ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 1833 01125 9469

GENEALOGY

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HISTORY

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COUNTIES. N.Y..

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS DESCRIPTIVE OE SCENERY,

C^ |J r i T n i e H ^ s i d e n c e s », -^^P^ Public Buildings, Fins Blocks, and Important Manufactoriss,

FROM ORIGINAL SKETCHES BY ARTISTS OF THE HIGHEST ABILITY;

fOBTBAiTS 07 OLD ?IOTJEETlS AUI f1?0]ff)TJETJT BESIISTJTS.

NEW YORK;

F. W. BEERS & CO.

36 VESEY STREET.

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Gf-o. MiCNAMARi, Primer, jft W-suy Street, New York.

1704858

INTRODUCTORY.

To one whose own neighborhood has been the theatre of events prominent in the nation's annals, the history of th(jse events is the most interesting of all history. To the intrinsic fascination of stirring incidents is added the charm of their having occurred on familiar ground. The river is more than a volume of water irrigating its banks and turning millwheels — more than a blue ribbon woven into the green vesture of the earth — to one who knows how it has dictated the course of events along its valley for centuries, detemiining the location, tirst of the Indian's castle and then of the white man's village ; the line, firet of the red warrior's trail and finally of the four- tracked railway ; at one time the site of the farmer's clearing and again that of the frontier fortress ; now the route of an army's march and anon that of a nation's domestic commerce. The road that has been traveled unthinkingly for years is invested with a new interest if found to have folUjwed an Indian trail. The held v.herc one has harvested but giriia or fniit for many a season brings forth a crop of associations and ideas when it is understood that it was the scene of one of those san- guinary conflicts in which the land was redeemed from savagery, the character of its civilization determined and its independ- ence secvired. The people will look with a heightened and more intelligent interest upon ancient buildings in their midst, already venerated by them they haidly know why, when they read the authentic record of events with which these monuments of the jiast are associated. The annals of a region so famous in legend and record as that of which these ])ages treat give it a new and pnwerful element id interest for its inhabitants, and strengthen that niiniatitie but admirable patriotiMu which con- sists in tlie hive of one's own locality.

Where such a series df evt'nt> as we havp hintiMl at has un- folded itself Hithin the biiuudarifs ,,f a c.unty. tlic liist(jry of that county !■- in some sense an epitome ni liistnry in general. In this view, the tHrritory whose annals are jiresented in this volume, is very notabli\ Within it. in tlie course of time, the beginning and succHssivf stages of civilization have been illus- trated with singular completeness. Here the aboriginal race has jieopled the jirimeval forest and has disapjieared before the Teuton, anil the Celt after a contlict, marked by every tragir inrideut. The forest itself has given way before the advance of civili/.ed life, and a race with traditions of law, learning and religion has here endiodied theiri in forms of its likini:. The people of this region with their fellow colonists, having settled

the tirst problems of their novel situation, had in time to reform the government of a continent ; and in the great struggle for independence a disproportionate share of stirring events occur- ring within the limits of Montgomery and Fulton counties made them forever historic ground. Under the beneficent auspices of freedom, the great resources of this region have been developed, and clearings have become populous towns, and settlements thriving vill.iges. By the ordinance of Xature the most practi- cable pathway between East and West leads through the valley of the Mohawk, and side by side with that storied stream, in its passes through the Montgomery hills, run the greatest canal and the greatest railway of the continent, separated only by the rich meadows throufi-h which the river winds.

Under the sway of cause and effect liistoric events cannot stand alone, they form an unbroken chain. The history of so limited a territory as a county in Xew York has its roots not only in remote times, but in distant lands, and cannot be jiiatly written without going far beyond the eoiinty limits for some of its most essential facts. >'or can such a county history be un deistood in its due relation and signiticance without ahistnrical review of at lea.st the State in which the county is a part ; hence we feel that in giving such an outline we have been more faithful to the main purpose of the work, wliile we have added an element of independent interest and value.

In the preparation of this volume the standard works em- bracing the history of the Mohawk valley ha\e been consulted, beside nuiny original sources uf information. Anumg those who have furuishedthe publishers with valuable material, they would acknowledge special obligations to Mr. J. R. Simnis. of Fort Plain: Col. Simeon Sammons; David Cady. of Amsterdaui: W. II. Shaw, of Mayrteld; Rev. \Vm. B. Van Beuschoten, of Ephratah: Hon. Isaac R. Rosa, of Broadalbin ; Hon. .loliii Bowdish. .fudge Daniel Spraker and F. P. Moulton, of the town of Root. Montgomery county ; Pythagoras Wetmore. of Canajoharie ; ,\bram Van llorne. of Mill Point: Rev. Wm. N. Irish. D. I>.. of .Vmsterilam : and Rev. C. C. Kdmiui.ls. of .lohnstowu : the last two of whom furnished the histoiies of the Episcopal cliurches of whieh they are reetoj-s. Several liersons who have been earnestly applied to have withheld or neglected to furnish information which they could best impart, and perhaps they only, and which would have contributed to the perfection of this woik.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

HI S T O K I C -A. L -A. 3Sr X) ID E S C H I 1= T I "V E

STATE HISTORY. CHAPTER I. The AbfRgices of Amenca— EJirlieat Explorations and Diwwerirt in the New World, ".9 CHAPTER II. BivftI ClmaBB of the Enpli-h and Dutch to the Territory of New York. ft-10 CHAPTER ni. French ud Indian Wat^— DisvenBioDS in the Colonial Gov- enunot -Capture and Execution of Lrtsler. - - - 10, 11 CHAPTER n'. Count Frentenac's Compui-jiu— Pievalenc* of Piracy- Mia- goTeaaneat of New York- French Trading and MiUtary	CHAPTER XI. St. Leger'* Siege of Fort fichuvler and the Battle of Ons- kany— RMter of the Ijitt«r, 48-31 CHAPTER XII. A FruitlcM Council with the Iro-^uoia at Johnstown- In- dian HostiUtiea— Sir John Johnson's First Raid, - - 51-53 CHAPTER XIII. Sutferingsof tbeMobawk Vnlley I'atnot^-Branfs Decent on Canajoharie— The Second Raid of Sir John Juhnrton, 33-55 CHAPTER SIV Doxtader's R«id on Currytown, and the coose-iueot Fiffbt- ing— The Foray of Rosa and Butler— Death of the Lat- CHAPTER XV. Peace on the Mohnwk-Resulo of the War-The naming and tuecfssive Boundaries of Mouigomery County, - 57. 58 CHAPTER XVI. Immigration from New England -Pioneer Life - New Boada and Bndges— Staging on the ilohawk Turn-	The Town of Johufltown. 50ft-Sl« The Town of lUeecker. 21J.213 The Town of BmaiUlbin, 2U--21* The Town of 1 '.iroi-'ft. 220 The Town of Kphnitiih, S21-221 The Town of M.iylield, 225-229 The Town cf N'.rthampton, 232-233 TheTownof Oppenheim, ..-.-. 237.238 The Town of Perth. 239, 2» The Town of Stratford, HI BIOGRAPHIES. Avery, Anson J , M.D., 234 Baird, Jacob U., lu« Barker. William F., - ... 236 B.mey. Z. H, M. D.. Hi BUuchard, John. 231 Blake. John F. M. D, 236 Botteford. Aino.- 3., 203 Bowduh, Hon. John, 167
CHAPTER V. The AUe«Bl Plot to Bum N^w York-French and English HortibJiea-The Contest for the Ohio Valley, - - 12. 13 CHAPTER VI. The EesalU of Four tngii-b Expeditions apuoat the Freot*— Moatcalm's aucrt-vifiil Ctunpaigna, - - 13-15 CHAPTER VII. The Exta»rtioD of French Power in Amenca-The New York Jadinary — International L'ontentiona, - - 15. 16 CHAPrER VIII. Th* AppTOMh of the Rerolmion— Piitnotic Attitude of NfcwTork-Tho First B.itrle Fought in ITTO, - - 16-19 CH-^l-TERIX. The BofltOD Tea Party -M-i-enn^of ttie Continental Coo- gTt««— The Battle of Lexington — Canada Invaded, ■ IB. 19 CHAITER X. Ho«tiliti« Traosfenvtl to New York— The Battle of Loo?
CHAPTER XVIL The Mohawk Ri?er— lu Improvement as a Highway by the Inland Lock Naiigation Campioy. 30, 61 CHAPTER XVllI. Montgomery County in the War of lS12-The Mibtia Sys- tem—How the Eleventh Brigade went to War, - - 61-63 CHAPTER XIX. TheConatmclion and Enlanrt^ment of the Erie Canal— .An Incident of Lafayette's Tour, M, W CHAPTER XX. Early Railtoading 10 the Mohawk Valley— The Utica and Scheneoudy and New Yoik Central Linea, • - - GS, 66 CHAPTER XXJ. Agriculture in Sir William John:«jn* Time-History of the Montgomery County Agricultural Society, - - 66-67 CHAPTER XSII. The Removal of the <ourt-House- Montgomery's Repre- sentative* in Congress and Legislature— Codaty Insti- CHAPTER XXIII. Original Land Oranta in Montgomery County— Diaaension* Arising from them— The Clarke Entale, - -- • - 70-74 CHAPTER XXIV. Features of tlie Geology und Physical! Geography of Mont- gomery and Fulton Counties. 74,-5 CHAPTER XXV. Montgomery County in the Civil War-Uiatory of the IlStb New York Volunteer Infan'.ry. ..... 75-84 TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF MONTGOMERY CUUNTY- The Town of Amsterdam, 85—87 The Vjilap.of AmM.rJ.im. ^^—94 ThnTownof Canajoh-iii^, 95-98 The Vill.tg^of Can«johnne, 99-102 TheT-wnuf iharleKlon. 103-107 The Town of Florida, .... ... 108-1I6 TheTownof iilen. 117-121 F.iitonviUe. 122.123 ThnTownof Mmden, 12t»-lCl F..rtri..in. 132-134 TheTownof M..h..wk. 135-140 F-nd... ... 141-143 The Town of Palatine, 149-151 The Town ot lioot. 163-166 TheT..wnoI .«!- Jr.l,nt.vtlle. 171 The Vilh.Keof ^! Johnsville. 178 FULTON COUNTY. '■HArTKH I. C.u«., Ui.l.n, tn llif 1 rcaiion of ,)„■ r.„.„ir-The Surcc- • lonot Uftcjrs-Sun.lrr louniy In-muI,on.. - ■ lT3-i:3 l.'HM'TEK II. On. in. Oro.lt. .>0<lMeth.,l. of the Glove >0.iMiI[eii Manu- facture of Fullon L'o'inry I7.1~i7» rHAFTEB III. Fulton County-. Reroril in li.e \V„r for the Ucion-H..I.:rr of the IM.i New Vurk Volunteer., 1;8-IM CKAI'TER IV. The Re<:ord of Severnl romp-.tiie-t ir. which Fulton County Men Fo,.irhlf..tthe.v.ii..n, . . . . j . 1m-1«; TOWNS ASCI VILLAGES OF FLLTOV COUNTY.	Bowdish, Nathaniel, 196 Bowdu.h, D J., l« Bowlet. William H., 213 Boyee, Linn L . 236 Brown, Col John, 154 Brower. WiUiom H.. 136 lirockway, Tiilany. facing 213 Buchanan, John M. 231 Bnrdick. John E., M. D., 22) Bubby, E.Jwin, 231 Bnshnell. John 238 Butler. James?.. 106 Butler, <:ol. John, 13: C^ii.aon. D,.niel, 200 Cady, David. lit
The Battlfof Beniiinclon- St Le^er'it Fjilure at On^'kany and Fort flehayler- Pnr.-jyoe'a Defeii.t and Surrender, 21-23 THAPTEB XII. Sir Henry Ointon's Hud-suu P.ner Campan-Ti — France Re- cogaiaa the t'nited Stares— Wars w.th the Indians, - 23-24 CH.\.PTER XIII Amold'iTTeuKon— Close of the Hevolulion- Adopt Ion of the Conjtilotion— Internal Improvements, .... 24-26 CHAPTER XIV. Caiuea of the Lmrt War with Oreat Unr.iin-Eipeditiona Affaiu«tC«nsdii — HoHtrlidea .\lauK the Border, - - CU-28 CHAPTKR XV.	Cady, Jay. Hi (^ri3tie. Edwiipl. 231 Close, Abniham B., 230 Cozzens, William, 229 Cramer, Solomon, . 238 Davie, William H., 158 Davis, Hopea, 106 Decker, Nicholas H., lO) Dievendonf. Jacob, 169 Dievendortf, Williom B., 1C9 Dixon. Baltus W., 231 Dom. MtT. Jeremiah, 210 Dcming, Hiram, ..-...-.- 213
UpriBM?— The .stare Admmi-itration- New York in the Civil V«r. 28-30	Dennia, Eli. 224
MONTGOMERY COUNTY. CHAPTER I. The Fire NaiioDs- Their Tr,>ditionaof their Ongin— Iro-	Dunn, Andrew, 134 Diinkel. Harvey, 102 Durfte, Abram. 224 Failintr. John A.. lir Fen.'u5on. Sylvester. 231
CHAITER II. The Mohnwk!«and tht^ir Wai^. w^th ihe French-FinJ Coun- cil in their Coii'itry—The:r'iintl.^ .... .32-34 CHAPTER HI. K:itxrum»tanre« of the pHlalinc ImmifTTHtion-The German F^lthmentflun the Hud»<iii and the Slohawk, • .34.35 CHAPTER IV. Til- ronMmct.oTi of Fort n..n'.r-Fin.t Settlemen:i-Sir Willi^mJohiiK'n'-. Carter The Burnet-flcid Miu-sacre, 3-5-3;	Fonda, Jelles. 13T Foote, Daniel, 231 Fn-y Family. ISI Frank. Ahrnm, 250 Georve, Isa.ic, 230 Gttman. David. 230
Hanson, Hon. John J , 2«> n..iieniao. -Mi.al,, 230 Hiil, Key. Ni.:hola., nj
The Mnhitwk Valley ia ITS:— Growth of FopuliitK-n-CiTil- izmp the 9a»««ei'—Cre>itii>o of Trjon County, . i:-.rj CH.\ITER Vr. Ti^-.n Tounty on the hv^nf tie Revnluti.-n-Tke .loln-onn -PatrwIicGathenn(n.ni.d Itler..n.-«. .... 39.10 CHAPrER VK. Cniinty Committee to Guy Johi.*on-U« Ku.picious	Howland, H .rri..m, 231' Hnbh.. Hon ihirles, 1R6 H'l.;. J, Hiiehen. 231 Jark...n.S.inoel. u, J..hn<in. .'iir William. jfui J„.l,„. Mr.M.ry, „, Keone-ly. Davi.l. j.v Knapi.-raniu n.. .,„ Lan.in«. Ahtam. 231 I.»ii.ii.j. G..rTet I., i«
CHAPTKR VIll.
wm-HoitileAttitudpof S.r.IoboJohn.u,n, . . , 43.44 CHAPTER IX. Bchuyler'ii Exp*tl:Iion lo Johti«town and Disarmament of the Tonc-The Flight of .^.r John J..hn*in. - - - 44-4« CHAPTER X. The Militii«(.'rBBoi7.ilIon— AUnn on the ApproMih of Bur- Ki.jne (iimI Ml. Leirer-Fort echuykT Lixesled, ■ - 4C-48	Lew... M .rvin. 23S LoMell. Nalh.n B., 23« McKliil.iy. John j-j, llcKn.irhi.J..hn. ;jj Jloore, D;.r.u.. ;k U.i.,lt,>n. H.in. F IV ^ Mup«in. En, 2.51 U.1"M, Collin., 229

0^" 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

OrtuD, Dan OrertMuifh, NpVm, P»fre. Robert ft . Pi4ru, Hud. It^kr PftTMiDi Family, P«lU?r»on. Jolin. Prt^rwo, Hdrvej

Pott-r. Eon I'Ut RwldU, Joseph,

anb*rt»-ji>, James Eooney. Tbolimi BoHM, laojxc R , EoM, Jnin-^ P.. J Rrm. Elder Joho

Shull Family.

Smith, WiJirtCD A., Smith, Geonre, - Snow, jJjmeoD. M.D. Spier. JcMeph F..

dprtiktir Ftimily, • Spruker. iMniel.Jr- buno, John a.. ■ Sweet, loaiah. - Thomas, Henry C,

Vandenturgh. Pt'i.jf V«n Djke. CjileaC ,

. Hon. WeUter.

ix.L-crsTii-A-a?iO]srs-

Arkell, Jiunes, Canajoharie, E'-sideace. Arodt, Alfred, Mimlen, Re«<lence,

Buk, Muh.Lwk Etrer. Foadii

BoTOea, Levi G., ' anajuliurie. R'riidenoe, Bat«^ Edur J, i^t. Johnsville, Residence, . BAuder. B., Mindeu, Residence, .... Bftniler, J. G , MinJen, Re^iiuenct; ind Grounds, Beach k Corr. PiU.itine BnJie, Cider Manufac^orj-, Beoze. H. C, Canjjotmrie. Store. ...

Bierbiiuer, L., Cannjoharie, Brrwerj, Bluke, Dr. J. F.. Northville, Re^j.lenc*-. BUnchard. John, M^iyrteM, Residence. . BowJish, Hon. John. Ruml Gro^e.Ke^idence and Stoi Btockway, Tifl^nj-, BnjiuJalbin. Rwidence. Bruwer. U. T. E , Muh.iwk, Rrt/dence. . Brown & B« ich. Pdliitine Bridge. He$iden<.'«, Brx>wn, J, F., For I.u-k*ou. Lumber un.l Coa! Y.trd, Cadv. DaTid. Am-tet-Jum. Residence. Carr. A., Fort PUio. Residence and Grounds, , Church. EvanKclican Luthena, Palaiine, EJiflce, Churrh, U. Fr^byterian, Perth Cantre, Edifice, aoeo. A. B , MiijtiPld. Eesiilcnoe, .... Cook, J. C PiUatme, Residenix'. . . . .

tJonntr>m'i". ^^m . Resuleno:, ....

