he  possibly  did  not  care  about  meeting  the  Dutch  co- 
lonel.— Angelica  Vrooman. 

Where  now  stands  the  dwelling,  so  long  known  as  Sprakers 
Tavern  on  the  Mohawk  turnpike,  stood  a  small  house  in  the  Revo- 
lution owned  by  one  of  the  Tribes'  Hill  Bowens,  and  occupied  by 
John  Van  Loan — whose  politices  were  of  a  suspicious  character. 
On  a  certain  occasion,  two  tories,  Albert  Van  De  Warkcn,  and  a 
man  named  Frazee  entered  the  settlement  in  the  character  o^  spies, 
and  were  traced  to  the  dwelling  of  Van  Loan ;  where  they  were 
concealed  in  the  daytime.  A  small  party  of  patriots  having  as- 
sembled under  C apt.  John  Zielie  for  the  occasion,  approached 
the  house  one  evening  to  kill  or  capture  the  emissaries  of  the 
enemy ;  and  discovered  them  through  a  window  at  supper.  Be- 
coming apprised  by  some  means  of  the  proximity  of  armed  men, 
the  spies  found  means  to  leave  the  house  and  flee  to  a  barrack  of 
hay,  which  stood  between  that  and  the  hill.  Around  the  bar- 
rack Capt.  Zielie  stationed  his  men  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the 
fugities,  and  await  the  return  of  day.  As  light  began  to  dawn, 
the  rascals  sprang  from  their  concealment  and  ran  at  the  top  of 
their  speed.  Frazee,  in  attempting  to  pass  Adam  Empie,  a  sol- 
dier present,  was  thrust  through  with  a  bayonet  and  killed; 
while  his  comrade,  more  fortunate,  although  a  volley  of  bullets 
whistled  around  him,  fled  up  the  mountain  and  escaped. 

The  tory  dwelling  above  mentioned,  was  burnt  by  the  enemy 
under  Sir  John  Johnson,  who  crossed  the  river  a  few  rods  below 
it,  on  the  morning  Col.  Brown  fell ;  from  what  motive  is  un- 
known.— Joseph  Sprakcr. 

When  the  war  of  the  Revolution  commenced,  three  brothers, 
William,  John,  and  Philip  Crysler,  who  lived  in  new  Dorlach ; 
with  their  brother  Adam,  who  lived  in  Schoharie,  took  up  arms 
with  the  foes  of  their  country,  and  went  to  Canada  in  1777.  As 
it  began  to  be  doubted  by  many  of  the  tories  in  1780,  whether 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         435 

Britain  could  subdue  the  states,  Philip,  whose  family  still  lived  in 
New  Dorlach,  and  who  desired  to  remove  it  to  Canada,  had  a 
party  assigned  him  near  Harpersficld  to  aid  in  its  removal.  It 
is  supposed  they  arrived  near  the  settlement  a  day  or  two  before 
the  army  reached  Schoharie ;  and  were  concealed  until  Seth's 
Henry  and  possibly  some  othei-s  met  them  in  an  appointed  place, 
and  communicated  intelligence  of  the  proceedings  in  Schoharie, 
that  the  movement  of  Crysler's  destructives  should  not  precede  the 
general  irruption.  However  that  may  be,  it  is  certain  Seth's 
Henry,  who  was  at  the  burning  of  Schoharie,  was  on  the  follow- 
ing day  also  of  the  hostile  party  in  New  Dorlach. 

The  enemy,  consisting  of  eighteen  Indians  and  three  tories, 
made  their  appearance  just  after  noon  at  the  dwelling  of  Michael 
Merckley,*  where  Hiram  Sexton  now  resides.  Merckley  was  at 
this  time  a  widower.  His  family  consisted  of  three  daughters, 
three  sons,  and  a  lad  named  Fox.  The  daughters  were  all 
young  women ;  one  was  married  to  Christopher  Merckley,  and 
lived  in  Rhinebeck,  a  small  settlement  a  few  miles  from  New 
Dorlach — the  other  two  were  at  home.  The  oldest  son  had  gone 
to  Canada  three  years  before,  the  second  was  then  at  Schoharie, 
and  the  youngest,  a  lad  about  thirteen  years  old,  and  Fox,  a  boy 
near  his  age,  were  also  at  home.  Frederick,  a  brother  of  Mi- 
chael Merckley,  then  resided  less  than  a  mile  east  of  the  latter. 
He  had  an  only  daughter  named  Catharine,  who  by  repute  was 
the  fairest  young  lady  in  the  Schoharie  settlements.  He  also 
had  several  sons.  Christian,  (from  whom  some  of  these  particu- 
lars were  obtained)  about  seventeen  years  old,  who  was  then  at 
home;  Martin,  a  younger  brother,  who  had  been  sent  to  his 
uncle  Martin's  about  noon  of  that  day  to  borrow^  a  currier's 
knife,  and  possibly  one  or  two  others.  On  arriving  at  Merckley's, 
the  enemy  captured  his  two  daughters,  the  two  boys,  and  their 
cousin  Martin  who  chanced  still  to  be  there. 

About  three-fourths  of  a  mile  west  of  Michael  Merckley,  then 
resided  Bastian  France,  where  his  son  Henry  now  resides,  a  lit- 
tle distance  from  the  road,  which  ran  much  as  it  does  at  the  pre- 

*  This  name  was  formerly  writen  Mercle,  and  pronounced  Mericle. 


436  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

sent  day.  As  the  country  was  new,  however,  it  was  shaded 
more  by  trees,  and  not  bounded  by  fences  as  at  present.  Mr. 
France  had  eight  children.  His  two  oldest  sons,  young  men,  had 
gone  to  Schoharie  on  the  17th,  to  learn  how  matters  stood  in 
that  valley,  and  were  in  the  Lower  fort  when  the  enemy  passed 
it.  Christopher,  the  oldest  of  those  brothers,  (who  was  the  first 
white  child  born  in  the  town  of  Seward,)  and  Miss  Catharine 
Merckley,  had  plighted  hymenial  vows,  and  were  to  have  heen 
married  two  weeks  from  the  day  of  her  death.  Four  other  sons 
were  at  home — John,  fourteen  years  old,  Henry,  thirteen,  and  two 
younger  :  and  two  daughters — Betsey,  a  young  lady  of  seventeen, 
and  a  little  girl  perhaps  ten  years  of  age.  At  the  road,  near  the 
residence  of  France,  resided  Henry  Haines,  a  tory.  West  creek, 
a  tributary  of  Cobelskill,  passed  near  his  house,  and  on  this  he 
had  erected  a  small  grist-mill — the  first  erected  in  the  town  of 
Seward.  Philip  Hoffman,  an  old  gentleman,  lived  not  far  from 
Haines,  where  Klock  now  resides. 

Mr.  Merckley,  at  whose  house  the  Indians  first  appeared,  had 
been  to  visit  his  married  daughter  at  Rhinebeck  settlement,  as  had 
also  Catharine  Merckley  and  Betsey  France,  all  on  horseback. 
Mr.  Merckley  returned  home  but  a  little  in  advance  of  the  girls, 
and  approaching  his  house  he  discovered  the  Indians  about 
the  door,  but  conscious  of  his  kind  feelings  towards  them, 
and  zeal  in  the  royal  cause,  while  in  the  act  of  dismounting  from 
his  horse  with  perfect  unconcern,  he  was  shot  down,  killed,  and 
scalped.  It  was  at  his  house,  it  will  be  remembered,  the  party 
were  harbored  who  captured  his  neighbor,  William  Hynds,  and 
family,  the  preceding  July.  When  the  girls  approached  his  mill, 
Haines  came  out,  and  addressing  Catharine,  enquired,  "  What  is 
the  news  ?"  The  reply  was,  "  Betsey  will  tell  you  ;  I  am  in  a 
great  hurry  to  get  home."  Miss  France  had  reined  up  just  above 
the  mill,  to  cross  the  creek,  between  the  road  and  her  father's 
dwelling,  as  her  beautiful  companion  rode  forward,  evidently  ex- 
cited from  some  cause,  to  meet  her  impending  fate.  Possibly  she 
had  heard  the  gun  fired  at  her  uncle,  and  anticipated  danger. 
She  had  but  little  more  than  a  mile  to  go  after  parting  with  her 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


437 


young  friend.  The  road,  by  a  bend  from  Haines'  mill,  swept 
along  the  verge  of  a  rise  of  ground  on  the  north  side  of  West 
creek,  leaving  the  flats  southwest  of  the  road.  The  ground  is  ele- 
vated in  front  of  the  Merckley  place,  and  just  beyond  it  the  road 
turns  off",  nearly  east,  towards  Hyndsville.     Miss  Merckley  was  ri- 


MURDER  OF  CATHARINE  MERCKLEY. 
dmg  a  noble  gray  horse,  and  as  she  drew  near  her  uncle's  dwel- 
ling she  saw  the  Indians  and  tories  about  the  door,  several  of  whom 
called  on  her  to  stop;  but  her  eye,  no  doubt,  caught  a  view  of  the 
mangled  remains  of  her  uncle,  and  instead  of  reining,  she  urged 
her  horse  up  the  acclivity  at  a  quick  gallop.  At  the  instant  she 
was  opposite  to  him,  Seth's  Henry  leveled  his  rifle  and  fired  at  her, 
and  as  she  did  not  immediately  fall,  he  snatched  a  rifle  from  the 
hands  of  another  Indian  and  fired  again.  The  horse,  as  though 
conscious  of  danger,  and  the  value  of  his  burden,  increased  his 
speed,  but  the  fatal  messenger  had  done  its  errand— the  lovely  vic- 
tim pitched  forward  and  fell  to  the  earth,  writhing  in  the  agonies 
of  death. 


438  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

She  was  shot  through  the  body  evidently  by  the  first  bullet,  as 
it  had  passed  in  at  the  right  side.  She  survived  but  a  few  mi- 
nutes, and  expired  clasping  her  hands  firmly  upon  the  wound. 
The  tragic  death  of  this  young  lady,  so  justly  celebrated  for  her 
personal  charms,  was  witnessed  from  the  house  by  her  brother  and 
cousins.  Her  murderer,  as  he  tore  off  her  bleeding  scalp,  struck 
with  the  beauty  and  regularity  of  her  features,  remarked — "  She 
was  too  handsome  a  jJaleface  to  kill,  and  had  I  known  the  squmo 
had  such  long  black  hair,  I  would  not  have  shot  her."  The  horse 
ran  home,  after  losing  his  rider,  and  the  bloody  saddle  shadowed 
forth  the  tidings  her  friends  might  expect  to  hear,  of  their  dear 
relative's  fate.  The  family  instantly  fled,  and  secreted  themselves 
in  the  woods,  where  they  remained  until  the  following  day. 

Bastian  France,  who  was  then  advanced  in  life,  and  quite  in- 
firm, was  in  his  chamber  making  shoes.  Hearing  the  firing  at 
Merckley's,  he  came  down  and  told  his  family  (his  wife  was  then 
visiting  at  the  house  of  Haines  near  by)  he  felt  alarmed  and  tak- 
ing his  gun,  said  he  would  go  through  the  woods  south  of  his 
house  and  learn  the  cause  of  disturbance.  He  had  not  gone  half 
way  to  Merckley's,  when  he  discovered  several  Indians  proceeding 
directly  to  his  own  dwelling.  Ivnowing  he  could  not  reach  it  be- 
fore they  did,  he  resolved  to  proceed  on  foot,  by  a  circuitous  route, 
to  the  lower  Schoharie  fort  for  assistance,  distant  eighteen  or  twen- 
ty miles,  and  return  as  soon  as  possible.  He  arrived  there  late  in 
the  evening,  greatly  fatigued,  and  found  that  all  the  troops  which 
could  be  spared  were  preparing  to  follow  the  enemy  to  the  Mo- 
hawk. It  was  late  the  following  day  when  he  again  arrived  at 
his  own  dwelling. 

Two  Indians  reached  the  residence  of  France  in  advance  of 
their  fellows,  at  which  time  the  children  were  standing  on  the 
stoop  looking  for  the  cause  of  alarm.  As  they  approached  the 
house,  a  large  watch- dog  ran  out  and  attacked  them,  which  one 
halted  to  shoot.  The  other  approached  the  children  and  led  out 
John  and  Henry,  the  two  oldest  boys  at  home,  towards  a  pile  of 
wood  to  be  killed.  As  the  Indian  who  had  shot  the  dog  came  up, 
John  was  handed  over  to  him  by  his  captor  to  be  murdered  for  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        439 

British  value  of  his  scalp.  The  Indian  aimed  a  blow  with  his 
tomahawk  at  his  head,  which  the  latter  warded  off  with  his  arm. 
As  the  second  blow  which  brought  him  to  the  ground  was  raised, 
Henry  saw  the  other  children  running  off,  and  followed  them. 
Seeing  his  captor  start  in  pursuit,  lest  he  should  be  shot  down,  he 
sprang  round  a  corner  of  the  house  and  stood  si  ill.  The  Indian 
turned  the  corner  and  took  him,  with  the  other  children,  back  to 
the  stoop. 

Without  waiting  to  scalp  the  victim,  the  Indian  who  had  felled 
John,  left  him  and  ran  across  the  creek  to  the  house  of  Hoffman, 
but  the  latter  with  his  wife,  having  heard  the  gun  which  was  fired 
at  France's  dog,  took  seasonable  alarm,  fled  into  the  woods  and 
escaped.  As  the  children  returned  to  the  door  M-ilh  their  captor, 
some  half  a  dozen  more  of  the  enemy  arrived ;  and  proceeding  to 
the  cellar,  helped  themselves  to  several  pies,  and  such  other  food 
as  it  contained,  which  they  took  up  stairs,  placed  on  a  table  in 
the  centre  of  a  room  and  greedily  devoured.  Mrs.  France  hear- 
ing the  noise,  hastened  home  to  protect  her  children  or  share  their 
fate,  just  as  the  Indians  were  surrounding  the  table.  When  Henry 
was  taken  back,  he  went  to  his  wounded  brother,  who  could  still 
sit  up,  and  attempted  to  raise  him  on  his  feet;  but  he  was  unable 
to  stand.  Henry  then  told  him  to  crawl  under  the  oven  where  the 
dog  usually  had  slept,  but  the  hatchet  had  done  its  bidding,  and 
he  was  too  weak.  When  his  mother  arrived  at  the  house  and  be- 
held the  situation  of  her  dying  son,  who  was  then  past  speech,  her 
raaternnl  sympathy  was  aroused.  Her  little  daughter,  cryino-, 
clung  to  her  knees  and  besought  her  to  save  John  from  the  cruel 
Indian<! ;  and  she  in  tears  entreated  them  to  carry  him  into  the 
house,  or  spare  him  from  further  injury.  This  they  refused  to  do, 
but  promised  not  to  harm  her  other  children. 

While  his  captor  was  eating,  Henry  was  compelled  to  stand 
near  him,  by  whom  he  was  closely  eyed.  Twice  he  walked  to 
the  door,  and  on  turning  round,  observed  the  stealthy  eye  of  the 
red  man  fixed  upon  him  and  he  walked  back ;  he  thus  lulled  the 
suspicion  of  his  keeper,  and  the  third  time  he  reached  the  door, 
perceiving  he  was  not  watched,  he  sprang  out  of  the  house,  ran 
29 


440  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

round  it  and  fled  towards  the  woods.  When  about  twenty  rods 
distant,  he  looked  back  and  saw  several  Indians  turn  a  corner  of 
the  house,  and  instantly  falling  to  the  ground  he  was  gratified  to 
observe,  that  as  they  scattered  in  pursuit,  none  started  in  the  di- 
rection he  had  taken.  From  behind  some  old  logs  he  watched 
their  motions,  and  as  soon  as  they  had  returned  to  the  dwelling, 
he  gained  the  adjoining  woods  in  safety. 

A  few  minutes  after  Henry  had  eluded  the  vigilance  of  his  new 
master,  the  Indian  who  had  gone  to  Hoffman's  returned,  was  quite 
angry  because  the  former  had  escaped,  and  instantly  dispatched 
and  scalped  John.  Philip  Crysler  lived  in  the  direction  of  Hoff- 
man, and  when  the  murderer  returned,  the  former,  disguised  as  an 
Indian,  came  with  him.  He  was  not  known  to  the  family  at  the 
time,  although  they  observed  he  had  blue  eyes,  (the  eyes  and  hair 
of  a  blooded  Indian  are  almost  invariably  black,)  but  they  after- 
wards learned  from  a  sister  of  Crysler,  that  his  wife,  hearing  the 
gun  fired  at  the  dog  of  France,  told  her  husband  to  put  on  his  In- 
dian dress,  run  over  and  save  the  France  family  by  all  means,  as 
she  was  under  such  great  obligations  to  them.  They  had  almost 
wholly  supported  herself  and  family  for  three  years.  To  the 
counsels  of  the  blue-eyed  Indian,  as  Crysler  was  called,  the  party 
reluctantly  yielded ;  and  leaving  the  rest  of  the  family  and  most 
of  their  effects  undisturbed,  soon  after  withdrew.  The  Indian  who 
had  been  foiled  by  Henry,  seemed  most  dissatisfied  ;  and  snatch- 
ing a  brand  of  fire  he  ran  to  the  barn  and  thrust  it  into  the  hay. 
Another  Indian  drew  it  out  and  threw  it  away,  but  some  coals 
must  have  remained,  as  the  barn  and  its  contents  were  soon  after 
in  flames.  Two  large  barracks,  each  an  hundred  feet  in  circum- 
ference, standing  near  the  barn,  were  also  consumed.  Two  of  the 
Indians  at  the  house  of  France  could  speak  Low  Dutch ;  Mrs. 
France  begged  of  them  to  intercede  for  the  lives  of  her  oflfspring. 

The  invaders  went  as  far  west  as  the  dwelling  of  Haines,  cap- 
luring  several  of  his  slaves.  Haines  went  to  Canada  himself  at  a 
subsequent  period.  As  soon  as  the  Indians  were  out  of  sight,  Mrs. 
France  carried  the  body  of  her  murdered  son  into  the  house,  his 
warm  blood  trickling  upon  her  feet ;  and  then,  with  Betsey  and 
three  younger  children,  concealed  herself  in  the  woods. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         441 

Henry  France,  after  gaininj^  the  forest  back  of  his  father's 
house,  ran,  by  a  circuitous  route,  towards  the  dwelling  of  William 
Spurnhuyer,  who  resided  not  far  from  Christian  Merckley.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  enemy,  with  their  plunder,  accompanied  by  the  fa- 
mily of  Cryslcr,  after  burning-  the  dwelling  and  barn  of  Michael 
Merckley,  set  forward  on  their  journey.  On  arriving  at  the  house 
of  Spurnhuyer,  who  had  gone  with  his  family  to  a  place  of  great- 
er security  but  a  day  or  two  before,  they  made  a  halt.  Spurnhuy- 
er had  left  a  young  heifer  near  the  dwelling,  which  was  shot  to 
serve  the  party  for  food.  When  the  gun  was  fired  at  the  amimal, 
young  France  was  not  in  sight,  though  near,  but  was  running  di- 
rectly toward  that  place,  and  supposing  it  fired  at  himself,  chang- 
ed his  course,  nor  did  he  know  at  what  the  gun  was  discharged, 
until  the  return  of  Martin  Merckley,  some  time  after.  Thus  had 
this  lad  a  third  time  escaped  the  tomahawk.  He  then  went  back 
and  secreted  himself,  about  sun-down,  near  the  creek,  a  few  rods 
from  his  father's  dwelling.  He  had  been  but  a  short  time  in  this 
place  when  Mrs.  Haines,  who  was  going  past  with  a  milk-pail, 
discovered  him  in  the  bushes,  and  told  him  where  he  could  find  his 
mother.  Procuring  blankets  at  the  house  the  weeping  group  re- 
turned to  sleep  in  the  woods,  fearing  a  visit  from  the  bears  and 
wolves  less  than  they  did  that  of  the  armed  savage.  The  family 
lived  in  the  woods  until  the  third  day  following  their  disaster,  when 
they  went  to  Schoharie. 

Spurnhuyer's  house,  after  being  plundered,  was  set  on  fire,  and, 
v^ith  his  barn  consumed.  The  invaders  had  proceeded  only  a  mile 
or  two  from  the  settlement,  when  the  two  boys  cried  to  return. 
The  executioner  of  the  party  halted  with  them,  and  soon  after 
overtook  his  comrades  with  their  bloody  scalps.  Berkley,  a  tory 
present,  from  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  told  the  Misses  Merckley 
that  their  brother  and  young  Fox  would  not  have  been  killed  had 
they  not  cried.  Indians  never  fancy  crying  children.  It  was  not 
known  in  New  Dorlach  that  those  boys  were  killed,  until  a  year 
or  two  afterwards,  when  the  fact  was  communicated  by  a  letter 
from  the  Merckley  girls  to  their  friends.  Persons  who  visited  the 
spot  near  the  mountain  south  of  their  father's,  designated  as  the 


442  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

place  where  the  boys  were  murdered,  found  bones  scattered  over 
the  ground,  wild  beasts  having  no  doubt  eaten  the  flesh  that  once 
covered  thein.  The  party  journeyed  directly  to  Canada  by  the 
usual  southwestern  route,  and  as  the  weather  was  then  cold,  the 
suffering  of  the  prisoners  was  very  severe.  They  were  greatly 
straightened  for  food  on  the  way,  and  putrid  horse-flesh,  fortunate- 
ly found  in  the  path,  was  considered  a  luxury,  and  doubtless  saved 
some  of  them  from  starving.  Martin  Merckley  was  compelled  to 
run  the  gantlet,  and  was  beaten  and  buffeted  a  great  distance.  Pri- 
soners captured  in  the  spring  or  fall,  when  the  Indians  were  con- 
gregated in  villages,  usually  suffered  more  than  those  taken  in 
midsummer.  As  the  Merckley  girls  were  then  orphans,  and  their 
father's  personal  property  all  destroyed,  they  accepted  offers  of 
marriage,  and  both  remained  in  Canada. 

On  the  day  following  their  massacre,  the  remains  of  John 
France  were  buried  by  Henry  Haines,  Sen.,  and  those  of  Mr. 
Merckley  and  his  charming  neice,  by  JNIr.  Haines,  Michael  Fri- 
mire,  and  Christopher  France,  Miss  M.'s  intended  husband.  Sad, 
indeed,  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  the  young  lover,  while  per- 
forming this  most  melancholy  duty.  Few  were  the  witnesses  pre- 
sent ;  no  funeral  knell  told  the  distant  neighbor  that  death  was 
abroad ;  the  ceremony  was  brief  and  informal.  No  long  proces- 
sion followed  those  mangled  corpses  to  measured  steps,  preceded 
by  the  man  of  God  in  sacerdotal  robes ;  yet  one  there  was  whose 
sorrowing  came  from  the  heart.  A  few  rough  boards  were  laid 
in  the  "  narrow  house"  which  had  been  hastily  dug  a  little  dis- 
tance east  of  where  they  had  fallen,  and  blooming  youth  and 
parental  age  were  placed  side  by  side  in  it,  and  quicky  buried. 
A  few  years  ago  their  remains  were  taken  up,  placed  in  a  cof- 
fin, and  funeral  services  performed  over  them ;  after  which  they 
were  deposited  in  the  family  burying  ground,  on  the  Frederick 
Merckley  place,  where  a  marble  slab  may  now  be  seen  with  the 
following  inscription  : 

'•  In  Memory  of  Catharine  Marcley  and  Michael  Marcley, 
who  was  [were]  killed  by  the  Indians,  Oct.  18, 1780." 

Nothing  on  the  stone  indicates  their  ages  or  consanguinity :  she 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         443 

was  about  18  ;  and  her  uncle,  probably,  45  or  50  years  old.  Af- 
ter young  France  was  engaged  to  Miss  Merckley,  he  gave  her, 
agreeable  to  custom,  a  pair  of  silver  shoe-buckles.  These  Seth's 
Henry  left  upon  her  feet,  and  they  were  returned  to  the  lover. 

It  has  been  a  mystery  to  many  in  Schoharie  that  Michael 
Merckley,  who  was  the  avowed  friend  of  royalty,  should  thus 
have  been  killed,  his  property  destroyed,  and  his  family  broken  up. 
The  following  circumstance  reveals  the  secret.  A  short  time  pre- 
vious to  the  Revolution,  a  daughter  of  Philip  Crysler  (then  in  her 
teens)  was  living  in  the  family  of  one  Barnhard,  in  the  capacity 
of  a  hired  girl.  While  there,  a  son  of  Michael  Merckley  several 
times  visited  her,  about  which  time  she  became  gravis.  This  fact 
coming  to  the  knowledge  of  her  parents,  they  desired  her  to  fix 
paternity  on  young  Merckley  and  compel  a  marriage.  She  was 
taken  before  Judge  Brown,  then  a  justice  of  the  peace,  who,  hav- 
ing previously  been  apprized  of  all  the  circumstances  in  the  case, 
told  the  girl  the  nature  of  an  oath,  the  criminality  of  its  being 
falsely  rendered,  and  what  the  future  consequences  might  be.  He 
then  administered  the  oath,  and  the  honors  of  paternity  were 
awarded  Barnhard.  This  affair  caused  a  lasting  hatred  between 
the  two  families ;  and  when  Crysler  obtained  the  direction  of  a 
party  of  Indians,  there  can  remain  little  doubt  but  what  some  of 
them  were  found  willing,  in  anticipation  of  plunder,  to  share  his 
prejudices  and  gratify  his  savage  propensities ;  for  such  we  must 
call  the  inclinations  of  those  who  joined  the  enemy,  went  to  Ca- 
nada, and  from  choice  came  back  repeatedly,  to  imbrue  their 
hands  in  the  blood  of  their  former  neighbors  and  relatives. 

Many  of  the  settlers,  tories  as  well  as  whigs,  concealed  their 
effects  in  the  war ;  and  it  is  said  that  Philip  Crysler  had  concealed 
part  of  his.  As  old  Mr.  Hoffman  and  his  wife  were  inoffensive 
people,  and  did  not  meddle  with  politics,  it  was  supposed  from 
the  attempt  to  kill  them  at  the  time  of  his  removal,  and  of  their 
massacre  the  next  season,  that  it  was  in  consequence  of  the  fact, 
that  a  girl,  who  had  once  lived  with  Hoffman,  had  discovered  and 
appropriated  to  her  own  use,  some  of  the  hidden  property  of 
Crysler.     Trifling  circumstances  were  construed  into  plausible  pre- 


444  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

texts  too  often  in  the  Revolution — as,  in  fact,  they  will  be,  from 
the  nature  of  things,  in  all  civil  wars — for  the  perpetration  of  the 
most  heinous  and  revolting  cruelties.  The  reason  is  obvious: 
when  all  laws  are  disregarded  and  set  at  defiance,  the  baser  pas- 
sions of  the  human  breast  triumph  over  virtue  and  social  order; 
and  crime — 

"  Stalks  abroad  at  noonday, 

Nor  does  she  cease  at  midnight  to  destroy.*" 

Nothing  of  importance  transpired  in  the  Schoharie  valley  that 
year,  after  the  invasion  of  Sir  John  Johnson.  The  loss  at  that 
time  to  the  citizens  seems  almost  incalculable.  Of  the  cue  hun- 
dred and  thirty-four  buildings,  said  by  Judge  Brown  to  have  been 
burned  in  Schoharie  county  during  the  war,  the  greater  part  were 
consumed  at  this  time.  Among  all  the  houses  burnt  in  the  coun- 
ty, I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  of  a  single  log  tenement : 
the  citizens  were  comfortably  situated  in  good  framed  dwellings, 
with  large  barns  (which  the  Dutch  are  celebrated  for  erecting) 
abundantly  filled.  Schoharie  had  constantly  supplied  not  only 
her  own  citizens  and  soldiers  with  wheat,  but  had  furnished  large 
quantities  for  the  support  of  American  troops  at  other  stations  : 
but  now,  by  the  most  rigid  economy,  the  remaining  supply  could 
hardly  have  been  expected  to  subsist  the  citizens  until  new  crops 
returned.  Some  families  were  compelled  to  take  up  temporary 
residences  abroad,  while  others  set  about  erecting  such  dwellings 
as  their  crippled  means  would  allow.  That  the  destruction  of  the 
Schoharie  settlements  that  season  was  properly  considered  in  oth- 
er colonies  at  the  time,  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Pre- 
sident Madison,  dated  at  Philadelphia,  Nov.  14,  1780,  (which  I 
find  in  the  Albany  Evening  Journal  of  Nov.  30, 1841,)  will  clear- 
ly show.  After  alluding  to  the  difliculty  of  procuring  supplies  of 
wheat  and  flour  for  the  Army,  he  adds  : 

"  The  inroads  of  the  enemy  on  the  frontiers  of  New  York  have 

•  The  occurrences  which  took  place  in  New  Dorlach  were  told  the  author 
in  1837,  by  Henry,  son  of  Bastian  France ;  the  wife  of  Tunis  Vrooman,  and 
daughter  of  Ernest  Frctz  ;  Henry,  a  son  of  Wvi.  Hynds,  and  Christian,  a 
son  of  Fred.  Merckley,  corroborated  by  others. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         445 

been  most  fatal  to  us  in  this  respect.  They  have  almost  totally 
ruined  that  fine  wheat  country,  which  was  able,  and  from  the  en- 
erj^y  of  their  government,  was  likely  to  supply  magazines  of  flour, 
both  to  the  main  army  and  the  northwestern  posts.  The  settle- 
ment of  Sciioharie,  which  alone  was  able  to  furnish,  according  to 
a  letter  from  (Jen.  Washington,  eighty  thousand  bushels  of  grain 
for  public  use,  has  been  totally  laid  in  ashes." 

Nor  was  the  great  loss  of  grain,  dwellings,  stock,  &,c.,  the  on- 
ly one  to  be  deplored  in  Schoharie.  The  paper  currency  of  the 
country,  which  had  increased  by  the  year  1780  to  the  enormous 
sum  of  200,000,000  dollars,  had  become  nearly  worthless.  Of 
this  trash,  some  of  the  Schoharie  farmers  had  large  amounts; 
mostly  taken  in  payment  for  the  products  of  the  soil,  for  quite  or 
nearly  its  pretended  value.  Some  who  had  been  holding  on  to  it 
in  the  hope  that  it  would  become  more  valuable,  or  because  they 
found  it  difficult  as  a  leech  to  shake  off,  had  the  mortification  to 
learn,  that  from  fftij  to  sixty  dollars  continental  money  would 
command  in  17S0  but  one  single  dollar  in  specie.  An  old  soldier 
informed  the  author,  that  he  once  sent  an  eight  dollar  continental 
bill  to  buy  a  quart  of  cider,  and  received  a  two  dollar  bill,  Rhode 
Island  currency,  in  change.  At  a  later  period,  an  officer  of  his 
acquaintance  once  paid  seventy  dollars  of  continental  money  for  a 
single  mug  of  flip.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  it  could  hardly 
have  been  considered  of  any  value,  except  for  cigar  or  lamp- 
lighters. 

To  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  currency  of  which  I  have  so 
often  spoken,  I  give  the  facsimile  of  a  continental  note,  and  the 
vignettes  of  others.  In  selecting  mottos  for  vignettes,  care  was 
taken  to  get  brief  Latin  sentences,  which  should  be  characteristic 
of  the  position  of  this  country  with  England  ;  and  would  be  most 
likely  to  stimulate  patriotic  sentiments  and  enlist  the  feelings 
of  Americans  in  the  popular  cause.  The  significant  devices  on 
the  bills  generally  proved  an  index  to  the  sentiments  prevailing  at 
their  date.  The  back  of  the  notes  contained  the  amount  of  the 
same,  with  the  name  and  residence  of  the  printers,  and  some  sim- 
ple device,  as  that  of  a  leaf,  a  vine,  or  an  Indian  bow.  The  lat- 
ter appears  on  the  back  of  the  note,  from  which  the  following  cut 


446 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 


was  engraved.  Some  of  the  continental  notes  contained  water- 
marks, only  to  be  seen  by  holding  them  up  to  the  light.  Many 
of  the  vignettes  also  contained  a  colored  mark  of  some  kind. 


mMnjMMBMMMmMM 


Sixtjj'3}ottars.  ^o3^fC23 

^/us  Bill  enUttss 
^/&  Bearer  to  receiVo 
Sixty  Spanifh  mill 
ed  Dollars,  or 
f/^  Value  thereof  in 
Gold  or  Silver,  ac- 
cording to  CL  Refolu- 
tion  fia^ei  Cy  (Soti- 
grcfd  dtF^LCadeC[ifiiay 
Se/if.  26{f,  J778.     ^^LX  J)OJiJi^giS. 


I 


The  vignette  of  this  bill  'is  the  emblem  of  a  globe  surrounded 
by  the  motto — "  The  Lord  keigns,  let  the  earth  rejoice."  A 
quotation  from  the  Psalms  of  David,  showing  the  confidence  of 
the  states  in  the  God  of  battles. 


This  device,  a'circular  chain, 
bearing  on  each  link  the  name 
of  a  state,  is  an  admirable  em- 
blem of  their  union,  and  im- 
Hplies  that  while  it  remains  un- 
broken, no  foreign  power  can 
destroy  its  central  government. 
This  note,  Tioo  Thirds  of  a 
Do//ar,  is  dated  Feb.  17,  1776, 
and  in  a  device  upon  the  back 
is  the  commendable  caution, 
"  Mind  your  hisiness." 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


447 


This  is  the  vignette  of  a  Six  Dollar 
JVote,  dated  Feb.  17,  1776.  It  repre- 
sents a  beaver  gnawing  a  tree.  This 
sagacious  animal  constructs  its  dams 
and  dwellings,  by  cutting  down  trees 
with  its  teeth  :  a  slow  but  sure  process. 
The  motto  over  it  is — "  By  peuseveu- 
ING."  Saying  in  effect  to  the  colonists : 
persist  and  your  labors  shall  be  crowned 
with  success. 

This  is  the  vignette  of  a  Five  Dollar 
JVote,  of  New  York  currency,  dated 
March  5,  1776.  It  represents  a  candle- 
stick with  thirteen  burners,  to  denote  the 
number  of  states.  The  motto  signifies, 
"  One  fire  and  to  the  same  purpose." 
Implying  that  the  states  were  all  alive  to 
a  sense  of  their  just  rights. 

Here  is  the  vignette  of  a  Five  Dol- 
lar A^ote,  dated  May  9,  1776.  It  shows 
a  thorn  tree,  with  a  hand  grasping  it. 
The  motto  says — "Sustain  ok  abstain." 
This  device,  at  that  period,  represents 
the  colonies  assaying  in  effect  to  Great 
Britain,  Pass  laus  to  yroted,  or  none 
to  affect  vs. 


This  device,  a  contest  between  an 
eagle  and  a  stork,  is  from  a  Three  Dol- 
lar J\ote,  dated  July  22,  1776.  The 
stork  represents  the  colonies  struggling 
against  the  superior  force  of  the  moth- 
er country.  The  motto  encourages  by 
saving — "  The  result  is  uncertain." 


448 


mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 


Here  is  the  vignette  of  an  Eight 
Dollar  JTote,  also  dated  July  22,  1776. 
It  contains  a  harp,  surrounded  by  the 
motto,  "  Large  things  are  consonant 
WITH  SMALL  ONES."  As  the  Strings  of 
a  harp  must  all  be  in  tune  to  give 
music ;  so  the  states,  with  diversified 
interests  and  opinions,  must  be  guided 
by  wisdom  to  unite  and  harmonize 
them  for  the  general  good. 

This  device,  on  a  Half  Dollar  JVote,  da- 
ted Aug.  13,  1776,  is  a  most  interesting 
and  significant  one.  It  is  that  of  a  hand 
planting  a  young  tree.  Its  motto — "  Fob 
Posterity,"  shows  the  duty  of  practising 
disinterested  benevolence  ;  in  struggling  to 
establish  a  government  which  will  extend 
its  greatest  benefits  to  future  generations. 


The  vignette  of  this  note  for  Four  Dol- 
lars, dated  Jan.  14,  1779,  represents  a 
swine  encountering  a  spear ;  and  de- 
manding, as  he  received  it,  "  Death,  ob 
Life  with  Decency." 


This  note  for  Eighty  Dollars  is  also 
dated  Jan.  14,  1779,  and  bears  the  device 
of  a  majestic  oak  tree.  Around  it  are  the 
words, "  It  shall  Flourish  through  Ages 
OF  Ages."  Prophetic  allusion  is  here 
made  to  the  establishment  and  perpetuity 
of  a  republican  government.  Heaven 
grant  the  prediction  may  be  fully  verified, 
and  that  the  worms  of  faction  may  ever  die  before  reaching  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        449 

roots  of  lihcr'tfs  tree :  planted  by  oppression   and  nourished  by 
the  best  blood  of  the  land. 

This  little  device,  which  appears  on  a  note  for 
One  Shilting,  New  York  currency,  dated  Aug. 
13,  1776,  (on  which  are  the  words,  "  'Tis  death 
to  counterfeit")  is  truly  expressive.  It  repre- 
sents incense  rising  from  an  altar,  and  over  it 
the  motto — "  Not  without  God." 

Many  important  events  transpired  in  the  United  States,  in  1780, 
to  hearten  or  dispirit  the  American  patriot.  On  the  13th  day  of 
May,  Charleston,  S.  C,  then  in  the  command  of  Gen.  Lincoln, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British  with  nearly  five  thousand  men, 
and  four  hundred  cannon.  In  June  5000  men  under  Gen.  Knip- 
hausen,  entered  New-Jersey,  and  committed  many  acts  of  violence. 
On  the  10th  day  of  July,  Admiral  M.  deTernay  sent  by  the  French 
goverment,  with  seventeen  armed  vessels  and  several  transports, 
arrived' at  Newport,  R.  I.,  bringing  six  thousand  French  troops, 
under  the  Count  de  Rochambeau,  to  aid  us  in  our  struggle  for 
freedom.  The  arrival  of  these  allies  was  greeted  by  the  citizens 
with  every  demonstration  of  joy.  On  the  16th  of  August,  the 
American  army  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Gates  met  the  British 
at  Camden,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  north-west  of  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  under  Lord  Cornwallis ;  at  which  meeting  the  laurels 
of  Saratoga  were  transformed  for  the  American  commander,  to 
drooping  willows.  Gates,  with  his  militia,  retreated  before  the 
successful  British  troops,  while  the  brave  Gen.  De  Kalb,  second  in 
command,  with  a  body  of  Continental  troops  who  shared  his  spirit, 
withstood  the  repeated  assaults  of  the  whole  British  army  until  he 
fell  covered  with  wounds  and  glory.  Congress  resolved  at  the 
time  to  erect  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  this  noble  German 
at  Annapolis,  which  has  not  yet  been  done. 

In  September,  an  attempt  was  made  by  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold 
to  surrender  the  fortress  of  West  Point  by  treachery,  to  Sir  Henry 
Chnton,  which  transaction  with  its  interesting  details,  will  be 
found  in  another  part  of  this  work,  under  a  sketch  of  the  life  of 
David  Williams,  one  of  the  captorsofMaj.  Andre. 


(  450  ) 


CHAPTER  XV. 


The  events  of  1781,  opened  with  an  unpleasant  occurrence. 
The  sufferings  of  the  soldiers  had  been  very  severe,  added  to  which 
some  had  been  detained  in  service  beyond  the  term  of  their  en- 
listment, while  all  were  in  arrears  of  pay  for  their  services.  In 
the  evening  of  the  first  day  of  Jannary,  the  troops  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania line  stationed  at  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  numbering 
1300,  paraded  under  arms — determined  to  march  to  Philadelphia 
and  demand  from  Congress  immediate  redress.  Their  officers 
endeavored  by  persuasion  to  lull  their  murmurs  and  disperse  them 
to  their  quarters,  but  to  no  purpose — although  one  was  killed  and 
several  wounded.  Gen.  Wayne,  in  front  of  these  men,  cocked 
his  pistols  to  compel  obedience  to  his  commands,  but  in  an  instant 
an  hundred  guns  were  leveled  at  his  breast.  "  We  love  and  re- 
spect you,"  said  the  malcontents,  "  but  fire  and  you  are  a  dead 
mcin."  Declaring  their  intention  of  not  going  over  to  the  ene- 
my, they  elected  temporary  officers — and  marched  off  in  a  body 
for  Princeton.  Several  agents  sent  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to 
win  them  to  the  British  interest,  were  handed  over  by  the  re- 
volters  to  the  Americans,  who  executed  them  as  spies.  Commit- 
tees from  Congress  and  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  met  them 
at  Princeton,  paid  part  of  their  arrears  in  specie,  and  they  return- 
ed to  their  duty.  This  mutiny  was  followed  by  one  of  less  con- 
sequence in  the  troops  of  New  Jersey,  which  was  quelled  and  the 
ringleaders  instantly  executed. 

Early  in  the  year  1781,  a  block-house  was  erected  on  Mr. 
Houck's  land  in  Kneiskern's  dorf,  near  the  present  residence  of 
George  Taylor,  and  picketed  in.     A  similar  one  was  constructed 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  451 

about  the  same  time  in  llartman's  dorf.  A  block-house,  similar 
to  the  one  called  Fort-Plain,  was  erected  that  spring  near  the 
dwelling  of  Jacob  Shafer  in  Cobelskill,  about  half  a  mile  east  of 
Cobelskill  village.  This  block-house  was  erected  by  Capt.  Du- 
boise  of  Catskill,  and  was  called  Fort  Duboise.  It  was  surround- 
ed by  a  deep  moat,  which  was  partially  filled  with  water  from  a 
brook  running  near.  About  half  an  acre  of  ground,  on  which 
stood  the  dwelling  of  Shafer,  M^as  embraced  in  the  inclosure, 
which  was  also  surrounded  by  pickets.  The  gate  or  principal 
entrance  was  on  the  eastern  side.  This  fort,  with  a  small  garri- 
son, was  for  some  time  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Duboise. 

Early  in  tlie  spring  of  this  year,  several  minor  transactions  of 
interest  occurred  in  the  Saratoga  settlements.  In  the  present 
town  of  Clifton-Park  resided  one  Fillmore,  a  lieutenant  of  militia, 
who  possessed  a  fearless  spirit.  He  was  engaged,  in  the  proper 
season,  in  making  maple-sugar,  and  usually  boiled  all  night,  re- 
turning home  in  the  morning  to  be  relieved  by  a  daughter,  until 
he  had  foddered  his  cattle  and  taken  breakfast.  On  going  to  the 
woods  she  was  instructed,  in  case  she  saw  any  suspicious  looking 
persons,  to  give  no  signs  of  fear,  but  communicate  the  discovery 
to  her  father  as  soon  after  as  prudence  allowed.  One  very  foggy 
morning,  when  Miss  Fillmore  was  in  attendance  at  the  sugar- 
bush,  an  individual  passed  it,  without  seeing  her,  going  in  the  di- 
rection of  a  retired  dwelling  occupied  by  a  widow  lady.  As  soon 
as  the  strange  figure  was  out  of  sight,  she  ran  home  to  apprise 
her  father  of  the  discovery.  She  described  the  man  to  be  a  stis- 
picious  looking  person,  having  a  gun  and  a  hairy  pack. 

Lieut.  Fillmore,  rightly  suspecting  the  visitant  to  be  the  noto- 
rious Jo.  Bettys,  got  two  of  his  neighbors,  named  Perkins  and 
Corey,  to  accompany  him,  and  all  well  armed  proceeded  unob- 
served to  the  widow's  house,  one  of  the  three  going  upon  the 
back  side  of  it,  to  prevent  his  egress.  The  other  two  burst  open 
the  door,  and  disclosed  the  object  of  search  at  the  breakfast  table. 
He  had  imprudently  seated  himself  with  his  back  toward  the  door, 
and  his  rifle  lying  across  the  table.  The  instant  an  entrance  was 
forced,  the  lieutenant  seized  the  villain  by  the  collar  and  drew  him 


452  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

from  the  table,  as  he  was  reaching  for  his  trusty  piece.  He  was 
soon  overpowered  by  the  three  militiamen,  and  tightly  bound. 
Before  he  started  for  Albany,  he  desired  to  smoke,  and  was  par- 
tially loosened  to  afford  him  an  opportunity.  He  went  to  the 
fire-place  to  light  his  pipe,  and  was  noticed  to  cast  something  in 
the  fire.  One  of  his  captors  snatched  it  from  the  live  embers,  and 
found  it  to  be  a  silver  bullet  which  screwed  together ;  inside  of 
which  was  a  message  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton  from  an  officer  in  Ca- 
nada, written  in  figures.  On  the  testimony  contained  within  the 
bullet,  Bettys  was  convicted  and  hung  at  Albany  as  a  spy.  Con- 
sidering his  desperate  character,  the  enterprise  of  Lieut  Fillmore 
and  his  companions  in  arresting  him,  was  one  of  the  most  daring 
performed  in  the  whole  war. 

When  the  arrest  of  Bettys  became  known  in  the  Ballston  set- 
tlement, Maj.  Mitchell  enjoined  secrecy  of  the  affair,  rightly  con- 
jecturing that  he  had  not  traversed  the  northern  forests  of  New- 
York,  alone.  A  Mrs.  Camp  or  Van  Camp,  a  widow  living  in  the 
neighborhood,  had  a  son  in  the  British  service,  who  it  was  thought, 
might  possibly  have  accompanied  Bettys.  The  arrest  of  the  lat- 
ter having  been  kept  close  during  the  day ;  Kenathy  Gordon,  a 
sergeant,  was  entrusted  by  Maj.  Mitchell  with  the  search  to  be 
made  the  same  night.  Attended  by  John  Sweatman  and  several 
other  fearless  neighbors,  properly  armed,  young  Gordon  gained 
access  to  the  house  of  Mrs.  Camp  after  bed- time,  and  enquired 
for  her  son.  She  declared  her  ignorance  of  his  whereabouts,  pre- 
tended to  be  highly  incensed  at  having  armed  men  enter  her 
dweUing  and  disturb  the  family  at  midnight,  and  still  more  on  be- 
ing suspected  of  harboring  an  enemy. 

This  woman  talked  very  patriotic,  but  the  warmth  she  mani- 
fested satisfied  the  sergeant,  who  was  a  resolute  fellow,  that  her 
son  was  in  the  house  \  and  he  went  to  the  fire-place,  seized  a 
blazing  brand  and  started  up  stairs.  Young  Camp  and  Jonathan 
Miller  had  accompanied  Bettys  to  the  neighborhood,  and  were 
then  in  an  upper  room.  Hearing  the  noise  below,  they  sprang 
out  of  bed,  seized  their  guns  and  leveled  them.  At  the  click  of 
their  locks,  Gordon  jumped  down  stairs,  and  swore  if  they  did  not 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         453 

descend  and  surrender  themselves  prisoners  in  less  than  five  minutes^ 
he  would  smoke  them  out.  Belicvinf:^  he  would  execute  his  threat 
and  burn  the  house,  they  concealed  some  money  under  a  rafter, 
and  then  came  down  and  submitted  to  Gordon's  authority,  who 
conducted  them  to  the  dwelling  of  Maj.  Mitchell,  where  they 
were  secured  until  morning.  The  prisoners  had  not  (he  least  sus- 
picion that  Bettys  had  been  arrested,  until  after  they  were.  On 
his  way  to  the  major's  dwelling,  Miller  was  heard  to  sayAe  would 
rather  he  shot  than  to  enter  it.  Obadiah  Miller,  a  brother  living  in 
the  vicinity,  was  sent  for  in  the  morning,  and  unexpectedly  ush- 
ered into  the  presence  of  his  tory  kinsman,  whose  visit  to  the  neigh- 
borhood was  unknown  to  him.  His  surprise  was  evidently  irk- 
some, and  he  trembled  like  a  leaf.  It  leaked  out  in  the  sequel, 
that  the  two  Millers  were  together  in  the  woods  when  the  attempt 
was  made  the  fall  before  to  capture  the  major,  which  he  possibly 
suspected.  The  two  prisoners  were  taken  to  Albany,  from  whence 
they  were  liberated  or  effected  an  escape. — Charles  Mitchell. 

In  the  spring  of  1781,  Col.  Livingston,  with  his  regiment  of 
New  York  troops,  marched  up  the  Mohawk  valley  to  Fort  Plain. 
On  arriving  at  the  house  of  George  Adam  Dockstader,  situated 
four  miles  west  of  the  present  village  of  Fonda,  the  regiment  halt- 
ed. This  was  the  only  house  except  the  parsonage,  left  standing 
in  the  valley  the  year  before,  from  Tribe's  Hill  to  the  Nose,  a  dis- 
tance or  nine  or  ten  miles.  An  upper  room  of  Dockstader's  house 
was  found  to  be  locked,  and  Maj.  Davis,*  a  spirited  officer  of  the 
regiment,  demanded  the  key:  but  the  magic  iron  of  in'^enious  in- 

'Maj.  Davis  was  a  native  of  East  Hampton,  L.  I.  He  became  a  prisoner 
to  the  enemy  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  was  confineJ  in  one  of  the  charnel 
houses  in  New  York,  ani  there  dieJ,  as  was  believeJ,  by  liaving  poison  ad- 
ministered to  him  in  chocolate.  An  American  captain,  who  was  a  fellow- 
prisoner,  tasted  the  beverage,  but  suspecting  its  ingredients,  would  not  drink 
it,  and  advised  Maj.  D.  not  to— but  the  latter  had  already  swallowed  a  portion 
of  it.  He  was  immediately  taken  ill,  and  died  soon  afier.  Several  other  pri- 
ioncrs  died  at  the  same  time,  from  the  same  cause.  Such  was  the  fate  of 
many — yes,  very  many,  brave  American  officers  and  soldiers.  They  were  (ith- 
er  poisoned  outright,  or  subjected  to  such  privations  for  the  want  of  whole- 
some  food,  clothing,  medical  attendance,  fuel,  and  ventilated  rooms,  ai  hur- 
ritd  Ihein  ojjf  by  hundreds  lo  elernily.— Williamson. 


454  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

vention  had  disappeared,  and  could  not  possibly  be  found.  "Well, 
then,'''  said  the  intrepid  major,  "b7-ing  me  an  axe;  I  can  open  it." 
Rather  than  have  the  door  mutilated,  the  family  produced  the  key, 
when  lo  !  the  room  was  found  to  be  literally  filled  with  hams 
and  other  smoked  meat.  The  major  concluded,  and  no  doubt  cor- 
rectly, that  from  the  different  colors  the  meat  presented,  it  had  been 
smoked  in  many  places  ;  and  that  most  of  it  must  have  been  gath- 
ered by  Indians  and  tories,  and  there  deposited  to  be  used  as  occa- 
sion might  require.  He  therefore  thought  it  advisable  to  victual 
his  own  men  from  it,  and  leaving  a  year's  supply  for  the  family,  the 
rest  was  ^^  pressed  into  the  service,"  to  the  gratification  of  the 
troops. — James  Williamson,  a  soldier  present. 

On  the  2d  day  of  March  of  this  year,  James  "Williamson,  a  ser- 
geant, was  sent,  (as  he  informed  the  writer)  with  Corporal  Samuel 
Betts  and  half  a  dozen  soldiers,  from  Fort  Schuyler  to  guard  about 
the  same  number  of  wood-choppers,  and  attend  to  measuring  a 
quantity  of  wood  already  chopped,  distant  about  half  a  mile  from 
that  post.  While  thus  engaged,  Brant  came  suddenly  upon  the 
Americans,  with  a  large  body  of  Indians  and  tories,  and  discharg- 
ing a  volley  of  balls  to  intimidate  them,  rushed  up  and  captured 
the  whole  party,  except  Williamson,  who  fled,  amidst  a  shower  of 
bullets,  in  safety  to  the  fort.  Only  two  of  the  Americans  were 
wounded,  William  Moffatt  and  Timothy  Reynolds — the  former 
with  a  broken  thigh,  and  the  latter  a  bullet-hole  in  his  cheek,  the 
ball  having  entered  at  the  mouth.  Moffatt  fired  on  the  Indians, 
on  which  account  he  was  tomahawked,  scalped,  stripped  of  his 
clothing,  and  left  for  dead.  The  enemy  immediately  set  forward, 
and  forded  the  Mohawk  some  distance  below. 

On  the  arrival  of  Williamson  at  the  fort,  an  alarm  gun  was 
fired,  by  which  the  captives  knew  their  sergeant  had  escaped.  A 
strong  force  immediately  turned  out,  and  were  piloted  by  him  in 
pursuit  of  the  foe.  At  the  place  where  the  Americans  had  been 
surprised,  MoOatt  was  found  alive,  but  died  soon  after.  On  reach- 
ing the  path  near  the  river,  which  led  from  Fort  Schuyler  to  Fort 
Dayton,  Brant  halted  his  men,  and  cut  the  straps  which  contain- 
ed the  buckles,  from  his  prisoners'  shoes,  which  he  carefully  dis- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        455 

posed  along  the  path  on  the  crusted  snow,  that  his  enemies  mif^ht 
know  what  he  had  done,  giving  the  captives  deer-skin  straps  with 
which  to  tie  their  shoes.  The  pursuing  party  found  the  buckles,  but 
as  it  was  near  night  the  chase  was  given  over,  from  fear,  probably, 
of  an  ambuscade,  as  the  numbers  of  the  presumptuous  foe  were 
unknown.  Brant  first  conducted  his  prisoners  to  the  Oneida  cas- 
tle, some  sixteen  miles  southwest  of  Utica,  and  after  procuring  a 
supply  of  corn  directed  his  course  to  Fort  Niagara  by  the  great 
southwestern  route.*  Early  in  the  same  spring,  two  boys,  who 
had  gone  back  of  an  orchard,  only  a  few  hundred  yards  from  Fort 
Herkimer,  to  drive  home  cows,  were  surprised  and  captured  by 
seven  Indians  and  two  tories,  and  hurried  off  to  Canada. — Wil- 
liamson. 

On  the  9th  day  of  July,  1781,  a  party  of  the  enemy,  number- 
ing about  five  hundred,  mostly  Indians,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  John  Dockstader,  a  tory,  who  had  gone  to  Canada  from 
the  vicinity  of  the  Mohawk,  entered  a  small  settlement  called 
Curry  Town,!  in  the  present  town  of  Root,  three  miles  southeast 
from  Sprakcr's  Basin.  A  small  block  house  had  been  erected 
near  the  dwelling  of  Henry  Lewis  and  picketed  in,  previous  to 
this  invasion,  which  took  place  about  10  o'clock,  A.  M.;  and  so 
unexpected  was  it,  that  most  of  the  settlers  were  at  their  occupa- 
tions at  home  when  the  first  alarm  was  sounded.     The  Henry  Lew- 

•An  incident  menlioneJ  by  Priest,  in  the  memoirs  of  David  Ogden,  (a  cap- 
tive at  the  time,)  as  having  taken  place  before  their  arrival  at  Niagara,  de- 
serves a  notice.  Having  halted  at  noon  to  rest,  "  Brant  took  a  notion  that 
Corporal  Betts  should  exercise  his  men  and  fellow-prisoners,  to  see,  as  he 
said,  whether  the  Yankees  could  go  through  the  tactics  of  Baron  Steuben. 
The  corporal  was  very  loth  to  do  this,  through  diffidence  or  a  broken  spirit, 
hanging  back  considerably;  but  Brant  insisted  upon  it,  when  Betts  drew  out 
his  men  in  due  order,  fifteen  in  number,  quite  a  company,  dressed  them  in  a 
straight  line,  and  then  went  through  the  manual  exercise  according  to  Steu- 
ben,  to  the  full  approbation  of  Brant.  But  as  they  did  this,  the  tories  assay- 
ed to  make  sport  of  them,  which  Brant  forbid  with  a  terrible  frown,  saying 
that  the  Yankees  went  through  with  it  a  d — d  sight  Letter  than  they  could, 
and  that  he  liked  to  see  the  thing  done  well,  although  it  were  done  by  the 
enemy." 

t  So  called  after  William  Curry,  the  patentee  of  the  lands  in  that  settle- 
ment. 

30 


456  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

is  house  is  still  standing.  Jacob  Dievendorf,  a  pioneer  settler  at 
that  place,  was  at  work  in  a  fallow,  with  his  two  sons,  Frederick 
and  Jacob,  and  a  negro  boy  named  Jacobus  [James]  Blood.  The 
last  two  were  captured  ;  and  Frederick,  a  lad  twelve  or  fourteen 
years  old,  in  attempting  to  escape  to  the  fort,  was  overtaken,  toma- 
hawked and  scalped.  Mrs.  Dievendorf,  with  several  female  chil- 
dren and  five  or  six  slaves,  fled  from  her  dwelling  and  reached  the 
fort  in  safety.  Mrs.  D.  was  a  large  fleshy  woman,  and  in  hastily 
climbing  a  fence,  on  her  way  to  the  fort,  it  fell  with  her.  Peter 
Bellinger,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Dievendorf,  who  was  plowing  in  the 
settlement,  hearing  the  alarm,  unharnessed  a  horse,  mounted  it, 
and  rode  toward  the  Mohawk,  pursued  by  several  Indians,  who 
arrived  in  sight  of  the  river  almost  as  soon  as  he  did  ;  he,  how- 
ever, escaped.  Rudolf  Keller  and  his  wife  happened  to  be  at  the 
fort  when  the  invaders  appeared  j  Keller,  Henry  Lewis,  and  Con- 
rad Enders  being  the  only  men  in  the  fort  at  the  time.  Keller's 
oldest  son,  discovering  the  enemy,  ran  home  :  and  as  they  lived  too 
far  north  of  the  fort  to  think  of  gaining  it,  he  hurried  the  rest  of 
the  family  into  the  woods  northwest  of  the  house,  where  they 
gained  a  place  of  temporary  safety.  As  they  entered  the  woods 
they  looked  back  and  saw  the  Indians  at  their  dwelling.  Fred- 
erick Lewis  and  Henry  Lewis,  Jr.,  were  among  the  fust  to  gain 
the  fort.  The  former  fired  three  successive  guns  to  warn  the  set- 
tlers of  danger,  and  several,  thus  seasonably  warned,  found  a  safe 
retreat  in  the  forest.  Jacob  Tanner,  with  his  family,  were  among 
the  last  to  gain  the  picketed  inclosure.  The  escape  of  this  fa- 
mily would  aflford  the  artist  a  fair  subject  for  his  pencil.  As  the 
Indians  >were  approaching  his  dwelling,  he  fled  from  it  with  a 
small  child  in  one  hand  and  a  gun  in  the  other,  followed  by  his 
wife,  with  an  infant  in  her  arms,  and  several  children  on  foot  hold 
of  her  clothes.  The  family  were  pursued  toward  the  foi  t  by  the 
tawny  savages,  with  uplifted  tomahawks,  thirsting  for  their  blooA 
Finding  he  could  not  cut  off  their  retreat,  the  Indian  in  advance 
drew  up  his  rifle  and  fired  at  Tanner.  The  ball  passed  just  over 
the  head  of  the  child  he  carried,  and  entered  a  picket  beside  him. 
Several  guns,  fired  from  the  fort,  caused  the  enemy  to  gain  a  more 
respectful  distance. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         457 

The  Indians  plundered  and  burnt  all  the  buildings  in  the  settle- 
ment, a  dozen  or  more  in  number,  except  the  house  of  David  Lewis, 
who  resided  where  Heniy  Vorhees  now  does,  and  a  log  school- 
house.  Lewis  was  a  tory,  and  although  his  house  was  set  on  fire, 
an  Indian  chief  with  whom  he  was  acquainted,  gave  him  permis- 
sion to  put  it  out  when  Ihey  were  gone.  He  did  so,  and  part  of 
the  building  is  still  standing.  Jacob  Moyer  and  his  father,  who 
were  cutting  timber  in  the  woods  not  far  from  Yates's,  were  found 
dead  and  scalped,  one  at  each  end  of  a  log.  They  were  killed  by 
the  party  who  pursued  Peter  Bellinger.  The  Indians  were  visible 
about  the  settlement  until  after  four  o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  they 
moved  off  with  their  booty.  They  either  killed  or  drove  away 
most  of  the  cattle  and  horses  in  the  neighborhood.  Several  of  the 
latter  which  were  let  loose  by  the  Dievendorfs  on  the  iipproachof 
the  enemy,  fled  from  their  pursuit,  and  leaping  a  fence  the  saga- 
cious animals  gained  a  place  of  safety  in  the  forest. 

The  lad  Frederick  Dievendorf,  after  lying  insensible  for  several 
hours,  recovered  and  crawled  toward  the  fort.  He  was  seen  by 
his  uncle,  Mr.  Keller,  who  went  out  to  meet  him.  As  he  ap- 
proached the  lad,  whose  clothes  were  dyed  in  his  own  blood ;  the 
latter  still  bewildered,  raised  his  hands  imploringly  and  besought 
his  uncle  not  to  kill  him.  Mr.  Keller  assured  him  of  his  intended 
kindness  J  took  him  up  in  his  arms  and  carried  him  to  the  fort. 
His  wounds  were  properly  dressed  and  he  recovered ;  but  was 
killed  several  years  after  by  a  falling  tree.  Jacob  Dievendorf, 
senior,  fled  before  the  Indians  on  their  approach,  and  in  his  flight 
ran  past  a  prisoner  named  James  Butterfield,  at  a  little  distance 
from  whom  he  threw  himself  under  a  fallen  tree.  His  pursuers 
enquired  of  Butterfield  what  direction  he  had  taken.  "  That 
way"  said  the  prisoner,  pointing  in  a  different  direction  for  the 
one  taken.  The  party  were  thus  put  upon  a  course  which  soon 
carried  them  past  Dievendorf,  and  left  him  his  own  master. 
Some  of  the  pursuing  Indians  passed  over  the  log  under  which  the 
object  of  search  was  concealed,  and  had  they  looked  back,  must 
have  discovered  him.  The  captives  taken  along  by  the  enemy, 
were  Jacob  Dievendorf,  jun.,  the  negro  Jacob,  two  lads  by  the 


458  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

name  of  Bellinger,  and  a  little  girl  by  the  name  of  Miller,  ten  or 
twelve  years  old.* 

On  the  morning  of  the  same  day  on  which  Curry  Town  was 
burnt,  Col.  Willet  dispatched  Capt.  Gros  from  Fort  Plain,  with 
forty  men,  with  the  two-fold  object  of  looking  for  provisions,  and 
for  American  foes.  As  it  was  known  that  the  settlements  of  New- 
Dorlach  and  New  Rhinebeck,  were  mostly  inhabited  by  tories ; 
thither  Capt.  Gros  directed  his  steps,  in  the  hope  of  getting  a  few 
beeves  for  the  garrison.  Near  the  former  residence  of  one  Baxter, 
he  struck  the  trail  of  the  enemy  ;  drew  up  his  men  beside  it,  and 
marched  them  three  times  over  the  ground ;  w^hen  he  found  that 
one  hundred  and  twenty  men  would  hardly  begin  to  beat  a  cor- 
responding track.  By  this  test  the  number  of  the  enemy  was  es- 
timated to  be,  at  least  five  hundred,  the  number  it  was  after- 
wards ascertained  fully  to  equal. 

Selecting  two  of  his  best  men  to  follow  the  trail,  Capt.  Gros 
marched  his  company  to  Bowman's  creek,  to  await  the  report  of 
the  scout.  The  latter  proceeded  about  a  mile  and  came  upon 
the  ground  where  the  enemy  had  encamped  the  previous  night 
They  approached  sufficiently  near  to  observe  a  large  number  of 
packs ;  and  saw  a  few  Indians  cooking  food — making  prepara- 
tions, as  they  supposed,  for  the  return  of  their  comrades,  who,  as 
it  proved,  had  then  gone  to  destroy  Curry  Town.  They  proceed- 
ed hastily  to  the  creek  and  reported  to  Capt.  Gros  what  they  had 
discovered,  who  dispatched  John  Young  and  one  other  man  on 
horseback  to  Fort-Plain,  to  inform  Col.  Willet  of  the  espionage, 
proposing  to  await  his  further  orders  at  Bowman's  creek. 

Willet  sent  a  message  to  Lieut.  Col.  Veeder  to  march  as  speedi- 
ly as  possible  with  what  troops  he  could  collect  at  Fort  Paris  and 
elsewhere,  to  the  theatre  of  action.  Collecting  all  the  men  that 
could  with  safety  be  spared  from  Fort  Rensselaer  and  Fort-Plain, 

•  The  preceding  facts  respecting  the  invasion  of  Curry  Town  were  obtained 
by  the  writer  at  repeated  interviews  with  John,  a  son  of  Rudolf  Keller,  above 
named;  Jacob  Dievendorf,  the  young  captive  named;  and  Toby  Blood, 
at  that  time  a  young  slave  in  the  Dievendorf  family.  Bulterfield.  although  a 
stranger  to  Dievendorf  at  the  time  of  saving  his  life,  canne  to  Curry  Town  af- 
ter the  war,  and  was  hospitably  entertained  by  him. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        459 

with  the  militia  he  could  in  the  mean  time  assemble,  Col.  Willet 
set  out  for  Bowman's  creek.  Passing  Fort  Clyde,  a  picketed 
block-house  in  Frey's  Bush,  a  draft  was  made  upon  that  for  ad- 
ditional troops,  and  about  midnight  he  united  his  forces  with  those 
of  Capt.  Gros :  the  aggregate  number  of  which  was  260,  many  of 
whom  were  militia.  Willet  set  out  for  the  camp  of  the  enemy, 
and  arrived  in  its  vicinity  about  daylight.  They  were  encamped 
in  a  cedar  swamp  on  the  north  side  of  the  Western  turnpike,  near 
the  centre  of  the  present  town  of  Sharon.  A  part  of  this  swamp 
may  now  be  seen  N.  E.  of  the  public  house  kept  by  Jacob  Hiller, 
about  two  miles  east  of  the  Sharon  springs.  At  that  period  the 
swamp  extended  farther  eastward,  and  the  encampment  was  on 
the  highest  ground  in  the  swamp,  only  a  few  rods  distant  from 
the  turnpike,  as  now  laid.  On  the  south  side  of  the  road  a  ridge 
of  land  may  be  seen,  and  still  south  of  that  a  small  valley.  By  a 
circuitous  route  Col.  Willet  gained  this  little  dale,  and  there  drew 
up  his  men  with  care  in  a  crescent. 

Thus  prepared  to  receive  the  enemy,  who  were  nearly  double 
his  own  forces,  he  sent  several  men  over  the  ridge  to  show  them- 
selves, fire  on  the  foe,  flee,  and  thus  elicit  pursuit  within  the  Ame- 
rican defdes.  The  decoy  succeeded  admirably,  the  whole  party 
snatching  up  their  weapons  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  fugitives ; 
and  Willet's  victory  must  have  been  most  signally  complete,  had 
he  stationed  his  men  nearer  the  enemy's  camp,  as  he  might  have 
done  without  observation :  but  having  nearly  half  a  mile  to  run, 
the  stool-pigeons  were  so  hotly  pursued  that  the  lines  were  broken 
to  rescue  them,  which  prevented  the  surprise  from  being  entirely 
successful.  So  closely  were  the  camp  spies  pursued,  that  Fre- 
derick Bellinger,  one  of  the  number,  was  overtaken  and  slain. 
Willet's  men  had  been  previously  instructed  to  take  trees  or  fallen 
logs  and  not  leave  them,  and  they  were  in  all  cases  to  reserve 
their  fire  until  they  had  a  fair  shot.  The  battle  lasted  about  two 
hours,  when,  to  use  the  words  of  an  American  soldier  who  was 
in  that  battle,  "  The  Indians  got  tired  of  them,  and  made  off." — 
John  Adam  Stroheck.  He  was  a  private  under  Capt.  Gros,  was 
in  the  hottest  part  of  the  engagement,  and  was  wounded  in  one  hip. 


460  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

The  enemy,  in  their  retreat,  were  hotly  pursued  by  the  Ameri 
cans,  led  on  by  Col.  Willet  in  person,  and  so  completely  were 
they  routed,  that  most  of  their  camp  equipage,  and  plunder  ob- 
tained the  day  before,  fell  into  the  hands  of  their  victorious  pur- 
suers. Willet  continued  the  chase  but  a  short  distance,  fearing 
he  might  in  turn  fall  into  a  snare,  and  the  tables  be  turned  upon 
him. — Strobeck. 

When  the  enemy  returned  "in  the  evening  to  their  encampment — 
distant  from  Curry  Town  12  or  14  miles — they  captured  a  Ger- 
man living  near  the  former  place,  named  Carl  Herwagen.  Find- 
ing it  necessary  to  retreat,  the  Indians  chose  to  kill  their  prisoners, 
lest  they  should  lose  the  value  of  their  scalps.  Herwagen,  who 
had  been  tied  to  a  tree  during  the  engagement,  was  loosened  by 
his  captor,  who  told  him  to  run  with  the  retreating  Indians,  in- 
stead of  doing  which  he  turned  and  fled  the  other  way — was  shot 
down,  tomahawked  and  scalped.  The  prisoners  were  all  scalped 
except  Butterfield  and  one  of  the  Bellinger  boys,  who  were  taken 
to  Canada. — Jacob  Dievendorf*  Mrs.  Tunis  Vrooman  and  Fre- 
derick Hiller.  The  latter  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Indian 
camp  soon  after  the  war. 

Col.  Willett,  had/i'g  men  killed  in  this  battle,  two  of  whom 
were  Bellinger  before  mentioned,  and  a  soldier  named  Kittle  : 
and  eight  wounded,  two  mortally;  Capt.  Robert  McKean,  a  brave 
and  meritorious  officer  who  died  the  next  day  at  Fort  Rensselaer,t 
and  a  private  who  died  at  Fort  Plain.  Among  the  wounded  was 
a  son  of  Capt.  McKean,  who  received  a  bullet  in  his  mouth.  The 
loss  of  the  enemy  was  very  severe,  although  never  satisfactorily 
known  ;  it  was  supposed  in  killed  and  mortally  wounded,  to  be 
about  fifty.  Capt.  Dockstader  undertook  the  principal  direction 
of  this  body  of  destructives,  as  was  afterwards  ascertained,  to  show 

•  The  JAfc  of  Brant  erroneously  slates  that  he,  (Dievendorf,)  wns  buried 
by  Willet's  men.  He  says  he  partially  buried  himself  in  leaves,  to  keep  off 
the  punkies  and  musketoes  which  annoyed  him. 

t  This  fort,  erected  early  in  1781,  was  at  Canajoharie,  where  a  stone-house 
owned  by  Philip  Van  Alstine  was  inclosed.  This  ancient  dwelling,  now 
owne  1  by  John  II.  Moyer,  is  still  standing.  It  was  for  a  time  the  head  quar- 
ters of  Col.  Willet. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         461 

hirasell"  worthy  of  a  major's  commission.  He  is  said  to  have  had 
one  other  engagement,  and  returned  to  Canada  with  his  forces 
greatly  reduced,  glad  to  retain  a  captain's  commission. — Strobcck. 

Two  of  the  enemy  carried  a  wounded  comrade  from  the  battle 
field,  on  a  blanket  between  two  poles,  all  the  way  to  the  Gene- 
see valley,  where  he  died.  Col.  Willett  returned  to  Fort  Plain 
without  burying  any  of  the  dead.  After  the  battle  was  over  and 
the  conquerors  had  left  the  field,  Col.  Veeder,*  arrived  there  with 
one  hundred  men  from  the  north  side  of  the  river,  mostly  from 
Stone  Arabia.  He  buried  the  Americans  killed  in  battle,  and  for- 
tunately found  and  buried  those  murdered  near  the  camp.  Young 
Dievendorf,  who  had  been  scalped,  was  discovered  alive  rustling 
among  the  leaves,  and  his  bloody  face  was  mistaken  for  that  of  an 
Indian  by  one  of  Veeder's  men  who  leveled  a  gun  to  he  upon 
him  ;  but  a  fellow  soldier  seasonably  knocked  up  the  weapon. 
Miss  Miller,  also  scalped,  was  found  alive,  and  was  with  the  lad 
Dievendorf  taken  along  to  Fort  Plain.  The  little  girl  was  very 
weak  when  found,  and  on  drinking  a  draught  of  cold  water  she 
instantly  expired  before  reaching  that  fort.  Jacob  Dievendorf 
and  his  brother  Frederick,  under  the  care  of  Doctor  Faught,  a 
German  physician  of  Stone  Arabia,  recovered  from  their  wounds. 
— Strobeck,  Dievendorf  and  Hiller. 

Jacob  Dievendorf 's  head  was  five  years  in  healing.  He  still 
lives  in  Curry  Townj  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  fanners  in  Mont- 
gomery county ;  and  is  in  truth  a  living  monument  of  that  unholy 
policy  which  armed  the  savage,  taught  from  his  infancy  to  prac- 
tise cruelty  on  an  enemy  instead  of  mercy,  with  a  tomahawk  and 
scalping  knife,  to  slay  the  helpless  women  and  unoffending  off- 
spring of  the  rebel  sons  of  Briton,  who  dared  demand  as  their 
right,  the  privileges  of  British  subjects. 

Most  of  the  cattle  driven  away  from  Curry  Town,  being  aban- 
doned in  the  retreat  of  the  enemy,  found  their  way  back  alone  to 
their  former  pastures  :  one  of  twelve  horses  taken  by  the  enemy 
was  recovered  near  the  Indian  camp,  and  three  more  broke  loose 
from  their  new  masters  and  returned  to  the  settlement. — John  Keller. 

•  Col.  Vcedcr  resideJ  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  two  miles  west  of  the  village 
of  FonJa,  oa  the  farm  now  owned  by  LynJs  Jones. 


462  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

On  the  morning  of  the  same  day  on  which  Col.  Willet  en- 
gaged the  enemy,  the  Rev.  P.  N.  Sommer,the  Lutheran  minister  of 
Schoharie,  then  blind,  was  to  have  preached  in  New  Rhinebeck, 
in  which  settlement  he  had  several  sons  with  whom  he  dwelt 
His  hearers,  some  from  a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles,  were  as- 
sembling at  the  barn  of  Conrad  Brown,  and  he  had  taken  his  text, 
as  a  messenger,  named  Utman,  arrived  and  reported  that  he  had 
heard  several  hundred  guns  fired  in  rapid  succession  a  few  miles 
distant.  The  minister,  it  is  said,  turned  deadly  pale  on  hearing 
the  report,  and  the  meeting  was  instantly  broken  up.  Philip  Hoflf- 
man,  the  old  gentleman  living  near  the  France  family,  who  had 
escaped  from  the  tomahawk  of  Crysler  and  his  mercenaries  the 
preceding  fall,  hastened  home  from  the  meeting  to  secrete  his  wife 
once  more ;  and  just  as  he  arrived  at  his  house  some  half  a  dozen 
Indians  came  up  and  killed  and  scalped  them  both.  No  other 
injury  was  done  in  the  settlement  at  that  time.* 

The  Indians,  in  their  retreat  from  Sharon,  crossed  the  west 
creek  in  New  Dorlach,  near  the  former  residence  of  Col.  Rice,  on 
their  way  to  the  Susquehanna. — Brown. 

John  D.  Hiller,  who  now  owns  the  ground  on  which  the  Sha- 
ron battle  was  fought,  found  several  relics  of  that  contest  after 
the  land  was  cleared  up  ;  one  of  which,  the  barrel  of  a  fowling 
gun,  of  London  manufacture,  is  still  in  his  possession.  Many  hu- 
man bones  which  were  bleeching  on  the  land  below,  were  collect- 
ed and  buried. 

I  conjecture  that  some  small  parties  of  the  Indians  who  accom- 
panied Capt.  Dockstader,  lingered  about  the  Susquehanna  and  re- 
turned to  the  frontier  settlements.  In  the  latter  part  of  July,  a 
party  of  the  enemy,  consisting  of  Capt.  David,  a  JNIohawk  sa- 
chem, Seth's  Joseph,  a  Schoharie  Indian,  and  brother  of  Henry, 
and  seven  others — one  of  whom  was  suspected  by  the  prisoners  to 
have  been  a  painted  tory — surprised  William  Bouck  (a  relative 

•  Henry  France,  Marcus  Brown,  and  the  record  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
which  records  the  murder  of  Hoffman  and  wife,  and  Hcrwngen,  as  having 
transpired  on  the  10th  day  of  July,  the  date  given  by  several  living  VJ'itnesses. 
Col.  Stone  erroneously  dates  the  occurrence  on  the  Isl  of  July. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         463 

of  his  namesake  previously  captured,)  and  his  son  Lawrence,  (then 
18  years  old,)  Frederick  Mattice  and  his  son  Frederick,  (a  lad  10 
years  old,)  and  two  little  girls:  one  a  sister  of  young  Mattice,  and 
the  other  a  cousin.  The  captives  when  surprised,  were  engaged 
in  harvesting  wheat  in  the  afternoon,  near  a  large  oak  tree,  which 
is  still  standing  on  the  lands  of  John  Henry,  in  Middleburgh. 
Two  other  lads,  George,  a  son  of  Frederick,  and  Nicholas,  a  son 
of  Wm.  Mattice,  who  were  in  the  field  when  the  enemy  appeared, 
escaped  by  flight.* 

The  party  moved  directly  up  the  Schoharie  valley,  and  .ifter 
proceeding  several  miles,  the  two  girls  were  liberated  and  returned 
home.  They  encamped  the  first  night  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  wheat-field.  When  the  journey  commenced,  the 
Indians  had  but  little  to  eat :  near  the  Gen.  Patchin  place,  they 
shot  a  hedgehog,  which,  when  they  encamped  at  night,  after 
burning  off  the  quills  instead  of  skinning,  they  roasted  for  their 
supper.  Tomahawks  were  used  instead  of  carving  knives  to  dis- 
tribute it,  but  the  prisoners  declined  eating. 

At  night,  the  captives  were  stripped  of  part  of  their  clothing 
and  tightly  bound.  In  the  evening  a  thunder  shower  came  up, 
and  all  the  party  took  shelter  under  a  large  tree.  As  they  laid 
down  to  rest,  Lawrence  Bouck  was  so  closely  pinioned,  he  told 
Capt.  David  he  could  not  sleep,  and  the  rope  was  loosened.  He 
then  laid  down  between  two  Indians,  while  a  third  one  located 
himself  so  as  to  substitute  his  body  for  a  pillow.  While  the  In- 
dians were  eating  supper,  Lawrence,  having  an  opportunity,  told 
the  elder  Mattice,  who  was  his  uncle,  that  he  intended  to  make 
his  escape  that  night.  Some  time  in  the  night,  he  worked  him- 
self out  from  under  the  precious  head  he  pillowed,  and  sat  up. 
Perceiving  the  party  all  asleep,  he  succeeded  in  loosening  the  cord 
which  bound  his  arms.  A  band,  such  as  the  Indians  generally 
used  to  carry  burdens  over  their  shoulders,  adorned  his  neck ; 
which,  in  his  first  efforts  to  loosen,  he  shirred  in  a  noose  tightly 

•  The  particulars  relating  to  the  captivity  of  these  persons,  were  derived 
at  personal  interviews,  from  Lawrence  Bouck  and  the  younger  Mattice  :  two 
of  the  captives. 


464  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

around  his  throat ;  but  this  also  he  removed ;  then  at  a  single 
bound,  without  touching  his  hands,  he  sprang  upon  his  feet :  a 
feat  which  he  declared  himself  unable  ever  afterwards  to  perform. 
Casting  his  eye  over  the  group  indistinctly  visible  upon  the  ground  <^ 
around  him,  he  saw  no  movement ;  and  taking  French  leave  of 
his  drowsy  companions,  he  directed  his  steps  towards  the  Upper 
Schoharie  fort,  only  a  mile  or  two  from  which  he  had  been  cap- 
tured. Bouck  afterwards  learned  from  his  father,  that  his  running 
awoke  the  Indians,  several  of  whom  pursued  him  one  hundred 
yards  or  more ;  but  it  being  too  dark  to  discover  the  course  he 
had  taken,  they  returned.  The  two  Mattices  were  led  out  in  the 
morning  and  tied  to  a  tree  to  be  killed,  the  Indians  suspecting 
them  of  having  loosened  the  cords  which  bound  their  fellow  pri- 
soner. Mr.  Bouck  told  them  that  his  son  would  not  have  made 
his  escape,  had  he  not  feared  they  would  bind  him  so  tight  as  to 
cause  his  death.  He  was  treated  with  far  less  severity  on  the 
way  to  Canada,  than  was  either  Mattice  or  his  son. 

Lawrence  Bouck  arrived  near  the  Patchin  place,  on  his  return, 
just  at  daylight,  where  he  saw  numerous  tracks,  and  was  at  first 
seriously  alarmed,  as  the  captors  had  asserted,  the  day  previous, 
that  a  large  body  of  Indians  were  to  attack  the  Schoharie  settle- 
ments that  day ;  but  on  examining  the  tracks,  his  fears  were  dis- 
pelled, by  observing  that  the  feet  which  made  them  had  not  been 
mocasoned,  as  those  of  Indians  would  have  been. 

When  it  was  known  at  the  forts  that  the  Boucks  and  Mattices 
were  taken  prisoners.  Col.  Vrooraan  dispatched  Capt.  Gray,  with 
a  small  company  of  troops,  in  pursuit.  He  followed  until  eve- 
ning, and  not  overtaking  the  enemy,  returned  to  Schoharie.  Had 
he  prosecuted  the  pursuit  next  day,  it  was  believed  he  would  have 
come  up  with  them.  It  was  the  tracks  of  these  soldiers  that  Law- 
rence Bouck  discovered  while  returning, — George  Richimyer. 