Court House. Fonda, E.liflce

Conrt HiiiK-€, Joh.l^lown, b:.litice, . ...

Crooae. Wra.. Fort Plain, Residence nod Grounds, Crouse, S., ilindenvillf, RMi.ienre,

Davi^ I. M.. Fond I, Kt^-*id,nce

Davu. John I.. Mih.iwk, R.-*iJenee.

Dari^i. W. H- PnUtiiie Bridi.'*. Residence.

Decker, X. H . Joimstown, Rt«. nnd Grounds. .

DcOmff, Alfred. Moh.iwk. Rc-i-ienee. . . . ;

De<irair. J. T.. An-ttr-lnm. Krsilente,

Denaia. Mrt. M. X., RoctwoKl. R<-:sidcnce, .

Dievendurfl, C . Cmrytown, EwiJenre,

Dievendorph. J.. Ciirrrtown. Re^^idence and Ccm..

thileobock, A. A.. PnUtine, Reiidence.

Doni. E. J.. JohnsTown. Ho-i.!er.rv, . . . .

Dom, N., Jolin»town. Ke-id. i!'e

Dunckl**, Mn. X , Min.|.-ii. II. -u^ and Grouodc. Dunii. Arvlrtw, F-rt Pl-.m. R.-iieuce. . Dunk, John.Jr..J-.tmHlo«ii. M..Ti.iracrory, iirker, D. W.. .\iu--tcniaiti. Hwjdence, . Edwards, J. V. S. i Sons, iilen. Residence ind Slort;. Erereat, I. M.G.iro.'a, lle-i'ience and i.rist-mill, FaiUngr. .T. A., Fal.irine llrlive. Reaid-nce. .

Failmg, J.

, Palatl

, Ho I

Failinf, R , Mmden, Re»i Fitiehout, A , ranaiohiini Flnkel. J. J., R«>"t. R'-Md. Fiah, F., Fulionville. R-v Floyd. Jr.hn. PM.tine, R. Fort PU.n Scminirr. For Fonda Hot*-l. Fond.. ......

Pr^nk, David, Frank's ''ornery R'^id.-Dce. Prwl-nck, A . John»r>.wn, Ke*ilence. Fnwman, C. B., Fulionville. K^-.dence. Firoman, i' W. i '•.. Folt.mvdk-, Stoam Mills. FnU^r, C. W.. Pil.tme. R.-i lenoe, Oetman, B.. Ephntah. R.-idenoe, Hall. Robert, Miuicn, Hou-e and Grounds, Hall, Wm- For.di, R.-iden'-e, Hanson. H.u.. J. J . '.tovcr^vdlp. Store, He<«, A.. Pftlfttin.' Hndre. R-."»idenc«, Hfvemao. M., 5U. field, n.^.d-ore. Hole* i St^itlonl. i;..i.i.j..h .ri.. Store. Hottmer, .1. S., J.djii-.i'iwn. fU-idence, . Uo>wk. Jrtcob. rinrila. H.Md^noe. Howlaod. U^rrv-.n. M,.yti-M. Kt^idence. Jotan«on.J. U.. G.ij\pr-«iilio. l:-.'i iim-e, Ka«on. A. J., i.Uv^r^vdlc, i:.s. lonre. Keck. Ju*eph, S--k4< Vm. r. R-.-idPure ^nd Bm Kellotru:. J- Annt.pUm H-.l-n* and Grounds KrIloBir * MiUcr. \mau rljin. I.ins.?ed Od Wyi Koapp, J. U .

Lm. I

, Ma

kid. Upsi

, U',

Lighthall, B-

Lipe. J . Mmden. H«-.id.n.

Lipe. J. £.. Mtnlen, Reaid.

Lotridcre. C. i W. T., Mohawk, Reaid McClumjiba, J., Amsterdam. Reaiden Mclntyre. M., P^nh Centr*'. Residenc McVean, Ed.. Johnstown, Residf^nce,

Ma;

'L-ll. J .

isteniam. Mill a

1 Reaid

(ollowing 2 following

Maylendcr. M. Johnstown, Residenoe, . . following 2

Miller, J imes A., Amsterdam, Residence and Grounda,followine

Motrell. T> S., Palatine Residence following I

Moyer. vr B., Frey^ Bujh. Residence . - following 1

Nellia, Abnim, Xellistown, Rea'dence and Grounds, following I

N'eUis. J- D i R.. St. Johnsville, Residence, " . folLtwing 1

Xellis, H., J. H. i A. C, Canajoharie, . . . following

Xellis A. & Co., Canajoharie. Hotel, following

Sorthrup i Co., W. 3. & M. S., .lohnstown. Faitory, prece-liog 2

f>strom. Col. Stephen, Glen. Residence. . . following 1

Parsons, Hon. Levi. Kinir*boro, Residence, . . precediBir -J

Phillipfl, A. C. Florida. Residence following 1

Pickanl, M. A., Minden, Residence, . . . foUowins 2

Prind'.e E. W. i C. Johnstown. Re'idence, . following 1

Putmai.. John. Ulen, Residence precedinij i

Fntman & Talmadge, Glen, Residence und Mills, . lollowing 1

Putman, V. .\-. .\!Jric^vil!e, Residence and Store pr-c^diai 1

Reese. \ i H.. Florida. Farm RMidence, . foUowinir I

Resseg'uie. H- J . Nonhvillc. R-^ideoce, . . . following 2

Roberts, J.. Uayrteld, Residence preceding 1

Robison, C. H., Cana)oLarie, Hotel, . . following I

Ro..t J.. Mui.len, Residence preceding I

Ros.a, I, .\, Fonda. Hotel. precedinu 1

Eow. S. S., .(olin-tnwn. Residence, . . lollowing I

Ross EUler J . f^ harleston 4 Corners. Residence. -. followinij 1 Summons. Cd. s . Mohn-vk. Rpt^idence . facing I

S.immons. Mr-. H.. Snmmon.-ville. Residence, . following 2

Srhenck, Benjamin, Palatine, Homestead,

nyler

, Resi

Schuylor. .1. D.. Olcn, Residence. Schiiyter, Thomo.-. Moliawk. Residence, S<_-ott, Jame:* D , Juiinstown, Hotel. Sl.anahan. James, Tribes Hill. Residence, Shaw, Capt. W. H.. Maytield, Residence. Sliulcr. D. W., Ainaterilam. Residence, «hull. A. \V . Palatine. Residence. . .

cad.

'len, R'sid

Sitterly. J.. Paatine, Residence, Smith, A. A: Son. St. Johnsrille. Residenct Sintlh, Ell. S.. Aniiterdara, Store. Smith. John, Minden. Re<iJenec and Grou Smith. M.-n/o. St-JohnsviUe. Re-.dence. Smith. M.-s-s. Minden, Residence and Gro SnHl. J . P.alitine, Rc-idence.

following 1 following I following 1 following 2

followinff 1 f.illuwmiT 3 following

precHing I fiUowing

aker. Jai

; Bndir.

•«iden<

facii

Spraker, H-n. Jn-eph. Palatine. Residence. .

Stafford. John. Palatine Bndtre, Residi-nce, . followii

Stnnn, A.. Fulionville, R<^.dence. . . . foll.iwin

StAnii.JaoubH.. FultoHTille, RcMdence, . . follow, n

Stann, John n.. Glen. P.eHidence. . prc'-eilii star.n. J. U., F.iLlonviUe. St.xk Fann and Residence, followin

Slewirt, J. a: .\ McI.. J..hn-f..wn. Re-id.nce, fullowiri Stewart, .Mr-.. M. J,. Am-li-rdam, R^Mdence. .

Siewart. W. S . ojipenheira. Re«iden.-e, . . preoe-lin

StirhtK >hul*rr.i:.naiohane. Store. . . . followir

St.iller. J R.. Mohawk. Rcanlin. e. . . foUnwii

Swohe. J. II . W.St I'.rth. B-M Icnce. . . . folluwlr TalJmadiie & H-ibb*. <Vlen, H..(-l m.l Blacksmith shop, f.illowir

Thi.mcrt-'n. I. R. P . Fonda, R.--i len<-e. . . f.dlnwir

Thomt>«in» t Richanli.. Pap«r Mid. Fonda, . f-dlowir

Tiinernian. C Amitenlam. Residence. . . . followit rndiTWOo.1. I

I.. KphraUh. Residence.	pr>'c«lint'
rp. 1' 6l Son. Ful;<in»ille,	. fidlowin^
1. U. A. i- \y. A.. Sprout Brook. Resid en	CO. followinc
,,.. Fiili.mville, R-^idence,	. following
J. P.. R.H>t. Rtt-idence, ...	foMuwinK
Prt^r, Glen. Re-idencv. . .	. preceding
A.- Glon. Rc-ideocG, .	prccwiing
S .<ilco, U.-iilenre. . .	. frdlowmtf

Walts, Reii»^n. Minden, House and Oro Wemple. B.. .Vohawk. Reaidence, . Werap e, E., Sammoiwville. Reaidenco ai Wiles, Jacob, Slinden. Residence and Groanda, Winne. P.., Glen. Residence, Wionine, John. Fort Plain. Tannery, Wood, G. L, G;over8^^11e, Marble Works. »\'oodworth. W. D., Slaytield. Residence, Yost. Hon. Geor^je. Fort Plain, Eteaideoce, Young. N'.. Minden, ...

Zimmerman, W., Minden, Residence. Zoller, J. I., Mi.iden. Residence. Zollcr. J. A.. Fort Plain. Residence.

1 Zoller Hous€ I Zoller, S.. M

t Plai

.Hoi

preceding 1C9 following 204 following ;<>-i followiui; 130 following 191 following l'>4 preceding IJi following 120 preceding 133

following 131 preceding IJ7 following IK foUowms 126 followin^r 132 preceding 13> preceding 127

PORTRAITS. Bowdieh, Hon. John, Rural Grove, . Brockway, T., Broadalbin. WK.K. U. I.,Paiatine, Davis, J. I., Fonda, Davis. I. M., Fonda. . Davis, W. H., Palatine, . Davis, Mrs. W. H.. Palatine, Decker. X. H., Johastoivn. Decker, Mrs. X. H.. John-owu, D---Graif. A.. Mohawk, DcGraff, Howard.

D.;Gratf, J. D

Dt-Uralf. Mr«. J. D., . Dievendortf, H. J., Root. . DievLndortT. J., Root.

Diovcndorff. W. B

Dom.S.. Johiisiown, Dom, Mrs-, Johnstown. Dunkel. H.. Canaiohane. Dunn, A., Fort Plain. Failinix. J. A., Palatine llridire, Frederuk. A.. Kirk's rent, r, Fr-.tman. C. B., FuUonville,

Han-on.J. J

Uowland, F. P.. Maytield, .

ean,E.. John>towi wed, J., Ain-tcPlai

SitiLTly. J-. Palatine Bndj.'e, Smith. John. Uall-ville. Snow, Simeon, M.D.. Spraker, Ilaniel, Fonda. .

Sprake	. Hon. Jo~ph. Pftlati
Sprake	. Mrs. Joseph, PalaU
Bprnke	, Joat.
epmke	, Mm. Joat, .

Zoller, Mrs. John

a- E isr E i^ ^^ L

OUTLINE HISTORY

OF THE

ST^^TE OIF IsTE^^TsT ^STOZR^I.

CHAPTER I.

THE VMERICAX

LBORIGINES DISCOVERIES BY

OPENING OF COLONIZATION

ECROPEAN EXPLORER* AND TRADE.

The American Continent, in its natural features, presents a striking and diversified display of resources and grandeurs. With the .Atlantic on the east, the Pacific on the west ; its coasts indented with numerous gulfs and bays ; intersected and drained by large rivers, of which the Mississippi and the .\ma20n exceed any other on the globe in length; and the St. Law- rence, leading into lakes, equal in ;.xtent to seas, it affords every facility for commerce; while its fertile valleys and extensive plains are admirably adapted to agricultural pursuits, and its interior is stored with minerals of inestimable value. The magnificence of mountain scenery, the dashing flood and deafening roar of Niagara, the subterranean labyrinths of Mam- moth Cave, are fenniresof nature which fill the hehnlder with wonder and amazement. To what people were these resources offered and these grand- eurs presented in the dim ages of the past? With only the shadow-y and uncertain light of tradition, little else than speculation can furnish anything like a beginning to the history of the aborigines of ,\merica. The ruins of cities and pyramids in Mexico and Central .\merica, the numerous mounds so common in the valley of the .Mississippi and scattered through the State of Ohio and Western New York, are monuments which point to a i)eople more skilled in arts and farther advanced in civilization than the Indian found in occupancy when the first Europeans landed. Some of these mounds appear to have been erected for burial places, and others for defence. The remains of fortifications present evidence of mechanical skill, and no little display of the knowledge of engineering. Metallic im- plements of ingenious design and superior finish and finely wrought potter\-, glazed and colored, equal to the best specimens of modem manufacture, h.-ive been found, showing a higher degree of mechanical skill than the In- dian has ever been know-n to possess. Some of these remains ha\e been found twenty feet or more below the surface, showing that they must have lain there many centuries. .■Ml the investigations of the antiquarian to dis- cover by what people these mounds were erected, have ended in uncertainty. If these are the relics of a lost people, as many believe they are, it seems most probable that they were from Egypt. Their pyramids and skill in the arts, together with the fact that hum.an bodies have been found preserved somewhat similiar to Egyptian mummies, support this theory. At an early age the Eg)-ptians, who were noted for their skill in navigation, sailed around .\frica, and made many other voyages, in some of which they mav have reached .\mcrica, .\ristotle, Plato and other ancient WTlters appear to have l>een aware of an extensive body of land in the West, speaking of it as an inland greater than Europe or Africa. It is also supposed that the Egyp- tians may have re.irhed .\merica through ,\sia. It is related that an .Asiatic K'ople emigrated to Egypt and conipiered the Mizraimites, who were then in |K)ssession: and that they became distinguished for their arts, built cities and erected gigantic pyramids, which still remain as evidence of their skill and power. The Mizraimites, smarting under their tyranny, rose against Jhini, and after a long struggle succeeded in driving them out of the land. I hey r.'tre.ited to the northeast, leaving mounds and walls .is far as Siberia, ■1' tra. e> of their passage, and, it is thought, crossed liehring's strait, and '•'entually settled in the .Mississippi valley and Mexico.

'civing lonjecturc, in regard to the early inhabitants of this continent, ■' "IS found when first visited by the whites, th.it the Indians had long been

in possession. Their personal appearance, language and customs plainly indicated a distinct race. There were many points of difference among the various tribes, but in many respects they bore a resemblance to each other. The Aztecs of Mexico were found with a large and populous city, in which were temples and palaces, and well cultivated grounds; while in the more northern regions a village of rude huts and a small field of com were about the only marks of occupancy. The traditions of the Indians are so dim and conflicting as to shed little light on their origin. They obtained a sub- sistence chiefiy by hunting and fishing, and were continually engaged in bloody wars with each other. They had no written language; no letters with which their words could be represented; but to some extent they communicated their thoughts to one another by hieroglyphics; certain sym- bols denoted certain ideas, and these were either drawn or painted on skins or birch bark, or chiselled on rocks. By comparing their languages they were grouped into great families, some of which contained many tnbes. Of these families the .Algonquin was the largest, occupying ,-ibout half of that portion of the United States east of the Mississippi nver, together with a part of Canada. The Huron-Iroquois was the next in importance, occu- pying the greater part of the State of New York and the Canadian penin- sula, formed by lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron. They have rapidly dimin- ished in numbers from pestilence and wars with the advancing whites, until only fragments remain, and their aversion to civilization, and strong attach- ment to a wild mode of life make their fate — extinction — inevitable. The pioneer still advances; railroads are connecting ocean w-ith ocean, and the war whoop is silenced by the screech of the locomotive as it sounds the death knell of the once proud lords of a continent.

The discovery of America was the most important event of modem times. For the honor of this discovery several claims ha^-e been jiresentcd. Welsh historians have awarded it to Modoc, a prince of Wales, who went to sea in the twelfth century and discovered land far to the west, to which he made several voyages, but who with all his crew was finally lost. This claim is founded on tradition, however, and unsubstantiated. The Norwegians claim discovery and settlement on stronger e\idence: Eric emigrated from Ice- land to Greenland in 9S6, and formed a settlement. Leif, a son of Eric, embarked with a crew of men in the year 1000 on a voyage of discovery. He sailed to the southwest and discovered land, and sailing along the coast he finally entered a bay, where he remained through the winter, calling it Vineland. In 1007 Thorfinn sailed from Greenland to Vincland. \n account of his voyage and history of the country is still extant. Other voyages were made, and the .Antiquarian Society, after a careful examina- tion of all the evidence, including the geographv of the country described in these voyages, do not hesitate to locate this Vineland at the head of Nar- ragansett bay in Rhode Island. These discoveries, hov.cver, were so inef- fectual, that nothing was known in Europe of land beyond the re ccn, until 1492, when Christopher Columbus, believing that India might 1 e reached by sailing westward, was at his urgent solicitation despatched f 11 i^ voyage of discovery by Ferdinand and Isabella, king and queen of Spain. He sailed from Palos, and after stopping ,-.t the Canaries, struck out ii] en ihe hitherto unknown ocean, discoicring first one of the Bahcma islanc's; then proceeding towards the south he discovered Cuba and Hayti and rtturnid to Spain, thus opening a highwav o\cr the Irccklcfs Ail.intic. He mate other voyages,'and in 149S divovc. d Ihe 1 rntintnt nerr the n'.nr.ih <if the Orinoco river. The discovery of land in the west ].romis<.il l.-.rte profits and excited maritime enterprise through. lut Eunqie. Henry VII con-.nus- sioned John Caliot, a Venetian, in 1497, to sail on a voyage cf discovery,

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YOKK..

and take possession of new lands in the name of Enrbnd. Sailing west- ward, in company with his son Sebastian, he di-.( overed Newfoundland, and while off the coast of Labrador saw the mam-lnnd of North America. The next year Sebastian set sail to discover a nonhuest passage to China. Tht- frozen regions at the north compelled hmi to change hi-, course, and sailing towards the south, he visited various points along the coast as far as Albe- Biarle sound, taking possession of the whole region for the Crown of England. John Verazzani, a Florentine in the service of Francis I. of France, arrived on the coast of North Carolina in 15^4, and sailed south as far as Georg:ia. Turning north, he explored the coast to about 41'' north latitude, and entered a harbor, which from his description, is believed to have been New York Bay, where he remained about fifteen davs, and it is supposed that his crew were the first Kuropeans that landed on the soil of T.cw York. He proceeded north as far as Labrador, giving the name of New France to the whole country, which was aftenvard confined to Canada.

Henry Hudson, an English navigator, having tailed in two expeditions to £scover a passage to the East Indies, for a company of London merch- ants, by sailing westward, offered his ser^■ices in 1609 to the Dutch Ea^t India Company of Holland, which was formed the preceding year for traffic and col- onization. He left Amsterdam on the 4th of April with a small ship and a crew of about twenty English and Dutch sailors, and arrived on the American coast near Portland in Maine, whence he proceeded south along the shore to the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. P'rom this point he returned northward, dis- covered and entered Delaware Bay, and on the 3d of September anchored at Sandy Hook. From here he proceeded up New York Bay. sending his boats to the Jersey shore and receiving on board the natives, who came in great numbers to traffic. On the 12th he entered the river which bears his name, and ascended it to a point a little above where the ciiv of Hudson DOW stands, having been frequently visited on the way by the Indians, who came to traffic, bringing maize, tobacco and other products native to the country. To them he impaned a knowledge of the r'ffects of rum. to the drinking of which in later years they became greatly addicted. Not con sidering it safe to proceed farther with his ship, he sent a boat with a part of his crew to explore the river higher up. It is supposed that they went a little above Albany. On the 23d he commenced to descend the river, and when a little below the Highlands, the Indians made several attempts to attack his crew, who, in repulsing their attacks, shot ten or twelve of their number. Descending into the bay he immediately sailed for Europe. The following year he made a voyage for the discovery cf a northwest passage to India, and discovered and entered the bay which bears his name. Con- tinuing his search too long, he was compelled to remain through the winter. In the spring, part of his crew mutinied, and put him in a boat, together with his son and seven others, and left them to perish. In 1607, Samuel Champlain, a French navigator, ascended the St. Lawrence river, exploring its tributaries; and on the 4th of July discovered the lake which bears his name. Hence the three nations, Holland. France and England, founding their titles upon discover)-, claimed ownership in a region, a part of which Kes within the limits of the State of New York.

The accounts given by Hudson of his discoveries stimulated the Dutch to avail themselves of the advantages that might be gained bv trading with the Indians, and accordingly in the following year another vessel was sent out to engage in the fur trade on the banks of the river he had discovered.

In 1612 two more vessels were fitted out by Hendrick Christiansen and Adrian Block, which were soon followed by others. The fur trade proving successful. Christiansen was ap[)ointed agent of the traffic, and Manhattan Island made the chief depot. He erected a small fort and a few rude buildings at the southern extremity nf the island, calling the place New Amsterdam. The island was covered with giant forest trees and dense thickets, which ser\ed as hiding places for reptiles and wild beasts. In 1614 the States Cieneral granted a charter 10 the merchants engaged in these expeditions, conferring the exclusive right of trade in this new terri- tory between the 40th and 45th parallels of north laritude for four years, and guing the name of New Netherlanrls to the whole region. The trade flourished, and had become so [.rnlitable. that at the expiration of the charter the States Cieneral refused to renew ir. guing insiend a spc( i.^l hcense for its temporary continuance.

In the meantime the surrounding » onntrv was being explored, .\dri.in Block had jiassed up the East river. Long NLind sound and Conne<ii. nt river, and into the bays and ahing the islands e.istward to Cape Cod. C.>r- nelissen Jacobscn Mav had explored the southern t ..am r.f I ..ng Isl.nnd an.! southwar.l to Delaware Bav. while Hendri. k Christiansen h.id ascended

the Hudson river to Castle Island, a few miles below ,\lbany, where he ha(f established a trading post and erected a small fort. This fort was so much damaged by a flood, that it was removed to the Normans-kill, a little beluw. Here a council was held between the chiefs and warriors of the Five Nations and the representatives of the New Netherlands, and a treatv of alliance and peace w.as formed.

In 1620 James I. granted to Ferdinando Gorges and his commercial as- sociates all the land between the fortieth and forty-eighth degrees of north latitude, and extending from ocean to ocean. Cajjtain Dermer, in the service of Gorges, appeared at Manhattan, and laid claim to all the territory occupied by the Dutch. The English embassador at the Dutch capitol had been instructed to remonstrate against Dutch intrusion, but, n seems, without effect; for in 162 1 the States General granted a new charter to the Dutch West India Company, an armed mercantile association, giving them exclusive jurisdiction over the province of New Netherlands for twenty years, with power to appoint governors, subject to the approval of the States; to colonize the territory and administer justice. The executivL- management was intrusted to a board of directors, distributed through five separate chambers in the cities of Holland. The charge of the pro\- ince had been assigned to the Amsterdam Chamber, which sent out a vessel in 1623, under the direction of Captain May and .-Vdrien Joris^ien Tienpont. with thirty families for colonization. A portion of these settled on the Connecticut river, and others as far up :he Hudson as the present city of Albany, where they built Fort Orange. A fort was also erected on the Delaware river, near Gloucester, and called Fort Nassau. Their number was shortly after augmented by other accessions, and colonization fairly commenced. In May, 1626, Peter Minuit arrived at New Netherlands as Director-General or Governor of the province. He purchased the whole of Manhattan Island of the Indians for trinkets of the value of §24. Friendly courtesies were interchanged with the Plymouth colony, and a brisk and profitable trade in furs was carried on.

CHAPTER IL

THE DUTCH

ktGlME IN NEW YORK — RIVAL CL.\1MS THE LATTER PREVAIL.

To encourage immigration, in 1629 an ordinance was adopted, granting to any member of the company, who within four years should plant a colony of fifty persons, upwards of fifteen years old, the privilege of selecting a tract of land sixteen miles in length, on any navigable stream, and inland as far as he should choose, with the title of Patroon, denoting something lordly in rank and means. The Patroons on their part were u* buy of the Indians the right to the lands selected, maintain a minister and school master, and pay duty on tr.ade carried on by them, but the company resen'ed the exclusive right to the fur trade, which wa> becoming extensive, and attracting dealers from the banks of the St. Lawrence. Several availed themselves of this privilege, among whom were Michael Pauw and Killian Van Rensselaer, the former securing Stalcn Island and a large tract on the Jersey shore, and tiie latter a large tract on the Hudson river, now the counties of Albany ami Rensselaer. .Although the Patroons were excluded in their c barter by the company from partn i- pating in the fur trade, their interference brought on a controversv. and Minuit, who it was thought favored their pretensions, was re( ailed. The vessel in which he sailed was detained by the English authorities at Flv- mouth, on the charge that he had traded and obtained her cargo in territorv subject to England, and thus the re-i'ctue cl.iuus of the Ijiglish an.! Dutch to the title cf New Netherlands were aizain i.illed in .[uesiion. TIil Dutch relied on the discoveries made bv HudM.n. :ind their immediate o. cupation ratified by charter : and the EuL-lish on the prior dl^. nverv b\ Cabot and the grant of James I. < overing the territory. No imal settle- ment being obtained, the question was deferred : and in April. 1633. \Vou- ter Van Twiller arrived at New Amsterdam as the new Director-General, bringmg with him Everardus Bogardus. a . lergynian. Adam Roela^d^en. the first schoolmaster to the colony, and a small military force, with whit l> he subsc'iuently made considerable display. Soon after assuir-ng" the government, he directed Jai ob Van Corlaer to purchase a trar: of lantl of the Indians on the Connecticut river, near the present city of Hartford The English colonies earnestly remonstrated against this invasion of then^ territory, but without effect. The Plymouth colony secured a tract of the Indians at Wm.lsor, and sent Lieutenant William Holmes with a force i>.

THE CLAIMS OF THE ENGLISH TO NEW YORK CONCEDED BY THE DUTCH.

take possession and lommcnie a !>ettlfmcnt. Van (orlacr Ijcing unable to oppose them with any effect. Van Twiller sent a fun e of soldiers to dis- perse them. The courage of the Dutch commander forsook him on pcr- ceivmg that they were prc|iared to meet him. and he refrained from tn-ing to di-lodge them, Dcttcr success, however, attended him in an e\- IKrdition against the Virguiia i olonists. A hand of these, under the lead of George Holmes had taken possession of Kort Nassau on the Delaware river. Van Twilier immediately sent a force there, which captured and brought them as [irisoners to Fort .Amsterdam. During his administration, Jacoh Eelkins, who had formerly liecn an agent for the company at I-'ort Orange, arrived at .Manhattan as sujiercargo of an English vessel engaged in the fur trade. Van 'I'willcr refused to let him proceed without a license from the company, which Eelkins declined to ])rcsent ; but claiming a right to trade with the Indians as an Englishman, to whom the territory belonged, he proceeilcd up the river to Kort Orange, in defiance of the (lovemor, and commenced trading with them. Van Twilier, in great in- dignation, dispatched a force after him, which took possession of his wares. and bringing his vessel back, sent it out to sea. He was so mindful of hi> own interests, that he became the wealthiest land-holder in the province. Vehemently passionate, he became involved in a bitter (piarrel with Ho- gardus the clergyman, and with Van Dincklagcn, a member of his council. The latter had very justly complained of his ra|iacity, for which he sent him a prisoner to Holland, on a charge of contumacy. His corruption and incompetency to govern becoming apparent, he was recalleil, and William Kieft, in l6,^S, succeeded him, in the government of the colony.

The company in the following year obtained a new charter, liiuitmg the Patroons to four miles on the rivers .ind eight inland. Other efforts were made to encourage immigration. Settlements were extending in all direc- tions, and the jirovincc was rapidly tilling with inhabitants. The C.overnor. however, instead of proving useful in promoting the pros|)crity of the colony with the 0|)portunities presented, became in\obed in difficulties %vith the English settlements and the neighboring Indian tribes, which finally brought the colony to the verge of extirpation. Ky injudicious management and cruelty to the Indians, they were incited to revenge and relentless war on the whites. .\ robbery having been committed, a tribe of Indians, though innocent, were suspected: and Kieft sent an armed force against them, kil- ling several of their number and destroying their property. The Indians retaliated for this unprovoked attack by murdering some settlers and burn- ing their buildings. The chiefs refusetl to give satisfaction for these out rages, and Kieft resolved on a war against them. An Indian, whose uncle had been killed by the whites a number of years before, vow ed revenge, and killed a Dutchman at Manhattan. Kieft sent a force against his tribe, with orders to exterminate them. Seein:; their danger, they sued for peace. Before the terms of a treaty had been agreed upon, a warrior, w ho had been made drunk and then robbed by the whites, upon reiovering his senses, killed two of the Dutch. Just at this lime the River Indians, in a conflict with the Moh.-.w';.s, were compelled to t.ike refuge on ihe Hudson opposite Manhattan, and solicit protc tion from thtir enemies, but instead of its being granted, a party under the s.m. turn of Kieft. and .against the rcmonstrani e of the best cui/ens, \, cnt o\er to massacre thcni. This wicked and inhuman outrage w.is |,crpctratcd at miilnigh;, and nearly a hundred of these helpless and unsuspecting fugitives were murdered or driven into the river to perish. .\ desperate and bloody war was the result. The neighboring tribes joinetl to avenge this outrage. The dwellings of the settlers were burned, their tlclds desolated, and themselves shot by their lurking foes. Their settlements were attacked in every direction, and ter- ror, despair and death [ircvailed. C iptain John L'nderhill, who had gained some notoriety in Infli.Tn warfare, wis ajipiinreii to coinmn 1 ihei." tones. aid finally succeeded in bringing the Indians i,. suliiui^sun, nnl vi 1645 ,1 treaty of peace was concluded. .\n c.irnjsr a;. peal was m i,le for I'u- rec.dl of Kieft. who had been the cause of this cal.imit ms war. "iiii h w.is f.nor. ably receive.l. and I'eler Stuyiesan', who was appo.nted 10 - 1. .ed him. took possession of the governm.-nt May nth, 1647. He hul li.ui in the .service of th ■ compiny a. Dire tor-( Icner.'.l of C-ura. oa. I h.- . ..niroversy b.-twecn the Dutch .mil Kt^I si, sc ilemjnts stdl continuing. ,irl.i;r,i ors wvrc appoinled to .'di 1st liicir i 1, 1,111s. Ilic eastern p.irt ol Lev: M.ind was assig.i.d to .he Kn.-'ish, .\ |,-e u.is s|vi iiicd for the l.oundarv between Ihefonne. ti.ul and N\w .Scili rl:nd . olonic-. but it »..s i.n ...tisia.icrv 10 the Dut. h. In 165; a munu ip.il ;.overnment was established for Manhat- t in. consisting of a revenue agen, to be appointed b\ the 1 oiii|i,iny, and two burgomasters and live inferior magistrates to be eletted by the people,

and to have jurisdiction, except in capital cases. The Swedes sim e the early part of Kieft's adminstration had been encroaching upon the Duti h territory on the Delaware; and Stuyvesant, by order of the conijiany, went against them with an armed force, recaptured the forts, and again resumed possession of the territory. While on this expedition, one of the Indians having been shot by a settler, the savages a|)pcared at .Manhattan in canoes, killed the offender, and crossing to the Jersey shore and Statcn Island, be- gan killing other settlers and destroying their property. Stuyvesant returned, and by conciliatory measures restored peace.

In 1664 Charles II. of England, regardless of the claims of the Dutch to New NethcHands, granted to his brother, Duke of York and .Albany, after- wards lames II.. the whole country from the Connecticut to the Delaware, including the entire Dutch possessions. .A fleet was sent out by the Duke under Colonel Richard Nichols, to enforce his claim and take possession of the Dutch settlements. .Arriving in the bay he demanded a surrender, wlii<h Stuyvesant at first indignantly refused, but because of the unwillingness of the colonists to fight in his defense and of their insisting upon capitulation, together with the favorable nature of the terms offered, he was induced to yield, and on the 3d of September, 1664, the province was surrendered, and the government of the colony passed into the hands of the English, The names of New Netherlands and New .Amsterdam were changed to New York, and Kort Orange to .Albany. It is supposed that at this time the province contained about six thousand inhabitants. Soon after the sur- render, the Duke conveyed to Lord Berkley and Sir Oeorgc l.'artcret what now constitutes the State of New Jersey, over which a separate |in>- prietary government was established. In 1682 William Henn purchased the settlements on the Delaware, which were annexed to Fennsylvama. Nichols, who became (Jovcrnor, devoted much time to confirming grants under the Dutch government by issuing new ones, and thus making a heavy expense to the land owners. He changed the form of the municipal gov- ernment June 12th, 1666, by granting them a city charter, and placing the executive power in the hands ot a mayor, aldermen and sherilt, all to be appointed bv the (lovernor. .An invasion from Holland had been feared, and preparations for defence had incurred an increase of taxation, of w hich the colony greatlv complained, in conseipience of which, he resigned his ofti. e in t668. and Colonel Krancis Lovelace was appointed to suneed him, Holland being involved in a war with England, an opportunity was |ire- sented for the Dutch to regain their lost possessions in .America, and for that purjjose they sent out a si|uadron which anchored at Staten Isl.ind luly .^oth. 1673. The fort was in charge of Captain John .Manning, who treacherousb surrendered without making any effort to resist. The 1 it\ was again in possession of the Dutch, and Captain .Anthony Ckne in com- mand of the jirovince. Manning was afterward tried and con\ u tei! b\ I luirt-martial for cowardice and treachery, and adjudged to ha\e his sword broken over his head in front of the City Hall, and to be inca|iacitated from holding any office. Under Clove, the Dutch claims to the pn;- vinie were reasserted, and preparations made for a vigorous defence, in case of an attempt on the part of the English for its recapture; but bv the provisions of a peace concluded Kebruary 9th, 1674, the provini e reverted to the English. To silence all controversy respecting his claims, tlie Duke obtained a new |iatent from the King to confirm the one gr. luted in 1664, and commissioned Major Edmund .Andros as (;overuor. His arbitrary loiirse made his administration very unpopular He endeavored to extend his jurisdiction to the Connecticut river, but his claims were stoutly resisted by the ]icople of that [irovince, and he finally coniluded to abandon the design. He quarreled with and disputed the right of Philip Carteret, who administered the government ol K.isl lersey, arresting and bringing him prisoner to New York. Kor this ad the propriettirs of the New lersey government preferred charges against hiin. nhuh he was siimmined to England to answer. He returned, to continue his o'lprcssions. bit th,' resistance of th- [ijople against him was so stninu- that he was rccallel. and Thomas Dongan appointed as his siii cessor. «ho arrived .August 2-;i'.\. 168,5. Through the influence of William I'enn. he was instrui ted to organize a popular assemble, and accordingly, soon after his arrival, issued orders for the choosing of representatives. Ihis. the first Colonial .\sscmbly ol New York, was convened October 171I1. i'>S^. anil ionsi>!c<! of a coiim il of ten. and sevehteen representatives. A charter of liberties was framed, vesting the supreme legislative power in the (buern.T and n.uiuil. a.id the people in general assembly, conferring the right nf sullr.ige on tile freeholders without restraint ; providing th.ii no freeman should suffer but by judgment of his peers, and that all trials

10

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

should be by a jury of twelve men. Tlic imposition of any tax without the consent of the a^semMy was i>rohibited. Martial law was not to exist, and neither soldiers nor seamen were to be «iuartered on the inhabitants aj^ainst their »-ill. The province was divided into counties, and the representatives were apportioned according; to the population.

CH.^n'KK 111.

FRENCH AXU INDIAN WARS DISSENSIONS IN THE COLONIAL CUVERN-

MENT CAPTLRE AND EXtXLTloN OE LLIsLEK.