The  captives  were  twenty  days  journeying  to  Niagara,  and  se- 
veral times  were  greatly  straightened  for  food.  Once  on  the  way, 
probably  on  the  Susquehanna,  they  lived  a  day  or  two  on  green 
apples  ;  and  for  four  days  they  had  nothing  to  eat.  At  Oquago 
they  fortunately  found  a  colt  which  had  been  lost  by  Capt.  Dock- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        465 

stadcr's  party.  This  was  killed,  divided  and  feasted  upon.  Part 
of  the  animal  was  dried  by  the  fire  and  taken  along.  One  wild 
duck  was  also  shot  on  the  way.  They  went  down  the  Susque- 
hanna river  to  Chenango  Point,  (now  Binghamton) — on  foot, 
however — and  from  thence  to  the  Genesee  valley,  where  the  pri- 
soners were  compelled  to  run  the  gantlet.  Young  Mattice  had 
been  previously  divested  of  all  his  clothing,  except  his  shirt,  which 
rendered  him  peculiarly  vulnerable  to  the  gads  and  corn-stalks 
used  by  the  young  Indians.  In  the  Genesee  valley  they  obtained 
green  corn  and  pumpkins.  On  arriving  at  the  Tonawanda  creek, 
the  'punkics  tormented  young  Mattice  nights,  and  he  adopted  the 
expedient  of  the  lad  Dievendorf — that  of  burying  his  person  in 
the  forest  leaves — to  keep  them  off.  They  all  laid  down  to  rest 
nights,  like  so  many  dogs  in  a  kennel. 

On  arriving  at  Niagara  the  prisoners  were  confined  in  the  guard 
house.  They  were  soon  after  separated,  Bouck  being  taken  first 
to  Montreal  and  then  to  Quebec — from  whence,  being  exchanged 
for  an  American  prisoner,  he  was  removed  to  Halifax,  and  soon 
after  sailed  for  Boston.  From  the  latter  place  he  traveled  to  Scho- 
harie, where  he  arrived  between  Christmas  and  New  Year's  day, 
the  year  succeeding  his  capture.*  The  Mattices  did  not  return 
home  until  after  the  conclusion  of  peace.  A  tory  brother  of  the 
elder  Mattice,  who  had  left  Schoharie  in  1777,  then  residing  in 
Canada,  on  learning  that  Frederick  was  a  prisoner,  tried  to  per- 
suade an  Indian  to  kill  him.  Such  was  the  fraternal  affection  too 
often  manifested  in  the  Revolution  by  those  who  espoused  the  roy- 
al cause.  Mr.  Mattice  was  retained  by  an  Indian,  five  weeks,  to 
construct  a  log  house.     During  this  time,  the  latter,  on  one  occa- 

•  Peter  Zimmer,  of  Schoharie,  taken  the  July  following  Bouck's  capture, 
and  Adam  Garlock  of  Sharon,  fellow  prisoners,  accompanied  him  home  from 
Boston.  On  their  way  they  had  to  beg  provisions,  and  the  cupboards  of  the 
patriotic  Yankees  were  willingly  opened  to  them.  Garlock  evinced  some  de- 
licacy lest  they  might  tax  too  heavily  the  hospitality  of  strangers,  and  when 
the  inquiry  whether  they  would  not  have  more  bread,  was  made,  he  replied  no, 
they  had  a  great  plenty.  His  ready  answers  cost  his  companions  several 
stinted  meals,  until  they  threatened  to  flog  him  if  he  again  prevented  their 
saiifying  their  hunger.  They  afterwards  fared  belter,  and  reached  home  in 
safety. 


466  msTORY  OF  schoharie  county, 

sion,  returned  from  Niagara  drunk,  and  got  his  prisoner  up  in  the 
night  to  murder  him.  He  struck  a  blow  at  his  head  with  some 
missile,  which  the  latter  parried,  and  the  Indian's  squaw  caught 
hold  of  her  liege  lord  and  held  him,  sending  Mattice  out  of  the 
hut,  where  he  remained  until  the  demonizing  effect  of  the  alcohol 
passed  from  the  warrior's  brain. 

On  the  ratification  of  peace  in  the  summer  of  1783,  the  British 
and  American  prisoners  were  all  liberated,  at  which  time  the  Mat- 
tices  were  put  on  board  of  a  sloop,  with  about  six  hundred  others, 
and  taken  to  Bucks  Island,  near  the  outlet  of  Lake  Ontario,  from 
whence  they  were  sent  to  Montreal  in  bateaus.  After  a  delay  of 
two  weeks,  the  Mattices,  with  a  great  number  of  other  prisoners, 
proceeded  by  water  up  the  river  Sorel,  and  landed  at  Plattsburg, 
on  Lake  Champlain,  and  were  set  free  about  the  16th  day  of  De- 
cember. The  snow  was  then  some  six  inches  deep,  through  which 
they  had  to  foot  it  home.  The  prisoners  were  tolerably  well  pro- 
tected against  the  weather  by  old  clothes  given  them  at  different 
places.  Three  brothers,  named  Van  Alstyne,  who  had  been  cap- 
tured in  the  Mohawk  valley,  returned  home  with  the  Schoharie 
prisoners. 

On  Sunday  preceding  August  14th  of  this  year,  about  four  hun- 
dred Indians  and  tories,  under  Capt.  Caldwell,  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  Ulster  county,  but  were  so  warmly  received  by  the  ci- 
tizens and  militia  in  several  skirmishes,  that  they  retreated  with 
much  more  loss  than  gain.  At  this  time.  Gov.  Clinton,  fearing 
the  next  point  of  attack  from  the  enemy  would  be  Schoharie, 
wrote  to  Gen.  Gansevoort,  the  commanding  officer  at  Albany,  to 
send  a  detachment  of  troops  there  to  protect  those  settlements. 
About  the  same  time.  Col.  Vrooman,  of  Schoharie,  who  had  heard 
of  the  enemy's  proximity,  wrote  Gen.  Gansevoort  for  assistance. 
Troops  were  accordingly  dispatched,  under  Colonels  Van  Rens- 
selaer and  Wemple,  to  Schoharie,  where  they  were  joined  by  a 
party  of  Oneidas  from  Schenectada.* — Letters  of  Gov.  Clinton  to 
Gen.  Gansevoort,  and  note  to  the  same  in  Stone's  Life  of  Brant. 

•The  aid  thus  seasonably  sent  to  Schoharie  was  fortunately  not  called  into 
requisition.     I  conclude  that  the  forces  under  Capt.  Caldwell  consisted  prin- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         467 

At  the  Kcycs'  place  in  Sharon,*  dwelt  in  the  Revolution,  a 
Hanoverian  named  Christian  Myndcrt,  whose  family  was  the 
only  one  in  that  part  of  Sharon.  Having  been  alarmed  several 
times  in  the  summer,  he  removed  towards  fall,  in  1781,  to  Fort 
Duboise ;  leaving,  at  the  time  of  his  departure,  several  hogs  run- 
ning in  a  field,  and  a  quantity  of  peas  growing  on  the  ground.  In 
the  latter  part  of  October,  Myndert,  accompanied  by  Lieut.  Jacob 
Borst,  of  Cobelskill,  sergeant  \Vm.  Kneiskern,  and  Jacob  Kerker, 
proceeded  to  the  dwelling  of  the  former,  in  Myndcrt's  val- 
ley, to  secure  his  peas,  shut  up  his  hogs,  and  take  care  of  some 
other  property.  John  Crounse  now  lives  on  the  Myndert  farm. 
The  day  was  cold  and  stormy,  rain  and  snow  alternately  falling. 
The  party  were  endeavoring  to  secure  the  hogs,  when  six  Indians 
commanded  by  Walradt,  a  tory  from  the  Mohawk  valley,  who 
had  been  watching  their  motions  for  some  time,  secreted  them- 
selves in  Myndert's  barn  near  his  dwelling. 

After  Lieut.  Borst  and  his  companions  had  been  thus  engaged, 
they  repaired  to  the  house,  wet  and  cold,  to  warm  themselves. 
On  entering  it,  they  set  their  guns  in  one  corner  of  a  room  and 
gathered  round  the  fire  place,  where  was  igniting  a  quantity  of 
dry  wood.  At  this  time  the  enemy  entered  the  dwelling,  and  so 
suddenly,  that  not  one  of  the  party  could  seize  a  gun  in  time  to 
fire.  Borst  snatched  up  his,  however,  but  in  attempting  to  turn 
around  to  discharge  it,  he  was  prevented  by  an  Indian  who  had 
anticipated  his  movement.  Kneiskern  seized  a  chair  to  strike  one 
of  the  invaders,  but  the  latter  grappled  it  in  the  same  instant. 
Seeing  the  foes  nearly  double  their  own  number,  with  arms 
in  their  hands,  the  Americans  surrendered  themselves  prisoners 

cipallyof  the  same  destructives  led  by  Capt.  Dockstader  to  Curry  Town  four 
weeks  before  ;  that  the  latter  officer,  meeting  a  body  of  the  enemy  on  their 
way  to  the  frontier  settlements  of  New  York,  with  most  of  his  men,  joined 
Caldwell  in  the  enterprise.  If  so,  this  will  account  for  the  information  of 
Mr.  Strobeck,  that  Dockstader  was  again  engaged  with,  and  defeated  by  the 
Americans,  after  Willel's  battle  in  Sharon,  with  very  serious  loss,  before  his 
retarn  to  Canada. 

•  The  tavern  stand  of  Zachariah  Keyes,  an  inn-keeper,  known  to  every 
one  who  traveled  the  western  turnpike  twenty-five  years  ago.  Several  plea- 
sing anecdoles  of  him  are  omitted  for  the  want  of  room. 


468  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

without  further  resistance.  The  latter  were  then  bound,  Borst  and 
Knciskern  very  tightly,  some  little  plunder  made,  and  all  set  for- 
ward on  their  journey  to  Canada.  They  proceeded  to  New 
Dorlach,  but  a  few  miles  distant,  on  their  way  toward  the  Sus- 
quehanna, and  encamped  for  the  night.  Borst  and  Kneiskern, 
thinking  their  foes  all  asleep,  were  planning  their  destruction  and 
their  own  escape,  when  an  Indian  who  had  been  watching  their 
intimacy,  approached  and  asked  them  what  they  were  talking 
about;  and  whether  they  did  not  contemplate  killing  their  cap- 
tors. They  replied  that  they  were  complaining  of  the  cords  be- 
ing so  tight  they  could  not  sleep.  The  Indians  did  not  allow  them 
an  unguarded  moment,  and  they  found  it  impossible  to  escape. 

It  began  to  snow  soon  after  they  left  Myndert's  place,  and  the 
captives  suffered  very  much  on  their  journey  from  the  severity  of 
the  weather,  the  want  of  proper  food,  and  the  cruelty  of  their 
masters.  As  they  approached  Indian  settlements,  they  were 
compelled  to  run  the  gantlet,  by  which  severe  corporal  chas- 
tisement was  inflicted  on  all,  but  the  most  severely  on  Borst,  who 
fell  into  a  decline  soon  after  reaching  Niagara,  owing  to  his  cruel 
treatment  on  the  journey,  and  death  soon  after  ended  his  miseries. 
Thus  ignobly  fell  one  of  the  most  daring  spirits  Schoharie  pro- 
duced during  the  war.  Kerker,  who  was  confined  with  Borst, 
was  a  good  nurse,  and  took  care  of  the  latter  while  lingering  with 
consumption.  Kneiskern,  who  was  imprisoned  on  an  island  in 
the  St.  Lawrence,  succeeded  one  night,  in  company  with  several 
other  prisoners,  in  making  his  escape.  They  dug  out  beneath 
the  pickets  which  inclosed  the  fort  where  they  were  confined, 
made  a  raft  on  which  they  floated  down  the  river;  and  one  of  the 
party,  from  fear  the  raft  might  not  be  sufficient  to  carry  them  in 
safety,  swam  eight  or  nine  miles  with  but  little  support,  his  clothes 
being  upon  it,  to  where  they  effected  a  landing  on  the  American 
shore.  After  suffering  incredible  hardships  in  the  forest,  living  on 
birch  bark,  roots,  &c.,  they  arrived  in  safety  among  friends,  where 
their  wants  were  supplied,  and  they  reached  their  homes. — Henry 
Frcmcef  and  John  M.  Brown. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         469 

Sometime  in  the  summer  of  1781,  Solomon  Woodworth,  who 
so  gallantly  defended  the  Sacondaga  block-house,  single-handed, 
in  the  spring  of  17S0,  having  been  appointed  to  the  command  of 
a  company  of  rangers,  was  stationed  at  Fort  Herkimer.  Accom- 
panied by  his  lieutenant,  Wilson,  forty-three  soldiers,  and  five 
friendly  Indians,  he  left  that  fort  on  a  pleasant  summer's  morning, 
and  crossing  the  Mohawk,  passed  up  the  West  Canada  creek,  on 
a  secret  expedition.  His  movements,  however,  had  been  carefully 
noted  by  his  foes,  who  were  hovering  about  the  settlement  in  great 
numbers,  thirsting  for  his  blood.  Capt.  Woodworth's  command 
made  a  fine  appearance  on  leaving  the  fort,  and  were  in  unusually 
good  spirits.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  few  miles  up  the  stream 
when  they  found  themselves  instantly  surrounded  by  a  large  body 
of  the  enemy,  with  whom  they  contended  bravely  for  a  time,  but 
were  overpowered  by  numbers,  and  their  leader  and  many  of  his 
men  killed.  Of  the  whole  fifty,  who  set  out  in  the  morning  full 
of  life  and  hope,  only  fifteen  whites  and  two  Indians  again  reached 
the  fort,  having  cut  their  way  through  the  thick  ranks  of  the  foe- 
man.  A  party  sent  to  bury  the  dead,  found  their  bodies  greatly 
mutilated  and  disfigured,  done  by  the  Indians  to  revenge  the  death 
of  the  five  slain  by  Woodworth  and  party  as  before  shown. 

The  same  season  a  man  named  Weaver  went  to  catch  a  horse 
in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Dayton,  and  was  shot  down  and  scalped. 
He  was  left  for  dead,  but  revived  and  lived  three  days.  Captain 
Small  and  a  soldier  who  went  from  the  same  fort  that  fall  to  an 
orchard  to  bury  apples,  were  surprised  by  a  party  of  Indians  and 
both. killed.  Two  men  were  shot  at  Fort  Herkimer  the  same  year 
for  desertion.  They  were  tried  at  a  fort  below,  and  sent  there  to 
be  executed.  As  they  sat  upon  their  coflfins,  a  sergeant  and  six 
privates  fired  at  one,  and  a  corporal  and  six  privates  at  the  other; 
after  which  two  soldiers  advanced  and  discharged  their  pieces  with 
the  muzzles  near,  into  the  heads  of  the  unfortunate  men,  blowing 
out  their  brains. — Sylvanus  Wilcox,  a  soldier  at  Fort  Dayton  in 
1781,  aiid  general  of  mililia  after  the  war. 


(  470  ) 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


On  the  afternoon  of  October  24th,  1781,  a  body  of  the  enemy, 
consisting  of  nearly  seven  hundred  British  and  royalist  troops  and 
Indians,  under  Ma].  Ross,  who  was  accompanied  in  the  expedition 
by  Maj.  Walter  Butler,  of  Cherry  Valley  memory,  entered  the 
Mohawk  river  settlements,  making  their  first  appearance  in  Curry 
Town.  Passing  through  that  ill-starred  place,  which  had  been 
pretty  effectually  destroyed  the  preceding  July,  they  avoided  the 
little  fort  and  did  not  fire  the  buildings  then  standing,  from  fear  of 
frustrating  part  of  their  enterprise.  Proceeding  from  thence  to 
the  Mohawk  valley,  they  met  and  captured  Jacob  Tanner,  Rudolf 
Keller,  and  his  wife,  Frederick  Utman,  Michael  Stowits,  and  Ja- 
cob Myers,  citizens  of  Curry  Town,  as  they  were  returning  from 
the  funeral  of  a  Mrs.  Putman,  who  had  been  buried  that  afternoon 
near  Lasher's  canal  tavern.  Mrs.  Keller  was  left  near  Yates's,  by 
the  interposition  of  a  nephew  who  was  among  the  tories,  and  the 
party  afterwards  avoided  capturing  females.  Mr.  Myers,  who  was 
far  advanced  in  years,  being  unable  to  endure  the  fatigues  of  so 
long  and  rapid  a  march,  was  killed  and  scalped  on  the  way  to 
Canada,  and  his  body  there  left  a  prey  for  wild  beasts. — John 
Keller. 

Maj.  Ross  proceeded  down  the  Mohawk,  taking  the  new  road 
but  recently  laid  over  Stone  Ridge,  in  Root.  On  the  Ridge  they 
captured  John  Wood,  the  son  of  a  widow,  at  whose  house  they  ar- 
rived near  twilight.     Joseph  Printup,*  a  lieutenant  of  militia,  was 

•  William  Printup,  an  Englishman,  father  of  the  one  named  in  the  context, 
who  was  among  ihc  early  sellicrs  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  was  a  blacksmith, 
and  resided  near  the  lower  Mohawk  caslle.  While  there,  he  was  employed 
by  the  British  government  to  repair  guns,  make  axes,  hatchets,  hoes,  &c.,for 
the  natives.     One  day  when  Printup  was  at  work  in  his  shop,  an  Indian,  who 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  471 

living  at  that  time  near  the  residence  of  his  son,  the  late  William 
I.  Printup.  He  was  at  home  as  Ross  approached,  and  Jacob 
Frank,  a  brother-in-law,  John  Loucks  and  John  Van  Alstyne, 
neighbors,  were  also  at  his  house.  Printup  had  just  been  clean- 
ing his  gun,  and  as  he  loaded  it  and  returned  the  ram-rod,  he  re- 
marked, "  J^'cio  I  am  ready  for  the  Indians .'"  He  had  scarcely 
uttered  the  words,  when  an  advance  party  of  them,  just  at  dusk, 
was  seen  approaching  the  door.  Frank  and  Loucks  sprang  out 
of  the  house  and  fled  up  the  hill  south ;  the  former  was  shot  down, 
however,  and  scalped,  but  the  latter  unscathed,  eifected  his  escape. 
As  the  Indians  approached  his  door,  Printup  fired  at  them,  when 
they  rushed  into  the  house,  and  one  of  them,  placing  the  muzzle 
of  his  gun  near  Printup's  breast,  drew  the  trigger, — at  which  in- 
stant the  latter  struck  the  weapon  down,  and  its  bullet  passed 
through  the  fleshy  part  of  the  thigh.  A  tory  acquaintance,  who 
was  with  the  enemy,  then  interfered  to  save  Printup's  life,  and  he 
was  taken  prisoner,  soon  after  which  the  enemy  resumed  their 
march  down  the  river.  A  little  distance  cast  of  Printup's,  a  halt 
was  made  at  a  large  rock  beside  the  road  to  kill  him;  but  the  to- 
ry again  interposed,  and  declared  he  should  not  be  killed  while 
he  could  keep  up  with  his  captors.  Van  Alstyne  lent  his  servi- 
ces to  aid  his  wounded  companion,  who  leaned  upon  his  shoulder, 
and  was  thus  enabled  to  continue  the  journey. — John,  a  son  of  Jo- 
seph Printup. 

had  taken  umbrage  at  him  from  some  cause,  entered  the  shop  and  bade  him 
kneel  down  and  pray.  "Pray!''  said  Printup,  '^for  what  /"'  "Because  lamgo- 
tng  to  kill  you,"  was  the  reply.  "To  kill  me>  I'll  beat  your  head  in  with  my 
hammer,"  he  retorted,  raising  the  instrument  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  giving 
evidence  of  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  as  he  turned  upon  his  red  foe.  The 
latter,  armed  only  with  a  knife,  was  taken  all  aback,  and  seeing  the  deter- 
mined look  of  his  antagonist,  fled  from  his  shop,  hotly  pursued  by  Vulcan  in 
his  leather  apron,  with  uplifted  hammer.  The  chase  was  continued  for  some 
distance,  in  the  presence  of  many  Mohawks,  who  were  not  a  little  amused  ; 
andfwho  added  several  loud  whoops,  crying  out,  "Kill  urn  Print !  Cha-aw.go- 
cheth-claw-go !"  terrifying  the  poor  fellow  so  tliat  he  buried  himself  in  the 
recesses  of  the  forest,  and  never  again  disturbed  the  labors  of  the  King's 
blacksmith.  The  Indian  word  Cha-awgo-cheth-elaw-so,  signifying  PurstU' 
and-killhimifyoucan,  was  the  name  by  which  Printup  was  ever  after  called 
by  the  natives. — J.  L.  Groat. 

31 


472  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Jacob,  a  brother  of  John  Van  Alstyne  named  above,  resided  on 
the  Stone  Ridge  at  this  time.  He  had  been  to  attend  a  rehgious 
meeting  near  the  present  village  of  Fultonville,  and  was  return- 
ing home  on  horseback,  when  he  unexpectedly  fell  in  Avith  the 
enemy.  A  large  Indian  seized  the  bridle,  several  of  his  fellows 
drew  Van  Alstyne  from  the  horse  a  prisoner,  and  the  former  mount- 
ed. The  Indian  was  hardly  upon  his  back,  when  the  horse,  not 
fancying  his  new  rider,  reared,  floundered  and  soon  left  him  upon 
the  ground  with  a  broken  shoulder.  The  sagacious  animal  then 
set  off  at  fall  speed,  and  the  enemy  opening  to  the  right  and  left, 
gave  him  a  free  passage ;  and  not  caring  to  fire  on  him,  he  escaped 
from  them  and  returned  home,  greatly  alarming  Van  Alstyne's  fa- 
mily as  may  be  supposed.  The  prisoner  was  divested  of  part  of 
his  clothing  and  the  march  resumed. — Cornelius  G.  Van  Jllstyne. 

Charles  Van  Epps,  who  resided  where  the  dwelling  of  Evert 
Yates  now  stands  in  Fultonville,  escaped  wath  his  family  as  the 
enemy  approached.  Evert  Van  Epps,  a  nephew  of  the  former, 
started  in  the  evening,  which  was  very  dark,  to  go  to  his  uncle's, 
(distant  from  his  own  dwelling  scarcely  one  quarter  of  a  mile,) 
to  enquire  after  the  news.  Possibly  he  had  heard  the  firing  at 
Printup's  two  miles  above,  and  suspected  all  was  not  right.  He 
had  not  proceeded  half  way  to  his  uncle's  residence,  when,  as  he 
had  crossed  a  small  bridge  and  was  opening  a  swing  gate  near 
the  end  of  it  into  the  road,  in  the  present  garden  of  John  Mead, 
he  heard  the  click  made  by  cocking  several  guns,  and  a  voice 
sternly  demand  "  TF/10'5  there.  ?"  The  first  thought  of  Van  Epps, 
who  could  distinguish  no  visible  object,  was,  to  turn  and  flee  ;  but 
supposing  some  of  the  enemy  might  be  in  his  rear,  or  that  he 
would  instantly  be  fired  at  if  he  attempted  to  run,  he  remained  at 
the  gate  and  was  soon  surrounded  by  a  hostile  party,  wl^,o  were 
on  their  way  to  his  house.  On  securing  this  prisoner,  the  enemy 
again  moved  forward. — John  E.,  son  of  Evert  Van  Epps. 

Opposite  is  a  very  accurate  view  of  Fultonville,  as  seen  in  the 
summer  from  an  eminence  in  Fonda,  on  ihe  opposite,  or  north 
side  of  the  Mohawk.  In  giving  place  to  this  plate,  it  may  be  ne- 
cessary to  assign  some  reason  for  its  insertion.  The  village  has 
but  few  historic  associations,  and  is  but  the  fourth  of  importance 


'•M^linwlllitle 
"^  of  Hs  fellows 
^tlieffflDierflioK. 
'^  lie  fee,  not 
"""iI'ftliiDnipon 
ofl®  sm'ml  tieii 

^nliiiDjlieescapeii 

?Van.\]slyne'sfa. 

nested  of  part  of 

iiclliDg  of  Evert 
:ii!i3  family  as  the 
iit  of  tlie  former, 
':  JO  to  his  uncle's, 
;alfr  of  a  mile,) 
iorrf  lie  feg  at 
15  not  fight  He 
ence,  when,  as  he 
I  mi  late  near 
•,::-i]okMead, 
-.::•.  i:f\  a  voice 
.::;;;'VaaEpps, 

13  rear,  or  that  he 
-a,  he  remained  at 


e  party 


wtowere 


rioner,  the  enemy 

■    -norii 


478  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

him  from  motives  of  policy.  Again  the  Indian  who  had  captured 
Printup  was  about  to  sink  a  tomahawk  into  his  head,  but  was 
prevented  by  the  tory  who  had  before  interdicted  such  an  occur- 
rence. From  Auriesville,  the  enemy  proceeded  to  Fort  Hunter, 
forded  the  Schoharie  near  its  mouth  and  prosecuted  their  enter- 
prise as  far  as  Yankee  Hill,  in  the  present  town  of  Florida.  From 
thence,  becoming  fearful  of  pursuit,  the  main  body  forded  the  Mo- 
hawk and  directed  their  course  to  Johnstown.  Small  parties  of 
the  Indians,  however,  carried  their  designs  still  further ;  but  Capt. 
Wm.  Snook,  who  had  been  notified  of  their  approach,  sent  Con- 
rad Stein,  an  officer  under  him,  to  warn  the  settlers  of  danger, 
and  they  generally  effected  their  escape,  with  a  portion  of  their 
property.  A  short  time  before  the  Revolution,  Matthias  Wart 
and  Marcus  Hand,  Germans,  settled  in  the  interior  of  this  town. 
The  invaders  burnt  the  dwellings  of  Wart,  Henry  Rury,  Captain 
Snook,  John  Stein,  Samuel  Pettingell,  Wm.  DeLine,  Patrick  Con- 
nelly, George  Young,  and  several  others  in  the  neighborhood. 
Near  the  house  of  Rury,  a  man  named  Bowman  was  captured, 
and  in  attempting  his  escape,  soon  after,  was  killed.  The  female 
part  of  Rury's  family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  her  sister  Harriet 
Notman,  and  a  little  girl  named  Jane  Shelp,  were  made  prisoners 
by  One  Armed  Peter ;  who  conducted  them  some  distance  from 
the  house.  Harriet  had  a  child  in  her  arms,  and  falling  down 
with  it,  Peter  insisted  on  carrying  it,  as  supposed,  to  prevent  his 
being  shot,  should  he  meet  an  American  marksman.  Arriving  at 
a  by-place,  the  party  hailed,  and  the  Indian  asked  the  young  wo- 
men if  they  had  any  mcney.  An  outside  pocket  was  then  worn 
over  the  dress,  and  Harriet,  loosening  hers,  handed  it  to  him. 
From  it  he  transfered  two  doubloons  to  his  own  person,  and  then 
returned  it.  Giving  a  loud  yell,  it  was  responded  to  by  some  half 
a  dozen  so  terrific,  as  to  cause  Miss  Jane  to  faint  away  beside  a 
log.  Being  joined  by  several  of  his  comrades,  Peter  gave  the 
prisoners  their  liberty,  and  no  further  injury  or  violence  was  offered 
them. 

The  suffering  of  Printup  must  have  been  acute  while  crossing 
the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk  rivers,  the  waters  of  which  were  then 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        477 

cold.  On  arriving  at  Johnstown,  Mrs.  Van  Sickler,  a  Scotchwo- 
man, and  resident  of  the  place,  interceded  in  his  behalf,  and  he 
was  left  at  her  house  :  from  whence  he  returned  home  and  was 
cured  of  his  wounds. — Van  Epps,  Printup  and  John  Hand.  At 
Johnstown,  Hugh  McMonts,  a  constable,  and  William  Crowley 
were  surprised  and  killed. — Mrs.  Penelope  Forbes. 

What  other  mischief  the  invaders  occasioned  previous  to  their 
arrival  in  Johnstown,  I  have  not  learned ;  but  it  is  presumed  that 
other  prisoners  were  made,  and  possibly  some  other  citizens  slain. 
On  the  following  day,  Col.  Willet  having  collected  what  troops 
could  be  spared  from  the  garrisons  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  and 
miUtia  in  the  vicinity,  marched  to  attack  the  enemy,  who  were 
overtaken  near  Johnson  Hall,  where  a  severe  engagement  took 
place,  which  lasted  for  several  hours,  with  alternate  success. 
Capt.  Zielie,  a  brave  militia  officer,  was  captured  by  the  enemy 
during  the  day,  and  taken  to  Canada,  receiving  while  there  his 
full  share  of  suffering.  Ross  was  finally  compelled  to  retreat, 
which  he  did  with  serious  loss.  He  proceeded  about  four  miles 
and  encamped  for  the  night,  at  which  time  the  prisoner  Van 
Alstyne  escaped.* — C.  G.  Van  Alstyne.     Retreating  westward 

•  The  following  iacident  attendant  on  the  Johnstown  battle,  was  told  the 
author  by  Joseph  Wagner.  In  the  Revolution  a  hedge-fence  ran  eastward 
from  Johnson  Hall,  and  the  men  under  Willei  were  upon  one  side  of  it,  and  those 
under  Ross  the  other.  After  a  few  shots  the  Americans  retreated  in  confu- 
sion, but  were  rallied,  returned  to  the  field;  and  acting  in  concert  with  troops 
in  the  enemy's  rear,  gained  a  signal  victory:  When  the  Americans  first  re- 
treated, Wagner  was  the  last  man  to  leave  the  ground.  Seeing  an  officer 
genteelly  clad  spring  into  the  fence  near,  he  fired  and  brought  him  down. 
In  an  instant  a  hundred  guns  were  leveled  at  his  own  person,  and  he  fled  in 
safety  amid  their  discharge.  After  the  battle  was  over  and  Willel's  men  had 
encamped,  Wagner  attended  by  several  friends  visited  the  field  to  learn  the 
fate  of  the  handsome  officer  he  had  fired  at.  He  found  him  on  the  ground  near 
where  he  had  fallen,  and  addressed  him  much  as  follows: — My  dear  sir,  I 
am  the  man  who  shot  you  in  the  afternoon,  but  I  have  a  fellow  feeling  for 
you  :  permit  me  and  I  will  take  you  to  our  camp,  where  you  shall  receive 
kind    treatment  and  good   care.     "  I  would  rather  die  on  this  spot,"  v>'iis  his 

emphatic  reply,  '•  than  leave  it  with  a  d d  rebel !"     The  young  officer,  who 

was  very  good  looking,  with  long  black  hair,  was  left  to  his  fate. 

By  dawn  of  day  the  Americans  were  put  in  motion,  and  Wagner  saw  no 
more  of  the  warrior  named  ;  but  on  the  approach   of  several  Oneidas  in  the 


478  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

from  Johnstown,*  the  enemy  took  the  Fish  House  road. — Joseph 
Wagner.  Arriving  at  the  East  and  West  Canada  creeks,  the  en- 
emy forded  them  four  abreast,  carrying  poles  to  prevent  falUng. — 
Van  Epps.     Near  the  West  Canada  creek,  a  skirmish  took  place 

morning,  he  observed  in  the  hands  of  one,  a  scalp,  the  hair  of  which  re- 
sembled  that  of  his. 

Capt.  Andrew  Fink,  a  native  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  who  possessed  a  spirit 
suited  for  the  times,  was  also  in  the  Johnstown  battle.  In  a  correspond- 
ence between  Andrew  Fink,  his  son,  and  H.  F.  Yates,  in  which  a  part  of  the 
military  services  of  the  captain  are  mentioned,  I  find  the  following  facts  no- 
ted. During  the  action  near  the  Hall,  the  British  took  from  the  Americans  a 
field-piece,  which  Col.  Willet  was  anxious  to  recover.  He  sent  Capt.  Fink 
with  a  party  of  volunteers  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy,  and  if  possible  get  the 
lost  cannon.  Three  of  the  volunteers  were  Christian  and  Myndert  Fink, 
brothers  of  the  captain,  and  George  Stansell.  While  observing  the  movement 
of  the  enemy  from  the  covert  of  a  fallen  tree,  Stansell  was  shot  down  beside 
his  brave  leader,  with  a  bullet  through  his  lungs;  and  was  borne  from  the 
woods  by  Hanyost  Fink.  Strengthening  his  party  of  volunteers,  Capt.  Fink 
again  entered  the  forest,  soon  after  which  he  picked  up  a  British  knapsack 
containing  a  bottle  of  French  brand]/  and  a  cocked  hat.  The  cannon  was  soon 
after  re-captured,  and  it  being  near  night,  Willet  drew  off  his  men  and  quar- 
tered  them  in  the  old  Episcopal  church  in  Johnstown  ;  gaining  entrance  by 
breaking  in  a  window. 

•  Most  of  the  Scotch  settlers  in  and  around  Johnstown  either  went  to  Can- 
ada with  the  Johnsons  at  the  beginning  of  difficulties,  or  if  they  remained, 
were  more  the  friends  of  the  British  than  the  American  government. 
Duncan  McGregor,  who  resided  several  miles  north  of  Johnson  Hall,  was  an 
exception.  At  the  time  of  Ross'  invasion,  several  Indians  and  a  tory  entered 
this  pioneer's  house  in  the  evening,  who  left  it  as  they  were  approaching,  un- 
observed by  them.  He  gained  the  rear  of  his  log-dwelling,  and  through  a 
cran»y  watched  the  motions  of  the  party.  He  was  armed  with  a  gun  and  a 
sword,  and  resolved  that  if  any  injury  or  insult  was  offered  his  wife,  to  shoot 
the  offender  and  flee  to  the  woods.  Mrs.  McGregor  detected  a  tory  as  one  of 
the  party,  by  observing  his  white  skin  where  the  paint  had  worn  off.  This 
while  Indian  enquired  of  her,  "  if  she  could  not  give  them  something  to  eat." 
She  replied  that  she  had  some  jonny-cake  and  milk.  "  That  will  do,"  said  he, 
and  soon  they  were  eating.  As  they  rose  from  the  table,  one  of  them  espied 
a  handsomely  painted  chest  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  and  asked  what  it  con- 
tained? "  It  contains  books,"  said  she,  "  and  other  articles  belonging  to  a  re- 
lative in  Albany."  "  Ah  !"  said  the  speaker,  "  he  belongs  to  the  rebel  army 
I  suppose?"  She  replied  that  he  did;  and  her  countenance  indicated  no  little 
anxiety  as  he  exclaimed  with  a  menacing  gesture,  "  be  careful  you  do  not  de- 
ceive us."  One  of  the  intruders  with  a  tomahawk  instantly  split  the  cover, 
and  the  books  and  sundry  articles  of  clothing  were  thrown  upon  the  floor. 
The  clothing  was  added  to  their  stock  of  plunder,  and  soon  after  the  warriors 
departed. — .^.  J.  Comrie. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        479 

between  Willet's  advance  under  a  sergeant,  and  a  party  of  the 
enemy,  in  which  several  of  the  latter  were  killed. — John  Ostrom. 
After  the  enemy  had  passed  West  Canada  creek,  Walter  But- 
ler lingered  behind,  unconscious  of  being  within  reach  of  Ameri- 
can rifles,  and  having  dismounted,  he  was  in  the  act  of  drinking 
water  from  a  tin  cup,  as  he  was  discovered  by  Daniel  Olendorf, 
and  Anthony,  a  Mohawk  sachem,  both  well  known  in  the  valley. 
The  two,  who  were  a  scout  in  advance  of  Willet's  army,  readily 
recognized  the  tory  chieftain,  and  both  fired  upon  him.     He  fell, 
and  the  Indian,  casting  off'  his  blanket  and  upon  it  his  rifle,  dash- 
ed through  the  stream,  tomahawk  in  hand,  to  him.     He  was  lying 
with  one  elbow  upon  the  ground,  the  hand  supporting  his  aching 
head,  and  as  his  foe  approached,  he  raised  the  other  hand  implor- 
ingly and  cried — "  Spare  me — give  me  quarters .'"    Remember- 
ing the  onslaught  at  Cherry-Valley,  and  the  part  the  suppliant 
had  there  acted  amid  the  unheeded  prayers  of  weeping  mothers 
and  orphan  children,  the  Indian  replied,  "  Me  give  you  Sherry- 
Falley  quarters .'" — burying,  with  the  words,  his  keen-edged  toma- 
hawk in  his  brain.     At  the  moment  he  fell.  Col.  Willet  and  seve- 
ral of  his  officers  arrived  upon  the  bank  of  the  creek.     Informed 
by  Olendorf  of  Butler's  proximity,  he  instantly  forded  the  stream, 
attended  by  Col.  Lewis,  the  Indian  chief,  on  horseback,  followed  by 
Col.  And.  Gray  of  Stone  Arabia,  and  John  Brower  of  the  Mohawk 
valley,  on  foot :  the  two  latter  walking  together  to  stem  the  cur- 
rent.    They  reached  the  spot  just  as  Anthony  raised  his  knife  to 
perform  the  last  act  in  the  tragedy.     Seeing  his  chief  he  asked  him 
if  he  should  do  it,  making  a  circular  motion  around  the  bleeding 
head.     The  red  colonel  asked  Willet  if  he  should  be  scalped,  who 
replied,  he  belongs  to  your  party,  Col.  Lewis.     An  approving  look 
was  sufficient,  and  the  reeking  scalp-lock  was  torn  off,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  those  witnesses,  as  the  victim  lay  quivering  in  death. 
Such  was  the  fall  of  Walter  Butler. — Daniel  and  Peter  Olendorf, 
sons  of  Daniel  Olendorf  named  in  the  context ;  and  John  I.  Brower, 
son  of  John  Brower  above  named. 

Which  of  the  American  scout  shot  Butler  is  uncertain,  but  Olen- 
dorf slated  to  his  friends  that  he  aimed  at  the  cup,  which,  as  the 


*480  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

sun  shone  upon  it,  afforded  him  a  good  mark ;  and  as  Butler  was 
wounded  in  the  head,  it  is  highly  probable  the  ball  of  Olendorf  s 
rifle  brought  him  down.  The  Indian  having  stripped  his  victim, 
re-crossed  the  creek  to  his  companion,  and  hastily  putting  on  the 
regimentals  began  to  strut  about  and  assume  the  airs  of  a  British 
officer.  "  /  be  Brisk  ofser  f"  said  he  to  Olendorf.  "  You  are  a 
foolV  replied  the  latter.  ^^ Me  foolV^  responded  the  Indian 
with  warmth — ^'-  Me  fool?  JVb,  me  Brisk  ofser!"  and  again  the 
bushes  had  to  bow  their  submission  to  his  assumed  character. 
Said  Olendorf  again,  "  You  are  a  fool !  and  if  any  of  our  men 
should  see  you  at  your  back,  they  would  mistake  you  for  the  vil- 
lain who  once  wore  those  clothes  and  instantly  shoot  you  down." 
This  was  a  view  of  the  case  which  the  Indian  had  not  taken,  but 
the  words  were  hardly  uttered  by  his  comrade  ere  he  doffed  them 
and  resumed  his  blanket. — The  Olendorf  brotkers. 

The  prisoners  captured  by  Maj.  Ross  and  party,  suffered  much 
on  their  way  to  Canada  from  the  cold,  being  seventeen  days  jour- 
neying to  the  Genesee  valley,  during  which  time  they  were  com- 
pelled to  live  almost  wholly  on  a  stinted  allowance  of  horse-flesh. 
Some  of  the  prisoners  wintered  in  the  Genesee  valley,  and  were 
taken  to  Niagara  the  following  March.  Keller,  one  of  the  Curry 
Town  prisoners,  on  arriving  at  Niagara,  was  sold,  and  one  Coun- 
tryman, a  native  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  then  an  officer  in  the  Bri- 
tish service,  was  his  purchaser.  In  June  he  was  sent  to  Rebel 
Island,  near  Montreal ;  in  November,  to  Halifax  ;  thence  to  Nova 
Scotia,  and  finally  to  Boston,  where  he  was  exchanged,  and  left 
to  foot  it  home  without  money,  as  were  many  of  the  prisoners  du- 
ring the  war.  They  were,  however,  welcomed  to  the  table  of 
every  patriot  on  whom  they  chanced  to  call,  and  suffered  little  by 
hunger.  Keller  reached  his  family  in  Minden,  near  Fort  Plain, 
whither  they  had  removed  in  his  absence,  on  the  24th  day  of  De- 
cember, 1782.  Van  Epps,  a  fellow  prisoner,  again  reached  home 
about  eighteen  months  after  his  capture,  and  the  rest  of  the  prison- 
ers, taken  that  fall,  either  returned  at  the  time  he  did,  or  at  subse- 
quent periods,  as  they  were  confined  in  different  places. — Keller 
and  Van  Epps. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         481 

About  the  1st  of  November,  1781,  a  party  of  the  enemy  under 
Joseph  Brant,  and  Capt.  Adam  Cryslcr,  a  former  resident  of  that 
vicinity,  entered  Vrooman's  Land  early  in  the  morning,  near  the 
residence  of  Peter  Vrooman,  a  little  distance  from  the  Upper  Scho- 
harie fort.  Isaac  Vrooman,  father  of  Peter,  had  removed  his  fa- 
mily below  the  Helleberg  some  time  before,  and  had,  at  the  time 
of  which  I  am  writing,  visited  his  son  to  procure  his  aid  in  mov- 
ing his  family  back  to  his  old  residence  in  Schoharie.  A  few  days 
before  the  arrival  of  his  father,  Peter  had  removed  from  a  hut  he 
occupied  at  the  fort,  to  his  dwelling,  which  he  intended  should  be 
his  winter  quarters,  thinking  the  season  so  far  advanced  that  the 
enemy  would  not  re-appear  that  fall. 

Peter  was  a  self-taught  blacksmith,  and  had  a  little  shop  near 
his  house,  where  he  usually  did  his  own  horse-shoeing.  It  was 
found  necessary,  previous  to  leaving  home,  to  set  several  shoes ; 
and  the  father  rose  before  daylight,  carried  a  shovel  of  coals  from 
the  house  to  the  shop,  and  made  a  fire.  As  it  began  to  get  light, 
the  old  gentleman  left  the  shop,  as  was  supposed,  to  call  his  son. 
On  his  way  two  guns  were  fired  at  him — the  one  by  the  tory  chief- 
tain, and  the  other  by  an  Indian  warrior  beside  him.  The  door  of 
Vrooman's  dwelling  was  on  the  side  opposite  the  shop,  and  the 
son,  already  up,  hearing  the  report  of  the  two  guns,  and  rightly 
conjecturing  the  cause,  sprang  out  of  his  house,  and  ran  towards 
the  fort,  a  few  hundred  yards  distant.  He  had  gone  but  a  short 
distance  from  his  house,  when  he  was  discovered,  fired  upon,  and 
hotly  pursued  by  several  Indians,  but  reached  the  fort  in  safety. 

The  wife  of  the  younger  Vrooman,  on  hearing  the  guns,  ran  up 
stairs,  and  from  a  chamber  window  saw  an  Indian  in  the  act  of 
tearing  off  the  scalp  of  the  elder  Vrooman,  who  was  then  on  his 
hands  and  knees,  bellowing  most  piteously.  After  the  scalp  was 
torn  off,  the  Indian,  who  was  the  reader's  old  acquaintance,  Seth's 
Henry,  dispatched  his  victim  with  a  war  club,  cut  his  throat,  and 
with  the  bloody  knife  added  another  notch  on  the  club,  to  the  re- 
cord of  the  many  scalps  he  had  taken  in  the  war  ;  after  which  he 
laid  it  upon  the  body  of  the  murdered  man  and  left  him.  The 
reader  will  remember  that  this  Schoharie  chief  left  a  war-club  in 


482  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  same  neighborhood  some  time  before,  which  recorded  a  most 
startUng  account  of  his  prowess  and  cruelty  ;  the  record  was  much 
larger  at  a  later  period,  and  I  think  it  hardly  possible  that  an  equal 
number  of  scalps  and  prisoners  were  made  during  the  war  by  any 
other  individual  Indian.  When  the  enemy  entered  Vrooman's 
house  for  plunder,  Mrs.  Vrooman  went  below,  and  being  known 
to  several  of  the  Indians,  she  addressed  them  in  their  own  dialect, 
and  they  spared  her  life,  probably  from  the  recollection  of  former 
kindness. 

The  invaders  did  not  linger  long  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort,  but 
advanced  up  the  river,  appropriating  to  their  own  use  whatever 
was  attainable.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  Peter  Vrooman,  a  par- 
ty of  fifteen  or  twenty  were  dispatched  from  the  fort  in  pursuit  of 
the  foe,  of  whose  numbers  they  were  totally  ignorant.  "Who 
commanded  this  American  scout  is  unknown,  but  Timothy  Mur- 
phy is  said  to  have  had  its  principal  direction.  They  proceeded 
with  alacrity  along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Schoharie,  and  when 
on  "  Bouck's  Island,"  a  few  rods  above  the  present  residence  of 
Gov.  Bouck,  they  were  fired  upon  by  the  enemy,  who  were  con- 
cealed on  the  bank  of  the  river  above  Panther  mountain,  and  one 
of  their  number.  Derrick  [Richard]  Haggidorn,  mortally  wound- 
ed. The  Americans  returned  the  fire  and  retreated.  As  Haggi- 
dorn fell,  he  called  to  his  companions  not  to  leave  him  to  a  mer- 
ciless foe ;  whereupon  Murphy  addressed  his  brave  com- 
ades  nearly  as  follows :  "  My  boys,  every  ball  was  not  mould- 
ed to  hit,  let  us  save  him."*  He  was  then  taken  between  two  of 
his  friends  and  borne  off  in  safety  to  the  fort,  where  he  died  the 
next  day,  much  lamented,  as  he  had  been  a  patriotic  and  faiihful 
soldier. 

•  The  remark  of  Murphj',  that  every  ball  was  not  moulded  to  hit,  was  pecu- 
liarly applicable  to  his  own  case.  He  was  almost  constantly  exposed  in  bor- 
der wars  from  the  beginning-  to  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  ever  seeking  the 
post  of  danger — the  front  rank,  if  an  enemy  was  near,  and  probably,  at  the 
lowest  estimate,  had  several  hundred  bullets  fired  at  him  by  good  marksmen, 
without  ever  receiving  the  slightest  wound.  To  look  back  on  the  multiplied 
dangers  he  passed  through,  without  injury— but  a  few  of  which  have  come 
down  to  the  writer  in  a  tangible  form — it  would  almost  seem  as  though  for- 
tune had  her  particular  favorites. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        483 

Whether  the  enemy  received  any  injury  from  the  return  fire  of 
Murphy  and  party  was  unknown ;  but  not  long  after,  Jacob  Fri- 
mire,  a  soldier  who  was  out  on  a  hunt  from  the  Upper  fort,  found 
the  body  of  a  white  man  sitting  against  a  tree,  with  his  gun  and 
equipments  by  him  ;  supposed  to  have  been  a  tory  under  Brant 
and  Crysler,  and  to  have  been  mortally  wounded  by  the  scout  on 
Bouck's  Island  :  the  appearance  of  the  body  justifying  the  belief 
that  he  had  been  dead  about  that  length  of  time.  The  dead  man, 
who  had  been  shot  through  the  body,  was  found  a  mde  or  more 
from  where  the  skirmish  had  taken  place,  near  where  a  brook 
intersected  the  mill  stream  known  as  Bouck's  saw  mill  creek :  the 
brook  was  afterwards  called  dead  man's  creek. 

As  the  enemy  were  concealed,  their  number  was  still  unknown 
on  the  return  of  Murphy  and  party,  but  enough  having  been  seen 
and  heard  to  judge  somewhat  correctly  of  their  strength,  Colonel 
Vrooman  dispatched  Capt.  Hager  with  fifteen  or  twenty  Schoha- 
rie rangers,  and  a  company  of  eastern  troops,  numbering  about 
sixty  men,  under  Capt.  Hale.  The  command  of  the  Americans 
was  given  to  Capt.  Hager,  who,  taking  two  or  three  days'  provi- 
sions, moved  up  the  river.  The  enemy,  as  was  afterwards  ascer- 
tained, numbered  between  sixty  and  seventy  Indians  and  tories, 
under  the  command  of  Brant  and  Crysler.  One  of  the  principal 
objects  of  the  invasion  was,  the  removal  to  Canada  of  Crysler's 
family,  which,  up  to  this  time  had  remained  in  Brakabeen. 

Capt.  Hager  halted  his  men  just  at  dark  near  the  present  tavern 
stand  of  Wm.  Fink,  where  they  encamped  in  a  pine  grove  beside 
the  road.  The  night  was  a  very  cold  one,  and  the  troops  suffered 
considerably,  deeming  it  imprudent  to  build  fires  in  the  night  near 
an  enemy  whose  strength  they  did  not  know.*     Three  hours  be- 

•  Johan  Jost  Dietz  and  Peter  Vrooman,  the  former  a  colonel  and  the  latter 
a  major  of  militia  after  the  war,  were  left  at  the  place  of  encampment,  in 
charge  of  a  keg  of  rum  and  a  quantity  of  provisions,  to  await  the  return  of 
the  troops :  and  well  did  they  perform  their  duty,  as  they  assured  the  writer 
when  together  in  1837  ;  being  unable  a  part  of  the  time  to  leave  the  trust  if 
they  would,  hst  others  who  liked  "  the  striped  pig  "  should  fall  in  with  them 
and  bear  off  the  keg,  they  secured  a  liberal  share  of  its  contents  within  their 
own  stomachs. 


484  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

fore  the  dawn  of  day,  the  pursuit  was  renewed  :  and  near  the  re- 
sidence of  the  late  Gen.  Patchin,  the  Americans  ascended  the 
mountain  by  a  narrow  and  uneven  road ;  overhung  by  a  heavy 
growth  of  hemlock.  As  the  night  was  cloudy  and  dark,  the  pro- 
gress of  the  troops  was  necessarily  slow.  On  arriving  at  the 
forks  of  the  roads  which  led,  one  to  Harpersfield  and  the  other  to 
Lake  Utsayantho,  they  halted,  struck  up  fires  and  ate  breakfast : 
it  being  then  about  daylight.  It  was  discovered  that  the  enemy 
had  gone  towards  the  lake,  and  a  consultation  now  took  place  be- 
tween the  officers  about  the  road  to  be  pursued.  Capt.  Hager 
was  in  favor  of  making  a  rapid  march  on  the  Harpersfield  route 
and,  if  possible,  head  the  enemy  at  a  favorable  place  for  surprise ; 
but  was  overruled  and  the  trail  of  the  enemy  followed. 

Capt.  Hager  and  his  men  had  pursued  the  enemy  but  a  short 
distance  on  the  Lake  road,  before  their  approach  was  known  to 
the  latter,  who  made  preparations  to  receive  them.  About  a  mile 
from  the  place  of  breakfasting,  they  met  two  of  Capt.  Hager's 
horses  hoppled  together,  which  the  enemy  had  taken  the  preced- 
ing day.  The  captain  who  was  walking  in  front  of  his  men  at 
the  time,  with  the  cautious  Murphy  beside  him,  stept  up  to  the 
horses  and  cut  the  cord  which  fastened  them  together.  They  had 
proceeded  but  a  httle  way  farther,  -when  they  heard  the  whoop  of 
several  savages,  whom  they  supposed  were  in  search  of  the  hor- 
ses. A  rapid  march  soon  brought  the  Americans  where  the  ene- 
my had  encamped  the  previous  night ;  seven  large  fires  being  still 
burning.  Several  horses  laden  with  plunder  and  a  number  of  cat- 
tle were  abandoned  by  the  Indians  near  the  fire. 

On  arriving  at  the  lake,  the  road,  which  was  little  more  than  an 
Indian  foot  path,  ran  along  its  margin.  A  ridge  of  land  extended 
nearly  to  the  Lake  where  the  Americans  were  approaching,  and 
as  they  were  rising  the  eminence,  the  enemy  who  were  concealed 
near  its  summit,  discharged  upon  them  a  volley  of  balls.  The  in- 
stant they  fired,  Capt.  Hager  commanded  Hale,  who  was  march- 
ing in  the  rear  to  "  flank  to  the  right  and  march  on  .'"  Hager 
intended  to  bring  the  enemy  between  his  command  and  the  lake; 
but  Hale,  instead  of  obeying  the  order,   faced  to  the  right  about, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         485 

and  followed  by  his  men  with  one  noble  exception,  retreated  in 
double-quick  time.  Brant  and  his  destructives  seeing  the  cow- 
ardly retreat  of  Hale  and  his  men,  advanced  to  meet  Hager,  who 
was  left  with  less  than  twenty  men  to  resist  a  force  more  than 
triple  his  own.  The  little  band  had  taken  trees,  and  were  begin- 
ning to  return  the  enemy's  fire  at  the  time  Hale  retreated ;  but 
seeing  that  they  must  soon  be  entirely  surrounded  if  they  at- 
tempted to  maintain  their  position,  their  brave  leader  ordered  a 
retreat.  On  leaving  the  ground,  they  were  necessarily  exposed 
to  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  Sacket,  a  Bostonian,  (the  exception 
to  Hale's  men,)  sealed  his  bravery  with  his  blood,  as  did  Joachim 
Van  Valkenberg,*  one  of  Capt.  Hager's  followers.  Joseph,  a 
brother  of  Capt.  Hager  was  also  wounded  severely  in  the  right 
shoulder,  but  the  ball  was  extracted  and  he  subsequently  recov- 
ered. It  was  thought  by  the  Americans  at  the  time  a  most  pro- 
vidential circumstance,  that,  exposed  as  they  were  in  their  re- 
treat to  the  fire  of  so  many  good  marksmen,  only  two  should  have 
been  killed.  Capt.  Hager,  with  Murphy  still  at  his  side,  then  ran 
to  overtake  the  cowardly  Hale;  and  after  a  chace  of  about  five 
hundred  yards  overtook  him  :  as  both  of  them  gained  his  front, 
they  placed  the  muzzles  of  their  rifles  at  his  breast,  and  the  cap- 
tain in  a  voice  of  thunder  exclaimed,  "  Attempt  to  nin  another 
step  and  you  are  a  dead  man  .'" 

Thus  unexpectedly  brought  to  a  stand,  Hale,  at  the  order  of 
Capt.  Hager,  which  he  was  not  in  a  situation  a  second  time  to 

•  The  following  anecdote  was  related  to  the  author  by  Lydia  Kline,  a  sister 
of  Van  Valkenberg.  Among  the  Indians  who  returned  to  Schoharie,  after  the 
war,  was  one  who  called  at  the  house  of  Henry,  a  brother  of  Van  Valkenberg 
above  named,  having  with  him  a  gun.  Henry  instantly  recognized  the  gun 
as  that  of  his  deceased  brother,  and  taking  it  up  he  asked  the  Indian  where 
he  got  it.  He  replied  that  he  had  killed  a  man  at  the  '  Little  Lake,'  and  thus 
obtained  it.  Said  Henry,  "  This  is  my  gun,  and  I  shall  keep  it."  The  red 
mau  was  unwilling  to  concede  that  point,  it  being  as  he  believed  a  la%vful 
prize  from  the  fortune  of  war.  Henry  however  retained  the  gun,  and  told  the 
Indian  to  take  it  from  his  grasp  and  he  should  have  it.  Mortified  at  thus  los- 
ing his  gun,  the  Indian  left  the  house  and  went  into  a  swamp  near  by.  Not 
long  after  this  event  the  body  of  a  dead  Indian  was  discovered  in  this  swamp, 
but  the  cause  of  his  death,  or  by  whose  hand  he  had  fallen,  remained  among 
the  mysteries  of  the  times. 


486  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

misunderstand,  faced  about  and  began  to  retrace  his  steps.  But 
the  golden  moment  to  punish  the  invaders  of  Schoharie  and 
avenge  the  murder  of  Vrooman,  was  past.  Brant,  to  whom  pos- 
sibly the  actual  force  under  Capt.  Hager  was  known,  having,  as 
before  remarked,  a  French  war  acquaintance  with  the  latter,  and 
knowing  what  resistance  he  might  expect  if  a  stand  was  effected 
by  him,  chose,  encumbered  as  he  was  with  Crysler's  family,  to 
make  a  rapid  march  to  the  Susquehanna.  The  two  soldiers  who 
fell  near  the  lake  were  scalped  by  the  foe. 

Having  restored  order  and  infused  a  share  of  his  own  fearless 
spirit  into  his  ranks,  Capt.  Hager  was  about  to  renew  the  pursuit 
as  Col.  Vrooman  arrived  upon  the  ground,  with  forty  men  drawn 
from  the  Lower  fort.  After  a  short  consultation,  the  chase  was 
continued,  but  still  in  ignorance  as  to  the  enemy's  numbers ;  after 
proceeding  about  two  miles  and  losing  all  trace  of  their  footsteps, 
they  having  left  the  usual  path  for  some  unknown  route,  the  pur- 
suit was  abandoned,  and  the  troops  returned  to  Schoharie. — Man- 
uscript of  Judge  Hager,  one  of  the  pursuing  party. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  supposed  in  the  year  1181,  six  to- 
ries,  who  had  threaded  the  forests  from  Niagara  to  Schoharie  in 
the  hope  of  making  a  profitable  adventure,  were  concealed  in  and 
around  the  settlements  for  a  week  or  more.  They  were  led  by 
Nicholas  Snyder,  a  former  resident  of  the  valley  and  neighbor  of 
my  informant  Jacob  Enders,  whose  person  they  thought  to  secure. 
The  party  were  secreted  in  a  small  swamp  several  days,  near  the 
dwelling  of  William  Enders  his  father,  on  Foxes  creek.  After 
awaiting  in  vain  nearly  a  week  for  a  sight  of  Jacob's  person,  two 
of  the  number  dressed  in  Continental  clothes,  went  to  the  house 
of  Enders,  and  supposed  to  be  patriots,  were  very  kindly  treated  : 
they  enquired  of  Mr.  Enders,  while  partaking  of  his  hospitality, 
if  he  had  no  sons  to  aid  him  in  his  farming  !  He  replied  that  he 
had  a  son,  who  vms  then  in  the  nine  months*  service  at  the  Middle 
fort. 

Mortified  at  being  thus  foiled  in  their  attempts,  the  tories  then 
sought  to  surprise  and  capture  Capt.  Stubrach,  to  effect  which 
they  laid  in  wait  for  him  some  time  under  a  bridge  in  Kneiskern's 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         487 

dorf ;  but  the  captain  was  not  to  be  caught  napping,  and  the  en- 
terprise proved  abortive. 

Capt.  Henry  Eckler,  late  of  Warren,  Herkimer  county,  was  out 
with  a  friend  in  the  summer  of  1781,  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Her- 
kimer, and  unexpectedly  fell  in  with  Brant  and  a  party  of  his  war- 
riors.    The  chief,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  Captain  E.,  ad- 
dressed him  by  name,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  surrender  him- 
self his  prisoner.     "J\^o^  hy  a  d — d  sight,  as  long  as  I  have  legs  to 
run!"  and  suitinj^  the  action   to  the  word,   he  turned  and  fled  at 
the  top  of  his  speed,  and  his  companion  with  him.     The  surprise 
took  place  near  a  piece  of  woods,  into  which  the  fugitives  ran, 
pursued  by  a  band  of  yelling  savages.     Eckler  had  proceeded  but 
a  little  distance  in  the  woods,  when  he  found  it  would  be  impos- 
sible for  him  to  run  far  with  the  speed  requisite  for  his  escape  by 
flight ;  and  passing  over  a  knoll  which  hid  him  from  the  observa- 
tion of  his  pursuers,  he  entered,  head  first,  a  cavity  at  the  root  of 
a  wind-fallen  tree.     He  found  its  depth  insufficient,  however,  to 
conceal  his  whole  person,  and  like   a  young  ostrich  or  partridge, 
that,  with  its  head  concealed,  feels  secure,  if  it  remains  still,  he 
resolved  to  keep  silence  and  trust  to  Providence  for  the  issue.     The 
party  pursuing  soon  arrived  upon  the  knoll,  and  halted  almost  over 
him  to  catch  another  glimpse  of  his  retiring  form.     But  they  look- 
ed in  vain ;  and  while  they  stood  there,  and  he  heard  their  con- 
versation, he  expected  every  moment  would  be  his  last,  as  he  was 
sure  if  his  foes  looked  down  they  could  not  fail  to  see  at  least  one 
half  his  person.     He  thought,   as  he  afterwards  told  his  friends, 
that  had  Brant,  who  also  came  upon  the  bank  above  him  while 
he  was  thus  concealed,  but  listened,  he  must  have  heard  his  heart 
beat,  as  it  felt  in  his  breast  like  the  thumping  of  a  hammer.     Sup- 
posing Eckler  had  fled  in  an  opposite  direction,  his  pursuers  over- 
looked his  place  of  concealment,   and  expressing  to  each  other 
their  surprise  at  his  sudden  exit,  and   declaring  that  a  spirit  had 
helped  him  escape,  they  withdrew,  when  he  backed  out  of  his  hi- 
ding place,  and  regained  his  home  in  safety.     His  comrade  also 
effected  his  escape  uninjured,  although  he  had  a  long  and  strong 
race  for  his  liberty. — Dr.  Z.  W.  Bingham,  icho  also  communicat- 
ed the /acts  detailed  in  Vie  next  succeeding  adventure. 


488  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

In  the  fall  of  1781,  a  man  was  captured  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort 
Plank,  a  picketed  block-house,  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the 
present  town  of  Minden,  some  three  miles  westward  of  Fort  Plain.* 
The  prisoner  of  whom  I  speak  was  captured  by  seven  Indians, 
and  hurried  off  into  the  wilderness.  At  night  the  party  halted  at 
a  deserted  log  tenement  in  that  part  of  Danube  known  as  Otsqua- 
go,f  or  as  usually  spoken,  the  Squawke.  As  the  weather  was 
cold  the  Indians  made  a  fire,  and  after  partaking  of  a  scanty  sup- 
per, gathered  round  it  to  talk  over  the  result  thus  far  of  their  ex- 
pedition. They  had,  as  they  stated,  taken  but  a  few  scalps,  very 
little  plunder,  and  but  one  prisoner,  who,  they  concluded,  was 
hardly  worth  taking  to  Canada  alone.  They  there  resolved  to 
have  a  pow-wow  in  the  morning,  kill  and  scalp  the  prisoner,  re- 
turn toward  the  Mohawk,  and  seek  among  the  defenceless  or  un- 
guarded whom  they  might  plunder  or  slay. 

The  enemy,  after  discussing  thus  freely  their  future  plans  in  the 
Mohawk  dialect,  laid  down  upon  the  floor  to  rest,  with  their  feet 
to  the  fire.  The  prisoner  was  compelled  to  lie  down  between  two 
Indians,  under  cords  fastened  to  their  bodies,  which  crossed  his 
person  over  the  breast  and  thighs,  and  not  long  after,  all,  save  the 
prisoner,  were  in  a  sound  slumber.  If  the  Indians  were  soon 
dreaming  of  rich  hunting  grounds,  human  scalps,  "  beauty  and 
booty,"  the  case  was  far  otherwise  with  the  poor  captive,  who 
understood  every  word  they  had  said,  and  had  listened  with  hor- 
ror to  his  own  approaching  fate.  Believing  his  foes  all  under  the 
padlock  of  Morpheus,  he  began  to  tax  his  ingenuity  for  some 
means  of  escape.  Hope  of  procuring  those  means  was  fast  fading 
from  his  excited  mind,  which  already  began  to  suffer  the  imagina- 
ry pangs  of  savage  torture,  when,  in  moving  his  hand  upon  the 
floor,  it  accidentally  rested  upon  a  fragment  of  broken  window- 
glass. 

'Col.  stone,  with  several  other  writers,  has  fallen  into  the  error  of  suppos- 
ing Fort  Plank  but  another  name  for  Fort  Plain. 

fThis  is  the  InJian  name  for  the  creek  which  runs  into  the  Mohawk  at  Ft. 
Plain,  and  signifies  "The  Springs,"  alluding  to  its  sources. —  Wagner. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         489 

No  sooner  did  the  prisoner  seize  the  glass,  than  a  ray  of  hope 
entered  his  bosom,  and  with  the  frail  assistant  he  instantly  set 
about  regaining  his  liberty.  He  commenced  severing  the  rope 
across  his  breast,  and  soon  it  was  stranded.  The  moment  was 
one  of  intense  excitement ;  he  knew  that  it  was  the  usual  custom 
for  one  or  more  of  an  Indian  party  to  keep  watch  and  prevent  the 
escape  of  their  prisoners.  Was  he  then  watched  1  Should  he 
go  on,  with  the  possibility  of  hastening  his  own  doom,  or  wait 
and  see  if  some  remarkable  interposition  of  Providence  might  save 
him  ?  A  monitor  within  whispered,  "  Faith  without  works  is 
dead,"  and  after  a  little  pause  in  his  efforts,  he  resumed  them,  and 
soon  had  parted  another  strand  ;  and  as  no  movement  was  made, 
he  tremblingly  cut  another ;  it  was  the  last,  and  as  it  yielded  he 
sat  up.  He  then  was  enabled  to  take  a  midnight  view  of  the 
group  around  him,  in  the  feeble  light  reflected  from  the  moon 
through  a  small  window  of  a  single  sash.  The  enemy  still  ap- 
peared to  sleep,  and  he  soon  separated  the  cord  across  his  limbs. 
He  then  advanced  to  the  fire  and  raked  open  the  coals,  which  re- 
flected their  partial  rays  upon  the  painted  visages  of  those  mis- 
guided heathen,  whom  British  gold  had  bribed  to  deeds  of  damn- 
ing darkness ;  and  being  fully  satisfied  that  all  were  sound  asleep, 
he  approached  the  door. 

The  Indians  had  a  large  watch  dog  outside  the  house.  He 
cautiously  opened  the  door,  sprang  out  and  ran,  and  as  he  had 
anticipated,  the  dog  was  yelling  at  his  heels.  He  had  about 
twenty  rods  to  run  across  a  cleared  field  before  he  could  reach  the 
woods:  and  as  he  neared  them  he  looked  back,  and  in  the  clear 
light  of  a  full  moon,  saw  the  Indians  all  in  pursuit.  As  he  neared 
the  forest,  they  all  drew  up  their  rifles  and  fired  upon  him,  at 
which  instant  a  strong  vine  caught  his  foot  and  he  fell  to  the 
ground.  The  volley  of  balls  passed  over  him,  and  bounding  to 
his  feet,  he  gained  the  beechen  shade.  Not  far  from  where  he 
entered,  he  had  noticed  the  preceding  evening  a  large  hollow  log, 
and  on  coming  to  it,  he  sought  safety  within  in.  The  dog,  at 
first,  ran  several  rods  past  the  log,  which  served  to  mislead  the 
32 


490  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

party,  but  soon  returned  near  it,  and  ceased  barking  without  a  vi- 
sit to  the  entrant  e  of  the  captive's  retreat. 

The  Indians  sat  down  over  him,  and  talked  about  their  prison- 
er's escape.     They  finally  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had 
either  ascended  a  tree  near,  or  that  the  devil  had  aided  him  in  his 
escape,  which  to  them  appeared  the  most  reasonable  conclusion. 
As  morning  was  approaching,  they  determined  on  taking  an  early 
breakfast  and  returning  to  the  river  settlements,  leaving  one  of 
their  number  to  keep  a  vigilant  watch  in  that  neighborhood  for 
their  captive  until  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  when  he  was 
to  join  his  fellows  at  a  designated  place.     This  plan  settled,  an 
Indian  proceeded  to  an  adjoining  field,  where  a  small  flock  of  sheep 
had  not  escaped  their  notice,  and  shot  one  of  them.     While  enough 
of  the  mutton  was  dressing  to  satisfy  their  immediate  wants,  oth- 
ers of  the  party  struck  up  a  fire,  which  they  chanced,  most  unfor- 
tunately for  his  comfort,  to  build  against  the  log,  directly  opposite 
their  lost  prisoner.     The  heat  became  almost  intolerable  to  the 
tenant  of  the  fallen  basswood,  before  the  meat  was  cooked — be- 
sides, the  smoke  and  steam  which  found   their  way  through  the 
worm  holes  and  cracks,  had  nearly  suffjcated  him,  ere  he  could 
sufficiently  stop  their  ingress,  which  was  done  by  thrusting   a 
quantity  of  leaves  and  part  of  his  own  clothing  into  the  crannies. 
A  cough,  which  he  knew  would  insure  his  death,  he  found  it  most 
difficult  to  avoid  :  to  back  out  of  his  hiding  place  would  also  seal 
his  fate,  while  to  remain  in  it  much  longer,  he  felt  conscious,  would 
render  his  situation,  to  say  the  least,  7iot  enviable. 

After  suffering  most  acutely  in  body  and  mind  for  a  time,  the 
prisoner  (who  was  again  such  by  accident,)  found  his  miseries  al- 
leviated when  the  Indians  began  to  eat,  as  they  then  let  the  fire 
burn  down,  and  did  not  again  replenish  it.  After  they  had  dis- 
patched their  breakfast  of  mutton,  the  prisoner  heard  the  leader 
caution  the  one  left  to  watch  in  that  vicinity  to  be  wary,  and  soon 
heard  the  retiring  footsteps  of  the  rest  of  the  party.  Often  during 
the  morning,  the  watchman  was  seated  or  standing  over  him.  Not 
having  heard  the  Indian  for  some  time,  and  believing  the  hour  of 
his  espionage  past,  he  cautiously  crept  out  of  the  log  ;  and  find- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        491 

ing  himself  alone,  being  prepared  by  fasting  and  steaming  for  a 
good  race,  he  drew  a  bee-line  for  Fort  Plank,  which  he  reached 
in  safety  :  believing,  as  he  afterwards  stated,  tliat  all  the  Indians 
in  the  state  could  not  have  overtaken  him  in  his  homeward  flight. 
The  events  of  the  year  1781,  are  among  the  most  important 
during  the  war,  and  gave  the  seal  to  American  independence. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  year,  the  southern  states  became  the  thea- 
tre of  war,  and  Gen.  Greene,  who  had  succeeded  Gates  after  his 
southern  disasters,  aided  by  Morgan,  Lee,  Marion,  Sumpter,  and 
other  brave  officers,  fought  many  battles  with  skill  and  alternate 
success  to  the  American  arras.  On  the  l9th  of  January,  Gene- 
rals Greene  and  Morgan  met  and  defeated,  with  an  inferior  numeri- 
cal force,  mostly  militia,  Col.  Tarleton  with  the  flower  of  the  Brit- 
ish army.  Not  long  after,  Lee  and  Pickens — the  latter  a  mihtia 
officer — fell  in,  by  accident,  near  the  branches  of  the  Haw  river, 
with  a  body  of  royalists  on  their  way  to  join  Col.  Tarleton,  and 
killed  upwards  of  two  hundred  of  their  number.  On  the  15th  of 
March,  Gen.  Greene  met  Lord  Cornwallis  near  Guilford  Court 
House,  and  although  victory  several  times  perched  upon  ihe  spangled 
banner,  the  Americans  were  finally  compelled  to  retreat — with  a  loss, 
however,  less  than  that  of  the  victors.  On  the  25th  April,  the 
battle  of  Camden  was  fought,  between  the  armies  under  General 
Greene  and  Lord  Rawdon,  when  fortune  again  showed  herself  a 
fickle  goddess — siding,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  with  the 
foes  of  freedom.  The  killed  and  wounded  on  each  side  was  be- 
tween two  and  three  hundred.  The  vigilance  of  the  prudent 
though  daring  Greene,  and  the  spirit  with  which  the  British  were 
every  where  met  at  the  south  by  the  yeomanry  of  the  land,  caused 
them,  by  the  early  part  of  June,  to  abandon  nearly  all  of  their 
line  of  military  posts  in  the  Carolinas,  and  concentrate  their  forces. 
Probably  in  no  other  section  of  the  union  were  the  friends  of  lib- 
erty and  royalty  more  equally  divided  :  or  was  a  spirit  of  bitter 
acrimony  and  rancorous  hostility  more  vividly  manifested  during 
the  war,  than  in  the  Carolinas  in  the  summer  of  1781.  Indeed, 
many  of  their  most  valuable  citizens  were  sacrificed  in  a  spirit  of 
partisan  strife  or  retaUation.     The  last  important  engagement  in 


492  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

South  Carolina,  took  place  on  the  Sth  of  September,  at  Eutaw 
Springs,  between  the  troops  under  Gen.  Greene  and  Lieut.  Col. 
Stewart.  This  was  one  of  the  most  bloody  battles  during  the 
war  for  the  numbers  engaged,  and  was  fairly  won  by  the  Ameri- 
cans ;  but  in  their  retreat,  a  body  of  the  British  entering  a  large 
brick  house,  kept  their  pursuers  in  check  until  the  officers  could 
rally  the  fugitives  :  who  returned  to  the  charge,  and  in  turn  com- 
pelled the  Americans  to  retreat ;  which  was  done  in  good  order, 
and  the  wounded  borne  from  the  field.  The  armies  were  each 
2000  strong  when  the  action  began.  The  Americans  lost  in  killed 
and  wounded  550  men,  and  the  enemy  about  700. 

Early  in  the  season  the  traitor  Arnold  was  sent  with  an  army 
into  Virginia.  In  this  expedition,  Arnold  destroyed,  by  confla- 
gration and  otherwise,  much  property,  public  and  private,  at  Rich- 
mond, Westham,  Smithfield,  and  some  other  places.  While  the 
traitor  was  thus  serving  his  new  master,  Washington  concerted  a 
plan  for  his  capture — but  the  French  fleet  not  co-operating  with 
Gen.  Lafayette,  to  whom  was  entrusted  the  enterprise,  it  proved 
abortive.  Arnold  was  soon  after  superseded  by  Gen.  Phillips,  who 
sailed  up  James  river,  destroying  much  property  at  Boswell's  Fer- 
ry, City  Point,  Petersburg,  and  Manchester. 

In  May,  a  project  was  formed  by  Gen.  Washington  and  other 
officers  assembled  at  Wethersueld,  Connecticut,  to  attempt  the  re- 
covery of  New  York  city.  The  French  fleet,  under  Count  de 
Grasse,  expected  to  co-operate  by  water,  arriving  in  Chesapeake 
bay,  the  contemplated  siege  of  New  York  was  abandoned,  and 
the  capture  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  was  strongly  fortified  at 
Yorktown,  undertaken.  The  seige  of  the  place  began  about  the 
1st  of  October,  and  on  the  19th,  Cornwallis  and  his  army  of  eight 
or  nine  thousand  men,  surrendered  themselves  prisoners  of  war  to 
the  American  and  French  armies,  with  a  park  of  160  pieces  of 
artillery,  mostly  brass.  The  enemy's  naval  force  in  the  harbor 
was  assigned  to  the  Count  de  Grasse,  and  the  land  forces  to  Gen. 
Washington.  The  loss  of  a  second  entire  army  inclined  Britain 
to  think  of  making  a  peace.     This  great  victory  was  celebrated 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        493 

throughout  the  Union  with  festivals  and  rejoicings,  and  a  day  of 
national  thanksgiving  was  appointed. 

The  destination  of  the  American  army  was  so  judiciously  con- 
cealed from  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  commanding  at  New  York,  that 
Washington  was  treading  a  southern  soil  when  that  officer  sup- 
posed him  in  his  own  neighborhood. 

A  fact  attendant  on  the  capture  of  Cornwallis,  deserves  a  no- 
tice. It  was  the  usual  custom  in  the  Revolution,  when  one  army 
was  vanquished  by  another,  to  have  the  standards  borne  by  lieu- 
tenants and  transferred  to  officers  of  the  same  rank.  At  the  sur- 
render of  the  troops  at  Yorktown,  it  was  observed  that  the  British 
flags  were  in  the  hands  of  orderly  sergeants.  Two  officers  of 
that  grade,  James  Williamson  of  the  New  York,  and  a  man  named 
Brush,  of  the  Connecticut  troops,  were  quickly  selected  to  perform 
this  honorable  duty,  in  consideration  of  services  rendered  during 
the  seige,  to  evidence  which  each  wore  on  his  person  the  soldier's 
mark  of  honor.  The  British  army  passed  between  files  of  Ame- 
rican troops,  and  as  the  standards  reached  Williamson  and  Brush, 
they  received,  furled,  and  laid  them  down.  When  the  first  stan- 
dard-bearer reached  Williamson  (from  whom  these  facts  were  de- 
rived) he  was  ordered  by  him  to  halt.  "  Sir"  said  he,  "  1  will 
receive  your  standard."  The  British  orderly  at  first  hesitated,  and 
seemed  not  a  little  surprised  that  he  was  to  deliver  it  to  a  knotted 
officer,  but  with  a  very  graceful  salute  he  presented  it  and  passed 
on.  The  old  veteran  remarked  that  he  had  quite  a  pile  of  British 
flags  when  the  vanquished  army  had  all  passed.  It  was  after- 
wards supposed  that  the  enemy  designed,  by  delivermg  their  en- 
signs through  non-commissioned  to  subaltern  officers,  to  cast  a  slur 
upon  the  stars  of  America.* 

•  The  following  anecdotes  were  attendant  on  the  march  of  the  American 
army  to  and  from  Yorktown.  At  Baltimore,  one  Gregg,  who  belonged.to  Col. 
Cortlandt's  regiment  of  New  York  troops,  was  flogged  eight  hundred  lashes. 
Several  complaints  having  been  rendered  to  the  colonel  that  the  soldiers  were 
stealing  from  each  other  ;  in  order  to  stop  the  habit  efl'ectually,  he  gave  or- 
dcrs  that  the  first  one  guilty  of  theft  should  receive  fifty  lashes  for  the  value 
of  every  shilling  stolen.  A  missing  shirt  was  found  shortly  after  in  Gregg's 
knapsack,  which  two  of  his  fellow  soldiers  adjudged  to  be  worth  two  dollars. 
Poor  Gregg  was  literally  flayed.     He  lingered  a  long  time  between  life  and 


494  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Chagrined  at  the  turn  affairs  had  taken  at  the  south,  Clinton 
sent  the  traitor  Arnold  on  an  embassy  of  destruction  to  New  Lon- 
don, Ct.  Fort  Griswold,  situated  on  elevated  ground  in  Groton, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Thames,  nearly  opposite,  commanded  the 

death,  but  finally  recovered.  It  turned  out  in  the  end  that  a  rascally  soldier 
had  stolen  the  garment,  and  placed  it  in  Gregg's  knapsack  on  purpose  to  see 
hina  flogged. — James  Williamson. 

Cady  Larey  one  day  stole  a  turkey,  and  put  it  in  the  knapsack  of  a  fellow 
soldier  named  Berrian,  expecting,  no  doubt,  to  feast  on  it.  It  was  discover- 
ed,  and  Col.  Cortlandt  sentenced  Berrian  to  receive  a  severe  vs'hipping  for  the 
theft.  His  back  was  bared,  and  as  the  lash  was  about  to  descend  upon  it, 
Larey,  conscience-stricken,  advanced  into  the  ring  and  confessed  the  crime — 
declaring  that  if  any  one  deserved  a  flogging  it  was  himself.  The  act  of  con- 
fession was  so  manly,  that  Col.  C.  forgave  them  both. —  Williamson. 

All  classes  could  safely  be  trusted  with  secrets  in  the  Revolution.  A  cheese 
having  one  day  disappeared  in  an  unaccountable  manner  in  a  New  England 
regiment,  great  search  was  made  for  it,  but  in  vain.  Among  others  examin- 
ed was  a  faithful  negro  waiter  to  one  of  the  officers,  who  was  interrogated, 
and  replied  much  as  follows  :  "Jack,  have  you  seen  any  one  steal  a  cheese?" 
"  No,  massa  ;  me  no  see  any  one  steal  chee."  "  Have  you  seen  a  cheese  in 
the  hands  of  any  one  ?"  "  No.  massa."  "  Well,  Jack,  have  you  seen  any 
cheese?"  "Why,  ye-ye-)'es  massa,  me  see  a  chee  go  by,  but  nobody  wid  em." — 
Capt.  Eben  Williams. 

At  Baltimore  the  regiment  of  Col.  Cortlandt  embarked  in  a  vessel,  and  af- 
ter the  troops  were  all  on  board,  the  colonel  gave  strict  orders  that  no  one 
should  go  on  shore  without  his  permission.  The  night  following,  Larey  and 
Berrien,  the  two  soldiers  mentioned  in  another  anecdote,  yielding  to  a  tempta- 
tion to  violate  their  officer's  commands,  which  their  love  of  liquor  prompt- 
ed, swam  ashore.  While  returning  to  the  ship,  Larey  was  drowned,  but  his 
equally  boozy  companion  was  discovered  floundering  in  the  water,  taken  on 
board,  and  instantly  cited  before  his  commander.  He  confessed  his  guilt,  and 
at  the  mention  of  his  companion's  name  began  to  cry.  "  Why  do  you  cry?"' 
demanded  the  colonel.  "Because  poor  Larey  was  drowned,"  he  replied  ;  "for 
about  his  neck  was  tied  a  canteen — eh  !  of  as  good  brandy  as  ever  a  man 
tasted — eh."  The  colonel  finally  forgave  Berrian  because  of  his  penitence 
and  great  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  his  companion  and  the  precious  jewel  about 
his  neck— but  admonished  him  and  his  fellow  soldiers  never  to  be  guilty  of 
another  act  of  disobedience,  if  they  would  not  share  the  fate  of  poor  Larey, 
who  could  never  drink  his  own  brandy. —  Williamson. 