.At the time Champlain ascended the St. Lawrence, he found the .Mgon- <|uins at war with the Iroquois, .and by an alliance of his forces with the former, he enabled them by the use of fire-arms, to them hitherto un- known, to gain a victory over their enemies. In consequence of this alliance a bitter hostility was created on the part of the Iro(|uois towards the French. The French, however, were successful in gaining the confi- dence and friendship of the other tribes with whom they came in contact. Through the influence of their missionaries, the tr.adcrs were enabled to establish their posts among them at pleasure, and navigate the lakes and rivers. Although the artful Jesuit missionaries had persistently endeavored to win back the friendship of the Iroquois, they effected but little, till after New York fell into the hands of the English. Since their trade and inti- macy with the Outch, they had availed themselves of fire-arms and a knowledge of their use, and had renewed their warfare with success upon the .-Mgonijuins. repelled the invasions of the French, and, in turn attack- ing them, swept over their settlements with fire and tomahawk, carrying consternation in their path even to the gates of Quebec. In i666, the French and .Adirondacks successfully invaded the country of the Mohawks, but the year following a peace was concluded, chielly through the agency of the English colonial government acting in obedience to the instructions of the Duke of York, to whom the colony had been granted, and who, in his big- otry and blind attachment to the Church of Rome, was desirous of securing .1 peace between the French and Irnqunis, in view of handing the latter over as converts to that church.

Trade, after this peace, was ]irofitably prosecuted by both the French and English ; but the French, through their artful Catholic missionaries, were gaining a decided advantage. Through the instigation of these wily priests, hostilities had been committed on the frontier settlements of Mar\- land and Virginia by the Five Nations. To adjust this difficulty, a council of the chiefs met the Governors of Virginia and New York, at .Mbany, in 1684. At this council, the difficulties with Virginia were amicably settled, and Governor I>ongan succeeded in completely gaining the friendship of the Five Nations. While these conferences were in progress, a messenger arrived from De la Barre, Governor of Canada, comjilaining of the Sene- cas, for their hostilities against the Miamis and other western tribes, with whom the French were allied, whereby their trade was interrupted. This message was communicated to the Indian chiefs, and served to confirm their resolutions of friendship for the F^nglish, and revive their slumbering hatred of the I-"rencli. Immediately on the return of the messenger, De la Barre, meditating the destruction of ilie live N.iiums, proceeded with an army of French and Indians to lake Oniario. The French Catholics h.ad procured a letter from the Duke of \'ork to Go\ernor Dong.in, instriu ting him to lay no obstacles in the way of the invaders : but Dongan, reg.irdless of this command, apprised the Indians of their designs and also promised to assist them. Owing to sickness in his army, De la Harre was unalile to encounter his foes, and found it neiessiry to c nm hide his campaign In- offering terms of jieace, which were haiigluilv ac . c|ited, and he was allowed to depart. He was succeeded in the following ye.ir by the .Mar.piis De- nonville, who, with a reinforcement of troops, was sent over to repair the disgr.nce of De la liarre. He attempted to erect a fort at Niag.ira, s.i is to e\clu.'.e the English from the lakes, i oiimi.ind the fur tr.ide ami suIhIul- the Five Nations; but was resisted by C.overnor Dongan, who claimed the territory south of the great lakes for I'.ngl.ind. In 10.S7. to prcicnt llie interruption of trade with the Mi.iniis. the 1 oiinlry of the .scnci as was in- vaded. The French through the agcn. > ot llicir iiiissH.nar> to the llnon- dag.Ls, enticed the Iroquois chiefs into ihcir power, under [irctcln e of making a treaty, and llicn sci/cd and sent Ihcm, «ilh oihcrs thc\ had taken prisoners, to France, where they were consigned to the galievs. The .'Sen- eca country was overrun without serious rcsislani c, ami a fort crei tc.l ,11 Niagara. .-\ pence was finally proposed through the interposition of (lov-

ernor Dongan, who was for comjielling the French to apply to him in the affairs of the F'ive Nations, but its conditions were rejected by the French. The Five Nations, maddened by this refusal and by the outrages com- mitted upon them, riew to arms, and with twelve hundred warriors de- scended upon the French settlements with such terrible vengeance, that the terms that had been offered for peace were accepted, and the whole region south of the great lakes abandoned by the French. The Duke of \'ork, on his accession to the throne of England in 1685, under the title of James II., directed Governor Dongan to encourage the Catholic priests who came to reside with the Five Nations, ostensibly f6r advancing the Popish cause, but really to gain them over to the French interests. Ciovernor Dongan, although a Catholic, was apprehensive of the insidious designs of the French, and effectually resisted this policy, thereby disjile.asing his bigoted master. He also instructed Governor Dongan to allow no printing jiress to be established in the colony, and discouraged representative government. Catholics were a[)pointed to fill all the offices, and Dongan, who, in his endeavors to protect the true interest of the province by opposing the Catholic missionaries, became obnoxious to the King, was recalled, and Francis Nicholson, the deputy of Sir Edmund -\ndros, who had been com- missioned Governor of both New England and New York, assumed tem- porary charge of the government in .\ugust 168S. The revolution in England, resulting in the abdication of James II., and the accession of William and -Mary, caused the authority of Nicholson under the dethroned King to be questioned. On one side it was claimed that the government in England did not affect affairs in the province, and that Nicholson's authority was unimpaired till the will of the new monarch was known; on the other side, that the government extending to the colonies was overthrown, and as no one was invested with authority in the provinces, it reverted to the people, who might ap])oint a person to exercise control until one had been commissioned by the ruling power. The advocates of the former of these views were mostly the wealthy and aristocratic, while the mass of the peo- ple favored the latter. The government was vested in a committee of safety, who took possession of the fort, and entrusted the exercise of authority Lo Jacob Lclsler, the popular leader, Niciioison in the meantime having returned to England. Leisler sent a statement of what had been done to King William, and dispatched Milborne his son-in-law to .Albany, with an armed force to secure the recognition of his authority, sanction to which had been refused. .\ letter from the English ministry arrived, directed to Francis Nicholson, or in his absence to such person as for the time being might be in charge of the government, directing him to take chief command of the province, and to call to his aid such as he should deem proper, and Leisler, considering it addressed to himself, assumed command, and appointed a touncii of advisors. The revolution in ICng- land which placed William and Mary upon the throne was followed bv a war between F^ngland and France, and the colonies were of course involved in the confiict. Count Frontenac, who had succeeded Denonville as Governor of Can.ada, made an effort to dct.ich the Five N.ations from the English interest. He sent a secret expedition against Schenectadv, which attacked that city, near midnight, on the Sth of February, t6yo, and a frightful massacre of the inhabitants ensued. The peril of .-Mhany, from such deadly attai ks, induced its inhabitants lo submit to the authority of Leisler. Expeditions were fitted out against the French and Indians, and a fleet sent out for the reduction of Quebec, but all proved unsuci cssiul. In Mart:h, 1691, Henry Sloughter arrived as Go\ernor, having been i 0111- missioned by the King in 1O89. His commg was heralded by Ri. Ii.ird Ingoldsby, who without proper credentials demanded the surrender ol the fort. This. Leisler very properly refused, but . onscnted to defer to .sioiiL,h- ter when he should arrive. Sloughter on his arrival sent Ingoldsbv witln eriul

directions for the surrender of the fort, but l.i	.■isler still refused, and aski
for an interview with the Governor. The nt	■\t dav he complied, but tli
imprudent hesitation was sei/ed upon bv his ei	leinies who arrested hiiii .■■:
his son-in-law on the charge of treason. Thev	werelriedbvaspc, i.il.on
inittee and . ondemned to suffer death. Cm	ernor Sloughter hesu.iu.l 1
execute this senlem e, but their enemies, an\i	Mils f,,r iheir eve. iiU.in. an
failing in all alleiiiiits to procure his sign.inin	.-. ax.i.lcd themsci^es ,,1 h
known intemperate habits, invited him lo a lui	iquet, persuaded him 10 SI,
the death warrant while intoxicated, and belo:	re he reujvercd from his ,!i
bam h, the prisoners were executed.

During the agitations attending this foul judicial murder, the Indian om neglei t, be. ame disalfei ted toward the ICnglish, insomuch th.it tlu :nt an embassy of pe.u e to Count Frontenac; and to cpunteract this,

FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS— PIRACY— CAPT. KIDD'S CAREER.

council with the Five Nations was held at Albany, and the covenant chain renewed. In order to maintain this advantage. Major Schuyler, in whom ihe Five Nations had great confidence, led them in an invasion of Canada, and signally defeated the French. The intemperate habits of Sloughter brought on a severe illness, from which he died on the 23d of July, 1691, ihus ending a weak and turbulent administration. Upon the death of Sloughter, the cluef command was committed to Richard Ingoldsby, to the exclusion of Joseph Dudley, who, but for his absence, would have had the right to preside, and upon whom the government devolved ; and as Dudley, en his return, did not contest the authority of Jngoldsby, the latter governed till the arrival of Benjamin Fletcher, with a commission as Governor, in August, 1692. He was a man of small ability and violent temper, active and avaricious, but prudently look Major Schuyler into his council, and was guided by his opinions in Indian affairs. His administration was so successful the first year that he received large supplies from the assembly. The unamiable traits of his character were soon exhibited, however, and during most of his administration he was engaged in controversies with the assembly, principally in regard to appropriations for his expenses, for which he made extravagant demands. He was bigotedly attached to the Epis- copal form of church government, and encouraged English churches and schools in place of the Dutch. He procured an act from the assembly the provisions of which, though admitting of a more liberal construction, he interpreted as a recognition of the Episcopal, instead of the Dutch church, and under this act Trinity church was organized. A printing press was established in New York city in 1693. by William Bradford, who was em- ployed by the city to print the corporation laws.

CHAPTER IV.

LOUNT FRONTENAC'S CAMPAIGN'S — PREVALENCE OF PIRACY — MISGOVERN- MENT OF NEW YORK, FRENCH TKAUINO A.SL< MILITARY POaTi

In 1693, Count Frontenac set out from Montreal, with an army of French and Indians, and invaded the Mohawk country, capturing their castles, killing some of the tribe, and taking about three hundred prisoners. Schuyler, with the militia of Albany, hastened to the assistance of the Mo- hawks, and pursued the enemy in their retreat, retaking about 50 prisoners. In 1696, Count Frontenac made another effort for the subjugation of the Five Nations. With an army of regular troops and Indians under his com- mand, he ascended the St. Lawrence to Cadara([ui ; then crossing to Oswego, made a descent upon the Onondagas, who, apprised of his coming, set fire to and deserted their princijial towns. On retracing his march he found his progress obstructed by the Onondagas, and incursions into Can- ada bv the Five Nations were again renewed. In the following year the war between France and England was terminated by the jjeace of Rys- wick, and these barbarous hostilities ceased.

During the late war, piracy had prevailed, and was believed to be en- couraged by the governments, for the annoyance of the commerce of their respective enemies. Merchant vessels were destroyed within sight of the harbor of New York, the commercial depot of the pirates, .some of whom had sailed from there, having a good understanding with Fletcher and other officers. The extinction of piracy was loudly demanded, and the English government found it necessary to resort to vigorous measures for this end: and conse(]uenlly in 1695, Fletcher was recalled, and Richard, Earl of Bclbmont, appointed in his place, with instructions for the sup- pression of this evil. The Earl of Bellamont, whose commission included the governments of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as New York, did not arrive until May, 169S. Before leaving; England, an armed vessel was fitted nut by Bellamont and others, and placed under the com- mand of Captain William Kidd, who 'tailed from England in 1696, and after crui>ing for a while, turned pirate himself, and became the most bold and daring of the ocean m irauders. He returned to New York with his booty and concealed portions of it on Long Island. He was subseijuently arrested in Boston, by oriers of the Governor on a charge of piracy, sent to England for trial, and there convicted and executed. Bellamont fa\oreil the Democr.itic or Leisljrian party, and the new assembly in 1699, being also Democratic, an act was passed by which the families of Leisler and Milbome were reinstated in their possessions. Bellamont died in 1701, and John Nanf.in. the l.ieuten.int-< lovernor. u]ion whdin the gcnernment devolved, sue. ceded him until the arrival in 1702. of Lord Cornbury, who was appointed by King William as a reward for his desertion of James IL,

in whose army he had been an officer. His administration was chieflv dis- tinguished for its intolerance, and he received the unenviable distinction of being the worst (lovernor under the English regime. With savage bigotry he sought to establish the Church of England by imprisoning dissenting clerg)'men. and prohibiting them from exercising their functions without his special license, and he even robbed one clergyman of his house and glebe. With insatiable rapacity he plundered the public treasury and op- posed every measure of the people for the security of their rights. Destitute of gratitude, licentious and base, he completed the universal contempt in which he was held by appearing in public, dressed in women's clothes. .\s he had become an object of abhorrence, the Queen, through the pressure of popular sentiment, felt compelled to revoke his commission. As soon as he was deposed he was thrown into prison by his creditors, where he remained until the death of his father, when he became Earl of Clarendon. Upon the death of King William, his commission was renewed by the Queen, who at the same time gave him the chief command of New Jersey, the government of which the proprietors had surrendered into her hands. He was succeeded December iSth, 170S. by Lord Lovelace, who died on the 5th of May following, leaving the government in the hands of Lieutenant-Governor Ingoldsby, whose administration is only remarkable for an unsuccessful expedition under Colonel Nicholson, for the reduction of Canada. This failure was chiefly through the mismanagement ut In- goldsby, who was consequently removed April loth, 17 10, and Gerardus Beekman, the oldest member of the council, exercised the authority of Governor till June 14th, when Robert Hunter arrived with a commission as Governor. This year Colonel Schuyler went to England to urge the importance of subduing Canada, taking with him the chiefs of the Five Nations, who were highly gratified with their voyage and reception.

The ensuing year another e.xpedition for the reduction of Canada was undertaken. Four thousand troops were raised in the colonies under Col- onel Nicholson, to join an English fleet and land force before Quebec. Arriving in the St. Lawrence, many of the ships were wrecked and about a thousand soldiers lost, which put an end to the campaign. Nicholson, who had proceeded as far as Lake George, on hearing this news returned, and the expedition proved an entire failure. It had entailed a heavy debt upon the province, in consequence of which the Governor's influence was somewhat impaired, he having entered into it with much zeal. His request for a permanent appropriation for the government was refused by the assembly, which brought him into several unhappy contests with that body. In March, 17 13, the war between England and France terminated by the treaty of Utrecht, in which the English supremacy over the Five Na- tions was conceded by the French, and an end put to the infliction of Indian hostilities. The Five Nations being relieved from hostilities with the French, engaged in conflict with the Indians at the south. The Tiis- caroras. a tribe kindred to the Five Nations, residing in North C'arolina, having been greatly reduced by a war with the whites, and unable to resist their encroachments, removed to the north and joined the confeder- acy. They Settled near Lake Oneida, among the Five Nations, and the confederates were thenceforward called the Six Nations. Hunter remain- ed at the head of the government till 1719, when, his health failing, he returned to England. His intercourse with the assembly was agree- able during the latter part of his administration, and his attachment to the interests of the colony made his departure regretted.

The government devolved upon Peter Schuyler, the oldest member of the council, who successfully administered affairs until the arrival of Wil- liam Burnet, on September 17th, 1720. A trading post was comnien< id at Oswego, in 1722, by Governor Burnet, in order to engross the trade "f the Six Nations, and with the farther design of following it up on the l.ikes to the westward, to obtain the trade of the more remote tribes. .\ i nn- gress of several colonies was held at .\lbany to meet the Six N-Uhuis. whereby the chain of friendship was strengthened, and trade with the re- moter tribes pro.mtcd. The establishment of this post at ( )sw'.u"> "■i> highly displeasing to th:; French, and in order to intercept the tnule lnt?n the upper lakes, they obtained consent of the Onondagas, through the m- fluence of the Jesuits, to rebuild their trading-house and fort at Ni.iL:.ir.i. and also decided to erect a chain of military po-.ts to the Ohio river. ■><> .1- to'cut off and confine the English trade. Though not without ()|.]H).itinn. they succeeded in erecting their fort at Niagara. AlthouL^h the oilier members of the Six Nations were opposed to this invasion by the Freu' li- it succeeded through the disaffection of a ])arly of merchants and oiIuts interested in the French trading policy, who, since the peace of I trecht.

12

OUTLINE HISTOUY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

had carried on a good trade with MontR-al, through the aid of Indian c.imers, and were oiijtoscd to the Governor's [joiicy. The assembly was aKo «rongly tintlured nith this s|>irit of opposition, and refused a renewal of supplies except for short jjeriods. This body was dissolved in 17-7, but tic next was .piite as stu'.liurn, and it was likewise dissolved, and the (•oicmor rorild cnly crcrt a small milita.y defence for the post at Oswego, tthiti, to his credit and the colony's shame, was at his own expense. On the accession of Geori;e II., through the efforts of his enemies, Kumet was transferred to the go\cmment of Massachusetts, and John .Montgomery apiiointed to succeed him. He entered upon his duties .April 15th, 172S. His short administration is not distinguished for any iiiiportaiil event. In 17^9. the King, against the wishes of the best citizens of the colony, re- pealed the acts prohibiting the tratle in Indian rooils between .Vil-any .ind MonueaL .\ line was surveyed and agreed upon between Connecticut and New York in t73i. The establishment of this partition gave to New York a tract of land formerlv on the Connecticut side, called from its figure the "Oblong," as an ei]uivalcnt for lands near the Sound, surrendered to Con- necticuL

Montgomery died July ist, 1731, and was succeeded by Rip Van Dam, whose administration was unfortimately signalized by the erection of a fort at Crown Point bv the Frencli, without resistai.ce f.-om tire acting Gover- nor. The arrival of Colonel \Villi,-.m Cosby, .\ugu.it ist, 1732, finished liis administration, and began one rendered m.'morable for its arbitrary pro- ceedings and tumult, rather than for striking or impo: tant events, .\mong tile first of Cosby's acts was a demand that Rip Van Dam, liis predecessor, >..uiuld divide equally with him the emoluments of the ofTice before his .-..-ivaL Van Dam assented, on the condition that Cosby should recipro- t .. e \yv an equal division of the percjuisites received by him from the col- I'- .^ -ince his appointment and before coming to this country. This de- li'. .; .>n the part of Van Dam was sustained by the people generally, but Cci.,oy. des|x)tic and avaricious, refused, and commenced a suit against Van Itam for half of his salary. .\s the Governor by virtue of his office was chancellor, and two of the judges his personal friends, the counsel for defence took exceptions against the jurisdiction of the court. The excep- tions ttereoverniledby the judges in the interest of Cosby, even against the opinion of Chief Justice Morris, who was immediately removed from his oflSce and Colonel Cosby's claim ordered paid. The indignation of the public at such arbitrary proceedings, found vent in squibs and ballads, aimed at the aristocracy, and placing some of the members of the legislature in a ludicrous position. The Xew York Weekly Journal, edited by John 1*. i^enger, in defending Van Dam, published some severe criticisms on the goxemment, arraigning the officials for assuming arbitrary power, and per- verting their official stations to purposes of private emolument. These pajterswere ordered tt> be burnt by the common hangman, and Zenger was arretted anil i.nprisone.I on a criminal charge for publishing a seditious libel a;;ainsi the governntent. When the trial came on, the puiilication was admitted, and proof offered for its justification, which w.is objected to by the .\t:omcy-Ciener.il, on the ground that in a criminal proceeding for the publiiarion of libellous matter, the truth of the facts alleged was not proper to be admitted in evidence, and he was sustained by the court. .And.-ew Hamilton, the counsel for the defence, resisted this decision of the court, and insisted that the j.iry were the jutlges of both tlie facts and the law, and it was for them to interpose between arbitrary violations of law and justice, and their intended victim. The jury after a short deliberation, unaniinouslv gave a verdii t of acquittal. Cosby, although repulsed by this xerdict, persistently continued to make him-.elf odious to the people by other arbitrary measures. .\ few days before hi- ilc.ith he ci]n\Ln';d his .luincil in his bed-Miamber and suspended V.Tn D.mi. the -.cninr nuni'cr thereof, np-m whom the government woul I h.ne devolved upon his ,h, e,i-e. lie did March loth. 1736. Theioun.il ...nxcncd immediately cfter !iis d. alh, and George Clarke, next senior coi-p.sellnr, was dei lared I'residvnl, uid assumed the authority of Governor. The suspension of Van Dam w.i- ilo-lared illegal by a [mwerfid party in his fa\or, and a struggle ensueil '..twecD him aniU'l.iike for the oftii e, bi'tj e\cn ising authority until ( N tu- ber 30th, when IMarke received a 1 r.nimi — mn Ironi l.n-lan.l lu ac t as I.ieu- Ttn.ant-Govemor. He sought to lonrdi.tli those hostile t<i him, and to in fa\or with the aristoiratii p.irtv at the same rime. He ili-solved .-.emblv, that had . onlmued m existence for manv vcars. an.l a new .. T-.-L-ited, whi, h. t.. his Oi.igrin ami regret, was in symp.ithy with ,.iii.ir party, anrl .:t its session loiihl not be prevailed ii|«in lo grant a . c for a longer [leriod than one \c,ir. establishing a pre. cdcut lh.it sui>-.. i.tent assemblies diti not depart from.

CH.\PTF,R V.

ALLEGED PLOT TILITIES-

IR IHE OHIO

XNt) ESCr.lSH HO 4LI.EV.

eral fires having 01 curred in New \'ork, suspicions were av.; consjjiracy had been formed for the destruction of the ci

In 1741 ened that

It was not long before it was charged upon the negro slaves, who at that time constituted about one-fifth of the population. Universal consterna- tion seized upon the inhabitants and a general panic ensued, in which reason and common sense were scarcely entertained. Rewards were offered for the arrest and conviction of the offenders, and a full pardon tendered to anv of tlieir number who would reveal their knowledge of the conspiracy. A weak negro servant girl, in a low boarding house, named Mary Burton, after much importunitv and full promise of jiardon, implicated several negroes, by confessing to have heard them talking privately about burning the city. They were arrested and executed on this slender testimony. Others, among them several whites, were im|)licated by her, and suffered the same fate. Other informers appeared, arrests became numerous, and the ]>o;)ular fury and delusion did not subside tintil Mary Burton, the chief informer, after frequent examinations, began to touch characters above suspicion and known to be innocent. Then, as reason began to return, the delusion passed away, but not until one hundred and fifty-four negroes and twenty-four whites had been committed to prison, and nearly forty of these unfortunates executed. In the commencement of his administra- tion, Clarke had succeeded in conciliating both parties, to a considerable extent, but managed before its close to lose the confidence of both, inso- much that his retirement, on the arrival of his successor, .Admiral George Clinton, September 23d, 1743, was but little regretted. Favorable accounts of Clinton's talents and liberality had been proclaimed, and he was received with demonstrations of universal satisfaction. The election of a new as- sembly was ordered, and a spirit of harmony so far prevailed that he con- curred in all its measures.

In March, 1744, war was declared between England and France, and measures were again taken for the conquest of Canada. The colonies of New York and New England united in an expedition, to co-operate with a fleet under Commodore Warren, for an attack on the French fortress at Louisburg, on Cape Breton Island, which capitulated in June, 1745. The country north of .Albany was seriously molested by attacks from the Indians and French. The fort at Crown Point was garrisoned with a force sufficient to enable its commander 10 send out detachments to destroy the English settlements. The settlement at Saratoga was burned, .and nearly all the inhabitants either killed or taken prisoners. This was followed by an attack on the village of Hoosick. The fort at that place was com- manded by Colonel Hawks, who was compelled to surrender, thus leaving the settlements, all the way to .Albany, open to the enemy; but measures were speedily adopted for putting the frontier in a state of defence. In 1746 an expedition against Canada was resolved tqion by the English government. The colonics, with the promise of assistance from England, entered upon the design with much zeal. New York raised sixteen hun- dred men for the forces directed upon Crown Point and .Montreal. Eng- land failed to furnish the promised assistance and the expedition proved unsuccessful. Peace was concluded at .Aix la Chapelle in 1748. Hostili- ties ceased, and the colony enjoyed a short period of tranipiility, The h.irm-iny between the assembly and the Governor did not long con- tinue, for, in 174;, an open disagreement occurred, and almost constant bickerings followe.i. In 174S Clinton sent a m.ssagc to the .assembly, de- man bag an appropriatio.l for tiie support of the go\urnment, for five years. Tile .i--.-ni!.b, iii~dy re.t-r lin ; it j. a direct attempt to render the crown ii l.p.-i I.-nt of liie p-ool.-. in.li;in',l. rOiisel; ..nd after a l"ew weeks'

tioas prj cntcd it from sitting for nearly tw.i years, until the affairs of the I olonv w.-re in at alarncag 1 ondition for want of funds. His reiterated ilem.mds for a p'.T'iiaaent rev.nue met with persistent relusal. Oppo.sed and emiiarrass-d b. pohti. il factions, he tendered his resignation, after an aliiiinistrilion of t.-ii ye.irs, an 1 w.is siu reeded ( ictober loth, 1753. by .Sir Danxers Osborne, The new Gioernor iiiimedi.itely informed the coiiniil that Ills iustriu lioas were lo inainl.iin the royal |irero g.itive and demanil a pur.n.ricnt siioport for tile government. He w.is told by the members present that the assembly would ncxcrsuliniit to the dem.md, and appe.ircd grcati) depressed, the loss of his w lie a short time before having already

RIVAL CLAIMS TO THE VALLEY OF THE OHIO RIVER.

throvn him into a melancholy state of mind bordering on insanity. Know- ing the difficulties that his predecessor had experienced, and being charged with instructions still more stringent, he saw in the tempest before him a prospect which so worked upon his morbid mind, that the next morning he was found dead, having hung himself at his lodgings. On his death. James De l-ancey, by virtue of his commission as Lieutenant-Ciovernor. assumed the administration of the government. He had formerly been a leader in the aristocratic party, but recently had opposed the demands of the crown, and conseiiuently h.ad become highly [Jopular. Striving to retain his popu- larity by favoring the representatives in measures advantageous to the colony, while holding his office at the will of the English government, and being com(>elled by the instructions of his predecessor to convince the ministry that he ivas zealous to promote the interests of the crown, his task was peculiarly difficult; but it was performed with a shrewdness and skill creditable to his ability as a statesman.

By the treaty of .\ix la Chapelle, the boundary between the French and English colonies was left as indefinite as before, and consequently those lands which both claimed the right to jjossess were still in dispute. l"he French had established their trading posts, missionary stations and fortifi- cations, from Canada to the gulf of Mexico, and were vigorously pursuing their designs for the extension of their power and dominions. The Eng- lish Ohio Company, formed for settlement and trade with the Indians, obtained, in 1749, a grant from the British government of an extensive tract of land on the Ohio river. Christopher Gist was sent out in 1751 to ex- plore this region, and found that it had already been visited by the French traders, who had so influenced the Indians that they were very suspicious of the designs of the English. The claim of the French to the ownership of this region was priority of discovery and occupancy. The English had from the first claimed from the .\tlanticto the Pacific by right of discovery; but they now based their claims on the ground that the country belonged to the Six Nations, who had placed all their lands under the protection of England. Commissioners were sent to treat with the Ohio Indians and win them over to the English interest. They succeeded in obtaining a deed of the lands in [[uestion from the Indians, and a guaranty that their settlements should not be molested by them. The Governor of Canada, perceiving the design of the English to occupy the Ohio valley, informed the Governors of New York and Pennsylvania of the encroachments of the English traders upon what he claimed as his territory, and of his inten- tion to seize them whenever found. .\ccordingIy, in 1752 some English traders were seized and confined in a fort at Presfjue Isle, on Lake Erie. From this [)oint the French were engaged in establishing a chain of posts to the .\llcgheny, opening communication to the Ohio, and keeping it clear by means of troojjs stationed at convenient points along the way. The Ohio Company, seeing this intrusion upon their lands, compl.iined to the Governor of \"irginia, of which colony their territory was a part, under the grant of the crown. He resolved to send a trusty messenger to the French commander to remonstrate against these encroachments, and George Washington was entrusted witli this delicate mission. On reaching the post at Venango, he could obtain no satisfaction, tlie officer in coinniand boldly declaring that the French iatended to seize on the wiiole valley of the Ohio. He proceeded to Waterford, the headi|uarters of the French commandant. St. Pierre received him with courtesy, but did not disguise the intentions of the French. His answer to the Governor of Virginia wa.s, that he had taken pos;e-^sion of the Ohio valley under the authority of the Governor of Canada, and by his orders should destroy all English posts therein. It was now obvious t!iat the Ohio would not be relini|uishcd without a struggle. The Ohio Co npany commenced to construct a fort at the confluence of the .Allegheny and Monon;.;aiiela. 01 the pre^e.it site of Pittsburgh. The Governor of Virginia dispatclied a sm ill f,5rre to protect the I.-^borers and aid in constructing the fort, and wrote to inform the Boar.l of Trade, of the design of the French to occupy the Ohio valley. He likewise sent to the Governors of New York and Pennsyhania for aid to resist their aggression ..

When the assembly met in the spring of 1754, Governor He l.ancey, in his message to that In ments of the Frcm h.

dy, called their attention to ind Id tiie request by Virg

t encroach- ul from the

ninnv of New Ynrk.

riie

i.tcd

aid. and to bear u> share in crc( tng forts .'l.in ; t Early in the spring of 1754. W .ishingLm. with from Virginia, set out for the disputed territory, in course of construction at the junction of the

.\ilh supplies for the fort Allegheny and Mononga-

hela. When near Will's creek, he was met by the ensign of Cajitain Trent's company, which had been sent out to protect and help build the fon. From him he received the mournful intelligence, that while they were at work on the fort, the French troops from Venango came down the ri\er with their artillery, and resistance being useless, they were obliged to sur- render it to them. The French completed it and named it fort Duquesne, after the Governor of Canada. On hearing this news, Washington reported to the Governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania the situation of affairs, and urged them to hasten forward reinforcements. Moving forward, he soon learned that the French were on their way to intercept his progress, and not knowing their strength, he fell back to Great Meadows, and began to throw up an intrenchment, which he called Fort Necessity. While here, he received a courier from Half King, who, with a party of Indian warriors, was a few miles distant, informing him that a body of French were in his vicinity. He immediately set out with a part of his men for the camp of Half King. An attack on the enemy, whose position had been discovered, was at once agreed u])on, and successfully executed. Receiving additional troops, Washington proceeded towards Fort Uuquesne, but had not gone- far before he heard of the advance of a large body of French and Indians, and returned to Fort Necessity. Here he was soon after attacked bv a superior force, and after an obstinate resistance, accepted the terms of capit- ulation offered, which gave him permission to retire unmolested to Virginia.

Thus were the French left in undisputed possession of the entire region west of the .Alleghanies. The necessity of concerted action on the part I'f the English colonies to resist their aggressions had now become ob\ioii ., but unworthy sectional feelings often prevented harmony of action for a general defence. The Six Nations were also becoming alienated from i , ■ English by the influence of French emissaries. The English miii.. aware of this critical state of affairs, had advised a convention of ikle. ■ , from all the colonial assemblies, to secure the continued friendsiiip .imi alliance of the Six Nations, and to unite their efforts in the common de- fence. In accordance with this recommendation, a convention of delegates from the colonies of New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connec- ticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland, was held at Albany, in June, 17^4. The chiefs of the Six Nations were in attendance, and the proceedings were opened by a speech to the Indians from Governor De Lancey, who had been chosen president of the convention. A treaty with the Six Nations was renewed, and they departed, apparently satisfied. While this treaty was in progress, at the suggestion of the Massachusetts delegates, a plan for the union of the colonies was taken into consideration. The su-- gestion was favorably received, and a committee, consisting of one member from each colony, was appointed to draft (dans for this jnirpose. The fer- tile mind of Benjamin F'ranklin had conceived the necessity of union, and before leaving home, he had prepared a plan which was adopted. This plan was similar in many of its features to our Federal Constitution, framed many years afterward. The provincial .assemblies, considering it too much of an encroachment on their liberties, rejected it, and it was rejei.ted by the English government, because it gave too much power to the people.

CHAPTER VI.

the results of four encilish f.xpeditioss against thf. frli.nch — Montcalm's successful campaigns.

Though England and France were no'ninally at peace, the frontier was desolated by sav.age hordes let loose upon the settlements by the Freni h. While the pinglish ministry were hesitating, the Duke of Cumbcrlanrl, who at that time was Capt.im-( ieneral of the ariiiics of (Ireat Britain, sent uM-r, early in 1755, Gener.il liraddock, with a detachment from the army in Ireland. Uraddcck, soon after his arrival, met the coIoumI (iovcmors in a conference at .Mexandria, to devise measures for repelliiu the encroachments of the French. Four separate expeditions were tlu re resolved upon : The first against Nova Scotia ; the second, under liraddc" k himself, for the recovery of the Ohio valley ; the third against Fort Nii. ara, and the fourth aemiist Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, The 1-: " resuhid ill the 1 nmplcte rcdu. lion of Nova Srolia. The second ,111. 1 i;,' impnri lilt, under l:r,ul,l,» k, fr.iui uhi.h mm ii had been e\|.r,u-,l ■ through the fi.ll\ of that officer, dis.islrmis in the extreme. U.isii.n had repeatedly urgeil the necessity of seniling scouts in advance, b:il i dock, obstinate and imperious, would listen to no warnings of ilan^^.i' : ■»

14

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

Indian ambusiadcs. When within a few miles of Fort l)iii|iiesne, the annv wai surpri?.eii by the hirking foe, and only saved from total destruction l>v the bravery of Washington, who, upon the fall of Braddock, assumed com- mand, and conducted a retreat, but not till more than half the force had been sacrificed. The expedition against Fort Ni;:gnra, under (ien. Shirley, (Governor of Massachusetts, was also unsuccessful. His troops hearing ot Braddoi k's defeat, soon after leaving .Albany, were so disheartened that many of them deserted. .\t Oswego, he vvas detained by having to wait for the coni[)letion of boats. When these were coiii]ileted, he was further detained by heavy storms and other casualties, until the lateness of the season rendered it imjirudent to proceed. Leaving a garrison at Oswego under Colonel Mercer, he led back the residue of his anny to .Albany, and returned to Massnchiisetts. The expedition .Tgainst Crown Point was entrusted to (ieneral Johnson. The greater part of the troops were sent forward under (ieneral I.yman, of Connecticut, to the head of boat navi- gation on the Hudson, which being the nearest point on that ri\er to Lake Champlain, was called the carrying place, where they erected a fortification. which was aftenvard named Fort Edward. Here they were joined late in .August by Johnson, who advancing with the main body of the army to the head of Lake George, established a camp, and began to make some arrangements for an att.ick on Crown Point, but apparently was in no hurry- to prosecute the enterprise. Meanwhile Diesk.iu. the French rommander, was approaching by way of Lake Champlain, with the intentic of surpris- ing Fort Edward, cutting off Johnson's retreat, and capturing his army ; but l>eing mi.sled by his guides, he found himself on the way to Johnson's camp on Lake (ieorge. Abandoning his first intention of attacking Fort Edward, he continued his advance on Lake George. Johnson, learning that the French- were advancing to the Hudson, sent out Colonel Williams with a thousand troops, and Sachem Hendrik, with two hundred Indians, to intercept them and aid Fort Edward. They h.id only advanced a few miles when they fell into an ambuscade, in which both Williams and Hend- rik were slain, and the force hurriedly retreated, closely pursued by the enemy until they reached the camp, when the Canadian militia and Indians, who were in the advance, perceiving the artillery they would have to con- front, skulked into the surrounding woods, and left the regulars to begin the att.ick. thereby gi\ ing the English time to recover from the confusion into which they had been throw-n. and undoubtediv saving them from defeat. .A severe struggle ensued, in which the French at length began to give way, upon observing w-hich the English leaped over their breastworks and dispersed them in .all directions. The French leader, Dieskau, was severely wounded and taken prisoner. Johnson was wounded in the com- mencement of the action and retired from the tield. and the whole battle »-as directed by General Lyman, who proposed and urged a vigorous con- tinuation of elTorts by following up the routed enemy, preventing their escape down Lake Champl.Tm, and attacking Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; but Johnson, through fear or some other cause not easilv explained, withheld his consent, and allowed the French to intrench themsebes at Ticonderoga, while he spent the residue of the autumn erecting Fort Wil- liam Henry-, on the site of his camp. On the approach of winter he garri- soned it, disbanded the remainder of his army and returned to .Albany.