On  the  return  march  of  Colonel  Corllandt's  regiment  from  York  Town,  a 
gentleman  near  whose  house  it  had  encamped,  complained  in  the  evening  to 
Colonel  C,  that  his  watch  had  been  stolen  by  a  soldier.  Secrecy  was  en- 
joined until  the  troops  were  paraded  to  march  in  the  morning,  when  a  rigid 
search  was  made  of  the  person  and  knapsack  of  every  soldier  in  the  regiment, 
but  the  search  was  in  vain,  and  the  army  moved  forward.  Some  days  after, 
the  watch  was  discovered  on  the  person  of  a  soldier,  who  was  publicly  whip- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         495 

clly ;  and  in  order  to  rifle  the  latter  it  became  necessary  to  cap- 
ture the  former.  For  this  object,  a  large  body  of  men  under  Lt. 
Col.  Eyre  were  dispatched ;  but  they  were  repelled  with  spirit  by 
its  inmates,  about  120  men,  mostly  militia,  assembled  in  its  vicini- 
ty. The  Americans  were  too  few  to  resist  so  large  a  force,  and 
the  works  were  finally  carried ;  but  not  until,  according  to  Ar- 
nold's official  account,  48  of  the  assailants  were  slain,  and  145 
wounded,  many  mortally.  Numbers  were  killed  with  cold  shot 
thrown  from  the  ramparts.  The  Americans  lost  but  a  few  men 
until  after  the  works  were  carried  and  they  had  grounded  their 
arms,  when  about  seventy  of  their  number  were  brutally  massa- 
cred, and  nearly  all  the  rest  wounded ;  several  are  said  to  have 
escaped  injury  by  hugging  British  soldiers,  so  as  to  endanger  the 
lives  of  the  latter  if  those  of  the  former  were  attempted.  One 
man,  who  fled  from  the  fort  as  the  enemy  entered,  was  shot  at 
with  some  others  also  escaping,  and  falling  uninjured,  he  remain- 
ed in  the  grass  feigning  himself  dead,  until  the  enemy  withdrew, 
when  he  joined  his  friends.  As  Maj.  Montgomery  entered  the 
fort,  (Col.  Eyre,  his  superior,  being  wounded)  he  asked  who  com- 
manded it.  The  brave  Lt.  Col.  William  Ledyard  responded  very 
civilly,  "  I  once  had  that  honor,  the  command  is  now  yours :" 
presenting  at  the  same  time  the  hilt  of  his  sword.  The  brutal 
major  seized  it,  and  with  the  spirit  of  a  demon,  passed  it  through 
the  vitals  of  the  unarmed  giver.  An  American  officer  next  in 
command  to  Ledyard,  and  standing  near  him  at  the  time,  re- 
venged the  act  by  cutting  down  Montgoraeiy,  but  was  in  turn 
slaughtered.  The  command  of  the  enemy  then  devolved  on  Maj. 
Bromfield.  The  dastardl}"  example  of  the  officers  was  followed 
by  an  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the  unresisting  soldiery.  We 
talk  of  the  savage  massacres  of  Cherry-Valley  and  Wyoming — 
here  was  a  more  than  savage  massacre,  for  it  was  committed  by 

pcd  for  its  theft.     Exhibiting  it  exultingly  afterwards,  he  exclaimed — "  Who 
would  not  take  a  flogging  for  such  a  watch  as  this  ?" 

When  asked  how  he  had  managed  to  conceal  the  watch,  the  rogue  said  he 
was  about  to  bake  a  bread-cake  as  he  obtained  it,  and  putting  it  within  the 
dough,  baked  it  in.  The  bread  was  in  his  knapsack  when  searched,  but  no 
one  thought  of  breaking  the  loaf  to  find  a  concealed  treasure. — Williamson, 


496  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

a  people  claiming  to  be  civilized.  In  vindication  of  the  British 
character,  it  has  been  stated  that  the  Americans  continued  the 
fight  after  they  had  struck  their  colors.  This  however  is  not 
true  :  the  flag-staff  upon  the  walls  was  more  than  once  shot  off"  by 
the  enemy,  but  the  flag  was  waving  above  them  when  they  car- 
ried the  fortress.  A  regiment  of  militia  under  Col.  Gallup,  who 
witnessed  the  whole  transaction  at  a  distance  of  one  mile  from  the 
fort,  would  not  march  to  its  rescue.  Had  he  led  his  men  into  the 
fort,  as  a  sense  of  duty  should  have  prompted,  the  British  could 
not  have  taken  it.  Ledyard  sent  a  messenger  to  Gallup  to  march 
into  the  fort  to  his  assistance  when  the  enemy  were  landing,  but 
the  latter  pretended  not  to  have  received  the  message.  Gallup 
was  tried  by  court  martial  for  his  want  of  bravery  on  the  occasion, 
and  broken  of  his  oflSce. 

The  enemy  while  in  possession  of  the  fort,  loaded  an  ox-cart 
which  chanced  to  be  near,  with  wounded  Americans,  and  started 
it  down  the  declivity  with  the  intention  of  running  it  into  the  river, 
but  it  struck  a  large  apple-tree  after  gaining  considerable  velocity, 
and  thwarted  their  merciless  intention.  The  shock  when  it  struck 
was  tremendous,  and  several  of  the  bleeding  soldiers  were  killed 
outright.  One  Stevens  who  was  in  it  at  the  time  with  a  broken 
thigh,  and  was  nearly  killed  by  the  shock,  afterwards  stated  no 
one  could  conceive  the  ucuteness  of  his  suffering  when  the  cart 
struck  the  tree.  The  enemy  after  burying  their  own  dead,  spik- 
ing or  destroying  the  cannon,  and  laying  a  train  of  powder  to  the 
magazine,  left  the  fort.  The  explosion  was  however  prevented, 
as  has  been  stated  by  some  previous  writer,  by  a  wounded  soldier 
who  crawled  upon  the  train,  and  saturated  it  with  his  own  life- 
blood  so  that  it  did  not  communicate  with  the  magazine.  The 
British  burnt  New-London,  destroyed  some  shipping  in  the  har- 
bor, and  embarked  for  New-York.  Soon  after  they  left  the  fort, 
the  Americans  in  the  neighborhood  entered  it.  The  former  had 
buried  their  dead  but  slightly,  with  their  clothes  on.  The  Ame- 
ricans, who  found  it  difficult  to  obtain  clothing,  dug  up  their  dead 
foes ;  divested  them  of  their  apparel ;  dug  deeper  graves,  and 
again  buried  them  ;  interring  also  their  fallen  countrymen.     Facts 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         497 

from  Mr.  Ephraim  F.  Simms,  of  Otsego  county,  who  obtained 
them  at  the  request  of  the  author,  from  Capt.  Peckham  Maine,  a 
former  resident  of  that  county.  The  latter,  then  a  lad,  entered  Fort 
Griswold  soon  after  the  enemy  left  it,  and  aided  in  stripping  and 
burying  the  dead. 

A  patriotic  old  lady  is  still  living  in  the  vicinity  of  this  fort,  or 
was  but  recently,  who  was  in  it  at  the  time  it  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  British,  of  whom  the  following  anecdote  is  related.  As  the 
enemy  were  approaching  the  fortress,  one  of  the  guns  was  about 
to  become  useless  for  the  want  of  wadding ;  when  our  heroine 
loosening  a  flannel  petticoat  on  her  person,  threw  it  to  the  cart- 
ridge-man with  the  exclamation,  "  this  will  enable  you  to  fire  a 
few  shots  more !"  The  garment  was  torn  up,  and  the  gun  con- 
tinued its  fearful  execution  upon  the  foeman.  In  consequence  of 
the  patriotic  deed  related,  this  old  lady  has  been  visited  by  many 
distinguished  individuals,  among  whom,  if  I  mistake  not,  are  num- 
bered several  Presidents  of  the  United  States. — Rev.  J.  M.  Van 
Buren. 


(  498  ) 


*' 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


Although  the  preceding  year  had  closed  with  a  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities, predatory  border  enterprises  were  continued  during  the 
summer  of  1782. 

Christopher  P.  Yates,  Esq.,  who  was  one  of  the  best  informed 
and  most  efficient  patriots  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  in  a  letter  dated 
"Freyburg,  22d  March,  1782,"  written  to  Col.  H.  Frey,*  a  broth- 
er-in-law^ respecting  timber,  thus  observes  : 

"  We  have  already  had  three  different  inroads  from  the  enemy, 
which  you  have  doubtless  heard  before.  The  last  was  at  Bow- 
man's kill,  from  whence  they  took  three  children  of  McFee's  fami- 
ly. If  they  act  upon  the  same  principle  as  the  last  year,  which 
from  their  conduct  is  evident,  their  intention  in  coming  to  the 
creek  so  early  was  to  clear  it  of  all  inhabitants,  that  they  might 
pass  unobserved.  I  fear  that  in  the  course  of  the  present  year  they 
will  infest  us  chiefly  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  and  in  small 
parties  :  for  this  reason  I  think  our  bush  to  be  in  more  danger  than 
it  has  yet  been.     God  grant  that  I  may  be  wrong." 

•  Col.  Stone  in  the  Life  of  Brant,  speaking  of  the  acts  of  the  first  meeting 
of  the  Palatine  district,  thus  observes — "  The  original  draft  of  the  proceed- 
ings  of  that  meeting  is  yet  in  existence,  in  the  hand-writing  of  Colonel  Hcn- 
drick  Frey,  a  patriot  who  lived  to  a  great  age,  and  is  but  recently  deceased." 
"  This,"  says  the  memoranda  of  H.  F.  Yates,  "  is  a  total  and  entire  mistake. 
The  draft  was  made  by  Christopher  P.  Yates,  and  is  in  his  hand  writing. 
Col.  Stone  meant  John,  instead  of  Hendrick  Frey.  The  latter  was  a  tory, 
and  was  one  of  the  disaffected  sent  by  the  Tryon  County  Committee  to  Hart- 
ford, Connecticut.  The  whole  of  those  papers,  [the  early  correspondence  of 
the  Tryon  County  Committee,]  were  drawn  and  written  by  C.  P.  Yates.  He 
was  the  only  scholar  among  them  ;  and  was  a  man  of  strong  mind,  much 
reading,  and  a  very  forcible  writer.  Ke  was  the  competitor  at  the  bar  of 
Montgomery  County,  of  the  late  Abram  Van  Vechten,  from  the  year  17S7,  till 
the  Legislature  by  law,  prevented  the  clerks  from  practising  law  in  their  re- 
spective counties." 

As  in  the  Schoharie,  so  it  was  in  the  Mohawk  valley  in  the  Revolution. 


■'JL         history  of  SCHOHARIE  county,  etc.         499 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  a  party  of  fifteen  Indians  proceeded 
by  a  circuitous  route  through  the  Schoharie  settlements,  without 
committing  any  hostile  act  to  Beaver-dam,  Albany  county,  where 
was  a  small  settlement,  a  grist-mill,  &c.  The  settlers  were  most- 
ly tories  in  this  vicinity,  except  the  Dietzes  and  Weidmans.  To 
destroy  the  family  of  Johannes  Dictz,  an  old  gentleman  who  lived 
between  the  mill  and  a  Scotch  settlement  at  Rcnsselaerville,  was 
the  especial  object  of  the  invaders  in  m.iking  their  tedious  jour- 
ney. The  family  consisted  of  the  old  gentleman  and  his  wife, 
his  son  Capt.  William  Dietz  and  wife,  four  children  of  the  latter, 
a  servant  girl,  and  a  lad  named  John  Bryce,  whose  parents  lived 
at  Rcnsselaerville. 

The  enemy  arrived  at  Dietz's  just  before  night,  and  surprised 
and  killed  all  the  family,  except  Capt.  Dietz  and  young  Bryce, 
then  12  or  14  years  old.  Robert  Rryce,  a  brother  of  John,  11/ 
years  old,  had  been  sent  on  horseback  that  day  to  the  mill  at  Bea- 
ver-dam with  a  grist,  in  company  with  several  other  lads  on  the 
same  errand.  Their  grain  was  ground,  but  as  it  was  nearly  sun- 
Many  of  the  most  influential  families  -were  not  only  related  to  each  other,  but 
were  often  divided  in  their  political  opinions  ;  and  not  unfrequently  members 
were  found  in  hostile  array.  Major  Frey  had  a  brother  named  Bernard,  who 
joined  the  enemy,  and  with  some  of  his  former  neighbors  of  the  Mohawk 
valley,  doubtless  assisted  in  desolating  portions  of  it.  Colonel  HendrickFrey 
married  a  sister  of  General  Herkimer,  and  his  patriot  brother,  Major  Frey, 
married  another  relative  of  the  General.  The  wife  of  Christopher  P.  Yates 
was  the  youngest  sister  of  the  Freys  named.  The  Finks,  Coxes,  Klocks, 
Bellingers,  Parises,  Feeters,  Nellises,  Foxes,  Groses,  Eckers,  Wagners, 
Seebers,  Helmers,  Eisenlords,  Snells,  (seven  men  of  this  name  were  killed  in 
the  Oriskany  battle. — Jour,  of  N.  Y.  Congress,)  Nestells,  Sprakers,  Zielies, 
Van  Alstynes,  Roofs,  Van  Slycks,  Dievendorfs,  Fondas,  Vceders,  Visschers, 
Harpers,  Putmans,  Quackenbosses,  Van  Eppses,  Wemples,  Hansons  and  Groats 
were  also  among  the  patriotic  German  and  Dutch  citizens  of  the  Mohawk 
valley  ;  not  a  few  of  whom  were  connected  by  tics  of  consanguinity. 

Of  Gen.  Herkimer,  it  may  be  well  here  to  remark,  that  he  was  much  better 
informed  than  many  suppose.  Says  the  manuscript  of  Yalcs,  "  I  claim  not  foi 
the  General,  that  he  was  versed  in  Latin  and  Greek,  or  in  the  philosophy  of 
the  German  schools;  but  I  claim  for  him,  that  no  German  emigrant  was  bet. 
ter  read  in  the  history  of  the  Protestant  reformation,  and  in  the  philosophy 
of  the  Bible,  than  General  Herkimer."  I  may  add,  in  truth,  he  possessed 
largely  those  sterling  qualities,  good  common  sense,  sympathy,  honor,  and  a 
spirit  of  bravery  in  a  just  cause,  unrivalled  by  that  of  a  Montsomery  or  De 
Kalb. 


500  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

down  they  all  concluded  to  tarry  with  the  miller  over  night,  ex- 
cept Bryce,  who  resolved  to  return  as  far  as  Dietz's,  three  miles 
toward  his  home,  and  stay  with  his  brother.  He  arrived  just  at 
twilight  near  the  house,  w^hen  an  Indian  sprang  from  a  covert  by 
the  road-side,  and  seized  his  bridle-reins.  A  short  time  before  his 
arrival,  the  family  had  been  led  out  of  the  house  to  be  murdered, 
agreeable  to  a  savage  custom,  perhaps  that  their  mangled  remains 
may  terrify  surviving  friends ;  and  as  the  horse,  with  Robert  still 
on  him,  was  led  near  the  house,  the  lad  discovered  the  disfigured 
bodies  of  all  the  family,  except  Capt.  Dietz  and  his  own  brother, 
who  were  tied  to  a  tree  near  by. 

The  enemy,  after  plundering  the  dwelling  of  such  articles  as 
they  desired,  set  it  on  fire,  and,  with  the  outbuildings,  it  was  soon 
reduced  to  ashes.  Securing  the  scalps  of  the  eight  bleeding  vic- 
tims, or  sixty-four  dollars  worth  of  American  blood  in  an  Eng- 
lish market — after  placing  their  plunder  on  a  number  of  horses 
belonging  to  the  Dietzes,  and  that  of  young  Bryce,  on  which  his 
grist  was  retained  for  food — they  started  forward  on  their  tedious 
journey  to  Canada.  They  traveled  about  two  miles  and  encamped 
for  the  night,  distant  from  the  paternal  house  of  the  Bryce  boys 
about  a  mile.  Little  did  their  parents  dream  of  the  fate  and  fu- 
ture prospects  of  their  sons.  By  dawn  of  day  next  morning,  the 
journey  was  resumed.  The  Indians  desired  to  take  the  southern 
route  to  Niagara,  and  hoped  to  gain  the  sources  of  the  Schoharie 
without  molestation.  Tidings  of  the  untunely  fate  of  this  fami- 
lyjwere  next  day  communicated  to  the  Schoharie  forts,  and  a  body 
of  troops  was  dispatched  by  Col.  Vrooman  in  pursuit. 

Lieut.  John  Jost  Dietz,  a  relative  of  the  family,  who  was  sent 
from  the  Lower  fort  with  a  party  to  bury  the  dead,  met  them  in  a 
wagon  owned  by  a  neighbor.  The  bodies  had  been  mutilated  by 
hogs,  and  presented  a  most  revolting  appearance.  They  were 
all  deposited  in  one  grave,  in  a  yard  attached  to  a  small  Reformed 
Dutch  church,  then  standing  not  far  distant  from  the  place  of 
massacre. 

Suspecting  the  route  the  invaders  would  take,  the  Americans 
proceeded  up  the  river,  and  towards  night,  on  the  second  day  af- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         501 

ter  the  massacre,  fell  in  with  and  fired  upon  them  near  the  head 
waters  of  the  Schoharie.  Several  of  the  Indians  were  wounded, 
but  they  all  effected  their  escape  with  their  prisoners.  They 
however  abandoned  their  horses  and  plunder  at  the  onset,  which 
were  restored  to  the  surviving  friends  of  the  family.  The  In- 
(han  who  claimed  ownership  to  the  person  of  Robert  Bryce,  was 
badly  wounded  in  one  leg  by  the  fire  of  the  Schoharie  troops,  and 
being  unable  to  keep  up  with  the  party,  journeyed  with  his  pri- 
soner and  two  of  his  partizans  at  a  much  slower  pace.  On  arriv- 
ing at  the  Indian  settlements  in  western  New  York,  Robert  was 
initiated  into  the  cruel  mysteries  of  gantlet-running  :  receiving  a 
lesson  in  which  school,  on  one  occasion,  nearly  cost  him  his  life. 
He  was  taken  to  Nine  Mile  Landing  on  Lake  Ontario  ;  sold  to  a 
a  Scotchman,  who  was  the  captain  of  a  sloop,  for  fifteen  dollars  ; 
was  removed  to  Detroit,  from  whence  he  was  liberated  and  re- 
turned home,  after  the  proclamation  of  peace,  in  company  with 
his  brother  and  several  hundred  prisoners  liberated  at  the  same 
time. 

The  treatment  of  Capt.  Dietz  and  the  elder  Bryce  was  more 
severe  than  that  of  Robert.  Their  party  were  greatly  straight- 
ened for  food  on  their  way,  and  for  several  days  lived  on  winter- 
green,  birch-bark,  and,  possibly,  a  few  esculent  roots  and  wild 
berries.  On  the  Susquehanna  river,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Una- 
dilla,  a  deer  was  shot,  which  providentially  saved  them  from  starv- 
ing. Their  progress  at  this  period  was  very  slow,  as  they  were 
compelled  daily  to  spend  much  of  their  time  in  hunting  food. 
They  journeyed  through  the  Chemung  and  Genesee  valleys,  and 
at  villages,  the  prisoners  were  compelled  to  endure  the  runnino- 
ordeal.  Added  to  the  stripes  of  his  foes  and  the  gnawings  of  hun- 
ger, Capt.  Dietz  suffered  the  most  severe  mental  agony.  He  was 
not  only  doomed  to  see  the  blood-stained  scalps  of  his  honored 
parents,  his  bosom  companion  and  four  lovely  children  stretched 
in  hoops  to  tan  in  the  sun,  as  was  the  custom,  but  often  to  have 
them  slapped  in  his  face  by  the  Indian  who  bore  them,  in  the 
most  insulting  manner. 

George  Warner,  who  was  captured  the  same  season,  informed 


502  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  writer  that  he  saw  Capt.  Dietz  in  his  confinement  at  Niagara, 
and  conversed  with  him.  The  latter  appeared  heart-stricken  and 
in  a  dechne,  under  which  he  sunk  to  the  grave  not  long  after. 
He  told  Capt.  Warner  (the  latter  was  a  military  captain  after  the 
war)  where  a  certain  amount  of  money  had  been  concealed  near 
their  dwelling.  Capt.  W.  afterwards  understood  the  treasure  had 
been  recovered. — PriesVs  narrative  and  Col.  Win.  Dietz  of  Scho- 
harie, corroborated  by  others. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  July  4th,  Adam  Vrooraan  (a  name- 
sake and  cousin  of  "  Pull  Foot  Vrooman,"  and  son  of  Isaac 
Vrooman,  who  was  killed  the  preceding  fall,)  went  from  the  Up- 
per Schoharie  fort,  accompanied  by  Peter  Feeck,  (the  man  who 
discovered  the  rear  of  the  British  army  on  the  morning  of  John- 
son's invasion,)  to  drive  cattle  to  a  pasture  near  the  dwelling  of 
the  late  Cornelius  Vrooman.  Feeck  was  driving  the  cattle  as  his 
companion  went  forward  to  open  the  gate  ;  and  as  the  latter  was 
in  the  act  of  so  doing,  he  received  several  bullets  from  a  party  of 
seven  Indians  and  tories  concealed  in  ambush,  and  fell  dead. 
Feeck  fled,  and  although  fired  at  by  the  enemy,  he  reached  the 
fort,  nearly  a  mile  distant,  in  safety.  On  the  same  morning,  Jo- 
seph Brown,  who  had  left  the  Upper  fort  on  the  same  errand  as 
had  Vrooman  and  Feeck,  was  captured  by  the  same  party  and 
hurried  off  to  Canada.  A  band  of  rangers  left  the  fort  on  the  re- 
turn of  Feeck,  and  soon  struck  the  trail  of  the  enemy  j  but  the 
latter  having  stolen  a  number  of  horses  in  the  neighborhood,  ef- 
fected their  escape. — Mrs.  Van  Slyck  and  Josias  E.  Vrooman. 

On  the  morning  of  July  26th,  1782,  the  tory  captain,  Adam 
Crysler,  accompanied  by  his  brother  William,  another  tory  named 
Peter  Erkert,  and  twenty-two  Indians,  appeared  in  Foxes  creek 
valley.  They  had  tarried  the  preceding  night,  as  was  believed, 
at  the  dwelling  of  a  tory  in  the  vicinity,  whose  family  and  prop- 
erty were  left  unmolested.  Early  in  the  morning  the  destructives 
approached  the  house  of  Jacob  Zimraer,  which  was  one  of  the 
first  stone  dwellings  erected  in  Schoharie  county.* 

•This  house,  situated  a  little  distance  from  the  hamlet  called  Gallupville, 
which  dwelling  has  for  many  years  past  been  owned  and  occupied  by  Theo 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         503 

Jacob  Zirnmer,  sen.,  was  absent  when  the  enemy  arrived  at  his 
house,  as  was  also  his  son  Peter  ;  the  latter,  however,  had  not  left 
the  neighborhood.  Crysler  was  sadly  disappointed  in  not  finding 
the  elder  Zirnmer  at  home.  His  namesake  was  tomahawked  and 
scalped  in  the  presence  of  his  wife  and  mother — two  who  could 
feel  most  keenly  his  loss.  The  women  were  not  captured,  and 
the  enemy,  after  plundering  the  house,  set  it  on  fire,  as  also 
they  did  the  barn,  and  then  proceeded  down  the  creek.  The  form- 
er was  extinguished  by  the  women,  after  the  barn-humers  had 
left,  but  the  barn  was  reduced  to  ashes.  Proceeding  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  the  party  met  Peter  Zimmer,  and  took  him 
prisoner.  Peter  enquired  of  his  captors  if  they  had  seen  his  broth- 
er Jacob,  and  was  answered  that  they  had  left  him  at  home  with 
the  women ^  but  did  not  tell  him  that  the  bloody  trophy  one  of  their 
number  had  secured  for  a  British  market,  was  the  scalp  of  his 
near  relative.  A  Hessian,  who  had  entered  New  York  as  a  sol- 
dier under  Burgoyne,  and  who  had  chosen  to  desert  and  remain  in 
the  country,  Avas  at  work  for  the  Zimmers  at  the  time  of  Crysler's 
invasion,  and  was  also  murdered,  as  his  scalp  would  command 
eight  dollars  in  Canada.  Blood  was  said  to  have  been  visible  on 
a  stone  beside  the  road  where  this  poor  Hessian  was  slain,  for  a 
great  length  of  time  afterwards. 

The  morning  being  unusually  foggy,  the  light  of  Zimmer's 
house  was  not  discovered  by  the  citizens  below,  and  as  they  had 
refrained  from  firing,  their  proximity  was  unsuspected. 

At  this  period,  Johannes  Becker,  one  of  the  earliest  German 
settlers  on  Foxes  creek,  was  still  living  about  two  miles  below 
Zimmer,  and  with  or  near  him  five  sons,  Joseph,  major  of  mihtia, 
George,  John,  Jacob,  and  William;  and  one  daughter  named 

bold  Hilts,  unfortunately  took  fire  on  ihe  9lh  day  of  March,  1843,  and  with 
most  of  its  contents  soon  became  a  heap  of  ruins.  Mr.  Zimmer  was  a  patri- 
ot, a  man  of  influence,  and  well  known  in  the  country,  having  been  associated 
as  patentee  with  John  Lawyer  and  others  in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  exten- 
sive tracts  of  land  in  Albany  county.  To  secure  such  a  prisioner  (possibly 
one  of  the  Schoharie  council  of  safety  at  the  time)  was  an  object  not  to  be 
oyerlooked  by  the  tory  chief;  he  accordingly  led  his  destructives  to  Zimmer's 
hoase.  Mr.  Zimmer  had  two  sons,  Jacob  and  Peter,  living  with  him,  who 
were  young  men  grown— the  former  of  whom  had  a  wife  also  at  bis  father's. 


504  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Maria.*  The  three  brothers,  John,  Jacob,  and  William  Becker, 
went  on  the  morning  of  Crysler's  invasion,  to  work  in  a  cornfield 
on  the  north  side  of  the  creek.  Arriving  at  the  field,  they  found 
they  had  but  two  hoes,  and  John,  the  eldest,  sent  William,  the 
youngest  of  the  three,  then  twenty -two  years  old,  to  the  house  for 
another  hoe.  He  soon  returned  with  a  report  that  the  women 
were  hoeing  a  patch  of  cabbage,  and  did  not  like  to  part  with  it. 
As  previously  stated,  many  of  the  farmers  concealed  their  hay  and 
grain  in  the  woods  during  the  war,  to  avoid  the  enemy's  fire- 
brand. The  day  before  this  invasion,  the  brothers  had  been  cut- 
ting brush  to  make  room  for  several  hay  stacks,  and  to  open  a 
road  to  the  place,  some  distance  from  the  house. 

When  William  returned  without  the  hoe,  John  told  him  he 
could  go  and  finish  the  road  in  the  woods,  make  bars,  &c.  Wil- 
ham  started,  but  was  called  back  by  John,  who  told  him  to  stay 
and  hoe  with  Jacob,  saying  that  he  would  go  and  finish  the  other 
work  himself,  as  then  he  would  be  sure  of  its  being  done  to  suit 
him !  John  was  afterwards  found  dead,  lying  upon  the  brush  he 
had  been  cutting,  and  appeared  not  to  have  moved  after  he  re- 
ceived the  blow  of  a  tomahawk.  The  brim  and  lower  part  of  his 
hat  crown  were  cut  open,  and  the  weapon  had  penetrated  the 
brain.  It  was  supposed  that  an  Indian  had  stolen  up  behind  him 
unobserved,  and  felled  him  to  the  earth,  where  he  scalped  and 
left  him.  As  the  enemy  went  directly  from  Zimmer's  to  the  field 
where  the  Becker  brothers  had  been  at  work  the  day  before,  it 
was  supposed  that  their  place  of  labor  had  been  communicated  by 
some  tory  in  the  settlement.  Soon  after  John  had  left  his  bro- 
thers hoeing,  William  discovered  the  enemy  in  the  upper  side  of 
the  field,  approaching  them,  and  directed  Jacob's  attention  that 
way.  Both  at  the  same  instant  let  fall  their  hoes  and  ran  towards 
home.  Rightly  conjecturing  that  their  foes  would  if  possible  cut 
off  their  retreat  to  the  house,  they  ran  directly  to  the  bank  of  the 

•  Joseph  Becker  had  two  sons,  George  three,  John  one,  and  Jacob  four  ; 
nearly  all  of  whom  are  now  residents  of  Schoharie  county.  Johannes  Becker 
died  soon  after  the  war  was  over,  and  Major  Becker,  his  oldest  son,  died 
Aug.  21st,  1806,  the  latter  in  the  68th  year  of  his  age. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        505 

creek  not  far  above  the  house,  and  opposite  a  small  island  that 
has  since  disappeared.  At  this  place  the  stream  was  deep,  and 
they  had  to  diverge  from  their  course  to  cross  a  log  which  ex- 
tended from  the  shore  to  the  island.  They  dashed  down  the  bank 
with  an  impetus  that  carried  them  both  into  the  water,  and  Jacob 
fell  down ;  but  regaining  his  feet  he  reached  the  log,  crossed,  and 
ran  up  on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  hotly  pursued  by  a  single 
Indian,  who  had  to  make  the  same  circuit  to  cross  or  else  swim 
the  stream — the  others  having  gone  below  to  head  them,  sup- 
posing they  would  run  to  the  house.  Jacob,  who  was  closely 
followed  by  the  warrior  with  uplifted  tomahawk,  on  arriving  at  a 
place  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  island,  which  terminated  bold- 
ly, sprang  down  the  bank  and  remained  quiet.  William  ran  but 
a  few  rods  beyond  his  brother,  and  also  secreted  himself  beneath 
the  bank.  The  pursuing  Indian  ran  to  within  a  few  feet  of  where 
Jacob  lay,  halted,  and  looked  up  the  stream  in  vain,  to  catch  an- 
other glimpse  of  the  fugitives — little  suspecting  that  one  of  them 
was  almost  within  reach  of  him — near  where  he  had  last  seen 
him,  and  who  doubtless  was  still  visible  had  he  looked  down. 
He  gave  up  the  chase,  crossed  the  island,  passing  very  near  the 
concealment  of  William,  gained  the  north  bank  of  the  creek,  and 
hastened  to  join  his  companions  below.  The  Indians  did  not  fire 
on  the  young  men,  as  they  hoped  to  surprise  Maj.  Becker  and 
some  others  near  by.  The  brothers  remained  concealed  until  the 
firing  began  at  the  house,  and  then  crossed  the  creek  and  went 
into  the  woods,  east  of  their  corn-field.  When  the  enemy  left 
the  valley,  they  passed  so  near  the  concealed  brothers,  that  the 
latter  distinctly  heard  them  talk. 

Maj.  Becker,  at  that  period,  owned  and  occupied  a  substantial 
stone  dwelling,  the  present  residence  of  his  son  Henry,  late  a 
judge  of  the  county  ;  and  near  it  stood  a  grist  mill  owned  by  him, 
which  was  one  of  the  earliest  erected  mills  in  Schoharie  county. 
The  dwelhng  is  pleasantly  situated  upon  a  knoll  on  the  south  side 
of  the  creek,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  Albany  road,  and  had  at 
that  period  a  gambrel  roof.  A  hall  passes  through  it  from  north 
to  south,  with  a  door  at  each  end.  The  house  contained  five  front 
33 


506  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

and  five  rear  windows ;  and  at  that  time  two  chamber  windows  in 
the  east  gable  end,  since  altered.  The  upper  part  of  the  house  was 
unfinished  and  all  in  one  room ;  and  the  windows  were  barricaded 
nearly  to  the  top  with  oak  plank.  The  front  door  was  closed 
np  with  plank,  and  the  back  door,  then  the  only  entrance  to  the 
house,  strengthened  by  a  false  door  also  of  oak,  to  arrest  the  bul- 
lets of  an  enemy.  Just  before  Crysler  and  his  murderers  arrived 
at  Maj.  Beckers,  Henry,  his  son,  then  nine  years  old,  Jacob  Zim- 
mer,  jun.,  (nephew  of  the  one  murdered)  and  several  other  boys 
about  the  same  age,  had  been  a  little  distance  southeast  of  the 
house  to  drive  hogs  to  a  pasture.  On  their  return,  and  when 
within  ten  or  fifteen  rods  of  the  house,  one  of  the  boys  said  to  the 
rest,  "  See  the  rifle-men  over  there  ;  they  are  painted  like  the  In- 
dians .'"  The  Schoharie  Rangers  when  on  a  scout,  were  often 
clad  much  like  Indians  :  but  young  Becker  instantly  recognized 
the  party  to  be  a  band  of  savages.  A  few  rods  above  the  house 
was  a  small  island  containing  perhaps  an  acre  of  ground,  sepa- 
rated from  the  bank  southeast  of  the  dwelling,  by  a  deep  pool  of 
stagnant  water,  over  which  had  been  felled  a  tree.  The  enemy 
being  upon  the  island,  had  either  to  make  quite  a  circuit  or  cross 
the  log,  which  could  only  be  done  in  single  file.  This  gave  the 
boys  a  little  start  and  they  ran  to  the  house  shouting,  "  Indians  ! 
Indians!"  They  could  easily  have  been  shot,  as  they  were  but  a 
few  rods  distant  from  the  enemy,  but  the  latter  still  hoped  to  sur- 
prise a  militia  major,  which  would  doubtless  have  been  done,  had 
not  the  boys  thus  opportunely  discovered  their  approach.  Major 
Becker  chanced  to  be  engaged  back  of  the  house — caught  the 
alarm,  and  running  in  seized  his  gun — entered  the  south  west  room 
— thrust  it  through  a  loop-hole  above  one  of  the  windows,  and  fired 
on  the  invaders,  breaking  an  Indian's  arm.  As  the  boys  ran  into 
the  hall  door,  they  encountered  several  children  within ;  and  all 
tumbled  in  a  heap.  Major  Becker's  wife,  who  was  a  woman  of 
the  times,  sprang  to  the  plank  door  which  fastened  with  a  ring 
and  bolt — drew  it  to,  and  held  it  ajar  with  the  bolt  in  her  hand. 
John  Hutt,  as  the  enemy  approached,  was  at  the  western  end  of 
the  house  making  a  whiffletree.     Mrs.  Becker  continued  to  hold 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         507 

the  door  open  for  Hutt,  who  took  the  alarm  from  the  furious  bark- 
m^  of  three  large  dogs  belonging  to  the  inmates  of  the  house, 
whicli  had  met  and  were  giving  battle  to  the  invaders,  who  halted 
to  shoot  them.  As  Hutt  neared  the  door,  a  large  Indian  sprang 
to  seize  him ;  but  the  former  raising  the  missile  which  he  had  re- 
tained in  his  hand,  in  a  threatening  manner,  the  latter  recoiled  and 
he  sprang  into  the  door,  which  was  quickly  bolted  by  the  Major's 
Spartan  wife.  Had  not  Mrs.  Becker  possessed  great  presence  of 
mind,  and  the  dogs  met  the  enemy,  Hutt  must  have  either  been 
slain  or  captured  by  them.  The  shot  of  Maj.  Becker  may  also 
have  damped  the  ardor  of  the  assailants.  George  Shell,  another 
Schoharie  soldier,  was  fortunately  in  the  house  at  the  time,  and 
assisted  in  its  defence. 

The  inmates  of  the  dwelling  consisting  of  the  three  men  named, 
Mrs.  Becker,  Mrs.  Adam  Ziramer,  possibly  one  or  two  other  wo- 
men, and  some  eight  or  ten  children,  went  up  stairs.  The  Major 
took  his  station  at  the  south-west  corner  window,  which  com- 
manded the  enemy's  approach  to  his  barn,  assigned  to  Hutt  the 
eastern  gable  windows  ;  and  to  Shell  the  north  west  window  op- 
posite his  own,  which  commanded  their  approach  to  the  mill, 
which  stood  a  few  rods  from  the  house  upon  ground  now  occu- 
pied by  the  race-way  of  the  present  mill.  The  lower  sash  of  the 
upper  windows  was  also  secured  by  plank.  The  enemy  immedi- 
ately ran  round  the  eastern  end  of  the  house  and  there  gained 
temporary  shelter,  some  under  the  creek  bank,  some  behind  a 
fence,  and  others  behind  a  small  log  building  stan(Hng  at  a  little 
distance  south  east  of  the  house,  used  as  a  sort  of  store-room. 
The  enemy  fired  numerous  balls  in  at  the  windows,  twenty-eight 
entering  the  window  Hutt  was  stationed  at.  He  was  a  bold,  vi- 
gilant fellow,  and  often  incurred  the  censure  of  Maj.  Becker  for 
exposing  his  person  so  much  about  the  window,  telling  him  that 
the  force  of  the  enemy  was  unknown,  but  their  own  was  three 
men,  the  loss  of  one  being  one  third  of  their  strength.  Plutt,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  restrained  by  the  prudent  counsels  of  the  Major, 
and  kept  constantly  returning  the  shots  of  the  enemy.  Discover- 
ing through  a  cranny  of  the  log  building  the  hat  of  one  of  his  foes, 


508  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Hutt  sent  a  bullet  through  the  brim  of  it  close  to  the  crown. 
This  hat,  it  was  afterwards  ascertained,  was  on  the  head  of  Capt. 
Crysler.  The  balls  of  the  enemy  cut  the  air  several  times  around 
the  head  of  Hutt  like  the  fall  of  hail  in  a  hurricane,  but  fortunately 
without  injury. 

While  a  part  of  the  invaders  were  firing  in  at  the  windows,  one 
of  their  number  was  discovered  by  Shell  crawling  along  the  bank 
of  the  creek,  which  was  then  steeper  than  at  present,  with  a  brand 
of  fire,  intent  on  burning  the  mill.  Shell  was  an  eccentric  fellow, 
and  had  acquired  the  habit  of  thinking  out  loud.  Aiming  his  rifle 
at  the  foe,  he  was  heard  by  several  in  the  room  to  think  much  as 
follows  :  "  Ah!  that's  what  you're  at,  is  it?  you  go  a  little  fur- 
ther and  you'll  catch  it.  JVow,  look  out ;  I'll  give  it  to  you. 
When  you  get  there,  you' get  it ;  there,  there  ;  that  will  do  !"  In 
the  midst  of  this  soliloquy,  his  head  in  motion  the  while,  crack 
went  his  rifle  ;  and  he  continued.  There,  he  has  it ;  he's  down  ; 
one  less  ;  you  wont  come  again;  now  bum  the  mill  will  you  !  you 
infernal  Indian  !" 

After  continuing  the  attack  as  narrated  for  some  time,  the  ene- 
my attempted  to  fire  the  building.  They  placed  a  wheel-barrow 
under  the  water  conductor  leading  from  the  gutter  at  the  north 
east  corner  of  the  house,  to  within  three  or  four  feet  of  the 
ground ;  and  piling  on  combustibles,  set  them  on  fire,  which 
quickly  communicated  with  the  wooden  spout,  and  threatened  the 
destruction  of  (he  building.  It  was  impossible  for  the  inmates  of  the 
house  to  fire  on  their  foes  while  applying  the  incendiary  torch, 
without  exposing  themselves  to  almost  certain  death,  as  some  of 
the  Indians  were  constantly  on  the  look  out  for  such  an  exposure. 
As  the  flame  began  to  ascend  the  gutter  toward  the  roof,  Major 
Becker,  who  had  no  inclination  to  be  burned  alive,  set  about  forc- 
ing off"  the  corner  of  it  with  a  piece  of  scantling,  which  fortune 
placed  in  the  chamber,  while  his  wife  went  into  the  cellar  to  pro- 
cure water.  On  entering  the  cellar,  she  found  an  outside  cellar- 
door  upon  the  north  side  of  the  building,  standing  wide  open, 
where  the  enemy  might  have  entered  had  they  gone  to  the  other 
end  of  the  building,  which  they  could  have  done  without  danger. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


509 


Fastening  the  door,  and  procuring  a  pail  of  water  ;  she  returned 
to  the  chamber. 


MAJOR  BECKER'S  HOUSE  INVADED  BY  THE  ENEMY. 

For  a  time  the  roof,  which  was  nailed  on  with  heavy  wrought 
nails  as  w^s  the  ancient  custom,  baffled  all  the  major's  efforts , 
but  it  at  length  yielded,  and  he  sank  down  cdmost  exhausted.  As 
the  shingles  fell  to  the  ground,  the  Indians  gathered  them  up,  ex- 
claiming, "  Yok-wahP^  Thank  you!  And  added  in  their  dialect, 
"  we  can  kindle  it  noic.'^  A  hole  being  made,  water  was  thrown 
down,  and  the  spout  was  extinguished.  The  enemy  soon  had  it 
blazing  again  with  additional  combustibles,  and  then  remarked, 
also  in  their  own  tongue,  Chock-wot  de  wink-wock .'".  It  now 
hums  Wee  tobacco  !  It  was  again  put  out,  and  again  enkindled  and 
and  put  out,  until  the  spout  had  burned  off  above  their  reach, 
when  they  abandoned  further  attempts  to  set  the  house  on  fire. 
Supposing  their  firing  would  be  heard  at  the  Lower  fort,  some 
three  miles  distant,  the  assailants  took  French  leave  of  the  premi- 


510  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ses  about  nine  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  buried  themselves  in  the  forest ; 
having  been  about  the  Becker  house  several  hours. 

The  father  and  mother  of  the  Becker  brothers,  with  a  child  of 
Shell,  (who  was  in  the  stone-house,)  who  lived  just  below  Major 
Becker,  and  where  Robert  Coats  now  resides,  taking  the  alarm  on 
the  enemy's  approach,  fled  towards  the  fort  along  the  southern 
bank  of  the  creek.  They  were  discovered,  and  fired  on  by  the 
invaders,  and  several  balls  struck  a  fence  near  them,  before  they 
were  out  of  danger;  but  the  enemy  being  so  intent  on  the  cap- 
ture of  JVIaj.  Becker,  and  plunder  of  his  house,  did  not  pursue 
them  and  they  escaped.  Adam  Zimmer  and  John  Enders,  who 
fled  on  the  approach  of  the  enemy  from  the  vicinity  of  Maj.  Beck- 
er's, carried  news  of  the  invasion  to  the  Lower  fort,  then  com- 
manded by  Captain  Brown ;  when  a  party  of  Americans  under 
Lieut.  Snyder  sallied  forth,  and  arrived  at  the  scene  of  action  just 
after  Crysler  and  his  followers  had  left.  The  state  of  the  atmos- 
phere was  such,  that,  what  is  surprising,  the  firing  at  Becker's  was 
heard  at  the  Middle  Fort,  six  or  seven  miles  distant  and  not  heard 
at  the  Lower  fort,  less  than  half  as  remote. 

After  the  enemy  retired  from  Becker's,  the  supposed  Indian 
whom  Shell  had  shot,  was  found  to  have  fallen  partly  in  the  wa- 
ter and  was  not  dead.  He  was  taken  into  the  house,  and  doctor 
Werth  called  to  examine  his  wound,  who  pronounced  it  mortal ; 
the  ball  having  passed  diagonally  through  the  body  at^  the  shoul- 
ders. The  man  was  now  discovered  to  be  a  painted  tory  mstead 
of  an  Indian ;  and  was  shortly  after  recognized  to  be  Erkert,  a 
Scotch  cooper,  who  had  made  flour-barrels  for  Maj.  Becker  be- 
fore the  war.  The  major,  on  making  the  recognition,  accused  the 
tory  of  ingratitude.  Said  he,  "  when  you  came  to  me  for  work, 
I  employed  you,  and  always  paid  you  well ;  and  now  you  come 
with  a  band  of  savages  to  murder  me  and  my  family;  plunder  and 
and  burn  myb  uildings."  The  man  appeared  very  penitent  as  cer- 
tain death  was  before  him  ;  expressed  his  sorrow  for  the  course  he 
had  taken,  and  said  "  he  did  not  then  care  which  succeeded,  King 
or  Congress."  He  was  scalped  in  the  afternoon  by  a  friendly  In- 
dian named  Yan,  (a  son  of  David,  who  was  killed  by  the  cav- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         511 

airy  under  Col.  Harper,  in  1777,)  and  on  the  following  morning 
he  was  summoned  to  the  bar  of  his  Maker,  to  render  an  account 
"  for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body."  The  victims  of  Crysler's  in- 
vasion at  Foxes  creek,  were  buried  in  rough  boxes  with  their 
clothes  on, — Jacob  mid  Wm.  Becker,  icho  escaped  by  flight;  Judge 
Becker  and  Jacob  Zimmer,  jr.,  two  of  the  boys  who  discovered  the 
enemy  near  the  house  ;  and  the  manmcript  of  Judge  Hager. 

John  Snyder,  known  after  the  war  as  "  Schoharie  John,"  and 
Peter  JVIann,  of  Foxes  creek,  were  captured  in  the  morning  by  Crys- 
ler  and  party,  as  the  former  were  returning  from  Beaver-dam;  Mann 
was  however  liberated  in  Kneiskern's  dorf.  The  enemy  proceeded 
from  the  estuary  of  Cobelskill  and  the  Schoharie,  up  the  former 
stream. 

On  the  following  day  in  the  present  town  of  Cobelskill,  George 
Warner,  jun.,  who  was  engaged  in  shifting  horses  from  one  field 
to  another,  was  captured  by  Crysler  and  his  destructives,  who  di- 
rected their  course  from  thence  to  the  Susquehanna.  Warner  in- 
stantly recognized  as  one  of  the  master  spirits  among  his  captors, 
the  Schoharie  chief  Seth's  Henry,  \\ho  still  carried  upon  his  arm 
the  indellible  evidence  of  Sawyer's  '  strike  for  liberty,"  when  a 
captive  in  his  hands.  The  second  day  after  leaving  Cobelskill, 
the  whole  party  were  obliged  to  subsist  on  horse  flesh  without 
bread  or  seasoning  of  any  kind.  Warner,  who  communicated 
these  facts  to  the  author,  said  he  ate  on  the  way  to  Niagara,  of  a 
deer,  a  wolf,  a  rattlesnake,  and  a  hen-hawk,  but  without  bread  or 
salt.  The  two  captives,  Zimmer  and  Warner,  were  lightly  bound, 
and  generally  fared  alike  while  on  their  journey*  They  had  for 
some  days  contemplated  making  their  escape,  and  complaining 
that  they  could  not  travel  on  account  of  their  cords,  they  were 
a  little  loosened,  which  favored  their  plan.  They  concluded  they 
ought,  in  justice,  to  communicate  their  intention  to  their  fellow 
prisoner,  although  he  was  not  bound,  and  give  him  a  chance  to  es- 
cape with  them,  if  he  chose  to  embrace  it.  But  a  short  time  after 
their  intention  was  communicated  to  a  third  person,  the  conspi- 
rators for  liberty  were  more  firmly  bound  then  ever,  and  were  af- 
terwards  continually  watched   until  they   arrived   at  Niagara. 


512  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Nights  they  were  pinioned  so  tight  that  they  could  not  get  their 
hands  together  ;  and  were  secured  by  a  rope  tied  to  a  tree  or  pole, 
upon  which  rope  an  Indian  always  laid  down. 

On  their  way,  the  party  passed  several  rattle-snakes,  which  the 
Indians  avoided  disturbing  ;  and  at  the  narrows  on  the  Chemung, 
which  was  barely  wide  enough  for  a  road,  they,  with  no  little  dif- 
ficulty, made  a  circuit  to  pass  one.  The  New  York  Indians  had 
a  superstitious  notion,  that  to  harm  a  rattle-snake  was  ominous  of 
evil,  and  they  never  did  it,  unless  to  use  the  reptile  for  medicinal 
purposes,  or  prevent  starvation.  While  on  their  journey,  Snyder, 
firom  some  cause,  had  angry  words  with  one  of  the  savages,  and 
the  latter  several  times  twirled  a  tomahawk  over  his  head,  and 
drew  a  scalping  knife  round  the  crown  threateningly  :  but  they 
made  up  friends  and  renewed  their  march.  The  Schoharie  pri- 
soners also  passed  on  their  way,  another  party  of  Indians,  who 
were  killing  a  prisoner  in  a  singular  manner.  His  captors  had 
tied  his  wrists  together  and  drawn  them  over  his  knees,  after  which 
a  stick  was  passed  under  the  knees  and  over  the  wrists,  and  a 
rope  tied  to  it  between  them,  and  thrown  over  the  limb  of  a  tree. 
His  tormenters  then  drew  him  up  a  distance  and  let  him  fall  by 
slacking  the  rope ;  continuing  their  hellish  sport  until  the  con- 
cussion extinguished  the  vital  spark. 

Soon  after  the  party  passed  the  outlet  of  Seneca  lake,  Captain 
Crysler  told  the  prisoners,  tauntingly,  how  soon  the  King  would 
conquer  the  rebels.  Warner  listened  with  impatience  for  a  time, 
and  being  unable  to  restrain  his  feelings,  replied,  "  I  do  not  be- 
lieve the  King  will  ever  conquer  the  colonies  :  in  the  French  war 
Great  Britain  and  America  united  were  hardly  able  to  compete 
with  France ;  and  now,  since  France  and  America  are  united,  I 
do  not  believe  it  possible  for  England  to  conquer  them."  This 
conversation  took  place  in  the  evening,  and  Warner  observed, 
while  speaking,  that  a  frown  rested  upon  the  brows  of  the  dusky 
warriors  and  their  lawless  captain.  Warner  soon  after  heard  the 
tory  give  orders  in  the  Indian  tongue,  which  he  understood,  to 
have  his  bands  tightened.  In  the  morning,  he  expostulated  with 
Crysler  for  so  doing ;  who  was  very  angry  and  declared,  that 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         513 

"y<^  those  cursed  words  he  should  hang  at  noon."  Accordingly 
a  noose  was  made  in  a  rope,  and  the  rest  of  it  coiled  and  placed 
around  his  neck,  which  he  was  compelled  to  wear.  As  may  be 
supposed,  he  traveled  the  forest  with  a  heavy  heart:  still  he 
looked  upon  the  gallows  with  no  little  indifference,  as  it  would 
end  his  bodily  torments,  and  relieve  him  from  the  treatment  of  an 
unfeeling  royalist.  About  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  the  party  halted,  as 
Warner  supposed,  to  anticipate  the  time  of  his  execution ;  but, 
contrary  to  his  expectation,  the  rope  was  taken  off  without  any 
explanation. 

Warner  and  Zimmer,  on  arriving  at  the  Indian  villages  in 
western  New  York,  were  subjected  to  the  cruelties  their  customs 
inflicted  on  captives.  The  first  treatment  of  the  kind  they  re- 
ceived was  from  a  gad  in  the  hands  of  Molly  Brant,  (former 
housekeeper  of  Sir  William  Johnson,)  who  embraced  every  op- 
portunity during  the  war  to  insult  and  injure  captive  Americans. 
Soon  after  Molly  had  vented  her  spleen  upon  the  two  bound  cap- 
tives, they  arrived  at  an  Indian  castle,  where  they  had  to  run  the 
gantlet.  When  the  lines  were  formed,  an  Indian  chief  called 
Abraham,  who  recognized  Warner,  stepped  up  to  him  and  asked 
him,  in  German,  where  he  was  from.  He  replied,  Schoharie. 
"  Do  you  know  George  Warner  of  Cobelskill  ?"  continued  the 
Indian.  "  He  is  my  father,"  replied  young  Warner.  This  Indian, 
as  Warner  afterwards  learned,  had  often  partaken  of  his  father's 
hospitality  before  the  war.  Said  the  Indian,  "  When  you  start 
to  run,  the  boys  will  get  before  you,  but  you  must  run  over  them 
or  push  them  one  side ;  they  will  not  hurt  you  any  the  more  for 
it,  and  when  you  get  through,  run  to  a  wigwam  and  you  will  not 
again  be  hurt."  Their  fellow  prisoner  was  not  compelled  to  run, 
and  as  it  happened,  Zimmer  started  first.  As  the  Indian  had  an- 
ticipated, the  boys  ran  before  him  and  he  was  receiving  a  severe 
castigation,  when  Warner,  forcing  his  way  past  him,  ran  down 
several  of  the  living  obstacles,  and  was  near  the  end  of  the  lines 
almost  untouched  :  where  stood  a  large  boy,  who,  as  he  bounded 
along,  dealt  him  a  blow  upon  the  back  of  his  head,  which  felled 
him  senseless  to  the  ground.     Zimmer,  who  had  not  heard  the 


514  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

conversation  between  Warner  and  the  Indian,  and  feared  to  harm 
the  boys,  followed  his  companion  closely  in  the  path  he  had  opened, 
and  arrived  at  the  goal  of  delivery,  without  having  sustained  any 
serious  injury. 

On  arriving  within  half  a  mile  of  Niagara,  Peter  Ball,  who 
had  removed  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  to  Canada,  from  the  vi- 
cinity of  Schoharie,  saw  and  recognized  Warner,  and  led  him 
away  from  the  squaws  and  young  Indians,  who  were  besetting  him 
at  every  step  with  some  missile.  Zimmer  saw  on  the  journey, 
his  brother's  scalp,  with  those  of  the  other  similar  trophies  of 
Crysler's  invasion,  stretched  upon  hoops  to  dry ;  and  on  arriving 
at  Niagara,  saw  them  deposited,  with  biishels  of  similar  British 
merchandize,  made  up  of  the  crown  scalps  of  both  sexes  and  all 
ages.  There  were  about  two  hundred  prisoners  confined  at  Ni- 
agara when  Warner  and  Zimmer  were  there,  many  of  whom  fared 
hard,  and  several  of  whom  died  for  want  of  food  and  pro- 
per treatment.  Among  the  prisoners  confined  at  Niagara  there 
were  nearly  one  hundred  Virginia  riflemen,  some  of  whom,  to  say 
the  least,  feared  nothing  in  this  world. 

Warner,  for  a  considerable  time  during  his  captivity,  worked 
for  a  man  living  near  Niagara,  as  did  also  Christian  Price,  a  spi- 
rited Virginian.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  several  Indians 
were  found  dead  at  different  times,  early  in  the  morning,  but  the 
author  of  those  midnight  mysteries,  although  the  prisoners  were 
often  accused  of  them,  were  never  discovered,  nothwithstanding 
numbers  were  sometimes  in  the  secret.  Among  the  victims  who 
were  thus  sacrificed  in  revenge  of  the  cruelties  and  indignities  me- 
ted to  the  American  prisoners,  was  a  young  Indian,  sixteen  or 
seventeen  years  old,  known  about  the  fort  as  William  Johnson. 
He  was  a  half-breed,  said  to  have  been  a  son  of  Sir  Wm.  Johnson, 
after  whom  he  was  called,  by  a  squaw.  This  namesake  of  the 
Baronet,  who  was  one  among  numerous  evidences  of  his  rakish 
propensity,  was  one  morning  discovered  in  a  barrel  of  rain  water, 
under  the  conductor  of  a  house,  into  which  he  had  unaccountably 
fallen  head  first  and  drowned.  Several  prisoners  were  sus- 
pected of  being  accessory  to  the  death  of  this  Indian,  but  free 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        515 

masonry  was  then  at  its  zenith.  The  torics  on  one  occasion  gave 
a  stump  to  the  prisoners  to  wrestle.  Price,  who  was  a  muscular, 
athletic  fellow,  accepted  the  challenge  and  walked  into  the  ring 
to  wrestle  with  the  acknowledged  bully.  The  prisoner,  with  ease, 
threw  the  braggadocio  in  a  very  feeling  manner,  and  the  sport 
was  soon  ended.  Warner  was  retained  a  prisoner  until  after  peace 
was  proclaimed,  and  with  twenty-three  others  ran  away  from  Ni- 
agara one  Sunday  night.  They  halted  at  Oswego,  purchased  pro- 
visions of  the  British  soldiers,  and  made  the  best  of  their  way 
home  through  the  forest.  Zimmer  returned  home  a  short  time 
before  Warner,  on  parole.  Snyder,  on  arriving  in  Canada,  en- 
listed into  the  British  service,  as  his  friends  have  stated,  to  afford 
him  an  opportunity  to  desert  and  return  home. 

If  the  American  prisoners  at  Niagara  usually  fared  hard,  they 
occasionally  had  an  hour  of  merriment,  as  the  following  anecdote 
will  show. 

A  Tory  Wedding. — Among  the  tories  who  removed  from  Scho- 
harie county  to  Niagara,  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  was  a  man 
named  Cockle,  who  had  a  pretty  daughter  called  Peggy.  On  a 
certain  occasion  an  Irishman  named  Patrick  Tuffts,  who 
worked  much  in  Col.  Butler's  garden,  and  who  was  a  dissipated, 
simple  fellow,  was  made  the  butt  of  no  little  pleasantry.  The 
farce  was  set  on  foot  by  a  British  officer,  and  the  matter  princi- 
pally conducted  by  him.  Tuffts  was  induced  to  make  love  to  the 
charming  Peggy,  who,  agreeably  to  previous  arrangements,  re- 
ciprocated the  sentiment,  and  at  an  appointed  time,  agreed  to 
marry  him.  Christian  Price,  the  Virginian  previously  mentioned, 
who  in  features  somewhat  resembled  the  fair  toryess,  was  in  the 
secret,  and  on  the  evening  appointed,  changed  dresses  with  her, 
so  that,  to  use  the  words  of  a  guest,  "  Peggy  was  Price  and  Price 
was  Peggy."  At  the  hour  appointed,  the  guests,  who  were  nu- 
merous, for  many  of  the  prisoners  were  invited,  assembled  at  the 
house  of  an  influential  tory.  Stephen  Secutt,  a  sergeant,  a  shrewd 
fellow,  acted  the  ministerial  part  The  couple  stood  up  before 
Secutt,  who,  with  no  little  sang-froid,  performed  the  marriage 
ceremony ;  at  the  close  of  which  he  received  from  the  happified  son 


516  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  Erin  a  silver  dollar — a  rarity  in  those  days — to  compensate  for 
his  official  services. 

Ample  provision  had  been  made  by  the  officers  and  soldiers, 
and  when  the  knot  was  pronounced  tied,  wine  sparkled  in  many 
a  cup.  After  the  party  had  been  drinking  for  some  time,  and  the 
groom  and  bride  had  received  many  happy  salutations,  the  tones 
of  a  violin  greeted  the  ear,  and  the  party  prepared  for  a  dance. 
The  bride,  who  had  been  sitting  a  while  in  the  lap  of  Tuffts,  who 
was  at  least  "  half  seas  over,"  arose  to  dance  with  a  guest  as 
partner — the  groom  never  having  visited  France,  unless  it  were 
to — "  lend  us  your  grid-iron."  In  the  midst  of  the  dance  Mistress 
Tuffts  allowed  her  partner  certain  liberties,  which  the  groom,  be- 
ing told  by  a  guest  was  very  improper,  arose  to  resent.  Bound- 
ing into  the  figure  with  a  rash  oath,  he  changed  it  into  a  reel  by 
knocking  down  his  wife.  Mistress  Tuffts  sprang  from  the  floor 
and  ran  out  of  the  room  to  doff  the  petticoat  and  gown ;  and  soon 
after  returned  as  Christian  Price,  to  bathe  a  black  eye  with  a 
glass  of  wine.  Tuffts,  poor  fellow,  was  soon  to  be  seen  stagger- 
ing amid  the  dehghted  company,  inquiring  for  his  wife.  At 
length  he  inquired  of  Warner  if  he  had  seen  her.  "  You  have  no 
wife,"  was  the  answer.  "  Yes  I  have — eh,"  said  Tuffts  ;  "  I  am 
lawfully  married — eh.  Did  I  not  pay  a  silver  dollar  to  be  mar- 
ried— eh  ?"  "  Yes,  you  are  married,"  said  Warner,  "  to  Chris- 
tian Price."  This  was  a  poser,  and  he  could  not  at  first  credit 
the  story  of  his  deception  ;  but  after  being  ridiculed  by  the  whole 
party,  and  jeered  until  nearly  sober,  he  withdrew  from  the  scene 
of  merriment  made  at  his  expense,  to  mourn  over  the  result  of  his 
precipitate  marriage,  which  had  wedded  him  to  a  man,  and  taken 
from  him  his  only  dollar.  Had  he  ever  seen  the  Latin  line  so  of- 
ten quoted,  he  would  no  doubt  have  exclaimed,  on  counting  over 
his  beads  and  retiring  forest — 0  Temporal  0  Mores!  ! — George 
Warner. 

About  the  1st  of  September,  1781,  a  party  of  twenty  or  thirty 
of  the  enemy,  mostly  Indians,  by  whom  led  I  have  not  been  able 
to  learn,  entered  the  lower  part  of  the  Cobelskill  settlement,  which 
took  in  that  part  of  the  town  now  known  as  Cobelskill  village, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        517 

or  TIte  Churches.  The  enemy,  on  entering  the  settlement,  sur- 
prised and  killed  George  Friraire,  and  captured  his  brother,  John 
Frimire,  with  George  Fester,  Abraham  Bouck,  a  boy,  John  Nich- 
olas, and  Nicholas,  Peter,  and  William  Utman,  brothers.  After 
plundering  and  burning  the  dwellings  and  out-buildings  which 
had  eseaped  the  enemy's  visitation  four  years  previous,  they  pass- 
ed in  the  afternoon  near  the  fort,  then  feebly  garrisoned.  As  there 
was  but  little  ammunition  in  the  fort,  few  shots  were  fired  upon 
the  enemy,  who  did  not  incline  to  attack  it.  The  dwelling  of  Ja- 
cob Shafer  was  picketed  in,  and  a  little  distance  outside  the  in- 
closure  stood  two  large  barns  owned  by  him.  Two  Indians,  with 
lire-brands,  approached  these  barns,  whereupon  Shafer,  declaring 
"  My  property  is  as  dear  as  my  life .'"  with  gun  in  hand,  left  the 
fort,  followed  by  Christopher  King,  a  young  man  of  spirit.  As 
they  advanced  towards  the  barn-burners  they  gave  a  savage  war- 
whoop,  drew  up  their  guns,  and  fired  ;  and  the  Indians,  abandon- 
ing their  design,  showed  their  heels  in  rapid  flight.  That  night 
the  enemy  stayed  at  the  house  of  one  Borst,  which  they  burned 
in  the  morning,  and  soon  after  again  passed  near  the  fort,  upon 
which  several  of  them  then  fired,  without,  however,  doing  any 
injury.  The  enemy  then  disappeared,  probably  pursuing  the  usu- 
al southwestern  route  to  Niagara.  The  treatment  those  prisoners 
received  has  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  writer,  but  it  was 
undoubtedly  of  that  character  usually  experienced  by  captives 
among  the  Indians — suffering  from  exposure,  possibly  torture,  hun- 
ger, and  the  gantlet — Capt.  George  Warner,  [this  old  hero  died 
April  4,  1844,  aged  86.^  yecirs,)  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Tu- 
nis Vrooman,  before  named,  who  icas  in  the  Cobelskill  fort  when 
invaded. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  when  Brant  desolated  the  upper 
part  of  Cobelskill  in  1778,  the  log  house  of  the  elder  George 
Warner  was  spared  from  conflagration,  as  was  then  supposed,  to 
afford  an  opportunity  to  capture  a  committee  man.  Feeling  too 
poor  to  erect  a  frame  dwelling  upon  the  ashes  of  his  former  one, 
he  took  up  his  winter  residence  in  his  old  log  dwelling.  Seth's 
Henry,  and  six  other  Indians,  who  had  traversed  the  forest  from 


518  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Niagara  to  Cobelskill,  at  that  inclement  season,  (a  distance,  by 
their  route,  of  at  least  three  hundred  miles,)  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  capturing  Warner,  who  was  known  to  be  an  influential  whig, 
arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  his  dwelling  on  Sunday,  the  11th  day  of 
December,  1782.  On  the  same  day  Nicholas  Warner,  his  oldes 
son,  went  from  one  of  the  Schoharie  forts  to  the  paternal  dwel- 
ling in  a  sleigh,  accompanied  by  Joseph  Earner,  to  get  a  lumber- 
sleigh  owned  by  the  former,  for  the  winter's  use  of  which  the  lat- 
ter had  agreed  to  pay  him  one  dollar — a  dollar  being  as  valuable 
in  the  then  impoverished  state  of  the  country  as  half  a  dozen 
would  be  at  the  present  day.  When  Warner  and  Earner  were 
fastening  one  sled  to  the  other,  one  of  their  horses  broke  loose  and 
ran  into  the  woods,  and  while  they  were  recovering  the  animal 
the  enemy  arrived.  On  surprising  old  Mr.  Warner,  one  or  two 
shots  were  fired  to  intimidate  him,  which,  as  it  snowed  very  fast, 
were  unheard  by  his  son  and  companion.  Catching  the  stray 
horse,  they  returned  and  fastened  the  team  to  the  sleds.  As  they 
drove  past  the  house  they  discovered  the  Indians,  three  of  whom 
attempted  to  take  them.  In  making  a  little  circuit  to  avoid  the 
enemy,  the  horses  were  driven  partly  into  the  top  of  a  fallen  tree, 
when  the  friends  attempted  to  cut  loose  the  back  sleigh.  At  this 
time  two  of  the  Indians  fired  upon  them,  the  third  reserving  his 
fire.  The  horses  ran  partly  over  a  log  concealed  in  the  snow,  and 
the  hindmost  sleigh,  not  running  true,  struck  a  sapling  and  drew 
the  box  off,  and  Warner  under  it.  Earner,  having  the  reins,  was 
drawn  over  the  box,  and  remained  upon  the  sleigh  bottom.  W^hen 
Warner  regained  his  feet,  he  observed  that  the  Indian  who  had 
reserved  his  fire,  had  advanced  to  within  some  twenty  paces  of 
him,  with  a  steady  aim  upon  his  person, — and  conscious  of  the 
danger  he  must  encounter  to  regain  the  sleigh,  he  abandoned  the 
attempt,  and  told  his  comrade,  still  holding  his  restive  steeds,  to 
secure  his  own  flight  if  he  could,  and  leave  him  to  his  fate.  He 
then  drove  off,  and  Warner  became  a  prisoner.  Soon  after,  one 
of  the  Indians,  who  knew  him,  enquired  if  he  could  shoot  as  good 
as  he  once  could ?    His  reply  was,  " / can,  on  a  proper  occasion" 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        519 

Mrs.  Warner  and  a  daughter  who  chanced  to  be  at  home,  were 
left  unharmed.  After  plundering  the  house  of  such  articles  as 
they  desired,  and  securing  a  quantity  of  meat  and  flour  to  afford 
them  subsistence  for  several  days,  the  Indians,  with  their  prison- 
ers, some  time  in  the  afternoon,  set  otF  up  the  creek,  pursuing  the 
most  direct  route  to  the  Susquehanna.  The  snow  was  then  near- 
ly knee  deep,  and  receiving  copious  accessions :  the  party,  there- 
fore, could  not  travel  very  rapidly.  They  proceeded  about  six 
miles  and  encamped,  when  they  boiled  a  portion  of  their  meat  in 
a  stolen  teakettle — sad  perversion  of  its  use,  as  the  tidy  house- 
wife will  say — for  their  supper.  When  cooked,  an  Indian  cut  it 
as  nearly  as  possible  into  nirie  equal  parts ;  then  a  second  Indian 
turned  his  back,  and  a  third  gave  owners  to  each  mess  ;  as  fisher- 
men and  hunters  often  do,  by  "  touching  it  off:"  which  is  done 
by  pointing  at  a  portion,  unobserved  by  another  individual,  with 
the  familiar  demand,  who  shall  have  that? — whose  reply  gives  it 
a  lawful  owner. 

When  captured,  the  younger  Warner  had  on  "  Dutch  shoes" — 
brogans.  Observing  that,  the  Indian  who  claimed  him  as  prison- 
er (who  could  speak  Low  Dutch,  which  he  partially  understood,) 
asked  him  if  he  would  trade  a  pair  of  mocasons  with  him  for  his 
shoes — taking  them  off,  and  making  known  by  signs  what  he 
could  not  fully  communicate  in  Dutch.  Said  he  to  the  Indian,  "  I 
am  your  prisoner,  and  if  I  freeze  my  feet  and  cannot  keep  up  with 
you,  you  will  kill  me  :  I  now  look  to  you  for  protection  as  to  a 
father,  and  will  try  to  love  you  as  such."  The  Indian  compre- 
hended enough  of  what  his  prisoner  had  said  to  arrive  at  his 
meaning,  and  made  the  exchange.  Warner  then  put  on  the  mo- 
casons, which  were  made  with  leggins,  and  buttoned  his  breeches 
over  them  ;  when  the  Indians,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  Looked  wild 
at  one  another.^'  He  thought  they  exchanged  very  significant 
looks,  and  fearing  they  suspected  his  intention,  already  conceived, 
of  making  his  escape,  he  moved  about  a  little  and  rubbed  his  legs, 
as  if  the  better  to  adjust  his  new  disguise,  and  then  seated  himself 
before  the  fire,  with  his  hands  clenched  across  his  knees.  Instead 
of  allaying,  his  last  movement  had  a  tendency  to  increase  the  sus- 


520  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

picion  and  vigilance  of  his  dusky  captors;  observing  which,  he 
took  off  the  mocasons,  folded  them  up  with  care  and  put  them  in- 
to the  bosom  of  his  shirt ;  which  lulled  all  suspicion.  Said  War- 
ner, at  our  interview  in  1837,  "  To  relate  what  took  place  on  the 
night  I  was  a  prisoner  with  the  Indians,  now  makes  the  cold  chills 
run  over  me."  The  party  laid  down  early  to  sleep,  but  the  young- 
er Warner,  intent  upon  escaping,  did  not  close  his  eyes;  and 
about  midnight,  thinking  all  were  slumbering,  he  arose  and  ran 
off — directing  his  footsteps  homeward.  He  had  hardly  started,  as 
his  father  afterwards  informed  him,  when  his  escape  was  discov- 
ered, Sind  four  of  the  enemy  were  in  pursuit ;  but  as  it  was  still 
snowing  fast,  and  dark  as  the  rotunda  of  Gebhard's  cavern,  they 
could  not  catch  a  glimpse  of,  much  less  follow  him.  He  took  a 
circuitous  route  in  his  flight,  conjecturing  that  if  pursued  it  would 
be  on  the  back  track,  which  was  in  fact  the  case.  The  Indians 
ran  but  a  short  distance  and  abandoned  pursuit,  fearing  they  might 
be  troubled  to  retrace  their  steps  to  their  own  camp.  Warner 
ran  several  miles  with  one  hand  before  him,  to  prevent  striking 
the  trees.  He  crossed  the  creek  six  times  in  his  flight,  which  he 
was  as  often  conscious  of,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Duboise,  nine  miles 
from  his  captor's  encampment,  just  at  daylight.  There  was  an^ 
old  body  of  snow  on  the  ground  which  was  stiff,  and  the  falhng  ~ 
snow  being  damp  readily  packed  upon  it,  otherwise  he  must  have 
worn  out  his  stockings  and  frozen  his  feet. 

The  elder  Warner  did  not  attempt  to  escape,  but  was  watched 
with  vigilance  night  and  day.  He  must  have  suffered  much  from 
cold,  but  little  from  hunger  ;  as  one  of  the  party  was  an  expert 
hunter,  and  usually  supphed  plenty  of  food  of  some  kind.  Nim- 
rod  was  however  ill  a  few  days  and  the  party  did  not  fare  as  well ; 
but  when  others  brought  in  game,  he  usually  took  good  care  to 
fill  his  meat  basket,  and  soon  recovered.  An  Englishman  pre- 
fers going  into  battle  upon  a  full  stomach,  and  an  Indian  being 
sick  upon  the  same  allowance.  It  was  considered  an  honorable 
affair  to  capture  an  influential  whig,  besides  entitling  to  a  very  lib- 
eral reward ;  and  as  Warner  was  one  of  the  most  noted  in  the 
Schoharie  settlements,  his  captors  were  anxious  to  deliver  him  in 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        521 

Canada,  and  he  was  treated  with  greater  forbearance  and  kind- 
ness on  his  way,  than  was  any  other  captive  who  went  from  the 
Schoharie  settlements  during  the  war.  The  flour  taken  from  War- 
ner's was  boiled  in  the  teakettle,  and  usually  eaten  by  the  Indians, 
who  gave  the  prisoner  meat ;  reversing  the  usual  treatment  of 
captives  in  their  anxiety  to  deliver  him  safely  in  Canada.  Af- 
ter the  escape  of  his  son,  five  of  the  Indians  usually  kept  watch 
over  Warner  in  the  early  part  of  the  night  and  two  in  the  latter 
part.  One  of  the  Indians  treated  the  captive  committee  man  with 
the  kindness  of  a  brother  all  the  way  to  Niagara.  On  arriving 
at  the  Indian  settlements  in  western  New  York,  this  Indian  took 
him  by  the  hand  and  led  him  unhurt  outside  the  lines  which  had 
been  formed  for  his  reception,  to  the  displeasure  of  those,  who 
had  from  infancy  been  taught  to  delight  in  tortures  and  cruelty. 
A  prisoner  being  led  by  his  captor  outside  the  gantlet  lines,  was 
an  evidence  of  protection  and  exemption  from  abuse  seldom  ever 
violated. 

While  Mr.  Warner  was  a  captive  he  frequently  sung  a  hymn 
in  German.  The  young  Indians  almost  invariably  would  begin 
to  mock  him,  but  if  the  name  of  the  Deity  was  introduced,  they 
usually  understood  it,  and  if  so  it  never  failed  to  produce  their  si- 
lence ;  such  reverence  had  those  unlettered  sons  of  the  forest  for 
the  Great  Spirit  of  the  Universe.  Indeed,  the  Indians  of  the  Six 
Nations  had  no  words  in  their  dialect  by  which  they  could  pro- 
fane the  name  of  Jehovah,  and  if  they  did  so,  it  was  in  the  lan- 
guage of  their  white  neighbors.*  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Canada, 
Mr.  Warner  was  sent  to  Rebel  Island  near  jMontreal,  where  he 
was  given  parole  liberty. 

After  an  absence  of  about  eleven  months,  Mr.  Warner  was  ex- 
changed, and  being  sworn  to  secrecy,  returned  home  by  the  north 
eastern  route,  coming  through  Hartford,  Conn. ;  and  what  was 
unusual,  was  better  clad  on  his  return  than  at  the  time  of  his  cap- 
ture. Had  all  the  captive  Americans  been  treated  with  the  kind- 
ness and  forbearance  of  George  Warner,  sen.,  the  horrors  of  our 

•  A  fact  communicated  by  Joseph  Brant,  to  a  friend  of  the  author. 

34 


522  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

border  wars  had  been  greatly  mitigated,  and  the  suffering,  which 
in  the  aggregate  was  most  astounding,  rendered  comparatively 
trifling.* 

Gen.  Washington,  while  at  Albany  in  the  summer  of  1782, 
was  invited  by  the  citizens  to  visit  Schenectada.f  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  in  company  with  Gen.  Schuyler,  rode  there  in 
a  carriage  from  Albany  on  Ihe  30th  of  June  ;  where  he  was  re- 
ceived with  no  little  formality  by  the  civil  and  military  authorities, 
and  escorted  some  distance  by  a  numerous  procession,  in  which  he 
walked  with  his  hat  under  his  arm.  Abraham  Clinch,  who  came 
to  America  as  drum-major  under  Gen.  Braddock,  then  kept  a  tav- 
ern in  Schenectada,  and  at  his  house  a  public  dinner  was  given. 
Having  previously  heard  of  his  sufferings,  one  of  the  first  persons 
Washington  enquired  after,  was  Col.  Frederick  Fisher,  who  was 
then  residing  in  the  place.  He  expressed  surprise  that  the  colo- 
nel had  not  been  invited  to  meet  him,  and  agreeable  to  his  request 
a  messenger  was  sent  for  him.  He  was  a  man  of  real  merit,  but 
modest  and  retiring  in  his  habits.     On  this  occasion,  he  was  found 

•The  particulars  of  the  capture  of  the  two  Warners,  were  obtained  from 
Nicholas  Warner  in  the  fall  of  1837  :  at  that  time  he  had  a  cancer  on  his 
mouth,  which  terminated  his  existence  on  the  27th  day  of  July,  1S3S.  He 
was  91  years  old  on  the  31st  day  of  October  preceding  his  death. 

t  This  ancient  town,  at  a  time  when  England  and  France  were  at  war,  was 
invaded  by  250  French  and  Indian  warriors,  who  made  the  journey  from  Ca- 
nada  in  the  depth  ol  winter  expressly  to  destroy  it.  The  village,  thtn  num- 
bering about  40  good  dwellings,  was  inclosed  by  pallisades,  and  ai)proached 
by  two  gates.  As  the  visit  of  an  enemy  was  not  anticipated  at  that  incle- 
ment season,  the  gates  were  both  left  open,  and  had  been  for  some  weeks. 
On  Saturday  night,  Feb.  8  1(390,  the  invaders  entered  the  town  by  the  west- 
ern gate,  and  separating  into  small  parties,  began  an  indiscriminate  slaughter 
of  the  inhabitants.  Many  of  the  male  citizens  were  killed  in  the  onset;  but 
of  those  persons  who  escaped  at  the  eastern  gale,  some  20  arrived  in  Albany, 
more  or  less  frost-bitten,  having  (led  nearly  naked  in  the  snow,  a  distance  of 
sixteen  miles,  while  others  perished  by  the  way.  Sixty  persons,  mostly  wo- 
men and  children,  were  carried  into  captivity,  the  town  all  plundered  and 
burnt,  except  two  (hvcllings.  The  commanders  ordered  the  casks  of  liquor 
found  in  the  place  all  stove,  to  prevent  the  men  from  getting  drunk.  A  party 
of  cavalry  from  Albany,  joined  by  a  band  of  brave  Mohawks,  were  .^oon  on 
their  trail,  and  overtaking  them  in  a  favorable  place,  fell  upon  their  rear  and 
slew  25  of  them.  The  remainder,  after  much  suffering,  arrived  in  Canada 
with  their  scalps  and  plunder. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         523 

al  ^vork  in  his  barn,  which,  under  the  circumstances,  he  left  with 
reluctance,  but  was  kindly  greeted  by  the  illustrious  guest,  who 
paid  him  marked  attention. 

At  the  dinner  table  were  assembled  a  respectable  number  of 
gentlemen,  among  whom  were  Gen.  Schuyler,  Colonels  Ab'm 
Wemple  and  Fr.  Fisher ;  Majors  Ab'm  Switz,  Myndert  Wemple, 
and  Jelles  Fonda ;  Captains  Peter  Truax  and  John  Mynderson  ; 
Henry  Glen,  Dep.  Com.  Gen.,  and  Isaac  Truax,  then  the  oldest 
man  in  the  place.  Washington  assigned  the  seat  next  his  own  to 
Col.  Fisher. — Isaac  De  Graff  and  John  J.  Schermerhorn. 

This  was  indeed  a  proud  day  for  "  Old  Dorp."*  Some  person 
publicly  addressed  the  visitor  on  the  occasion,  and  before  return- 
ing to  Albany,  he  wrote  the  following  reply : 

"  To  the  Magistrales  and  Military  Officers  of  the  town  of  Schenec- 
tady : 

"  Gentlemen: — I  request  you  to  accept  my  warmest  thanks  for 
your  affectionate  address. 

"  In  a  cause  so  just  and  righteous  as  ours,  we  have  .every  reason 
to  hope  the  Divine  Providence  will  still  continue  to  crowji  our  arms 
with  success,  and  finally  compel  our  enemies  to  grant  us  that  peace 
upon  equitable  terms,  which  we  so  ardently  desire. 

"  May  you,  and  the  good  people  of  this  town,  in  the  mean  time, 
be  protected  from  every  insidious  and  open  foe,  and  may  the  com- 
plicated blessings  of  peace  soon  reward  your  arduous  struggles  for 
the  establiiihment  of  the  freedom  and  independence  of  our  com- 
mon country. 

"  GO.  WASHINGTON. 
••  Schenectady,  June  20th,  17S2." 

The  following  anecdote  originated  at  Schenectada  during  the 
visit  of  Gen.  Washington.  He  was  walking  a  public  street  in 
company  with  Brower  Banker,  a  respectable  citizen,  and  black- 
smith by  trade,  when  an  old  negro  passing  took  off"  his  hat  and 
bowed  to  him:  the  great  commander  immediately  returned  the 
compliment.  Banker  expressed  surprise  that  his  companion  thus 
noticed  this  descendant  of  Ishmael,  observing  it  was  not  the  cus- 
tom of  the  country  thus  to  notice  slaves.     "  /  cannot  be  less  civil 

•This  is  the  Dutch  word  for  town,  and  when  used  within  a  hundred  miles 
of  the  place  is  understood  to  mean  Schenectada  ;  the  latter  is  an  Indian  word, 
said  to  Signify  Over-lhepines.  Albany  and  Schenectada  were  early  distin- 
guished by  the  Dutch  words  sladt,  for  city,  and  dorp,  for  town. 


524  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

than  a  poor  negro^^  was  his  manly  reply,  as  they  proceeded  on- 
ward.— Rynier  Gardinier. 

Some  of  the  necessaries  of  life  rose  excessively  high  during  the 
Revolution,  besides  being  extremely  difficult  to  obtain.  Individu- 
als went  from  the  westward  of  Albany  to  Boston  io  procure  salt. 
In  a  letter  written  by  Cornelius  Cuyler,  of  Albany,  to  Robert 
Snell,  Esq.,  of  Tryon  county,  dated,  "  Albany,  March  5,  1779," 
I  find  the  following  sentence :  "  Could  you  not  get  wheat  from 
the  farmers  in  exchange  for  salt,  to  be  delivered  at  Schenectada 
on  your  order  ?  If  so,  let  the  farmers  deliver  the  wheat  at  your 
mills,  and  give  them  a  certificate  on  my  brother,  John  Cuyler,  for 
the  quantity  they  may  deliver,  and  they  shall  receive  salt  in  pro- 
portion of  six  skipples  of  wheat  for  one  of  salt.  Cheese  was  sold 
from  seventeen  to  twenty  cents  per  pound,  and  nails  used  in  the 
Highlands, ^ify  cents  per  pound. 