On the 3d of September, 1755, Sir Charles Hardy arrived in New- Vork as Governor. He was an admiral, and unacquainted with civil affairs. lieing conscious of his deficiencies in executive ability, he soon surrendered all but nominal duties into the hands of De Lanccy, and in 1757, resigned the government and returned to his former profession, .ind I)c Lancey again became (lovernor. .At a meeting of the provincial Governors, held at .Albany in December, the plan discussed for the cam- ]i.iign of 1756 consisted of movements against Fort Niagara with six thou- sand men. Fort Duiplesne with three thousand. Crown Point with ten thous.-ind, and two thousand were to advance on the Fren< h settlements (in the Chaudiere, and on»-ard to Quebec. At this time, 1756. the |iopu- Lition of the province of New Vork was 96,775. In Man h. De I.e%y, with three hundred French troops from Montreal, penetrated the forests to the Onci-li portage, took and destroyed the fort, and returned to Canada with the garrison .is prisoners. Although active hostilities had been carried on lor two years in the lolonies, the English ministry ilid not arouse from iheir imbe. ilit\ enough to issue a furmal dci laration of w.ir against Fr.ince till the 17th of May, 175O. Lord Loudoun was appuintcl , ..mm.in<lcr-in- chief and Goiernor of \'irginia, and Gencr.il Ab. r. mmbic was pl.i, cd .second in command, (ieneral Winslow. who had been cnlrnstcd willi the expedition ag.imst Crcuvn Point, finding that he h.id n..t siifti, cut fone for

the undertaking, waited for reinforcements from England. Late in June, Abercrombie arrived with troops, but at the same time blighted any hopes that might have arisen regarding a vigorous prosecution of the war, by showing his contempt for the Provincials in announcing that the regular officers were to be over those of the same rank in the Provincial ser- vice. On this announcement all harmony for a united effort was dispelled. The men began to desert, and some of the officers declared they should throw- up their commissions if the obnoxious rule was enforced. This difficulty was finally adjusted by an agreement that the regulars should remain to do garrison duty, while the Provincials should advance under their own officers, against the enemy. Then, instead of making any effort for the relief of Oswego, which was in danger, .Abercrombie ordered his troops to be cpiartered on the citizens of .Albany. De Villiers had encamped with eight hundred Frenchmen, at the mouth of Sandy Creek, on Lake Ontario, whence he could send out detachments to infest the water passes leading to the Oswego fort and intercept supplies or reinforcements on the way thither. Colonel Bradstreet had succeded in throwing some provisions into the fort, and on his return fell in with a party of De Villiers' men in ambush, and gained a decisive victory over them. Hearing that a large force w-a.s already on its w-av to attack Osw-ego, he hastened to Albany, and informed .Abercrombie of the contemplated attack and the necessity of immediate reinforcements. But it was all in vain, as he could not be induced to move before the arrival of Lord Lou- doun. It was nearly .August before Loudoun m.ide his appearance, and affairs were not improved by this event. Instead of making an immediate effort to avert the threatened blow at Osw-ego, he began slow-ly to make preparations for a descent on Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Reinforce- ments were sent to Forts Edw-ard and William Henrv. This procrastina- tion proved fatal, for the opportunity of relieving Oswego was now lost. The -Maniuis de Montcalm, successor of Dieskau, had cut off communica- tion with .Albany, and on the 12th of .August opened his artillery on Fort Ontario, nearly apposite Oswego. The fire was returned by the garrison till their ammunition was exhausted, w-hen, spiking their guns, thev re- treated across the river to Fort Oswego. Montcalm immediately occupied the deserted fort and turned such guns as were yet serviceable against Fort Oswego. Colonel Mercer was killed, and a formidable breach effected in the walls. Montcalm was making preparations for storming the intrench- ments, when, seeing that the defence was no longer practicable, the garrison surrendered themselves prisoners of war. By this atfair sixteen hundred men, one hundred cannon, a large quantity of provisions and store.s, and the vessels in the harbor, all fell into the hands of the victors, and were safely conveyed to Montreal. Montcalm demolished the forts, much to the satisfaction of the Six Nations, who afterw-ards sent a delegation from each castle to make peace with the Governor of Canada. The F'rench sent their emis.saries among them, who now succeeded in seducing them from the English interests.

The fall of Oswego did not awaken the energies of Lord Loudoun— if it can be said that he possessed any — but on the contrary he abandoned all offensive operations that had been contemplated, and contented himself with doing nothing. Having w-asted the season in shameful idleness, he, on his arrival in the city of New Vork, billeted a part of his force for free winter <|uarters on the citizens, regardless of the remonstrance of the authorities against this invasion of their rights. Overawed by his profane threats, the colonists found themselves obliged to support the British soldiers, w-ho had done nothing in their behalf In June of the following year he made an ineffectual effort to capture Louisburg, Before leaving New Vork, he rendered himself still more detestable to the colonists, by laying an embargo u|)on the seaports from Massachusetts to Virginia, and impressing four hundred men from the city of New Vork alone. He went to Halifax, where he was largely reinforced, but instead of making any advance on Louisburg, contented himself by drilling his troops in mock battles, till the complaints of his inactivity became so numerous, that he finally gave orders to embark for that place. .Almost as soon as the orders were given, receiving intelligence that Louisburg had been reinforced, and that the French fleet contained one more ves.sel than his, he countermanded his orders and came back to New Vork, having accomplished nothing. While he was thus trifling. .Montcalm, watchful of his movements, proceeded With a Lirgc f..r. e of French and Indians ag.ainst Fort William Henry, then in I ..mill in, 1 ..i t'oLmcl .Monroe, with about twenty-two hundred men. liencr.il Webb, the English commander in that ipiarter, was at Fort Ed ward with f.,ur thousand men. Montcalm landed with his men and

EXPEDITIONS AGAINST LOUISBURG. TICONDEROGA, DUQUENSE AND QUEBEC.

1-5

artillery at a'point about two miles from Fort William Henry, where he was entirely sheltered from its guns ; beleagured its garrison, and sent a sum- mons to Monroe to surrender, which he defiantly disregarded, confident of being relieved by Webb. The French then opened fire on the fort, which was spiritedly returned by the garrison. Exi)re ses were sent to Webb imploring aid ; but that coward remained inactive, terrified at the distant roar of artillery. Finally, after repeated solicitations, he allowed Generals Johnson .and Putnam with his rangers, to march to the aid of Monroe; but they had proceeded only a few miles when he recalled them, and sent a letter to Monroe, advising him to surrender This letter was intercepted by Montcalm, who forwarded it lo Monroe, recjuesting him to follow Webb's advice, and save further loss of life. Still the intrepid colonel held out until his ammunition was nearly e.vhausted, part of his guns dis- abled, and all hopes of assistance abandoned, and under these discourag- ing circumstances, he was forced to capitulate on the 9th of August, and the sixth day of the siege. By the terms of surrender, the garrison were allowed to leave the fort with all the honors of war, and furnished with an escort to Fort Edward. On the next morning, when they began their march, the Indians, who had spent the night in debauch, began an indis- criminate massacre and robbery of the English troops. Despite the efforts of Montcalm, many of the disarmed and defenceless soldiers were slain, and only a thousand reached Fort Edward. Fort William Henry was demolished. General Webb, paralyzed with terror, prepared to retreat, although reinforced until his army was more than double that of the enemy.

CH.\PTER VII.

THE EXTINCTION OF THE FRENCH POWER IN AMERICA THE NEW YORK

JUDICIARY INTERNATIONAL CONTENTIONS. '

Ey these repeated failures the spirit of the English ministry in meeting the exigencies of the occasion was aroused, and ^Villiam Pitt, a very able statesman, was entrusted with the management of affairs. His accession gave a new impulse to the national energies, and the campaign for 1758 opened under more favorable auspices. Three formidable expeditions were projected for this year against Louisburg, Ticonderoga, and Fort Uuquesne respectively. .Admiral Boscawen, with twenty ships of the line and fifteen frigates, together with twelve thousand men under General Amherst, arrived before Louisburg on the 2d day of June, and entered vigorously upon the siege of that fortress, and on the 26th of July the French commander, finding farther opposition useless, surrendered at dis- cretion. The army destined for the reduction of Ticonderoga and Crown Point under (ieneral .Abercrombie, consisting of nine thousand provincials and seven thousand regulars with a fine train of artillery, assembled at the head of Lake George, from whence they embarked on the 5th of Julv for the fortress at Ticonderoga, which was held by .Montcalm with about four thousand men. They landed the next day and began their march, neces- sarily leaving their artillery behind until the bridges wliich had been destroyed by the enemy could be rebuilt. It was the pur|)ose of .Aber- crombie to hasten forward and carry Ticonderoga by storm before rc-in- forcements which were expected could arrive. The advance [larty fell in with a body of the enemy and Lord Howe, the second in command .ind the soul of the expedition, was killed. The loss of Howe was severely felt and the incom[>etcnt .^bercrombic, uncertain what course to pursue, fell back to the landing place. Colonel Bradstreet advanced, rebuilt tlie bridges and took possession of some saw mills destroyed by the enemy about two miles from Ticonderoga. to which place .Abercrombie advan< cd with his army, and sent forward an engineer with a party of rangers to re- connoitre. They reported that the works could be easily taken. Stark, who led the rangers, thought differently, and so advised .\bcrcrombie, but he rejected his advice and ordered an attack without artillery which, after a desperate struggle, was repulsed with the loss of nearly two thousand men. With the great force still at his command .Abercrombie, instead of bring- ing up his artillery to bombard the French works, .sounded a retreat, and unpursued by the enemy, returned to the head of Lake George anil sent his artillery and stores to Albany. Colonel Bradstreet, anxious to do something to retrieve the disgrace of this shameful retreat, asked to lend an expedition against l-'ort Frontenac whiihhad been, with the entire fleet on Lake Ontario, surrendered on the ;6lh of August. The i i.minand of the expedition against Fort Duiiutsne was given to General I'orbes. Con-

trary to the advice of Washington, Forbes insisted on having a new road cut to the fort. \Vith this and other delays, on the 5th of November the English forces were still forty miles from their destination, when it was re- solved to go into winter ijuarters. Washington, satisfied of the inability of the garrison to resist an attack, asked and obtained permission to push forward with his Virginians, and, on his approach, the French set fire to the fort and fied. On the 25th, Washington took possession of the ruins and changed the name from Duquesne to Pittsburg.

Although Louisburg and Fort Duquesne had been retaken, still there could be no security for the frontier so long as Fort Niagara and the posts on Lake Champlain were held by the French, nor even while Canada re- mained unsubjugated. Accordingly, adequate preparations were made for the campaign of 1759. .\bercrombie was superseded in the command of the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point by General .\mherst. General Wolfe w.is directed to ascend the St. Lawrence to Quebec, and General Prideaux was to take Fort Niagara and proceed to Montreal. He was joined by General Johnson at Oswego, from which point he sailed for Fort Niagara, leaving Haldimand with a force at Oswego. The latter was soon afterwards attacked by a body of French and Indians, but succeeded in repulsing them. On the 17th of July, Prideaux appeared before Ni- agara, but soon after the siege began he was killed by the bursting of a shell, carelessly discharged by one of his gunners. Johnson succeeded to the command and the siege continued without cessation. In the mean- time, DWubrey, aware of the danger of this important post, collected a force of nearly three thousand French and Indian troops and made an effort to raise the siege, .\ppri5ed of their approach, Johnson, leaving a force to prevent the garrison from co-operating with D'.'\ubrey, marched against the advancing enemy. .^ sharp conflict ensued in which D'Au- brey's forces were defeated and himself taken prisoner, and the next day the garrison surrendered. General .Amherst, with a force of nearly twelve thousand men arrived at Ticonderoga on the 22d of July, and in four days thereafter the garrison abandoned the post and withdrew to Crown Point, which also was abandoned on the approach of .\mherst.

The strength of Quebec was well known, and General Wolfe left Louis- burg under convoy of a large fleet and eight thousand regulars to capture it. It was intended that Amherst should sweep Lake Ch.amplain, capture .Montreal, and form a junction with Wolfe before Quebec, but he failed to accomplish his part, and Wolfe alone had the glory of taking that strong fortress. On the 27th of June he landed on the Isle of Orleans, a few miles below the city. Montcalm occupied the place with thirteen thousand men, and a strongly entrenched camp extended below the city from the river St. Charles to the Montmorenci. General Monckton took a position at Point Levi, o|>posite Quebec, with but little opposition, and erected bat- teries from which the lower town was considerably d.amaged, but no im- pression could be made on the walls of the city. General Wolfe crossed the St. Lawrence and encamped on the left bank of the Montmorenci within cannon shot of the enemy on the opposite side, and resolved to storm their strong camp. Monckton crossed the St. Lawrence a little above the Montmorenci, and at tiie same time the forces on the opposite side forded that stream and joined his division. The grenadiers, impatient of restraint, rushed up the bank before the troops that were to support them could be made available, and were conseijuently repulsed with fear- ful loss, when they took shelter behind a redoubt which had been aban- doned by the enemy in the commencement of the action. ,\t this time a tempestuous thunder-storm broke over the belligerents, and before it abated, night came on, and the English were obliged to recross the river. Weeks passed, and the capture of Quebec seemed as far off ,is ever The arrival of Amherst was looked for in vain, and Wolfe and his officers, weary and impatient of delay, concerted a plan for scaling the Heights of .\braham, back of Quebec, and thus forcing the French into an engige- ment. The camp at Montmorenci was broken up and the troops conveyed to Point Levi, .\dmiral Holni-'S ascended the river with apart of ih.e troops and artillery. -Vl nig'it thj remiind.T proceeded up the river, and Montcalm, thinking they were about to raise the siege, remained in his camp, while Bourg.iinville marched up the river to prevent their laniling. Before daylight, tile British returning silently down the river, unpercened liy tlie French, landed and as. ended the jirecipice. The Frenc h guard was dispersed, and by daylight five thousand regulars were drawn up in b.ittle array on the Plains of Abraham. When this intelligen, e re.i. lied .Monte army

aim h.

till

of hi

cross the St. Charles to attack the English. .\ fierce battle followed

16

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK

in which Loth Wolfe and Mont.alm were slain and the Krenrh arnn ilc- featCTt and on the iSth of Sci>tenil>er, five days after. (Jucl)et was sur- rendrtc<i to the Fnj;Iish.

In !hc following Sprini;. He l.cvi. the mki essor of Monti aim. attempted the rei;ai)tiirc of Queliee. which had liccn left in i h,;ri;e of Ccneral Murray with -even thousand men. I)c Levi adianc cd upon the liiv with an army of ten thousand, and .Murray, man hing out to aiuu k him. was defeated .and lorecd to retreat to the nty. De Levi followed up his success, but on the arrival of the Knglish tleet in the St. Lawrence he retired in great alarm to Montreal, (leneral .\mherst apjieared before that city on the 6th of SejKemlier. 1760. Murray ajiproached from Quebec on the same day. and 00 the d.iy following Colonel Haviland arrived with his division from C'rowB Point. I)e Vaudreuil. the governor-general, despairing <jf a suc- cessful defence, capitulated on the Sth. .\s the result of this campaign. C]anaj£a. with all her dependencies, fell into the hands of the English, and hostifities between the colonies of the two nationalities ceased. Heace. howerer, was not concluded between England and Kr.ancc until February 10th, 1763, when France ceded to England all her |)ossessions in Canada.

Oa the 30th of July, 1760, Ciovernor De I.ancey suddenly died, and Cadiollader Colden took charge of the government, being president of the council. In .August, 1761, he received his commission as lieutenant-gov- ernor. The death of De I-.incey left the seat of chief-justice vacant, and the remaining judges, having doubted their ability to issue ]irocesscs since the dtath of King George IF, under whom they had held their old com- missico;?, urged Colden to appoint a successor. Colden rec|ucstcd the Colonial Secretary of State to nominate a chief-justice, and he not only nomtoated but appointed iJenjamin Pratt, a lawyer from Boston, to hold the pooition at the pleasure of the king instead of during good behavior, as formerly. 'I'he people regarding this as an encroachment on their rights and liberties, vigorously protested, and the remaining judges even refused to act longer unless they could hokl their commissions during good be- havior. When the assembly met. Colden recpiested that the salary of the chief-justice should be increased, but that body not only refused to increase it, but refused to provide for it unless the judges' commissions se- cured them their seats during good behavior. The chief-justice having served some time without a salar\". the income of the royal (piit-rents of the province was a]>propriatcd to his compensation.

Cieneral Robert Mnnckton was ap|iointcd (Jovernor of New York, and assumed the reins of government in October. 1761. but left on the 13th of the following month to command an expedition against Martinique, leaving the administration of affairs again in the hands of Colden. In 176.^ the boundary line between New York and New Hampshire became a subject of much controversy. I'hc di-puted territory was the tract of land between the Connecticut River and Fake Champlain, comprising what is now known as the State of Vermont. The patent granted to the Duke of York in 1664 included all the land west of the Connecticut River to the cast side of OeUware Hay. Controversies had arisen growing out of the mdehnite character of their respective <:harters between the jtrovinces of New \'ork and those of Connecticut and Massachusetts relative to their boundaries, which h.ad been adjusted by negotiation and compromise. The line agreed upon las to extend north and south twenty miles east of the Hudson River. New Hampshire, regardless of justice or title, insisted upon lia\ - ing the same western boundary, .\gainst this claim New York vigorously protested, but the protests were unheeded, and the (iovernor of New Hamiishire continued to issue grants until, in 1763, one hundred and thirty- eight townships had been granteil. .•Manned at this encroachment, and in order to stop these proceedings. (lovcrnor Colden. in December, 1763. issued a proclamation claiming jurisdiction to the Connci tii ut Ki\er under the patent granted to the Duke of York, and commanded the sheriff of \lbany county to return the names of all persons who. by virtue "f the New Hamiishire grants, had taken possession of Finds west of tlu- ( on- necticiit River. 'Ihis was followed by a 1 oiuiter pnir l.iin itu.n fn.m the (lovemor of New Hampshire, dec Faring tliat llie gr.int to the Diikc of York was obsolete, and that his grantees should be pni-ci led in the pos- session of their lands. Fhrnugh the HoanI of I'rade the disputed .piesiion was referred to the crown, and in 1764 a decision was obtained pronounc- ing the Connecticut River the boundary between the pnninces of New- York and New Hampshire. Upon this ilei ision the government of New York dci Fired the grants from the Ciovernor of New Hampshire illeg.Tl, and insisted that the grantees should surn-nder or re-piin base the binds upon which Ihcy had settled. To this unjust demand tlie gre.iter pan relused

to aci ede, and the (lovernor of New York thereupon granted their lands to others, who brought ejectment suits against the former occupants, and ob- tained judgment at the 1 oiirts of .\lbany. .All attempts, however, of the executive officers to enforce these judgments met with a spirited resistant e, and led to continual hostilities between the settlers and the government of

CH.\PIER VlIF

IHK. .APPKilACH ol- IHK KKVI IllTIO.V I'VlKlnllc .AlllTlDK OK .\tw

VclKK — IHK KIKsl DA I II. K KOUC.HI l.V I77O.

The reprcsentatiie .issemblies of the provinces had occ:isionally remon- strated against the \anous aus of Parliament which tended to abridge their liberties, and the regulation of the Moards of Trade by which their manufactures and commerce were injuriously affected : yet their attadi- ment to the mother country, and regard for her institutions, had not to anv considerable extent been weakened. Hut now the borders of the Revolu- tionary struggle were reached, and the time had arrived when unipiestioncd submission to the exactions of arbitrary power had ceased to be considered a virtue, and knowing the value of their liberties, the colonics firmlv asserted their rights. They were heavily burdened by the expenses of the late war. for which they had liberally contributed, materially aiding in jiro- curing for the English government a vast and valuable accession of tern- tor)- : yet their generous sujiport of the pow-er and dignity of the realm, the British ministry regartled as only -the exercise of a duty, and before the smoke had fairl\- drifted away from the battle grounds, began to devise plans for taxing ihem to raise a revenue without their consent. 'I'he first measure w-huh aroused the colonists to a lively sense of their danger, was the issuing of writs of assistance, which the English ministry had deter- minetl to fort:e upon them. These w-ere, in effect, search warrants, w-hereb\- custom house officers were enabled the better to collect revenues by breaking open houses or stores that were susjwcted of containing concealed contraband goods. This exercise of arbitrary pow-er'created indignation and alarm, and the lolonisis resolved to resist it. Public meetings were held, and remonstrances sent to Parliament, but without effect. The min- istry were determintti to deri\e a re\cnue from the colonies, either by im- port duties or direc taxes. \ igorously levied and collected, and the writs were granted ; but the feelings of the people were such that the custom house officers never attem|)ied to carry their new- powers into exec-ution.

In 1764 (ieorge (Ircnville. then at the head of the English ministry, sub- mitted to the House of Commons a pro[iosition for raising a revenue by the sale of stam|is to the (olonists. at the same time assuring the colonial agents that he wmild not press its iiiimidiate adoption, but leave the |ilan open for i onsidcration. W hen intelligeni e re.iclied the colonists that sii, h .in act was medil.ited bv tlic ministr\. dis, onlent u.is everywhere visiblc- The proMnci.il assemblies -i.iniiocsly refuse.! to recognize the right of Parliament to li:\ them without llieir eonsent. anti asserted the sole right to tax themselves. Ihey p.;ssed resolutions of remonslrancc; and clearly demonstrated lli.it lavatiou without reprcseiu.itiim in Parliament was unjust and t>ranni(..l; but. m 1 (ir.tLmi.liiuiis disre-nnl of all respectful remon- stranies and petitions, the St.imp A, t u;is p,i,sed in Manh. 1765. liy its pr.ivisionsno leg.il ..r , omuu-r, i.il d. .niiKnls were \.llid unless written or

nature of the instniment, p.u.ible ,0 otti. ers .ippoiiited by the Crown, The passage of this act created feelings of reseniment lluoiighoiit the 1 olonics, a.-rompaniecl l.v ,1 deterinin.ilmn lo resist or ev.ick- its enfonemeiit. I he people of New N ,,rk cicie .iiiion^ the innst bitter in their opposition to the measure. .\n .is,o, i.ition, subng r.sell the >"ns of Liberty, held meetings to lbs, iiss pl.ins tor rL-isMiu e I lie ..l.nMM.ms .„ t w.is reprinlcd .mil p,i-,idcd about the slieels ..I Ne-.v \..rk .iM. b.-,inii,4 the ms, riplion. " I he fulK of Lni;l,iii.l. .md ruin of Allien, .i." A .oiu.nillee w.is appointed b> the New ^.,rk AsseinbK. 111 I 1. lolu-r. 1 71. |. lo , orresponil with the sewr.ll

the

Ihe holdii

V siig.,esl,,i to llu- several c

islrale .ig.iinst the Molalion of their liberties. Ibis sug- iK responded to, and delegates were appointed, who

in of New ^■..^k on Ihe 71I1 of ( ). lobcr. 1705. I liisbodv i-outiniied m s -„ion two weeks, .uvl a.lople.l ,1 de. lar.uion of rights. .1 petition to the Km-.;. ,in.l ,1 ineiii. .ri.il to I'.irh.imeut. in wh.. h the prin. iples bv whi, h tlu- ..,!. lilies were -.iverile.l llir..iiL;li the Kev.jliition were . IcirK

ene.l

EXCITEMENT OVER THE STAMP ACT— ITS REPEAL, AND OTHER TAXES LEVIED.

The Stamp Act was to take effect on the first day of November. As the appointed time drew near, the excitement increased, and when the dav had finally arrived, fiags floated at half mast, bells were tolled as on funeral occasions, and many other manifestations of public sorrow and discontent were made. The stamped pajter, which had [ireviously arrived, had been deposited in the Fort for safe keeping, under the direction of Governor Colden. who had taken the oath to execute the Stamp .\ct, but McEvers, who had been appointed by the Crown to manage its distribution and sale, seeing the manifestations of popular indignation, resigned. In the evening the Sons of Liberty appeared before the l''ort, and demanded the stamped paper. On being refused, they repaired to the Commons, where they hung (fovernor Colden in effigy, and returned to the Fort with his image. Not being admitted at the gate, they broke into Colden's stable, and brought out his carriage, placed the eifigy in it, paraded the streets, and returned to the Fort, where it was again hung. They then made a bonfire, and burned the carnage and its accomiuniments. .\ [jarty jiroceeded to the house of Major James, an artillery officer who had rendered himself particularlv obnoxious, destrojed the furniture, and carried off the colors of the Roval .\rtillery regiment. The next day Colden announced that he should not issue any of the stamped paper while he remamed in office, but lea\e it to his successor, vvho was already on his way from England. But the Sons of Liberty, not satisfied with this assurance, insisted that the stamped pajier should be delivered into their hands, and threatened to take it by force if it was not. The Common Council, alarmed at their ungovernable fury, requested that the paper might be deposited in the City Hall, which was done, and a guaranty given for its safe kee]>ing. In the meantime, at a meeting called by the citizens, a committee was appointed to correspond with the merchants of the several colonies, inviting them to enter into an agreement not to import certain goods from England, which suggestion was promptly acted upon, and the trade with England almost ceased.

\V'hen the new governor. Sir Henry Moore, arrived, he was disposed to carry the Stamp Act into execution, but the unanimous advice of his council, together with the unmistakable character of public sentiment, soon convinced him of the folly of such an attempt. The Sons of Liberty seized ten boxes of stamped paper, on the arrival of a vessel containing it, con- veyed it to the ship-yards, and it was consumed in a bonfire. The Stamp .\ct was so odious to the colonies, and their opposition to it was so effec- tive, that it was repealed on the iSth of March, 1766, but immediately on its repeal a bill was passed declaring the absolute right of Parliament " to tax the colonies in ail cases whatsoever." The repeal, however, was not owing to any appeals from the colonists, for Parliament would not receive the petitions of the Colonial Congress, because that body had not been summoned to meet by it ; but it was because of the influence of London merchants, whose trade was seriously affected by the non-importation agreement. Notwithstanding the declaratory act that accompanied the re- peal, the news was hailed with a delirium of delight, and the city was in a bia/e of illumination in honor of the event. On the King's birthday, which occurred soon afterwards, the New Yorkers assembled, and with enthusiastic manifestations of loyalty erected a liberty-pole, inscribed to the King, Pitt, and Liberty. The Assembly met in June, and the Gover- nor reipiested its compli.ince with the demands of the ministry in relation to furnishing supplies for the troops stationed in New York city. Some controversy ensued upon the subject, and only a partial comjjliance could be obtained from the .Assembly.

The sounds of rejoicing which followed the repeal of the Stamp .\ct had h.irdly passed away before the ministry, by its unjust acts, again awakened the murmurs of discontent, and the declaratory act began to loom up and 'l.nnpen all the hopes of the colonists. The ]>artial provision of the .\s- vniMy for supporting the troops was distasteful to the Sons of Liberty. «ho well knew the soldiers were sent to enforce the abridgement of ^•"■■rican lilierties, and on their arrival did not disguise their feelings. \iimosities arose between them, and the soldiers believing that it was ""ing to the .Sons of Liberty that the ,\ssembly had not been more liberal " furnishing them with sup|)lies, retaliated by cutting down the citizens' il ■-.i.ilf. The next day, while the citizens were replacing it, they were '-■oili,.,| l,v the troops, ,ind several 01 ihcni wnun.lcd. The offi, ers were i"'I;ll, nnl lo this conduct of their nun. .mil ollur onlr.ig.s were com- '"■"'■! Ihc Assembly met ag.iin in Noi ember, u hen tlie ( ioi ernor placed '■•'"ri- It 111,, instructions of the ministry, recpiestmg that immediate pro- "•lon for Ihc troops should be made ; but their outrageous conduct had "' d'^gnsied the legislators that they rcfu.sed to comply, and were severely

censured by the Crown. Parliament declared the legislative powers of the Assembly annulled, and forbade the fiovernor and Council to give their assent to any act passed by that body until unt|ualified compliance with the demands of the Government had been obtained.

In June, 1767, a bill was passed by Parliament imposing a duty on tea, glass, lead, paper, and printers' colors imported into the colonies. This act was shortly followed by another, re-organizing the colonial custom- house system, and establishing a board of revenue commissioners. When intelligence of these acts reached the colonies the excitement was renewed, and the non-importation agreement revived. The colonists saw that Par- liament intended to tax them in some way, and declared that taxes on trade for a revenue were as much a violation of their rights as any other taxes. In 176S the .Assembly of Massachusetts addressed a circular letter to the other colonies referring to the acts of Parliament, and soliciting their co- operation in maintaining the common liberties. This so offended the ministry that a letter was sent from the Secretary of State to the several colonial governors, forbidding their .Assemblies to correspond with that of Massachusetts. When the .Assembly of New York was convened the Governor placed the document before it, and requested their obedience to its mandates. The .Assembly unhesitatingly refused ; declared its right to correspond with any other of the legislatures ; denounced the infringe- ments upon its rights by Parliament ; and was dissolved by the Governor. The people sustained their representatives, and when a new .Assembly con-

vened in .April, 1769, it m effected by the election.

The death of Sir He 1769. His mild and pi possible, had endeared hii Bv that e\ent the govei

found that but very little change had been

iry Moore occurred on the nth of September, ident course, in avoiding controversy as far as I to the colony, and his death was much lamented, inient again devolved upon Cadwallader Colden. The English merchants, suffering from the non-importation agreement, had joined their petitions with those of the colonists for the repeal of the ob- noxious custom-house act, and a circular-letter assured the people of the colonies that at the next session of Parliament a proposition would be made to abolish the duties on all articles, except tea. This attempt at concilia- tion was far from satisfactory ; for the right of taxation was not relinquished, and the principle was the same, whether applied to one article or many. A bill was introduced in the New York .Assembly, in November, for issuing colonial bills of credit to the amount of jTi 20,000, to loan out as a means of revenue. The project at first met with f,avor from the popular party, but when it was followed by an appropriation to support the British troops in the colony, to be taken out of the interest arising from the loan, a revul- sion of feeling at once took place. Shortly after, handbills were circulated, charging the Assembly with betraying the inhabitants of the colonv, and advising the people to meet on a certain day, and express their sentiments upon the subject. .Accordingly, a large concourse of people gathered, .and emphatically denounced the action of the Assembly. That body passed resolutions declaring the handbills libelous, and offering a reward for the detection of their authors. John Lamb, who had presided over the popular meeting, was arrested and brought before the House, but was soon after discharged.

.Animosities continued between the Sons of Liberty and the soldiers. Now that their supplies were granted, the latter no longer held themselves in check from motives of policy, and on the evening of the 13th of January, 1769, renewed their attack upon the flagpole of the citizens. The citizens hastily g.nhered for its defence, whereu|ion they desisted. Their failure in this attempt, together with the derisive jeers of the citizens, so enraged them that they charged upon a group of people in front of a tavern, which was a favorite resort of the Sons of Liberty, drove them in, and destroyed llie windows and furniture. On the evening of the i6th they cut down the ll.ig- staff, sawed it in pieces, and juled the fragments before the battered hotel. On the following morning several thousands of the citizens assembled at the scene of the outrage, and passed resolutions censuring the riotous jiro- ceedings of the soldiers, and recommending that whenever found in the street after roll-call they sh,,uld be de.ilt with as enemies to the [.eace of the city. The next day pl.i. .inls were found j.osted up, ridii uling the resolutions, and daring tlie < itizens to eveciite them. During the day the Sons of Liberty caught two or three soldiers in the act of putting up these bills, and arrested them. While conducting them to the Mayor's office the citizens were att.ii ked by a party of twenty of their comrades, armed with cutlasses, and a skirmish ensued— the citizens defending themselves with clubs. The soldiers were forced back to Golden Hill, as John street,

18

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

between Oiff street and Burling Slip, was then called. Here they were re- enforced, and made a furious charge on the citizens, most of whom were entirely unarmed. The latter stoutly resisted until a party of officers ap- peared on the scene, and ordered the troojis back to their barracks. Several of the citizens were severely wounded, some of whom had not participated in the skirmish. Several affrays occurred on the following day, in which the soldiers were generally worsted. The Mayor issued a proclamation forbidding them to leave the barracks, unless accompanied by a non-commissioned officer ; and order was restored.

Thus terminated the first conflict in which blood was shed in the cause of American Revolution. It is usually asserted that at Lexington was the first battle fought; but the actual beginning of the combat, so doubtful in its progress, and so glorious in its results, was the battle of Golden Hill, on the i8th of January, 1770, at least five years earlier. The Sons of Liberty purchased grounds and erected another pole, which stood until the occu- pation of the city by the British forces, in 1776.

CHAPTER I.X.

THE BOSTON TEA P.\RTY MEETING OF THE CONTINENT.'VL CONGRESS THE

BATTLE OF LEXINGTON CAN.4D.\ INVADED.

In October, Lord Dunmore arrived in New York and superseded Col- den in the government of the province. .Meanwhile the duties had been removed from all articles e.xcept tea, and the non-importation agreement was restricted to that article. The new governor brought the news of the royal approval of the act authorizing the emission of colonial bills of credit. This strengthened the spirit of loyalty, .and affairs went on more smoothly. On the 8th of July, 1771, William Tryon was commissioned as governor in place of Lord Dunmore. who was transferred to the govern- ment of Virginia. By a recent order of the Crown the governor's salary was to be paid from the revenue, thus rendering the executive independent of the people. The East India Company were suffering severely from the non-imimrtation agreement in regard to tea, and in 1773, urgently peti- tioned the British government to abolish the duty levied u]ion that article in the colonies, offering to submit to double that duty as an exportation tariff. This would increase the amount of revenue two-fold, but the party in power, deluded by false views of national honor, would not in the least relinquish its declared right to tax the colonies. It preferred to favor the East India Company by a special act allowing them to ship their tea to the colonies free of export duty, which would enable them to sell it at a lower rate than in England. By this act the ministers imagined that they had outwitted the colonists and that this appeal to their pockets would end their resistance. Ships were laden with tea and consignees appointed in the colonies to receive it, with the expectation that this new act would secure its ready sale. When information of this arrangement reached the colonies their indignation was dee]ily aroused. The Sons of Liberty rallied and re-soKed that the obnoxious article should not be landed under any pretence. The tea conin-.i>sioners aiipointed for .\ew York resigned in view of such decided demonsirations of resistance.