Some  time  in  the  Revolution,  Timothy  Murphy  had  charge  of 
a  small  scout  which  went  to  reconnoitre  in  the  vicinity  of  Oqua- 
go.  V/hilie  there  they  took  three  prisoners,  one  of  whom  was  a 
Scotch  lad  of  suspicious  character,  and  soon  after  started  on  their 
return  to  Schoharie.  In  the  night,  the  boy  escaped,  taking  along 
Murphy's  rifle — an  act  not  very  pleasing  to  the  fearless  ranger. 
Some  month's  after,  the  boy  was  retaken  by  another  scout,  and 
with  him  the  stolen  fire-lock.  When  Murphy  learned  that  the 
boy  was  taken,  and  was  approaching  as  a  prisoner,  his  worst  pas- 
sions were  aroused,  and  he  declared  his  intention  to  kill  him,  and 
armed  himself  with  a  tomahawk  for  that  purpose.  Elerson,  and 
one  or  two  of  his  companions  in  arms,  reasoned  the  matter  with 
him.  They  told  him  to  imagine  himself  in  the  boy's  situation, 
and  asked  him  if  he,  similarly  situated,  would  have  acted  differ- 
ently from  what  the  boy  had  1  His  anger  was  in  a  measure  ap- 
peased ;  resentment  yielded  to  the  force  of  sober  reasoning ;  and 
the  boy  was  brought  into  his  presence  without  receiving  any  inju- 
ry. He  was  afterwards  taken  to  Albany,  and  sold  for  the  time 
being.  Murphy,  speaking  of  this  affair,  after  the  war,  expressed 
his  gratitude  that  he  was  prevented  by  his  friends  from  injuring 
the  lad  who  had  stolen  his  gun. — Elerson,  JVich.  Warner,  Jacob 
Becker,  and  Mrs.  Van  Slyck. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.  /325 

A  tory,  named  Jacob  Salisbury,  was  concealed  in  a  house  in 
the  present  town  of  Bern,  Albany  county,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
war,  for  several  months.  A  hole  had  been  cut  in  the  floor,  and 
covered  with  a  trap  door,  and  in  a  small  space  dug  beneath  the 
floor,  the  tory  concealed  himself  whenever  any  of  his  neighbors, 
not  in  the  secret  of  his  burrow,  were  at  the  house.  His  object,  it 
is  believed,  was  to  act  the  spy,  but  having  been  discovered,  he 
was  arrested  and  imprisoned. — Mrs.  Eleanor  Feeck. 

There  is  a  tradition  in  Schoharie,  currently  believed  by  some, 
that  an  attempt  was  made  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Revolution,  to 
capture  Timothy  Murphy  by  stratagem.  It  is  said  that  the  hero 
had  a  cow,  on  the  neck  of  which  he  placed  a  bell,  the  better  to 
enable  him  to  find  her ;  and  that  an  Indian,  to  gain  an  interview, 
took  the  bell  from  the  cow's  neck  and  placed  it  upon  his  own, 
when  he  gingled  it  about  in  the  woods,  where  the  cow  sometimes 
ran,  to  afford  him  and  his  companions  an  opportunity  either  to 
kill  or  capture  its  owner.  Murphy  knew  too  well  whether  a  cow 
or  an  Indian  rattled  his  bell,  and  driving  her  home  from  another 
part  of  the  woods,  he  left  the  ding-dong  warrior  to  make  music 
for  his  fellows. — Mrs.  Angelica  Vrooman. 

Timothy  Murphy,  the  brave  soldier  with  whom  we  must  soon 
part  company,  (whose  daring  spirit  the  reader  has  no  doubt  been 
pleased  with,)  was  never  wounded  in  battle,  and,  I  believe,  never 
a  prisoner  with  the  enemy.  It  was  his  misfortune,  like  that  of 
many  other  master  spirits  of  the  Revolution,  not  to  have  had  the 
advantages  of  an  early  education,  even  such  as  our  common 
schools  now  aflbrd.  In  fact,  he  possessed  not  the  elements  of  an 
education :  the  art  of  reading  and  writing.  For  this  reason,  he 
declined  accepting  a  proffered  commission ;  knowing  that  he 
would  be  subjected  to  much  inconvenience,  and  be  liable  to  be 
imposed  upon  by  designing  men.  Had  he  been  an  educated  man, 
he  might  have  made  another  Wayne  or  Morgan  :  but  the  want 
of  the  rudiments  of  an  education  compelled  him  to  see  others  less 
fitted  in  other  respects  than  himself,  occupying  stations  of  profit 
and  honor.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  became  a  cultivator  of 
the  soil  on  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law,  on  which  his  ashes  now 


526  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

repose.  He  was  a  citizen  much  respected  in  the  county.  As  a 
father,  he  was  generous  and  indulgent  to  a  fault,  having  been 
known  to  bring  home,  from  Albany,  for  a  daughter,  some  five  or 
six  dresses  at  one  time. 

Although  Murphy  could  neither  read  nor  write,  yet,  when 
mounted  upon  a  stump  or  some  eminence,  he  could  harrangue  a 
pubUc  audience  with  great  effect,  and  for  many  years  exerted  a 
powerful  influence  in  the  political  ranks  of  Schoharie  county.  He 
was  very  active  in  bringing  his  young  friend  and  neighbor,  the 
Hon.  Wm.  C.  Bouck,  from  retirement  into  public  notice — was 
zealous  in  obtaining  for  him  the  appointment  of  sheriff — and  in- 
directly contributed  not  a  little  to  his  subsequent  distinction. 

On  the  15th  day  of  March,  1784,  the  ice  lodged  in  the  river 
near  Middleburgh,  overflowed  the  flats  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Murphy's  residence,  where  they  seldom  if  ever  before  had  been 
similarly  inundated.  Many  cattle  and  sheep  were  swept  off  in 
the  freshet  and  perished.  In  an  attempt  to  save  the  family  of 
John  Adam  Brown,  a  near  neighbor.  Murphy  waded  into  the  wa- 
ter amidst  the  ice,  and  succeeded  in  bearing  to  a  place  of  safety 
his  two  sons  ;  but  Brown,  and  Lana,  his  only  daughter,  then  about 
12  years  old,  were  unfortunately  in  the  lower  part  of  the  house 
and  were  drowned.  Murphy  lost  his  wife  (by  whom  he  had  nine 
children)  in  1807  ;  and  married  Mary  Robertson  five  or  six  years 
after,  by  whom  he  also  had  several  children.  He  died  of  a  can- 
cer upon  his  throat  June  27th,  18 18  ;  the  foundation  of  which 
disease  was  supposed  to  have  been  laid,  while  attempting  to  res- 
cue Brown  and  his  family  in  1784.  The  Rev.  John  Schermerhorn 
preached  the  funeral  sermon  of  Murphy  and  that  of  two  other  in- 
dividuals, George  Mattice  and  a  colored  woman,  on  the  same  day. 

The  following  are  the  inscriptions  upon  the  tomb-stones  of  Mur- 
phy and  his  first  wife  : 

"  Timothy  Murphy  died  June  27,  1818  ;  aged  67  years. 
"  Here  too,  this  warrior  sire,  with  honor  rests, 
Who  bared  in  freedom's  cause  his  valiant  breast 
Sprang  from  his  half  drawn  furrow,  as  the  cry 
Of  threatened  liberty  came  thrilling  by  ; 
Look'd  to  his  God,  and  reared  in  bulwark  round 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        527 

Breast  free  from  guile,  and  hands  with  toil  embrown'd, 
And  bade  a  monarch's  tho'usand  banners  yield — 
Firm  at  the  plough,  and  glorious  in  the  field, 
Lo!  here  he  rests,  who  every  danger  braved, 
Marked  and  honored,  amiJ  the  soil  he  saved." 

"Margaret,  wife  of  Timothy  Murphy,  died  Sept.  1,  1807, 
aged  44  years," 

Some  time  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  possibly  when  the  ene- 
my were  in  its  vicinity,  an  incident  occurred  at  Fort  Duboise,  in 
Cobelskill,  which,  in  its  result,  was  a  source  of  merriment.  John 
King  was  one  night  in  a  sentry  box,  keeping  vigils  for  the  safety 
of  himself  and  others,  when  he  discovered  some  object  slowly  ap- 
proaching the  place  where  he  was  stationed.  It  was  light  enough 
for  him  to  obtain  a  sight  of  the  object,  but  not  with  sufficient  dis- 
tinctness to  identify  its  character ;  and  supposing  it  to  be  a  tory 
or  an  Indian  visitant,  he  hailed  it  with  the  accustomed  "  Who 
comes  there  ?"  demandinfr  also  the  counter  si g:n.  To  the  interro- 
gatories  of  the  sentinel  no  reply  was  given,  but  the  supposed  foe 
continued  to  advance ;  and  King,  already  imagining  he  saw  the 
uplifted  tomahawk  of  a  gigantic  Indian,  leveled  his  trusty  gun 
and  fired.  The  report  echoed  upon  the  midnight  air  until  lost  in 
gentle  murmurs  among  the  distants  hills,  and  greatly  alarmed  the 
little  garrison  and  several  families  of  citizens,  clustered  in  rude 
huts  within  the  picketed  inclosure  for  safety.  The  courageous 
were  quickly  armed  for  an  expected  onset  of  a  desperate  foe. 
King  pointed  out,  in  the  uncertain  light,  to  the  swolen  eyes  of  his 
officer  and  comrades  the  supposed  enemy,  evidently  weltering  in 
his  blood,  for  His  temerity  in  presuming  to  approach  a  post,  guard- 
ed by  so  trusty  a  sentinel.  The  object  soon  became  still,  and  the 
silence  of  midnight  was  again  restored.  The  inmates  of  the  fort 
retired  to  rest — probably,  few  to  sleep  again  that  night ;  but  all 
to  pray  for  the  return  of  daylight.  That  light  at  length  came, 
and  disclosed  to  the  inmates  of  the  fort,  whose  curiosity  was  on 
tiptoe,  that  the  vigilant  watchman  had  actually  killed  a  large — "6u// 
calf.^^  The  heedless  animal,  ignorant  of  the  police  of  a  camp, 
had  strayed  from  a  neighboring  field,  and  was  slowly  grazing  to- 
ward the  wary  guard,  when  he  received  a  bullet  which  killed  him 
outright. — Marcus  Broicn. 


(  528  ) 


CHAPTER  XVni. 


Sleep  on  !  fearless  ranger  ;  the  Indian  no  more 
Shall  dye  his  coarse  blanket  in  citizen's  gore  : 
He  has  left,  aye,  forever,  the  vales  where  you  fought, 
And  his  hosts  of  brave  warriors  have  dwindled  to  nought. 
The  vigils  you  kept  in  the  partizan  strife, 
Protecting  the  weak  from  the  merciless  knife 
Of  mocason'J  foes,  who  at  midnight  came  near, 
We'll  ever  remember  in  green  leaf  and  sear — 
And  with  tears  dew  the  roses  that  bloom  o'er  the  graves, 
Of  the  heroes  who  saved  us — the  pioneer  braves. 

The  active  operations  of  the  enemy  closed  with  the  year  1782, 
preliminaries  for  a  peace  having  been  agreed  upon  in  November 
of  that  year,  which  was  finally  ratified  on  the  30th  day  of  the  fol- 
lowing September.  On  the  25th  of  November,  1783,  the  British 
troops  evacuated  New  York,  and  the  Americans,  under  General 
Washington,  entered  the  city  the  same  day,  where  they  were  wel- 
comed by  the  friends  of  the  Republic  with  many  demonstrations 
of  joy.  Washington  repaired  to  Annapolis,  Md.,  where  Congress 
was  then  in  session,  and  on  the  20th  day  of  December  he  resigned 
to  that  august  body  his  military  command,  prefaced  by  a  brief  and 
appropriate  address,  which  was  handsomely  responded  to  by  its 
president,  Gen.  Mifflin.  Once  more  a  private  citizen,  the  great 
Washington  repaired  to  his  seat  at  Mount  Vernon,  followed  by  the 
prayers  and  admiration  of  every  lover  of  civil  liberty  upon  the 
habitable  globe. 

Otthout  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  of  Albany,  is  said  to  have  been 
commissioner  for  disposing  of  confiscated  property  in  the  Schoha- 
rie settlements.  The  title  of  farms  (in  New  York)  in  the  posses- 
sion of  royalists,  which  had  been  purchased  of  patriotic  Ameri- 


mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  529 

cans,  and  not  paid  for,  reverted  to  the  private  owner, — while  those 
of  active  royaUsts,  who  held  a  free  title,  were  confiscated  to  the 
government.  Nearly  all  the  property  sequestered  in  the  present 
county  of  Schoharie,  was  owned  in  Brakabeen,  Rhinebeck,  and 
New  Dorlach,  more  than  one  thousand  acres  of  which  were  in 
the  latter  settlement. 

After  the  war  not  a  few  lories  came  back  to  Schoharie,  some 
of  whom  even  boasted  of  their  evil  deeds,  and  if  they  were  not 
treated  like  Beacraft,  they  w^ere  looked  upon  with  great  suspicion 
for  at  least  one  generation. 

A  number  of  Schoharie  Indians,  who  had  escaped  the  bullets  of 
the  rangers,  claiming  the  same  privilege  as  the  tories  with  whom 
they  had  acted,  also  returned  to  the  scenes  of  their  former  cruelties. 
Among  them  was  Seth's  Henry,  as  previously  mentioned,  Abram, 
his  sister's  son,  and  a  few  others  of  notoriety.  The  former  had 
not  been  long  in  Vrooman's  Land  before  he  became  suspicious  of 
the  republicans,  and  whenever  he  entered  a  house  he  preferred  a 
position  where  he  could  look  from  an  open  door  or  window,  and 
anticipate  any  ominous  movement.  From  this  place  he  started  to 
go  to  the  Charlotte  river,  was  followed  by  Timothy  Murphy,  who 
had  kept  vigils  of  his  footsteps  in  the  valley,  and,  ar  he  never 
reached  the  place  for  which  he  set  out,  it  was  currently  believed, 
though  not  generally  known,  that  his  bones  were  left  to  bleach  in 
the  intervening  forest.  The  writer  has  no  doubt  from  the  inform- 
ation he  has  received  from  Laurence  Mattice,  David  Elerson,  and 
others,  that  a  bullet  from  the  rifle  which  sent  Gen.  Fraser  to  his 
long  home,  also  ended  the  career  of  this  crafty  chief,  who  was 
one  of  the  most  blood-thirsty  and  successful  warriors  of  the  Re- 
volution. 

The  Schoharie  Indian,  Abram,  who  returned  with  Seth's  Hen- 
ry, was  followed  by  Peter  C.  Vrooman,  (familiarly  known  as  Ha- 
zel Pete,)  armed  with  an  axe,  into  the  kitchen  of  Samuel  Vroo- 
man's house,  in  Vrooman's  Land,  where  he  inflicted  two  blows 
upon  his  head,  and  would  no  doubt  have  slain  him  as  he  lay  upon 
the  floor,  had  not  a  slave  belonging  to  the  house  seized  the  arm 
of  the  assailant,  and  afforded  the  Indian  an  opportunity  to  effect 


530  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

his  escape.  The  Indian  had  provoked  Vrooman's  vengeance  Ly 
boasting  of  his  former  deeds,  and  would  no  doubt  have  been  kill- 
ed by  the  first  blow  struck  at  hira,  had  not  the  missile  hit  the  floor 
over  head,  and  broken  its  fall.  He  was  a  long  time  in  recover- 
ing, and  is  said  to  have  been  less  saucy  afterwards. — Mrs.  Van 
Slyck  and  J.  W.  Bouck. 

This  same  Indian,  if  report  is  true,  tarried  about  Schoharie  for 
a  year  or  two,  ancl  suddenly  disappeared.  He  was  at  a  bee,  as  a 
gathering  of  neighbors  is  called,  when  they  are  assembled  to  husk 
corn,  draio  ivood,  or  manure,  &,c.,  as  is  often  witnessed  in  the  in- 
terior of  New  York, — the  sequel  of  which  usually  is,  a  good  warm 
supper,  got  up  in  the  best  possible  style, — on  some  occasions  fol- 
lowed by  a  dance.  Such  hees  are  common  in  the  Schoharie  and 
Mohawk  valleys  now,  and  have  been  from  the  time  of  their  ear- 
liest white  settlements.  Indeed,  they  are  not  confined  to  the  males 
either :  quilting  bees,  spinning  bees,  apple-paring  bees,  and  the  like, 
are  common  among  the  females,  and  fortunate,  indeed,  is  that 
young  man's  lot  who  has  notice  to  be  present  and  help  "  shake 
the  quilt,"  or  remove  the  rejected  parts  of  the  apple,  as  he  some- 
times has  most  delectable  kissing  when  the  quilt  is  folded,  the  ap- 
ples cut,  and  the  happifying  "come  Phylanders,"  and  many  other 
nectar  originators  are  fairly  begun. — Pardon  this  digression,  kind 
reader :  I  was  going  to  say  that  the  Indian  Abram  was  at  a  bee  of 
some  sort  at  the  house  of  a  farmer  on  Foxes  creek,  and  was  not 
a  little  intoxicated.  "  Schoharie  John"  was  there  also,  and  pro- 
bably not  sober  enough  to  "walk  a  crack,"  unless  it  were  a  curv- 
ed one.  They  quarreled ;  after  passionate  words  had  escaped 
them,  the  Indian  left  the  house,  and  was  followed  in  a  short  time 
by  "Schoharie  John."  This  Indian  was  never  seen  again  in  the 
settlement,  and  as  a  large  pile  of  drift-wood  upon  the  bank  of  the 
creek  not  far  distant,  was  seen  on  fire  the  following  morning,  it 
was  conjectured  by  some,  that  possibly  Abram's  bones  might  be 
found  in  the  ashes ;  but  whether  they  were  or  not,  or  whether 
suspicion  slandered  the  old  soldier  who  followed  him  from  the 
house,  the  writer  knows  n5t. — Doct.  P.  S.  Swart,  J.  M.  Swart, 
and  others. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         531 

Most  of  the  Indians  who  returned  to  Schoharie  after  the  war, 
remained  about  the  settlement  until  fall,  when  several  of  their 
number  disappeared  in  a  very  unaccountable  manner.  The  fact 
was,  several  of  them  had  been  met  in  by  places  by  citizen  hunt- 
ers, and  were  possibly  mistaken  for  bears.  A  few  disappeared  , 
and  the  rest  took  the  hint  and  left  the  country. — Laurence  Law- 
yer. 

The  most  common  beverages  drank  by  the  soldiery  in  the  Re- 
volution, were  flip  and  Idll-devil.  The  former  was  made  of 
beer  brewed  from  malt  and  hops,  to  which  was  added  sugar  and 
liquor — the  whole  heated  with  a  hot  iron.  The  latter  was  made 
\jkcflip,  except  that  cider  was  substituted  for  beer.  The  price  of 
each  was  one  shilling  for  a  quart  mug :  half  a  mug  usually  serv- 
ed two  persons. 

Among  the  survivors  of  the  Revolution,  with  whom  the  author 
has  spent  many  agreeable  hours,  is  Capt.  Eben  Williams,  a  son 
of  Jonathan  Williams,  of  Lebanon,  Connecticut.  He  entered  the 
army  under  Col.  Patterson,  of  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts, 
in  1775,  from  which  time  to  the  end  of  the  war,  he  was  in  con- 
stant and  varied  service.  He  was  on  duty  in  eleven  of  the  thirteen 
states  and  the  Canadas.  He  witnessed  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
but  was  with  the  troops  at  their  camp  on  the  main  land,  where 
an  attack  was  expected.  He  also  witnessed  the  surrender  of  the 
armies  of  Burgoyne  and  Cornwallis. 

On  the  20th  day  of  May,  1776,  he  was  in  the  battle  of  TJie 
Cedars,  thirty-nine  miles  from  Montreal,  on  which  occasion  he  be- 
came a  prisoner  to  the  Indians,  by  whom  he  was  robbed  of  his 
clothing.  He  was  kept  in  confinement  ten  days,  and  then  ex- 
changed. He  was  commissioned  as  second  lieutenant  of  infantry, 
in  September,  1776.  In  February,  1777,  Col.  Patterson  was  pro- 
moted to  brigadier-general,  and  Joseph  Vose  became  the  colonel 
of  his  regiment,  which  formed  a  part  of  the  army  of  Gen.  Gates 
in  the  fall  campaign  of  that  year.  Col.  Vose,  who  made  a  pru- 
dent, good  officer,  had  been  educated  a  butcher.  While  marching 
at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  in  the  vicinity  of  Burgoyne's  army, 
to  execute  a  command,  a  party  of  Hessians  brought  two  field-pieces 


532  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

to  bear  upon  them,  and  a  shot  striking  the  Colonel's  horse  killed 
it  under  him,  but  without  halting  his  men  he  proceeded  on  foot, 
ordering  a  drummer  to  bring  along  his  pistols,* 

In  the  fall  of  1777,  the  brigade  of  Gen.  Glover,  to  which  Wil- 
liams, then  a  lieutenant  of  infantry,  was  attached,  proceeded  from 
Bemis's  Heights  to  Valley  Forge  for  winter  quarters.  On  arriving 
near  the  residence  of  Gen.  Richard  Montgomery's  widow,  the 
brigade  halted  for  the  night.  Mrs.  Montgomery  was  then  pleas- 
antly situated  near  the  Hudson,  about  midway  between  Red  Hook 
and  Rhinebeck.  Col.  Shephard,  at  that  time  in  temporary  com- 
mand of  the  troops,  as  a  compliment  to  the  widow  of  so  conspic- 
uous a  martyr  in  the  cause,  dispatched  Lieut.  Williams,  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  adjutant,  with  a  major-general's  guard,  and  the  compli- 
ments of  the  commander,  tendering  the  service  of  the  guard  for 
the  night.  A  major-general's  guard  consisted  of  a  subaltern  offi- 
cer and  twenty  men ;  and  a  brigadier-general's  guard,  of  a  ser- 
geant and  twelve  men.  As  Williams  rode  up  to  the  door,  Mrs. 
Montgomery  (a  Livingston  before  marriage)  made  her  appear- 
ance. She  possessed  a  genteel  form,  with  a  small  sparkling  eye, 
and  was  neatly  clad  in  black.  She  performed  her  part  of  the  ce- 
remony very  politely,  accepting  the  guard,  and  quartering  them 
for  the  night.  The  officer  of  the  guard  was  a  gallant  young  en- 
sign under  Capt.  Pillsbury,  who  was  highly  pleased  with  the  duty 
and  executed  it  handsomely.  He  was  enthusiastic,  on  joining  his 
regiment  in  the  morning,  in  describing  the  very  hospitable  man- 
ner in  which  himself  and  men  were  entertained. 

In  the  summer  of  1778,  Lieut.  Williams  was  on  duty  in  New 
Jersey,  and  was  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  In  August  follow- 
ing that  battle.  Gen.  Glover's  brigade,  consisting  of  four  Massa- 

•The  sangfroid  manifested  by  Col.  Vose,  while  under  Gen.  Gates,  reminds 
me  of  another  anecdote  of  the  same  campaign.  Col.  Scammel  was  distin- 
guished for  his  courage  and  activity  in  the  battle  of  Saratoga,  and  in  the  heat 
of  it  his  cue  was  nearly  shot  off  by  a  ball  from  the  enemy.  Pulling  it  off,  he 
threw  it  down  in  the  direction  of  the  foe,  exclaiming  with  emphasis — "D — n 
yon,  take  it  all!"  Col.  S.  led  the  van  of  Washington's  army  on  their  march 
to  Yorktown,  early  in  the  seige  of  which  place  he  fell,  covered  with  glory. 
He  was  promoted  to  adjutant-general  just  before  his  death. — Jas.  Williamson. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        533 

chusctts  regiments,  commanded  by  Colonels  Shephard,  Wiggles- 
worth,  Bigelow,  and  Vose,  proceeded  to  Rhode  Island  to  strength- 
en the  army  of  Gen.  Sullivan. 

In  June,  1779,  Jeremiah  Miller,  his  captain,  was  appointed 
pay  master  of  the  regiment,  and  Lieut.  Williams  took  the  com- 
mand of  the  company  ;  from  which  time  until  the  war  closed,  he 
almost  constantly  performed  the  duty  of  captain.  In  July,  his 
regiment  marched  to  West  Chester  county,  N.  Y.,  and  the  follow- 
ing winter,  (known  as  the  cold  winter,)  Gen.  Glover's  brigade 
was  cantoned  at  a  place  called  Budd's  Huts,  situated  three  miles 
east  of  West  Point ;  on  the  road  leading  from  Fishkill  to  Peeks- 
kill.  The  snow  was  deep  while  the  huts  were  building,  and  the 
water  did  not  drop  from  the  eaves  of  those  rude  dwellings  for 
forty  successive  days.  Part  of  the  army  wintered  the  same  sea- 
son three  miles  back  of  West  Point,  in  what  were  called  the 
York  Huts.  The  logs  for  Budd's  huts  were  brought  together  by 
the  soldiers  with  drag-ropes. 

In  the  summer  of  1780,  Capt.  Williams  was  on  duty  on  the 
borders  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey ;  and  in  the  summer  of 
1781,  in  the  vicinity  of  Kings'  Ferry,  until  September,  when  he 
marched  with  the  array  of  Gen.  Washington  to  York -Town. 
During  the  siege  of  that  place  by  the  American  and  French  ar- 
mies, two  strong  redoubts  thrown  up  by  the  enemy  were  carried ; 
the  one  on  the  bank  of  the  river  by  American  light  infantry  un- 
der Gen.  Lafayette,  and  the  other  by  French  grenadiers  under  the 
Baron  de  Viomenil.  To  divide  the  attention  of  the  enemy  while 
the  redoubts  were  being  stormed,  Col.  Laurens,  who  had  recently 
returned  from  a  foreign  embassy,  was  required,  ashis first  milita- 
ry duty,  to  select  two  trusty  captains,  each  with  forty  chosen  men 
from  Scammel's  corps  of  infantry,  (ten  from  a  company,)  and 
march  in  between  the  redoubts.  Captains  Williams,  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts line,  and  Betts,  of  the  Connecticut,  were  the  two  offi- 
cers chosen  for  this  honorable  task.  A  heavy  fire  was  opened 
from  both  redoubts  and  the  army  in  front  upon  the  troops  under 
Laurens ;  but  it  was  illy  directed,  and  soon  silenced  after  an  en- 
trance was  forced  by  the  forlorn  hope  :  and  what  is  surprising, 


534  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

not  one  of  Laurens'  command  was  either  killed  or  wounded.  Op- 
position had  nearly  ceased  when  Laurens  and  his  men  entered  the 
redoubt  carried  by  the  American  ^infantry.  Charles  Miller,  an 
Irish  lieutenant,  and  the  bringer  up  of  the  fourth  platoon  under 
Williams,  was  a  very  large  man,  and  could  not  enter  the  passage 
forced.  Said  he  to  his  comrades,  "  My  lads,  take  me  on  your 
bayonets  and  toss  me  in  /"  Said  Belts  to  Williams,  as  Britain's 
flag  gave  place  to  the  stripes  of  liberty,  *'  This  is  the  thirteenth 
engagement  I  have  been  in  during  the  war,  and  this  is  the  best  of 
them  all."  Those  redoubts  were  carried  on  the  14th  of  October.* 
In  December,  1781,  Capt.  Williams  returned  to  Westchester 
county,  where  he  wintered  and  continued  in  service  in  that  vicini- 
ty a  good  part  of  the  year  1732.  On  his  return  from  Yorktown, 
Capt.  Hitchcock  of  the  light  infantry,  had  some  difficulty  with 
Lieut.  Stone,  of  his  own  company.  The  quarrel  ended  in  a  duel 
and  the  captain  was  killed  ;  soon  after  which  Williams  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  command  of  his  company.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  but  little  dueling  took  place  in  ^the  American  army  in  the  Re- 

•The  following  incidents  of  the  scige  were  communicated  to  the  author  just 
before  this  work  went  to  press,  by  Nicholas  Hill,  of  iVIontgomery  county,  who 
belonged  to  the  New  York  state  troops  at  the  time.  Al  some  period  of  the 
seige  a  bomb-battery  of  the  enemy,  situated  not  far  from  York  river,  was  car- 
ried by  a  party  of  Americans  in  ihe  night,  who  entered  as  their  foes  left  it 
A  detachment  of  American  troops  arriving  after  its  capture,  supposing  it  still 
occupied  by  the  British,  discharged  their  pieces  in  at  the  entrance,  but  most 
fortunately  no  one  was  injured  within,  and  a  pleasing  recognition  took  place 
immediately  after.  The  next  day  the  enemy  opened  upon  the  lost  battery,  a 
heavy  cannonade  from  one  of  their  inner  works.  A  board  projected  from  an 
exposed  part  of  it,  which  was  a  source  of  inconvenience  to  its  new  occupants, 
and  an  axe  was  procured  with  which  to  cut  it  off.  A  temporary  silence  pre- 
vailed, when  Christopher  Van  Voast,  a  native  of  Schencctada,  snatched  up 
the  axe,  and  exclaiming  "  You're  all  a  pack  of  d — d  cowards  !"  sprang  up,  at 
a  volunteer,  to  do  it.  He  raised  the  axe,  but  ere  it  had  descended  to  the  board 
a  cannon  shot  passed  through  his  body,  cutting  it  nearly  in  two.  About  the 
same  lime  an  American  soldier  named  Smith,  was  observed  to  fall  near  the 
battery,  and  on  going  to  him  his  fellows  found  he  was  dead.  There  was  no 
external  mark  of  injury  about  him,  but  on  examining  his  head,  the  skull  was 
found  broken  in  as  was  determined  by  a  surgeon,  from  atmosf-heric  conca»- 
sion,  caused  by  the  passage  of  a  cannon  shot  near  it.  Mr.  Hill,  said  he  did 
not  believe  the  skull  was  fractured  in  the  manner  decided,  but  supposed  the 
injury  to  have  proceeded  from  the  sudden  fali  upon  the  ground. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         535 

volution,  the  moral  part  of  the  community  sternly  rebuking  the 
practice.  A  quarrel  between  Gen.  I'oor  and  Brigade  Major  Por- 
ter, ^vhich  originated,  it  is  believed,  in  a  reproof  of  the  former  to 
the  latter  for  his  rakish  conduct,  resulted  in  a  duel,  which  took 
place  in  1780,  near  Perames,  New  Jersey,  in  which  the  general, 
a  fine  ofhcer,  was  killed. 

In  the  summer  of  1782,  a  celebration  took  place  at  West  Point 
in  honor  of  the  birth  of  the  Dauphin  of  France,  at  which  festival 
Capt.  Williams  was  present,  and  which,  from  memory,  he  thus 
describes.  A  large  bower  was  erected  about  eighty  or  one  hun- 
dred rods  from  the  river,  covered  with  evergreens  and  beautifully 
festooned  at  the  ends.  Many  natural  flowers,  interwoven  with 
flotver-de-lis  cut  from  tissue  paper,  decorated  the  sides  and  ends. 
Long  poles  for  the  bower  were  brought  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
soldiers,  who  on  casting  them  down  were  sometimes  heard,  the 
one  to  exclaim  with  earnestness,  "  God  bless  the  Dauphin  !" 
while  his  comrade  at  the  other  end,  with  equal  zeal  would  add, 
"  God  d — n  the  Dauphin  !"  An  ox  roasted  whole  for  the  occa- 
sion was  eaten  wiihin  the  bower,  and  after  his  bones  had  been  re- 
moved, and  a  few  bumpers  of  wine  drank,  Gen,  Washington,  who 
appeared  in  unusually  good  spirits,  said  to  his  officers,  "  Let  us 
have  a  dance  !"  Selecting  a  partner  among  the  officers,  the 
great  commander  led  the  dance,  in  a  "  gander  hop,'"  or  "  stag 
dance"  as  called  in  modern  times,  when  no  ladies  are  present,  to 
the  favorite  old  tune,  Soldier^s  Jot/,  pl.iyed  by  a  military  band. 
Washington  was  a  very  graceful  dancer,  and  presented  a  fine  fig- 
ure among  his  officers.  The  numerous  regiments  of  troops  there 
convened  were  paraded  towards  evening  along  the  mountain  back 
of  Fort  Putnam,  and  upon  the  high  grounds  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river,  to  fire  a  salute.  The  regiments  were  under  the  com- 
mand of  quarter  master  sergeants,  and  the  companies  commanded 
by  orderly  sergeants  :  not  a  single  commissioned  officer  holding 
any  command  among  the  thousands  thus  conspicuously  paraded. 
As  may  be  supposed,  the  non-commissioned  commanders  were 
justly  proud  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  their  integrity.  At  a 
given  signal,  a  running  fire  began  at  the  south  end  of  the  line  and 


/ 
536  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

extended  along  the  west  side  of  the  river  to  the  north  end,  when 
the  feu-de-joie  was  caught  by  the  troops  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river  and  carried  south.  Thus  did  the  rattle  of  musketry  three 
times  make  its  distant  circuit  along  the  Hudson,  in  honor  of  an 
event  which  gave  a  prospective  heir  to  the  crown  of  France,  then 
the  efficient  ally  of  our  republic,-  -after  which,  the  troops,  in  the 
twilight  of  a  lovely  evening,  returned  to  the  Point.  On  the  day 
of  this  festival,  an  extra  one  day's  ration  was  served  to  the  soldiers, 
and  all  seemed  equally  to  enjoy  the  holiday,  which  passed  off  with- 
out an  accident  to  mar  its  pleasantry. 

The  following  is  one  verse  of  a  song  believed  to  have  been  writ- 
ten either  for  or  on  account  of  the  celebration  at  West  Point,  for 
which  I  am  indebted  to  the  memory  of  my  friend  J.  H.  T. 

"  Hark,  hark,  a  feu-de-joie — makes  trembling  ether  ring, 

Whilst  shouting  armies  hail,  a  Prince,  a  future  King, 
On  whom  may  Heaven  with  liberal  hand 

Her  choicest  gifts  bestow  : 
May  peace  and  wisdom  bless  his  reign  , 

And  laurels  deck  his  brow : 
A  Dauphin's  born,  let  cannon  loud 

Bid  echo  rend  the  sky. 
Chorus. — Long  life  to  Gallia's  King, 
Columbia's  great  ally." 

In  the  army  arrangement  of  the  Revolution,  the  colonel,  lieut. 
colonel,  and  major  of  each  regiment  of  state  troops,  retained  the 
command  of  a  company  in  the  same  called  theirs,  to  which  no 
captain  was  assigned.  The  immediate  command  of  those  compa- 
nies usually  devolved  on  subaltern  officers ;  that  of  the  colonel  on 
a  captain  lieutenant ;  that  of  lieut.  colonel  on  a  first  lieutenant ; 
and  that  of  major  on  a  second  lieutenant. 

Capt.  Williams  continued  in  the  army  of  Washington  near  the 
Hudson  until  the  British  evacuated  New-York,  on  the  25th  of 
Nov.  1783,  at  which  time  he  accompanied  the  victorious  army  in 
its  entree  to  that  city ;  and  was  present  at  Francis'  Tavern,  or 
"  Black  Sam's  "  as  familliary  called,  when  Gen.  Washington  took 
leave  of  his  officers  on  the  4th.  of  Dec.  On  leaving  the  disband- 
ed army  Capt.  W.  could  say — what  few  others  could — he  was  ne- 
ver mustered  during  the  whole  war,  sick  or  absent,  when  duty 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         537 

required  his  presence.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Massachusetts  Cincinnati.  Those  Associations  com- 
posed chiefly  of  military  officers,  were  formed  in  the  several  states 
with  a  general  society  of  the  United  States,  of  which  Gen.  Wash- 
ington was  president.  About  the  year  ISOS,  Capt.  Williams  re- 
moved from  Massachusetts  to  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.  He  now 
( 1845)  resides  in  the  town  of  Schoharie  ;  and  although  in  his  nine- 
ty-sixth year,  few  young  men  read  more  than  he  does.  He  from 
choice  cuts  his  own  fire-wood,  works  his  own  garden,  &c.;  and  the 
fall  he  was  ninety  years  old,  he  revived  the  trade  of  his  youth  by 
framing  two  good  sized  buildings.  He  has  ever  continued  to  be  a 
firm  supporter  of  that  government  he  helped  to  establish.  He  has 
long  been  an  exemplary  Christian — and  imbibing  in  childhood  the 
moral  principles  of  a  JVeiv  England  mother  ;  he  has  proven  himself 
a  worthy,  honest  and  respected  citizen.  He  still  writes  a  legible 
hand  without  glasses.  His  answer  to  the  question — Were  you  a 
young  man  with  the  knowledge  you  now  have,  would  you  enter 
the  army  if  a  war  should  break  out  ? — was,  "  Yes,  I  think  I  should. 
Yes,  I  am  pretty  sure  I  should." 

I  have  made  several  quotations  from  the  ^lilitary  Journal  of 
Major,  afterwards  Col.  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  an  active  and  effici- 
ent officer  of  the  Revolution.  This  private  journal,  which  was 
prepared  after  the  war  at  the  request  of  his  children  to  exhibit  his 
military  life,  contains  memoranda  of  an  interesting  character  ;  and 
from  it  I  glean  the  following  additional  facts.* 

Col.  Tallmadge  was  the  second  of  five  sons  of  the  Rev.  Benj. 
Tallmadge,  a  settled  minister  at  Brookhaven,  L.  I. 

He  graduated  at  Yale  College  with  literary  honors  in  1773, 
soon  after  which  he  was  called  to  the  charge  of  a  high  school  in 
Weathersfield,  Ct.  Capt.  Chester  of  Weathersfield,  having  been 
appointed  a  colonel  of  state  troops,  and  tendering  young  Tall- 
madge a  lieutenant's  commission,  with  the  appointment  of  adju- 
tant of  his  regiment,  the  student  laid  aside  his  books,  and  the  con- 

•For  (he  loan  of  this  Journal,  the  author  would  here  acknowledge  his  in- 
debtedness to  the  Hon.  John  P.  Cushman,  of  Troy,  a  sonin-law  of  Colonel 
Tallmadge 

35 


538  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

lemplated  study  of  the  law,  and  entered  the  service  of  his  coun-. 
try.  He  was  commissioned  a  lieutenant  by  Gov.  Trumbull,  June 
20th,  1776,  and  received  a  warrant  as  adjutant,  bearing  the  samei 
date.  He  marched  with  the  army  of  Washington  to  New  York; 
was  engaged  in  the  disastrous  battle  of  Long  Island,  and  in  seve- 
ral skirmishes  above  New  York,  in  one  of  which  Brigade  Major 
Wyllis  Avas  made  prisoner,  and  he  was  given  his  station.  At  the 
battle  of  White  Plains,  he  was  with  a  division  of  the  army  under 
Gen.  Spencer,  who  engaged  the  Hessian  troops  under  Gen.  Rahl, 
when  the  Americans,  pressed  by  overpowering  numbers,  were  ob- 
liged to  fall  back  to  Chadderton's  Hill,  then  occupied  by  Gen. 
McDougall.  As  the  adjutant  was  about  to  enter  the  Bronx  with 
the  rear  of  the  array,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Trumbull,  their  chaplain,  sprang 
upon  his  horse  behind  him,  with  an  impetus  that  carried  them 
both  headlong,  with  saddle  and  accoutrements,  into  the  river. 
Regaining  their  feet,  they,  however,  forded  the  stream  in  time  to 
make  good  their  retreat.  Long  poles,  with  iron  pikes,  supplied 
the  want  of  bayonets,  at  this  time,  in  the  American  camp.  Near 
the  close  of  the  year,  a  new  organization  of  the  army  took  place, 
when  Lieut.  Tallmadge  received  the  command  of  a  company  of 
dragoons,  under  Col.  Elisha  Sheldon. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1777,  a  squadron  of  four  companies  of 
Sheldon's  corps,  under  the  command  of  Tallmadge,  the  senior 
captain,  joined  the  army  of  W^ashington,  near  Middlebrook,  N.  J. 
His  own  troop  was  mounted  entirely  on  dapple  gray  horses,  of 
which,  under  black  mountings,  he  acknowledges  he  felt  proud. 
On  the  25th  June,  1777,  he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Short 
Hills,  between  the  Americans,  under  Lord  Sterling,  and  the  ene- 
my, under  Lord  Cornwallis,  in  which  the  former  lost  four  field  pie- 
ces a  second  time.  About  this  period  Capt.  Tallmadge  was  pro- 
moted to  major  of  cavalry.  In  1778,  while  actively  employed 
with  the  army  in  New  Jersey,  Maj.  T.  opened  a  private  corres- 
pondence with  some  persons  in  New  York,  for  Gen.  Washington, 
which  lasted  through  the  war. 

About  the  1st  of  July,  1779,  when  the  dragoons  of  Col.  Shel- 
don were  stationed  below  North  Castle,  a  large  body  of  the  ene- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        539 

my's  light  horse  and  infantry,  under  Lord  Rawdon,  attacked  them 
in  the  night.  The  onset  was  impetuous,  and  the  Americans,  home 
down  by  superior  numbers,  and  flanked  by  infantry,  found  it  neces- 
sary no  retreat — doing  which  the  servant  of  Maj.  Tallraadge  was 
wounded  and  captured  by  the  enemy,  and  with  him  his  master's 
horse  and  valise,  the  latter  containing  twenty  guineas.  In  the 
summer  of  1780,  Gen.  Washington  honored  Maj.  T.  with  a  sepa- 
rate command,  consisting  of  a  body  of  horse  and  two  companies 
of  infantry,  formed  from  dismounted  dragoons.  He  took  a  station 
soon  after  at  North  Stamford,  Conn.,  and  while  there  Gen.  Par- 
sons proposed  a  joint  enterprise  of  their  forces  against  the  ene- 
my's garrison  at  Lloyd's  Neck,  on  Long  Island,  which  was  aban- 
doned, owing  to  the  treachery  of  the  agent  employed  by  the  ge- 
neral to  gain  the  requisite  information. 

"  On  the  5th  of  September,  1779,"  [says  the  journal,]  "  I  un- 
dertook an  expedition  against  the  enemy  on  Lloyd's  Neck,  Long 
Island.  At  this  place,  and  on  a  promontory  or  elevated  piece  of 
ground  next  to  the  Sound,  between  Huntington  Harbor  and  Oyster 
Bay,  the  enemy  had  established  a  strongly  fortified  post,  where 
they  kept  a  body  of  about  five  hundred  troops.  In  the  rear  of  this 
garrison  a  large  band  of  marauders  encamped,  who,  having  boats 
at  command,  continually  infested  the  Sound  and  our  shores. 
Having  a  great  desire  to  break  up  the  banditti  of  freebooters,  on 
the  evening  named  I  embarked  my  detachment,  amounting  in  the 
whole  to  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  at  Shipand  Point,  near 
Stamford,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  by  ten  we  landed 
on  Lloyd's  Neck.  Having  made  my  arrangements  we  proceeded 
in  different  divisions  to  beat  up  their  quarters.  Our  uttack  was  so 
sudden  and  unexpected  that  we  succeeded  in  capturing  almost  the 
whole  party,  a  few  only  escaping  into  the  bushes,  from  whence 
they  commenced  firing  on  my  detachment ;  which  gave  the  alarm 
to  the  garrison.  This  prevented  our  attempting  any  attack  upon 
the  outposts  and  guards  of  the  fort,  and  after  destroying  all  the 
boats  we  could  find,  as  well  as  the  huts  of  these  refugees,  we  re- 
turned with  our  prisoners  to  our  boats,  and  embarked  for  Connecti- 
cut, where  we  landed  in  safely  before  sunrise  the  next  morning, 
and  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man." 

As  the  fall  advanced  Maj.  Tallmadge  revived  his  project  of  an 
expedition  to  I  ong  Island.  Through  agents  he  obtained  accurate 
returns  of  a  fortification  in  Suffolk  county,  called  Fort  St.  George* 
It  was  constructed  "at  a  point  which  projects  into  the  South  Bay 


540  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

on  Smith's  Manor,  being  the  enemy's  easternmost  defence."     It 
is  thus  described  in  the  journal : 

"I  found  it  to  be  a  triangular  inclosure  of  several  acres  of  ground, 
at  two  angles  of  Avhicli  was  a  strongly  barricaded  house,  and  at 
the  third,  a  fort,  Avith  a  deep  ditch  and  wall  encircled  hy  an  abattis 
of  sharpened  pickets,  projecting  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 
The  fort  and  houses  were  entirely  connected  with  a  strong  stock- 
ade, twelve  feet  high,  every  piece  sharpened  and  fastened  to  each 
other  by  a  transverse  rail  strongly  bolted  to  each.  The  work  was 
nearly  finished." 

Having  obtained  the  necessary  information  he  proposed  to  the 
Commander-in-chief  to  destroy  the  works,  who  concluded  the  ex- 
pedition too  dangerous  to  warrant  its  undertaking.  Not  willing 
to  abandon  his  project,  Maj.  T.  visited  the  island  in  person  about 
the  1st  of  November,  to  ascertain  the  then  state  of  the  works. 
He  learned  "  that  the  fortress  was  completed,  and  was  the  depo- 
sitory of  stores,  dry-goods,  groceries,  and  arms,  from  whence  Suf- 
folk county  could  be  supplied."  Provided  with  an  accurate  draft 
of  the  fort,  and  apprised  that  a  large  quantity  of  forage  was  col- 
lected at  Coram,  from  the  east  end  of  the  island,  he  again  impor- 
tuned Gen.  Washington  to  sanction  a  contemplated  visit,  who,  on 
the  11th  day  of  November,  signified  his  assent  by  letter.  The 
expedition  is  thus  entered  in  the  journal : 

"All  preparations  necessary  being  made,  on  the  21st  of  Novem- 
ber, at  about  four  o'clock,  P.M.,  I  embarked  my  detachment  com- 
posed of  two  companies  of  dismounted  dragoons,  (and  in  all  short 
of  one  hundred  selected  men,)  at  Fairfield,  and  the  same  evening 
at  nine  o'clock,  we  landed  at  a  place  on  Long  Island  called  the  Old 
Maris.  I  was  obliged  to  go  so  far  east  to  avoid  a  large  body  of 
the  enemy  which  laid  at  Huntington  and  its  vicinity,  partly  in  our 
direct  route  from  Stamford.  Soon  after  we  landed,  say  by  ten 
o'clock,  I  put  the  troops  in  motion  to  cross  Long  Island.  We  had 
not  gone  far,  say  four  or  five  miles,  before  the  wind  began  to  blow 
from  the  southeast,  and  the  rain  soon  followed.  I  faced  the  troops 
about,  returned  to  our  boats,  which  were  dra\ATi  up  and  concealed 
in  the  bushes.  There  we  remained  through  the  night  and  the  next 
day,  and  at  evening  the  rain  abated,  and  I  again  ordered  the  troops 
to  march  for  our  destined  place  on  the  south  side  of  Long  Island. 
At  four  o'clock  next  morning  I  found  we  were  within  two  miles  of 
Fort  St.  George,  when  we  halted  a  short  time  to  take  refreshment. 
Having  made  my  arrangements  for  the  plan  of  attack,  I  placed  two 
small  detachments  under  the  command  of  subaltern  officers  of  high 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         541 

spirit,  at  difTercnt  positions  from  the  fort,  with  orders  to  keep  con- 
cealed until  the  enemy  should  fire  on  my  column.  Just  as  the  day 
began  to  dawn,  1  put  my  detachment  in  motion.  The  pioneers 
who  preceded  my  column  had  reached  within  forty  yards  of  the 
stockade  before  they  were  discovered  by  the  enemy.  At  this  mo- 
ment, the  sentinal  in  advance  of  the  stockade,  halted  his  march, 
looked  attentively  at  our  column,  demanded  "who  comes  there?" 
and  fired.  Before  the  smoke  from  his  gun  had  cleared  his  vision, 
my  sergeant,  who  marched  by  my  side,  reached  him  with  his  bay- 
onet, and  prostrated  him.  This  was  the  signal  for  the  other  troops 
to  move  forward,  when  all  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  to  enter 
the  fort.  So  resolute  were  the  men,  that  a  breach  was  soon  made 
in  the  stockade,  where  the  rear  platoon  halted  to  prevent  the  pri- 
soners from  escaping.  I  led  the  column  directly  through  the  grand 
parade  against  the  main  fort,  which  we  carried  with  the  bayonet  in 
less  than  ten  minutes,  not  a  musket  being  loaded.  At  the  same 
instant  that  I  entered  one  side  of  the  fort,  the  officers  commanding 
the  smaller  detachments  mounted  the  ramparts  on  the  other  sides, 
and  the  watchword,  WashingtoJi  and  Glory  !  was  repeated  from 
three  sides  of  the  fort  at  the  same  time.  While  we  were  standing, 
elated  with  victory,  in  the  centre  of  the  fort,  a  volley  of  musketry 
was  discharged  from  the  windows  of  one  of  the  large  houses, 
which  induced  me  to  order  my  whole  detachment  to  load  and  re- 
turn the  fire.  I  soon  found  it  necessary  to  lead  the  column  direct- 
ly to  the  house,  which  being  strongly  barricaded  required  the  aid 
of  the  pioneers  with  their  axes.  As  soon  as  the  troops  could  en- 
ter, the  confusion  and  conflict  was  great.  A  considerable  portion 
of  those  who  had  fired  after  the  fort  was  taken  and  the  colours 
had  been  struck,  were  thrown  headlong  from  the  second  story  to 
the  ground.  Having  forfeited  their  lives  by  the  usages  of  war,  all 
Avould  have  been  killed  had  I  not  ordered  the  slaughter  to  cease. 
The  prisoners,  being  secured,  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  ship- 
ping, which  laid  near  the  fort,  loaded  with  stores,  &c.,  were  get- 
ting under  weigh.  The  guns  of  the  fort  were  brought  to  bear  on 
them,  and  they  were  soon  secured.  All  things  were  now  safe  and 
quiet,  and  I  had  never  seen  the  sun  rise  more  pleasantly.  It  be- 
came necessary  to  demolish  the  enemy's  works,  as  far  as  possible, 
which  was  done  :  an  immense  quantity  of  stores  of  various  kinds, 
English,  &c.,  were  destroyed.  The  shipping  and  their  stores  were 
also  burnt  up.  Some  valuable  articles  of  dry  goods  were  made 
up  in  bundles,  placed  on  the  prisoners'  shoulders,  who  were  pin- 
ioned two  and  two,  and  thus  carried  across  the  island  to  our  boats. 
The  work  of  capturing  and  destroying  this  fortress  being  effected, 
at  eight  o'clock,  A.M.,  I  put  the  troops  under  march  to  recross  the 
island  to  our  boats.  Having  given  the  command  of  the  detach- 
ment to  Capt.  Edgar,  with  orders  to  halt  at  a  given  point  near  the 
middle  of  the  island,  I  selected  ten  or  twelve  men,  and  mounted 
them  on  horses  taken  at  the  fort,  with  which  I  intended  to  destroy 
the  King's  magazine  of  forage  at  Coram.     This  place  was  nearly 


542  rasTORY  OF  schoharie  county, 

half  way  to  the  place  where  a  large  body  of  British  troops  were 
encamped,  east  of  Huntington.  1  reached  the  place  in  about  an 
hour  and  a  half;  made  a  vigorous  charge  upon  the  guard  placed 
to  protect  it;  set  it  on  fire  [some  three  hundred  tons  of  hay],  and 
in  about  an  hour  and  a  half  more  reached  the  place  where  I  had 
ordered  the  troops  to  halt,  having  rode  some  fifteen  or  sixteen 
miles.  As  I  arrived  at  the  spot,  I  was  gratified  to  see  the  head  of 
the  detachment,  under  Capt.  Edgar  advancing  with  the  prisoners. 
As  none  of  us  had  halted  since  we  parted,  we  sat  down  for  nearly 
an  hour  and  refreshed.  After  this  we  took  up  our  line  of  march, 
by  four  o'clock  reached  our  boats,  and  before  sunset  we  were  all 
afloat  on  the  Sound ;  by  midnight,  or  one  o'clock  next  morning, 
every  boat  arrived  on  Fairfield  beach,  although  we  had  entirely 
lost  sight  of  each  other  in  the  darkness  of  the  night.  This  ser- 
vice was  executed  entirely  without  the  loss  of  one  man  from  my 
detachment,  and  one  only  was  badly  wounded,  and  him  we  brought 
ofT.  The  enemy's  loss  was  seven  killed  and  wounded,  most  of 
them  mortally.  We  took  one  lieutenant  colonel  commandant,  one 
captain,  one  lieutenant,  one  surgeon,  and  fifty  rank  and  file,  with 
a  host  of  others  in  the  garrison." 

On  reporting  the  result  of  his  expedition  to  the  Commander-in- 
chief,  Maj.  Tallmadge  requested  permission  to  give  his  troops  the 
spoils  they  had  borne  from  the  captured  fortress,  to  which  he  re- 
ceived the  following  reply  : 

"  MoRRisTowN,  2Sth  Nov.,  1780. 

"  Dear  Sir — Both  your  Letters  of  the  25th  came  to  my  hands 
this  day.  I  received  with  much  pleasure  the  report  of  your  suc- 
cessfulEnterprise  upon  Fort  St.  George,  and  the  vessel  with  stores 
in  the  harbor ;  and  was  particularly  well  pleased  with  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  hay,  which  must,  I  should  conceive,  be  severely  felt  by 
the  enemy  at  this  time. 

"  I  beg  of  you  to  accept  my  thanks  for  your  judicious  planning, 
and  spirited  execution  of  this  business,  and  that  you  will  offer 
them  to  the  Officers  and  Men  who  shared  the  honor  of  the  Enter- 
prise with  you. 

"  The  gallant  behavior  of  Mr.  Muirson  gives  him  a  fair  claim  to 
an  appointment  in  the  second  Regt.  of  Dragoons,  or  any  other  of 
the  State  to  which  he  belongs,  where  there  is  a  vacancy ;  and  I 
have  no  doubt  of  his  meeting  with  it  accordingly,  if  you  will  make 
known  his  merits,  with  these  sentiments  in  his  favor. 

"  You  have  my  free  consent  to  reward  your  gallant  party  with 
the  little  booty  they  were  able  to  bring  from  the  Enemy's  works. 
"  With  much  esteem  and  regard,  I  am,  Dear  Sir, 

"  Your  most  obed't  Servt, 
GO.  WASHINGTON." 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        543 

The  following  honorable  notice  of  Maj.  Tallmadge's  success 
over  the  enemy  on  Long  Island,  is  found  on  the  Journal  of  Con- 
gress for  1780,  under  date  of  Dec.  6th,  that  body  having  been 
apprised  of  the  affair  some  days  before  by  Gen.  Washington. 

"  Willie  Congress  are  sensible  of  the  patriotism,  courage  and 
perseverance  of  the  officers  and  privates  of  their  regular  forces,  as 
well  as  the  militia  throughout  these  United  States,  and  of  the  mi- 
litary conduct  of  the  principal  commanders  in  both,  it  gives  them 
pleasure  to  be  so  frequently  called  upon  to  confer  marks  of  distinc- 
tion and  applause  for  enterprises  which  do  honor  to  the  profession 
of  arms,  and  claim  a  high  rank  among  military  achievements.  In 
this  light  they  view  the  enterprise  against  Fort  George,  on  Long 
Island,  planned,  and  conducted  with  wisdom  and  great  gallantry 
by  Maj.  Tallmadge,  of  the  light  dragoons,  and  executed  with  in- 
trepidity and  complete  success  by  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  his 
detachment. 

"■Ordered,  therefore,  That  Maj.  Tallmadge's  report  to  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief be  published,  with  the  preceding  minute,  as  a  tri- 
bute to  distinguished  merit,  and  in  testimony  of  the  sense  Congress 
entertain  of  this  brilliant  service." 

"No  person  but  a  military  man,"  says  the  journal  of  Col.  T., 
"  knows  how  to  appreciate  the  honor  bestowed,  when  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief and  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  return  their 
thanks  for  a  military  achievement." 

Contemplating  an  expedition  against  a  British  garrison  of  eight 
hundred  men  at  Lloyd's  Neck,  and  that  of  Fort  Slongo,  eight 
miles  eastward  of  it,  guarded  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  Maj. 
Tallmadge  again  visited  Long  Island,  April  22,  1781,  to  obtain 
accurate  information.  Submitting  his  plan  of  Intended  operations 
to  Gen.  Washington  for  the  capture  of  these  posts,  and  clearing 
the  sound  of  the  enemy's  small  craft,  with  the  aid  of  more  troops, 
and  the  co-operation  of  the  French  frigates,  it  was  favorably  re- 
ceived, and  he  was  furnished  with  a  flattering  letter  of  introduc- 
tion to  Count  Rochambeau,  then  at  Rhode  Island,  for  the  naval 
force.  The  absence  of  the  vessels  of  the  size  wanted,  prevented 
the  prosecution  of  the  enterprise.  In  the  fall  of  this  year,  Maj. 
Tallmadge  renewed  his  project  of  annoying  the  enemy  on  Long 
Island. 

"The  fortress  at  TreadwelVs  Ned-,  called  Fort  Slongo,  [says  the 
journal,]  seemed  to  demand  attention,  and  on  the  1st  of  October  I 


544  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

moved  my  detachment  of  light  infantr}'-  into  the  neighborhood  of 
Norwalk;  at  the  same  time  I  directed  a  suitable  number  of  boats 
to  be  assembled  at  the  mouth  of  Saugatuck  river,  east  of  the  town 
of  Norwalk.  On  the  evening  of  October  2d,  1781,  at  nine  o'clock, 
I  embarked  a  part  of  my  detachment,  and  placed  Maj.  Trescott  at 
the  head  of  it,  with  orders  to  assail  the  fort  on  a  particular  point. 
The  troops  landed  on  Long  Island  by  four  o'clock,  and  at  the  dawn 
of  day  the  attack  was  made  and  the  fortress  subdued.  The  block 
house,  and  other  combustible  materials,  were  burnt,  and  the  troops 
and  prisoners  returned  in  safety,  bringing  off  one  piece  of  hand- 
some brass  field-artillery." 

When  the  campaign  of  1782  was  opened,  many  felt  as  though 
the  independence  of  the  country  had  already  been  secured  by  the 
capture  of  Cornwallis  and  his  army,  but  Gen.  Washington,  what- 
ever may  have  been  his  private  opinion  "  inculcated  upon  his 
troops  the  necessity  of  strict  discipline,  that  they  might  be  pre- 
pared for  any  emergency."  Many  supernumerary  officers  were 
permitted  to  retire  from  the  army  early  this  season,  the  most  effi- 
cient being  retained  in  service.  As  this  year  was  one  of  compa- 
rative inactivity,  the  soldier's  life  became  irksome,  and  he  sighed 
for  employment. 

Towards  the  close  of  tne  year  1782,  Major  Tallmadge  having 
been  informed  that  six  hundred  of  the  enemy  had  encamped  at 
Huntington,  Long  Island,  conceived  the  plan  of  "beating  up  their 
quarters."  He  disclosed  his  project  in  person  to  Gen.  Washing- 
ton, in  the  latter  part  of  November,  and  obtained  his  permission 
to  undertake  it,  the  general  claiming  to  name  the  time.  The  5th 
of  December  was  the  day  fixed  upon,  when  the  Commander  in- 
tended to  execute  an  enterprise  on  the  Hudson — which  was,  to 
throw  a  large  detachment  of  his  troops  below  Fort  Washington, 
while  he  moved  down  with  the  main  body  to  Fort  Independence 
and  Kingsbridge,  thus  bringing  the  enemy  between  two  fires.  On 
the  evening  of  the  day  named,  Maj.  Tallmadge  assembled  his 
troops  at  Shipand  Point,  where  his  boats  had  been  ordered.  His 
forces,  some  seven  hundred  men,  consisting  of  four  companies  of 
infantry,  a  party  of  dismounted  dragoons,  to  mount  the  captured 
horses,  and  a  body  of  Connecticut  levies,  began  to  embark  at  sun- 
set ;  but  the  half  had  not  left  the  shore,  when  a  werlern  storm 
arising,  they  were  called  back,  the  boats  drawn  on  shore  and  turn- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         545 

ed  up  for  a  shelter.  The  Sound  was  agitated  the  next  day,  and 
at  night  became  quiet,  and  the  troops  were  beginning  a  second 
time  to  embark,  but  another  gale  arising,  the  troops  were  shel- 
tered as  on  the  previous  night.  Apprised  on  the  morning  of  the 
7th,  that  three  of  the  enemy's  boats  from  Long  Island  had  taken 
refuge  and  were  wind-bound  on  the  Norwalk  islands,  a  few  miles 
east  of  the  point,  Maj.  Tallmadge  despatched  six  sail  boats  under 
Capt.  Brewster,  to  give  some  account  of  them.  Two  were  cap- 
tured, after  a  spirited  contest,  in  crossing  the  Sound,  there  about 
twelve  miles  wide,  and  the  third  escaped  to  land.  Capt.  Brew- 
ster received  a  bullet  in  the  breast,  which  passed  through  the  bo- 
dy, but  recovered  of  the  wound.  The  wind  again  rising  on  the 
third  night,  the  expedition  to  the  island  was  abandoned.  The  con- 
templated movement  of  Gen.  Washington,  on  the  evening  of  the 
5th,  was  prevented  by  several  British  vessels  having  moved  up 
that  day,  and  anchored  above  Fort  Washington. 

In  the  winter  of  1782  and  '83,  considerable  illicit  intercourse 
was  carried  on  by  traders  along  the  Sound  with  the  merchants  of 
New  York,  and  boats  thus  employed  often  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  vigilant  Americans.  Informed  that  a  public  armed  vessel,  in 
the  employ  of  the  government,  was  actively  employed  in  the  traf- 
fic "  technically  called  the  London  trade,''  Maj.  Tallmadge  pro- 
posed to  punish  the  offenders.  The  craft  was  a  large  sloop  called 
the  SheeldJiam,  Capt.  Hoyt.  Furnished  with  a  copy  of  her  in- 
voice of  goods,  and  notified  of  her  expected  arrival  at  Norwalk, 
Maj.  T.  repaired  to  that  place  with  a  party  of  dragoons,  and  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  her  approach  the  harbor.  She  anchored 
near  the  Old  Wells,  soon  after  which  he  went  on  board  with  a 
warrant,  and  constable  to  serve  it.  Making  known  his  errand, 
the  captain  flew  into  a  passion,  and  threatened  to  throw  him  over- 
board. While  the  intrepid  major  was  endeavoring  lo  reason  with 
the  dealer  in  contraband  wares,  the  latter  weighed  anchor,  hoist- 
ed sails,  and  stood  out  into  the  Sound,  with  a  breeze  from  the  north- 
west. When  ordered  to  put  back,  he  not  only  refused,  but  swore 
he  would  throw  his  guest  overboard.  The  rest  of  the  farce  is  thus 
noted  in  the  journal : 


546  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  My  captain  continued  his  course  towards  Lloyd's  Neck,  where 
the  enemy's  fleet  lay,  until  we  reached  the  middle  of  the  Sound. 
I  inquired  of  him  where  he  was  going,  when  he  informed  we  with 
an  oath,  he  would  carry  me  over  to  the  enemy.  I  informed  him 
that  for  such  an  offence,  by  our  martial  law,  he  exposed  himself 
to  be  punished  with  death.  He  professed  to  care  nothing  for  the 
consequences.  I  maintained  my  former  course,  and  sternly  or- 
dered him  to  put  about  his  vessel  and  return  to  Norwalk,  assuring 
him  that  if  he  executed  his  threat  I  would  have  him  hanged  as 
high  as  Haman  hung  if  ever  I  returned,  as  I  did  not  doubt  I  should. 
The  time  now  became  very  critical,  for  we  were  rapidly  approach- 
ing the  enemy,  when  I  again  commanded  him  to  put  about  his 
ship  and  return.  He  began  to  hesitate,  and  in  a  few  minutes  or- 
dered his  men  to  put  about ;  and  then  steered  directly  back  into 
Norwalk  harbor.  As  soon  as  he  came  to  anchor  down  at  the  Old 
Wells,  the  captain  went  ashore  in  his  boat,  and  I  never  saw  him 
again,  I  now  found  myself  in  the  peaceable  possession  of  the  ves- 
sel, and  its  cargo.  On  taking  up  the  scuttle  in  the  cabin,  I  found 
an  assortment  of  English  goods  corresponding  Avith  my  invoice, 
which  I  had  duly  libeled  and  condemned.  Thus  ended  my  ha- 
zardous contest  with  the  captain  of  the  Sheeldham,  a  man  void  of 
principle,  and  unworthy  the  commission  he  held." 

One  of  the  enemy's  sloops  of  war  having  been  seen  repeatedly 
to  cross  the  Sound  and  anchor  under  Stratford  Point,  Conn.,  where 
she  went  to  barter  merchandize  for  produce,  measures  were  taken 
to  capture  her.  At  Bridgeport,  Maj.  Tallraadge  met  Capt.  Amos 
Hubbel,  who  had  a  suitable  vessel,  and  readily  engaged  in  the 
enterprise.  The  captain  agreed  to  bring  his  craft  along  side  the 
hostile  ship,  if  indemnified  against  her  loss  in  case  of  capture  by 
the  enemy,  to  which  proposition  Maj.  Tallmadge  readily  assented. 
On  the  20th  of  February,  1783,  when  the  English  sloop  was  at 
the  point,  the  major  placed  forty-five  men  of  his  detachment,  un- 
der the  immediate  command  of  lieutenants  Rhea  and  Ilawley, 
with  Capt.  Brewster's  boat's  crew  of  continental  troops,  on  board 
of  Capt.  Hubbel's  vessel,  the  whole  to  be  commanded  by  Capt. 
Brewster.  Capt.  Hubbel,  taking  the  helm  in  person,  sailed  at  two 
o'clock,  P.M.,  and  at  four  was  within  hail  of  the  foe.  The  Ame- 
rican troops  were  kept  concealed  until  the  vessels  were  brought  in 
contact.  As  they  neared,  the  enemy  opened  a  broadside,  which 
crippled  their  antagonist  considerably  in  the  mast  and  rigging ; 
but  Capt.  Hubbel,  with  great  presence  of  mind,  brought  her  up 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        547 

gallantly  to  the  work.  The  troops,  at  a  given  signal,  appeared 
on  deck,  discharged  a  volley  of  balls,  and  under  Capt.  Brewster 
boarded  and  carried  the  enemy  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  "  as 
in  a  moment,"  nearly  every  man  on  board  being  either  killed  or 
wounded.  Not  one  of  Brewster's  men  were  harmed,  nor  was  the 
vessel  materially  injured.  In  a  few  hours  both  vessels  were  moor- 
ed in  safety  at  Black  Rock  harbor.  The  affair  being  duly  report- 
ed to  Gen.  Washington,  he  expressed  his  thanks  to  Maj.  Tall- 
madge  by  letter,  ordered  the  condemnation  of  the  prize,  and  the 
avails  thereof  to  be  distributed  among  the  troops  who  captured  it. 

In  view  of  the  disbanding  the  army,  on  the  10th  day  of  May, 
1783,  a  meeting  of  the  American  officers  w^as  held  to  organize 
the  association,  afterwards  called  "The  Society  of  the  Cincinnati," 
at  which  the  Baron  de  Steuben,  the  senior  officer,  presided.  Gene- 
rals Knox,  Huntington,  and  Hand,  and  Capt.  Shaw,  were  appoint- 
ed to  prepare  a  written  form  or  constitution  expressive  of  its  ob- 
ject; and  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  quarters  of  Steuben  on  the  13th 
of  May,  their  report  was  adopted.  Of  the  State  Society  organ- 
ized in  the  Connecticut  line,  Maj.  Tallmadge  was  chosen  treasur- 
er for  several  years,  and  until  he  became  its  president.  Most  of 
the  state  legislatures  granted  acts  of  incorporation  to  these  asso- 
ciations, but  that  of  Connecticut  refused  a  charter,  and  the  society 
disbanded,  giving  the  balance  of  its  funds  to  Yale  College. 

In  the  summer  of  1783,  after  preliminary  articles  of  peace  had 
been  announced,  Maj.  Tallmadge,  with  the  approbation  of  Gen. 
Washington,  proceeded  to  New  York,  under  the  sanction  of  a  flag, 
to  grant  that  protection  the  times  demanded,  to  such  persons  as 
had  transmitted  intelligence  of  the  enemy's  doings  from  time  to 
time  during  the  war,  to  Maj.  T.  and  others  employed  by  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief to  procure  it.  Private  emissaries,  in  other  words 
secret  spies,  employed  for  years  in  the  American  service  were  thus 
protected  against  the  insults  of  their  countrymen,  who,  on  enter- 
ing the  city,  might  otherwise  have  treated  them  with  indignity, 
instead  of  merited  respect.  Several  Enoch  Crosbys  were  secretly 
engaged  in  the  Revolution  in  transmitting  to  Gen.  Washington, 
as  best  they  could,  important  information  of  the  enemy's  move- 
ments in  and  around  New  York. 


548  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Maj.  Tallmadge  was  with  the  troops  under  Gen.  Washington, 
who  entered  New  York  on  the  day  it  was  evacuated  by  the  ene- 
my. On  this  occasion,  Gen.  Knox,  at  the  head  of  a  select  corps, 
led  the  van  of  the  American  army.  "  The  Commander-in-chief, 
accompanied  by  Gov.  Clinton,  and  their  respective  suites,  made 
their  public  entry  into  the  city  on  horseback,  followed  by  the  lieu- 
tenant governor  and  members  of  the  council,  the  officers  of  the 
army,  eight  abreast,  and  citizens  on  horseback,  eight  abreast,  ac- 
companied by  the  speaker  of  the  Assembly  and  citizens,  on  foot, 
eight  abreast.  So  perfect  was  the  order  of  march,  that  entire 
tranquility  prevailed,  and  nothing  occurred  to  mar  the  general 
joy."  Gov.  Clinton  gave  a  public  dinner  on  the  occasion,  at  which 
Gen.  Washington  and  numerous  other  guests  were  present.  On 
the  Tuesday  evening  following,  a  most  splendid  display  of  fire- 
works took  place  near  the  Bowling  Green,  at  the  foot  of  Broad- 
way. Maj.  Tallmadge  was  also  present,  at  Francis'  Tavern  in 
Pearl  street,  when  Gen.  Washington  took  final  leave  of  his  offi- 
cers. They  assembled  at  12  o'clock,  M.,  soon  after  which  Gen. 
Washmgton  appeared.  After  partaking  of  a  little  refreshment, 
in  almost  breathless  silence.  His  Excellency  filled  his  glass  with 
wine,  and  turning  to  his  companions  in  arms,  thus  addressed  them : 
"  With  a  heart  full  of  love  and  gratitude,  I  now  take  leave  of  you. 
I  most  devoutly  wish  that  your  latter  days  may  be  as  prosperous 
and  happy  as  your  former  ones  have  been  glorious  and  honorable" 
The  officers  drank  a  glass  of  wine  with  him,  after  which  he  added : 
"  I  cannot  come  to  each  of  you,  but  shall  feel  obliged  if  each  of 
you  will  come  and  take  me  by  the  hand."  Gen.  Knox,  being 
nearest,  grasped  his  hand,  and  they  embraced  each  other  in  si- 
lence. This  was  no  doubt  one  of  the  most  affecting  interviews  of 
the  kind  ever  known.  Each  officer,  in  turn,  imitating  the  exam- 
ple of  Gen.  Knox,  embraced  their  Commander,  and  saluted  him 
with  a  kiss,  while  their  tears  mingled  profusely  with  his  own. 
Waving  his  hand  to  his  comrades,  he  left  the  room,  and  passing 
through  a  corps  of  light  infantry  paraded  to  receive  him,  he  walk- 
ed in  silence  to  Whitehall,  where  a  barge  waited  his  arrival. 
His  officers  followed  to  the  wharf,  where  a  large  multitude  had 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        549 

assembled  to  see  his  departure,  and  there  witnessed  his  hist  salu- 
tation, which  was  the  waving  of  his  hat  above  the  boat. 

On  the  return  of  peace,  Maj.  Tallmadge  again  visited  his  native 
place,  where  the  patriotic  citizens  got  up  a  festival,  roasted  an  ox 
whole,  and  made  the  major  master  of  ceremonies. 

On  the  16th  of  March,  1784,  Maj.  Tallmadge  led  to  Hymen's 
altar,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Wm.  Floyd,  of  Mastick, 
Long  Island  ;  after  which  he  commenced  the  mercantile  business 
in  Litchfield,  Connecticut.  He  was  much  respected  for  his  ta- 
lents, and  represented  the  district  in  which  he  resided  in  the  coun- 
cils of  the  nation. 


(  550  ) 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Among  the  officers  of  the  American  army  deserving  of  notice, 
was  Captain  Thomas  Macbin,  engineer;  distinguished  ahke  for 
his  mathematical  skill  and  patriotic  bravery.  He  was  born 
March  20th,  1744,  0.  S.,  four  miles  from  Wolverhampton,  Staf- 
fordshire, England.  His  father,  John  Machin,  a  distinguished 
matheraatican,  had  two  sons,  John  and  Thomas.  The  former 
was  killed  at  the  seigc  of  some  town  near  the  outlet  of  the  Red 
Sea  ;  and  the  latter  was  one  of  a  corps  of  English  cadets,  which, 
with  the  British  infantry  became  so  distinguished  for  their  bravery 
in  the  battle  of  Minden,  Germany.  The  cadets,  or  fenciblcs,  as 
called,  were  almost  annihilated  in  that  battle,  which  took  place 
between  the  allied  army  under  Ferdinand  and  the  French,  in  Au- 
gust, 1759. 

The  Duke  of  Bridgewater,  who  may  justly  be  styled  the  father 
of  the  canal  navigation  of  Great  Britain,  projected  at  his  oum 
expense  a  canal  from  the  coal  measures  on  his  lands  in  the  town 
of  Worsley  to  Manchester,  a  distance  of  some  ten  miles;  obtain- 
ing his  first  act  for  the  same  at  the  session  of  parliament  for  the 
winter  of  1758  and  59.  A  few  years  after  he  obtained  an  act 
for  carrying  a  branch  of  it  to  Liverpool,  nearly  thirty  miles.  The 
former  canal  was  carried  by  a  stone  aqueduct  over  the  river  Ir- 
well,  forty  feet  above  its  surface,  so  that  shipping  might  pass  un- 
der it  in  the  river ;  and  the  latter  over  the  Mercer.  Those  great 
works  which  were  looked  upon  at  their  commencement  by  the 
incredulous  as  wholly  impracticable,  were  prosecuted  to  comple-? 
tion  under  the  direction  of  the  celebrated  engineer  and  mechani- 
cal inventor,  James  Brindlcy.  Soon  after  Brindley  began  those; 
works,  Thomas  Machin  entered  his  employ ;  and  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  under  such  a  tutor,  he,  too,  should  have  become  a 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  551 

good  practical  engineer.  He  was  engaged  in  taking  the  levels 
for  the  Duke's  canal ;  and  as  clerk  paid  off  many  of  the  laborers 
employed  by  Brindley. 

After  making  a  voyage  to  the  East  Indies,  Machin  sailed  for 
America,  and  arriving  in  1772,  took  up  his  residence  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  The  principal  object  of  his  voyage  was  to  ex- 
amine a  copper  mine  in  New  Jersey.  After  a  short  stay  in  New 
York,  he  went  to  reside  in  Boston,  and  evidently  intended  a  per- 
manent residence ;  as  he  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Bos- 
tonians  against  his  "  father  land."  He  was  one  of  the  celebrated 
Boston  tea  parly  of  1773.  He  was  engaged  and  wounded  (in 
one  arm)  in  the  conflict  on  Bunker's  hill,  while  acting  as  lieuten- 
ant of  artillery. 

Mr.  Machin  received  his  first  commission  in  the  American  ser- 
vice, as  second  lieutenant  in  the  regiment  of  artillery,  command- 
ed by  Col.  Henry  Knox,  which  was  dated  Jan.  I8th,  1776. 
That  the  patriots  of  Massachusetts  were  not  only  acquainted  with 
Lieut.  Machin's  skill  as  an  engineer,  but  actually  called  it  into 
requisition  in  laying  out  the  fortifications  for  the  American  camp 
around  Boston,  the  following  papers  will  show. 

"  Boston,  June  19,,  1776 — Wednesday  evening. 
"  To  Lieut.  Machin,  at  Nantasket: 

"  Sir — I  informed  the  committee  that  you  could  go  to  Sandwich 
on  the  survey  if  it  could  be  taken  this  week;  in  consequence  of 
which,  we  agreed  that  you  might  set  out  as  soon  as  you  thought 
proper,  and  begin  the  survey,  and  that  we  would  follow,  and  be 
there  next  Tuesday.  I  beg  you  would  let  me  see  you  to-morrow 
evening,  that  the  committee  may  hear  what  to  depend  on. 
"  Sir,  your  most  humble  serv't- 

"  JAMES  BOWDOIN." 

"  Lieut.  Machin,  the  bearer  hereof,  being  employed  in  y' 
Colony  service,  it  is  desired  he  may  pass  from  hence  to  Sandwich 
and  back  without  interruption. 

"  Boston,  June  20,  1778."  "  JAMES  BOWDOIN." 

"  Camp  at  White  Plai/is,  August  9,  1778. 

"  These  are  to  certify,  that  the  subscriber,  being  Aid-de-Camp 

to  Maj.  Gen'l  Ward,  in  the  year  1776,  while  stationed  at  Boston: 

General  Ward  directed  Lieut.  Thomas  IMachin,  of  the  Artillery, 

to  act  as  Engineer  to  erect  fortifications  for  the  defence  of  the 


552  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

TowTi  and  Harbor  of  Boston,  from  the  first  of  April,  1776,  to  the 
month  of  June  following,  which  service  he  faithfully  performed. 

"  JOSEPH  WARD." 

Owing  to  the  skillful  manner  in  which  Lieut.  Machin  had  dis- 
charged the  important  task  of  laying  out  the  fortifications  around 
Boston,  he  was  selected  by  the  Commander-in-chief  for  the 
arduous  duty  of  securing  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson  through  the 
Highlands,  as  the  following  paper  will  show  : 

"  Head-Quarters,  New-York,  2\st  July,  1776. 
"  Sir — You  are  without  delay  to  proceed  to  Fort  Montgomery, 
or  Constitution,  in  the  Highlands,  on  Hudson's  River,  and  put 
yourself  under  command  of  Col.  George  Clinton,  or  the  command- 
ing officer  there, — to  act  as  Engineer  in  compleating  such  works 
as  are  already  laid  out, — and  such  others  as  you,  with  the  advice 
of  Col.  Clinton,  may  think  necessary:  'Tis  expected  and  required 
of  you,  that  you  pay  close  attention  to  this  business,  and  drive  on 
the  works  with  all  possible  despatch.  In  case  of  an  attack  from 
the  enemy,  or  in  any  action  with  them,  you  are  to  join  and  act 
with  the  Artillery  on  that  station ;  and  to  return  to  your  duty  in 
the  regiment  as  soon  as  you  can  be  spared  from  the  works. 
"  I  am,  sir,  your  most  humble  serv't. 

"  GO.  WASHINGTON." 

To  the  letter  of  instructions  we  find  wafered  the  following 
paper : 

"  Fort  Montgomery,  August  9th,  1776. 

"  A  list  of  the  carpenters  that  have  entered  into  the  Continental 
service  under  Capt.  Burns:  Stephen  Concklin,  Joseph  Halsted, 
Joshua  Sager,  Silas  White,  John  Young,  John  Homan,  Gilbert 
Roberts,  Barzilla  Tuthill,  Cornelius  Van  Vlack,  James  Scoldfield." 

"  Capt.  Burns — The  above  persons  belonging  to  your  company, 
being  Artificers  employed  in  the  works  here,  you  are  therefore  to 
have  them  at  this  place  to  be  employed  by  and  under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  Machin,  the  Engineer. 

"  GEO:  CLINTON,  Brig'r  Gen'l." 

Gov.  Clinton  was  promoted  about  the  time  Gen.  Washington's 

directions  to  Lieut.  Machin  were  dated,  and  having  occasion  to 

leave  the  works,  he  placed  his  brother.  Col.  James  Clinton,  in 

temporary  command  to  oversee  them,  as  the  following  paper  will 

show : 

"  Fort  Montgomery,  \Oth  August,  1776. 
"  To  Lieut.  Machin — As  I  am  now  ordered  to  march  with  the 
new  levies  to  Kings  Bridge,  and  as  you  will  want  many  necessa- 
ries for  compleating  the  new  works  we  have  begun  on  the  south 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        553 

side  of  Poplopin's  Kill,*  and  the  works  to  be  erected  for  securing 
the  pass  of  Anthony's  Nose.  You  are  to  use  your  best  endeavors 
by  all  means  in  your  power,  (applying  to  Col.  Clinton  from  time 
to  time  for  his  aid  and  advice)  to  purchase  and  procure  such  articles 
as  may  be  wanted,  of  which  the  clerk  of  the  Check  is  to  keep  a 
just  account.  The  artificers  already  employed  and  such  others  as 
may  be  wanted,  are,  (in  the  erecting  of  these  Avorks)  to  be  under 
your  directions,  for  which  purpose  Col.  Clinton  will  be  given  the 
necessary  orders. 

"  I  am  your  humble  serv't, 

'     "  GEO.  CLINTON,  Brig.  Gen." 

Gen.  Schuyler  early  saw  the  necessity  of  obstructing  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Hudson  in  the  Highlands  to  prevent  the  passage  of 
British  shipping  to  Albany  ;  and  communicated  to  the  N.  York 
Council  of  Safety  his  wishes  on  that  subject,  as  the  following 
papers  will  show :  and  as  they  are  found  among  the  papers  of 
Capt.  Machin,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  he  was  the  person  em- 
ployed to  make  the  requisite  survey. 

"  FishhiU,  Nov.  6,  1776. 
"  Gent. — I  am  directed  by  the  Committee  of  Safety  to  transmit 
you  the  enclosed  extract  of  Gen.  Schuyler's  letter,  and  to  request 
that  you'll  cause  his  request  to  be  immediately  complied  with. 
'■  I  am,  gentlemen,  with  esteem, 

"  Your  verv  humble  servant, 

"  PIERRE  VAN  CORTLANDT,  V.  Pres." 
"  To  the  Gent,  of  the  Secret  Committee." 

"  Extract  of  a  letter  from  Gen'l  Schuyler  directed  to  Peter  R. 
Livingston,  Esq.  President,  &c.  dated  Albany,  Nov.  3d,  1776. — 
I  wish  the  Convention  would  order  the  depth  and  breadth  of  Hud- 
son's River  to  be  carefully  taken  at  such  places  as  they  conceive 
would  be  most  proper  eflectually  to  obstruct  the  navigation ;  Ver- 
planck's  Point,  or  Jan  Canten  Hook,  may  be  proper  places;  per- 
haps the  latter." 

"  (Tnie  extract.)  ROBT.  BENSON,  Sec'y." 

Col.  Rufus  Putnam,  an  officer  of  merit,  commanded  the  5th 
Massachusetts  regiment,  and  was  promoted  to  Brig.  Gen.  near 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  wall-eyed.  The  following  paper 
from  Col.  Putnamf  no  doubt  refers  to  the  survey  of  the  Hudson 
made  agreeable  to  Gen.  Schuyler's  request. 

•  These  works,  when  completed,  were  called  Fort  Clinton. 

t  While  Col.  Putnam  was  on  duty  in  the  neighborhood  of  West  Point,  he 

36 


554  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  Pceh-skill,  December  13/A,  1776. 
"  Sir — I  beg  you  will  not  delay  sending  a  sketch  of  the  North 
River  through  the  Highlands,  with  a  geographical  description  of 
the  country  on  the  west  side ;  as  I  am  going  in  a  few  days  to  wait 
on  His  Excellency  with  the  best  account  of  this  part  of  the  country 
that,  without  an  actual  survey,  I  am  able  to  give.  If  you  cannot 
send  to  me  in  two  days,  you  must  send  it  to  His  Excellency  as 
soon  as  possible,  for  I  can  wait  no  longer. 

"  Sir,  your  humble  servant, 

"R.  PUTNAM." 
"  To  Lieut.  Machin,  Engineer." 

Jan.  7th,  1777,  the  State  authorities  took  official  cognizance  of 
the  doings  of  Capt.  Machin,  as  appears  by  several  resolutions  on 
the  "  Journal  of  the  Committee  of  Safety."  His  commission 
dates  his  rank  as  Captain  Lieutenant  of  U.  S.  Artillery,  on  the 
1st  day  of  January,  1777,  although  it  did  not  pass  the  office  of 
the  Board  of  War,  until  April  21st,  1780. 

The  succeeding  papers  directed  "  To  Capt.  Thomas  Machin, 
at  Murderer's  Creek,"  one  of  which  was  without  date,  were  evi- 
dently written  while  the  navigation  of  the  river  was  being  ob- 
structed, in  1777. 

"  To  Capt.  Machin: 

"  Sir — I  have  already  directed  that  no  more  timber  should  be 
cut  on  Mr.  Ellison's  land  for  the  obstructions  to  be  made  in  the  ri- 
ver, (except  it  should  be  such  long  walnut  pieces  as  could  not  be 
so  conveniently  had  any  where  else,)  until  a  proportionate  share  of 
timber  for  that  use  was  also  got  on  lands  lying  equally  near  the 
river.  I  am  surprised,  therefore,  to  hear  that  a  company  of  car- 
penters are  in  his  woods  cutting  away  timber  of  every  kind,  which 
I  trust  must  be  without  your  order  or  knowledge.  He  is  willing 
you  should  take  such  long  walnut  pieces  as  you  want  and  can't 
get  as  conveniently  elsewhere ;  other  kind  of  timber  we  certainly 

ascended  Butter  Hill  with  a  party  of  his  troops,  and  with  their  aid  succeeded 
in  prying  off  from  its  summit  a  rock  which  weighed  many  tons.  Started 
from  such  an  eminence,  the  immense  mass  came  thundering  down  the  moun- 
tain crushing  the  forest  trees  which  impeded  its  onward  coujse,  and  dashed 
into  the  Hudson.  Sloops  navigating  the  river  sometimes  pass  it  inland.  Its 
course  upon  the  mountain  side  was  long  visible  from  the  water  to  the  summit 
of  the  Hill,  and  was  called  Putnam's  Path.  The  rock  is  called  Pctnam'b 
Rock  to  this  day.  Some  writers  have  fallen  into  the  error  of  supposing  the 
rock  and  its  path  called  after  Gen.  Putnam. — Capt.  Eben  Williams. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         555 

can,  and  more  so.     I  expect,  therefore,  you  will  direct  the  carpen- 
ters to  desist  cutting  in  his  woods  till  further  orders  from  me. 
"  I  am  your  most  obed't  serv't, 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 

"  New  Wvidsor,  2\sf  Jan'y,  1777. 

'*  Br.  Sir — I  set  out  for  Kingston  to-morrow  morning,  where  bu- 
siness will  detain  me  a  few  days.  I  wished  to  have  seen  you  be- 
fore I  set  out.  I  cannot  now  expect  it.  I  think  the  artificers  nei- 
ther go  out  early  enough  in  the  moniing,  or  continue  late  enough 
in  the  evening,  at  work.  I  was  surprised  this  day  to  see  many 
break  off  a  littte  after  three  in  the  afternoon.  It  was  said  they  had 
not  been  home  to  dinner,  but  allowing  that  to  be  the  case,  from 
nine  in  the  morning  until  three  in  the  afternoon  is  not  by  any 
means  a  day's  work.  To  cure  this  mischief  I  enclose  you  an  order 
which  you  '11  publish  among  those  employed,  and  endeavor  to  carry 
it  into  execution.  If  you  think  the  hours  are  too  long,  make  any 
alteration  you  think  right ;  but  pray,  whatever  hours  are  fixed  on, 
contrive  to  make  them  work. 

"  I  am  in  great  haste  vour  most  obed't, 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 

"  Capl.  Machm.''^ 

"  Orders  to  be  observed  by  the  artificers  and  others  employed  in  ob- 
sl7uciifig  the  navigation  of  Hudsoyis  river,  \^th  JaiCy,  1777. 
"  As  high  wages  are  given  by  the  public  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  when  the  days  are  short  and  the  weather  tickle,  in  order  to 
have  this  most  necessary  work  (on  which  not  only  the  safety  of  this 
State,  but  of  the  whole  continent  depends,)  completed  in  due  sea- 
son:— It  is  therefore  expected  that  those  who  are  employed  and  re- 
ceive the  public's  money,  will  be  faithful  in  the  service  and  do  the 
most  they  can.  It  is  the  business  of  the  master  workmen  who 
have  contracted  to  carry  on  the  work  and  taken  the  charge  of  small 
parties  under  them,  to  see  that  they  are  diligcnlly  employed  and 
work  faithfully.  It  is  for  this  they  are  allowed  extra  wages,  and 
it  is  expected  that  in  this  way  they  will  earn,  or  in  justice  they 
caimot  expect  to  receive  it.  The  monthly  pay  rolls  must  be  at- 
tested (if  required,)  by  the  master  workmen,  and  an  honest  man 
can  never  return  a  man  for  a  full  day's  pay  who  has  not  done  a 
full  day's  work.  This  would  be  dishonest  and  punishable;  but 
that  every  possible  guard  may  be  set  against  deception,  and  that 
all  account  for  pay  of  artificers  and  others  may  stand  fair  and  un- 
controvertible, the  engineer  is  to  fix  upon  the  hour  in  the  morning 
at  which  all  hands  are  to  be  at  work — the  hour  they  are  to  quit  for 
dinner,  the  time  when  they  are  to  return  to  work  after  dinner,  and 
break  off'  in  the  evening ;  and  to  cause  the  rolls  to  be  called  over 
by  such  person  or  persons  as  he  sliall  appoint  at  those  and  such 
other  times  as  he  shall  see  fit ;  and  mark  the  defaulters  (if  any,) 
that  a  proper  deduction  may  be  made  from  their  wages.     It  is  ex- 


556  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

pected  at  present  that  those  employed  near  the  barracks  will  work 
at  least  eight  hours  every  day,  and  those  employed  where  the  tim- 
ber now  lays,  or   at   that  distance,  at  least  seven.     The  time  for 
working  each  day  to  be  lengthened  when  the  days  grow  longer. 
"  GEO.  CLINTON,  B.  GenHr 

Opposite  is  the  facsimile  of  a  letter  from  Gen.  Washington 
"  To  Brigadier  Gen.  Knox,  commanding  the  corps  of  Artillery." 
It  was  written  during  the  visit  of  Capt.  Machin  to  the  Comman- 
der-in-chief, at  his  winter  quarters : 

The  following  paper,  which  is  without  date,  was  no  doubt 
written  about  the  time  Gen.  Clinton  visited  Kingston  : 

"  Sir — I  am  informed  that  the  Inhabitants  of  Kingston  are  de- 
sirous of  making  some  Works  for  the  Defence  of  their  town.  I 
approve  of  their  intentions,  and  wish  to  give  them  every  assistance 
in  my  power  in  the  execution  of  this  business ;  and  that  the  works 
may  be  constructed  on  a  Plan  most  efficient  and  least  expensive,  I 
request  you  will  repair  to  that  place  and  assist  in  laying  them  out, 
in  which  Col.  Bruyn  will  advise.  It  will  not  be  practicable, 
neither  do  I  conceive  it  necessary  to  enclose  the  town,  as  the  hou- 
ses are  stone,  and  will  form  (if  the  Windows  and  Doors  are  properly 
secured)  good  Lines  of  Defence.  Small  Redoubts  or  block-houses, 
therefore,  at  the  different  and  most  commanding  quarters  of  the 
Town,  are  all  that  to  me  appear  necessary ;  which  ought  to  be  con- 
structed each  for  a  Piece  or  two  of  artiller}',  so  as  to  clear  the  lines 
formed  by  the  houses  ;  and  when  it  can  be,  conveniently,  these 
should  be  so  contiguous  to  each  other  as  to  be  within  the  reach  of 
Musquetry,  which  Avill  be  a  saving  of  Ammunition.  In  construct- 
ing these  works,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  Artillery  against  them  is 
not  to  be  apprehended. 

"  I  am  your  most  obed't  serv't. 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 

"  Capt.  Machine 

By  the  next  paper  we  perceive  that  Capt.  Machin  was  given 
discretionary  power,  by  Governor  Clinton,  to  act  in  certain  emer- 
gencies : 

"  Bear  Sir — I  received  yours  of  this  date.  I  approve  your  con- 
duct in  marching  your  men  against  those  Parricides,  and  no  pains 
must  be  spared  to  apprehend  or  destroy  them.  Major  Logan,  and 
every  other  Officer  in  both  Counties,  I  know,  will  exert  themselves 


1 


4i;i- 


556  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

pected  at  present  that  those  employed  near  the  barracks  will  work 
at  least  eight  hours  every  day,  and  those  employed  where  the  tim- 
ber now  laj-s,  or  at   that  distance,  at  least  seven.     The  time  for 
working  each  day  to  be  lengthened  Avhen  the  days  grow  longer. 
"  GEO.  CLINTON,  B.  Gen'ir 

Opposite  is  the  facsimile  of  a  letter  from  Gen.  Washington 
"  To  Brigadier  Gen.  Knox,  commanding  the  corps  of  Artillery." 
It  was  written  during  the  visit  of  Capt.  Machin  to  the  Comman- 
der-in-chief, at  his  winter  quarters : 

The  following  paper,  which  is  without  date,  was  no  doubt 
written  about  the  time  Gen.  Clinton  visited  Kingston  : 

"  Sir — I  am  informed  that  the  Inhabitants  of  Kingston  are  de- 
sirous of  making  some  Works  for  the  Defence  of  their  town.  I 
approve  of  their  intentions,  and  wish  to  give  them  every  assistance 
in  my  power  in  the  execution  of  this  business ;  and  that  the  works 
may  be  constructed  on  a  Plan  most  efficient  and  least  expensive,  I 
request  you  will  repair  to  that  place  and  assist  in  laying  them  out, 
in  which  Col.  Bruyn  will  advise.  It  will  not  be  practicable, 
neither  do  I  conceive  it  necessary  to  enclose  the  town,  as  the  hou- 
ses are  stone,  and  will  form  (if  the  Windows  and  Doors  are  properly 
secured)  good  Lines  of  Defence.  Small  Redoubts  or  block-houses, 
therefore,  at  the  different  and  most  commanding  quarters  of  the 
Town,  are  all  that  to  me  appear  necessary ;  which  ought  to  be  con- 
structed each  for  a  Piece  or  two  of  artillery,  so  as  to  clear  the  lines 
formed  by  the  houses  ;  and  when  it  can  be,  conveniently,  these 
should  be  so  contiguous  to  each  other  as  to  be  within  the  reach  of 
Musquetry,  which  will  be  a  saving  of  Ammunition.  In  construct- 
ing these  works,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  Artillery  against  them  is 
not  to  be  apprehended. 

"I  am  your  most  obed't  serv't. 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 
"  Capt.  Machin." 

By  the  next  paper  we  perceive  that  Capt.  Machin  was  given 
discretionary  power,  by  Governor  Clinton,  to  act  in  certain  emer- 
gencies : 

"  Dear  Sir — I  received  yours  of  this  date.  I  approve  your  con- 
duct in  marching  your  men  against  those  Parricides,  and  no  pains 
must  be  spared  to  apprehend  or  destroy  them.  Major  Logan,  and 
every  other  Officer  in  both  Counties,  I  know,  will  exert  themselves 


^ 


M^TT^^^Z^  ^/^  '/777 


^^^ 


^L^   ^i)li!^kr7fL.^l!^fZ^    /^^e,..,^ 


y(.^--^L^  (2.-^  <2_-^^-.,  ^=2--;^  .?t^  t^^ 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         559 

on  this  occasion  in  drawing  out  the  Militia  for  quelling  this  dange- 
ous  insurrection ;  nor  must  any  risk  Le  run  in  taking  prisoners. 
"  I  am  your  most  obd't  serv't 
''March,  10th,  1777.  "  GEO.  CLINTON,  B.  Gen." 

"  P. S.  A  party-will  march  towards  the  Forest  of  Dean,  lo  guard  the  de- 
files there." 

"  To  Capt.  Thomas  Machin:' 

"  To  Capt.  Machi7i,  at  Capt.  Nicolh\'' 
"  Bear  Sir — This  will  be  handed  you  by  Mr.  Chambers  from 
Marble  Town,  who  has  come  down  with  6  or  7  carpenters,  to  be 
employed  in  our  works  ;  and  in  a  few  days  I  expect  as  many  more 
will  be  here  from  that  quarter  as  will  complete  his  company  to  12. 
As  these  are  men  who  were  engaged  at  our  request,  when  the 
others  misbehaved  and  quit  work,  they  must  be  employed — in- 
deed, we  can't  have  too  many  now.  How  you  will  find  room  for 
them  I  can't  tell,  but  you  are  good  at  contrivance. 
"  I  am  your  H.   S. 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 
"  nth  March,  1777." 

The  following  paper,  from  Gov.  Clinton  to  Capt.  Machin,  sliows 
the  preparation  making  for  the  enemy's  reception  in  the  Highlands : 

"  Dear  Sir — Let  one  know  immediately  whether  twelve  Pound- 
ers, having  the  trunions  broke  off",  can  be  quicker  repaired  by 
stocking  them,  or  fixing  new  trunions  to  them.  If  the  former  way 
is  the  speediest  and  best,  I  beg  you  would  come  down  here  imme- 
diately and  bring  such  Artificers  with  you  as  can  do  them  directly. 
If  the  latter  way  is  the  best,  can't  you  spare  Van  Houton,  your 
Smith,  to  work  a  while  at  this  business  at  Fort  Co7istitution?  He 
shall  be  well  used,  and  Barney  will  stay  w'ith  him.  On  receipt 
hereof  you  Avill  send  down  the  two  twelve  Pounders  at  New 
Windsor,  with  the  ammunition  and  stores  belonging  to  them,  to 
this  Port,  In  their  room  I  have  ordered  you  the  Brass  24  Pounder 
from  Fishkill;  it  will  suit  you  better,  and  you  are  to  preserve  her 
at  all  events  ;  if  she  should  be  lost  at  your  Port  you  will  be  in  Dis- 
grace forever.  I  expect  you  will  have  the  24  Ibr.  to-morrow  at 
your  Port.  If  you  come  here  yourself  on  an  alarm,  you  Avill  take 
care  to  leave  behind  you  some  persons  who  can  use  the  24  Ibr., 
and  who  will  guard  and  save  her.  Gen.  Putnam  wants  to  know 
how  you  come  forward  with  your  Boom,  and  whether  you  meet  any 
Obstructions  in  that  Business  which  you  did  not  forsee. 
"  I  am  your  most  obd't  serv't. 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 

"  Fort  Montgomery,  3d  July,  1777." 

"  P.  S.  Wont  your  scow,  well  manned,  bring  the  guns  down  quicker  and  ea- 


560  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

By  a  memorandum,  found  among  the  Machin  papers,  it  appears 
that  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  ffty  pounds  was  paid  in  one 
month  for  teams  "  Employed  in  drawing  Timber  for  the  use  of 
the  works  Obstructing  the  navigation  of  Hudson  River,"  under  his 
individual  direction.  Thirty  shillings  was  the  regular  price  paid 
per  day  for  a  teamster  with  two  yoke  of  oxen. 

In  anticipation  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy,  under  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  the  following  orders  were  issued  by  Gen.  James  Clinton  : 

"  Head  Quarters,  Fort  Montgomery,  July  lOtk,  1777. 

"  The  Signals  to  be  given  on  the  approach  of  the  Enemy  :  On 
the  firing  of  Two  Cannon  at  Peekskill  by  Gen.  Varnam  one  min- 
ute from  each  other ;  Two  will  be  fired  by  Gen.  Huntington  ;  Two 
by  Gen.  Parsons  ;  to  be  answered  by  Two  at  Fort  Independence  ; 
Two  at  Fort  Montgomery;  Two  at  Fort  Constitution:  and  the 
Beacon  there  to  be  fired  as  usual ;  to  be  answered  by  two  from  the 
Brass  twenty-four  Pounder,  near  New  Windsor :  upon  this  Sig- 
nal, the  Militia  on  the  West  side  of  Hudson's  River,  in  the  Coun- 
ties of  Orange  and  Ulster,  as  far  up  as  Col.  Harbrouk's  Regiment, 
including  the  same,  are  to  march  by  detachments,  without  further 
notice,  as  a  Reinforcement  of  this  Garrison,  and  the  Militia  on  the 
East  side  of  the  River,  as  far  up  as  Poughkeepsie,  including  Col. 
Freus'  Regiment,  to  march  for  the  reinforcing  the  Garrison  under 
Gen.  Putnam. 

"  This  order  is  immediately  to  be  published  by  the  Command- 
ing officer  at  Fort  Constitution,  and  copies  of  it  transmitted  by  him 
to  Capt.  Lieut.  Machin,  of  the  Artillery  at  New  Windsor,  that  he 
may  cause  the  same  to  be  published  there." 

In  the  month  of  September  Capt.  Machin  was  engaged  in  the 
recruiting  sei-vice,  as  his  correspondence  with  Col.  John  Lamb,  his 
commanding  officer,  doth  show. 

Early  in  October,  to  make  a  diversion  in  favor  of  Gen.  Bur- 
goyne.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  ascended  the  Hudson  with  his  army, 
and  succeeded,  with  a  severe  loss,  in  storming  Forts  Montgomery 
and  Clinton,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson,  six  miles  below 
West  Point — one  on  either  side  of  Poplopin's  kill.  At  the  time 
of  the  attack  on  the  former  fort,  Capt.  Machin  managed  a  heavy 
gun  which  did  fearful  execution  in  the  ranks  of  the  assailants. 
As  the  army  drew  near  the  fort,  late  in  the  afternoon,  Machin  saw 
a  man  step  from  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  and  poise  his  musket  to 
fire  at  him.     He  had  just  prepared  his  ordnance  for  a  discharge, 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        561 

loaded  to  the  muzzle  with  round,  grape  and  double  headed  bar 
shot,  the  latter  projecting  from  the  gun ;  as  he  caught  the  eye  of 
the  soldier  who  had  raised  his  piece  to  fire  on  him.    IMachin's  gun- 
ner in  the  act  of  applying  the  match,  was  shot  down  by  his  side, 
and  the  former  snatching  the  linstock  from  the  hand  of  the  fallen 
hero  applied  it  to  the  gun,  the  contents  of  which  mowed  a  fearful 
swath,  causing  the  assailants  to  fall  back.     At  the  instant  the 
match  was  applied,  Machin  received  a  bullet  in  his  body,  and  re- 
tired with  the  wounded.     The  ball  entered  his  breast   and  came 
out  under  his  right  shoulder.     A  man  who  was  aiding  the  woun- 
ded captain,  near  sundown,  in  his  retreat,  was  shot  and  fell  upon 
him,  and  it  was  with  no  little  difficulty  he  extricated  himself  from 
his  dying  comrade.     It  began  to  grow  dark,  when  Machin  asked 
a  retreating  soldier  if  he  could  not  help  him.     "  It  is  a  d — dgood 
fellow  xoho  can  help  himself,'^  was  the  unfeeling  reply,  as  the 
man  passed  on.     Capt.  Machin  was  soon  after  taken  into  a  boat 
and  thus  made  his  escape.     On  the  morning  following,  Capt.  Mil- 
ligan  of  Orange  county,  who  had  been  wounded  the  preceding 
evening  in   one  knee,  was  discovered  near  the  river,  by  the  ene- 
my, of  whom  he  begged  for  quarters;  instead  of  granting  which, 
his  unfeeling  foes  bayoneted    and   threw   him  down  the  rocks. 
While  recovering  from  his  wounds  Capt.  Machin  was  entertained 
at  the  house  of  Gov.  Clinton,  from  whose  family  he  received  the 
kindest  treatment.     The  Americans,  on  losing  Forts  Montgomery 
and  Clinton,  abandoned  Fort  Constitution  as  untenable,  leaving  in 
their  retreat  considerable  booty  to  the  enemy.    Gen.  Vaughan  then 
ascended  the  river  as  far  as  Kingston,  burning  it  and  destroying 
a  large  quantity  of  military  stores  there  collected ;   soon  after 
which  most  of  the  army  returned  to  New  York  city ;  evacuating 
the  captured  forts,  but  retaining  and  fortifying  Stoney  Point,  a 
few  miles  below  Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton. 

Early  in  December  Capt.  Machin  w^as  so  far  recovered  from 
his  wound  as  to  be  engaged  in  his  regular  duties,  as  the  following 
Clinton  papers  will  show. 

"  Little  Britain,  1st  Dec'r,  1777. 
"  Dear  Machin — I  wrote  to  Doctor  Tappen  and  Maj.  Billings 
some  time  ago  to  endeavor  to  provide  me  a  house  at  or  near  Pough- 


562  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

keepsie,  providing  the  legislature  determined  to  meet  at  that  place ; 
since  which  I  have  not  heard  from  them.  Mrs.  Clinton  is  anxious 
to  get  settled  again,  and  as  I  believe  Poughkeepsie  would  be  her 
choice  as  well  as  the  place  where  the  legislature  will  meet,  I  will 
be  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  take  a  ride 
there,  consult  with  Maj.  Billings  and  Doct.  Tappen,  and  concert 
with  them — endeavor  to  procure  some  convenient  house  for  me. 
It  will  be  no  objection  should  it  be  a  mile  or  two  out  of  town. 

"  I  offered  Capt.  Harris  the  use  of  my  house  this  winter  for  his 
family.  He  thinks  it  would  be  too  lonesome  for  her,  [his  wife.] 
But  as  Mrs.  Bedlow  is  not  to  move  to  New  Windsor,  suppose  Capt. 
Harris  was  to  move  into  my  house  and  you  was  to  take  your  lodg- 
ings with  them ;  and  indeed  Capt.  Harris  Avill  be  at  home  great 
part  if  not  the  whole  of  the  winter.  Will  you  mention  this  to  the 
captain  ? 

"I  have  a  cot  at  my  house  out  of  which  the  militia  stole  the 
irons:  will  you  get  it  repaired  for  me,  as  I  have  no  other  bed  or 
bedstead. 

"  I  am  Dr.  Sir,  yours  sincerely, 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 

"  P.  S.  If  you  go  to  Poughkeepsie  advise  me  of  it  by  a  line.  Maj.  Taylor 
will  furnish  you  with  a  horse  for  the  purpose." 

"  Poughkeepsie,  13/ A  Dec,  1777. 
^^Bear  Machin — There  are  some  mahogany  boards  in  and  about 
our  mill  which  Mrs.  Clinton  brought  from  Capt.  Nevin's,  which  I 
wish  you  would  measure  and  secure  for  me.     You  forgot  to  send 
my  razors  ;  pray  let  me  have  them  by  first  good  conveyance. 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"GEO.  CLINTON." 

"P.  S.  We  are  all  well. 

"  Mrs.  Clinton's  compliments  to  you." 

"  Poughkeepsie,  IQth  BecW,  1777. 
"  Dear  Sir — I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  wood,  &c.,  you 
have  sent  me  by  Serg't  Halsted.  The  sloop  carries  but  six  and  a 
half  cords  of  wood  :  I  have  therefore  got  but  that  quantity.  The 
Sheep  the  sergeant  tells  me  he  put  up  in  my  stable  and  gave 
them  in  charge  of  some  militia  that  were  threshing :  in  the  mor- 
ning they  were  gone,  so  that  I  have  not  got  them.  I  suppose,  or 
at  least  it  is  likely,  they  stole  them.  I  wish  you  would  try  to  find 
them  again,  and  when  you  come  to  see  us  throw  them  in  the  bot- 
tom of  your  slay  [sleigh]  and  you  shall  eat  part  of  them.  Sam 
gave  your  saddle-bags  to  Col.  i)ubois'  Bob,  who  promised  to  take 
care  of  them  for  you.  Col.  Taylor  promised  to  send  Mrs.  Clinton 
two  pots,  which  he  has  forgot;  perhaps  you  may  have  an  opportu- 
nity to  send  or  bring  them.  As  to  my  house  and  farm,  I  leave  it 
entirely  at  your  discretion  and  disposal.  I  wish  to  oblige  Capt. 
Harris,  but  if  he  declines  you  can  let  it  to  who  [whom]  you 
please.     I  wish  to  have  the  timber  saved  as  much  as  possible. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        563 

"  I  had  letters  from  Head  Quarters  dated  the  3d  and  10th  in- 
stant. No  News  there.  Gen.  Washington  is  anxious  about  se- 
curing the  river.  Putnam  is  ordered  to  turn  his  whole  attention  to 
that  business,  and  will  be  up  with  his  troops  in  a  few  days. 
Colonels  Webb  and  Ely  were  taken  in  a  sloop  with  about  thirty  men, 
crossing  to  Long  Island,  by  an  armed  brig.  Gen.  Parsons  has  had 
a  brush  with  the  Hessians,  beat  them  and  took  one  field  piece,  it 
is  said,  but  wants  confirmation.  Ensign  Adamson  about  a  week 
ago  broke  his  parole  and  went  off',  but  was  fortunately  taken  with 
six  other  rascals,  in  Mile-Square — two  of  them  negroes  he  had  se- 
duced off'.  Mrs.  Clinton  joins  in  best  respects  to  you  and  love  to 
Caty.     I  wish  to  see  you  soon. 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"GEO.  CLINTON," 

The  following  is  the  copy  of  a  letter  from  Capt.  Machin  to  the 
New  York  Council  of  Safety,  preserved  among  his  papers : 

"  To  the  Honorahle  Committee  of  JVew  Windsor: 

"  Gentlemen — It  will  be  needless  for  me  to  point  out  to  you 
the  necessity  of  some  speedy  obstructions  being  made  in  Hudson's 
river,  against  gun-boats,  galleys  and  small  crafts  that  will  pro- 
bably come  up  at  the  first  opening  of  the  spring,  and  prevent  our 
making  such  necessary  works  as  may  preserve  the  good  people 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  from  the  revenge  of  a  merciless  enemy 
{remember  Kingston),  towards  effecting  which,  much  time  has  al- 
ready elapsed  and  but  little  done,  which  drives  me  to  the  necessi- 
ty of  applying  to  the  Honorable  Committee  on  this  occasion. 

"  We  shall  want  a  large  quantity  of  timber  for  the  Chain, 
which  cannot  be  got  up  the  river  on  account  of  the  frost ;  and 
when  the  frost  breaks  up  it  will  be  too  late  for  our  business.  I 
shall  not  think  it  consistent  with  my  duty  to  distress  any  indivi- 
dual by  cutting  all  the  timber  off'  one  man's  land,  and  thereby 
render  a  good  farm  of  little  value ;  and  I  cannot  always  be  with 
men  in  the  woods :  useless  destruction  may  be  made  by  them  un- 
less over  seen  by  somebody  to  prevent  it.  For  this  purpose  I 
should  be  glad  if  "the  Honorable  Committee  will  appoint  a  Wood 
Ranger  to  oversee  the  business,  that  the  Master  Carpenters  may 
apply  to  him  for  such  timber  as  they  shall  receive  orders  to  get. 
It  ought  to  be  a  person  in  disinterested  circumstances,  a  man  of 
honor,  resolution  and  stability.  A  compliance  with  this  will 
much  forward  the  present  business  and  oblige — gentlemen, 
"  You  humble  servant, 

THOS.  MACHIN. 

New  Windsor,  22d  Feb.,  177S. 

The  following  letter  from  Gen.  James  Clinton  to  Capt.  Ma- 
chin, is  of  a  private  rather  than  public  character ;  and  shows  that 


564  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

some  men  even  at  that  early  day,  were  rather  above  their  busi- 
ness :  or  had  conceived  that  sickly  modern  notion  of  its  being 
dishonorable  or  disgraceful  to  labor.  If  it  be  honorable  to  dis- 
obey the  commands  of  God,  then  indeed  is  it  dishonorable  to 
work — but  if  not — not. 

"  Little  Britain,  March,  ^th,  1778. 
"  Dear  Sir — I  received  your  favor  by  Lieut.  Strachan  with  a 
few  lines  from  Col.  Taylor  inclosed,  concerning  a  complaint  that 
Capt.  Young  has  made  against  Capt.  Mills,  (both  of  the  Artificers,) 
but  as  Col.  Taylor  does  dot  set  forth  what  injurj^  Capt.  Mills  has 
done  Capt.  Young,  I  can't  give  you  any  advice  about  the  matter. 

"  I  think  your  letter  seems  to  confirm  the  charge  against  both  of 
them ;  for  what  can  stain  an  officer's  character  more  than  not  do- 
ing his  duty  ?  A  captain  of  a  company  of  artificiers,  if  he  does 
his  duty,  will  have  harder  work  than  any  of  the  privates,  and  I 
think  you  are  answerable  for  their  conduct,  as  you  have  the  charge 
of  the  work  ;  and  if  they  dont  do  their  duty  you  must  arrest  them, 
if  nothing  else  will  do. 

"  If  they  be  gentlemen  of  such  high  spirits  as  to  think  it  a  scan- 
dal for  them  to  work  because  they  bear  the  title  of  captain,  I  think 
they  might  decide  such  disputesbetween  themselves  without  troub- 
ling any  officer  with  it.  Inclosed  you  have  Col.  Taylor's  report, 
and  if  I  must  give  my  opinion  of  the  matter,  let  me  know  what 
stories  Capt.  Mills  has  propagated  against  Capt.  Young. 
"  I  am.  Sir,  Yours, 
"  JAMES  CLINTON,  B.  G." 

The  following  papers  will  show  the  spring  of  1778,  like  that 
of  the  preceding  year,  to  have  been  a  very  busy  one  in  the  High- 
lands of  the  Hudson : 

"  Sir: — As  Col.  Laradiere  has  left  us,  I  wish  you,  if  you  can  be 
absent  from  New  Windsor  for  a  day  to  come  to  this  port  to-morrow 
or  the  day  after,  to  advise  about  the  proper  method  of  fortifying 
this  place. 

"  From,  Sir,  j-our  humble  servant, 

"  SAM'L  H.  PARSONS. 
"  West  Point,  nth  March,  177S." 

"  Monday  afternoon,  March  Wth,  1778. 
"My  Dear  Captain  : — You  will  receive  by  the  bearer  some  paper 
and  all  the  white  rope  of  the  size  mentioned  we  have.  I  have  sent 
off  Charley  this  minute  to  forward  the  cordage  from  Danbury,  as 
well  as  from  Fairfield,  but  cant  say  what  size  there  is  at  the  latter 
[place],  as  it  is  sent  by  Mr.  Shaw,'  of  New  London,  at  the  request 
of  Gen.  Putnam,  who  never  told  me  the  sizes  he  ordered.  I  be- 
lieve there  are  no  more  cables  to  be  expected  of  Mr.  Ives  till  he 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NKW  YORK.         565 

gets  more  hemp — at  least,  I  understood  him  so.  In  my  letter  to 
Gen.  Putnam,  I  informed  him,  while  he  was  in  Connecticut,  that 
all  sizes  would  he  wanted,  and  advised  that  the  whole  cargo  should 
be  bought. 

"He  referred  the  matter  to  Governor  Trumbull,  (and  I  imagine) 
the  Governor  to  Mr.  Shaw,  who  may,  possibly,  serve  himself  lirst. 
However,  as  I  said  before,  Charles  is  gone  to  learn  the  true  state 
of  what  is  on  the  road,  and  forward  it  along.  "When  he  returns, 
which  will  be  in  two  or  three  days,  I  expect,  you  shall  hear  further. 
I  will  wait  on  the  general,  and  let  j-ou  know  his  orders  concerning 
the  hands.  Inclosed  you  have  the  general's  order  for  the  men  re- 
quired. "  I  am.  Dear  Captain, 

"  Yours  in  truth, 

"J.  HUGHES. 

"P.  S.  You  have  also  an  order  on  Sheaf  at  Wappinger's  creek." 

"  Lilth  Britain,  March  20(h,  1778. 
"  Dear  Sir  : — I  expected  to  have  been  to  see  you  before  now,  but 
the  riding  was  so  bad  1  deferred  it  a  little  while,  as  I  want  to  go  to 
the  West  Point.     I  send  my  boy  for  the  papers  if  they  are  come. 

"  I  suppose  you  begin  to  ketch  [catch]  some  fish  this  fine  Aveath- 
er ;  if  so,  1  would  be  glad  you  would  send  a  few  up  here — and  you 
will  oblige,  Yours, 

"JAMES  CLINTON." 

The  following  paper,  which  is  without  date  or  signature,  is  in 
the  hand  writing  of  Gov.  Clinton,  and  was  filed  by  Capt.  Machin 
as  received  from  him  March  20th,  1778  : 

"  Mr.  Machin  will  write  to  Samuel  Bronson,  at  Goshen,  to  know 
if  he  has  any  knowledge  of  a  lead  mine  in  the  mountains,  about 
nine  miles  off  the  river,  of  which  he  once  spoke  to  Thos.  Smith, 
Esq. 

"  Mr.  Machin  will  also  go  to  Wawarsink  and  see  the  mine  there 
now  working  by  one  McDonald,  and  what  prospect  there  is  of  work- 
ing it  to  purpose.  It  is  said  there  is  a  lead  mine  near  Mamecot- 
tang  [Mamakating,  as  nowwTitten],  and  one  on  this  side  the  Shaw- 
angunk  mountains,  of  which  make  inquiry — of  the  latter  from  Col. 
Palmer,  the  former  from  everybody.  Mr.  Wisner  has  the  samples 
of  them  ;  get  those  from  him in  those  of  Wasink  in  Dutch- 
ess and ."     [Several  words  at  the  close  of  this  paper  are 

rendered  unintelligible.] 

"  Sir — if  'tis  possible  to  spare  any  timber  from  the  creek,  I  beg 
you  to  order  it  rafted  immediately  for  this  place,  where  we  are 
in  the  greatest  need  of  it ;  it  ought  not  to  be  delayed  a  moment, 
our  information  being  of  a  nature  which  requires  immediate  at- 
tention to  compleating  the  batteries.  [Probably  in  the  vicinity  of 
West  Point.] 

Your  obedient  serv't, 

"3c;  April,  1778.  SAML.  H.  PARSONS." 


566  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

The  following  is  the  copy  of  a  letter  from  Capt.  Machin  to 
Gen.  McDougal,  which  shows  when  the  chain,  which  was  stretch- 
ed across  the  Hudson  at  West  Point,  was  completed. 

"  Honored  Sir — Lieut.  Woodward  who  I  told  you  was  at 
Sterling  iron  works  inspecting  the  chain,  is  now  returned,  and 
informs  me  that  seventeen  hundred  feet  of  the  Great  Chain, 
which  is  more  than  equal  to  the  breadth  of  the  river  at  the  place 
last  fixed  upon,  is  now  ready  for  use.  The  capson  [capstan]  and 
docks  are  set  up  at  the  lower  place  ;  the  mud  blocks  are  launched 
and  only  wait  for  good  w^eather  to  carry  them  down :  four  cannon, 
twelve  and  nine  pounders  are  at  the  beach,  also  waiting  for 
Aveather  to  go  down :  four  more  will  be  ready  by  Saturday ;  and 
if  no  unforseen  accident  should  appear,  I  shall  be  able  to  send 
down  four  cannon  next  week.  If  the  weather  should  be  favorable, 
I  am  in  hopes  we  shall  be  able  to  take  the  chain  down  all  fixed 
in  about  6  days.  Lieut.  Woodward  was  ordered  by  Gen.  Parsons 
to  assist  me  at  those  works,  and  as  he  is  a  gentleman  well  skilled 
in  mechanical  powers,  and  a  person  of  steady  application,  it  will 
put  me  much  out  of  the  way  to  have  him  removed  at  this  time. 
Should  therefore  be  glad  if  you  will  continue  him  in  the  work,  as 
somebody  must  be  in  his  place,  and  to  take  an  entire  stranger  at 
this  time  will  be  onerous  and  dangerous. 

I  am,  dear  sir. 

Your  humble  servant, 

THOS.  MACHIN." 

"  The  Honorable  Maj.  Gen.  McDougal. 

"  April  20tk,  1778." 

"  Pougkkeepsie,  2d  May,  1778. 
"  Dear  Sir — I  received  your  letter  of  yesterday  and  am  happy 
to  learn  that  the  chain  is  across  the  river,  and  that  you  had  the 
good  fortune  to  accomplish  it  so  expeditiously  and  so  much  to  your 
satisfaction. 

"  I  am  informed  that  old  Mr.  Teabout,  who  lives  (or  did  lately) 
at  Van  Deuzens,  near  the  Clove,  has  a  phaeton  that  he  will  dispose 
of.  If  so,  and  it  is  a  neat,  good  one,  as  I  am  told  it  is,  I  wish  to 
buy  it,  provided  it  can  be  had  at  a  reasonable  price.  A  new  one 
used  to  cost  about  £80.  I  would  be  willing  to  give  something 
more  now.  Will  you  call  and  take  a  look  at  it — know  the  price, 
and  if  good  and  reasonable  purchase  it  for  me.  The  sooner  you 
see  it  the  better.  Yours,  sincerely, 

'' Capt  Machin.  GEO.  CLINTON." 

The  following  paper  tells  credibly  for  the  skill  and  character  of 
Capt.  Machin  : 

"  I  hereby  certify  that  about  the  middle  of  July,  1776,  Capt. 
Machin,  of  the  Artillery,   came  to  Fort  Montgomerj',   and  by  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        567 

direction  of  His  Excellency,  Gen.  Washington,  was  there  employ- 
ed in  laying  out  and  erecting  works  for  the  defence  of  that  place, 
and  for  securing  the  pass  to  Anthony's  Nose,  until  towards  the  lat- 
ter part  of  August,  when  Gen.  James  Clinton  took  the  command  of 
that  post.  That  in  December  following,  Capt.  Machin  was  em- 
ployed in  constructing  chevaux-de-frize  for  obstructing  the  navi- 
gation of  Hudson's  river,  opposite  Pollopel's  island ;  and  that  he 
continued  in  that  business,  sinking  the  same,  making  the  nccessa- 
T}'  preparations  for  fixing  the  chain  across  the  river  at  Fort  Mont- 
gomery, and  occasionally  superintending  the  works  at  that  place, 
until  some  time  in  June  1777,  when  Gen.  Putnam  took  the  com- 
mand of  the  army  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  North  river,  and  by 
his  orders  Capt.  Machin  was  employed  in  constructing  and  making 
booms  to  draw  across  the  river  in  front  of  the  chain,  till  the  reduc- 
tion of  that  fort  by  the  enemy,  at  which  time  he  was  badl}- wound- 
ed. And  I  have  reason  to  believe,  that  upon  his  recover}'  he  has 
been  steady  employed  to  this  time  in  the  necessary  preparations 
for  fixing  the  new  chain  across  the  river,  completing  one  of  the 
booms,  the  chevaux-de-frize,  and  raising  the  galley  which  was 
sunk  on  the  enemy's  advance  up  the  river.  In  justice  to  Capt. 
Machin  I  am  bound  to  add,  that  while  he  was  under  my  command 
he  discovered  groat  diligence  and  industry  in  forwarding  the  differ- 
ent works  committed  to  his  care,  and  that  in  the  execution  of  them 
he  experienced  an  uncommon  share  of  labor  and  fatigue,  being 
often  necessarily  exposed  to  work  in  the  water  in  very  cold  weath- 
er. 

"  Given  under  mv  hand  at  Poughkeepsie,  this  17th  of  August, 
177S,  ■  GEO.  CLINTON/' 

The  expenses  of  placing  obstructions  in  the  Hudson  at  the 
Highlands,  were  necessarily  very  great.  An  account  current,  in 
the  hand  writing  of  Capt.  Machin,  shews  an  indebtedness  (before 
deducting  assets,)  of  the  "  Quarter  Master  General,  to  Noble  & 
Townsend,  proprietors  for  the  Sterling  Iron  Works,"  for  some 
135  tons  of  iron  wrought  into  booms,  bolts,  clips,  chains,  swivels, 
clevises,  bands,  &c.,  o(  fourteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine  dollars  and  eighty  nine  cents  ;  nearly  all  of  which  is  accre- 
dited in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1777.  Another  memorandum 
among  the  Machin  papers,  which  is  headed  "  A  general  abstract 
of  several  companies  of  Artificers  employed  in  the  works  obstruct- 
ing the  navigation  of  Hudson's  River,  under  the  direction  of  Capt. 
Thomas  Machin,  Superintendent,"  gives  the  footing  of  the  Pay- 
rolls for  the  labor  of  twelve  companies  of  artificers,  which 
amounts  to  eleven  thousand  eighty-nine  dollars  and  fifty  cents: 


568  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  longest  term  for  which  any  of  the  Rolls  was  made  being  from 
Dec,  1776,  to  the  first  of  June,  1777.  After  the  enemy  evacu- 
ated Fort  Montgomery,  and  the  Americans  began  to  repair  those 
works  in  the  fall  of  1777,  a  dock,  anchor  and  booms,  for  obstruct- 
ing the  river  at  that  place,  were  again  constructed  by  Capt.  Ma- 
chin,  as  engineer,  agreeably  to  the  orders  of  Gen.  Putnam,  as  his 
papers  show. 

The  iron  of  which  the  mammoth  chain  used  at  West  Point  was 
manufactured,  was  wrought  from  ore  in  equal  parts  from  Sterling 
and  Long  Mines,  Orange  county,  N.  Y.  The  links  of  this  chain 
weighed  from  100  to  150  pounds  each.  The  whole  chain  weigh- 
ed 186  tons.*  This  chain  was  buoyed  up  in  the  middle  of  the 
river  by  several  large  spars,  secured  a  few  feet  apart  by  strong 
timbers  framed  into  them,  upon  which  the  chain  rested.  Every 
Fall  it  was  drawn  on  shore  by  a  windlass  and  the  float  taken 
out — both  being  replaced  early  in  the  Spring. — {Capt.  Eben  Wil- 
liams.) The  chain,  as  may  be  supposed,  was  properly  fastened 
on  shore  at  the  ends.  Several  writers  have  promulged  an  error 
by  stating  that  a  chain  was  stretched  across  the  Hudson,  at  West 
Point,  in  the  Autumn  of  1777. 

A  chain  of  half  the  diameter  of  the  one  placed  at  West  Point, 
in  the  Spring  of  1778,  was  drawn  across  the  river  near  Fort 

•  Report  of  W.  Horton,  assistant  Geologist  in  1838,  on  the  geology  of  Or- 
ange county. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  I  glean  the  following  facts  from  a  letter  from  Pe- 
ter Townsend,  Esq  ,  of  New  York,  to  Mr.  Franklin  Townsend,  of  Albany  ; 
the  latter  gentleman  is  a  great  grandson  of  Peter  Townsend,  of  Chester,  the 
principal  contractor  for  manufacturing  thechain.  The  Sterling  Iron  Works,  in 
Sterling,  Orange  county,  are  situated  25  miles  back  of  West  Point,  and  have 
been  in  extensive  operation  since  about  the  year  1750.  Col.  Timolliy  Pick- 
ering, who  was  entrusted  with  the  responsibility  of  making  tlie  chain,  ac- 
companied by  Capt.  Machin,  arrived  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Townsend,  in  Ches- 
ter, late  on  a  Saturday  evening,  early  in  March,  1778.  The  latter  gentleman 
readily  agreed  to  construct  the  chain,  and  such  was  their  zeal  in  the  popular 
cause,  that  the  parties  left  Chester  at  midnight,  in  a  violent  snow-storm,  and 
rode  to  the  Sterling  works,  a  distance  of  fourteen  miles,  to  commence  the 
job.  At  daylij^ht  on  Sunday  morning,  Mr.  Townsend  had  all  his  forges  in 
operation,  and  the  chain  was  begun.  The  work  went  on  without  interruption, 
the  herculean  task  was  finished,  and  the  chain,  carted  in  sections  by  New 
England  teamsters,  delivered  at  West  Point  in  six  weeks. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 


569 


Montgomery,  in  Nov.,  1776.  This  chain,  which,  agreeably  to 
the  letter  of  Peter  Townsend,  already  quoted,  was  made  at  the 
Ringu'ood  Iron  Works,  New  Jersey,  and  composed  of  cold  short 
iron,  was  broken  by  the  enemy  in  the  fall  of  1778.  The  West 
Point  chain  crossed  the  river  just  above  the  Point  to  Constitution 
Island,  a  distance  of  some  1500  feet.  It  was  guarded  by  a 
strong  battery,  erected  at  each  end  to  command  its  approach,  and 
was  never  molested  by  the  enemy. 


WEST  POINT,  AS  SEEN  IN  1780. 

Explanation. — A,  a  battery  on  Constitution  island.  B,  the  fjfreat 
chain  suspended  across  the  Hudson.  C,  Fort  Clinton  on  the  West 
Point.  The  latter,  which  occupied  nearly  the  present  site  of  the 
militarrj  academy,  commanded  a  southern  approach  to  the  Point. 

The  following  letter,  found  in  the  correspondence  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress  of  JV.  Y.,  shows  the  result  of  the  survey,  made 
agreeably  to  the  request  of  Gen.  Schuyler,  in  the  Autumn  of 
1776  : 


"Nov.  22,  1776. 
"  In  consequence  of  a  letter  received  by  us,  the  subscribers, 
members  of  the  secret  committee,  from  the  Committee  of  Safety, 
dated  the  —  day  of  November  instant,  when  we  were  at  Fort 
Montijomer)'-  fixinfr  the  chain  across  the  river,  enclosino^  an  extract 
from  Gen.  Schuyler,  requesting  the  Convention  to  have  the  river 
sounded  in  diiTerent  places  in  the  Highlands,  we  have  sounded  the 


570  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

river,  beginning  between  Verplanck's  and  Stoney  Point,  thence 
northward  through  the  Highlands  to  Pollopel's  Island,  and  find  no 
part  of  the  river  in  that  distance  less  than  eighty  feet  deep  in  the 
main  channel,  till  within  a  short  distance  of  the  island. 

"  From  the  island  to  the  western  shore,  we  found,  by  measure- 
ment, the  distance  to  be  fifty  three  chains ;  the  channel  near  the 
middle  of  the  river  at  that  place,  is  about  eighty  chains  broad,  and 
about  fiftij  feet  deep  ;  from  the  channel  the  water  shoals  gradually 
on  both  sides  to  the  flats,  which  are  about  eight  or  ten  chains 
broad,  reckoning  both  sides.  This  above  described  place  is  the 
only  one,  in  our  opinion,  that  it  is  possible  for  an  obstruction  to  be 
made  by  docking,  eflectually  to  impede  the  navigation  of  Hudson's 
river,  at  any  place  above  the  south  part  of  the  Highlands. 

"HENRY  WISNER. 

"  GILBERT  LIVINGSTON." 

In  accordance  with  the  survey  made  as  above  certified,  chev- 
auxdefrize  were  sunk  in  the  river  between  Pollopel's  Island  and 
the  west  bank  of  the  river,  under  the  direction  of  Capt.  Machin. 
The  chain  which  guarded  the  river  near  Fort  Montgomery,  parted 
twice  soon  after  it  was  fastened.  The  following  certifies  to  the 
accident : 

"  Fort  Montgomery,  Dec.  9,  1776. 
"  These  are  to  certify  that  the  chain  that  has  been  stretched 
across  the  North  river  at  this  fort,  has  been  broke  twice  ;  the  first, 
a  swivel  broke,  which  came  from  Ticonderoga,  which  was  not 
welded  sound  ;  the  second  time,  a  clevin  broke,  which  was  made 
at  Poughkeepsie,  in  a  solid  part  of  the  chain,  and  no  flaw  to  be 
seen  in  any  part  of  said  chain.  Which  we  do  certify  at  the  re- 
quest of  Messrs.  Odle  and  Vanduzer. 

"JAMES  CLINTON,  B.  Gen. 

"ABM.  SWARTWOUT,  Capt. 

"JAS.  ROSECRANS,  Capt. 

"  DANL.  LAWRENCE,  Lieut." 

This  chain,  which  was  stretched  across  the  river  from  Fort 
Montgomery  to  Anthony's  Nose,  was  1800  feet  long.  The  State 
Committee  authorized  Capt.  Machin  to  alter  it  or  change  its  place. 
Below  the  chain  he  placed  a  boom.  Of  those  works  the  historian 
Botta  thus  observes :  "  They  loere  remarkable  for  their  perfection, 
and  had  been  executed  uith  equal  industry  and  difficulty.^* 

Several  writers  have  stated  that  skillful  engineers  were  sent 
out  by  the  King  of  France  to  explore  the  Highlands  of  the  Hud- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        571 

son,  and  locate  suitable  defences;  that  they  superintended  the 
ereclion  of  forts  and  obstructions  along  the  river,  for  which  they 
were  never  paid.  This  is  all  untrue.  The  Continental  Congress 
recommended  a  survey  of  the  Hudson,  and  the  erection  of  seve- 
ral batteries  in  the  Highlands,  as  early  as  May,  1775.  In  June 
following.  Col.  James  Clinton  and  Christopher  Tappen  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New  York  to  designate  sites, 
and  having  reported  to  that  body,  it  resolved  to  build  them.  Com- 
missioners to  superintend  the  construction  of  the  works  were  select- 
ed from  the  delegates,  of  which  number  John  Berrien  acted  as  com- 
missary. Bernard  Romans,  then  a  pensioner  from  the  British  crown, 
was  employed  to  act  as  engineer,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  in 
the  latter  part  of  September.  Fort  Constitution,  situated  on 
"  Martelair's  Rock  Island,"  afterwards  called  Constitution  Island, 
in  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson,  just  above  the  West  Point,  was 
then  commenced.  Some  difficulty  having  arisen  between  the  en- 
gineer and  commissioners,  a  special  committee  visited  the  works 
in  December,  to  reconcile  the  existing  differences.  They  censured 
the  course  of  the  engineer  in  not  consulting  the  commissioners — dis- 
approved of  the  plan  adopted,  as  too  expensive  for  the  benefits 
likely  to  accrue,  and  recommended  the  erection  of  defensive  works 
at  Poplopins'  kill.  Romans  continued  at  Fort  Constitution  \mtil 
some  time  in  the  winter. 

In  January,  1776,  the  erection  of  a  battery,  to  mount  30  guns, 
was  commenced  by  Thomas  Grennell,  one  of  the  commissioners, 
on  an  eminence  714  yards  east  of  West  Point,  to  command  the 
stretch  of  the  river  above  and  below  it,  about  which  time  a  bat- 
tery, to  mount  eighteen  heavy  cannon,  was  begun  on  a  gravel 
hill,  500  yards  eastward  of  Fort  Constitution,  and  1700  north  of 
the  other  battery,  intended  to  cover  the  fort  and  scour  the  West 
Point.  In  Feb.,  1776,  Capt.  Smith,  Gen.  Lee's  engineer,  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Romans,  and  began  the  construction  of  Fort  Mont- 
gomery, on  the  north  chop  of  Poplopin's  kill,  6  miles  distant 
from  Fort  Constitution  :  and  soon  after,  Fort  Clinton,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  kill  was  commenced. 

Application  having  been  made  in  June,  1776,  to  Gen.  Wash- 
37 


572  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ington  for  an  engineer,  by  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New  York, 
he  agreed  to  send  them  one  "  who  would  take  the  whole  direction 
of  the  works  in  the  Highlands ;"  whereupon  the  commissioners 
were  discharged  from  further  service.  The  engineer  sent,  as  has 
been  shown,  was  Capt.  Thomas  Machin. 

The  correspondence  inserted  will  serve  to  show  the  reader,  to 
some  extent,  the  duties  performed  by  Capt.  Machin  in  the  High- 
lands. Under  his  direction,  forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton  were 
completed,  and  several  other  forts  and  batteries  along  the  river 
planned  and  erected,  and  the  navigation  obstructed.  After  the 
enemy  destroyed  forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton,  the  latter  was 
never  rebuilt,  but  a  strong  fortress  was  placed  on  West  Point, 
(the  present  site  of  the  military  academy,)  and  given  the  same 
name.  Above,  and  commanding  this  fort,  stood  Fort  Putnam,  the 
ruins  of  which  are  still  visible,  and  on  an  eminence,  half  a  mile 
south-west  of  'the  former,  was  a  strong  reboubt  called  Fort 
Willis. 

Early  in  Jan.,  1778,  John  Sloss  Hobart,  Henry  Wisner,  John 
Hathorn,  and  Zeph.  Piatt,  delegated  for  that  purpose  by  the 
State  Congress,  Generals  Putnam  and  George  Clinton,  the  Lieut. 
Col.  of  Engineers,  Capt.  Machin,  and  several  other  military  gen- 
tlemen, met  at  Poughkeepsie,  to  consult  about  fortifying  and  ob- 
structing the  Hudson ;  and  the  works  located  at  and  near  West 
Point,  were  placed  there  in  accordance  with  their  views.  Gene- 
rals Schuyler,  Lee,  Sterling,  and  a  few  other  officers,  were  also 
consulted  on  some  occasions,  about  fortifying  the  river. 

The  following  letter  from  Doct.  Freeman,  shows  Capt.  Machin 
still  engaged  in  the  valley  of  the  Hudson. 

"  Sa7idwich,  August  10th.   177S. 

"  Dear  Sir — Your  favor  by  Mr.  Williams  I  received,  also  one 
before ;  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  are  well,  and  employing  your 
ingenuity  and  abilities  in  such  a  glorious  cause,  and  with  suclj 
promising  aspects. 

"  Your  chest  of  books  and  instruments  are  safe  here,  and  ready 
to  be  delivered  to  your  order  at  any  time,  and  should  be  very  happy 
to  see  you  here  yourself,  which  hope  shall  have  opportunity  for  ere 
long.  Mr.  Williams  can  tell  you  all  y"  news  from  this  quarter, 
to  whom  I  refer  you.     He  manifests  a  great  regard  for  you,  and 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        573 

any  favor  you  can  show  him  will  meet  my  sincerest  gratitude,  as 
he  is  my  neighbor  and  friend.  Your  letters  give  me  much  satis- 
faction, and  would  have  been  answered  before,  but  for  want  of 
opportunity.  As  often  as  you  write  me  you  will  greatly  oblige 
vour  affectionate  friend  and  humble  serv't. 

"  N.  FREEMAN." 

"  Mrs.  Freeman  sends  her  compliments,  &c.." 

"  P.  S.  Our  report  respecting  the  channel  was  seasonably  made 
and  in  favor  of  it,  but  nothing  done." 

Lieut.  Woodvvarcl,  mentioned  by  Capt.  Machin  as  being  his 
assistant  at  West  Point,  became  after  they  separated  his  constant 
correspondent.     The  following  is  one  of  his  letters. 

"  White  Plains,  5th  Sept.  1778, 
"  Dear  Captain — This  is  the  fourth  time  of  my  writing  without 
hearing  or  receiving  from  you.  I  believe  you  to  be  buried  by  this. 
Give  me  joy;  I  am  ordered  to  join  Capt.  Walker,  who  is  annexed 
to  Gen.  Huntington's  Brigade  near  the  Artillery  Park.  We  live 
exceedingly  happy  on  rum,  beef  and  bread.  The  board  of  officers 
are  sitting  to  settle  the  rank  of  tiie  regiment,  which  makes  me  sorry 
you  are  not  present.  I  waited  on  Gen.  Parsons  yesterday,  who 
expressed  surprise  that  you  had  not  got  down  yet.  Your  company 
does  duty  with  Capt.  Wool's  in  Gen.  Clinton's  Brigade.  Your 
lads  are  all  well  and  want  to  see  you.  Our  Captains  are  all  high 
for  rank.  I  hope  you  will  not  forget  my  foihs,  but  send  them 
dowTi  by  the  first  opportunity.  I  should  be  ver}'  glad  if  you  can 
send  down  my  ward,  which  is  in  my  chest  at  Mr.  Fraser's.  Give 
my  tender  regards  to  Mrs.  Logan  and  the  Maj.  if  returned — also 
to  all  your  friends  as  well  as  mine. 

"  Your  friend, 

"  PETER  WOODWARD." 

In  a  bill  of  expenses  for  extra  services,  Capt.  Machin  rendered 
in  1778,  are  the  following  items  :  "  Exploring  Hudson's  River 
from  the  1st  day  of  Jan.  with  7  men  6  days,  £Q  10  0 ;  expenses 
of  getting  down  the  chain  logs  with  40  men  4  days,  £Q  0  0 ;  ex- 
penses in  raising  the  Lady  Washington  galley  at  Kingston  creek 
20  days,  jEQ  10  6."  This  vessel  was  purposely  sunk  on  the 
enemy's  approach  the  preceding  October. 

In  the  years  1777  and  1778,  Capt.  Machin  paid  out,  indepen- 
dent of  sums  already  named,  as  appears  from  the  vouchers  among 
his  papers,  between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  dollars — mostly  for 
obstructing  the  River.  The  usual  price  paid  carpenters  per  day- 
was  $0.93;^— foreman  $1.50  :  blacksmiths  from  $1.37^  to  $1.50 


574  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

— foreman  $2:  artificers  same  as  blacksmiths:  shipwrights  |1. 
50 — foreman  $2,12^,  and  captains  of  companies  $3.  "Joshua 
Marriner,  super-instructor  of  the  artificers,  employed  in  making 
carriages  and  stocking  cannon,"  had  $2  per  day.  Men  employed 
in  the  summer  of  1778,  in  burning  coal  to  be  used  in  preparing 
obstructions  for  the  River,  received  7^.  6d,  or  93|  cents  per  day. 
The  burning  of  coal  from  January  to  August  of  that  year 
amounted,  as  appears  by  vouchers,  to  two  hundred  and  forty  dol- 
lars. A  few  pounds  of  sole-leather  used  in  making  pump  boxes 
to  aid  in  raising  sunken  vessels,  was  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  $1.25 
per  pound. 

As  appears  from  Capt.  Machin's  papers,  he  acted  in  the  latter 
part  of  1776,  and  early  part  of  1777,  under  the  direction  of  Gov. 
Clinton :  in  the  latter  part  of  that  year  and  early  part  of  1778, 
under  that  of  Maj.  Gen.  Putnam ;  and  in  the  summer  and  autumn 
of  1778,  under  that  of  Brig.  Gen.  Parsons. 

To  secure  the  passage  of  the  Hudson  through  the  Highlands 
against  the  enemy's  shipping,  was  considered  of  most  vital  impor- 
tance ;  and  its  principal  direction  being  assigned  to  Capt.  Machin, 
tells  credibly  for  his  skill  and  integrity. 

In  the  spring  of  1779,  as  a  part  of  the  meditated  invasion  of 
the  Indian  country  in  New-York  by  Gen.  Sullivan ;  Col.  Van 
Schaick  marched  to  Onondaga,  as  I  have  shown,  to  destroy  the 
possessions  of  that  nation.  The  following  journal  of  that  trans- 
action is  on  file  among  Capt.  Machin's  papers. 

"  Early  on  Monday  morning,  19th  of  April,  1779 — Marched 
from  Fort  Schuyler  with  a  detachment  of  troops  consistini:;-  of  558 
men  including  officers  ;  and  after  marching  [putting]  eight  days 
provision  into  bateaus  which  had  been  conveyed  over  the  carrying 
place  in  the  night,  and  leaving  a  sufficient  number  of  .soldiers  to 
assist  the  batcaumen  to  get  the  boats  down  Wood  Creek,  with  five 
officers  to  hurry  them  on — the  remainder  of  the  troops  marched  to 
the  old  scow  place,  twenty-two  miles  by  land,  but  much  more  by 
water:  the  troops  arrived  by  3  o'clock  P.  M.,  but  the  boats  did  not 
all  arrive  until  10  o'clock,  having  been  much  obstructed  by  trees 
which  had  fallen  across  the  Creek.  As  soon  as  the  boats  arrived 
the  whole  of  the  troops  embarked,  and  on  entering  the  Onidahogo 
[Oneida  Lake],  was  much  impeded  by  a  cold  head  wind.  Made 
one  halt  in  the  night  for  the  rearmost  boats  to  come  up,  and  then 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         575 

proceeded  to  Posser's  Bay,  wlicre  we  arrived  at  8  o'clock  in  the 
morninir  of  the  20th,  to  wait  again  for  the  coming  up  of  the  boats, 
when  we  continued  with  as  much  expedition  as  possible  to  the  On- 
ondafra  Landing  opposite  the  okl  fort,  and  arrived  there  at  3  o'clock 
P.  M.  from  whence,  after  leaving  the  boats  with  proper  guard,  we 
marched  eight  or  nine  miles  on  our  way  to  the  Onondaga  settle- 
ment and  lay  on  our  arms  all  night  without  fire,  not  being  able  to 
continue  our  marching — dark — the  night  cold.      Very  early  on  the 
21st  proceeded  on  to  "the  old  Salt  Lake,  and  at  9  o'clock  A.  M. 
forded  an  arm  of  that  Lake  two  hundred  yards  over  and  four  feet 
deep  a  considerable  part  of  the  way  :  pushed  on  to  the  Onondaga 
Creek,  where  Capt.   Graham  with  his  company  of  Light  Infantry 
took  an  Onondaga  warrior  prisoner,  which  was  the  first  Indian  we 
had  discovered.     Ordered  Capt.  Graham  to  endeavor  to  surround 
the  first  Onondaga  settlements  which  were  about  two  miles  off, 
and  hastening  on  the  troops  by  companies  as  fast  as  he  crost  the 
Creek  upon  a  log — the  Creek  not  being  fordable.     I  soon  arrived 
with  the  whole  detachment  at  the  principal  Castle,  but  was  before 
apprised  of  their  having  discovered  our  advanced  parties  while  they 
were  taking  some  prisoners,  upon  which  I  ordered  different  routes 
to  be  taken  by  several  different  detachments  in  order  to  surround 
as  many  of  their  settlements  as  possible  at  the  same  time,  which 
extended  eight  miles  in  length,  with  some  scattered  habitations 
lying  back  of  the  coasts  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Creek; 
but  notwithstanding,  entered  their  first  settlement  in  the  most  secret 
manner  and  quite  undiscovered  by  them.     They  soon  received  the 
alarm  throughout  the  whole  and  fled  to  the  woods,  but  without 
being  able  to  carry  off'  any  thing  with  them.     We  took  thirty-three 
Indians  and  one  white  prisoner,  and  killed  twelve  Indians — the 
whole  of  their  settlement  cofisisting  of  about  fifty  houses,  with  a 
quantity  of  corn  and  every  other  kind  of  stock  we  found  were 
killed  [destroyed] — about  one  hundred  guns,  some  of  which  were 
rifles,  were  among  the  plunder,  the  whole  of  which,  after  the  men 
had  loaded   [themselves]  with  as  much  as  they  could  carry,  was 
destroyed,  with  a  considerable  quantity  of  ammunition  :  one  swivel 
taken   at  the  Council    House  had  the  trunnions  broken  off  and 
otherwise  damaged  :  in  fine,  the  destruction  of   all  their  settle- 
ments was  compleat,  after  which  we  begun  our  march  back  re- 
crossing  the  Creek,  and  forded  the  arm  of  the  Lake  alongside  of 
which  we  encamped  on  very  good  ground  ;  having  been  once  in- 
terrupted in  our  return  by  a  small  party  of  Indians  who  fired  at  us 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the   Creek,  but  were  soon  beat  ofT  by 
Lient.  Evans'  riflemen,  with  the  loss  of  one  killed  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy  and  none  on  ours ;  unfair  weather  all  this  day.     22d 
marched  down  to  the  landing ;  found  bateaus  in  good  order ;   re- 
embarked  and  rowed  down  to  the  Seven  JMiles'  Island  where  we 
encamped — fair  weather.     23d,  crossed  the  Lake  and  landed  two 
miles  up  Wood  Creek ;  at  two  o'clock  left  two  companies  to  guard 
and  assist  the   bateaumen  in  getting  up  the  boats — marched  eight 
miles  and  encamped  alongside  Feals  Creek — fair  weather.     Sa- 


576  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

turday  24th,  small  shower  of  rain  on  our  march  to  the  Fort,  where 
we  arrived  at  12  o'clock ;  having  been  out  five  days  and  a  half, 
the  whole  distance  of  going  out  and  returning  being  one  hundred 
eighty  miles,  not  having  lost  a  single  man." 

In  May,  1779,  Capt.  Machin  was  engaged  in  taking  a  water- 
level  between  Albany  and  Schenectada,  with  a  view  of  supply- 
ing the  former  city  with  water.  He  submitted  a  plan  for  this 
object  to  the  city  corporation,  with  drawings  to  show  the  manner 
in  which  an  aqueduct  and  reservoir  should  be  constructed. 
Agreeable  to  his  table  of  levels,  a  mark  on  a  post  at  the  water- 
ing trough  at  Brait's  half-way  house,  was  277  feet  SjVo  inches 
above  the  city  hall  wharf.  The  first  mile  stone  out  of  Albany 
was  211  feet  5,Vo  inches  below  the  mark  at  Bratt's. 

Capt.  Machin,  as  engineer,  was  in  Sullivan's  expedition  to  the 
Genesee  valley  in  1779.  At  Canajoharie  he  received  one,  and  at 
Otsego  lake  the  other,  of  the  following  letters  from  Dr.  Young. 

"Dear  Sir — Yours  of  the  21st  by  Doct.  Maus  came  safe  to 
hand  this  forenoon,  and  gives  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  find 
things  are  conducted  with  spirit.  The  fortunate  capture  and  im- 
mediate execution  of  Lieut.  Hare,  will,  I  hope,  produce  good 
consequences,  as  it  will  convince  the  enemy,  that  we  have  spirit 
enough  to  retaliate,  and  chastise  them  for  their  savage  barbarity. 
The  surgeon  of  Hazen's  regiment  writes  Doct.  Stringer,  that  Ha- 
zen,  with  about  half  ^  the  regiment  are  within  40  miles  of  St. 
Johns,  that  many  Canadians  had  joined  him,  that  the  Canadians 
in  bulk  (a  few  of  the  lowest  of  the  people  excepted,)  are  strongly 
attached  to  the  cause  of  the  Americans.  That  two  French  frigates 
have  lately  made  their  appearance  in  St.  Paul's  Bay,  near  Isle  a 
Caudre,  and  that  no  English  vessels  had  arrived  this  season, 
which  causes  some  to  imagine  that  the  French  have  a  fleet  in  the 
river.  The  news  from  Charles  Town,  I  think  may  be  depended 
upon — as  soon  as  it  comes  officially  from  Congress,  I  will  trans- 
mit it  to  you  by  the  first  opportunity.  Continue  to  write,  and  ex- 
pect the  most  material  occurrences  in  our  quarter  in  return.  Two 
members  of  Congress,  viz:  Doct.  Weatherspoon  and  Col.  Atlee 
passed  thro'  this  place  to  the  state  of  Vermont,  on  Monday;  pro- 
bably to  deliver  to  them  [Vermonters]  the  sentiments  of  Congress 
concerning  their  separation  from  this  state. 

"  Please  to  present  my  compliments  to  the  gentlmen  of  the 
Artillery  Corps,  and  believe  me  to  be  with  sincere  esteem. 

Your  Friend  and  Serv't, 

JOS.  YOUNG." 

"  Albany,  June  22d,  1779." 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         577 

"Dear  Sir — I  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  yours  of  the  25th 
inst.,  and  am  happy  to  hear  that  every  thing  has  succeeded  so 
well  hitherto — hope  your  may  glide  on  in  the  same  current  of 
good  fortune,  till  the  end  of  a  glorious  campaign,  and  return  to 
Albany  crown'd  with  unfading  laurels.  Another  acct.  of  our  suc- 
cess over  the  enemy  at  Charles  Town  is  arrived,  the  particulars 
of  which  will  be  transmitted  to  the  Gen.  by  Capt.  Lush. 

"  A  Pennsylvania  paper  is  in  town,  containing  a  speech  of  one 
Gordon,  in  the  house  of  Commons,  equal  in  freedom  and  smart- 
ness to  Junius's  letters — could  I  procure  it,  I  would  inclose  it. 
Our  little  fleet  in  many  late  instances  has  demurr'd  to  the  claim  of 
the  haughty  Britons,  to  the  universal  empire  of  the  sea ;  and  have 
convinced  some  of  them  that  their  claim  was  not  well  founded, 
by  a  most  powerful  train  of  well  directed  arguments,  leaving  them 
high  and  dr\'  at  anchor  in  the  state  house  at  Philadelphia.  One 
of  the  British  litigants  never  put  in  a  plea,  but  suffered  judgment 
to  pass  against  him  by  default. 

"  D'Estaing's  and  the  English  fleets,  are  both  out  at  sea  of 
nearly  equal  numbers,  and  in  sight  of  each  other ;  by  which  cir- 
cumstance it  is  conjectured  there  will  be  much  chopping  of  logic, 
and  many  learned  and  forcible  arguments  made  use  of  pro  and 
contra,  when  the  pleas  are  closed,  'tis  said  a  jury  of  surgeons 
meet  to  decide  upon  the  merits  of  the  cause  in  question:  when  I 
receive  their  verdict  I  will  transmit  it  to  you — as  it  may  have  a  tend- 
ency to  elucidate  some  points,  that  are  at  present  under  the  con- 
sideration of  the  literati,  both  at  St.  James'  and  Philadelphia. 
Till  which  I  am  Your  friend  and  servant, 

JO.  YOUNG." 

"  Albany,  June  21th,  1779." 

The  following  extracts  are  from  a  letter  to  Capt.  Machin  while 
at  Otsego  lake : 

"  The  southern  news  still  remains  without  a  confirmation  from 
Congress."  [The  southern  news  alluded  to  by  Young  and  Rut- 
gers, was  no  doubt  the  abortive  attempt  of  the  British  army  un- 
der Provost,  to  capture  the  city  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  about  the 
middle  of  May.]  "  Though  there  is  not  the  least  doubt  of  its  be- 
ing true.  The  enemy  are  yet  at  King's  Ferry.  A  few  days  since 
it  was  thought  they  were  coming  up ;  as  some  hea^T  cannons  are 
arrived  from  the  eastward,  I  think  we  shall  be  in  tolerable  good 
order  to  receive  them,  if  ever  they  get  in  earnest  about  it. 

"  Gen.  Washington  is  at  New  ^Vindsor  and  quarters  at  Col- 
Ellison's.  The  park  of  artillery  I  hear  is  at  Chester,  and  the  in. 
fantry  scattered  in  the  defiles  of  the  mountains  near  the  garrison. 
The  inhospitable  mountains  not  suffering  the  army  to  remain  in 
their  usual  compact  order. 

Your  most  obedient,  &:c., 

HENRY  RUTGERS,  Jun." 

"While  under  Sullivan,  Capt.  Machin  executed  a  handsome  map 


578  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  Cayuga  and  Seneca  lakes,  with  the  distances  on  the  way  out 
at  intervals  of  one  mile  each,  from  Tioga  Point  to  the  end  of  the 
route,  which  terminated  nearly  sixty  miles  west  of  the  outlet  of 
Seneca  lake ;  and  back  to  the  starting  place.* 

While  Sullivan's  army  was  in  the  Indian  country  an  incident 
occurred  to  which  I  have  before  alluded,  some  additional  particu- 
lars of  which  may  prove  interesting.  An  advance  party  which 
was  opening  a  road  for  the  army  and  protected  by  a  strong  cover- 
ing party,  were  attacked  by  Kayingwaurto,  a  Seneca  chief,  with 
eighty-two  warriors.  The  guard  instantly  ran  to  rescue  the  ad- 
vance, and  a  skirmish  ensued  in  which  that  chief  and  two  of  his 
followers  were  slain.  The  enemy,  from  the  noise  and  impetuo- 
sity of  the  attack,  supposing  the  whole  army  was  upon  them^ 
fled  precipitately,  leaving  their  packs,  blankets,  kettles,  &c.  Upon 
the  person  of  this  Seneca  chief  was  found  a  pocket  book  which 
contained  two  papers  of  interest.  One  was  a  certificate  of  which 
the  following  is  very  nearly  a  copy. 

"  This  may  certify  that  Kayingwaurto,  the   Sanake  Chief,  has 

been  on  an  expedition  to  Fort  Stanwix  and  has  taken  two  scalps,t 

one  from  an  officer  and  a  corporal  that  were  a  gunning  near  the 

fort,  for  which  I  promise  to  pay  at  siglit,  teti  dollars  for  each  scalp. 

"  Given  under  my  hand  at  Buck's  Island. 

"  JOHN  BUTLER,  Col.  and  Supi. 

"  of  the  Six  Nations  and  the 

'' Allies  of  his  Majesty.'' 

*  The  route  pursued  as  marked  upon  this  map  crosses  Spring  creek  near 
the  Tioga,  into  which  it  empties,  twenty-one  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  pass- 
ing up  the  west  side  of  that  stream  a  few  miles,  struck  the  head  waters  of 
Seneca  creek.  The  route  continued  some  five  or  six  miles  along  the  west 
side  of  the  creek,  then  crossing,  was  continued  upon  its  eastern  side  with 
one  exception  at  an  angle,  to  "  French  Catharine's  Town,"  situated  in  a  bend 
of  the  creek  three  or  four  miles  from  its  mouth.  From  Catharine's  Town 
the  route  led  along  the  east  side  of  Seneca  lake  crossing  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  lake,  twenty-five  small  streams  which  ran  into  it  along  its  eastern 
shore.  Eleven  miles  from  the  outlet,  probably  in  the  present  town  of  Ovid, 
they  destroyed  an  Indian  village  situated  on  the  north  side  of  a  small  creek, 
and  called  on  Machin's  map  "  Candia."  Crossing  the  outlet  of  Seneca  lake, 
the  army  proceeded  westward,  and  a  few  miles  from  the  lake  destroyed 
"  Kanadesago,"  the  largest  of  the  Seneca  towns. 

t  Those  scalps  were  obtained  by  this  Indian  in  the  following  manner.  In 
the  summer  of  1777,  Capt.  Greg  left  Fort  Stanwix,  or  as  then  called  Fort 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         579 

It  having  been  asserted  in  Congress,  after  the  war,  that  there 
was  no  evidence  of  the  fact  that  the  British  government  author- 
ized the  payment  of  money  for  scalps,  the  certificate  of  Col.  But- 
ler to  Kayingwaurto,  known  by  one  of  the  New  York  members 
to  be  in  iMachin's  possession,  was  sent  for,  and  was  accordingly 
forwarded  to  the  seat  of  government :  the  evidence  it  contained 
was  satisfactory  that  Britain  did  buy  American  scalps,  and  thus 
the  controversy  ended. 

The  other  paper  found  in  the  pocket  book  of  the  Seneca  Chief, 
filed  "  Convention  of  Whyoming,"  is  an  original  manuscript  un- 
der the  hand  and  seal  of  John  Butler  and  Kayingwaurto,  the  seal 
of  the  latter  being  the  figured  emblem  of  a  turtle. 

"  Westmoreland,  5th  July,  1778. 
"  Thisjloth  hereby  certify  that  Lieutenant  Elisha  Scovell  has 
surrendered  his  garrison  with  all  his  people  to  government,  and  to 
remain  as  neutral  during  this  present  contest  with  Great  Bri- 
tain and  America ;  in  consideration  of  which,  Col.  John  Butler, 
Superintendent  of  the  Six  Nations  of  Indians,  their  allies,  &c., 

Schuyler,  one  afternoon  with  a  corporal  also  of  that  garrison,  to  shoot  pi- 
geons. Toward  night  the  fowlers,  when  about  to  return  to  the  fort,  were 
firetl  upon  by  concealed  foes.  Greg,  after  receiving  some  blows  on  the  head 
with  a  tomahawk,  was  scalped,  an  Indian  drawing  ofl"  the  bloody  trophy  with 
his  teeth.  Securing  also  the  scalp  of  the  corporal  who  had  been  killed  out- 
right, the  Indians  withdrew.  Partially  recovering,  Capt.  Greg  thought  if  he 
could  pillow  his  aching  head  upon  the  body  of  his  fallen  comrade,  it  would 
be  a  source  of  relief  and  ease  a  dying  hour;  and  after  several  attempts  he 
succeeded  in  gaining  that  position:  but  to  his  great  annoyance  a  little  dog 
kept  up  a  continual  yelping  and  whining.  The  bleeding  captain  was  too  sick 
at  heart  to  bear  patiently  the  evidence  of  his  dog's  sorrow,  and  addressed  him 
as  though  a  rational  being.  Said  he,  "  If  you  wish  so  much  to  help  me,  go 
and  call  some  one  to  my  relief!"  To  the  surprise  of  the  sufferer,  at  the  close 
of  the  command  the  dog  ran  off  to  three  men  belonging  to  the  garrison,  who 
were  fishing  nearly  a  mile  distant,  and  by  his  pitiful  moans  attracted  their 
notice.  They  doubtless  knew  whose  dog  it  was,  and  as  his  appearance  was 
unusual,  they  agreed  to  follow  him  and  have  the  mystery  solved.  After  fol- 
lowing the  dog  for  some  distance,  the  sun  being  down  and  the  forest  danger- 
ous, Ihcy  were  about  to  return,  perceiving  which  the  little  messenger  increa- 
sed his  cries,  and  seizing  their  clothes  in  his  teeth  endeavored  to  pull  them 
toward  the  spot  where  his  master  lay.  The  fishermen  now  resolved  to  fol- 
low the  dog  at  all  hazards,  and  he  soon  led  them  to  the  scene  of  blood.  The 
corporal  was  hastily  buried,  and  the  captain  carried  to  the  fort  where  his 
wounds  were  dressed  with  care — he  was  restored  to  health  and  narrated  the 
above  particulars  to  his  friends. — Dr.  Dwight. 


580 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 


^vith  Kayingwaurto,  the  chief  of  the  Sanake  [Seneca]  Nation  and 
the  other  chief  warriors  of  the  Six  Nations,  do  promise,  that  they 
shall  live  in  the  quiet  possession  of  their  places  with  their  fami- 
lies, and  shall  be  daily  protected  from  insult  as  far  as  lies  in 
their  power,  and  provided  that  they  should  be  taken  it  is  our  de- 
sire that  thev  may  forthAvith  be  released. 

"  [L.  s.]  JOHN  BUTLER. 

"  [Device  of  Turtle.]  KAYINGWAURTO." 

The  map  made  by  Capt.  JMachin  also  shows  that  on  the  return 
of  Sullivan's  army  from  the  Genesee  country,  it  proceeded  along- 
the  north  side  of  the  outlet  of  Seneca  Lake,  destroying  about 
equi-distant  from  Seneca  and  Cayuga  Lakes,  an  Indian  village 
called  Scawyace.  Crossing  the  outlet  of  Cayuga  the  route  was 
continued  up  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake.  "  East  Cayuga  or  Old 
Town;  Cayuga  Castle;  Upper  Cayuga;  and  Chonodote,"  are 
places  noted  on  the  map  on  this  part  of  the  route.  Fourteen  small 
streams  are  located  as  having  been  crossed  along  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  lake,  all  running  into  it  before  reaching  its  principal 
tributary.  Passing  a  few  miles  up  the  latter  stream  the  army 
crossed  it,  and  continuing  a  south-westerly  course  came  into  the 
road  by  which  it  had  gone  out,  about  five  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  Spring  Creek.  The  following  table  of  distances,  made  at  the 
time,  is  preserved  with  the  map. 

"  Distance  of  Places  from  Eastoum  to  Chejinessee,  [Geneseee] 
Castle,  taken  in  1779,  by  actual  survey. 


Names  of  Places 

From  Eastown  to  Weoming, 

To  Lachawaneck  Creek, 

"  Quailuternunk, 

' '  Tunkhannunk  Creek, 

"  Meshohing  Creek, 

"  Vanderlip's  Plantation, , 

' '  Wealusking  Town, 

' '  Wessa wkin  or  Pine  Creek, 

"  Tioga,  

"   Chemung, 

"  Newtown, 

"  French  Catharine's  Town, 

"  Candia  or  Apple  Town, 

"  The  outlet  of  the  Seneca  Lake, 

"  Kanadesago  or  the  Seneca  Castle, . . 

"  Kanandaque, 

"  Haunyauya, 

"  Adjusta, 

"  Cossauwauloughby, 

"  Chenesee  Casile 


Miles. 


14^ 
IH 
12 

8^ 
IS 
274 
111 

3\ 
151 
131 
12^ 

7 

H 


Total. 


65 
75 
82 
93 
102 
107 
115 
129* 
145 
157 
165.^ 
183i 
211 
222  i 
226 
24U 
255 
2674 
274-5 
230 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        581 

^^  Distance  from  Kanadesago  round  the.  Cayuga  Lake  to  JVew- 
towii — Fort  Reed. 


Names  of  Places. 


From  Kanadcsaco  to  ijcawyace 

To  across  the  outlet  of  the  Cayuga, 

"  The  Cayuga  Castle, 

"  Chonodote,a  town  remarkable  for  a  number  of  peach  trees, 

"  The  upper  end  of  Cayuga  Lake, 

"  [A  town  on  the  map  but  not  named,) 

And  from  thence  to  Newtown,  otherwise  Fort  Reed, 


Miles. 

Total. 

8.\ 

«i 

Si 

17 

10 

27 

3^. 

301 

23 

534 

^ 

bH 

21k 

86 

The  following  letter  from  Gen.  Clinton  again  found  Capt.  Ma- 
chin  at  New  Windsor. 

"  Little  Britain,  Oct.  31sr,  1779. 

"  Dr.  Sir — I  received  your  favor  and  am  much  obliged  to  you 
for  the  trouble  you  have  taken :  the  key  of  my  case  is  in  the  ma- 
jor's chest,  I  believe,  so  that  you  have  done  all  for  me  I  expected 
or  could  wisli  you  to  do. 

"  I  loft  East  Town  last  Wednesday  at  the  time  the  army  set  off 
for  Warwick,  and  had  Gen.  Sullivan's  permission  to  go  on  before 
the  brigade  to  visit  my  family :  when  I  got  to  Sussex  Court  House 
there  arrived  an  express  from  head  quarters  for  our  army  to  march 
from  East  Town  to  Pumptown,  but  as  our  army  was  then  at  Log 
Gaol,  within  ten  miles  of  Sussex  Court  House,  I  don't  know  what 
route  they  have  taken,  but  it  was  thought  they  would  march  from 
thence  to  Hacket's  Town  and  so  to  Pumptown. 

"  As  I  consider  myself  on  furlough  I  can't  pretend  to  order  you 
for  the  above  reason,  but  would  advise  you  to  send  the  baggage 
agreeable  to  Lt.  Hervey's  orders.  I  expect  to  go  to  head  quarters 
on  Tuesday  next,  where  I  expect  to  receive  orders  what  to  do  with 
the  troops  of  the  brigade,  &c.  at  New  Windsor.  In  the  mean  time 
let  the  commanding  officer  know  that  its  mj^  orders  that  he  hold 
them  in  readiness  to  march  on  the  shortest  notice. 
'  I  am  sir,  yours,  &c., 

"JAMES  CLINTON." 

"  P.  S.  I  expect  to  be  at  N.  Windsor  on  Tuesday  as  I  go  to  head  quarters, 
when  perhaps  I  will  see  you." 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Lieut.  Woodward  to 
Capt.  Machin,  dated  "  Newburgb,  Nov.  20,  1779,"  shows  Cupid 
recruiting  for  his  service  in  the  American  army. 

"  We  have  had  the  most  surprising  accident  happen  that  ever 
you  could  hear  of,  which  is,  that  a  sergeant  of  our  company  has 
run  away  with  a  young  lady  of  this  place  by  the  name  of  Fauster, 
who  is  the  first  fortune  in  town,  and  she  is  the  only  heiress." 


582  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I  have  before  adverted  to  the  suffering  of  the  American  army 
in  the  winter  of  1779  and  SO;  the  following  letters  from  Henry 
Rutgers,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  Young,  allude  to  the  same  subject : 

"  New  Windsor,  Jan.  IS,  1780. 

"  My  Dear  Sir — I  was  this  moment  favored  with  your  letter  of 
the  14th  inst.,  and  with  pleasure  read  its  contents,  as  your  troubles 
were  beginning  to  cease  by  the  necessaries  of  life  coming  in  again. 
By  this  time,  1  make  no  doubt,  you  have  experienced  every  vicis- 
situde of  fortune  in  almost  every  stage  of  your  life — hunger,  cold 
and  every  inconveniency  attending  a  soldier,  you  are  no  stranger 
to.  It  is  needless  for  me  to  moralize  or  philosophize  on  the  sub- 
ject, to  encourage  your  perseverence,  as  such  arguments  are  .famil- 
iar to  you.  One  thing  I  would  only  beg  leave  to  mention,  which 
is,  that  this  spring,  in  my  opinion,  the  war  will  either  cease  or  be 
transferred  to  some  other  part  of  the  world  ;  as  I  conceive  it  im- 
possible for  Britain  to  continue  it  at  so  great  an  odds.  In  either 
case  I  shall  be  content,  as  my  country  will  then  be  enabled  to  re- 
cruit from  the  depredations  committed  upon  her  by  the  cruelty  and 
tjTanny  of  Britain. 

I  was  just  now  entertained  with  an  agreeable  view  :  2  or  300 
cattle  passing  to  Windsor,  on  the  ice,  for  head  quarters.  If  enter- 
taining to  me,  what  will  you  feel  upon  their  arrival !  I  flatter  my- 
self that  I  anticipate  the  pleasure.  Want  of  time  and  po  per  pre- 
vent my  saying  more,  than  that  I  wish  you  every  succession  of 
happiness  with  the  blessings  of  the  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bedlow, 
with  Miss  Caty  and  Polly,  join  me  in  their  professions  for  the 
same,  and  believe  me,  dear  Sir,  that  I  remain 

Your  friend  and  very  humble  servant, 

"HENRY  RUTGERS. 

"  To  Capt.  Machin,  at  Morris  Town." 

"  Dear  Sir — I  received  your  kind  epistle  of  the  14th  Instant,  and 
most  feelingly  sympathize  with  the  noble  boys  who  have  suffered 
such  ucommon  hardships  Avithout  complaining.  If  this  is  not  patri- 
otism, I  will  thank  the  British  Despot  that  will  inform  mc  what  it 
is.  However,  I  rejoice  that  you  have  obtained  a  supply  of  provi- 
sions, and  hope  you  will  not  experience  such  another  trial. 

'■  We  have  nothing  new  in  this  quarter  worth  your  notice  ;  but 
hope,  if  Lord  Sterling  succeeds  in  his  enterprise  against  Staten 
Island,  you  will  embrace  the  first  opportunity  to  inform  me  of  the 
particulars,  together  with  what  other  news  you  may  hear  from  any 
other  quarter.*     I  hope  soon  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  in 

•  The  enterprise  to  Staten  Island  proved  a  failure  ;  the  American  troops  not 
ariving  in  sight  of  the  British  garrison  Ihcy  were  sent  to  surprise  until  after 
day-light.  Nearly  a  sleigh  load  of  black  soldiers,  sent  on  the  expedition, 
were  frozen  to  death.  Col.  Angel's  regiment  of  blacks,  although  said  to 
have  been  as  brave,  could  not  endure  the  cold  as  well  as  while  soldiers. — 
James  Williamson. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        583 

Albany,  when  I  will  show  you  with  what  dexterity  and  pleasure  I 
ride  my  Electrical  Hobby  Horse.     Till  then  I  am 

Your  sincere  friend  and  humble  servant, 

"  JO.  YOUNG. 

"  P.  S.  My  kindest  compl'ts  to  all  my  friends  in  camp. 
''Albany,  Jatiry,  iJ4,  17S0." 

The  following  letter,  from  Lieut.  Patterson  to  Capt.  Machin,  is 
inserted  because  of  its  historic  interest : 

"  Fort  Pitt,  July  3rf,  1780. 

"  D'^ar  Sir — Nothing  can  contribute  more  to  my  happiness,  in 
this  distant  and  remote  part  of  the  world,  than  a  correspondence 
with  a  g-entlcman  of  your  natural  and  acquired  abilities,  upon  the 
genuine  principles  of  true  and  disinterested  friendship,  and  nothing 
prevented  me  from  writing  sooner  but  a  diffidence  of  my  own  abi- 
lities. 

"  As  the  bearer  is  waiting  I  have  only  time  to  inform  you  of  our 
safe  arrival  at  this  post  the  twenty-fourth  ult.,  very  much  fatigued, 
after  a  long  and  tedious  march,  of  near  five  weeks,  from  Carlisle. 
I  begin  tu  find  we  shall  not  be  so  fond  of  the  place  as  we  imagined 
before  we  arrived,  for  there  is  nothing  but  repeated  scenes  and 
ideas,  and  such  a  sameness  in  every  day's  transactions,  that  will 
make  time  glide  on  a  very  slow  pace. 

"  The  Fort  is  very  pleasantly  situated  in  the  forks  at  the  con- 
flux of  the  Mahangahela  and  Alleghana  Rivers.  It  is  very  strong, 
but  the  walls  and  barracks  are  much  decayed,  and  the  best  build- 
ings Avere  destroyed  by  the  English  when  they  evacuated  the  gar- 
rison. The  town,  which  consists  of  about  fifty  log-houses  and 
cabins,  is  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Mahangahela,  about  two  or 
three  hundred  yards  from  the  Fort.  There  is  [are]  about  fifty 
Dalaware  Indians  and  a  number  of  Squaws  at  this  place,  which 
[who]  brought  in  a  quantity  of  skins  and  furs,  but  it  is  hard  for  the 
officers  to  get  enough  to  supply  their  wants,  there  is  such  a  num- 
ber of  old  traders  that  can  talk  Indian,  and  they  are  much  fonder 
to  exchange  them  for  shirts,  blankets,  &;c.,  than  any  other  way. 
I  am  informed  there  are  continually  a  number  of  them  loitering 
about  town  to  draw  provision. 

"  I  shall  inform  you  more  particularly  of  the  place  the  next  op- 
portunity, by  which  time  I  will  be  better  acquainted,  and  therefore 
in  my  power  to  do  it  with  more  exactness.  Please  to  write  every 
opportunity  and  inform  me  of  your  transactions  at  Head  Quarters, 
for  we  have  scarcely  ever  any  news  here  that  can  be  depended  on. 
I  am,  with  the  greatest — 

"  Your  most  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

"EZRA  PATTERSON." 

"  Present  my  best  compliments  to  Mr.  Woodard  and  the  Gent,  of  my  ac- 
quaintance." 

The  following  copy  of  a  letter  of  instruction  to  the  committee 


584  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

of  conference  with  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  shows  the  po- 
verty of  the  army  in  a  pecuniary  view  : 

"  Camp  Steenrapin,  Sept.  6lh,  1780. 
"  Gentle' n. — We  have  chosen  you  our  Committee  to  wait  upon 
the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  for  the  important  pirr- 
poses  of  representing  to  that  body  the  unhappy  and  distressing 
situation  of  the  troops  under  our  command,  and  theii'  immediate 
care  and  direction,  and  of  enforcing  a  speedy  execution  of  the  re- 
solves of  Congress  relative  to  the  supplies  necessary  for  the  com- 
fortable subsistence  of  the  army;  and  as  well  to  ascertain  and 
liquidate  the  loss  sustained  by  the  army  by  the  depreciation  of  the 
currency,  as  to  obtain  proper  security  for  the  payment  thereof. 
These,  Gentle'n.,  are  the  essential  objects  to  which  we  would  call 
your  attention.  The  real  depreciation  upon  the  monies  received 
and  expended  by  the  Army  you  are  well  acquainted  with,  and  the 
most  eligible  mode  to  ascertain  it,  we  conceive,  will  be  by  taking  a 
comparative  view  of  the  prices  of  articles  most  needed  in  camp,  be- 
ginning at  the  first  establishment  of  our  present  pay,  and  thence 
computing  at  different  periods  the  advance  upon  such  articles. 
You  will  please  to  have  in  view,  that  the  pay  of  the  troops  has 
been  very  irregular,  and  that  they  have  seldom  been  with  less 
than  three  months'  pay  in  arrears,  and  often  with  more  ;  especially 
in  the  present  year,  the  pay  for  which  from  the  1st  of  January  is 
still  due,  the  depreciation  on  which  can  be  computed  at  nothing 
less  than  the  real  value  of  the  money  on  the  first  of  August. 
With  respect  to  the  payment  of  such  depreciated  money  as  may 
be  due  us,  we  think  that  cash,  or  nothing  less  than  a  real  security 
or  Transfer  of  lands,  will  by  any  means  answer  the  good  inten- 
tions of  the  state,  or  relieve  us.  Certificates,  or  notes  for  payment, 
we  find  by  long  experincce,  like  other  paper  credit,  is  subject  to  the 
ebbs  and  flows  of  the  times :  we  have  had  melanchoUy  instances 
of  this  in  the  Eastern  States,  where  the  notes  given  to  the  troops 
have  been  sold  at  the  most  enormous  discount,  and  the  distresses 
of  their  army,  which  the  Legislatures  had  in  view  to  relieve,  have 
by  no  means  been  removed.  Good  landed  interest  is  secure  from 
these  failures,  and  is  the  security  we  wish  to  receive ;  it  is  such,  if 
conveyed  to  us  firmly  and  hone-Jide,  will  always  form  a  capital  up- 
on which  we  can  draw  without  any  discount.  When  we  say  land- 
ed interest,  we  mean,  Gentlemen,  improved  estates,  such  as  have 
a  real  and  immediate  value,  of  which  the  state  to  which  we  be- 
long have  an  abundance,  by  the  attainder  of  many  of  its  inhabi- 
tants who  have  withdrawn  themselves  from  its  allegiance.  In  set- 
tling the  value  of  these  lands,  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  pay 
particular  attention  to  the  mode  to  be  adopted.  We  would  recom- 
mend that  three  different  men  may  be  appointed  under  oath  for 
that  ptirposc,  and  that  we  may  have  a  voice  in  nomniating  as  well 
the  persons  to  value,  as  the  lands  to  be  apprized.  As  Congress 
has,  by  a  resolve  of  the  24th  of  August  last,  recommended  to  the 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        585 

different  states  to  make  provision  for  the  widows  and  orphans  of 
Olficers  who  have  died  or  may  die  in  the  service,  we  request  your 
attention  thereto,  and  that  the  provi.sion  therein  recommended,  or 
some  other,  may  be  extended  to  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the 
Non-Commisbioned  Officers  and  soldiers  in  the  like  circumstances. 

"  We  beg  gentlemen  that  you  will  proceed  as  soon  as  possible 
upon  the  important  business  to  which  you  are  delegated,  and  we 
have  the  utmost  confidence  in  your  zeal  and  abilities  to  serve  us, 
we  would  wish  you  to  consider  these  instructions  more  or  less  ab- 
solute as  you  shall  find  circumstances  require,  and  to  do  whatever 
else  may  be  necessary  for  our  interest,  tho'  not  particularly  men- 
tioned herein.  We  wish  you,  gentlemen,  a  pleasant  journey  and 
happy  success  in  your  endeavors  to  serve  us. 

We  are,  gentlemen, 

"  To  Lieut.  Col.  Willet,  Yours  &c." 

Major  Fish, 
Capt.  Machin." 

I  regret  that  I  am  not  able  to  give  the  names  of  the  officers 
under  whom  the  committee,  on  the  part  of  the  army  acted.  The 
following  letter  from  Lieut.  Bradford  directed  to  Capt.  Machin 
at  the  assembly,  Poughkeepsic,  or  Esopus,  affords  but  another 
evidence  of  the  sorry  condition  of  the  army  in  the  fall  of  1780, 
and  the  importance  of  the  committee's  visit  to  the  legislature. 

''Head  Quarters,  17th  September,  1780. 
"  Dear  Sir — This  being  the  first  conveyance  since  you  left  us, 
you  will  permit  me  to  enquire  after  your  "welfare,  and  to  inform 
you  of  that  of  your  friends  and  acquaintances  in  this  quarter: 
Capt.  Mott  and  Lieut.  Ashton  excepted,  the  former  is  verj^  ill,  and 
the  latter  much  indisposed — since  your  departure  we  remain  in 
the  same  position,  no  alterations  in  the  army  in  general,  and  but 
few  in  our  regiment.  One  circumstance  which  probably  will  not 
be  unexpected,  [is,]  that  of  the  desertion  of  Mr.  Gable;  he  left 
Capt.  Moodie  on  the  14ta  inst.,  since  which  we  have  heard  noth- 
ing from  him.  The  night  before  he  Avent  off,  Lieut.  Brewster 
lost  every  article  out  of  his  tent,  the  shirt  on  his  back  excepted, 
and  at  the  smallest  computation  his  loss  must  amout  to  £400o'. 
Mr.  Brewster's  situation  is  truly  chagrining ;  and  from  some  cir- 
cumstances appearing  against  Mr.  Gable,  that  of  his  leaving  his 
blanket  and  knapsack,  and  stealing  two  empty  ones  before  he 
went  ofi",  gives  every  suspicion  of  his  being  the  thief.  In  conse- 
quence of  those  circumstances  appearing  against  the  deserter,  Mr. 
Brewster  with  two  mattresses  set  out  to  Bloominn-grove  in  expec- 
tation of  coming  up  with  the  scoundrel.  Corporaf  McBride  and 
James  Whitmore  set  out  for  Morris  Town,  in  some  hopes  of  meet- 
ing with  him  there.  I  sincerely  wish  Mr.  Brewster  every  success, 
the'  I  much  despair  of  his  meeting  with  the  fellow. 


586  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  The  situation  of  our  army  since  you  left  us  has  been  truly 
distressing.  Six  days  out  of  fifteen  have  the  principal  part  of  our 
army  been  without  provisions,  tho'  it  has  not  been  the  case  with 
us ;  but  we  have  had  some  small  share  in  the  disappointment : 
these  circumstances  are  much  against  us,  tho'  it  would  not  be 
thought  so  much  of,  was  it  not  for  a  d — d  rascally  resolve  of  Con- 
gress ;  who  say  that  if  any  officer  or  soldier  does  not  draw  the  ra- 
tions on  the  day  they  are  due,  they  shall  not  receive  them  after- 
wards;  from  those  circumstances  Ave  may  naturally  suppose,  if  we 
judge  from  the  present,  we  shall  be  starved  one-third  of  the  time. 
From  this,  and  almost  every  other  proceeding  of  that  August 
Body,  they  seem  as  tho'  they  had  positively  determined  to  injure 
the  most  Virtuous  Bod}'  in  the  United  States  ;  (that  of  the  army,) 
permit  me.  Dear  Sir,  to  say  things  with  us  appear  very  gloomy. 
It  is  confidently  asserted  that  the  state  of  Connecticut  has  refused 
to  supply  the  army  with  any  more  beef,  in  consequence  of  which 
one  of  the  general's  aids,  Capt.  Humphery  set  off  with  letters  to 
Governor  Trumbull  to  know  (as  we  suppose)  the  reasons. 

"Of  the  accounts  from  the  southward,  the  newspapers  Avill  give 
you  more  particular  information  than  I  can.  We  have  it  confi- 
dently reported,  and  indeed  generally  believed,  that  Admiral 
Rodney,  with  thirteen  sail  of  the  line  are  arrived  at  New  York 
from  the  West  Indies,  and  the  French  fleet,  consisting  of  eighteen 
sail  of  the  line,  are  arrived  at  Rhode  Island  ;  should  this  be  the 
case,  we  are  in  hopes  the  French  will  be  able  to  give  a  good  ac- 
count of  Mr.  Graves. 

"Mr.  Burnside  requests  me  to  inform  you  that,  as  he  was  not 
on  the  New  Windsor  side,  and  being  disappointed  in  not  succeed- 
ing agreeable  to  his  wishes,  he  entirely  forgot  to  leave  your  let- 
ter for  Mr.  Rutgers  ;  a  neglect  for  which  he  is  very  sorry.  Dean 
has  returned  to  us  from  Capt.  Moodie,  being  very  much  indispos- 
ed. By  the  same  post  as  this  is  sent,  I  have  forwarded  you  a 
letter  from  Capt.  Wool.  Thus  have  I  agreeable  to  my  promise, 
given  you  a  short  and  as  minute  a  detail  of  circumstances  as  my 
abilities  will  admit,  and  hope  they  may  prove  agreeable.  I  am 
joined  with  Mr.  Burnside  and  the  remainder  of  the  officers,  with 
best  wishes  for  your  happiness.  Believe  me  with  every  sentiment 
of  respect  and  esteem, 

Your  obedient  humble  servant, 

JAMES  BRADFORD." 

"  P.  S.  A  line  by  the  first  conveyance  and  what  you  are  like 
to  succeed  in,  would  be  agreeable — pray  inform  me  if  you  have 
ever  seen  my  father.     Excuse  this  scrawl,  &c.,  &:c. 

Capt.  Machin  appears  to  have  been  engaged  at  New  Windsor 
much  of  the  year  1781,  in  the  recruiting  service.  Having  the 
principal  direction  of  that  business,  and  to  have  disbursed  much 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         587 

money.*  The  following  paper  from  Capt.  Ilubbell  shows  in  truth 
the  situation  as  regards  funds,  of  very  many  of  the  oflicers  of  the 
American  army  in  the  latter  part  of  the  war. 

"  Dear  Sir — I  am  under  the  necessity  of  sending  a  man  off 
into  Connecticut  to-morrow  mornincc,  and  have  not  a  shilling  of 
money  for  the  poor  fellow  to  bear  his  expenses — should  therefore 
be  exceedingly  obliged  to  you  for  some  money.  As  his  going  is 
a  matter  of  moment  to  a  number  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  regi- 
ment, beg  you  would  oblige  me  in  this  request — 12th  March, 
1781. 

I  am,  respectfully  yours, 
"  Capt.  Thomas  Machin.  J.  HUBBELL." 

Difficulties  in  the  recruiting  service  were  unavoidable,  as  the 
following  paper  directed  to  "  Capt.  Machin,  Artillery  Park,  New 
"Windsor,"  will  show. 

"  Fokeepsie,  April  20th,  1781. 
"  Dear  Sir — Mr.  George  Thompson  informs  me  that  one  of 
your  recruiting  parties  pretended  to  have  enlisted  his  son,  and 
that  he  apprehends  dithculties  will  arise  on  the  subject.  If  Mr. 
Thompson's  information  is  right,  it  would  appear  that  the  business 
was  unduly  managed  ;  however,  as  the  old  gentlemen  is  of  re- 
spectable character,  I  would  not  wish  you  to  carry  the  matter  to 
any  extremity ;  but  to  submit  it  to  the  determination  of  the  civil 
magistrate.  He  is  ready  to  appear  before  any  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

I  am  yours  sincerely, 
"  Capt.  Machin.  '  GEO.  CLINTON." 

In  the  fall  of  1781,  Capt.  Machin  accompanied  the  park  of 
Gen.  Washington's  army,  and,  as  engineer,  aided  in  laying  out 
the  American  works  at  the  memorable  siege  of  Yorktown.  His 
skill  in  gunnery,  which  caused  Gen.  Sullivan  to  exclaim  of  the 
cannonading  at  Newtown,  near  Elmira,  that  it  was  elegant,  was 
again  manifested  in  the  early  part  of  thisseige,  by  sending  a  shell, 
agreeable  to  the  orders  of  Gen.  Knox,  into  the  magazine  of  a 
small  British  vessel  lying  in  the  river,  and  blowing  it  to  atoms. 
Gen.  Knox  is  said  to  have  remarked,  with  evident  satisfaction,  as 
the  shell  performed  its  mission,  and  the  men  were  blown  into  the 

•  In  furnishing  recruiting  oflicers  with  orders,  it  was  particularly  specified 
that  they  should  enlist  no  slave,  tory,  or  individual  who  had  been  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  enemy. 

38 


588  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

air — "  See  the  d — d  rascals  go  up." — Thomas,  son  of  Capt.  Ma- 
chin. 

The  following  paper  from  His  Excellency,  affords  additional 
evidence  of  his  friendship  and  confidence : 

"  Pokeepsie,  12th  January,  1782. 
"  Dear  Sir  : — I  was  favored  with  your  letter  of  the  16th  ultimo, 
a  few  days  ago.  I  am  happj'  in  the  good  opinion  entertained  of 
Mr.  Tappan,  and  particularly  obliged  to  your  friendly  offers  res- 
pecting him,  which  shall  be  communicated  to  his  father.  The 
warrants  for  the  several  gentlemen  lately  appointed  to  your  regi- 
ment will  be  forwarded  by  the  present  conveyance  to  the  Colonel, 
as  also  certificates  of  their  appointment  to  the  War  office. 

"  I  have  nothing  worth  communicating.     Mrs.  Clinton  begs  you 
to  accept  the  compliments  of  the  season ;  and  believe  me, 
"  Dear  Sir,  with  great  regard, 

"  Your  most  obed't  serv't, 
"  Capt.  Thomas  Machin.  "  GEO.  CLINTON." 

The  following  paper  from  Maj.  Popham,  without  date,  gives 
further  evidence  of  the  straitened  circumstances  of  the  American 
officers,  or  rather  of  one  of  them : 

"Dear  Machin  : — The  situation  of  my  finances  at  present  obliges 
me  to  apply  to  you  as  o.  dernier  resort.  It  must  be  hard  times  when 
a  soldier  is  obliged  to  sell  or  pawn  his  arms.  If  you  could  dispose 
of  my  sword  at  Head  Quarters,  it  would  be  infinitely  agreeable  to 
me ;  and  if  it  was  in  your  power  to  spare  me  a  few  dollars  for  pre- 
sent use,  until  your  return,  you  would  add  much  to  the  happiness 
of  your  friend.  Nothing  but  extreme  necessity  could  induce  me 
to  write  what  I  could  not  speak  last  night  when  I  saw  you. 

"Adieu. 
"  Capt.  Machin.  W.  POPHAM." 

"  Paid  £3  4s  0  specie. 
"     "        3  4    0  new  emission. 
"  May  14 —   3  4    0  specie." 

By  the  memorandum  on  the  paper,  we  may  suppose  the  major's 
sword  was  sold  for  |24.  Poor  fellow :  I  hope  he  was  not  compel- 
ed,  after  parting  with  his  trusty  blade,  to  follow  the  fortunes  of 
war  with  a  wooden  one. 

The  following  extracts  are  copied  from  a  letter  from  Lieut. 
Morris  to  Capt.  Machin,  dated  Burlington  March  24th,  1732. 

"You  expressed  an  anxiety  to  be  acquainted  with  our  movements 
after  we  reached  Lancaster :  to  comply  with  your  desire  I  am  un- 
der a  friendly  injunction  to  give  a  relation  of  the  expedition.  We 
were  ordered  to  that  post  to  guard  prisoners  from  thence  to  Phila- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        589 

delphia,  but  before  we  reached  the  place  of  our  destination,  we 
found  ourselves  fatigued  to  a  great  degree,  from  the  deepness 
of  the  roads,  and  the  summit  of  every  hill  we  passed  pre- 
sented to  our  view  the  same  sad  comfort  that  we  had  just  passed. 
However,  a  generous  supply  from  the  financier,  and  my  own  re- 
sources, rendered  every  obstacle  a  mere  trille,  and  soon  erased  from 
my  memory  that  gloomy  prospect  I  had  pictured  in  my  imagina- 
tion. 

"  Suppose  wo  change  the  subject  and  give  you  a  little  of  the 
news.  The  French  have  at  length  succeeded  on  Brimstone  Hill, 
in  the  island  of  St.  Christophers,  and  are  in  quiet  possession  of 
that  place.  The  British  made  an  attempt  to  succor  the  garrison 
by  landing  1000  men  at  Basseterre,  but  were  repulsed  with  400  of 
them  killed. 

"  Wc  are  furnished  with  the  debates  of  the  House  of  Commons 
by  a  late  arrival  from  France  :  the  minority  are  thundering  away 
against  the  prosecution  of  the  American  war,  and  the  other  party 
aTf.  strenuously  opposing  them.  I  am  clearly  of  the  opinion  they 
will  continue  it  a  campaign  or  two  longer.  The  Dutch,  to  my  great 
astonishment,  seem  disposed  to  make  a  peace  with  England  through 
the  mediation  of  Russia.  This  circumstance,  added  to  a  little  suc- 
cess the  British  have  had  in  the  East  Indies,  convinces  me  they 
mean  to  spend  a  few  millions  more.  I  must  conclude  ;  and  believe 
me  to  be, 

"Your  friend  and  humble  servant, 

"W.  MORRIS." 

"  P.  S.  Remember  me  to  my  uncle  Richard  if  you  should  see  him." 

The  period  at  length  arrived  when  Capt.  Machin's  great  skill 
in  engineering  could  not  construct  a  hreast-work  to  guard  him 
against  an  arrow  from  Cupid's  bow.  In  other  words,  when  he 
was  to  love  one  of  the  softer  sex,  ami  feel  confident  that  a  virtu- 
ous young  woman  reciprocated  the  sentiment.  The  following  ex- 
tracts of  a  letter  from  Maj.  Doughty  hint  the  existence  of  the 
skillful  captain's  tender  passion. 

"  Burlington,  March  '27th,  1782. 

'' My  Dear  Sir — How  goes  on  recruiting?  Do  you  meet  with 
encouragement  ?  Is  there  any  prospect  of  money  from  the  State  ? 
These  are  questions  I  wish  you  would  answer  for  me,  for  I  feel 
interested  in  them  all. 

"  You  promised  to  write  me  on  the  subject  of  my  depreciated 
notes,  and  the  prospect  of  improving  them  to  advantage  by  joining 
you  in  the  purchase  of  the  lands  formerly  Gen'l  Clinton's :  you 
have  forgot  your  promise — perhaps  your  being  in  love,  and  the 
pear  object  that  inspires  that  interesting  passion  so  totally  en- 
grosses your  attention,  as  to  leave  no  room  for  your  friend  Doughty. 


590  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

I  know  he  must  give  way  both  to  the  passion  and  its  object,  but 
still  he  must  claim  a  share  though  a  small  one,  of  your  friendship 
and  attention  ;  and  believe  me  that  he  esteems  them  both  not  a 
little.  Adieu — make  my  respects  to  Col.  Bedlow  and  family, 
Maj.  and  Mrs.  Logan,  and  believe  me  to  be  with  the  greatest  truth, 
"  Your  friend  and  servant, 

"JNO.  DOUGHTY." 

The  following  paper  relating  to  the  service  in  W'hich  he  was 
then  engaged,  was  received  by  Capt.  Machin  per  Col.  Cobb. 

"  Head  Quarters,  24?A  May,  17S2. 
"  Genfn — You  will  proceed  to  Fish  Kill  and  there   apply  to 
Colonel  Weissenfels'  for  the  proportion  of  the   levies  destined   for 
your  line,  one  half  of  which  are  for  the  regiment  of  artillery  and 
the  other  half  for  the  regiment  of  infantry. 

"  So  soon  as  you  have  received  your  proportion  of  Col.  Weissen- 
fels' regiment,  you  will  send  them  on  to  the  regiments  for  which 
they  are  destined,  under  the  care  of  an  officer,  and  the  remaining 
officers  will  wait  at  Fish  Kill  to  receive  those  which  will  be  sent 
from  Col.  Willel's  regiment,  which  are  to  be  divided  in  the  same 
manner.  Before  you  send  away  the  recruits  you  will  make  a  re- 
turn to  me  of  the  number  you  have  received. 

"  I  am,  &c. 
"  Signed  GO.  WASHINGTON." 
"  To  Capt.  Machin,  ) 

"  Li.  Forman,  >  York  Line." 

"  Ens^n    Sicartwout,  ) 

The  following  extracts  are  made  from  a  letter  from  Lieut.  R. 
Parker  to  Capt  Machin,  dated  George  Town,  July  6th,  1782. 

"  Capt.  McClure  and  myself  are  stationed  at  this  place.  Its 
situation  I  suppose  you  are  acquainted  with :  its  trade  is  much 
increased  within  a  short  time  past,  a  number  of  valuable  prizes 
have  been  sent  here.  Rum,  and  most  kinds  of  West  India  goods 
are  plenty.  The  southern  army  and  the  country  in  general  re- 
ceive great  advantages  from  it.  I  believe  they  could  scarcely  be 
supported  without  it. 

"  Here  are  a  number  of  fine  girls  and  rich  widows.  I  have  not 
yet  got  far  in  love — but  can't  promise  for  the  future — some  fair 
nymph  may  captivate  my  heart — and  while  guardian  reason  sleeps, 
Cupid's  fatal  shaft  may  wound  my  rising  heart  and  make  me  own 
his  superior  power,  &c.,  &c. 

"  We  have  no  news  :  Gen.  Greene  lays  near  Goose  Creek, 
twenty  miles  from  Charleston.  An  evacuation  of  Charleston  and 
Savannah  is  daily  expected  by  our  sanguine  friends. 

'•  I  have  hardly  got  over  celebrating  the  fourth  of  July  in  a 
Bacchanal  frolic — Impute  my  inaccuracies  to  a  pain  in  the 
head,  &c." 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        591 

A  letter  from  Capt.  Machin  to  Oliver  Wendell,  Esq.,  of  Boston, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  copy,  discloses  the  fact  fully  at 
which  Maj.  Doughty  hinted,  and  adds  another  evidence  to  the 
truism,  that  the  course  of  true  love  is  beset  with  thorns,  thistles, 
and  a  multitude  of  briers. 

"  New  Windsor,  \Qth  Aug't,  1782. 

"  Honored  Sir — An  experimental  knowledge  of  your  philan- 
thropy has  emboldened  me  to  address  you  on  this  occasion. 
Know  then,  my  Dear  Sir,  that  I  am  at  this  time  engaged  to  a 
young  lady  in  the  State  of  New  York  :  the  day  for  our  union 
was  set,  and  we  both,  I  am  led  to  believe,  waited  with  equal 
anxiety  for  the  arrival  of  that  happy  period  ;  in  which  I  think  two 
feeling  souls  would  have  been  happily  united  in  the  honorable 
bonds  of  Hymen.  But  to  my  great  mortification,  somebody  was 
pleased  to  inform  the  young  lady's  friends  that  I  had  a  wife  in 
Boston.  And  as  I  alwaj-s  did,  and  I  hope  ever  will,  detest  decep- 
tio7i,  be  it  of  what  kind  soever  it  will :  and  much  more  that  which 
is  of  all  the  most  villanous ;  I  therefore,  relying  on  our  former 
friendship  and  your  justice,  make  no  doubt  but  you  will  give 
the  bearer,  Mr.  Dunning,  the  young  lady's  and  my  friend,  what- 
ever information  he  may  require  relating  to  my  conduct  when 
in  Boston.  Please  to  give  my  compliments  to  Mrs.  Wendell,  and 
believe  me  Dear  Sir,  to  be,  with  all  the  esteem  that  is  due  to  ho- 
nor and  merit, 

"  Your  hum'l.  serv't, 

"  THO'S  MACHIN." 

"  The  HojioraUe  Oliver  Wendell,  Esq.'" 

The  aspersions  of  some  villain  on  the  fair  fame  of  Capt.  Machin 
were  satisfactorily  removed  by  Mr.  Dunning's  visit  to  Boston,  and 
his  marriage  took  place  in  August,  1782.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Susan,  daughter  of  James  Van  Nostrand  ;  who  resided  at  or 
near  Huntington,  L.  I.  The  marriage  took  place  at  the  house  of 
Timothy  Dunning  in  Goshen,  who  had  previously  married  a  sister 
of  Miss  Susan. 

The  followmg  letter  from  Lieut.  Woodward,  shows  to  some  ex- 
tent the  popularity  and  influence  of  Capt.  Machin  in  the  army. 

"  West  Point,  26th  Oct.  17S2. 
"  Dear  Sir — While  I  was  gone  to  Poughkeepsie  the  day  before 
yesterday,  Lt.  Tappen  was  so  imprudent  as  to  give  permission  for 
William  Ockerman  to  leave  the  Point  to  go  to  New-Windsor,  and 
return  the  same  evening ;  but  in  order  to  keep  alive  the  dignity 
of  his  former  conduct  he  has  broke  into  Goshen  goal. — That  is,  I 
am  informed  he  is  taken  by  the  constable  for  a  tavern  debt.     Col. 


592  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Stevens  desires  you  will  take  upon  you  the  trouble  of  procuring  his 
enargement  and  send  him  to  Camp.  His  inducement  for  request- 
ing you  to  undertake  the  task,  is  because  that  you  by  some  means 
or  other  can  accomplish  it,  while  another  officer  would  not  be  able 
to  succeed.  You  must  give  my  best  compliments  to  Mrs.  Machin, 
&c.  &c. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  with  every  sentiment  of  respect, 
"  Your  ob't  humble  serv't, 
"  Capt.  Machin."  "  PETER  WOODWARD." 

At  this  period  general  officers  were  deficient  in  funds. 

"  Litile  Britain,  Nov.  9lh,  1782. 

"  Dear  Sir — I  received  your  favor  by  Serj't  Reino,  and  should 
have  sent  you  the  balance  of  Maj.  Bush's  account  as  you  have 
made  it  out  if  I  had  the  cash,  which  article  I  never  was  scarcer  of 
than  at  present  ;  at  the  same  time  must  inform  you  that  you  have 
not  given  me  all  the  credit  in  your  account  that  I  ought  to  have, 
but  that  is  a  matter  we  can  easily  settle  when  opportunity  serves. 
I  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  pay  you  the  whole  or  half  due  on  the 
account  of  your  location ;  as  soon  as  it  is  I  will  do  it :  if  I  can't 
soon  I  will  give  you  a  note  or  bond  with  interest. 
"  I  am,  sir,  yours,  &c. 

"  Capt.  Machin."  "  JAMES  CLINTON." 

Considerable  correspondence  passed  between  Joseph  Wharton, 
Esq.  of  Philadelphia,  and  Capt.  Machin  in  the  year  1782  :  it 
began  in  the  latter  part  of  the  preceding  year,  as  the  following 
letter  will  show. 

"  Philadelphia,  Dec.  2ifh,  1781. 
"  Mr.  Thomas  Machin.  Sir — You  have  been  so  obliging  as  to 
offer  me  your  services  in  the  State  of  New-York,  I  commit  to  your 
care  two  deeds  from  Col.  George  Croghan  to  me ;  the  first  dated 
April  3d,  17S0,  for  Uventy-five  thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  acres  of  land  with  a  release  for  the  same  ;  and  the  other  for 
eleven  hundred  and  ffly-sevcn  acres,  dated  June  27th,  1780,  with 
its  release ;  and  both  tracts  situated  on  and  near  Lake  Otsego  in 
Tryon  county  in  that  State.  These  lands  becoming  more  and  more 
valuable,  it's  necessary  the  deeds  should  be  recorded  in  the  proper 
office.  And  as  I  have  some  reason  to  apprehend  an  assignment  of 
the  Mortgage  on  these  lands  to  the  late  Governor  Franklin,  is 
attempting  to  be  obtained,  when  probably  some  hasty  step  may  be 
pursued  to  recover  payment  by  public  sale,  injurious  to  my  prop- 
erty; I  earnestly  press  it  upon  your  friendship  to  have  the  deeds 
recorded  in  Albany,  or  wherever  the  most  suitable  office  is,  in  the 
most  expeditious  manner;  and  for  your  assiduity  herein  as  well 
as  the  necessary  charges,  I  will  gratefully  pay  due  honor  to  your 
draft.  The  repossession  of  the  deeds  will  give  me  great  satisfac- 
tion ;  yet  I  would  not  have  them  sent,  unless  a  gentleman  of  char« 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        593 

acter  and  whom  yoii  know  can  be  found  to  be  entrusted  with  them. 
In  tlio  mean  lime,  I  beg  you  will  inform  me  by  post  the  moment 
the  deeds  are  enrolled,  as  well  as  any  farther  information  you  may 
receive  of  the  value  of  these  lands  in  consequence  of  any  rise  since 
your  departure  from  their  vicinity :  for  surely  the  late  glorious 
victory  to  the  Southward,  and  our  proximity  to  absolute  indepen- 
dence must  have  started  the  value  of  such  excellent  tracts. 

"  I  have  shown  you  Mr.  Hooper's  Field  Book,  containing  as 
well  his  description  of  the  exterior  lines  of  my  15074  acre  tract  on 
the  Tennedena,  as  the  qualities  of  the  land  of  each  1000  acres: 
the  whole  being  surveyed  into  fifteen  lots  ;  and  you  have  read  that 
the  soil  and  other  natural  advantages  are  very  good  and  exceeding 
great.  Will  you,  sir,  be  pleased  to  enquire  the  utmost  price  that 
can  be  obtained  for  the  whole  of  this  tract  payable  in  two  months, 
or  rather  one-half  in  six  weeks  and  the  other  in  three  months  with 
interest  in  specie  or  sterling  bills  on  France?  Because  if  this  15000 
acre  Tract  will  command  what  I  conceive  it  will,  it  will  enable  me 
to  keep  the  Otsego  Tract  to  a  future  day,  and  a  far  more  benefi- 
cial price.  I  must  also  request  you  will  have  the  offices  searched 
to  know  what  Mortgages  and  Judgments  are  on  the  Otsego  Tract  ; 
for  although  there  may  be  a  Judgment  or  two,  yet  whether  the 
legal  steps  have  been  pursued  to  secure  payment  previous  to  the 
time  you  will  have  my  Deeds  enrolled  is  the  question.  Among 
other  favors  you  are  going  to  bestow  on  me,  do  let  me  know  the 
Law  of  your  State  in  regard  to  Mortgages,  that  is  Avhether  any 
time  is  limited  for  their  recording  ?  Whether  a  second  or  third 
Mortgage  being  entered  first  does  not  supersede,  or  at  least  obtain 
first  payment  ?  And  if  a  Deed  enrolled  prior  to  a  previous  Mort- 
gage (as  in  my  case)  will  not  bar  a  recovery  by  the  Mortgage  ? 

"  It  may  be  necessary  to  explain  the  hint  I  have  given  relating 
to  Governor  Franklin's*  Mortgage  for  £1S00  your  money,  which 
is,  that  his  creditors  here  and  in  Burlington  are  endeavoring  to 
procure  his  Assignment  of  Testatum,  (if  I  have  the  word  right) 
and  although  it  ever  was  my  disposition  that  Justice  should  be 
done,  yet  prudence  dictates  a  cautionary  prevention  to  the  sale  of 
my  estate  to  my  disadvantage,  which  surely  M'ould  be  the  circum- 
stance if  it  was  to  be  sold  at  this  period.  For  I  suppose  in  cases 
of  Sequestration  your  State,  like  ours,  hath  taken  care  that  just 
creditors  shall  be  satisfied  as  far  as  such  estate  will  admit. 
"  I  am,  with  respect, 

"  Your  most  obed't  humble  serv't, 

"JOS.  WHARTON." 

•  Lest  all  my  readers  may  not  be  aware  of  the  fact,  I  will  here  remark, 
that  ihe  Governor  Franklin  above  alluded  to  was  a  son  of  Doctor  Franklin, 
and  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  was  Governor  of  iS'ew-Jersey — that  not 
having  the  just  counsels  of  his  father,  and  possibly  the  fear  of  God  before 
his  eyes,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  mother  country  which  had  honored 
him  with  the  Executive  authority  of  a  Colony  ;  and  was  soon  arrayed  in 
sentiment  against  that  great  and  good  man  his  father;  whom  the  world  de- 


594  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Under  date  of  Sept.  11th,  1782,  Mr.  Wharton  wrote  Capt. 

Machin  as  follows. 

"  My  situation  in  life  requiring  me  to  raise  a  capital  sum  of 
money  in  the  course  of  the  Winter,  has  determined  me  to  sell  the 
Otsego  Tract,  containing  about  27,000  acres ;  provided  I  can  be 
paid  one-third  part  on  the  sale,  and  the  remainder  in  the  Spring. 
My  price  will  be  twenty  shillings  *his  currency  {specie)  per  acre. 
[He  proposed  to  let  7,000  pounds  of  the  purchase  remain  unpaid 
with  security.  He  considered  the  land  worth,  he  said,  thirty  shil- 
li7igs  per  acre.  He  added] — Should  my  limit  be  thought  too  high, 
let  me  know  the  highest  sum  obtainable  for  the  whole  Tract,  pay- 
able in  part  down  and  the  rest  in  six  months  with  interest  ;  or  if 
it  would  be  more  agreeable,  I  will  take  twenty  thouiand  pounds  for 
it  and  the  purchaser  to  be  accountable  for  the  incumbrances ;" 
[which  were  some  2,000  pounds  N.  Y.  currency  on  that  and  a 
Tract  of  40,000  acres  adjoining.]  Col.  Croghanwas  buried  about 
ten  days  since." 

The  reader  may  here  see  what  was  once  considered  the  value 
of  the  rich  lands  in  and  around  Cooperstown,  which  money  will 
now  hardly  buy. 

The  campaign  of  Gen.  Sullivan  in  1779,  discovering  the  valu- 
able lands  in  Western  New  York,  was  the  means  of  their  being 
brought  into  market.  The  following  paper,  from  Capt.  Nestell, 
shows  where  some  of  the  lands  in  the  earliest  transfers  were  situ- 
ated, and  the  price  they  brought : 

"  April  17,  1783. 

"  Received  of  Ebenezer  Burling  the  full  sum  of  thirty  pounds, 
which  was  his  subscription  for  a  Right  of  six  hundred  acres  of 
land  between  Seneca  and  Cayuga  Lakes.     Received  by  me, 

"  PETER  NESTELL." 

On  the  21st  of  January,  1783,  Gov.  Clinton  sent  the  bounds  of 

a  certain  lot  of  land  to  his  friend,  with  the  following  request : 

"  Capt.  Machin  Avill  please  to  take  a  view  of  the  above  Tract 
and  see  that  the  settlements  are  properly  made,  and  no  land 
cleared  that  will  injure  the  Tract  in  point  of  timber.  That  the 
persons  who  live  on  it  clear  annually  a  proportion  of  swamp,  and 
plant  out /n«7-^reei-,  and  make  such  agreement  with  them  as  shall 
be  easy  and  reasonable ;  but  they  are  to  be  Tenants  at  Will,  as  I 
may  c'onclude  to  sell.  Fix  on  the  most  convenient  place  for  a 
homestead,  and  erecting  a  dwelling  house,  &c.,  supposing  it  to 
be  divided  into  two  farms.  "  GEO.  CLINTON. 

"  Pokeepsie,  2\st  Jan.,  1783." 
lighted  to  honor.     A  desire  to  retain  place  hns  forfeited  for  many  individuals 
the  good  opinion  of  the  virtuous,  and  the  rich  inheritance  of  parental  good 
deeds. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        595 

On  the  17th  of  April  following,  Capt.  Machin  wrote  Gov.  Clin- 
ton from  Murdcrer^s  creek,  that  he  had  made  a  beginning  of  the 
works  at  the  Great  Pond — was  cutting  timber,  and  expected  to 
have  a  dwelling  ready  to  move  into  within  five  weeks  from  that 
time,  &c.,  &c.;  to  all  of  which  doings  Gov.  Clinton  wrote  an  ap- 
proving letter  April  19th. 

Mr.  Machin  was  commissioned  a  captain  by  Gov.  Clinton,  and 
the  council  of  appointment  March  12th,  1793,  to  take  rank  as 
such  from  August  21st,  1780.  The  appointment  was  confirmed 
by  Congress  on  the  28th  of  the  following  April. 

On  the  approach  of  peace,  in  1783,  we  find  Capt.  Machin  lay- 
ing aside  his  warlike  implements,  and  Cincinnatus  like,  following 
his  plow.  He  settled  at  a  place  called  New  Grange,  Ulster  coun- 
ty, a  few  miles  back  of  Newburgh,  where  in  1784,  he  erected  se- 
veral mills,  as  a  grist-mill,  saw-mill,  &c. 

The  following  order  of  the  quarter-master-general,  on  Lieut. 
Denniston,  is  inserted  to  show  the  reader  how  particular  that  offi- 
cer was  in  closing  his  official  business : 

''Neio  York,  April  10,  1784. 
"Sir: — Capt.  Machin  will  deliver  you  six  spades  and  shovels, 
which  he  received  last  summer  from  the  store  at  Newburgh.     You 
will  deliver  him  one  band  for  the  nave  of  a  Avagon  wheel,  and  two 
wagon  boxes,  to  complete  a  wagon  he  bought  of  the  public. 

"  TIM:  PICKERING,  Q.  M.  G. 
'■''Mr.  George  Dennisto?!,  West  Poi7it." 

About  the  1st  of  September,  17S4,  Gov.  Clinton  removed  from 
Kingston  to  New  York,  as  appears  by  several  letters  to  Capt. 
Machin,  directed  to  his  address  at  "  Great  Pond,  Ulster  county;" 
by  which  it  appears  the  captain  was  to  send  down  his  winter's 
stock  of  fire-wood. 

The  following  credible  voucher  appears  to  close  the  correspon- 
dence between  Capt.  Machin  and  his  former  general : 

"  This  is  to  certify  that  I  have  been  acquainted  \\-ith  Capt.  Tho- 
mas Machin  ever  since  the  year  1776,  and  have  had  considerable 
dealings  with  him,  and  I  always  found  his  accounts  to  he  just. 

"  Given  under  my  hand  the  "7th  of  March,   17S6. 

"JA3IES  CLINTON." 


596  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

The  correspondence  between  Machin  and  Gov.  Clinton,  closed 
with  the  following  letter,  (until  the  latter  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,)  which  is  inserted  because  it  tells  so 
credibly  and  justly  for  that  plain-hearted  and  honest  republican, 
who  not  only  dealt  honorably  with  the  unprotected  himself,  but 
was  gratified  to  find  others  do  likewise.  In  fact,  he  gained  the 
reputation  among  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  of  being  a  very 
plain,  honest,  unostentatious  patriot, — and  as  an  evidence  of  the 
fact,  was  exceedingly  popular  wherever  known. 

"  New  YorTi,  13M  November,  1786. 

"Dear  Sir  : — The  bearer  is  a  brother-in-law  and  executor  to  Mr. 
Briggs,  deceased.  He  has  been  here  some  time  settling  the  affairs 
of  the  deceased.  Among  the  little  property  he  has  left  for  his  chil- 
dren, the  location  under  a  military  right  in  your  hands  is  a  princi 
pal  part.  Mr.  McClagley  is  anxious  to  know  how  it  stands,  and 
Avhether  you  have  done  the  needful  to  give  a  title  to  the  executors 
for  the  use  of  the  infants.  For  this  purpose  he  means  to  call  on 
you  on  his  way  home,  and  the  regard  I  have  for  the  widow  and 
family  has  induced  me  to  write  you  on  the  subject,  not  doubting, 
at  the  same  time,  that  you  will  pay  every  attention  to  them  and 
their  business. 

"  Yours,  sincerely, 

"  Capt.  Machin.  GEO.  CLINTON." 

On  the  18th  of  April,  1787,  Capt.  Machin  formed  a  copartner- 
ship with  Samuel  Atlee,  (a  porter  brewer,)  James  F.  Atlee,  Da- 
vid Brooks,  James  Grier,  and  James  Giles,  (an  attorney  at  law,) 
all  of  the  city  of  New  York.  The  terra  specified  for  its  contmu- 
ance  was  seven  years,  with  a  capital  of  jESOO.  The  firm  seems 
to  have  been  formed  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  coining  copper, 
provided  Congress,  or  any  of  the  state  legislatures,  enacted  a  law 
allowing  individuals  to  coin  money.  As  the  object  was  to  make 
money,  a  small  capital  was  considered  sufficient  for  the  under- 
taking. On  the  7th  of  June  following,  that  firm  formed  a  copart- 
nership with  one  then  existing,  which  consisted  of  four  partners — 
Reuben  Harman,  Esq.,  William  Coley,  of  Bennington  county, 
Vermont,  Elias  Jackson,  of  Litchfield  county,  Connecticut,  and 
Daniel  Van  Voorhis,  goldsmith,  of  the  city  of  New  York — for  a 
term  of  eight  years  from  the  first  of  the  following  July,  that  being 
the  limitation  of  an  act  of  the  legislature  of  Vermont  to  said  Har- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        597 

man,  for  the  coinage  of  copper.  The  first  mentioned  firm  was  to 
furnish  a  capital  of  jESOO  for  the  concern ;  c£200  of  which  capi- 
tal, with  je400  more.  New  York  currency,  to  be  paid  to  the  lat- 
ter firm  two  years  after,  was  to  be  theirs  as  an  equivalent  for  ad- 
mitting the  New  York  firm  into  communion  with  them — the  lat- 
ter being  required  to  furnish  no  capital.  The  ten  partners  were 
to  enjoy  equally  "  the  benefits,  privileges,  and  advantages  arising 
from  the  coinage  of  copper  in  the  state  of  Vermont,  to  be  coined 
in  that  state,  and  also  in  Connecticut,  New  York,  and  elsewhere, 
as  the  parties  should  think  fit.  On  or  before  the  first  day  of  July, 
the  first  mentioned,  or  New  York  firm,  were  required,  by  the  co- 
partnership, "to  complete,  at  their  own  cost,  the  works  then  erect- 
ing at  the  mills  of  the  said  Thomas  Machin,  near  the  Great  Pond, 
in  the  county  of  Ulster,"  while  the  other  part  of  the  firm  agreed, 
in  the  same  time,  to  complete  works  they  were  then  erecting,  at 
Rupert,  in  the  county  of  Bennington,  Vermont.  Agreeably  to 
the  written  contract,  Giles  was  to  have  charge  of  the  writing  and 
book-keeping ;  Harman  and  Coley  were  to  manage  the  money 
cJiangers  at  Rupert ;  and  Machin  and  J.  F.  Atlee  were  to  "  ma- 
nage, act,  and  perform  that  part  of  the  trade  which  concerned  the 
coinage  of  money  and  manufacturing  hard  ware,"  at  Machin's 
mills  ;  Grier  was  to  be  "  cashier  of  the  money  coined  at  Rupert ;" 
Van  Voorhis,  "cashier  of  the  money  coined  at  Machin's  Mills ;" 
Grier  and  Jackson  were  to  have  the  general  management  of  the 
expenses,  purchase  of  necessary  articles,  &c. ;  while  other  joint 
business  was  to  be  performed  by  Brooks  and  Samuel  Atlee.  It 
was  further  stipulated  that  Giles  should  keep  a  "  certain  book  of 
resolutions;"  that  the  firm  should  meet,  either  in  person  or  by 
proxy  in  other  members,  agreeably  to  a  written  form  of  authority 
incorporated,  on  the  1st  day  of  February,  June,  and  October  of 
each  year,  at  Rhinebeck,  New  York,  unless  otherwise  agreed  upon. 
In  case  either  of  the  partners  obtained  a  grant  from  Congress  or 
any  of  the  states  to  coin  money,  the  profits  resulting  from  such 
act  were  to  be  shared  by  all  the  partners, — who  also  bound  them- 
selves personally,  "  in  the  penal  sum  of  one  thousand  pounds," 
for  the  punctual  performance  of  the  contract. 


598  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Whether  the  long  firm  of  money  makers  ever  coined  coppers 
enough  to  fill  the  pockets  of  all  the  Green  Mountain  boys ;  or 
whether  they  found  the  business  profitable,  is  uncertain ;  but  from 
Mr.  Machin's  papers  I  am  led  to  conclude  they  never  ejQTected 
much.  At  his  mills  perhaps  a  thousand  pounds  of  copper  was 
manufactured,  as  appears  by  the  papers,  in  the  year  17S9  ;  pre- 
vious to  which  little  seems  to  have  been  done.  "  What  is  every- 
body's business  is  nobody's ;"  and  the  saying  seems  to  have  been 
verified  in  the  doings  of  this  copper  Jirm :  for  in  a  letter  from  J. 
F.  Atlee  to  Mr.  Machin,  dated  Vergennes,  October  14,  1790,  he 
expresses  a  wish  that  the  concern  might  arrive  at  a  settlement  on 
equitable  terms,  and  compromise  their  matters  without  a  tedious 
and  expensive  law  suit. 

In  Jan.,  1797,  Capt.  Machin  removed  from  New  Grange  to 
the  town  of  Mohawk,  Montgomery  county,  from  which  town  were 
afterwards  organized  the  towns  of  Charleston,  Glen,  and  part  of 
Root.  The  fall  previous  to  his  removal  he  had  visited  his  lands, 
accompanied  by  two  hired  men,  and  erected  a  log  tenement, 
cleared  a  fallow,  planted  fruit-trees,  currant  bushes  and  sallad, — 
made  sap-troughs,  &c.,  &c.,  as  is  shown  by  a  journal  he  kept  at  the 
time.  His  lands  were  situated  10  miles  north  of  Schoharie  Court 
House,  and  20  south  of  Johnstown  village. 

Capt.  Machin  continued  to  practise  surveying  after  his  remo- 
val to  Montgomery  county,  and  several  officers  of  the  army  were 
among  those  who  profited  by  his  skill,  among  whom  were  John 
Lamb,  his  former  colonel,  and  Gen.  Nicholas  Fish.  Among  Mr, 
Machin's  personal  friends  was  George  Tiffany,  Esq.,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  who  settled  in  Schoharie  about  the  time  the  county 
was  organized.*  Capt.  Machin  took  no  little  pains  to  educate 
his  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Capt.  Machin  became  a  member  of 
the  Cmcinnati  Society.     He  also  belonged  to  the  fraternity  of 

•  Mr.  TiflTany  was  a  fine  classic  scholar,  and  while  in  Schoharie  county 
•was  distinguished  for  his  legal  ability.  Previous  to  his  locating  in  Schoharie 
he  taught  an  Academic  school  in  Albany,  believed  to  have  been  the  first  of 
the  kind  established  in  that  city.  He  removed  from  Schoharie  to  Ancaster, 
Upper  Canada,  where,  at  a  good  old  age,  he  died  Jau.  8,  1842. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         699 

Free  Masons,  and  on  the  establishment  of  a  lodge  in  Schoharie, 
he  was  appointed  master  to  install  its  officers.  Silas  Gray  was 
also  appointed  as  senior  and  Johannes  Dietz  junior  wardens  of  the 
same.  The  following  is  the  evidence  of  Capt.  Machin's  appoint- 
ment : 

"  To  all  Greeting — 

"  Be  it  known  that  I,  Ezra  Ames,  Grand  Hig-h  Priest  of  the  G. 
R.  A.  Chapter  of  the  State  of  New  York,  by  virtue  of  power  in 
me  vested  by  the  third  Sec'n.  and  fourth  article  of  the  General 
Grand  Constitution,  Do  hereby  authorize  and  empower  our  worthy 
Brother,  Thomas  Machin,  to  install  the  officers  of  Anits  Mark 
Lodge,  in  the  town  of  Schoharie,  County  of  Scho'e.,  agreeable  to 
the  Gcn'l.  Grand  Constitution  of  the  United  Slates,  and  to  make 
returns  of  his  proceedings  thereon,  at  the  next  session  of  the  G. 
Ch. 

"  EZRA  AMES. 

"Albany,  Atk  Feb.  5S07."  [Year  of  the  world.] 

By  the  following  letters  from  his  old  friend  Gov.  Clinton,  who 
was  then  Vice  President  of  the  United  States,  it  appears  that 
Capt.  Machin  sought  for  a  pension,  and,  afterwards,  its  increase : 

"  Washi?iglo?i.  lA/h  Aqril,  1808. 
"  Dear  Sir — Agreeably  to  the  request  contained  in  your  letter, 
I  have   done   what  was  necessary  on  my  part  to  give  success  to 
your  application  to  be  put  on  the  Pension  List.     It  gives  me  plea- 
sure to  render  you  this  little  service,  being,  with  great  regard, 
"  Yours  sincerely-, 

"GEO.  CLINTON. 
"Capt.  Thomas  Machin.^' 

"  Washington,  6/h  March,  7810. 
"  Dear  Sir — Yesterday  I  received  your  letter  of  the  22d  of  last 
month.  You  may  rely  on  every  assistance  in  my  power  to  afford, 
to  obtain  an  increase  of  your  pension.  But  the  preparatory  steps 
to  an  application  can  be  done  most  conveniently  to  you  in  the 
State,  under  a  commission  from  Mr.  Talmadge,  the  District 
Judge.  I  have  requested  Mr.  K.  K.  Van  Rensselaer  to  communi- 
cate to  you  the  manner  in  which  this  commission  is  to  be  obtained, 
as  well  as  the  necessary  subsetpieut  measures  to  be  taken  previous 
to  your  application ;  to  accomplish  which,  if  expeditiously  per- 
formed, may  yet  be  in  season  for  the  present  session  of  Congress. 
I  am,  with  best  respects  to  Mrs.  Machin, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"GEO  CLINTON." 
"  Capt.  Thomas  Machin.'' 


600  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC. 

Capt.  Machin,  after  seeing  the  country  of  his  adoption,  in  the 
defence  of  which  he  had  freely  shed  his  own  blood,  pass  triumph- 
antly through  two  wars  with  the  previously  acknowledged  mis- 
tress of  the  wave,  at  the  close  of  each  gaining  the  admiration  and 
respect  of  the  w^orld,  died  at  his  residence  in  Charleston  on  the 
evening  of  April  3d,  1816,  aged  72  years.  A  brief  notice  of  his 
services  and  death  appeared  in  the  Albany  Gazette  of  April  15th, 
which  closed  with  the  following  sentence :  "  In  the  camp  and  in 
retirement  his  quatificafions  were  holden  in  very  high  considera- 
tion.'^    He  was  buried  with  Masonic  honors. 

In  a  letter  of  personal  introduction  from  Col.Aaron  Burr  to  Hen- 
ry Remsen  Esq.,  dated  at  N.  Y.,  Dec.  30,  1830,1  find  the  follow- 
ing sentence;  "Capt.  Machin,  who  will  have  the  pleasure  to  hand 
you  this,  is  the  son  of  ray  old  friend  and  fellow-soldier,  Capt.  Ma- 
chin, who  was  a  distinguished  officer  in  our  Revolutionary  war, 
and  was  probably  known  to  you." 


(  601  ) 


CHAPTER  XX. 


Schoharie  county,  which  is  situated  mostly  within  the  forty- 
second  degree  of  north  latitude,  was  organized  by  a  Legislative 
Act  of  April  7th,  1795,  from  portions  of  Albany  and  Otsego 
counties.  It  is  centrally  distant  north  from  New  York  city  150 
miles,  and  west  from  the  capitol  40  miles ;  and  presents  a  very 
uneven  surface — from  river  flats  to  mountain  elevations.  The 
county  originally  consisted  of  six  towns,  which,  except  Schoha- 
rie, were  not  incorporated  until  March  17th,  1797. 

In  1801,  New  York  contained  thirty  counties;  and  by  a  Le- 
gislative Act  dated  April  seventh  of  that  year,  they  were  pro- 
perly divided  into  towns.  The  Session  Laws  printed  in  1802, 
provide,  that — 

"  The  county  of  Schoharie  shall  contain  all  that  part  of  the 
State  bounded  earterly  by  the  county  of  Albany,  northerly  by 
part  of  the  south  bounds  of  the  county  of  Montcromcry,  as  hereaf- 
ter described,  westesly  by  a  Ime  beginnint''  at  the  south-west  cor- 
ner of  a  tract  of  land  formerly  granted  to  Jyhn  Lj-ne,  and  nmning 
thence  the  following  courses  and  distances  as  marked  by  order 
of  the  Surveyor  General :  south  twenty-one  degrees  and  forty- 
eight  minutes  west,  two  hundred  and  nineteen  chains,  to  the  place 
where  Joshua  Tucker  formerly  resided ;  thence  south  seven  de* 
grees  and  forty-eight  minutes  west,  one  hundred  and  ninety-three 
chains,  to  the  eastermost  line  of  a  tract  of  land  known  by  the 
name  of  Belvidere  patent ;  thence  south  nine  degrees  east  six 
hundred  and  ninety-five  chains  to  a  ceartain  hill  known  by  the 
name  of  Grosvenor's  hill ;  thence  with  a  direct  line  from  the  north- 
west comes  of  Stroughburgh  patent;  thence  with  a  direct  line  to 
the  most  northerly  corner  of  Harpersfield  on  the  Charlotte  or  Ade- 
gataugie  branch  of  the  Susquehanna  river;  thence  south-easterly 
along  the  north  bounds  of  Harpersfield  to  Lake  Utsayantho,  and 
southerly  by  a  line  formerly  run  from  the  head  of  Kaater's  creek, 
where  the  same  issues  out  of  the  southerly  side  or  end  of  a  certain 


602  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY. 

lake  or  pond  lying  in  the  blue  mountains  to  the  said  Lake  Utyas- 
antho,  and  by  part  of  the  north  bounds  of  the  county  of  Greene. 

"  And  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  of  Schoharie  beginning  at 
a  point  in  the  west  bounds  of  the  county  of  Albany,  two  miles 
southerly  of  the  place  where  Foxes  creek  intersects  said  west 
bounds,  thence  westerly  to  the  place  where  Weaver's  stony  creek 
originally  emptied  itself  into  the  Schoharie  creek,  and  thence 
westerly  to  the  place  were  the  Cobelskiil  road  crosses  the  Punch- 
kill,  thence  with  a  straight  line  to  a  point  in  the  south  bounds  of 
the  county  of  Montgomery  five  miles  westerly  of  Schoharie  creek, 
thence  easterly  along  the  county  of  Montgomery  to  Duanesburg, 
thence  along  the  westerly  and  southerly  bounds  of  Duanesburg 
and  the  west  bounds  of  the  county  of  Albany  to  the  place  of 
beginning,  shall  be  and  continue  a  town  by  the  name  of  Scho- 
harie. 

"  And  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  of  Schoharie  beginning  at 
the  place  where  the  Cobelskiil  road  crosses  the  Punchkill,  thence 
with  a  straight  line  to  the  north-west  corner  of  a  patent  granted  to 
Michael  Byrns  and  others,  thence  with  a  straight  line  to  the  west 
corner  of  the  house  now  or  late  of  Jacob  Best  near  the  head  of  the 
north  branch  of  the  Westkill,  thence  continuing  the  same  line  to 
a  tract  of  land  called  Blenheim,  thence  easterly  along  the  north- 
erl}'-  bounds  of  Blenheim  until  it  strikes  Schoharie  creek,  thence 
easterly  with  a  straight  line  to  the  north-east  corner  of  the  dwell- 
ing house  now  or  late  of  Moses  Winter,  thence  with  the  same  line 
continued  to  the  west  bounds  of  the  county  of  Albany,  thence 
northerly  along  the  same  to  the  south-east  corner  of  the  town  of 
Schoharie,  thence  along  the  southerly  bounds  thereof  to  the  place 
of  beginning,  shall  be  and  continue  a  town  by  the  name  of  Mid- 
DLEBURG.     [The  citizens  now  write  it  Middleburgh.] 

"  And  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  of  Schoharie  beginning  in 
the  middle  of  Schoharie  creek  where  the  same  is  intersected  by 
the  southerly  bound  of  the  town  of  Middleburg,  thence  along 
the  northern  bounds  of  a  tract  of  land  called  Blenhiem  to  the 
north-west  comer  thereof,  thence  continuing  the  same  line  to  the 
county  of  Otsego,  thence  along  the  easterly  bounds  of  Otsego  to 
the  county  of  Delaware,  thence  along  the  northern  bounds  thereof 
to  the  middle  of  Schoharie  creek,  thence  northerly  through  the 
middle  of  said  creek  to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall  be  and  conti- 
nue a  town  by  the  name  of  Blenheim. 

"  And  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  of  Schoharie  beginning 
at  the  north-east  corner  of  the  town  of  Blenheim,  thence  south- 
erly along  the  eastern  line  of  said  town  to  where  the  said  creek 
is  intersected  by  the  south  bounds  of  the  county  of  Schoharie, 
thence  easterly  along  the  said  south  bounds  to  the  county  of  Al- 
bany, thence  westerly  along  the  same  to  the  south-west  corner  of 
the  town  of  Middleburg,  thence  westerly  along  the  south  bounds 
of  the  same  to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall  be  and  contiune  a 
town  by  the  name  of  Bristol. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         603 

"  And  all  that  part  of  the  said  county  of  Schoharie,  beginning 
at  a  point  in  the  northern  boundary  line  of  the  same,  six  miles  and 
a  half  easterly  of  the  north-east  corner  of  the  town  of  Schoharie, 
in  the  said  county,  thence  southerly  in  a  direct  line  to  the  west  cor- 
ner of  the  dwcllinof  house  now  or  late  of  John  Redington,  thence 
in  a  direct  line  to  the  westerly  corner  of  the  dwelling  house  now 
or  late  of  Peter  Bogardus,  and  thence  in  a  straight  line  to  the 
northerly  corner  of  the  dwelling  house  now  or  late  of  Joseph  Webb, 
thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  westerly  corner  of  the  dwelling  house 
now  or  late  of  Nicholas  Smith,  thence  south-westerly  to  the  near- 
est point  in  the  division  line  between  the  counties  of  Schoharie  and 
Otsego,  thence  southerly  along  the  bounds  of  the  county  of  Otsego 
to  the  north-west  corner  of  the  town  of  Blenheim,  thence  easterly 
along  the  north  bounds  thereof  to  the  south-west  corner  of  the 
town  of  Middlcburg,  thence  northerly  along  the  westerly  bounds 
of  the  town  of  IMiddleburg  and  Schoharie  to  the  north  bounds  of 
the  county,  and  then  along  the  same  west  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning, shall  be  and  continued  a  town  by  the  name  of  Cobelskill. 

"  And  all  the  residue  or  remaining  part  of  the  said  county  of 
Schoharie,  shall  be  and  continue  a  town  by  the  name  of  Sharon." 

After  Schoharie  county  was  organized,  a  new  era  began  in  its 
history.  The  frequent  assembling  at  court  of  men  distinguished 
for  oratory  and  legal  acumen — especially  where  science  and  let- 
ters have  been  neglected,  cannot  fall  rapidly  to  improve  the  state 
of  society  and  manners  of  the  people.  The  first  attorneys  who 
located  in  Schoharie,  were  George  Tiffany  and  Jacob  Gebhard. 

I  had  occasion,  in  the  fore  part  of  this  book,  to  speak  of  the 
cleanliness  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  and  now  advert  to  that  of  their 
descendants — and  in  justice  must  observe,  that  few,  if  any  dis- 
tricts can  show  a  greater  proportionate  number  of  very  tidy 
housekeepers,  than  may  now  be  seen  in  the  Schoharie  valley. 

Twice  in  a  year,  at  least.  Dr.  Franklin's  description  of  a  house 
cleaning  is  realized,  not  only  in  the  primitive  Schoharie,  but  in  the 
Mohawk  river  settlements.  Every  article  of  furniture,  from  the 
garret  to  the  cellar,  is  then  removed,  that  the  place  it  occupied 
may  be  scimhbed.  Lime  is  profusely  used  on  such  occasions,  es- 
pecially in  the  Spring,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  detect  the  track 
of  a  fly  on  a  window,  wall,  or  floor,  after  the  operation.  The 
description  given  by  Brooks,  in  his  travels  in  Europe,  of  the  neat- 
ness of  the  people  in  some  of  the  Dutch  and  German  countries 
through  which  he  traveled,  is  applicable,  in  many  instances,  to 
39 


604  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

the  people  of  Schoharie  :  for  as  he  says — "It  is  scrub,  scrub,  scrub 
from  morning  till  night — -from  pillar  to  post — where  there  is  dirt, 
and  where  there  is  none.^^  The  Schoharie  women  usually  cleanse 
their  floors  daily,  sometime  semi-daily,  by  a  process  they  call 
filing,  which  is  done  with  a  piece  of  sacking  retained  in  the  hands 
instead  of  being  secured  to  a  mop-stick. 

"  Time,"  says  Irving,  "  which  changes  all  things,  is  but  slow 
in  its  operations  upon  a  Dutchman's  dwelling."  The  Germans 
and  Dutch  do  not  generally  display  as  much  taste  in  the  selection 
of  a  site  for,  and  the  erection  of  their  dwellings,  as  do  the  Eng- 
lish. Frequently  a  Dutchman's  house  fronts  its  owner's  barn,  in- 
stead of  fronting  a  public  highway.  A  small  kitchen  and  an  oven 
are  often  separately  erected — both  detached  from  the  dwelling. 
Houses  recently  built  in  Schoharie  discover  far  more  taste  and 
beauty  than  those  constructed  in  former  times. 

If  the  Dutch  manifest  a  want  of  taste  in  erecting  their  dwell- 
ings, some  of  the  Yankees  do  quite  as  much  in  locating  their 
out-buildings ;  for  it  is  but  a  few  years  since  there  might  have 
been  seen  opposite  many  good  farm-houses  in  some  parts  of  New 
England,  a  corn-crib  or  waggon-house,  the  front  of  which  was 
literally  covered  with  sheep,  racoon,  or  skunk-skins. 

Schoharie  county  contains  621  square  miles.  Its  average  length 
is  30  miles  from  north  to  south  ;  and  width  22  miles  from  east  to 
west.  Its  population,  in  1825,  was  25,926 ;  in  1840,  32,358 : 
of  which  latter  number,  16,002  were  white  males ;  15,863  white 
females  ;  253  black  males  ;  and  240  black  females.  The  valua- 
tion of  assessed  property  is  usually  about  $2,000,000.  The  coun- 
ty contained  in  1840,  199  common  schools,  with  9,244  scholars : 
and  no  distillery,  where  were  six  in  1824. 

About  the  year  18  iO,  a  federal  newspaper  was  established  in 
Schoharie  by  Thomas  Tillman,  called  The  True  American ; 
soon  after  which  The  American  Herald,  a  republican  journal, 
was  issued  by  Derick  Van  Vechten.  In  1818,  Mr.  Van  Vechten 
published  a  paper  called  The  Budget;  and  the  same  year  So- 
lomon Baker  commenced  a  paper  entitled  The  Schoharie  Ob- 
server, which   he  pubhshed  nearly   five   years.     In   1819,  The 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         605 

Schoharie  Republican,  a  weekly  sheet,  as  were  its  predecessors, 
was  established,  and  is  at  present  conducted  by  William  H.  Gal- 
lup. For  several  years  previous  to  1830,  The  Lutheran  Maga- 
zine, a  monthly  periodical,  was  issued  at  the  Republican  oihce. 
A  whig  journal,  entitled  The  Schoharie  Patriot,  was  begun  in 
1837,  by  Peter  Mix,  and  continued  until  1844. 

The  Loonenberg,  now  Athens  Turnpike,  leading  from  Athens 
to  Cherry-Valley,  passes  through  the  county  from  northeast  to 
southwest ;  and  the  Western  Turnpike  crosses  the  north  part  of 
the  county.  The  route  of  the  Canajoharie  and  Catskill  Railroad 
is  also  laid  through  the  county  from  north  to  south. 

This  county  presents  almost  every  variety  of  soil  and  surface, 
from  river  flats  to  mountain  elevations,  and  yields  good  crops  of 
such  grain  as  is  usually  produced  in  the  same  climate.  It  is  also 
well  timbered  :  along  the  water-courses  chiefly  with  oak,  hickory 
and  pine,  and  on  the  uplands  with  maple,  beech,  birch,  basswood 
and  hemlock. 

The  interval  lands  along  the  Schoharie,  so  justly  celebrated  for 
their  beauty  and  fertility,  are  a  rich  alluvial  deposit,  formed  by 
the  transporting  agency  of  the  river,  and  its  numerous  tributaries, 
of  such  portions  of  earth,  abraded  and  disintegrated  rocks,  and 
vegetable  and  animal  matter  as  came  under  its  influence.  The 
most  southern  flats  are  least  calcarious,  being  principally  formed 
from  the  contiguous  sand  rock ;  consequently  the  soil  is  not  as 
productive  without  more  artificial  enriching. 

The  county  is  well  watered,  and  affords  numerous  hydraulic 
privileges,  some  of  which  are  improved,  and  others  not.  It  is 
principally  watered  by  the  Schoharie,  the  largest  tributary  of  the 
Mohawk,  and  its  numerous  inlets.  The  Schoharie  heads  in  the 
town  of  Hunter,  Greene  county,  the  principal  branch  rising  in  a 
small  swamp,  about  eight  miles  from  the  Hudson,  at  Saugerties. 
The  country  is  there  very  mountainous,  ridges  of  the  Catskill 
mountains  separating  the  water-courses.  Among  the  most  im- 
portant tributaries  near  its  source,  are  Eastkill  and  Westkill, 
which  rise  in  Hunter  and  run  into  it  in  Lexington  ;  and  Batavia 
creek,  which  enters  it  at  Prattsville. —  W.  W.  Edward. 


§9,§  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Entering  the  county,  the  Schoharie  courses  northerly  through 
the  towns  of  Summit,  Blenheim,  Fulton,  Middleburgh,  and  Scho- 
harie, until  it  arrives  near  the  north  end  of  the  latter,  when  it 
takes  an  easterly  course,  and  unites  with  the  Mohawk  five  miles 
east  of  Fultonville, — its  whole  length  being  about  seventy  miles. 
From  the  mountainous  nature  of  the  country  through  which  it 
flows,  this  river  often  rises  suddenly,  doing  at  times  no  little  da- 
mage to  the  numerous  mills  its  rapid  course  has  invited  to  its 
banks. 

The  first  bench  of  common  plea  judges  in  Schoharie  county, 
consisted  of  William  Beekman,  Adam  P.  Vrooman,  John  M. 
Brown,  David  Sternberg,  and  Jonathan  Danforth ;  the  former 
was  first  judge  about  forty  years.  The  courts,  for  a  time,  held 
their  sessions  in  a  small  building  still  standing  in  the  rear  of  John 
Ingold's  dwelling. 

Schoharie  sends  two  members  to  the  State  legislature ;  with 
Otsego  forms  the  twenty-first  congressional  district :  and  with  Al- 
bany, Schenectada,  Delaware,  Greene,  Columbia,  and  Rensselaer 
counties,  makes  the  third  senatorial  district. 

The  north  part  of  the  county  is  mostly  underlaid  with  lime- 
stone, which  supplies  an  abundance  of  good  building  materials  j 
and  as  it  contains  numerous  fossils,  some  of  which  are  very  rare, 
— there  being  among  them,  the  lily  encrinite  and  several  varie- 
ties of  trilohite, — it  affords  the  practical  geologist  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  investigate  his  useful  science.  There  are,  also,  in  the 
limestone  region,  several  caverns  of  notoriety,  the  novelty  and 
sparry  formations  of  which  invite  to  their  dark  chambers  the  ad- 
mirer of  nature's  wonder  workings. 

There  have  been  but  two  executions  in  this  county  for  a  capital 
offence  since  it  was  formed.  The  first  was  that  of  Abraham  Cas- 
ler  for  the  murder  of  his  wife,  which  he  effected  by  administering, 
alternately,  opium  and  arsenic.  Caslcr  was  not  a  resident  of  the 
county,  but  committed  the  deed  at  an  obscure  tavern,  while  tra- 
veling through  it.  ^As  was  generally  believed,  from  testimony 
adduced  on  the  trial,  he  desired  to  marry  another  woman,  and 
poisoned  his  wife  to  prevent  her  proving  an  obstacle  in  the  way 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        607 

of  gratifying  his  unholy  desires.  Mrs.  Best,  the  inn-keeper's 
wife,  an  intelligent  woman,  was  the  principal  witness.  lie  was 
tried  before  Judge  Yates,  Sept.  12th,  1817,  and  publicly  executed 
on  the  hill  east  of  the  court-house  in  May  following. 

The  other  case  I  notice  more  minutely,  not  with  a  view  to  in- 
crease its  notoriety  (for  I  am  conscious  that  the  relatives  of  this 
criminal  are  highly  respectable),  but  to  show  how  an  inscrutable 
Providence  follows  crime  with  detection  and  punishment. 

John  Vanalstyne  was  indicted  Nov.  18th,  1818,  for  the  murder 
of  Wm.  Huddleston,  and  tried  for  the  offence  at  a  special  court  of 
oyer  and  terminer  at  the  Schoharie  court-house,  in  Feb.,  1819. 
The  trial  commenced  on  the  morning  of  Feb.  17th,  before  Chief 
Justice  Ambrose  Spencer,  and  lasted  nineteen  hours.  The  crimina- 
ting testimony  was  entirely  circumstantial.  Eighty -three  witnesses 
were  subpoenaed,  seventy-five  of  whom  were  present  at  the  trial. 

On  Friday  afternoon,  Oct.  19th,  Huddleston,  then  a  deputy 
sheriff  of  the  county,  went  on  horse-back  to  the  house  of  Van 
Alstyne  to  collect  several  executions,  amounting  to  about  $1450. 
The  former  was  seen  just  at  night  with  the  latter,  soon  after  which, 
as  subsequently  appeared,  he  must  have  killed  him  at  or  near  his 
barn.  The  mysterious  disappearance  of  Huddleston  aroused  pub- 
lic inquiry  as  to  his  fate,  and  when  Van  Alstyne  was  questioned 
about  his  last  interview  with  him,  he  stated  that  he  had  paid  up 
the  executions  the  former  had  against  him,  saw  them  endorsed 

satisfied,  and  supposed  the  d d  rascal  had  run  away  with  the 

money.  He  was  also  heard  to  say  that  no  sheriff  held  any  exe- 
cution against  him.  When  interrogated  after  the  murder,  his 
statements,  as  to  the  amount  of  the  several  executions  against  him 
and  the  moneys  paid  to  the  sheriff,  were  contradictory.  After 
the  murder  he  took  several  bank-notes  to  a  neighbor  to  be  chang- 
ed, which  appeared  to  have  been  purposely  torn,  and  on  one  blood 
was  found.  He  also  stated  in  a  conversation  that  the  sheriff  had 
on  spectacles  when  he  settled  with  him. 

Fearing  detection,  Van  Alstine  clandestinely  left  home  on 
the  evening  of  the  16th,  and  on  the  17th,  a  great  number  of 
men  having  assembled  from  different  parts  of  the  county,  his  pre- 


608  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

mises  were  strictly  searched,  which  resulted  in  discovering  traces 
of  blood  in  the  barn,  and  on  several  fences  leading  towards  a 
plowed  field,  400  yards  from  the  house ;  and,  finally,  in  finding 
the  body  of  Huddleston  in  that  field,  where  the  accused  had  been 
harrowing  on  the  day  after  the  murder,  although  he  had  sown  no 
grain.  A  further  search  in  the  barn  brought  to  light  the  papers 
of  the  sheriif  concealed  in  the  hay,  among  which  were  the  exe- 
cutions against  Van  Alstyne,  not  endorsed  ;  and  under  a  sill  a 
heavy  oak  stake  was  found  bloody,  and  with  hair  upon  it ;  the 
spectacles  of  the  sheriff  were  also  found  on  the  premises.  In  a 
swamp,  some  distance  from  the  barn,  a  place  was  observed  where 
a  horse  had  been  fastened  some  days,  and  under  a  log  near  was 
found  part  of  a  sheep  skin  used  by  Mr.  Huddleston  upon  his  sad- 
dle, while  the  saddle  was  found  beneath  a  small  bridge  by  chil- 
dren pursuing  a  squirrel. 

No  doubt  was  entertained  but  what  Van  Alstyne  was  the  mur- 
derer, and  had  fled  with  Huddleston's  horse.  Accordingly,  a  re- 
ward of  $250  was  oflfered  by  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton,  and  $100 
more  by  Sheriff  Keyser,  for  his  apprehension.  The  Governor  in- 
creased the  whole  reward  to  $500.  It  was  shown  on  the  trial 
that  the  prisoner  was  seen  at  Trenton  and  Lowville,  in  possession 
of  Huddleston's  horse,  making  his  way  towards  Canada.  Arri- 
ving at  Buffalo,  he  took  passage  on  Saturday,  the  14th  of  Nov., 
on  board  of  the  Com.  Perry,  Capt.  Johnson,  a  vessel  bound  for 
Detroit,  assuming  the  name  of  John  Allen,  and  accompanied  by  a 
suspicious  person  calling  himself  Isaac  Page. 

On  board  the  Com.  Perry  Elias  W.  Slocum,  who  was  remov- 
ing with  his  family  from  Jefferson  county  to  some  part  of  Ohio, 
had  also  taken  passage,  to  be  landed  at  Sandusky.  On  Monday 
morning  the  vessel  was  at  anchor  at  Long  Point,  where,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  strong  gale  having  arisen,  she  parted  her  cable,  and 
was  obliged  to  put  back  to  the  harbor  at  Black  Rock,  from  whence 
she  had  sailed.  While  on  the  lake,  Slocum  had  some  conversa- 
tion with  Van  Alstyne,  who  betrayed,  as  he  thought,  evidence  of 
criminality ',  and  having  a  newspaper  which  contained  the  pro- 
mised reward  for  the  apprehension  of  Huddleston's  supposed  mur- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         609 

derer,  with  a  description  of  his  person,  he  at  once  suspected  his 
fellow  passenger,  whose  personal  appearance  and  clothing  ans- 
wered the  description,  and,  on  arriving  at  Black  Rock,  he  appre- 
hended and  lodged  him  in  Buffalo  jail.  When  arrested,  he  denied 
that  his  name  was  Van  Alstyne,  or  that  he  had  ever  known  a  man 
named  Wm.  Huddleston,  but  was  soon  after  identified  by  several 
persons  who  knew  him,  and  he  was  removed  to  Schoharie. 

The  conduct  of  Page,  after  Van  Alsfyne  was  arrested,  in  con- 
nection with  the  fact  that  he  had  an  over- coat  of  the  prisoner  in 
his  possession,  increased  the  suspicion  of  Slocum  as  to  his  true 
character,  and  it  was  only  by  the  threat  of  his  arrest  as  an  ac- 
complice that  he  could  get  rid  of  him,  he  evidently  being  intent 
on  aiding  the  prisoner  in  an  escape.  What  became  of  the  horse 
rode  off  by  Van  Alstyne  was  never  known  at  Schoharie.  The 
trial  was  conducted  by  Henry  Hamilton  Esq.,  the  District  Attor- 
ney, assisted  by  M.  J.  Cantine  Esq. ;  and  the  prisoner  was  defend- 
ed by  Jacob  Gebhard  and  T.  J.  Oakley  Esquires.  Nine  jurors 
were  set  aside  as  having  pre-judged  the  case.  The  cause  was 
ably  managed,  and  resulted  in  finding  the  prisoner  guilty  of 
the  crime  for  which  he  was  indicted.  In  pronouncing  his  sen- 
tence, Judge  Spencer  depicted  in  glowing  colors  the  enormity  of 
the  prisoner's  offence, — warning  the  numerous  assemblage  against 
the  indulgence  of  crime.  Van  Alstyne  was  publicly  executed  on 
the  hill,  where  Casler  had  previously  suffered  a  similar  death, 
March  19th,  IS  19;  and  there  would  seem  to  have  been  a  most 
signal  interposition  of  Providence  in  bringing  him  to  punishment 
Circumstances,  over  which  human  action  could  have  no  control, 
urged  on  the  car  of  Justice  and  sealed  his  untimely  fate.  On  board 
of  a  vessel  bound  to  a  distant  port,  he  felt  comparatively  safe 
from  pursuit;  but  instead  of  gentle  breezes  wafting  the  vessel  to 
her  place  of  destination,  a  furious  gale  broke  her  fastenings,  and 
compelled  a  return  to  the  starting  point  to  deliver  up  the  offender. 
The  result  of  this  man's  trial,  for  a  crime  witnessed  by  no  human 
eye,  should  deter  all  persons  from  the  perpetration  of  any  offence 
against  law,  committed  in  the  hope  that,  because  unseen  by  man, 
they  will  escape  detection,  for  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  di- 


610  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

red  his  steps.  The  love  of  money,  or  free  indulgence  of  passion, 
may  cause  man  to  violate  wholesome  laws;  but  vengeance  is 
mine,  and  I  will  repay  the  guilty ,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 

The  Lutheran  and  Dutch  Reformed  Churches  were  organized 
in  the  Schoharie  settlements  at  an  early  period.  The  following 
brief  history  of  the  Lutheran  Church  was  mostly  taken  from  a 
sketch  of  its  establishment  and  progress  which  appeared  in  the 
Lutheran  Magazine  in  1827,  prepared  by  Rev.  Dr.  G.  A.  Lintner. 

Soon  after  the  Germans  located  at  Schoharie,  they  formed  a 
church,  and  had  preaching  occasionally  as  before  stated.  On  the 
7th  of  September,  1742,  the  congregation  gave  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
Peter  Nicholas  Sommer,  a  native  of  Hamburgh,  Germany,  who 
was  ordained  in  that  city  as  pastor  of  this  church  on  the  21st  of 
the  same  month.  He  arrived  in  the  field  of  his  labors  May  25th, 
1743,  and  on  the  30th  preached  his  introductory  sermon.  The 
first  officers  were  Abraham  Berg,  and  Michael  Freymaurer,  el- 
ders ;  Henry  Schaeffer  and  Peter  Loewensteen,  deacons.  The 
first  vestry  meeting  was  held  on  the  Sth  of  June,  1743,  at  which 
it  was  resolved  to  commence  erecting  a  parsonage  house  for  the 
minister,  which  dwelling  was  to  serve  the  present  purposes  of  a 
church.  On  the  3d  of  July  following  his  arrival,  Mr.  Sommer 
first  publicly  administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in 
Schoharie,  when  the  communicants  participated.  On  the  12th  of 
September,  the  same  year,  public  worship  was  held  in  the  new 
parsonage,  and  continued  to  be  for  several  years.  Early  in  1750, 
preparations  were  commenced  for  erecting  a  church ;  on  the  10th 
of  May  the  corner  stone  of  the  foundation  was  formally  laid  by 
the  pastor ;  and  the  edifice,  which  was  built  of  stone  from  an  ad- 
joining field,  having  been  completed,  it  was  solemnly  dedicated 
on  Whitsuntide,  May  6th,  1751. 

Mr.  Sommer,  who  appears  to  have  been  much  esteemed  by  his 
people,  was  a  faithful  laborer,  and  for  many  years  not  only  preach- 
ed in  his  own  church,  but  at  stated  periods  in  the  German  settle- 
ments of  Stone  Arabia,  Little  Falls,  in  and  near  the  Mohawk  val- 
ley ;  Rhinebeck,  East  and  West  Camp,  Claverack,  and  Loonen- 
burgh,  on  the  Hudson  j  Hoosick  Road,  in  Rensselaer  county ;  and 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        611 

Albany,  Helleberg,  and  Beaver-dam,  in  Albany  county.  The 
congregations  in  the  three  first-mentioned  places,  the  nearest  of 
which  was  twenty-four  miles  from  Schoharie,  were  for  a  time  in- 
cluded in  his  pastoral  charge  ;  but  the  Rev.  Johan  Frederick  Ries 
became  their  minister  in  December,  1751. 

In  December,  1758,  Mr.  Sommer  preached  for  the  first  time  in 
Cobelsklll,  and  there  administered  the  sacrament ;  after  which  pe- 
riod his  services  were  mostly  confined  to  the  Schoharie  settlements. 
In  1768  he  became  suddenly  blind,  and  was  led  to  church  by  An- 
drew Loucks,  for  many  years  its  clerk  and  chorister,  continuing  to 
discharge  most  of  the  official  duties  with  the  infirmity.*  Old  age 
obliged  him  to  retire  from  the  ministry  early  in  1789.  From 
Schoharie  he  went  to  reside  U'ith  relatives  in  Sharon,  where  he 
died  about  the  year  1795  ;  and  his  bones  now  repose  on  the  farm 
of  Judge  Robert  Eldredge,  the  grave  being  identified  by  a  frag- 
ment of  coarse  sandstone  placed  at  its  head,  on  which  are  rudely 
engraved  the  initials  of  his  name  in  the  following  order,  N.  S.  P., 
the  last  letter  being  now  hardly  intelligible.  If  the  Lutheran 
churches  he  was  instrumental  in  organizing  in  Schoharie  county, 
would  remove  the  bones  of  this  faithful  old  laborer  in  their  ser- 
vice to  the  Schoharie  burying  ground,  which  is  located  on  the  site 
of  the  church  in  which  he  ministered,  and  erect  a  suitable  monu- 
ment over  them,  they  would  do  a  laudable  act,  and  discharge  a 
duty  they  owe  to  his  memory. 

In  1791,  the  Rev.  Anthony  Theodore  Braun  took  charge  of 
the  Lutheran  church  in  Schoharie,  and  continued  its  pastor  until 

1794.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Frederick  H.  Quitman  in 

1795.  In  1796  the  congregation  erected  the  brick  edifice  it  now 

•  After  having  been  totally  blind  nearly  twenty  years,  he  awolve  one  Sab- 
bath morning,  to  his  great  surprise,  with  his  vision  restored.  His  wife  had 
previously  risen,  and  calling  her  into  his  room,  he  exclaimed,  "  I  can  see  as 
well  as  ever  I  could '"  She  was  at  first  terrified,  supposing  him  deranged; 
but  he  continued,  "  Be  not  alarmed— my  sight  is  restored!"  "  What  can  you 
see  ?  his  wife,  still  trembling,  interrogated.  "  I  see  you — see  every  object  in 
the  room— see  yonder  frees  .'"  said  he,  pointing  to  several  large  trees  visible 
from  a  window.  He  left  his  bed  with  feelings  few  can  realize,  put  on  his 
clothes,  and  from  that  time  to  the  hour  of  his  death,  his  perception  of  objects 
was  restored  to  its  former  condition. 


612         mSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

occupies.  Mr.  Quitraan  left  his  station  in  1798.  In  1799  Mr. 
Braun  was  recalled  to  the  pastoral  duties  of  this  church,  but  again 
relinquished  them  in  1801.  The  church  was  without  a  pastor  un- 
til 1805,  when  the  Rev.  Augustus  Wackerhagen  entered  upon 
those  duties.     In  1815,  he  accepted  a  call  from  Columbia  county. 

The  four  pastors  named  were  men  of  good  classic  attainments, 
— were  fine  German  scholars, — usually  preached  in  the  German 
language, — and  were  very  much  respected.  In  IS  16,  the  Rev. 
John  Molther  became  pastor  of  the  congregation ;  but  on  account 
of  his  dissipation  he  was  removed  by  the  Lutheran  Synod  in  1818. 

In  1819,  the  Rev.  George  A.  Lintnerwas  called  to  preside  over 
this  congregation,  and  the  church  has  prospered  ever  since,  he  still 
being  its  pastor.  This  institution,  which  had  to  contend  with  ma- 
ny trials  in  its  early  existence,  known  only  in  border  settlements, 
was  evidently  of  Divine  origin.  It  struggled  through  scenes  of 
difficulty  and  danger  in  the  early  history  of  the  settlement,  shed- 
ding the  light  of  Christian  benevolence  around  the  footsteps  of 
the  pioneer.  It  was  threatened  by  the  perils  of  the  French  and  In- 
dian wars  :  and  Domine  Sommer  preached  a  proper  discourse  and 
administered  the  sacrament  to  a  company  of  volunteers,  who 
marched  from  Schoharie  in  1746,  to  join  an  expedition  against 
Canada.  In  the  American  Revolution,  religious  service  was  most- 
ly discontinued  in  border  settlements — and  this  congregation  knew 
from  experience  the  horrors  of  a  civil  war — a  condition  of  things 
much  at  variance  with  the  doctrines  of  Christianity. 

During  our  last  war  with  Great  Britain,  many  individuals  an^ 
associations  sent  out  small  notes,  usually  denominated  shin-plas- 
ters, and  this  church  issued  them.  The  following  is  a  blank 
copy  of  one : 

"  The  Consistory  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  in  Schoharie,  promise 

TO    PAY    THE    BEARER,    ON    DEMAND,    TwO    CeNTS. 

Nov.  16,  1S14.  Secretary:' 

At  what  period  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  was  established  in 
Schoharie,  I  am  unable  to  show ;  it  is  believed,  however,  to  have 
been  nearly  as  early  as  was  the  Lutheran  Church.  The  church 
records  were  consumed  in  the  parsonage  some  years  since,  which 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        613 

misfourtune  deprives  me  of  data  necessary  to  show  its  organiza- 
tion and  early  history.  I,  however,  gleaned  from  one  of  its  old- 
est male  members,  that  the  first  house  of  worship  stood  several 
rods  northeast  of  the  old  stone  church ;  was  constructed  of  wood ; 
was  built  after  the  model  of  the  Dutch  Church  in  Albany,  with  a 
steeple  over  the  centre ;  that  it  was  provided  with  a  small  bell, 
the  rope  of  which  came  down  in  the  middle  of  the  building  ;  and 
that  it  was  razed  at  the  time  the  stone  edifice  was  erected  in  1772. 
The  clergyman  who  preached  in  Schoharie  at  an  early  day,  offi- 
ciated in  the  German  language  in  Schoharie,  and  in  low  Dutch, 
at  Weiser's  dorf,  where  a  Dutch  church  was  erected  nearly  as  ear- 
ly as  was  the  one  in  Schoharie.  The  Dutch  Church  had  similar 
difficulties  to  surmount  in  its  early  history  to  those  which  usually 
attend  the  planting  of  churches  in  a  new  country. 

Judge  Brown,  as  he  assured  the  writer,  was  clerk  and  chorister 
of  the  Schoharie  Church,  or  fore-singer,  as  then  called,  before 
the  Revolution,  and  used  often  to  go  from  his  residence  in  Carlisle, 
on  Sabbath  mornings,  to  church  on  foot,  a  distance  of  fourteen 
miles,  and  be  there  in  time  for  the  service ;  returning  home  after 
it  in  the  same  manner.  Is  there  a  man  in  the  county  now,  would 
go  that  distance  to  church  every  Sabbath,  if  he  could  he  driven 
there  in  an  easy  chair  1  If  there  is,  let  him  declare  it,  '■^for  him 
have  I  offended." 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Schuyler,  long  a  pastor  of  this  church,  died  du- 
ring the  Revolution,  and  I  am  not  able  to  show  who  have  been 
his  successors  in  Tegular  order.  I  have  in  my  possession  a  blank 
call  for  a  minister  to  take  charge  of  the  Dutch  churches  in  Scho- 
harie, written  in  German,  from  which  I  learn  that  he  was  to  re- 
ceive, for  every  person  baptised,  a  fee  of  07ie  shilling  ;  for  every 
couple  married,  a  fee  of  eight  shillijigs;  that  his  salary  was  to  be 
paid  half  in  cash  and  half  in  ichcat  ;  that  his  fire-wood  was  to  be 
furnished  scot-free ;  and  that  he  was  to  have  four  Sabbaths  in  a 
year  to  himself. 

Until  about  the  year  1820,  not  only  the  Schoharie  churches,  but 
those  in  other  parts  of  New  York  and  New  England,  were  nearly  all 
destitute  of  stoves,  or  any  convenience  for  warming  them  in  the 


614  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

winter ;  and  the  families  in  attendance  usually  carried  small  foot- 
stoves  to  church  on  the  Sabbath,  supplying  them  with  a  few  coals, 
buried  in  hot  embers,  at  the  dwellings  nearest  the  sanctuary.  Al- 
though the  health  of  numbers  was  endangered  by  attending  di- 
vine service  before  the  introduction  of  the  box-stove,  still  the 
churches  were  in  general  well  filled  with  attentive  hearers.  Be- 
tween the  morning  and  afternoon  service,  that  part  of  the  con- 
gregation living  remote  from  country  churches,  at  the  period  un- 
der consideration,  usually  depended  on  the  hospitality  of  the  good 
people  living  near,  at  whose  dwellings  they  not  only  received  the 
benefit  of  a  warm  fire,  but  frequently  were  served  with  a  luncheon 
of  fried  cakes,  cheese,  and  apples,  and  a  glass  of  good  cider. 
The  intermission,  which  was  seldom  over  an  hour,  was  often  spent 
in  discussing  some  religious  topic,  to  the  edification  of  numbers 
present. 

Li  former  times,  the  churches  of  New  England  and  New  York 
were  provided  with  tiding-men — persons  appointed  to  keep  or- 
der in  the  galleries,  having  authority  to  change  the  position,  or 
even  impose  corporeal  punishment,  on  such  as  in  any  manner  dis- 
turbed the  congregation.  Cornelius  Van  Schaack,  who  was  for  a 
long  time  sexton  of  the  old  Dutch  Church  in  Albany,  and  during 
the  Revolution,  was  much  of  the  time  its  tiding-man.  JOften 
might  this  efficient  officer  have  been  seen  during  the  service  to 
enter  the  gallery  with  a  hickory-gad,  and  lay  it  over  the  backs  of 
mischievous  children,  or  noisy  half-grown  boys,  if  they  did  not 
see  him  coming  and  escape  punishment  by  creeping  under  the 
benches,  which  was  not  unfrequently  the  case. — {James  Lansing.) 
Tiding-men  were  continued  in  many  of  the  New  England  church- 
es to  as  late  a  period  as  the  year  1825. 

Before  the  Revolution,  constables  in  Albany  were  required,  as 
a  part  of  their  duly,  if  they  saw  children  at  play  on  the  Sabbath, 
to  correct  them — and  those  guardians  of  order  were  often  seen  to 
enter  the  door-yard  of  a  rich  man,  and  flog  his  peace-disturbing 
boys,  regardless  of  what  parents  or  guardians  might  say  or  do. — 
J.  Lansing. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        615 

Blenheim,*  a  town  in  the  south-westerly  part  of  Schoharie 
county,  is  centrally  distant  44  miles  south-west  from  Albany ;  20 
west  of  south  from  the  county  seat  j  and  35  north  of  west  from 
Catskill.  It  is  bounded  north  by  Fulton,  east  by  Broome  and 
Conesville,  south  by  Delaware  county,  and  west  by  Jefferscn. 
Population  2,726. 

Most  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  south  part  of  this  town  were 
from  New  England,  and  their  descendants  arc  engaged  in  the 
dairy  business.  A  large  tract  of  land,  embraced  in  Scott's  Patent, 
is  located  in  Conesville,  Broome,  and  southerly  part  of  this  town. 
Much  of  the  tract  is  now  owned  by  the  Livingston  family,  and 
leased  to  tenantry.  The  prevailing  strata  of  rock  is  graywacke 
and  red-sand,  the  latter  affording,  in  several  quarries,  a  good 
building  material.  In  it  are  also  found  some  fossils.  This  town 
contains  2  post-offices — Blenheim  and  J^orth  Blenheim — and  4 
churches — 2  Methodist,  1  Baptist,  and  1  Reformed  Dutch. 

BuooME  (name  changed  from  Bristol,  April  6,  1818,)  is  about 
35  miles  south-west  of  Albany,  15  south  of  the  county  seat,  and 
30  from  Catskill.  It  is  bounded  north  by  Middleburgh,  east  by  the 
county  of  Albany,  south  by  Conesville,  and  west  by  Blenheim — 
somewhat  resembling  a  boot  in  its  shape.  Population  2,404.  Its 
early  settlers  were  mostly  from  New  England.  It  has  3  post-offi- 
ces— Livingston,  Smithton,  and  Gilboa —  and  6  churches — 2  each 
Presbyterian  and  Baptist,  and  1  each  Methodist  and  Chris- 
tian. 

Chancellor  Lansinsr  once  owned  a  valuable  tract  of  land  in  this  town.  In 
1818,  Jacob  Sutherland  Esq.,  who  had  marrieJ  a  daughter  of  the  chancellor, 
went  to  reside  at  a  romantic  place  in  North  Blenheim,  to  look  to  his  own  and 
the  possessions  of  his  father-in-law  ;  about  whi:h  time  he  was  appointed  Dis- 
trict Attorney  for  the  U.  S.  District  Court.  While  a  resident  of  the  county, 
he  was  appointed  one  of  its  judges  j  and  when  the  convention  met  in  1821  to 
alter  the  constitution,  he  was  sent,  with  Olney  Briggs  and  Asa  Starkweather, 
to  represent  Schoharie  county  in  the  convention,  and  proved  an  efficient  mem- 
ber. Soon  after  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution,  Mr.  Sutherland  was 
elected  a  state  senator,  but  a  seat  being  offered  him  on  the  bench  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  he  declined  the  former,  accepted  the  judgeship,  and  remov- 
ed to  Albany.  Some  years  since,  he  resigned  the  office  of  judge,  received 
that  of  clerk  of  the  same  court,  and  removed  to  Geneva.  He  died  at  Albany 
May,  13,  1845,  aged  about  58  years. 


616  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

One  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  interior  of  this  town  was  David 
Elerson,  who  located  in  1793.  Previous  to  the  Revolution  he 
was  engaged  in  the  Indian  wars  of  Virginia,  in  which  he  received 
a  bullet  through  his  left  shoulder.  Several  Indians  having  secreted 
themselves  behind  a  fallen  tree,  were  doing  fearful  execution  in 
the  ranks  of  the  colonial  troops,  and  Elerson  determined,  at  the 
peril  of  his  life,  to  punish  them.  While  crawling  towards  a  cov- 
ert for  that  purpose,  he  received  the  ball  as  described,  but  soon 
had  the  satisfaction,  by  one  or  two  effective  shots,  of  driving  the 
enemy  from  their  position. 

He  was  in  the  Monmouth  battle,  under  Col.  Morgan,  and  es- 
caped unhurt.  Col.  Morgan  hung  upon  the  rear  of  the  British 
army  some  distance  in  their  retreat.  Arriving  near  Middletown, 
Elerson,  Murphy,  Wilbur,  and  Tuffts  (all  of  whom  were  after- 
wards on  duty  in  Schoharie,)  obtained  permission  to  leave  the 
ranks,  with  the  caution  of  extreme  vigilance  from  their  command- 
er, and  pursue  the  enemy  towards  Raritan  Bay.  Having  separa- 
ted from  his  companions,  Elerson  found  himself  in  sight  of  his 
foes.  The  army  had  embarked  at  Gravelly  Point,  and  effected  a 
landing  on  Staten  Island  by  the  boats  of  the  enemy's  fleet,  then  in 
the  bay  to  cover  their  retreat.  Nothing  remained  on  the  Middle- 
town  shore  except  40  or  50  horses,  several  baggage-wagons  and 
a  phaeton,  supposed  to  belong  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  This  pro- 
perty he  perceived  was  guarded  by  only  two  sentinels,  one  of 
whom  stood  on  the  beach  near  the  water.  Arriving  unperceived 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  two  soldiers,  one  of  whom  was  a  mount- 
ed trooper,  he  leveled  his  rifle  and  shoutec'  to  them  to  surrender 
themselves  prisoners.  The  man  on  foot  was  so  surprised  that  he 
let  his  gun  fall  into  the  water,  wetting  its  powder.  The  dragoon 
rode  into  the  water,  with  the  intention  of  swimming  his  horse  to 
the  island,  but  the  tide  compelled  him  to  return.  In  the  mean 
time,  Elerson  ordered  the  other  man  to  harness  a  span  of  good 
horses  before  the  carriage,  and  compelled,  with  leveled  rifie,  his 
immediate  compliance.  Returning  to  the  beach,  the  trooper  was 
evidently  intent  on  getting  a  pistol  shot  at  Elerson,  when  the  lat- 
ter ordered  him  to  leave  his  presence  or  surrender  himself  a 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        617 

prisoner.  Elerson  did  not  wish  to  fire,  as  the  British  array  and 
fleet  were  in  sight,  and  would  doubtless  turn  their  artillery  upon 
him ;  but  the  sentinel,  drawing  a  pistol,  did  not  heed  his  threats, 
and  he  sent  a  ball  through  his  heart.  The  rifle's  report  had 
hardly  ceased  its  echoes,  when  a  cannon  shot  plowed  up  the  sand 
near  his  feetj  and  just  as  the  second  ball  lodged  in  ihe  loose  soil 
near  him,  having  reloaded  his  piece  and  observed  that  his  carriage 
was  ready,  he  bounded  into  it,  and,  with  his  prisoner  for  driver, 
soon  left  the  Middletown  hills,  and  rode  in  safely  to  the  American 
camp.  This  daring  hero,  as  he  assured  the  author,  sold  his  car- 
riage and  horses  for  $187.50,  and  sent  the  money  to  his  poor 
father  in  Virginia.  As  was  the  case  with  many  other  brave  spi- 
rits of  the  Revolution,  Elerson  could  neither  read  or  write.  He 
died  in  1838  or  '39. 

David  Williams,  one  of  the  captors  of  Major  Andre,  removed 
from  South  Salem,  Westchester  county,  1805,  to  this  town,  and 
settled  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Gen.  Shays,*  near  Livingstonville,t 
where  he  resided  to  the  time  of  his  death.  For  a  sketch  of  his 
life,  the  capture  and  execution  of  Andre,  &c.  see  the  succeeding 
chapter. 

Carlisle,  formed  in  1807,  from  parts  of  Cobelskill  and  Sharon, 
is  about  8  miles  long  from  east  to  west,  and  nearly  7  wide :  situ- 

•  This  Gen.  Shays  was  the  man  who  headed  an  insurrection  against  the 
government  of  Massachusetts  in  1786:  the  malcontents  were  dispersed  in 
1787,  by  Slate  troops  under  Generals  Shephard  and  Lincoln.  This  transac- 
tion has  since  been  called  Shays'  Rebellion.  Not  long  after  becoming  thus 
celebrated  he  removed  to  Schoharie  county,  from  whence  after  a  residence  of 
some  15  years,  he  went  to  reside  at  Cayuga,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  in  1821. 
He  drew  a  pension  of  $240  a  year  ;  a  captain's  pay  for  services  in  the  Revo- 
lution. Shays  vsas  a  man  of  noble  and  commanding  figure,  fine  martial 
appearance,  and  pleased  with  the  title  of  General,  with  which  he  was  usually 
•«luted.."lF  .W.  Murphy.  J 

t  A  war  path  in  the  Revolution  led  from  Kingston  to  Schoharie.  Follow- 
ing up  the  Catskill  through  the  towns  of  Durham  and  Rensselaerville,  it 
proceeded  onward  through  Broome  to  Middleburgh.  At  Livingstonville  in 
Broome,  directly  on  this  path,  lived  Derick  Van  Dyck,  who  settled  there  be- 
fore the  war  ;  and  often  did  Timothy  Murphy  partake  of  the  hospitality  of 
this  pioneer  when  on  his  secret  expeditions  into  that  neigborhood,  and  regale 
himself  with  a  good  draught  of  buttermilk  ;  a  beverage  of  which  it  is  possible 
the  ladiaa  also  partook  in  the  absence  of  his  destroyer.— Judge  Murphy. 


618  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ated  10  miles  northwest  of  the  county  seat,  and  40  from  Albany. 
It  is  bounded  north  by  Montgomery  county,  east  by  Schoharie, 
SDuth  by  Cobelskill,  and  west  by  Sharon.  Population  1,850.  It 
has  1  post-office,  called  after  the  town  ;  and  3  churches,  1  Presby- 
terian, 1  Methodist,  and  1  Union  chxirch,  the  latter  built  by  seve- 
ral denominations.  The  two  first  named  churches  are  at  Carlisle^ 
the  principal  village  in  the  town,  which  is  situated  on  the  Western 
Turnpike  ;  the  other  is  at  Grosvenor^s  Corners,  a  small  hamlet  in 
the  south  part  of  the  town.  Near  the  latter  place  is  an  interesting 
locality  to  geologists,  oi  fibrous  sulphate  of  barytes  ;  the  fibres 
being  from  half  an  inch  to  two  inches  in  width.  Near  the  barytes 
is  a  layer  of  fibrous  carbonate  of  lime,  or  arragonite. 

A  part  of  this  town  was  embraced  in  the  local  settlement  deno- 
minated New  Rhinebeck,  its  pioneers  having  removed  there  about 
the  year  1760,  from  Rhinebeck,  on  Hudson  River.  The  four 
families  which  first  located  were  those  of  Andrew  Loucks,  Con- 
radt  Engle,  Philip  Kerker,  and  Peter  Young.  The  late  Judge 
Brown  settled  near  them  soon  after. 

Its  substratum  is  limestone,  which  is  filled  with  indubitable 
evidence  of  former  conditions  of  this  region,  since  which  change 
has  passed  over  it,  and  drawn  her  petrifying  finger  in  calcarious 
lines  around  its  mundane  existence.  In  the  rock  are  numerous 
caverns,  a  few  only  of  which  have  been  visited.  Yoiing^s  and 
Selleck's  caves  are  the  most  extensive  of  any  as  yet  explored,  and 
they  have  only  been  but  partially  so.  The  latter,  first  visited  in 
1841,  by  George  Shibley  and  J.  C.  Selleck  after  whom  it  is  called, 
is  said  to  be  roomy,  affording  the  visitor  fine  specimens  of  spar. 

In  the  woods,  about  a  mile  northwest  of  Carlisle  village,  is  a 
small  cavern,  in  which  it  is  believed  the  Indians  often  found  rest 
when  visiting  the  neighboring  settlements  in  the  Revolution,  as  it 
afforded  them  ample  security.  Near  it  issues  a  fine  spring.  The 
bones  of  animals,  fire  brands,  and  some  fifty  sticks,  set  in  the  ground, 
apparently,  for  the  purpose  of  drying  meat,  gave  evidence  of  re- 
peated visitants,  to  those  who  discovered  the  place  after  the  war. 

In  this  town  is  one  of  the  most  lofty  elevations  in  the  county, 
known  by  the  aboriginal  name  of  O-wacrc-souere.     It  is  of  a  co- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        619 

nical  form,  and  may  be  seen  from  Fulton  county,  fifty  miles  north 
of  it. 

CoBELSKiLL,  Centrally  distant  from  the  Court  House,  10  miles, 
and  from  Albany  40,  is  bounded  north  by  Carlisle,  east  by  Scho- 
harie and  Fulton,  south  by  Summit  and  Otsego  county,  and  west 
by  Seward  and  Sharon.  Population  3,583.  This  township  is  of 
an  oblong  shape.  The  Cobelskill,  a  fine  mill  stream,  rises  on  the 
Tallmadge  farm,  in  Worcester,  Otsego  county,  near  the  source  of 
Schenevas  creek,  and  running  northeast  sixteen  miles,  falls  into 
the  Schoharie  near  Central  Bridge.  West  creek,  its  greatest  tri- 
butary, rises  on  the  borders  of  Cherry  Valley,  and  affording  nu- 
merous good  mill  seats  in  Seward,  through  which  it  courses  eas- 
terly, unites  with  the  Cobelskill  near  Cobelskill  Centre. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  town  was  made  on  the  flats,  a  strip 
of  rich  alluvion,  extending  several  miles  along  the  Cobelskill,  in 
1750,  by  Shafers,  Boucks,  Warners,  Lawyers,  Frimires,  Borsts, 
and  Browns,  from  Schoharie,  and  George  Fester,  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, all  of  whom  were  of  German  origin. 

In  this  town  there  are  6  churches,  and  6  villages,  each  with 
a  post  office,  viz :  Cobelskill,  Richmondville,  Lawyerville,  Bam- 
erville,  Cobelskill  Centre,  and  Punchkill.  The  first  two  villages 
are  the  most  important ;  the  former  having  2  churches,  Luther- 
an and  Dutch  Reformed, — several  stores  workshops,  &c.,  and  pro- 
bably the  best  district  school  house  in  the  county,  a  neat  edifice, 
recently  erected.  The  other  villages  have  3  churches,  1  each, — 
Lutheran,  Methodist,  and  Baptist,  a  tannery,  several  work- 
shops, stores,  &c.  The  rock  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  is  prin- 
cipally sandstone  and  graywacke — the  grit  of  the  former  in  some 
quarries  being  suitable  for  grindstones.  The  north  part  of  the 
town  abounds  in  limestone,  in  which  are  numerous  unexplored 
caverns. 

Among  the  early  settlers  at  Lawyerville,  were  Capt.  James 
Dana,  a  native  of  Ashford,  Connecticut,  and  John  Redington ; 
the  former  having  served  his  country  as  a  captain  of  the  Connec- 
ticut line  of  Continental  troops,  and  the  latter  a  soldier  of  that 
gallant  band.  Dana  was  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  in 
40 


620  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

command  of  a  company  of  men  was  stationed,  with  Capt.  Knowl- 
ton  and  his  company,  by  the  orders  of  Gen.  Putnam,  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  gaining  Col.  Prescott's  rear,  and  thus  cut  off  the 
retreat  of  the  Americans  to  the  main-land.  From  this  position, 
Capt.  D.,  with  Lieut.  Thomas  Grosvenor  and  Sergeant  Fuller,  at 
a  given  signal,  fired  on  Maj.  Pitcairn,  a  British  officer,  marching 
with  a  body  of  men  toward  the  fence,  and  he  fell  mortally  wound- 
ed. During  the  battle  a  cannon  shot  struck  the  fence,  and  forced 
a  rail  against  Dana's  breast  with  such  violence  as  to  prostrate 
him ;  but  he  regained  hLsfeet,  ajid  kept  his  ground  until  the  troops 
left  the  hill,  when  he  drew  off  his  men  and  aided  in  covering  the 
retreat  of  the  army  in  good  order.  While  retreating  a  bullet 
lodged  in  his  canteen. 

After  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  a  colonel's  commission  was  of- 
fered Captains  Knowlton  and  Dana,  which  the  former  accepted 
and  the  latter,  from  his  native  difficence,  declined  :  he,  however, 
left  the  army  at  the  close  of  the  war,  with  the  rank  of  brevet- 
major.  On  arriving  at  the  American  camp,  near  Boston,  and  be- 
coming apprized  of  the  bravery  of  the  two  captains  mentioned, 
and  their  deeds  in  the  late  battle.  Gen.  Washington  immortalized 
their  names  in  Ids  first  general  order,  announcing  as  the  secret 
countersign,  Knouiton  !  and  parole,  Dana  ! 

Thomas  Grosvenor,  who  was  a  lieutenant,  and  third  in  com- 
mand of  the  troops  stationed  at  the  fence  on  Bunker  Hill,  and  who 
was  promoted  to  colonel, — in  a  letter  to  Col.  Daniel  Putnam,  who 
was  compelled  to  vindicate  the  character  of  his  father.  Gen.  Israel 
Putnam,  from  an  ignoble  charge  of  cowardice  made  by  Gen. 
Dearborn,  which  letter  is  dated  April  30th,  1818,  in  speaking  of 
the  officers  at  that  station,  makes  no  mention  of  Capt.  Dana,  who 
was  second  in  that  command,  and  why  he  does  not  seems  mysteri- 
ous, for  Dana  was  the  man  who  first  communicated  the  evident  in- 
tention of  the  enemy  to  out-flank  the  Americans.  Lieut.  Grosve- 
nor was  wounded,  and  retired  early  from  the  field.  That  Dana 
was  a  modest,  uneducated  man,  affords  no  good  reason  why  lau- 
rels fairly  won  by  him  should  be  claimed  by  others.     The  truth  is 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         621 

Capt.  Dana  merited  a  position  in  Col.  Trumbull's  picture  of  that 
battle,  which  is  given  to  another.* 

On  an  occasion  when  Gen.  Washington  was  reconnoitering  the 
American  lines,  Capt.  Dana  was  on  duty  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
observing  the  former  riding  in  a  direction  where  the  enemy  were 
just  before  posting  sentinels,  he  said  to  him — "  Perhaps  your  Ex- 
cellency may  be  in  danger  of  a  surprise  if  you  proceed  further 
that  way;  the  enemy  in  force  are  just  over  that  knoll  before  you.'* 
The  Commander  thankfully  received  the  caution,  and  bowing  res- 
pectfully, galloped  back  to  his  quarters.  But  for  the  prudence  of 
Capt.  Dana,  it  is  possible  Gen.  Washington  would  have  been  a 
prisoner  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  Capt.  Dana  stood  high  in  the 
confidence  of  the  Commander-in-chief. 

When  he  located  at  Lawyerville,  he  erected  a  good  log 
dwelling,  in  which  he  ever  after  resided.  His  virtues  were 
held  in  hifrh  estimation  in  the  community.  On  the  organi- 
zation of  a  brigade  of  New  York  infantry,  Capt.  Dana  received 
from  Gov.  Lewis,  as  a  partial  reward  for  services  rendered  his 
country,  a  general's  commission.  He  was  the  first  man  who  ever 
held  that  office  in  Schoharie  county,  and  discharged  its  duties  with 
becoming  dignity. 

The  following  anecdote  of  Gen.  Lee  was  related  to  his  friends 
by  Gen.  Dana  :  While  the  latter  was  reconnoitering  on  some 
occasion  in  the  vicinity  of  the  enemy's  works,  they  were  firing 
shells  towards  the  American  camp.  Observing  a  shell  to  strike 
near  him,  he  stepped  behind  a  large  tree  near  by.  At  the  mo- 
ment it  fell,  and  while  the  fuse  was  burning  off,  Gen.  Lee  arrived 
upon  the  spot  with  a  favorite  dog.  He  did  not  even  seek  the  co- 
vert of  a  tree, — and  the  dog,  imitating  his  master's  example  of 
unconcern,  with  curiosity  to  know  the  cause  of  its  buzzing, 
ran  up  to  smell   of  it  at  the    instant  it  exploded.     The  dog 

•  Gen.  William  Eaton,  who  was  the  first  American  to  unfurl  the  banner  of 
freedom  on  the  sands  of  Africa,  (in  1S03,)  and  win  for  his  country  the  res- 
pect of  the  haughty  Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  by  planting  the  American  flag  on  the 
subdued  fortifications  of  the  city  of  Derne,  the  second  city  of  importance  in 
his  dominions,  commenced  studying  the  art  of  war  at  an  early  age,  as  a  pri- 
vate soldier,  under  Capt.  Dana. 


622  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

was  sent  several  rods,  though  not  killed.  Seeing  his  canine  friend 
thus  precipitated,  he  addressed  him,  unconscious  of  being  over- 
heard— "  You  d — d/ool !  have  you  been  so  long  in  the  service,  and 
donH  yet  knoiu  what  a  bomb  is  ?"  ' 

John  Redington  was  a  private  in  Capt.  Dana's  company  of 
Connecticut  troops,  and  was  taken  prisoner  at  Horseneck  by  De- 
lancey's  cavalry.  In  the  retreat  of  the  Americans  he  concealedf 
himself  under  a  bridge,  and  being  discovered  by  the  enemy  he 
was  brought  gut,  divested  of  his  hat,  shoes,  &c.,  and  thus  driven 
on  foot  by  the  unfeeling  corps,  with  which  h&  was  compelled  to 
keep  up,  all  the  way  to  New  York,  where  he  was  incarcerated  in 
that  charnel,  the  Sugar  House — enduring  such  sufferings  as  an 
iron  frame  only  could  endure — to  the  end  of  the  war.  On  the 
return  of  peace  he  removed  from  Connecticut  to  Cobelskill,  and 
settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  respected  captain.  In  conse- 
quence of  his  patriotism  and  sufferings,  he  was  given  the  command 
of  the  second  company  of  cavalry  ever  organized  in  Schoharie 
county.  He  was  a  very  enterprising  man,  and  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church,  near  his  residence,  was  erected  about  the  year 
1800,  through  his  influence. 

The  commissions  for  Gen.  Dana  and  Capt.  Redington,  were  ob- 
tained for  them  through  the  influence  of  a  gentleman  of  great  li- 
terary attainments,  then  residing  in  their  neighborhood,  who  com- 
municated the  incidents  in  their  lives,  here  given,  to  the  author. 

The  following  inscriptions  are  copied  from  monuments  in  the 
grave-yard  at  l.awyerville : 

"  In  memorv  of  General  James  Dana,  who  died  October  16th, 
A.  D.  1817,  aged  85  years." 

"  Erected  A.  L.*  5817,  by  Morality  Lodj^e,  No.  217,  of  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  in  memory  of  William  Huddleston,  Esq., 
who  was  assassinated  on  the  9th  of  October,  1818,  wliilc  in  the 
discharge  of  his  official  duty,  aged  60  years,  3  mouths,  and  26 
days," 

"  In  memory  of  Captain  John  Redington,  who  died  April  12th, 
1830,  aged  73  years,  6  months,  and  14  days.  A  Revolutionary 
veteran,  an  enterprising  settler  of  the  county,  of  distinguished  pub- 
lic spirit — an  honest  man." 

•Anno  Lucis— Year  of  Light. 

I 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         623 

"  Doct,  Jesse  Shcpard,  late  a  Judge  of  Schoharie  county,  died 
April  19th  1S32,  aged  57  years,  10  montlis,  and  18  days." 

CoNEsviLLE,  southeast  town  in  the  county,  was  formed  March 

3d,  1S3G,  from  Broome  and  Durham  in  Greene  county,   and  is 

bounded  in  the  act  of  incorporation  as  follows  : 

"  Beginning  at  the  centre  of  the  Schoharie  creek  in  the  county 
of  Schoharie,  where  the  Manor  creek  empties  into  the  same  ; 
thence  north  46  degrees  east  176  chains,  to  the  northwest  corner 
of  a  lot  in  Scott's  patent  known  as  the  Leming  lot ;  thence  east 
along  the  lines  of  lots  in  the  said  patent  320  chains,  to  the  east 
line  of  the  said  patent  21  chains,  to  the  north  line  of  Stringer's 
patent ;  thence  east*along  the  north  line  of  the  said  last  mentioned 
patent,  176  chains  to  the  east  line  of  the  county  of  Greene  ;  thence 
eastwardly  along  the  north  line  of  the  said  county  of  Greene,  34 
chains ;  thence  south  two  degrees  east,  166  chains  to  the  dividing 
line  between  the  towns  of  Durham  and  "Windham ;  thence  west- 
wardly  and  northwardly  along  the  said  dividing  line  and  the 
dividing  line  between  Durham  und  Prattsville,  until  it  intersects 
the  north  line  of  the  county  of  Greene  ;  thence  westwardly  along 
the  said  county  line,  to  the  centre  of  the  Schoharie  creek,  and 
thence  northwardly  down  the  centre  of  the  said  creek  to  the  place 
of  beginning." 

This  town  is  centrally  distant  from  Albany  40  miles ;  from  the 
county  seat  26  ;  and  from  Catskill  30.  Population  1,621.  It  is 
watered  by  Diesman's  creek,  which  runs  into  the  Schoharie  near 
Gilboa  :  on  this  creek  near  its  mouth  is  a  beautiful  cascade,  of 
some  60  feet  descent.  It  has  1  post-office,  bearing  its  name ; 
and  3  churches,  1  Dutch  Reformed,^  and  2  Methodist.  The  pioneer 
settlers  of  this  town  were  Peter  Richtmyer,  Judge  John  Reynolds, 
Thomas  Fitch,  John  Walker,  and  Elisha  Bates ;  the  four  last 
being  New  England  men :  the  settlement  was  made  about  the 
year  1795.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business. — A.  Richtmyer  and  W.  W.  Mwphy. 

Fulton,  incorporated  in  1828  from  part  of  Middleburgh,  is 
centrally  distant  from  Albany  45  miles,  and  from  the  county  seat 
12.  Population  2,146.  On  the  flats  in  this  town  were  some  of 
the  earliest  settlements  made  in  the  county  by  the  Dutch  at  Vroo- 
man's  Land  ,and  the  Germans  at  Brakabeen.  It  has  3  post-offices 
Fvltonham,  Brakabeen,  and  Byrnvitle  ;  and  4  churches,  1  Refor- 
med Dutch,  1  Baptist,  1  Union,  and  1  Lutheran. 


624  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

Bouck's  Falls,  situated  on  Panther  creek,  a  mill  stream  which 
rises  in  Jefferson,  and  runs  into  the  Schoharie  just  above  Panther 
mountain  in  this  town,  are  among  the  most  interesting  natural 
curiosities  in  the  State.  At  my  first  visit  to  this  waterfall  (in  Oct. 
1837),  I  named  it  after  Col.  J.  W.  Bouck,  who  accompanied  me 
to  it.  The  stream  dashes  down  a  precipice  in  a  little  distance  at 
least  one  hundred  feet,  into  a  deep  pool  its  action  has  worn  at  the 
base.  The  bold  cliffs  tower  upwards  on  either  side  about  200 
feet,  while  the  trees — standing  upon  the  summit  like  sentinels  on 
the  walls  of  a  castle — present  a  picture  romantic  and  enchanting 
indeed.  In  its  descent,  the  M-ater  is  concealed  by  projecting  rocks 
except  in  two  places,  the  one  near  the  bottom,  and  the  other  50 
or  60  feet  above,  at  which  latter  place  it  dashes  down  with  thun- 
dering, deafening  roar.  The  opening  cut  in  a  mountain  gorge 
by  this  cataract,  is  from  200  to  300  feet  across  at  the  bottom  and 
much  less  at  the  summit,  so  that  could  the  hill  tops  unite,  a  cavern 
would  thus  be  formed  several  hundred  feet  in  depth,  with  a  vaulted 
ceiling  nearly  a  hundred  feet  high.  The  rock  is  sandstone,  similar 
to  the  prevailing  formation  of  Otsego  and  Madison  counties,  char- 
acterised at  this  point  by  the  inoceramus  and  several  other  varieties 
of  fossil  shells,  and   farther  upward  by  the  trilohite  De  Kayii. 

As  if  to  add  interest  to  the  scene  at  the  time  of  the  visit  named* 
there  stood  Dick  Bouck,  then  a  gray-headed  old  negro,  who,  as 
before  stated,  was  the  little  captive  slave  taken  with  William 
Bouck  and  part  of  his  family  in  1780.  Dick  had  been  fishing  for 
trout  until  they  would  no  longer  bite,  and  was  then  hooking  them 
up.  He  recounted  the  story  of  his  captivity — but  could  not  resist 
the  temptation,  as  a  good  sized  fish  came  within  reach,  to  attempt 
its  capture,  thus  often  losing  the  thread  of  his  tale,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  his  auditors,  who  were  constantly  reproving  him 
for  his  inattention.  He  several  times  raised  his  hooks  from  the 
water  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  his  narrative,  but  the  line  would 
as  often  sink  unconsciously  into  it,  to  capture  a  good  sized  trout. 
Poor  Dick,  he  sleeps  with  his  fathers,  and  has  for  several  years; 
but  long  will  the  author  remember  the  story  of  his  captivity,  and 
the  novel  manner  in  which  he  related  it. 


BOUCK'S  FALLS. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        G27 

Ex-Governor  William  C.  Bouck,  is  a  native  of  this  town,  and 
was  born  January  7tli,  17SG.  His  farm  is  situated  upon  an  island 
on  the  cast  side  of  the  river,  and  his  dwelling  is  pleasantly  located 
near  the  bank  of  the  river,  fronting  the  road,  the  river,  and  on  its 
opposite  shore  a  romantic  mountain  called  Ottegus-berg — Panther 
mountain. 

His  early  education  was  good  considering  the  former  condition 
of  our  common  schools,  at  which  he  received  a  considerable  share 
of  it.  His  was  however  a  mind  of  that  inquisitive  sort,  susceptible 
of  improvement  from  general  reading  and  close  observation. — 
Numerous  have  been  the  instances  in  our  country,  in  which  men 
have — imitating  the  commendable  example  of  a  Washington  and 
a  Franklin,  by  untiring  application  after  they  have  done  going  to 
school,  where  in  fact  an  education  is  but  just  begun, — stored  their 
minds  with  a  fund  of  useful  knowledge  which  has  been  the  means 
in  after  life,  of  elevating  them  to  stations  of  distinction  and  honor. 

In  1807,  then  21  years  of  age,  he  was  elected  clerk  of  his  na- 
tive  town,  and  the  following  year  its  supervisor.  In  1812,  he 
was  appointed  sheriff  of  Schoharie  county,  by  Governor  Tomp- 
kins, and  the  year  following  was  chosen  to  represent  that  county 
in  the  assembly,  to  which  body  he  was  returned  m  the  years 
1814 — '15,  and  '17.  While  there,  he  was  active  in  sustaining 
the  course  of  Gov.  T.,  who  seconded  the  measures  of  the  general 
government  in  prosecuting  the  war  with  England  to  a  glorious 
termination.  In  1819  he  was  elected  a  state  senator,  about  which 
time  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  I8th  regiment  of  New- York 
infantry ;  the  duties  of  which  latter  office  he  is  said  to  have  dis- 
charged with  becoming  dignity  and  skill.  Still  in  the  senate  in 
1821,  where  he  was  respected  for  his  personal  knowledge,  he  was 
chosen  from  that  station  by  nearly  the  unanimous  vote  of  both 
liouscs  of 'the  legislature,  irrespective  of  farty  considerations,  a 
member  of  the  canal  board,  and  was  appointed  to  superintend  an 
important  portion  of  the  Erie  Canal  then  constructing.  He  was 
retained  as  canal  commissioner  for  nineteen  years,  during  which 
period  most  of  our  canals — public  works  of  which  our  State  may 
very  justly  be  proud — were  prosecuted  to  completion. 


628  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

In  1840,  Mr.  Bouck  was  the  democratic  candidate  for  the  oflSce 
of  Governor,  and  in  1842,  having  been  again  nominated,  he  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority.* 

Col.  Joseph  Bouck,  brother  of  the  late  governor,  has  once  been 
a  member  of  Congress. 

Mr.  Abraham  Keyser,  formerly  sheriff  of  Schoharie  countyjand 
for  many  years  treasurer  of  the  state, — the  duties  of  which  office  he 
discharged  most  satisfactorily — was  also  a  native  of  this  town,  his 
ancestors  being  among  the  earliest  German  settlers. 

Jefferson,  erected  from  Blenheim  in  1803,  is  20  miles  south- 
west of  the  county  seat,  and  53  from  Albany.  Population  2,033. 
Its  inhabitants — who  are  mostly  descended  from  New  England 
parentage — are  extensively  engaged  in  the  dairy  business.     It  has 

2  post-offices,  Jefferson  and  Mossville,  and  5  churches,  3  Metho- 
dist, 1  Baptist,  and  1  Presbyterian.  The  Delaware  river  rises  in 
this  town.  Jefferson  Academy,  incorporated  at  an  extra  legisla- 
tive session  in  1834,  is  pleasantly  located  in  the  village  of  Jeffer- 
son. 

MiDDLEBuRGH  is  Centrally  distant  from  the  court-house  5  miles, 
and  from  Albany  38.  It  is  bounded  north  by  Schoharie,  east  by 
Albany  county,  south  by  Broome  and  Blenheim,  and  west  by  Ful- 
ton and  Cobelskill.     Population  3,841.     In  this  town  there  are 

3  post-offices, — Middleburgh,  FrankUnton,  and  Hunters  Land, — 
and  6  churches, — 1  Lutheran,  1  Presbyterian,  2  Methodist,  1 
Quaker,  and  1  Independent  Presbyterian  or  Bellingerite. 

There  is  in  the  south  part  of  Middleburgh  a  place  called  the 
Vlaie — a  German  word,  signifying  a  marsh  or  swamp.  The 
place  was  known  as  a  black-ash  swamp,  nearly  a  mile  in  length 
and  covering  many  acres,  when  it  obtained  the  name.     It  is  on 

•  Many  a  word  spoken  in  jest  becomes  prophetic.  About  the  year  1820, 
an  honest  farmer  living  on  Fox  creek,  held  a  conversation  with  a  friend  of 
ours,  in  which  Mr.  Bouck  was  mentioned.  Of  the  latter  gentleman  the  for- 
mer thus  remarked  :  "  Depend  upon  it  that  man  will  yet  be  governor  of  this 
state  ;  for  instead  of  going  round  a  hill  as  other  men  do  to  see  what  is  on  the 
opposite  side,  he  looks  right  through  it."  This  casual  remark  was  made  at  a 
time,  when  his  excellency's  intimate  friends  did  not  anticipate  for  him  a  seat 
ia  the  gubernatorial  chair  of  slate. 


^"^Wonlieoffice 
Dominated,  te^js 

™filiasoDcel)een 

^-ia.i'e  coontyiffld 
s};wlijcii  office  he 
ireollliistowDjliis 
ttlai 

U  Millies  south- 
PopolatioD  2,033. 
wm  New  England 
tryWiness,  Itlias 
rmk,  3  Mdh- 
ilaTare  river  rises  in 
ditanextralegisla- 
ieTilageofJeffer- 

,OTtJioiise5Diiles, 
jT&ioianVastby 
ffli,M<lffestbyFul- 
tifi  town  tliere  are 
jiHiiiilcrsWr 
la,,  2  Mdisl,  1 

iiipte  called  *« 


,|i  or  swamp, 
^pmileini 
flKoaiae. 


The 


It  IS  on 


the  for- 

oftliii 

ffhaliso""" 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         633 

Gallutville,  a  hamlet  romantically  situated  on  Foxes  creek,  5 
miles  from  the  court-house,  has  a  Reformed  Dutch  cfmrck  and 
classic  school.  This  place  is  located  on  the  stage  road  leading 
from  Schoharie  to  Albany. 

Central  Buidge,  5  miles  northwest  from  the  court-house,  is  a 
small  hamlet  of  recent  growth,  with  a  Lutheran  church,  erected 
in  1844.  At  this  place  a  bridge  crosses  the  river,  called  Central 
Bridge,  from  its  being  nearly  equidistant  from  the  Espcrance  and 
Schoharie  bridges. 

Waldensville,  on  Foxes  creek  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town, 
is  an  unimportant  hamlet,  with  an  axe  factory,  several  work- 
shops, &c. 

A  small  church  owned  by  the  Methodist  persuasion  at  Punch 
Kill,  stands  within  the  limits  of  this  town. 

Gebhard^s  Cavern,  (called  formerly  Ball's  Cave,)  ranks  conspi- 
cuously among  the  natural  curiosities  of  the  county.  I  have  chosen 
to  call  it  after  John  Gebhard,  jun.  Esq.,  its  present  proprietor ;  a 
gentleman  who  has  done  much  to  advance  the  science  of  geolog}' 
— particularly  that  branch  now  denominated  palaeontology.  This 
cavern  is  situated  upon  an  elevation  called  Barton  hill,  its  en- 
trance being  in  a  piece  of  woods  nearly  four  miles  east  of  the 
court-house.  It  was  first  partially  explored  in  September,  1831. 
On  the  2 1st  of  October  of  the  same  year.  Doctor  Joel  Foster,  Mr. 
John  S.  Bonny,  John  Gebhard,  Esq.,  and  several  other  citizens 
of  Schoharie,  having  prepared  a  boat,  again  visited  this  cavern, 
and  being  let  down  by  ropes  with  their  skiff,  they  pretty  thoroughly 
explored  it.  Its  entrance,  which  is  funnel  shaped,  is  some  12  feet 
across,  and  when  first  visited  was  literally  covered  with  fallen 
timber,  a  part  of  which  had  been  cast  into  the  aperture  to  prevent 
domestic  animals  from  falling  in. 

This  cavern  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  forest,  and  ingress  to 
its  dark  chambers  is  down  a  natural  chimney  of  70  feet  depth, 
through  massive  lime  rock,  with  nearly  perpendicular  sides.  The 
chimney  is  now  supplied  with  a  substantial  ladder,  the  foot  of 
which  rests  upon  timber  and  earth,  which  have  accumulated  in 
the  lapse  of  time  to  several  feet  in  depth.     From  the  foot  of  the 


634  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

ladder,  the  principal  direction  of  the  cavern  is  southwest ;  and  the 
visiter  after  descending  some  30  feet  more  by  a  craggy  footing 
and  a  second  ladder,  arrives  at  a  passage  some  10  feet  wide,  and 
for  a  little  distance  not  over  three  feet  high. 

On  the  right  of  this  passage,  which  is  nearly  30  feet  long  with 
an  arch  of  nature's  masonry,  a  stream  of  pure  water  issues  from 
an  opening  three  feet  wide  and  fifteen  inches  high.  A  small  boat 
having  been  constructed  for  the  purpose  and  called  after  its  pro- 
jector the  Bonny  Boat,  Mr.  Bonny  in  one  of  his  early  visits  ex- 
plored this  part  of  the  cavern.  In  a  recumbent  posture  he  was 
pushed  off  in  his  tiny  craft  with  torch  in  hand  into  the  dark  hole, 
which  soon  enlarged  to  respectable  dimensions,  so  that  he  could 
stand  up  and  propel  it :  this  he  did  by  taking  hold  of  projections 
of  the  rock.  He  discovered  nothing  very  peculiar  in  this  passage, 
which  led  in  a  northerly  course,  except  that  its  limpid  water  was 
obstructed  by  fourteen  natural  dams,  in  themselves  a  curiosity  of 
no  little  interest.  They  were  located  where  the  passage  was  8 
or  10  feet  wide  and  about  as  high,  with  a  depth  of  water  between 
them  ranging  from  10  to  30  feet ;  and  consisted  of  tufaceous  for- 
mations resembling  sections  of  a  circle,  the  curve  in  each  dam 
being  towards  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  or  sluggish  stream.  Those 
dams,  which  rose  several  inches  above  the  level  of  the  water  be- 
low them,  and  over  which  the  stream  gently  rippled,  were  about 
four  inches  in  thickness  on  the  top,  upon  which  the  fearless  navi- 
gator had  to  stand  astride  his  boat,  and  push  it  into  the  lake  up- 
on its  opposite  side. 

This  part  of  the  cavern,  which  has  been  denominated  passage 
of  the  dams,  terminates  in  a  large  room  nearly  fifty  feet  square, 
the  walls  of  which  are  graywacke,  and  hang  in  threatening  con- 
fusion on  every  side.  As  the  characteristic  rock  of  the  mountain 
is  here  changed,  it  affords  the  visitor  no  geological  specimens  of 
interest ;  and  as  this  passage  is  explored  with  much  hazard,  few 
will  ever  see  it.  The  last  time  Mr.  Bonny  visited  the  dams,  (in 
1835,)  the  writer  launched  his  craft  and  awaited  with  anxiety, 
at  the  entrance,  his  return.  Mr.  B.  then  gave  this  part  of  the  ca- 
vern a  satisfactory  examination,  and  observed  that  many  frag- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         G35 

ments  of  rock"  had  fallen  in  the  square  room  since  his  first  visit; 
and  supposed  that  tons  more  might  be  dislodged  by  the  discharge 
of  a  musket.  He  came  near  losing  his  balance  while  standing 
upon  a  dam  and  pushing  over  the  then  water-soaked  boat,  and  on 
making  his  egress,  expressed  his  gratitude  for  having,  as  he  be- 
lieved, barely  escaped  a  watery  grave ;  for  had  he  lost  his  light, 
and  with  it  his  Iwat,  he  could  hardly  have  found  his  way,  by 
swimming  in  such  cold  water  nearly  one  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the 
place  of  entrance. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  main  passage  leading  from  the  en- 
trance, at  a  little  distance  from  Ihe  outlet  of  the  lake,  obstructed 
by  danas,  is  an  opening  scarcely  large  enough  to  admit  a  grown 
person,  which  leads  into  a  room  some  ten  feet  in  diameter,  called 
the  Fox  room  ;  its  early  visitors  having  found  within  it  animal 
bones,  supposed  to  have  been  those  of  a  fox.  The  sound  of  ham- 
mer strokes  upon  the  wall  or  floor  of  this  room  give  evidence  of 
a  cavity  beyond,  into  which  a  passage  could  easily  be  opened 
with  proper  implements. 

Following  the  rippling  stream  in  the  main  passage,  it  leads  to 
the  shore  of  a  lake  nearly  400  feet  in  length.  This  sheet  of 
transparent  water,  buried  about  100  feet  beneath  the  earth's  sur- 
face, and  on  which  the  zephyr  bre  ze  has  never  cast  a  ripple,  is, 
with  two  or  three  exceptions,  not  over  8  or  10  feet  wide,  averag- 
ing in  depth  from  6  to  30  feet.  In  some  places,  the  arched  lime- 
rock  rises  above  the  head  of  the  young  mariner  20  or  30  feet, 
while  in  others  he  is  compelled  to  adopt  Franklin's  maxim,  and 
stoof  to  avoid  a  thump. 

The  lake  terminates  at  its  southwest  end  in  an  enlargement  of 
the  passage,  and  climbing  up  a  ste^'-iasrnrst  of  w>or  12  feet,  a 
small  aperture  leads  iniid  intelligent  youni  called  from  its  circular 
form,  the  rotunda.  This  room  is  3J5  feet  in  circumference,  with 
a  vaulted  roof  and  concave  floor,  separated  in  (h.-  ceQtre  by  a 
space  of  some  40  feet.  A  single  candle  reflects  but  a  sich.r^l :  Jn 
in  this  dungeon  of  nature,  but  the  writer  once  visited  it  Wag. 
some  thirty  other  individuals  were  there  on  the  same  errand,  and 
the  light  of  thirty  torches  discovered  the  magnificence  of  the 


636  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

apartment.  The  only  living  inhabitants  of  this  cavern  are  bats, 
which  hang  suspended  to  each  other  from  the  walls,  by  bringing 
into  requisition  the  little  hooks  on  their  wings,  and  resemble  bees 
at  rest  in  a  hive.  Trout  would,  no  doubt,  live  in  the  cold,  clear 
waters  of  this  everlasting  dungeon. 

From  the  rotunda  is  a  low  narrow  passage  running  in  a  south- 
east direction  several  hundred  feet,  in  no  part  of  which  can  the 
visitant  stand  upright.  On  the  north  side  of  the  rotunda,  an 
opening  leads  into  a  small  room  denominated,  from  musical  sounds 
sometimes  heard  in  it,  the  Micsic  Saloon.  A  few  years  ago  this 
cavern  was  purchased  by  John  Gebhard,  jr.  and  Mr.  Bonny, 
who  opened  a  passage  in  the  clay  and  sand  which  constitute  the 
floors,  from  the  music  room  into  several  other  small  apartments  in 
that  vicinity ;  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  similar  excavations 
would  disclose  other  hidden  recesses.  In  fact,  a  few  hours'  labor 
would  doubtless  open  a  passage  through  the  floor  in  one  part  of 
the  rotunda,  beneath  which  the  outlet  of  the  lake  can  be  heard 
descending  to  a  lower  level,  and  thus  disclose  to  the  visitor  new 
attractions — new  wonders. 

Tons  of  rare  minerals  have  been  removed  from  the  several 
rooms  of  this  cavern,  to  adorn  the  cabinets  of  practical  geolo- 
gists. Stalactites  and  stalagmites,  of  semi-transparent  alabaster, 
white  as  Alpine  snow,  and  of  every  seeming  variety  of  shape, 
have  been  taken  from  this  laboratory.  Minerals  depending  from 
the  ceilings,  or  attached  to  the  walls  and  floors,  were  removed  by 
the  early  visitors,  but  many  of  the  richest  specimens  have  been 
discovered  at  a  later  period,  by  digging  in  the  earthy  floors. 
Some  of  ''  /  '  -'  "'"  alabaster,  which  have  been  formed  in  the 
lapse  of  ages^ty-h  ^re  giaj^'wL  r.  of  water  through  the  fissures  of 
lime-rock,  and  its  esca] '« the  characteristic  .+ion,  thus  leaving  its 
imbibed  sedimentary  deposit  of  carbonate  of  lime  on  the  floors  of 
this  c?'''  ":  aic  found  to  contain  geodes  filled  with  beautiful  Jlos- 
wiil  evft]^read-like  crystals.  The  satin  spar  is  only  rivalled  by 
^Yc^of  Derbyshire,  England,  while  the  brotm  calcarious  spars  and 
arragonite  are  rarely  equalled  in  beauty  by  those  of  any  other 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        037 

A  specimen  weighing  several  hundred  pounds  now  adorns  the 
vahiable  cabinet  of  John  Gcbhard,  Esq.,  which  was  removed  by 
immense  labor  from  the  music  saloon,  and  drawn  to  the  surface 
by  a  windlass.  It  is  a  mass  of  pure  white  alabaster,  which  has 
incorporated  in  its  formation  several  stalagmites,  and  projecting 
from  a  part  of  which  are  forty-one  distinct  stalactites  of  various 
sizes,  pointing,  like  so  many  magnets,  to  the  centre  of  all  gravity. 
Another  specimen  which  was  excavated  in  this  part  of  the  cav- 
ern, deserves  especial  notice.  It  is  a  female  bust,  or  rather  breast, 
of  purest  alabaster ;  the  contour  is  French,  and  approximates  sur- 
prisingly to  nature,  on  which  account  it  is  one  of  the  most  valua- 
ble of  all  stalagmitic  formations — for  it  is  a  form  which  may  be 
admired  without  the  fear  of  its  imbibing  false  pride,  or  blushing 
at  the  exposure  of  its  own  cJiarming  proportions. 

Gebhard's  cavern  has  a  merited  celebrity  on  account  of  its  se- 
cluded locality,  its  limpid  lakes,  its  rotunda,  its  salubrious  atmo- 
sphere, and  the  immense  quantity  of  beautiful  minerals  it  has  af- 
forded the  admirer  of  Nature's  handiwork  ;  not  a  few  of  which, 
for  their  snowy  whiteness,  are  scarcely  equalled  by  those  of  any 
other  cavern  in  this  country;  and  it  will  continue  to  have  nume- 
rous visiters,  although  other  caves,  dark  and  deep,  may  become 
justly  celebrated  in  its  neighborhood.  For  as  a  previous  writer 
observes — "  The  novelty  of  navigating  a  crystal  lake  by  torch 
light,  beneath  an  arch  of  massive  rock,  at  the  distance  of  some 
hundred  feet  from  the  surface  of  the  earth — the  breathless  excite- 
ment resulting  from  the  real  and  imaginary  dange-s  of  the  enter- 
prise, &c.,  are  themselves  sufficient  to  render  this  cavern  a  place 
of  fre:iuent  and  interesting  resort." 

Several  females  have  explored  it,  the  first  of  whom  was  Miss 
Wayland,  a  spirited  and  intelligent  young  lady  from  New  York 
city.  The  interior  of  all  caverns  is  ever  damp — ever  dirty  ;  and 
those  who  would  visit  this  or  any  other,  and  explore  its  or  their 
extent,  must  go  provided  with  a  suit  of  once  rejected  apparel :  in 
other  words,  they  must  increase  the  novelty  of  their  visit  by  gaz- 
ing on  curious  objects  in  the  most  ludicrous  figure  they  can  possi- 
bly present — which  is  that  of  disguising  their  persons  in  the  cast- 
41 


638  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

off  clothing  of  somebody's  grand-parents.  Col.  Stone,  speaking 
of  Miss  Wayland's  preparation  to  enter  this  cavern,  said  ^' she 
had  prepared  herself  at  the  village  with  a  garb  which  would  have 
appeared  well  in  the  beggar^s  opera." 

A  clever  romance  of  the  Mohawk,  written  a  few  years  since 
by  Hoffman,  and  given  the  name  of  Greycelaer,  (a  name  which 
sounds  too  much  like  that  of  certain  tory  leaders,  mentioned  in  this 
volume,  to  please  the  writer,)  locates  some  scenes  of  it  in  this  ca- 
vern, to  which  he  applies  the  very  pretty  Indian  name  of  Wane- 
onda.  It  is  not  probable,  however,  that  any  Indian  ever  entered, 
noticed,  or  named  it.  The  charming  Alida  de  Roos,  its  heroine, 
the  reader  may  almost  fancy  personified  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Wayland,  who  is  doubtless  quite  as  pretty. 

Otsgauagee  Cavern,  known  in  its  vicinity  as  Howe's  cave,  and 
called  by  G.  F.  Yates,  Esq.,  (an  antiquarian  and  naturalist,  who 
was  one  of  its  earliest  visiters,  and  first  to  describe  it).  The 
Great  Gallery  Cave,  is  situated  on  the  farm  of  Henry  Wetsel, 
in  the  extreme  northwest  corner  of  this  town,  about  three  and  a 
half  miles  from  Central  Bridge,  and  five  from  the  Court  House. 
It  was  first  explored  by  Lester  Howe,  its  present  proprietor,  in  the 
month  of  May,  1842.  The  entrance  is  in  the  side  of  a  mountain 
ridge  of  limestone,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Cobelskill,  not  far  dis- 
tant from,  but  elevated  some  fifty  feet  above  that  stream.  From 
the  entrance,  which  is  very  easy  of  access,  its  principal  direction 
is  nearly  west,  leading  off  under  the  town  of  Cobelskill. 

A  visit  to  several  spacious  rooms  in  this  cave,  is  made  with  com- 
parative ease,  and  little  or  no  danger ;  one  of  which,  situated  some 
distance  from  the  entrance,  is  very  properly  called  the  Chapel,  in 
a  published  notice  of  it.  This  apartment,  which  crosses  the  prin- 
cipal direction  of  the  passage,  somewhat  resembles  in  shape  the 
hull  of  a  ship  bottom  upwards,  in  an  inclined  position,  the  floor  at 
one  end  being  elevated  above  the  other,  and  is  some  sixty  or  sev- 
enty feet  in  length  by  about  twenty  in  breadth,  with  a  vaulted 
roof  separated  from  the  floor  by  a  space  of  twenty  or  thirty  feet. 
Near  the  upper  end  of  this  room  is  a  stalactite  which  will  weigh 
several  hundred  pounds,  and  beneath  it  a  stalagmite  of  corres- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         639 

pondin<T  dimensions.  They  are  ash-colored,  of  interesting  forni, 
and  far  more  valuable  where  they  are,  than  they  would  be  in  any 
other  place,  as  they  may,  in  fancy,  be  considered  the  desk  of  the 
Chapel. 

From  the  room  just  described,  the  visitor,  whose  curiosity  leads 
him  farther,  is  obliged  to  pass  through  a  place  called  the  tunnel, 
nearly  two  hundred  feet  in  length,  so  contracted  as  to  compel  him 
either  to  creep  on  all  fours,  or  prostrate,  and  worm  himself  along 
upon  a  plank  placed  for  his  convenience,  where  the  cavities 
of  the  floor  are  filled  with  water,  which  plank  are  of  course  con- 
stantly wet.  Threading  this  passage,  in  some  parts  of  which  he 
cannot  turn  round  if  he  would,  the  visitor  will  feel  awe-stricken, 
and,  if  he  never  has  before,  will  realize  to  some  extent  the  con- 
sciousness of  his  own  weakness  and  ability  of 

That  Spirit-power  the  earth  we  tread  now  quakes, 
And  closins:  old,  new  mountain-caverns  makes; 

Which  bids  the  clouds  send  down  their  timely  rain, 
And  whistling  winds  go  drink  it  up  again. 

This  narrow  passage  conducts  into  a  room  in  which  a  boat  is  re- 
quired to  cross  a  small  sheet  of  limpid  water,  which  is  thirty  feet 
long,  twenty  wide,  and  ten  deep,  over  which  Charon  ferries  his 
friends. 

From  the  lake  the  main  passage  of  the  cavern  extends  a 
great  distance,  much  of  the  way  following  the  meanderings  of  a 
brook,  the  passage  being  sufficiently  large  to  permit  visitors  to 
proceed  with  no  other  inconvenience  than  their  exposure  to  wet 
feet.  Several  extensive  rooms  are  met  with  in  the  back  part  of 
the  cavern,  which  contain  formations  of  a  novel  character  ;  and 
in  one  of  its  secret  passages  is  heard  the  thundering  of  a  cataract, 
where  a  stream  of  water  dashes  down  unobserved  into  caverns  far 
below.  The  passages  of  this  cavern,  large  and  small,  extend 
several  miles  from  its  entrance,  and  disclose  to  the  visitor  many 
interesting  peculiarities ;  and  that  persons  may  not  travel  great 
distances  to  visit  it  and  go  home  disappointed,  as  several  have, 
who  expected  to  explore  "  The  rival  of  the  Mammoth  Cave  in 
Kentucky,''^  I  am  constrained  to  observe  that  several  accounts  have 


640  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

exaggerated  its  true  picture.  To  say  nothing  of  a  lake  within  it, 
in  which  subsist  fish  that  have  no  visible  organs  of  sight,  "  The 
Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky,"  says  James  K.  Paukling,  "  is  the 
largest  cavern  in  the  known  world,  having  either  ihirtj/  or  thirty- 
two  avenues  radiating  from  the  area  within  the  entrance,  each 
one  extending  to  the  distance  of  ten  miles  under  the  earth.  A 
man,  therefore,  in  going  and  returning  through  these  avenues, 
would  cover  a  (WsidiUce  o{  upvjards  of  six  hundred  miles."  There 
are  acres  of  ground  in  single  rooms  in  this  great  cavern,  while 
much  of  the  Schoharie  cave  under  consideration,  consists  in  nar- 
row passages,  not  to  be  explored  without  some  difficulty,  and  the 
hazard  of  receiving  a  sponged  coat  and  muddy  boots. 

Far  inland,  this  cave  abounds  in  mineral  deposits,  peculiar  to 
caverns  in  limestone,  such  as  calcarious  spar,  arragonite  of  vari- 
ous colors,  and  alabaster  in  stalactical  and  other  forms ;  few  of 
which  as  yet  taken  out  will  compare,  however,  in  pearly  and 
snowy  whiteness,  with  similar  formations  found  in  Gebhard's 
Cave.  Some  of  the  dangerous  looking  holes  in  Cobelskill  and 
Carlisle,  may  possibly  be  found  to  communicate  with  Howe's  Ca- 
vern. The  proprietor  is  making  praiseworthy  efforts  to  open  a 
passage  round  the  tunnel  to  the  lake,  which,  if  successful,  will  ob- 
viate the  greatest  difficulty  now  met  with  in  satisfactorily  explor- 
ing this  cave,  and  it  will  then  be  visited  by  numerous  guests. 

A''ehtawai/^s  Cave,  situated  on  the  farm  of  Peter  Nethaway, 
two  miles  south-west  of  the  court-house,  was  explored  in  1836 
by  John  Gebhard  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Bonny.  It  afTorded  nothing 
worth  removing,  save  a  few  choice  cabinet  specimens  of  colored 
rhombohedral  spar,  which  resembles  the  most  inviting  maple 
sugar. 

In  addition  to  the  rich  minerals  found  in  its  caverns,  this  town 
affords  several  others  of  beauty  and  interest.  Sulphate  of  stron- 
tian,  an  exceedingly  rare  mineral,  is  found  in  two  localities :  one 
in  a  vein  between  layers  of  rock  at  tiie  Karighondontee  moun- 
tain, about  three  miles  northwest,  and  another  one-fourth  of  a 
mile  southeast  of  the  court-house.  This  mineral  receives  a  fine 
polish,  and  resembles  marble  in  its  appearance,  but  is  easily  de- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        641 

termincd  by  its  specific  gravity,  which  is  much  heavier  than  that 
of  marble.  Carbonate  of  slrcntian,  almost  as  rare  a  mineral,  is 
also  found  at  the  last  mentioned  locality. 

A  mine  of  iron  pyrites,  to  appearance  exhauslless,  is  situated 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  one  mile  southwest  of  the  court- 
house. Some  of  its  crystalizations  are  very  beautiful ;  but  the 
mineral  is  of  no  great  value.  A  German  chemist,  named  John 
Casper  Staudt,  is  said  to  have  made  small  quantities  of  copperas 
at  this  place  during  the  Revolution.  In  fact,  he  acquired  the  repu- 
tation of  making  contraband  coppers  also,  which  are  said  to  have 
passed  more  currently  than  continental  paper. 

On  the  south  bank  of  Foxes  creek,  one  mile  east  of  the  court- 
house, is  a  locality  of  clay-stones.  They  are  small,  regular  forma- 
tions of  indurated  clay,  and  present  the  appearance  of  having  been 
turned  in  a  lathe.  They  are  washed  out  at  every  freshet  from  a 
steep  bank,  at  a  depth  of  at  least  ten  feet  below  the  surface. 
They  are  valueless,  but  in  themselves  a  matter  of  no  little  curiosity. 

Fluate  of  lime  or  Jluor  spar,  is  found  in  small  quantities  in 
seams  of  the  lime-rock,  half  a  mile  southeast  of  the  court-house. 
In  its  vicinity  also  occurs  a  strata  of  water  limestone,  which  Pro- 
fessor Beck  analyzed  with  the  following  result : 

Carbonate  of  Lime, 56.25 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia, 30.75 

Silica  and  Alumina, 11.50 

Oxide  of  Iron, 150 

100.000 
Calcarioxis  tufa  is  found  in  several  localities  along  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  In  it  are  beautiful  specimens  oi  fossil  moss  ; 
the  incrustations  of  limy  matter  being  so  delicate  as  to  preserve 
every  fibre  of  the  once  living  moss ;  while  other  portions,  finding  the 
former  bed  a  fertilizer,  grow  upon  its  top,  presenting  the  pheno- 
mena of  white  and  green  in  the  same  cluster.  A  specimen  ana- 
lyzed by  Professor  Beck,  gave  the  following  result : 

Carbonate  of  Lime 97  25 

Organic  matter, 1  P5 

SUica, 80 

100.000 


642  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

On  the  walls  of  the  old  stone  church,  are  cut  the  names  of 
most  of  the  individuals  who  aided  in  its  erection.  In  the  grave- 
yard near  it  is  the  following  monumental  inscription  : 

"  In  memory  of  Col.  Peter  Vrooman,  who  departed  this  life  De- 
cember 29th,  1793,  aged  fifty-seven  years,  nine  months,  and  nine 
days." 

Seward,  erected  from  Sharon  February  11th,  1S40,  is  distant 
from  the  Court  House  15  miles,  and  from  Albany  48.  It  is  bound- 
ed north  by  Sharon,  east  by  Cobelskill,  south  and  west  by  Otsego 
county ;  and  was  named  after  His  Excellency,  William  H.  Sew- 
ard, then  Governor  of  the  State.  This  town  has  4  churches — J 
Methodist,  2  Lutheran,  and  1  Baptist ;  and  2  post  offices,  called 
Hyndsville,  and  Gardnersville. 

The  local  settlement  called  New  Dorlach,  after  a  town  in  Ger- 
many from  whence  its  citizens  came,  was  made  in  this  town  in 
1754,  by  Sebastian  France,  Michael  Merckley,  Henry  Hynds,  and 
Ernest  Fretz,  who  landed  at  New  York  in  the  fall  of  1753,  pro- 
ceeded to  Albany  in  the  winter,  and  the  following  spring  began 
their  pioneer  residence.  These  settlers  had  part  of  their  early 
milling  done  at  Schenectada. 

The  north  part  of  Seward  has  a  supply  of  limestone.  A  spur 
of  the  Catsbergs  runs  along  the  south  side  of  West  creek.  On 
the  north  side  of  that  stream,  situated  between  Hyndsville  and 
Lawyerville,  is  a  hill,  called  on  the  early  maps  by  the  Indian  name 
of  Gogng-ta-nee.  The  following  inscription  may  be  seen  in  the 
burying  ground  of  the  Methodist  Church,  near  Hyndsville  : 

"In  memory  of  Horace  Handy,  who  died  Sept.  II,  1834,  in  the 
22d  year  of  his  age.  H.  H.  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College,  a 
member  and  benefactor  of  the  Adelphi  Society,  by  whose  order 
this  was  erected." 

Sharon,  centrally  distant  northwest  from  the  Court  House  18 
miles,  and  from  Albany  45,  is  bounded  north  by  Montgomery 
county,  east  by  Carlisle,  south  by  Seward,  and  west  by  Otsego 
county.  This  town  was  so  called  after  Sharon  in  Connecticut 
Being  underlaid  with  limestone,  it  has  numerous  caverns,  few, 
if  any  of  which,  have  yet  been  explored.     The  rock  contains 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        643 

numerous  fossils,  among  which  I  have  procured  good  specimens 
of  branch  coral.  Sharon  has  4  post  offices — SLaron,  Lcesville, 
Argusville,  and  Sharon  Centre  (the  last  mentioned  being  nearest 
the  Sharon  Springs);  and  4  churches— I  Reformed  Dutch,  1  Me- 
Uwdisf,  1  Baptist,  and  1  owned  by  the  Lutherans  and  Baptists. 

In  a  ravine  nearly  a  mile  north  of  the  turnpike,  two  miles  from 
the  Sharon  Centre  post  office,  and  about  the  same  distance  from 
Leesville,  are  the  Sharon  Sulphur  Springs — mineral  waters — said 
to  be  similar  in  properties  to  the  celebrated  springs  of  Virginia. 
The  principal  spring  boils  up  from  the  bed  of  a  small  brook,  dis- 
charging a  column  of  water  which  must  ever  supply  an  abundance 
for  medicinal  purposes. 

An  analysis,  made  by  Dr.  Chilton,  of  New  York,  of  water  from 
this  spring,  gives  the  following  result : 

Grains. 

Sulphate  of  Maj^ncsia, 42.40 

do  Lime. 111.62 

Chloride  of  Sodium, 2.24 

do  Magnesium, 2.40 

Hydro-sulphuret  of  Sodium,   ) 228 

do  Calcium,  ^ 

Tolal  number  of  grains,    160.94 
Sulphuretted  Hydrogen  Gas,  16  cubic  inches. 

Besides  this,  there  are  several  smaller  springs  of  like  efficacy 
near,  and,  as  stated  by  Dr.  Beck,  a  chalybeate  spring  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  The  waters  of  the  first  mentioned  spring  are  high- 
ly impregnated  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen — indeed,  to  such  a  de- 
gree as  to  tarnish  silver,  even  in  the  pocket  of  the  visiter.  There 
is  a  pretty  cascade,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  the 
shower  house,^  to  lure  the  lover  of  romance,  while  around  the 
springs yb^5e7  leaves  and  moss  are  easily  obtained  in  great  perfec- 
tion by  geologists. 

Anhydrous  sulphate  of  lime,  an  exceedingly  rare  mineral,  is 
found  in  a  little  cave  near  the  principal  spring  at  this  place.  It  is 
a  remarkable  fact,  that  while  crystals  are  decomposing  on  one 
side  of  a  mass  of  this  mineral,  they  are  often  forming  on  the  op- 
posite side. 


644 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 


The  waters  of  the  Sharon  Springs  have  obtained  great  celeb- 
rity for  the  last  twenty  years,  for  their  beneficial  effects  on  rheu- 
matic, cutaneous,  and  other  diseases  ;  and  a  public  house  was  long 
since  erected  near  the  principal  spring.  The  Pavilion,  a  magni- 
ficent hotel,  reared  by  a  company  of  gentlemen  from  New  York, 
in  1836,  on  an  adjoining  eminence,  for  the  better  accommodation 
of  visiters,  is  now  fitted  up  in  elegant  style,  and  under  the  direc- 
tion of  its  present  proprietors,  Messrs.  Gardner  &  Landon,  is  well 


SHARON  SPRINGS  PAVILION, 
patronized  by  invalids,  who  would  know  the  efficacy  of  the  mine- 
ral waters,  and  fashionable  tourists,  who  would  seek  a  summer  re- 
sidence where  novel  and  picturesque  scenery,  and  a  most  salubri- 
ous atmosphere  cannot  fail  to  invite  them. 

The  Pavilion  is  situated  on  the  borders  of  Schoharie,  Montgo- 
mery, and  Otsego  counties,  about  45  miles  west  from  Alba- 
ny, 20  northwest  from  Schoharie  Court  House,  and  8  east  from 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        645 

Cherry  Valley.  Visitors  who  would  approach  the  Springs  from 
the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  will  find  carriages  running  daily,  in 
the  summer  season,  from  Canajoharie,  nine  miles  distant,  for  their 
accommodation. 

Summit,*  erected  April  13,  1819,  from  Cobelskill  and  JefTerson, 
is  distant  southwest  from  the  Court  House  20  miles,  from  Albany 
50,  and  from  Catskill  55.  It  is  bounded  north  by  Cobelskill,  east 
by  Fulton,  south  by  Jefferson  and  Delaware  county,  and  west  by 
Otsego  county.  It  began  to  be  settled  about  ten  years  after  the 
close  of  the  Revolution,  by  men  from  New  England,  whose  de- 
scendants are  engaged  in  the  dairy  business.  Population  2,009. 
The  prevailing  rock  is  slate.  Summit  has  7  churches — 3  Metho- 
dist, 2  Baptist,  1  Lutheran,  and  1  Christian  ;  and  2  post  offices — 
Summit  4  Corners  and  Charlotteville.  Summit  Pond,  a  small, 
placid  sheet  of  water,  near  the  corners  in  this  town,  covers  some 
sixty  acres  of  land. — J.  W.  Baird. 

•On  the  borders  of  this  town  is  a  small  lake,  bearing  the  soft  Indian  name 
Ut-say-anlho.  It  is  known  in  the  neighborhood  as  Jack's  ,'ake,  so  called  af- 
ter the  late  John  A.  Hudson,  who  owned  lands  around  it — Jack  being  our  na- 
tional vulgarity  for  John.  This  sheet  of  water,  which  affords  one  of  the  sour- 
ces of  the  Susquehanna,  owes  its  poetic  name,  as  tradition  says,  to  the  follow- 
ing circumstance  :  Utsayantho,  a  beautiful  Inuian  maiden,  gave  birth  to  an 
illegitimate  child  on  its  romanlic  shore,  end  a  council  of  chiefs  having  been 
called  to  deliberate  on  its  fate,  they  decided  to  drown  it  in  the  lake,  and  did 
Bo  ;  since  which  it  has  been  known  by  the  name  of  the  unhappy  mother. — E. 
B .  Bigelow.  Jr, 


(  646  ) 


CHAPTER  XXL 


While  water  is  running  from  mountain  to  plain, 
And  our  star-spangled  banner  floats  over  the  main  ; 
When  myrtle  and  laurel  in  green  life  are  drest, 
We  '11  cherish  thy  mem'ry,  brave  captors  at  rest. 

But  the  acts  of  a  knave,  a  traitor — ingrate. 

Must  kindle  forever  our  deadliest  hate  ; 

Shall  invoke  through  all  time,  base  Arnold,  on  thee, 

The  withering  curse  of  the  virtuous  and  free. 

To  R.  W,  Murphy,  Esq.  of  Preston  Hollow,  a  nephew  of  Da- 
vid Williams,  would  the  author  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  for 
several  interesting  incidents  in  the  life  of  the  latter. 

The  captor  Williams  was  a  son  of  After  and  Phebe  Williams, 
who  emigrated  from  Holland  in  early  life.  They  were  poor  but 
reputable :  he  died  near  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  and  the 
widow  died  at  the  residence  of  her  son  David,  in  1795.  The  fol- 
lowing biography  of  David  Williams  appeared  in  the  Albany 
Daily  Advertiser  in  January  preceding  his  death,  said  to  have 
been  dictated  by  himself. 

"  I  was  born  in  Tarr}nown,  then  called  Philips'  Manor,  West- 
chester county,  New-York,  October  21st,  1754.  I  entered  the 
army  in  1775,  at  the  age  of  21,  and  was  under  Gen.  Monto-omery 
at  the  siege  of  Fort  St.  Johns,  and  afterwards  on  board  the  flat  bot- 
tomed boats  to  carry  provisions,  &c.;  served  out  my  time  which 
was  six  months.  I  then  went,  listed  again  in  the  spring  of  1776, 
and  continued  in  the  service  by  different  enlistments  as  a  New- 
York  militiaman  until  1779. 

In  1778,  when  in  Capt.  Acker's  company  of  New-York  militia 
at  Tarry  town,  I  asked  his  permission  to  take  a  walk  in  company 
with  William  Van  Wart,  a  boy  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old.  I 
proceeded  to  the  cross-roads  on  Tompkins'  ridge,  stood  looking  a 
few  minutes,  saw  five  men  coming,  they  had  arms;  we  jumped 


HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY,  ETC.  647 

over  a  stone  fence  and  concealed  ourselves  in  a  comer  of  it ;  ob- 
served that  they  were  armed  with  two  muskets  and  three  pistols. 
They  came  so  nii^h  that  we  rccoe^nised  two  of  them,  viz.  William 
Underhill  and  William  Mosher,  who  were  tories,  and  known  to  be 
of  De  Lancey's  corps.  When  they  came  within  proper  distance, 
I  said  to  my  companion,  '  Billy,  neck  or  no  joint !'  I  then  said 
aloud,  as  if  speakings  to  a  number,  with  the  view  of  intimidating 
them,  '  men  viake  ready  .''  They  stopped  immediately  ;  I  told  them 
to  ground  their  arms,  which  they  did  ;  I  then  said, '  march  away ;' 
they  did  so;  I  then  jumped  over  the  fence,  secured  their  arms, 
and  made  them  march  before  us  to  our  quarters.  I  continued  in 
the  service  until  a  week  or  ten  days  before  the  year  1780.  In  De- 
cember, 1779,  Captain  Daniel  Williams,  who  was  commander  of 
our  company,  mounted  us  on  horses  and  we  went  to  Morrisiana, 
Westchester  county.  We  swept  all  Morrisiana  clear  ;  took  proba- 
bly $5,000  worth  of  property,  returned  to  Tarrytown,  and  quar- 
tered at  Young's  house.  My  feet  being  frozen,  my  uncle  Martinus 
Van  Wart  took  me  to  his  house,  I  told  Capt.  Williams  that  the 
enemy  would  soon  be  at  Young's,  and  that  if  he  remained  there 
he  would  be  on  his  way  to  Morrisiana  before  morning.  He  paid 
no  attention  to  my  remarks — he  did  not  believe  me ;  but  in  the 
course  of  the  night  a  woman  came  to  my  uncle's  cr}-ing  '  Uncle 
Martinus  !  Uncle  Martinus  !'  The  truth  was  the  British  had  sur- 
rounded Young's  house,  made  prisoners  of  all  the  company  except 
two,  and  burnt  the  bam. 

"  Having  got  well  of  my  frozen  feet,  on  the  third  of  June,  1780, 
we  were  all  driven  from  Tarrytown  to  the  upper  part  of  Westches- 
ter county,  in  the  town  of  Salem.  We  belonged  to  no  organised 
company  at  all;  were  under  no  command,  and  worked  for  our 
board  or  joh7i7iy-cake.  Isaac  Van  Wart,  who  was  a  cousin  of  mine, 
[the  father  of  Williams  and  mother  of  Van  Wart  were  brother  and 
sister,]  Nicholas  Storms  and  myself  went  to  Tarrytown  on  a  visit ; 
we  carried  our  muskets  with  us,  and  on  our  way  took  a  Quaker 
who  said  he  was  going  to  New-York  after  salt  and  other  things. 
The  Quaker  was  taken  before  the  American  authority  and  ac- 
quitted. 

"  In  July  or  August  a  number  of  persons  of  whom  I  was  one, 
went  on  a  visit  to  our  friends  in  Tarrytown,  and  while  on  the  way 
took  ten  head  of  cattle  which  some  refugees  Avere  driving  to  New- 
York,  and  on  examination  before  the  authority,  the  cattle  were 
restored  to  their  right  owners,  as  they  pleaded  innocence  saying 
they  were  stolen  from  them.  I  then  returned  to  Salem  and  worked 
with  a  Mr.  Benedict  for  my  board  until  the  22d  of  September.  It 
was  about  one  o'clock,  P.  M.,  as  I  was  standing  in  the  door  with 
Mr.  Benedict's  daughter,  (who  was  aftenvards  my  wife),  when  I 
saw  six  men  coming;  she  remarked  '  they  have  got  guns.'  I 
jumped  over  a  board  fence  and  met  them.  '  Bovs,'  said  I, '  where 
are  you  going  I'  they  answered  '  we  are  going  to  Tarrj-town.'  I 
then  said  '  if  you  will  wait  until  I  get  my  gun  I  will  go  with  you.' 


648  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

The  names  of  the  six  persons  were  Isaac  Van  Wart,  John  Pauld- 
ing, William  Williams,  John  Yerks,  and  James  Romer  ;  the  name 
of  the  sixth  I  have  forgotten.  We  proceeded  about  fifteen  miles 
that  night,  and  slept  in  a  hay  barrack.  In  the  morning  we  crossed 
Buttermilk  hill,  when  John  Paulding  proposed  to  go  to  Isaac 
Reed's  and  get  a  pack  of  cards  to  divert  ourselves  with.  After 
procuring  them  we  went  out  to  Davis'  hill,  where  we  separated ; 
leaving  four  on  the  hill,  and  three,  viz.  Van  Wart,  Paulding  and 
myself  proceeded  on  the  Tarrytown  road  about  one  mile  and  con- 
cealed ourselves  in  the  bushes  on  the  west  side  of  the  road,  and 
commenced  playing  cards  three  handed,  that  is  each  one  for  him- 
self. We  had  not  been  playing  more  than  an  hour,  when  we  heard 
a  horse  galloping  across  a  bridge  but  a  few  yards  from  us ;  which 
of  us  spoke  I  do  not  remember,  but  one  of  us  said,  '  there  come  as 
trader  going  to  New-York.'  We  stepped  out  from  our  concealment 
and  stopped  him.  '  My  lads,'  said  he,  '  I  hope  you  belong  to  our 
party.'  We  asked  him  '  what  party  ?'  he  replied  '  the  lower 
party,'  We  told  him  '  we  did.'  He  then  said  '  I  am  a  British 
officer,  have  been  up  the  country  on  particular  business,  and  would 
not  wish  to  be  detained  a  minute,'  and  as  a  token  to  convince  us 
he  was  a  gentleman,  he  pulled  out  and  shewed  us  his  gold  watch; 
we  then  told  him  we  were  Americans.  '  God  bless  my  soul,'  said 
he,  '  a  man  must  do  any  thing  these  times  to  get  along ;'  and  then 
shewed  us  Arnold's  pass.  AVe  told  him  it  would  not  satisfy  us 
without  searching  him.  '  My  lads,'  said  he,  '  you  will  bring  your- 
selves into  trouble.'  We  answered,  we  did  not  fear  it,'  and  con- 
ducted him  about  seventy  rods  into  the  woods.  My  comrades 
appointed  me  to  search  him  ;  commencing  with  his  hat,  I  searched 
his  person  effectually,  but  found  nothing  until  I  pulled  oft'  his  boot, 
when  we  discovered  that  something  was  concealed  in  his  stocking. 
Paulding  caught  hold  of  his  foot  and  exclaimed,  '  By  G-d  here  it 
is  !'  I  pulled  off' his  stocking,  and  inside  of  it  next  to  the  sole  of  his 
foot,  found  three  half  sheets  of  paper  enclosed  in  another  half  sheet 
which  was  endorsed  '  West  Point ;'  and  on  pulling  off'  the  other 
boot  and  stocking,  I  found  three  like  papers,  enclosed  and  endorsed 
as  the  others.  On  reading  them  one  of  my  companions  said,  '  By 
G-d  he  is  a  spy .''  We  then  asked  him  where  he  got  those  papers: 
he  told  us  '  of  a  man  at  Pine's  bridge,'  but  he  said  '  he  did  not 
know  his  name.'  He  offered  us  his  gold  watch,  his  horse,  saddle, 
bridle  and  100  guineas  if  we  would  let  him  go ;  we  told  him  '  no, 
unless  he  would  inform  us  where  he  got  the  papers.'  He  answered 
us  as  before,  but  increased  his  offer  to  1000  guineas,  his  horse,  &c.: 
we  told  him  again  we  would  not  let  him  go ;  he  then  said  '  gen- 
tlemen, I  will  give  you  10,000  guineas  [nearly  $50,000],  and  as 
many  dry  goods  as  you  will  ask  ;  conceal  me  in  any  place  of  safety 
while  you  can  send  to  New-York  with  an  order  to  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton from  me,  and  the  goods  and  money  will  be  procured  so  that 
you  can  get  them  unmolested.'  [Paulding  then  told  him,  as  he 
stated  on  the  trial  of  Joshua  H.  Smith  a  few  days  after  the  arrest,] 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        649 

'  no,  by  G-d,  if  you  would  give  us  ten  thousand  guineas  you  should 
not  stir  a  step;  we  are  Americans,  and  above  corruption,  and  go 
with  us  you  must.'  We  then  took  him  about  twelve  miles  to  Col. 
Jamieson's  quarters  at  North  Castle." 

Andre  was  about  five  feet  eight  inches  high,  with  black  eyes,  a 
bold  military  countenance,  and  was  a  good  looking,  though  rather 
small,  trim-built  man. 

The  father  of  David  Williams  was  a  farmer  in  Tarrytown  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  who,  being  too  poor  to  purchase  a  farm, 
worked  land  upon  shares.     When  the  British  and  tories  began  to 
commit  acts  of  cruelty  in  the  vicinity,  Williams  removed  with  his 
family  into  the  town  of  South  Salem.     He  lived  on  lands  belong- 
ing to  Joseph  Benedict  Esq.,  near  the  village  of  Cross  River. 
The  Americans  having  possession  of  the  country  in  the  vicinity 
of  West  Point,  and  the  British  that  above  New  York,  tories  about 
the  neutral  ground,  from  their  acts  of  cruelty,  such  as  murder, 
theft,  rapine,  and  the  like,  received  from  the  whigs  the  title  of 
cow-boys.     These  despoilers  of  Whig  property,  whose  visits  were 
generally  made  in  the  night,  frequently  drove  off  cattle,  horses, 
swine,  &c.,  to  the  British  posts,  where  they  were  liberally  re- 
warded for  the  stolen  property  of  their  neighbors.     In   conse- 
quence of  the  tories  stealing  so  many  cattle  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
British  army,  they  were  called  cow-boys  by  the  patriots, — a  term 
implying  at  that  period  the  very  lowest  calling  in  life     De  Lancy's 
corps,  which  became  a  terror  to  well  doers,  from  their  being  gene- 
rally mounted  on  horseback,  was  chiefly  formed  from  cow-boys. 
On  the  removal  of  the  Williams  family  to  Cross  River,  David 
hired  out  to  Mr.  Benedict  to  work  on  his  farm,  and  became  so 
much  of  a  favorite  with  the  family,  that,  whenever  he  was  not 
engaged  in  military  service,  he  made  the  house  of  his  employer 
bis  welcome-home.     Mr.    Benedict  had  a  fair  daughter  named 
Nancy,  and  Cupid  had  so  interwoven  the  affections  of  the  young 
couple,   it  is    not   surprising  that  David   found   his  time  pass 
agreeably  at  her  father's.     The  whigs  who  encountered  the  cow- 
boys in  their  excursions  into  the  country,  were  generally  in  the 
militia  service  on  short  inlistments,  and  as  they  had  been  obliged 


650  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

in  many  instances  to  change  their  residences,  they  acquired  the 
name  of  refugees,  a  title  sometimes  given  the  tories.  The  cow- 
boys were  often  overtaken  or  intercepted,  and  the  plunder  they 
had  made  taken  from  them  by  the  refugees,  almost  within  sight 
of  the  British  camp.  Not  unfrequently  the  agressor's  life  was  for- 
feited on  these  occasions,  and  now  and  then  a  conflict  ensued, 
when  the  life-blood  of  friend  and  foe  mingled  together. 

In  the  fall  of  1780,  at  a  time  when  Williams  was  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Benedict,  enjoying  an  agreeable  tete-a-tete  with  his  Nancy, 
she  pointed  out  to  him  a  small  company  of  armed  men  approach- 
ing their  village.  They  entered  an  inn  near  by,  and  the  lover, 
having  recognized  them,  stole  a  parting  kiss  from  his  fair  one, 
and  hastened  to  join  them.  The  names  of  the  party  are  given  in 
the  preceding  statement  of  Williams.  The  night  before,  a  party 
of  cow-boys  had  been  into  the  adjoining  town  of  Poundridge,  led 
on  by  one  Smith,  a  noted  tory,  and  besides  stealing  much  pro- 
perty, they  had  killed  a  neighbor  to  some  of  the  whigs  then  con- 
vened, by  the  name  of  Pelham,  who  had  run  out  in  his  night- 
clothes  to  save  his  horses.  To  reclaim  the  stolen  property  and 
return  it  to  the  widow,  or  avenge  the  death  of  her  husband,  was 
the  especial  object  this  scout  of  American  militia  had  in  view, 
when  they  set  out  for  Tarrytown ;  true,  some  of  them  hoped  also 
to  see  several  relatives. 

Williams  and  his  companions  kept  together  until  they  reached 
Tarrytown,  when  they  separated ;  the  former,  with  Paulding  and 
his  cousin  Van  Wart,  taking  the  east  road,  and  the  other  four  the 
west  road,  leading  to  New  York.  At  an  angle  of  the  road,  Wil- 
liams and  his  associates  concealed  themselves,  obtaining  a  north 
and  west  view  of  it  for  some  distance.  The  approach  of  Andre, 
his  arrest,  &c.,  is  inserted  as  related  by  Williams.  Meeting  the 
three  armed  men  below  the  American  pickets,  Andre  took  them  to 
be  cow-boys,  and  being  thrown  off  his  guard,  his  manner  excited 
suspicion  in  his  captors,  and  he  was  strictly  searched.  His  pass 
from  Arnold,  which  had  protected  "  John  Anderson"  thus  far, 
would  protect  John  Andre  no  farther.  While  in  the  act  of  exhi- 
biting his  pass,  he  stated  that  he  "  was  going  below  on  an  ex- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         651 

press  from  the  head  quarters  of  the  American  army  at  West  Point, 
and  here,"  he  added,  "  is  a  pass  from  Gen.  Arnold,  who  com- 
mands in  the  absence  of  Gen  Washington."  The  pass,  which 
was  dated  Head  Quarters,  Robinson  house,  September  22d,  1780, 
required  all  persons  to  assist  John  Anderson,  who  was  going  to 
New  York  on  business  highly  important  to  the  American  army, 
forbidding  any  person  to  stop  or  molest  him  at  their  peril. 
Knowing  that  Washington  had  gone  to  Hartford  on  business,  af- 
ter the  pass  from  Arnold  was  produced,  his  captors  had  nearly 
allowed  him  to  proceed,  and  he  was  reinng  his  horse  into  the 

road,  when  Paulding  in  an  under  tone  observed,  "  D n  him,  I 

do  not  like  his  looks!  "  It  is  stated  in  the  Life  of  Gen.  Greene, 
who  was  president  of  the  board  which  tried  Andre,  that  when  he 
first  became  visible  to  his  captors  he  was  engaged  in  examining  a 
sketch  of  the  route,  to  determine  which  of  the  several  roads  be 
ought  to  pursue. 


PLACE  WHERE  ANDRE  WAS  CAPTURED. 

At  the  expression  of  Paulding  that  he  did  not  like  his  looks, 
he  was  again  ordered  to  stop.  One  of  the  party  enquired  what 
he  had  done  with  the  paper  he  had  in  his  hands  when  he  first  ap- 
peared in  sight.  The  question  produced  a  momentary  hesitation, 
and  his  embarrassment  being  noticed  by  the  party,  he  was  then 
told  that  the  circumstances  of  his  first  avowing  himself  to  belonfr 


652  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

to  the  lower  party — his  having  an  undress  British  coat  under  his 
surtout,  in  connection  with  Arnold's  pass — required  their  search- 
ing his  person,  to  which  he  firmly  remonstrated,  threatening  them 
with  the  vengeance  of  Arnold  for  detaining  him.  But  his  threats 
were  of  no  avail ;  his  manner  increased  their  suspicions ;  the 
love  of  liberty  fired  the  patriotic  heart,  and  leading  his  horse  aside 
into  a  field  partially  covered  with  underwood,  he  was  examined. 
His  person  was  strictly  searched — his  hat,  coat,  vest,  shirt  and" 
breeches — even  his  hair,  which  was  done  up  in  a  cue,  the  fashion 
of  the  day,  was  untied  without  creating  any  unusual  anxiety  in 
the  prisoner,  until  he  was  ordered  to  take  off  his  boots,  when  he 
changed  color,  and  fear  was  manifested  in  his  countenance.  As 
he  did  not  feel  disposed  to  remove  them,  Williams,  who  had  been 
selected  by  his  companions  to  search  him,  while  they  retained  their 
arms,  drew  them  off,  and  inside  his  stockings,  next  his  bare  feet, 
the  treasonable  papers  were  found  :  in  one  boot  was  also  discov- 
ered the  sketch  of  the  route.  He  had  upon  his  person  eighty 
dollars,  continental  money.  Finding  his  true  character  disclosed, 
and  being  told  that  he  was  considered  as  a  spy,  Andre  saw  at  once 
the  danger  of  his  situation,  and  attempted  to  regain  his  liberty  by 
the  offer  of  bribes,  such  as  required  Roman  firmness — I  should  say 
American  firmness,  for  Roman  history  exhibits  no  parallel — to 
resist.  But  the  attempt  was  futile,  evincing  in  his  captors  a  love 
of  liberty  stronger  than  love  of  riches  and  virtue  that  kings  might 
envy. 

While  they  were  searching  Andre,  his  horse  had  strayed  some 
distance,  grazing  among  the  under-brush ;  when  the  search  was 
completed,  one  of  them  led  up  the  horse  and  he  was  permitted  to 
mount  and  ride  between  his  captors,  to  the  military  post,  com- 
manded by  Lieut.  Col.  Jamicson.  At  the  examination  of  Andre 
at  Tappan,  and  also  at  his  trial  at  the  same  place,  the  captors 
were  present.  While  at  West  Point,  the  magnanimous  Wash- 
ington took  the  three  intrepid  soldiers  into  the  arsenal,  and  pre- 
sented each  of  them  a  sword  and  brace  of  pistols,  telling  them  to 
go  constantly  armed — "  that  they  would  be  hunted  like  partridges 
upon  the  mountains" — offering  at  the  same  time,  that  if  they 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         653 

chose  to  remain  in  the  army,  he  would  give  to  each  of  them  a 
captain's  commission.  They  all  declined  promotion,  and  returned 
to  their  friends ;  and  as  Williams  was,  I  have  no  doubt  they  all 
were  narrowly  watched  by  the  tories. 

On  one  occasion,  while  at  his  father's,  Williams  came  near  be- 
ing taken.  The  house  was  surrounded  in  the  night  by  a  party  of 
cow-boys,  but  their  cowardice  in  making  the  attack  was  probably 
the  only  circumstance  to  which  he  owed  his  life.  At  another  time 
Williams,  having  spent  the  evening  with  his  intended,  was  return- 
ing home  from  her  father's  in  the  night,  was  waylaid  in  a  by- 
place,   and   a  man,  stepping  from  his    concealment,  exclaimed, 

"  Stand,  you  d d  rebel/  "     Williams  drew  a  pistol  and  fired 

upon  his  nocturnal  intruder,  who  vacated  the  path  and  retreated 
into  the  bushes.  The  next  day  the  course  of  his  assailant  could 
be  traced  some  distance  by  the  drops  of  blood.  Thus  one  of  the 
pistols  presented  by  Washington  prevented  his  falling  into  the 
hands  of  his  enemies,  if  it  did  not  in  fact  save  his  life. 

The  following  singular  coincidence  is  related  at  the  particular 
request  of  the  widow  of  David  Williams,  and  may  be  relied  up- 
on as  strictly  true.  The  father  of  David,  a  short  time  before  the 
capture  of  Andre,  had  the  following  singular  dream  :  He  saw  a 
crow  alight  in  his  path,  having  in  its  beak  a  folded  paper.  He 
was  extremely  anxious  to  obtain  the  paper,  and  see  what  it  con- 
tained. For  some  time  he  followed  after  the  bird,  which  would 
repeatedly  fly  up  and  again  alight  in  his  path.  His  anxiety  to 
obtain  the  paper  increasing,  he  threw  his  hat  at  the  bird,  which 
then  dropped  it.  He  snatched  it  up,  and  eagerly  unfolding,  found 
it  a  blank  sheet  of  paper,  containing  in  one  end  a  piece  of  gold, 
and  in  the  other  a  piece  of  silver.  A  few  days  after,  he  heard  of 
Andre's  arrest,  and  that  his  son  was  one  of  the  captors.  Divi- 
ners of  dreams  are  at  liberty  to  make  out  of  this  what  they  please. 
They  can,  if  they  choose,  liken  the  bird  to  the  dark  spirit  which 
was  besetting  the  path  of  Andre ;  the  paper  to  the  pass  of  Ar- 
nold ;  the  gold  to  the  bribe  offered  by  the  prisoner  for  his  release ; 
and  the  silver  to  the  reward  granted  the  captors  by  act  of  Congress. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Gen.  Washington  to  the 
42 


654  fflSTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

president  of  Congress,  dated  "  Robinson's  house,  in  the  Highlands, 
September  26,  1780,"  will  show  the  manner  in  which  that  body 
was  apprized  of  Arnold's  treason  and  Andre's  arrest : 

"  I  do  not  know  the  party  that  took  Maj.  Andre,  but  it  is  said 
that  it  consisted  only  of  a  few  militia,  who  acted  in  such  a  manner 
upon  the  occasion  as  does  them  the  highest  honor,  and  proves  them 
to  be  men  of  great  virtue.  As  soon  as  I  know  their  names  I  shall 
take  pleasure  in  transmitting  them  to  Congress." 

Washington  communicated  to  the  president  of  Congress  the 
names  of  Andre's  captors,  as  the  following  extract  of  a  letter,  da- 
ted "  Paramus,  October  7,  1780,"  will  show  : 

"I  have  now  the  pleasure  to  communicate  the  names  of  the  three 
persons  who  captured  Maj.  Andre,  and  who  refused  to  release  him, 
notwithstanding  the  most  earnest  importunities,  and  assurances  of 
a  liberal  reward,  on  his  part.  The  names  are  John  Paulding,  Da- 
vid Williams,  and  Isaac  Van  Wart^  [They  were  presented  to 
Gen.  Washington  by  Col.  Hamilton.] 

The  following  is  a  resolution  of  Congress,  adopted  Nov.  3d, 
1780: 

"  Whereas  Congress  have  received  information  that  John  Pauld- 
ing, David  Williams  and  Isaac  Van  Wart,  three  young  volunteer 
militiamen  of  the  State  of  New  York,  did,  on  the  23d  day  of  Sep- 
tember last,  intercept  Maj.  John  Andre,  Adjutant  General  of  the 
British  Army,  on  his  return  from  the  American  lines  in  the  Char- 
acter of  a  Spy  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  large  bribes  offered  them 
for  his  release,  nobly  disdaining  to  sacrifice  their  Country  for  the 
sake  of  Gold,  secured  and  conveyed  him  to  the  Commanding  offi- 
cer of  the  district,  whereby  the  dangerous  and  traitorous  conspira- 
cy of  Benedict  Arnold  was  brought  to  light,  the  insidious  designs 
of  the  Enemy  baffled,  and  the  United  States  secured  from  impend- 
ing danger  :  Resolved,  That  Congress  have  a  high  sense  of  the 
virtuous  and  patriotic  conduct  of  the  said  John  Vaiddivg,  David 
Williams  and  Isaac  Van  Wart :  In  testimony  whereof,  Ordered, 
That  each  of  them  receive  annuallj'-,  out  of  the  Public  Treasury-, 
Tu-o  Hundred  Dollars  in  specie,  or  an  equivalent  in  current  money, 
of  these  States,  during  life,  and  that  the  Board  of  War  procure 
for  each  of  them  a  silver  Medal,  on  one  side  of  which  shall  be  a 
shield  with  this  inscription,  "  Fidelity" — and  en  the  other  the  fol- 
lowing motto.  "  Vincit  Amor  Patria;" — and  forward  them  to  the 
Commander-in-Chief,  M'ho  is  requested  to  present  the  same,  with 
a  copy  of  this  Resolution,  and  the  thanks  of  Congress  for  their  Fi- 
delity, and  the  eminent  service  they  have  rendered  their  Country." 

In  addition  to  the  medal  and  yearly  annuity,  Congress  granted 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        655 

to  each  of  the  captors  the  privilege  of  locating  any  confiscated 
lands  in  the  county  of  Westchester,  to  the  value  of  $'1250,  or  of 
receiving  the  said  sum  in  cash,  to  be  expended  as  they  chose. 
About  this  time,  Williams  married  Miss  Benedict,  who  was  sev- 
eral years  younger  than  himself,  and  with  the  $1250  granted  by 
Congress,  bought  a  part  of  the  farm  owned  by  his  father-in-law 
and  settled  upon  it,  erecting  a  log  cabin  to  live  in. 

The  medal,  which  is  now  treasured  as  a  sacred  relic  by  Mrs. 
WUliams,  is  about  as  large  again  as  a  silver  dollar.  On  one  side 
is  represented  the  United  States  coat  of  arras,  bearing  the  simple  in- 
scription, "  Fidelity."  On  the  other  side  is  inscribed  the  Latin  sen- 
tence, "  Vincit  Amor  PatricB" — the  love  of  country  conquers. 
At  the  time  of  Andre's  arrest,  Williams  was  older  than  either  of 
his  comrades.  It  may  be  said  of  him,  that  his  charity  knew  no 
bounds.  He  was  liberal  even  to  a  fault ;  and  the  sin  of  selfish- 
ness was  one  of  the  least  for  which  he  had  to  render  a  final  ac- 
count. He  was  most  esteemed  and  respected  by  those  who  knew 
him  best,  which  is  ever  the  surest  test  of  merit.  Naturally  hon- 
est and  confiding,  he  believed  others  to  be  so,  and  therefore  was 
liable  to  be  plundered  by  the  knavish.  He  was  by  habit  an  ear- 
ly riser,  and  very  industrious.  His  early  education,  like  that  of 
many  others  who  fought  under  the  stars  of  liberty,  was  limited  ; 
but  being  fond  of  reading,  he  acquuired  before  his  death  a  good 
fund  of  general  information.  He  collected  some  valuable  books 
which  he  repeatedly  read  through,  and  not  only  took  a  newspaper 
and  paid  for  it,  but  he  read  its  contents.  In  principle,  he  was  a 
warm  republican.  Liberal  in  his  rehgious  views,  he  never  was 
heard  extolling  one  denomination  and  denouncing  another  ;  and 
although  he  made  no  public  profession  of  rehgion,  he  regularly 
attended  divine  worship  when  held  in  his  neighborhood,  frequent- 
ly opening  his  own  house  for  that  purpose.  In  the  latter  part  of 
his  life,  he  often  read  the  scriptures  aloud  in  ^is  family,  and  not 
unfrequently  he  was  seen  or  over-heard  engaged  in  secret  devo- 
tion. 

In  the  fall  of  1830,  the  Corporation  of  the  city  of  New  York 
sent  an  invitation,  by  a  special  messenger,  to  Mr.  Williams,  to  be 


656  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

present  as  a  guest  at  the  celebration  of  the  French  Revolution. 
He  was,  with  Enoch  Crosby,  another  hero  of  '76,  and  two  others, 
drawn  in  an  elegant  carriage  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  at- 
tracting much  attention,  as  the  writer  well  remembers.  While 
in  the  city,  he  visited  with  the  mayor  and  other  distinguished  citi- 
zens, theatres,  public  schools,  the  navy  yard,  &c.,  at  all  of  which 
he  was  a  welcome  guest.  At  one  of  the  schools  a  silver  cup  was 
presented  to  him,  and  at  another  a  silver  headed  cane,  the  stem  of 
which  was  made  from  a  part  of  a  chevaux-de-frise,  used  near 
West  Point  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  also  presented  while  on 
this  visit,  with  an  elegant  horse,  carriage  and  harness  by  the 
mayor. 

Mr.  Williams  returned  from  New  York  in  December,  soon  after 
which  he  began  rapidly  to  faih  The  excitement  attending  his 
visit  had  no  doubt  been  too  great  for  one  of  his  age  and  retired 
habits.  When  spring  again  opened,  and  nature  began  to  deck 
her  offspring  in  blooming  apparel,  he  exhibited  symptoms  of  ap- 
proaching dissolution.  Conscious  of  his  situation,  he  manifested 
a  spirit  of  resignation  to  the  Divine  will.  His  complaint  was 
dyspepsia.  At  times  he  suffered  great  pain  in  his  limbs  and 
breast,  which  could  only  be  relieved  by  opium  as  an  anodyne. 
During  the  paroxysms  of  pain  he  would  frequently  say,  "  Oh,  how 
lono"  before  the  contest  will  be  over!"     He  wished  for  relief  in 

o 

death.  He  was  attended  in  his  last  illness  by  good  physicians, 
among  whom  was  the  late  Doct.  Hyde,  of  Rensselaerville.  He  con- 
tinued gradually  to  waste  away  until  sunset  on  Tuesday,  the  2nd 
day  of  August,  1831,  when  he  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a 
groan.  The  last  time  he  spoke  was  on  Monday  morning  to  give 
some  directions  about  the  place  of  his  burial.  Mr.  Williams  at 
his  death,  left  an  only  child,  a  son,  David  W.  Williams,  who  now 
lives  upon  the  farm  formerly  owned  by  his  father  in  Broome.  He 
has  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  is  now 
(1845)  48  years  old.  His  mother,  now  in  her  89th  year,  lives 
with  him.  After  her  husband  had  been  dead  ten  years,  Mrs. 
W^illiams  obtained  a  continuance  of  his  pension,  which  had  been 
stopped  at  his  death,  receiving  $2000  at  once. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        657 

The  following  account  of  the  death  and  burial  of  Mr.  Williams, 
is  copied  from  the  Schoharie  Republican,  dated  Tuesday,  August 
9lh,  1831. 

"  The  venerable  David  Williams,  the  last  of  the  captors  of  Ma- 
jor Andre,  has  gone  to  his  rest,  full  of  years  and  full  of  glory.  He 
died  in  Broome,  Schoharie  county,  on  Tuesday,  the  2d  instant,  at 
the  ago  of  77.  His  remains  Avero  interred  on  Thursday,  with  mi- 
litary honors,  at  Livingstonville,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  con- 
course of  citizens,  who  had  assembled  to  pay  the  last  sad  tribute 
of  respect  to  his  mortal  remains. 

"At  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  a  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Smith  of  Rensselaerville.  After  the  service,  a  procession  was 
formed,  under  the  direction  of  Col.  Joseph  Bouck,  of  Middleburgh, 
in  the  following  order : 

Military. 
Reverend  Clergy. 

Pall  Bearers.  oJ  Pall  Bearers, 

g. 

Col.  John  Niles.  ^  ^ol.  L.  M.  Dayton. 

Col.  Z.  Pratt.  ^  Lt.  H.  Dayton. 

Relations  of  the  Deceased. 

Citizens." 

At  the  grave  a  very  appropriate  eulogy  was  pronounced  by 
Robert  McClellan,  Esq.  Mr.  Murphy  addressed  the  assemblage, 
briefly  reviewing  the  former  life  of  his  deceased  kinsman ;  and 
the  solemn  exercises  were  closed  by  a  prayer  from  the  Rev.  Mr 
Smith. 

"When  the  British  evacuated  Philadelphia  in  177S,  Gen.  Bene- 
dict Arnold  was  given  command  of  that  station.  His  extrava- 
gance and  dissipation,  while  a  resident  of  that  city,  subjected  him 
to  a  court  martial,  and  a  reprimand  from  the  Commander-in-chief. 
From  that  moment  the  star  that  had  guided  his  footsteps  in  the 
path  of  glory  and  honor  was  extinguished,  and  more  evil  spirits 
took  possession  of  his  soul,  than  haunted  a  certain  woman  of  old- 
en time.  In  1780,  Arnold  sought  and  obtained  from  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, the  command  of  the  forts  at  "West  Point.  He  soon  after, 
by  letter,  signified  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  the  British  Commander- 
in-chief,  then  at  New  York,  by  a  correspondence  carried  on  for  a 
while  between  Maj.  Andre  and  Mrs.  Arnold,  and  afterwards  by 


658  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

himself,  under  the  assumed  name  of  Giistavus,  while  Andre  as- 
sumed that  of  John  Anderson,  his  intention  of  surrendering  that 
fortress,  the  Gibralter  of  the  Union,  to  the  British.  Andre  was 
selected  by  Clinton  to  complete  the  diabolical  design,  and  he,  for 
that  purpose,  landed  from  the  sloop  of  war  Vulture,  which  had 
ascended  the  Hudson,  on  Thursday  night,  September  21st,  1780, 
and  held  an  interview  with  Mons.  Gustavus.  Joshua  H.  Smith, 
with  two  brothers,  Samuel  and  Joseph  Gaboon,  as  oarsmen,  visit- 
ed the  Vulture  about  midnight,  with  oars  muffled  with  sheep-skins, 
agreeable  to  the  orders  of  Gen.  Arnold,  and  receiving  Andre  on 
board  their  boat,  landed  with  him  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  called 
the  Long  Clove,  on  the  west  margin  of  the  river,  3^  miles  below 
Smith's  residence  at  Haverstraw,  (which  residence  was  distant 
from  Stony  Point  2|  miles,)  and  nearly  20  miles  below  West  Point. 
To  the  place  of  meeting,  Arnold  had  ridden  from  Smith's  house. 
The  boatmen  refused  to  return  that  night  to  the  ship,  and  after  a 
protracted  conference,  Arnold  and  Andre  proceeded  on  horseback 
to  the  dwelling  of  Smith,  who  went  with  the  boatmen  to  Crom's 
Island,  in  Haverstraw  creek,  where  the  boat  was  left,  and  then  re- 
turned with  them  to  his  home,  arriving  about  daylight.  Andre 
was  clad  in  full  uniform,  but  over  it  he  wore  a  blue  traveling  coat. 
The  positive  orders  from  Clinton  to  Andre  were — "  not  to  change 
his  dress — go  within  the  American  lines — or  receive  any  papers." 

Morning  dawned  ere  the  hellish  plot  was  consummated,  and  his 
return  to  the  sloop  deferred  until  the  next  night.  Early  in  the 
morning  a  heavy  gun  was  brought  to  bear  on  the  Vulture,  by  a 
party  of  Americans  on  shore ;  and  several  shots  planted  between 
wind  and  water  compelled  her  to  drop  down  the  stream,  where 
her  men  stole  some  plank  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  stopped 
her  leaks.  The  night  following,  two  men  deserted  from  the  Vul- 
ture in  a  boat.  It  was  very  dark,  but  the  darkness  being  lit  up  at 
intervals  by  vivid  lightning,  the  fugitives  escaped  to  the  shore,  al- 
though they  were  pursued  some  distance  by  a  boat's  crew. — Jude 
Watson,  a  sentinel  in  the  Highlands  at  the  time. 

Finding  his  return  to  the  vessel  cut  off,  Andre  was  compeled  to 
set  out  for  New  York  by  land.     Laying  aside  his  regimentals,  he 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        659 

put  on  a  plain  suit  of  clothes  belonging  to  Smith,  and  having  re- 
ceived a  pass  from  Arnold,  he  started  on  horseback,  under  his  as- 
sumed name,  on  Friday  evening,  September  22d,  accompanied  by 
Smith  and  a  black  servant  of  the  latter.  About  sundown  they 
crossed  the  Hudson  at  King's  Ferry,  from  Stony  Point  on  the  west, 
to  Verplanck's  Point  on  the  east  side.  They  met  with  but  little 
interruption  until  they  arrived  near  Crom  pond,  between  eight  and 
nine  o'clock,  when  they  were  hailed  by  a  sentinel  under  Capt. 
Ebenezer  Boyd.  That  ofhcer  examined  the  pass  of  Arnold  to 
Smith,  and  advised  the  party  to  put  up  at  one  Andreas  Miller's 
over  night,  which  advice  w-as  followed.  He  also  advised  Smith 
to  take  the  road  by  North  Castle  Church  and  Wright's  mills,  as 
being  less  likely  to  meet  with  cow^-boys  on  that  than  on  the  Tarry- 
town  road :  the  latter  advice  was,  however,  not  regarded,  for  ob- 
vious reasons.  Two  miles  beyond  Pme's  bridge  they  ate  a  break- 
fast of  hasty  pudding,  or  supawn  and  milk,  at  the  house  of  a  Dutch 
woman.  Smith  soon  after  took  leave  of  Andre,  and  with  his  ser- 
vant returned  to  Peekskill,  and  from  thence  to  Fishkill,  where  his 
wife  had  been  previously  sent.  Andre  succeeded  in  passing  all 
the  American  guards  and  posts  on  the  road  without  suspicion, 
and  was  proceeding  to  New  York  in  perfect  security,  when,  on 
Saturday  morning,  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock,  he  was  arrested 
in  what  was  then  called  Beekman's  forest,  near  a  small  brook, 
about  half  a  mile  from  Tarrytown,  He  had  taken  the  road  that 
way  as  being  more  likely  to  meet  with  friends  upon  it,  or  to  find 
safety  on  board  a  British  vessel  in  that  part  of  the  river. 
The  following  papers  were  found  on  the  person  of  Andre : 

"  No.  1. — Artillery  orders  [then]  recently  published  at  West 
Point,  directing  the  disposition  of  each  corps  in  case  of  alarm. 
No.  2. — An  estimate  of  the  American  force  at  West  Point  and  its 
dependencies.  No.  3. — An  estimate  of  the  number  of  men  requi- 
site to  man  the  works.  No.  4. — A  return  of  the  ordnance  in  the 
different  forts,  redoubts,  and  batteries.  No.  5. — Remarks  on  the 
works  at  West  point,  describing  the  construction  of  each,  and  its 
strength  or  weakness.  No.  6. — A  report  of  a  council  of  war  lately 
held  at  Head  Quarters,  containing  hints  respecting  the  probable 
operations  of  the  campaign,  and  whicli  had  been  sent  by  Gen. 
Washington  a  few  days  before,  requesting  his  opinion  on  the  sub- 
jects to  which  it  refered.     These  papers  were  all  in  the  hand- 


660  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

writing  of  Arnold,  and  bore  his  signature.     In  case  of  Andre's 
detection,  the  papers  were  to  be  destroyed." 

"When  taken  before  Col.  Jamieson  by  his  captors,  Andre,  anx- 
ious for  his  own  safety  and  that  of  his  accomplice,  requested  Col. 
Jamieson  to  inform  Arnold  that  Anderson  (himself,)  was  taken, 
which  solicitation  was  very  imprudently  complied  with.  A  line 
was  despatched  by  Solomon  Allen,  which  gave  the  traitor  an  op- 
portunity of  making  his  escape ;  and  he  readily  embraced  it, 
leaving  the  spy  to  his  fate. 

At  the  time  of  his  treason,  Arnold  was  making  his  head  quar- 
ters at  the  Beverly,  or  Robinson  house,  as  still  called,  a  dwelling 
■which  belonged  to  Beverly  Robinson,  then  an  officer  in  the  Brit- 
ish service,  situated  about  two  miles  below  West  Point,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river.  It  was  at  his  own  quarters  he  had  purposed  to 
have  held  his  interview  with  Andre,  at  an  earlier  date ;  but  cir- 
cumstances prevented.  Washington  was  to  have  breakfasted  with 
Arnold  on  the  morninp:  of  his  flio;ht :  but  sendinp;  his  aids  with 
his  compliments,  and  an  apology  to  Mrs.  Arnold,  he  rode  down  to 
inspect  the  redoubts  on  that  side  of  the  river.  The  messenger 
with  Jamieson's  note  arrived  while  the  company  were  at  break- 
fast. Leaving  the  table  abruptly,  and  with  evident  emotion,  Ar- 
nold set  out  for  West  Point,  saying  that  his  immediate  presence 
■was  demanded  there.  W^ashington  had  been  to  Hartford  on  busi- 
ness, and  an  express  dispatched  to  him  passed  him,  in  consequence 
of  his  taking  an  unexpected  route  back,  else  he  would  have  been 
apprized  the  evening  before  of  Arnold's  treason.  Instead  of  going 
to  West  Point,  Arnold  proceeded  to  the  river;  and  entering  his 
barge,  ordered  two  men  to  row  him  on  board  the  Vulture,  then 
at  anchor  in  Tappan  bay,  below  King's  ferry.  They  did  not  like 
to  comply  with  his  request,  but  were  stimulated  to  do  so  by  the 
promise  of  a  liberal  reward.  Once  on  board  the  vessel,  Arnold 
wished  to  detain  the  men  as  prisoners ;  but  the  captain,  on  being 
informed  what  \vas  passing,  interfered,  ordered  the  men  to  be  paid 
what  the  traitor  had  promised  them,  and  then  liberated ;  which 
order  was  promptly  obeyed.  He  made  his  escape  at  10  o'clock 
on  Monday  morning  following  the  capture  of  Andre,  and  Wash- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        6G1 

ington  was  apprized  of  his  treasonable  conduct  at  4  P.  M.  of  the 
same  day. 

It  seems  not  a  little  surprising  that  Col.  Jannieson,  after  enjoin- 
ing secrecy  on  the  captors,  from  a  belief  that  others  were  con- 
cerned, should  himself  take  measures  to  notify  one  he  could  not 
fail,  in  his  right  mind,  to  suspect,  even  if  he  did  not  discover  that 
the  treasonable  papers  were  all  in  his  hand-writing.  Col.  Jamie- 
son  was  probably  bewildered ;  for  at  first  he  actually  ordered  Maj. 
Andre  sent  to  Arnold's  head  quarters.  From  the  Journal  of 
Maj.  Tallmadge,  who  had  command  of  a  corps  of  cavalry  in 
West  Chester,  I  make  the  following  extract : 

"  When  I  reached  Lieut.  Col.  Jamieson's  quarters,  late  in  the 
evening  of  the  23d,  and  had  learned  the  circumstances  of  tlic  cap- 
ture of  the  prisoner,  I  was  very  much  surprised  to  learn  that  he 
Avas  sent  by  that  otHcer  to  Arnold's  head  quarters  at  West  Point, 
accompanied  hij  a  Idtcr  of  inforviation  rcspcctiiig  his  capture.  At 
the  same  time  he  despatched  an  express  to  meet  Gen.  Washington, 
then  on  his  way  to  West  Point.  I  felt  much  impressed  with  the 
course  which  had  been  taken,  and  did  not  fail  to  state  the  glaring 
inconsistency  of  this  conduct  to  Col.  Jamicson  in  a  private  and 
most  friendly  manner.  He  appeared  greatly  agitated  when  1  sug- 
gested to  him  a  measure  which  I  wished  to  pursue ;  offering  to 
take  the  whole  responsibility  on  myself,  and  which,  as  he  deemed 
it  too  perilous  to  permit,  I  will  not  further  disclose."  [The  meas- 
ure proposed  by  Major  Tallmadge  was,  as  he  at  a  subsequent  pe- 
riod informed  his  family,  to  proceed  as  speedily  as  possible  with 
his  troops  to  Arnold's  head  quarters,  and  arrest  him  on  his  oum  re- 
sponsibility.'] 

"  Failing  in  this  purpose,"  [continues  the  journal,]  "  I  instantly 
set  about  a  plan  to  remand  the  prisoner  to  our  quarters,  which  I 
finally  effected,  although  with  reluctance  on  the  part  of  Col.  Jamie- 
son,  When  the  order  was  about  to  be  despatched  to  the  officer  to 
bring  the  prisoner  back,  strange  as  it  may  seem.  Col,  J,  icould  per- 
sist, in  his  purpose  of  letting  the  letter  go  to  Gen.  Arnold.  The 
letter  did  go  on,  and  the  prisoner  returned  before  the  next  morn- 
ing. As  soon  as  I  saw  Anderson.,  and  especially  after  I  saw  him 
walk  (as  he  did  almost  constantly)  across  the  floor,  I  became  im- 
pressed with  the  belief  that  he  had  been  bred  to  arms.  I  ver}-  soon 
communicated  my  suspicion  to  Col.  Jamieson,  and  requested  him 
to  notice  his  gait,  and  especially  when  he  turned  on  his  heel  to  re- 
trace his  course  across  the  room.  It  was  deemed  best  to  remove 
the  prisoner  to  Salem,  and  I  was  to  escort  him.  I  kept  constantly 
in  the  room  with  the  prisoner,  who  became  very  conversable,  and 
extremely  interesting.  Indeed,  he  very  pleasantly  inquired  why 
I  watched  him  so  narrowly.     It  was  very  manifest  that  his  agita- 


662  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

tion  and  anxiety  were  great ;  and  after  dinner  on  the  24th,  per- 
haps by  3  o'clock  P.  M.,  he  asked  to  be  favored  with  a  pen,  ink^ 
and  paper,  which  I  readily  granted,  and  he  UTOte  the  letter  to  Gen. 
Washington,  dated  Salem,  24th  September,  1780,  which  is  re- 
corded in  most  of  the  histories  of  that  eventful  period.  In  this  let- 
ter he  dicslosedhis  true  character  to  be  '^  Major  John  Andre,  Adju- 
tant Geyieral  to  the  British  Army.^  When  I  received  and  read  the 
letter,  for  he  handed  it  to  me  as  soon  as  he  had  written  it,  my 
agitation  was  extreme,  and  my  emotions  wholly  inddscribable.  If 
the  letter  of  information  had  not  gone  to  Gen.  Arnold,  I  should  not 
have  hesitated  for  a  moment  in  my  purpose  ;  but  this  I  knew  must 
reach  him  before  I  could  possibly  get  to  West  Point. 

"  I  took  on  Maj.  Andre,  under  a  strong  escort  of  cavalry,  to 
West  Point,  and  the  next  day  I  proceeded  down  the  Hudson  to 
King's  ferry,  and  landed  at  Haverstraw,  on  the  Avest  side  of  the 
Hudson,  where  a  large  escort  of  cavalry  had  been  sent  from  the 
main  army  at  Tappan,  with  which  I  conducted  the  prisoner  to  head 
quarters,  where  I  reported  proceedings  to  Gen  Washington,  who 
ordered  a  Court  Martial." 

The  part  Joshua  H.  Smith  had  acted  in  the  treasonable  affair, 
left  suspicions  resting  upon  him ;  on  which  account  he  was  tried 
by  a  court  martial.  The  board  consisted  of  Col.  H.  Jackson,  as 
president,  Lieut.  Col.  Hait,  Maj.  Ball,  and  Captains  Jacob  Wright, 
Drew,  Fry,  Sandford,  Fowle,  Daniels,  J.  A.  Wright,  Marshall, 
Chase,  and  Tiffany ;  conducted  by  John  Lawrence,  Judge  Advo- 
cate General.  The  captors  of  Andre  were  among  the  witnesses 
called  on  the  trial.  In  the  absence  of  testimony  to  criminate  him, 
after  an  investigation  lasting  two  weeks,  he  was  finally  acquitted, 
though  not  without  some  suspicion  of  guilt.  Arnold  and  Andre, 
however,  both  exonerated  Smith  from  any  knowledge  of  what 
was  passing  between  them  j  the  former  by  letter,  and  the  latter 
when  on  trial. 

Maj.  Andre  was  tried  at  Tappan,  Sept.  29,  1780,  and  con- 
demned to  be  hung  as  a  spy.     The  board  consisted  of 

Nathaniel  Greene,  M.  Gen.,  President. 

Sterling,          M.  G.                                   H.  Knox.  B.  G. 

La  Fayette,         "                                      Jno.  Glover,  " 

R.  Howe,            "                                    Jno.  Patterson,  " 

Steuben,              "                                     Edw.  Hand,  " 

Saml.  II.  Parsons,  B.  G.                          J.  Huntington.  " 

James  Clinton,           "                             John  Starke,  " 
John  Lawrence,  Judge  Adv.  Gen. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         663 

Of  this  court  martial  it  may  justly  be  said,  that  an  abler  or 
more  impartial  one  was  never  convened  on  a  similar  occasion. 
When  the  examination  commenced,  he  was  informed  by  the 
court,  from  whom  he  received  every  possible  indulgence,  that  he 
was  at  liberty  to  answer  no  questions  unless  he  chose ;  but  he 
frankly  confessed  every  thing  material  to  his  condemnation.  He 
evinced  great  firmness  on  his  trial,  in  the  course  of  which  he 
spoke  of  Capt.  Hale.  Said  he,  "  I  wish  that  in  all  that  digni- 
fies man,  that  adorns  and  elevates  human  nature,  that  I  could 
be  named  with  that  accomplished,  but  unfortunate  officer.  His 
fate  was  wayward  and  untimely ;  he  was  cut  off  yet  younger 
than  I  now  am.     But  ours  are  not  parallel  cases." 

After  his  condemnation,  Andre  wrote  to  Gen.  Washington  re- 
questing as  a  last  favor  that  he  might  be  shot;  a  request  the 
commander  would  have  granted,  had  he  consulted  only  his  own 
feelings,  instead  of  the  inflexible  demands  of  justice.  The  exe- 
cution was  first  ordered  to  take  place  at  5  o\lock  P.  M.,  on  the 
1st  day  of  October,  and  a  vast  concourse  of  people  then  assem- 
bled, but  it  was  postponed  until  the  next  day  in  consequence  of 
the  arrival  of  a  y?ag  from  the  enemy.  Gen.  Greene  met  Gen. 
Robertson  at  Dobb's  Ferry,  but  as  the  latter  could  make  no  pro- 
posals calculated  to  save  the  spy,  the  conference  soon  ended. — 
Journal  of  Maj.  Tallmadge. 

When  led  out  on  the  morning  of  Oct.  2d,  he  chose  to  walk 
to  the  place  of  execution,  some  two  miles  distant.  The  Ameri- 
can army  was  drawn  out  to  witness  the  sad  spectacle,  and  as  he 
passed  through  the  files  of  soldiers  bowing  to  those  he  knew, 
many  a  brave  heart  throbbed  with  emotion,  and  from  many  an 
eye,  which  had  calmly  glanced  along  the  rifle's  barrel  in  the 
hour  of  peril  when  it  was  dealing  groans  and  death,  now  gush- 
ed the  warm  tears  of  pity. 

A  wagon  containing  his  coffin,  the  latter  painted  black,  fol- 
lowed a  number  of  American  officers  of  rank  on  horseback ;  be- 
hind which  Andre  marched  in  procession  with  JNIaj.  Tallmadge 
on  foot.  About  one-quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  village  of  Tap- 
pan,  in  Rockland  county,  stood  a  high  gallows,  made  by  setting 


664  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

up  two  crotches  and  laying  a  pole  across  the  top.  The  wagon  that 
contained  his  coffin  was  drawn  under  the  gallows.  Andre,  after 
shaking  hands  with  several  friends,  stepped  into  the  wagon,  and 
stood  upon  the  coffin.  Laying  down  his  hat,  he  paced  back 
and  forth  several  times  the  length  of  his  narrow  house,  with  his 
hands  upon  his  hips,  casting  his  eyes  upon  the  pole  overhead 
and  the  surrounding  scenery.  He  was  dressed  in  a  British  uni- 
form, sent  to  him  after  his  arrest.  It  consisted  of  a  rich  scarlet 
coat  trimmed  with  green,  with  vest  and  breeches  of  bright  buff. 
His  dying  request  to  the  spectators  was — "  Witness  to  the  world 
that  I  die  like  a  hrave  manP^  The  executioner,  painted  black, 
stepped  into  the  wagon  to  adjust  the  halter,  which  had  a  hang- 
man's knot  at  the  end.  "  Keep  off  your  black  hands,"  said  An- 
dre, as  he  removed  his  cravat  and  unpinned  the  collar  of  his 
shirt.  Seizing  the  rope,  he  placed  the  noose  around  his  neck 
with  the  knot  under  the  right  ear,  and  drew  it  up  snugly ;  then 
taking  from  his  coat  a  handkerchief,  he  tied  it  over  his  eyes. 
An  officer  told  the  hangman  his  arms  must  be  tied.  Andre 
drew  the  handkerchief  from  his  eyes,  and  taking  out  another, 
handed  it  to  the  executioner,  replacing  the  one  over  his  eyes. 
His  arms  were  tied  above  the  elbows,  behind  his  back — and  the 
rope  made  fast  to  the  pole  overhead.  The  wagon  was  then  sud- 
denly drawn  from  under  him,  and  soon  his  spirit  was  in  the  pre- 
sence of  his  God. 

After  hanging  nearly  half  an  hour,  the  body  was  taken  down 
and  laid  upon  the  ground.  His  coat,  vest,  and  breeches  were 
taken  off  and  handed  to  two  dwarfish  looking  servants  dressed  in 
gaudy  apparel,  who  were  in  attendence  from  New  York  ;  to  one 
of  whom  Andre  handed  his  watch  while  standing  in  the  wagon. 
The  body  was  wrapped  in  a  shroud,  (as  I  have  been  informed  by 
an  eye  witness,)  before  it  was  placed  in  a  coffin.  The  captors 
of  Andre  witnessed  his  execution.  Very  great  sympathy  was 
manifested   for  Andre   at  his   death.      Says  Muj.    Tdlmadge, 

"  AVhen  I  saw  liim  swine:  under  the  £jibbet,  it  seemed  for  a 
time  as  if  I  could  not  support  it.  All  the  spectators  appeared  to  ber 
overwhelmed  with  the  atlecting  spectacle,  and  many  seemed  to 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         665 

be  sufTiised  in  tears.  There  did  not  appear  to  be  one  hardened, 
or  indilferent  spectator  in  all  the  nmUitude  of  persons  assembled 
on  that  solemn  occasion." 

Sir  Henry  Clinton  made  some  elTorts  to  save  Andre,  but  still 
greater  were  those  made  by  Gen.  Washington;  and  "  it  is  a  sin- 
gular fact,  that  while  the  former  was  hastening  the  death  of 
Andre,  the  latter  was  exerting  himself  to  ward  off  that  calamity." 
So  great  was  the  desire  of  Gen.  Washington  to  get  Arnold  and 
save  Andre,  that  he  sent  one  of  his  best  soldiers  into  the  camp  of 
the  enemy.  Major  Lee,  who  was  entrusted  by  the  Commander 
with  the  attempt  to  arrest  the  traitor,  selected  John  Champe,  a 
sergeant  of  cavalry,  for  the  enterprise.  Champe  was  a  native  of 
Loudon  county,  Virginia ;  a  young  man  of  much  discernment  and 
great  personal  bravery.  The  sergeant  was  to  enter  the  enemy's 
lines  as  an  American  deserter — enlist  into  the  British  service 
under  Arnold,  and  having  matured  his  plans,  was,  with  a  trusty 
companion  to  surprise  and  gag  him  late  in  the  evening — bear  him 
to  a  boat  and  cross  to  the  Jersey  shore  from  New-York ;  where 
Major  Lee  was  to  await  his  arrival  with  two  spare  horses. — 
Champe  approached  the  enemy  hotly  pursued  by  a  party  of  his 
countrymen,  and  as  they  supposed  their  former  comrade  a  deser- 
ter, it  is  not  surprising  the  enemy  admitted  him  into  communion. 
Having  all  things  ready,  he  notified  Lee  when  to  meet  him  ;  but 
fortunately  for  Arnold,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  very  day  on  which 
the  plan  was  to  be  consummated,  that  officer  shifted  his  quarters, 
and  the  sergeant  was  transferred  to  another  regiment.  The 
scheme,  of  course  proved  abortive.  Nothing  but  an  unforeseen 
event  saved  Arnold  from  the  just  vengeance  of  his  countrymen. 
The  intrepid  sergeant  readily  embraced  the  earliest  opportunity 
to  desert  and  return  to  the  camp  of  Washington,  who  kindly  re- 
ceived and  rewarded  him. — JVi/es'  Principles  of  the  Revolution. 

Capt.  JVathan  Hale,  to  whom  Major  Andre  alluded  on  his 
trial,  is  not  sufficiently  well  known  to  the  American  reader.  He 
was  a  son  of  Deacon  Richard  Hale,  of  South  Coventry,  Con- 
necticut, and  was  born  on  the  sixth  day  of  June,  1756.  He  gradu- 
ated at  Yale  College  in  September,  1773,  with  the  first  honors  of 
the  institution.     He  ardently  espoused  the  cause  of  his  suffering 


666  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

country  at  an  early  day,  and  when  the  news  of  the  Lexington 
fight  reached  New  London  where  he  was  then  teaching  an  acade- 
my, he  dismissed  his  school,  and  joining  the  company  of  Capt. 
Coit,  as  a  volunteer,  marched  to  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  In  the 
fall  of  1775,  he  received  a  lieutenant's  commission,  and  soon  after 
a  captain's,  in  Col.  Charles  Webb's  regiment.  Early  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1776,  Gen.  Washington  formed  a  select  regiment  of  in- 
fantry for  special  service,  vmder  the  command  of  Col.  Knowlton,  a 
brave  officer  who  fell  that  season  at  Harlem  Hights. 

After  the  unfortunate  engagement  which  took  place  on  Long 
Island,  August  27,  1776,  the  Americans  under  the  prudent  Wash- 
ington, abandoned  the  island  and  retreated  to  New-York,  in  the 
manner  described  in  the  journal  of  Major  Tallmadge. 

About  this  time  an  incident  occurred  as  stated  in  the  Memoir  of 
Capt.  Hale,  (a  neat  pamphlet  published  early  in  the  summer  of 
1344,  for  the  Hale  Monument  Association — for  a  copy  of  which 
and  the  beautiful  poem  sent  with  it,  the  author  would  here  ac- 
knowledge his  indebtedness  to  the  society,)  which  will  serve  to 
show  the  daring  spirit  of  that  hero. 

"  Our  troops  were  still  wretchedly  supplied  with  even  the  neces- 
saries of  life ;  things  without  which  the  warmest  zeal  cannot  long 
endure.  There  was  much  suffering  and  much  repining,  A  Brit- 
ish sloop,  laden  with  provisions,  was  lying  in  the  East  river,  under 
cover  of  the  ship  Asia,  man-of-war  with  90  guns.  Capt.  Hale 
formed  the  bold  project  of  capturing  this  sloop,  and  bringing  her 
into  the  harbor  of  New-York.  He  soon  found  hardy  compeers  for 
the  enterprise.  At  dead  of  night  the  little  band  of  adventurers 
rowed  silently,  in  a  small  boat,  to  a  point  near  the  sloop,  and  there 
waited  for  the  moon  to  go  down.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  and  all 
still,  save  the  watchman's  voice  from  the  deck  of  the  Asia,  they 
darted  upon  their  prey,  sprang  aboard,  hoisted  sail,  and  brought 
her  into  port  with  the  British  tars  in  the  hold,  and  without  the  loss 
of  a  man.  This  exploit  was  loudly  applauded,  and  the  daring 
leader  distributed  the  goods  of  his  prize  to  feed  and  clothe  the 
hungry  and  naked  soldiers." 

The  retreat  of  the  Americans  from  Brooklyn,  left  the  whole 
island  in  possesion  of  the  British.  Anxious  to  obtain  information 
of  their  strength  and  intended  future  operations,  Washington  ap- 
plied to  Col.  Knowlton  to  gain  such  information,  who  made  the 
request  known  to  his  officers.     Among  others,  he  solicited  a  ser- 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.         667 

geant  to  undertake  it,  who  had  served  in  the  French  war  :  hut 
the  knotted  hero  promptly  refused,  saying  that  he  ivas  ready  to 
fight  the  British  at  any  place  or  time,  but  did  not  feel  willing  to 
go  among  them  to  he  hung  up  like  a  dog.  Young  Hale,  inspired 
with  a  sense  of  duty,  and  a  belief  that  the  safety  of  his  country 
demanded  the  desired  information,  at  once  volunteered  his  services 
for  the  enterprise ;  and  in  a  citizen's  dress  and  capacity  of  a 
school  teacher,  he  proceeded  to  Norwalk,  Conn.,  from  whence 
he  was  conveyed  to  Huntington,  L.  I.,  in  an  armed  sloop.  He 
journeyed  to  Brooklyn,  went  through  the  enemy's  lines,  and  after 
making  a  careful  survey  of  their  posts  and  strength,  he  crossed 
over  to  New-York,  where  a  part  of  the  British  array  were  then 
stationed ;  and  having  faithfully  completed  his  charge,  set  out  on 
his  return  to  the  American  camp,  then  near  the  Harlem  Heights — 
five  or  six  miles  from  the  city.  When  nearly  out  of  danger  as 
he  supposed,  he  met  a  small  party  of  the  enemy,  and  one  of  their 
number,  a  refugee  cousin  who  had  espoused  the  cause  of  oppres- 
sion, recognized  and  betrayed  him.  This  relative  was  on  a  visit 
to  Hale's  father's  only  a  year  or  two  before.  The  party  made  the 
spy  a  captive,  and  hastened  with  him  to  the  presence  of  Sir  "Wil- 
liam Howe. 

The  proof  of  his  object  was  so  clear  that  he  frankly  acknowl- 
edged who  he  was,  and  what  were  his  views.  Howe  at  once  gave 
orders  for  his  execution  on  the  following  morning.  The  order 
was  executed  on  the  morning  of  September  22d,  in  a  most  unfeel- 
ing and  barbarous  manner,  by  WiUiam  Cunningham,*  the  British 
provost-marshal,  than  whom  a  greater  villain  never  disgraced  a 
human  form.     "  A  clergyman,  whose  attendance  he  requested, 

•  He  was  a  native  of  Dublin,  Ireland.  He  was  executed  some  time  after 
the  war  for  a  forgery  committed  in  England.  In  his  dying  confession, 
he  says:  "  I  shudder  to  think  of  the  murders  I  have  been  accessory  to,  both 
wiih  and  without  orders  from  government,  especially  while  in  New  York ;  du- 
ring which  time  there  were  more  than  two  thousand  prisoners  starved  in  the 
different  churches,  by  stopping  their  rations,  which  I  sold.  There  were  also 
two  hundred  and  seventy  five  American  prisoners  and  obnoxious  persons  exe- 
cuted, out  of  all  which  number  there  were  only  about  one  dozen  public  exe- 
cations,  which  chiefly  consisted  of  British  and  Hessian  deserters."— M/es* 
Principles  of  the  Revolution. 


668  AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK. 

was  refused  him ;  a  Bible,  for  a  few  moments'  devotion,  was  not 
procured,  although  he  wished  it."  Letters,  which,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  his  execution,  he  wrote  to  his  intended,  and  other  friends, 
were  destroyed  ;  and  this  very  extraordinary  reason  given  by  the 
provost-marshal,  "  That  the  rebels  should  not  know  they  had  a  man 
in  their  army  ivho  could  die  with  so  much  ftrmness."  Unknown 
to  all  around  him, — without  a  single  friend  to  offer  him  the  least 
consolation, — thus  fell  as  amiable  and  as  worthy  a  young  man  as 
America  could  boast,  with  this,  his  dying  observation  :  "  He  only 
lamented  that  he  had  but  one  life  to  lose  for  his  country.'^  Andre, 
in  his  defence,  alluded  to  the  death  of  Capt,  Hale,  and  paid  his 
character  a  just  tribute.  He  closed  his  allusion  to  the  fate  of  Hale 
by  saying  that  their  cases  were  not  parallel.  Let  us  see  how  far 
they  differed : 

Both,  when  taken,  were  in  a  citizen's  dress,  and  that  of  Andre 
at  least,  not  his  own ;  both  had  been  within  the  lines  of  the  ene- 
my in  that  disguise  ;  Andre  had  assumed  a  false  name,  although 
it  is  not  certain  that  Hale  did ;  both  had  gone  to  learn  the  situa- 
tion of  the  enemy's  works,  and  Andre  was  taking  measures  to 
criminate  another — and  while  neither  the  expectation  of  pecunia- 
ry reward  or  promotion  influenced  the  action  of  Hale,  it  is  not 
certain  but  both  were  in  prospect  for  Andre.  The  one  was  the 
agent  of  a  powerful  king,  sent  to  fix  the  manacles  of  despotism 
upon  his  fellow  subjects,  and  by  so  doing  entwine  the  laurel  wreath 
upon  his  own  brow,  or  receive  a  high  sounding  court  title ;  the 
other  was  the  agent  of  an  oppressed  people,  struggling  to  be  free, 
who  felt  it  his  duty,  not  for  gold  or  worldly  honors,  to  peril  his 
life.  Andre  was  planning  the  easy  capture  of  a  strong  fortress  by 
becoming  accessory  to  treason ;  Hale  was  endeavoring  to  learn 
the  future  operations  of  the  enemy,  not  through  the  treachery  and 
crime  of  her  officers.  Andre  was  twenty-nine  years  old  when  he 
suffered,  and  Hale  but  twenty-two.  If  both  were  guilty  of  the 
same  crime,  under  precisely  the  same  circumstances,  should  not 
sympathy  naturally  incline  to  the  younger  ?  for  age  is  expected 
to  bring  with  it  experience  divested  of  rashness.  Contrast^the 
treatment  of  the  two  officers  after  their  arrest :  The  one  is  tried 


669  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

by  court-martial,  and  every  possible  indulgence  granted  him,  add- 
ed to  the  sympathy  of  the  whole  American  people ;  while  the 
other,  without  the  form  of  a  trial,  or  the  sympathy  of  a  single 
Ikiton, — without  being  granted  the  favor  of  Christian  devotion, — 
without  permission  to  send  a  dying  epistle  to  his  father, — is  hur- 
ried out  and  executed,  with  the  cold  formality  that  would  attend 
the  hanging  of  a  rabid  dog.  Finally,  let  us  contrast  their  dying 
words.  Said  Andre  to  the  spectators,  "Witness  to  the  world  that  I 
die  like  a  brave  man  !"  Said  Hale,  "  /  only  lament  that  I  have 
but  one  life  to  lose  for  my  country .'".  The  one  implies  a  desire 
for  personal  fame,  even  in  death ;  while  in  the  other,  self  is  bu- 
ried deep  in  the  love  of  country.  Reader  !  can  you  look  on  this 
picture,  and  feel  that  justice  is  done  to  the  character  of  your  be- 
loved Hale  ? — to  an  accomplished  and  feeling  scholar,  who  laid 
down  his  life  a  willing  sacrifice  for  his  bleeding  country  ?  His 
blood,  while  yet  warmed  with  the  fire  of  youth,  watered  the  then 
withering  roots  of  the  tree  of  Liberty.  The  time  has  arrived  when 
Justice  ought  to  be  done  to  the  character  of  Hale  ;  and  I  believe 
that  if  ever  this  Republic  rears  two  monuments  for  her  illustrious 
dead,  the  one  should  bear  the  name  of  "  the  father  of  his  coun- 
try," and  on  the  other  should  be  inscribed  the  name  of  the  patriot 
martyr  to  American  liberty,  JVathan  Hale.  It  is  said  that  the 
father  of  Capt.  Hale  was  mentally  deranged  ever  after  the  exe- 
cution of  his  son. 

In  August,  1831,  the  remains  of  Andre  were  exhumed  by  roy- 
al mandate,  under  the  direction  of  J.  Buchanan,  British  Consul  at 
New  York,  and  removed  to  England  to  find  a  resting  place  in 
Westminster  Abbey,  where  a  monument  had  previously  been 
erected  to  his  memory. 

Major  Andre  was  no  doubt  a  brave,  accomplished,  and  at  times, 
generous  man  ;  but  sympathy,  for  which  the  American  character 
has  ever  been  distinguished,  and  for  which  I  trust  it  ever  will  be, 
tended  at  the  time  of  his  death  to  throw  around  his  name  a  ficti- 
tious coloring  that  would  not  stand  the  ordeal  of  scrutiny.  Going 
to  prove  that  fact,  is  the  following  article,  which  is  an  extract  of 
a  communication  published  in  the  Philadelphia  True  American^ 
and  copied  by  Niles  in  his  Register,  March  1,  IS  17  : 
43 


670  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  Andre  was  in  Philadelphia  with  the  English  army,  and  was 
quartered  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Franklin,  in  which  the  Doctor's  fur- 
niture and  very  valuable  library  had  been  left.  When  the  Brit- 
ish were  preparing  to  evacuate  the  cit}-,  M.  D.  Simetre,*  who  was 
an  intimate  friend  of  Andre,  called  to  take  leave,  and  found  him 
busily  engaged  in  packing  up  and  placing  amongst  his  own  bag- 
gage a  number  of  the  most  valuable  books  belonging  to  Doctor 
Franklin.  Shocked  and  surprised  at  the  proceeding,  he  told  him, 
in  order  that  he  might  be  influenced  by  the  highly  honorable  con- 
duct of  Gen.  Kniphausen,  who  had  been  quartered  at  Gen.  Cad- 
wallader's  that  that  officer  sent  for  the  agent  of  the  latter,  gave 
him  an  inventory,  which  he  had  caused  his  steward  to  make  out  on 
his  first  taking  possession,  told  him  he  would  find  every  thing  in 
proper  order,  even  to  some  bottles  of  wine  in  the  cellar,  and  paid 
him  rent  for  the  time  he  occupied  it.  Not  so  with  Andre  ;  he  qui- 
etly carried  off  his  plunder.  I  have  often  thought  his  character 
owes  many  beams  which  play  around  it,  to  the  fascination  of  Miss 
Seward's  verse  and  description,  of  which  he  Avas  by  no  means 
worthy,  though  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  he  was  a  gallant  soldier, 
and  in  some  respects,  an  honest  man." 

It  is  also  stated  in  a  pamphlet  publication  of  the  proceedings, 
at  the  time  a  monument  was  erected  to  the  memory  of  John 
Paulding,  on  the  authority  of  Johnson's  Life  of  Gen.  Greene,  that 
Maj.  Andre  was  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  the  character  of 
a  spy,  during  the  seige  of  that  city  by  the  British ;  and  that  he 
was  probably  instrumental,  to  a  great  extent,  in  involving  the 
very  men  in  captivity,  whose  fate  he  intimated  in  his  letter  to 
Washington  avowing  his  real  character,  "  the  treatment  he  receiv- 
ed might  affect." 

Gen.  Greene  was  in  command  of  the  army  at  head  quarters  du- 
ring Washington's  visit  to  Hartford,  to  meet  the  French  officers, 
and  in  a  letter  to  him,  dated  two  days  before  Andre's  arrest,  he 
thus  writes  from  Tappan : 

"  Col. communicated  the  last  intelligence  we  have  from 

New  York  ;  since  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  the  least  in- 
formation of  what  is  going  on  there,  though  we  have  people  in 
from  three  different  quarters.  None  of  them  retuming,  makes 
me  suspect  some  secret  expedition  is  in  contemplation,  the  success 
of  which  depends  upon  its  being  kept  a  secret." 

"  Arnold  knew  the  bearing  of  this  post  (West  Point),  upon  all 

•Simetre  was  a  native  of  Genoa,  who  had  settled  in  Philadelphia,  and  was 
the  person  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  valuable  museum,  now  belonging 
to  Mr.  Peal. 


AND  BORDER  WARS  OF  NEW  YORK.        671 

the  operations  of  the  American  army  ;  and  afterwards  avowed  liis 
confident  expectation,  that,  had  the  enemy  got  possession  of  it, 
the  contest  must  have  ceased,  and  America  been  subdued." 

Andre  was  not  only  pleased  with  poetry,  but  wrote  it  very 
well.  His  poetic  wit  generally  flowed  in  a  strain  of  sarcasm, 
and  the  American  officers  were  usually  the  butt  of  it.  His  most 
celebrated  poem  of  the  kind  was  called  the  Cow  Chase,  written 
a  short  time  before  his  death,  and  in  this  he  aimed  a  share  of  his 
wit  at  Gen.  Wayne,  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave.  The  dog- 
gerel ended  with  the  following  stanza  : 

"  And  now  I've  closed  my  epic  strain, 

I  tremble  as  I  show  it, 
Lest  this  same  warrior-drover,  Wayne, 

Should  ever  catch  the  poet." 

When  Andre  was  delivered  a  prisoner  at  the  village  of  Tappan, 
he  found  Gen.  Wayne  in  command  of  a  division  of  the  army,  the 
first  Pennsylvania  brigade,  then  stationed  at  that  place.  Thus 
we  see  that  indirectly  "  the  warrior-drover  Wayne"  did  catch  the 
poet. 

As  a  reward  for  his  treason,  Arnold  received  from  the  British 
government,  as  is  supposed,  ten  thousand  pounds,  and  a  commis- 
sion in  her  service.  He  issued  a  proclamation  to  induce  the 
American  soldiers  to  desert ;  yet,  as  dark  as  their  prospects  were, 
English  writers  say  there  was  not  a  solitary  instance  of  desertion 
on  his  account.  He  was  actively  employed  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  exerting  himself  to  injure  his  parent  country.  At  the  end  of 
the  war,  he  was  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits  in  the  West  In- 
dies. He  afterwards  removed  to  England,  where  he  was  shunned 
and  despised  by  all  virtuous  and  honorable  men.* 

He  died  in  London  in  ISOI.  The  following  acrostic,  published 
many  years  ago,  and  for  which  the  writer  is  indebted  to  the  tena- 
cious memory  of  a  bachelor  friend,  does  ample  justice  to  his  cha- 
racter : 

•The  following  anecdote,  given  by  one  of  his  biographers,  will  show  the 
estimation  in  which  his  character  was  held  in  the  land  of  his  adoption.  On 
a  certain  occasion  Lord  Surry,  rising  to  speak  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
perceiving  Arnold  in  the  gallery,  sat  down  with  precipitation,  exclaiming,  "  I 
will  not  speak  while  that  man"  pointing  to  Arnold,  "  is  in  the  house-" 


672  HISTORY  OF  SCHOHARIE  COUNTY, 

"  Born  for  a  curse  to  nature  and  mankind, 

Earth's  darkest  realms  can't  show  so  black  a  mind  ; 

Night,  sable  night,  his  crimes  can  never  hide, 

Each  is  so  great  it  gluts  historic  tide  : 

Defunct,  in  memory  shall  ever  live, 

In  all  the  glare  that  infamy  can  give ; 

Curses  of  ages  shall  attend  thy  name  ; 

Traitors  alone  shall  glory  in  thy  fame. 

Almighty  vengeance  sternly  waits  to  roll 
Rivers  of  sulphur  o'er  thy  treach'rous  soul; 
Nature  looks  back,  with  conscious  error  sad, 
On  such  a  tarnished  blot  that  she  had  made. 
Let  hell  receive  thee,  riveted  in  chains, 
Damned  to  the  focus  of  its  hotest  flames." 

The  captors  of  Andre  are  now  dead,  and  monuments  have 
been  erected  over  the  dust  of  two  of  them,  to  point  the  traveler 
not  only  to  the  generosity  of  their  countrymen,  but  to  the  tri- 
umph of  virtue  over  the  corrupting  influence  of  gold.  Paulding 
died  Feb.  18th,  1818,  and  was  buried  at  Peekskill,  Westchester 
county,  where  a  monument  was  raised  to  his  memory  by  the 
common  council  of  New  York,  Nov.  22d,  1827.  Van  Wart  died 
May  23d,  1828,  and  on  the  11th  of  June,  1829,  the  citizens  of 
Westchester  placed  a  monument  over  his  remains.  My  friend, 
Mr.  Murphy,  who  well  knew  the  merits  of  the  last  survivor, 
Williams,  has  been  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to  get  a  monu- 
ment to  his  memory.  He  has  repeatedly  petitioned  Congress,  the 
proper  source  surely,  for  an  appropriation  to  erect  one,  and  has 
even  been  in  person  to  urge  the  matter — but  as  yet  in  vain,  ^'ire 
republics  ungrateful  ?  Mr.  Murphy  has  several  times  elicited 
from  Congress  a  favorable  report ;  but  those  reports,  like  similar 
ones  for  a  monument  to  the  ill-fated  Hale,  have  died  still-born. 
The  memory  of  those  heroes  should  be  honored,  although  it  be 
necessai-y  to  lessen  the  mileage  of  Congressmen,  or  tax  their  re- 
ceipts for  imaginary  distance  to  do  it.  Virtue  merits  the  cherish- 
ed recollection  of  the  good,  and  surely  it  is  not  vanity  that  dic- 
tates the  erection  of  marble  to  remind  us  of  departed  worth,  and 
tell  where  rests  a  hero.