Expecting a consignment of tea would soon reach the city the citizens held a mass meeting, and regardless of the efforts of Governor Trvon to secure its reception, emphatically resolved that it should not be landed. The expected vessel was delayed and did not make its appearance until April. 1774. When it arrived off Sandy Hook the pilot, acting under the instructions of the vigilance committee, refused to bring the ship any nearer the city. Captain I.ockyer, the commander, under escort of the committee, was allowed to come up and consult with the consignee, but the latter refused to receive the carL;o. and adiised the captain to return to England immediately. Meanwhile CipMin Chambers, of New \'..rk, professing to be a patriot, arrived in the harbi.r. Hi- vessel was boarded by the committee, and upon being <piestioned he denied having any ((m- traband goods ; but on being informed by the committee that wiih the evidence they had to the contrary they should search his ship, he ad- mitted that there was tea on board which he had brought out on a [irivate venture. The hatches were forced open and the chests brought on deck and given air and water. The next morning Captain I.ockyer was con- ducted by the committee to his ship, together with Cliamlicrs. his rom- paiiinn in the tea trade, and they were sent on an oiit«ard bound vova-e. The New Hampshire grants continued a suun e of serious conicniion. The civil officers were opposed by for. e in their cflorts to enforce ihe

judgments obtained in the ejectment suits, and the New York Assembly passed an act declaring resistance to be felony. A proclamation was issued by governor Tryon, offering a reward for the apprehension of Ethan .\llen and other conspicuous offenders. This was followed by a burlcsijue proclamation from the proscribed, affirming their iletermination to resist and offering a reward for the governor of New York. In the spring of '775. ^' 'I'l^ 'itne appointed for the session of court in the disputed terri- tory, the settlers took possession of the Court House and prevented the New York officers from entering. The officers thereupon colle. ted a force and being again refused admittance fired into the house, killing one of the occupants and wounding several others. Some of the officers were arrested by the enraged inhabitants and lodged in jail, and maiters appeared to be approaching a crisis; but the battle of Lexington occurring at this juncture, active hostilities between Great Britain and the colonies began and caused a cessation of these difficulties.

A cargo of tea had arrived in Boston Harbor considerably earlier than that in New York, and the Bostonians resolved that it should not be landed. The vessels containing the obnoxious article were boarded and the chests emptied into the water. The ministry, enraged at this spirited resistance, determined to subjugate the colonies. Various measures were determined upon which were ruinous to the liberties of the American people; among them was the celebrated " Boston Port Bill," closing the harbor and destroying the trade of the city to punish the citizens for havin" destroyed the tea. The people everywhere were awakened to a lively sympathy with Boston, seeing by its treatment what was in store for them. A brisk correspondence was carried on between Boston and New York through the agency of committees appointed for that purpose. Public meetings were held for the consideration of their common grievances, and among the measures devised and recommended were the restoration of the non-importation agreement and the convening of a Colonial Congress. On the 5th of September, 1774, this Congress met at Philadelphia and j adopted a declaration of rights, setting forth wherein those rights had I been violated; agreed on a petition to the Ring for the removal of their 1 grievances and also on an appeal to the people of Great Britain and I Canada; and then adjourned to meet again in May of the following year j The assembly of New York was the only colonial assembly that withheld ; its approval of the proceedings of this Congress. It, however, addressed a remonstrance to Parliament, which, however, was treated as all others I had been, with disdain. The assembly adjourned on the jd of .\pril, 1775, and was never again convened. Its refusal to appoint delegates to the j Continental Congress gave great dissatisfaction, and a provincial conventioi of county representatives was called by the people to perform that duty. .\t midnight on the iSth of .April, 1775, Cleneral Gage sent a detach- ment of British regulars from Boston to destroy the military stores col- lected by the .Americans at Concord, .Massachusetts. The expedition was conducted with great secrecy, but the troops were discovered and the people warned of their coming. On reaching Lexington the following morning they found the militia assembled on the green. The latter, dis- regariling a command to disperse, were fired upon and several of them were killed. The British troops proceeded to Concord, but the inhabitants having been ap]irised of their design had concealed the greater part of their stores, and the British troops on their return were severely harrassed by the militia who had gathered from the neighboring towns.

When intelligence of this event reached New York the excitement was intense. The affair was in fact the signal for a general rush to arms throughout the colonics. The Sons of Liberty took possession of the arms at ihc arsenal in New ^'.irk 1 uv and di-trihuted them among the people. .\t the suggestion 0/ the Committee oi C ibservation a provincial government for the city was formcil. consisting of one hundred of the principal citizens, who were to control affairs until Congress shoulil other- wise order. The British troops at New York having been ordered 10 Boston, the pro\isional government allowed them to de|iart on condition that they should take nothing but their own amis whh thein. Regardless of this stipulation they attempted to carry off some military stores belong- ing to the city but were defeated in their designs by Colonel .Marinus Willett with a party of the Sons of Liberty, who confronted them and sui - ceeded in retaking the property and replacing it in the fort.

While the patriots were lUicking toward Boston the Connecticut assem- bly was in session, and several of its members agreed upon a plan lo seize the cannon and military stores at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, for llie use of the patriot army. I'liey appointed a tommittee to repair to itie

GEORGE WASHINGTON IN COMMAND--EXPEDITION INTO CANADA, AND ITS RESULTS

19

frontier and raise an expedition, under Colonel Ethan Allen, to surprise and capture the posts named. A force of two hundred and seventy men was soon collected and marched by night under Colonels Allen and Benedict Arnold, to a point on Lake Champlam, ojiposite Ticonderoga They had but few boats, and when day began to dawn only the officers and eighty- three men had crossed. Fearful that delay would be hazardous, .\llen resolved to make an attack before the rear division had crossed, and marched at the head of his men directly to the sally port. The sentinel snapped his musket at him and retreated to the parade with the patriots close at his heels. The garrison were aroused and taken prisoners. Col- onel .\llen went directly to the appartmcnts of the commander and demanded and obtained a surrender of the fort " in the name of the (".re.it Jehovah, and the Continental Congress." Crown Point was taken wiiiiout resistance two days afterwards, and the command of Lake Cham|)lain was thus secured.

The Continent.al Congress reassembled and organized on the loth of May, the same day that Colonel .\llen cajitured Ticonderoga, and pro- ceeded at once to raise and equip an army for the defence of the colonics. New York was ordered to raise three thousand men as her proportion. The population of the province during the preceding year had increased to 182,251. George W.ashington was commissioned as commander-in- chief of the .\merican forces. A provincial Congress of New York, con- vened on the 22d of May, authorized the raising of troops, encouraged the manufacture of gunpowder and muskets in the province and projected fortifications at King's Bridge and the Hudson passes in the Highlands. Captain Lamb was ordered to remove the cannon from the battery at the footof the city, to a place of greater security. On the evening of .\ugust 23d, he proceeded to the execution of the order. The Captain of the British war-ship .\sia, being informed of the intended movement, sent a barge filled with men to watch it. ,\ shot was fired from the barge into the .American force, which was immediately answered by a volley, killing one of the crew and wounding se\'eral others. The .Asia then opened a can- nonade upon the city, doing consider.able damage to the buildings in the vicinity of the batten', but the patriots were undismayed, and in the face of the cannonade, deliberately removed every gun. Governor "Tryon returned from England in June and strenuously exerted himself to promote the royal cause. Finding that his position was growing more and more unsatisfactory, and having fears for his personal safety, he abandoned the city and took refuge on a British sloop of war.

The Continental Congress directed General Schuyler to collect an armament at Ticonderoga, and put that post in a state of defence, pre- paratory to an expedition against Canada. The forces under Generals Schuyler and Montgomery appeared before Saint John's in Se[ilember. General Schuyler was compelled by ill health to relinquish the command to General Montgomery and return to Ticonderoga. The fort at Cliam- bly, twelve miles below, was captured on the 19th of October, by a det.ichment of the American force, aided by friendly Canadians. I'liey passed the fort at Saint John's during a dark night in boats with their artillery and appeared before Chambly. which was feebly garrisoned, and soon surrendered. The s[)oils taken at Chambly materially aided in carry- ing on with vigor the -.iege of St. John's, which after several unsuccess- ful assaults and numerous mishaps was on the 3d of Nosember compelled to surrender. While this siege was in progress. Colonel Ethan .\llen. acting without authority from the Commantler-in-chief. in a rash attempt to t.ake Montreal with a small advance force, was taken prisoner and sent to England. General Carlton, when informed of the capture of Cli.iml.ly, made an attempt to re-inforce the garrison at St. John's, l.iu l>cin^ de- feated by Colonel Seth Warner, only hastened its fall. Gcner.il Mont- gomery moved forward to Montreal, wliii h was taken without resist. ime.

In September Colonel Benedi. t .Vrn.il.l was .lisjiat. heel by Washington with a force of eleven hundred men a^.iiiist Canaila. by way of the Ken- nebec river, to aid Montgomery, who w.is iiu.ulini; that prf>\ini c In' \\.i\ of L.ike Ch.implain. .After surmounling in. rcililile obstacles .in. I suUcring terrible privations and hardships. .\rn. .1.1 at last arrne.lat I'omt Levi. o]iposite the city of Quebec. He was l.ir se\eral days preiente.l from crossing the St. Lawrence by tempestuous win.ls. On the night .if the 13th of November he crossed the river and scaled the heights to the I'lains of .\hraham. Failing to draw out the garrison he deman.led a surrender, whi. h was , ontemiituiuisly refused. Finding all of his atlciupts useless he retreated up the fiver ali.uil twenty miles an. I awaitc.l the arrival of Montgomery, who joined hiin .m the istof Dec enil.cr, an.l the

combined forces then moved toward Quebec. A bombardment of the city proved unavailing and it was resolved to storm the town, although the whole assailing force was considerably less than the garrison. The lower town was to be attacked by Montgomery and .\rnold, and at the same time feigned attacks were to be made ujjon the upper town. Montgomery descended from the Plains of .\braham to Wolfe's Cove, and marched through the drifting snow toward the lower town, while -Arnold with another division moved around to the north on the St. Charles, in order to form a junction with Montgomery and storm Prescott (iate. Mont- gomerv in his ad\ance encountered a block-house defended by a battery. Pushing forward in a charge at the head of his men he was instantly killed, together with his aids, by a discharge of grape-shot from the battery. .\ppalled at this disaster, his division fell back in confusion and made no further attempt to force a junction with Arnold. Meanwhile the latter had pressed on through the snow-drifts, and like Montgomery charged at the head of his men upon a battery, and received a wound which com- pelled him to leave the field. Captain Morgan took the command, carried the first battery and rushed on to a second, which was also carried, after a se\ere contest of three hours' duration. Carlton sent a detachment from the garrison to attack them in the rear, and while Morgan was pressing on into the town he heard of the death of Montgomery, and finding himself unsupported and surrounded, was compelled to surrender. The rest of the division in the rear retreated. Colonel Arnold took command of the remainder of the army, consisting of about eight hundred men, and in- trenched himself a few miles from the city, where he remained until reinforced by General Wooster. in .April, who took command and renewed the siege. Large reinforcements having arrived at Quebec, the .American force was obliged to retreat, and by the superior forces of the enemy was soon after driven out of Canada

CHAPTER X.

I.ITIES TR.ANSFERRED TO NEW BURGOVNE'S I.N

YORK THE B.\TTLE OF LONG ISLA

In March, W^ashington having compelled General Howe to evacuate Boston, and apprehensive that New York would be the next point of at- tack, made immediate preparations for putting that city in a posture of de- fence. General Lee, with twelve hundred men, was ordered forward from Connecticut. The captain of the British man of war Asia had threatened to cannonade the city if " rebel troops " were permitted to enter it. It was the stronghold of loyalty to the crown and disaffection to the patriot cause, and the committee of safety in their timidity protested against Lee's entrance, but threats and protests were unavailing. Lee came, and the Tories either fled or ceased to oppose the cause of the patriots. Sir Henry Clinton, who had been sent over on a secret expedition, appeared off Sandv Hook at nearly the same time that General Lee entered the city, but finding it in possession of the .American troops, proceeded south to attac k Chariest. m. Washington hastened forward from Boston, and on the 14th of .April arrived at New York and established his head- .piarters in the city. Gener.il Howe went to Halifax, on leaving Kostoh,"- biit about the first of July appeared off Sandy Hook, and shortly after landed on Staten Island. He was soon after joined by his brother Ad- miral Howe, with a force of British regulars and Hessian hirelings, and also bv Clinton and Parker on their return from an unsuccessful attack on Charleston, making altogether a combined force of nearly thirtv thousand men. Howe was here visited by Governor 'J'ryon. who had contrived a plot to capture \\'ashington, blow up the magazine, and secure the passes to the c ity. The mayor also was in the conspiracy, and was receiving money from Tryon to bribe the .Americans. Two of Washington's guards vieldcd to the temptations of the enemy, but the third, who could not be l.rilie.l. exp.isecl the j.lot. The Provincial Congress of .New York, seeing the hostile demonstrations toward the city, adjourned to White Plains, where it convened on the 9th of July, and passed resolutions heartily en- dorsing the action of the Colonial Congress and approving of the Declar- ation of Independence.

The plan of the . ampaign on the jiart of the British army near New York w.is. to t.ike possession of the cily and the islands in its vicinity, and t.i as. end the lliiclson, «hile Carllon should move down from Canada and thus scpar.ile the Kaslcrn from the oilier Stales. Two ships succeeded in oassin" the batteries and as, ended the Hudson to furnish the Tories of

^0

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YOKK.

Westchester with arms, but all their attempts to land were frustrated and they returned. On the 22d of August a British force of ten thousand men, with forty pieces of cannon, landed on the south side of Long Island, in the vicinity of New Utrecht, and ad\anced in three divisions upon the Americans stationed in and jbout Drooklyn. The Hessians, under De Heister, formed the centre. The left, along N'cw York Bay, was com- manded by General (Irant. and the right, which led in the action, was commanded l>y Clinton and Cornwallis. While Grant and De Heister were diverting the .Americans on the left and centre, the division on the right was to make a circuitous march and fall upon the Americans in the rear. This division left the Flatlands on the night of the 26th, and guided by a Tory, gained possession of the Bedford and Jamaica passes before General SuMivan, who commanded in that t^uarter, was aware of the move- ment. While this advantage was being gained Grant was making a movement toward Brooklyn, and early in the morning came into collision with the Americans under Lord Stirling on the present site of Greenwood Cemetery, when an engagement took place without material advantage to either side. De Heister advanced and kept up a r. '.nonade on the works at the Flatbush pass. In the meantime, Clinton liad gained a position in the rear of the Continental army and commenced to attack them. De Heister then pressed forward, and Sullivan, perceiving the peril of his army, attempted to retreat, but it was too late. They were met by Clinton's forces and driven back upon the Hessians. Some forced their way through the ranks and reached the fortifications, but after a desperate struggle and great loss of life, Sullnan himself and the greater part of the left wing of the .American army were taken prisoners. Cornwallis hastened to cut off the division under Stirling, who was not yet aware of the situa- tion. A part of his force succeeded in crossing Gowanus Creek in safety, but many were drowned or taken prisoners. Sterling himself was captured and a decisive victory gained by the British. About five thousand were engaged on the side of the .Americans, of whom five hundred were killed or wounded and eleven hundred taken prisoners. These were confined in loathsome prison-ships on the East Ri\er. where they suffered indescrib- able privations and hardships. Fortunately for the .Americans. Howe did not dare to attempt an assault upon their fortifications in Brooklyn, but encamped about a third of a mile distant, and waited for the support of the fleet.

On the 2Sth, the day after the battle, the British began to cannonade the intrenchments. .At night a heavy fog settled over the battle-field and remained all of the following day. When night had added its darkness to the mist which had obstructed the vision of the hostile parties through- out the day, Washington, with the remainder of thetroojjs on Long Island, silently crossed the East river in safety to New York. The British forces took possession of the .Ameriean works and prepared to attack New York. Washington knew that with his dispirited and undisc iplined army he could not successfully oj.pose them, and decided to evacuate the city. On the 15th of September Howe landed with about four thousand men under cover of his fleet at Kipp's Hay, on the east side of .Manhattan Island, near the foot of what is now Thirty-fourth street. Two brigades uf militia, sta- tioned for defence in that ipiartcr, were panic-stricken and retreated dis- gracefully despite all the efforts of their officers to rallv them. Putnam, who had charge of one column of the army, was compelled to leave in great haste, and narrowly escaped being captured 'Ihc .Americans re- treated to Harlem, and the British took possession of New York and held it until the 1 lose of the war.

The next <lay an advance party of the Rriiisli were attacked, and after a severe skirmish, driven back with considerable bt^s. Howe, perceivin" that the American, were strongly intrenc Iv d upon H.irlcm Heights. ,|e- teruiined to gain their rear, cut off their 1 Minnuini< .iiiiiii wiih the nt>rth and east, and hem them in. He sent a part ol his iket uji tlie Hudson. and transferred the main body oi his annv in l">.its to W estchester coiiniv, landing them at Throck's Net k. When Washington saw this movement, he sent a detachment to opjiose their landing. .Ml the passes were « ell guarded, and a detachment was intrenched at White Plains. The main army advanced in that direction and intrenched upon the hills from Fordham to White Plains. On the aSth of Oaober the enemy came up and attacked (ieneral McDougal, on Chatterti.ns Hill Mc I )oiii;al, after an obstinate resistance, was fori ed to fall ba. k to intrciu hnienls above White Plains. While Howe was jireparing to storm their encampment al this place, \\'ashington withdrew, unobserved by the enenn-, to North Castle, where strong breastworks had been erei ted, and awaited an

j attack; but Howe, not deeming it prudent to assail him in so strong a posi- : tion, retreated toward New York, preparatory to the contemplated reduc- tion of Fort Washington, which was soon environed by the British forces. It was gallantly defended by Colonel Magaw until he was overjiowered bv a superior force and compelled to surrender. Fort Lee, on the opposite side of the Hudson, was abandoned on the approach of the enemy, and Washington, who had crossed the Hudson, retreated through New Jersey to the opposite side of the Delaware river, closely pursued by the enemy. On the night of the 25th of December, he recrossed the river and gained an important victory at Trenton, and, shortly afterwards, another at Princeton, and then went into winter quarters at Morristown.

General Gates, who had been appointed to the command of the North- ern forces, apprehensive that General Carlton would follow up his success in Canada and attempt to capture Crown Point and Ticonderoga, aban- doned the former, and concentrated his forces at the latter. A small squadron was formed and placed upon Lake Champlain, under the com- mand of Arnold, in August. Carlton constructed a fleet at St. Johns. Arnold sailed down the lake, but, being ignorant of the strength of the armament preparing against him, fell back to Valcour's Island. On the nth of October, the British fleet passed around the east side of the island and took up a position south of the .American squadron. An action began about noon and continued until night. One of the schoon- ers in Arnold's fleet was disabled, and burned to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. The British force was greatly superior, and as another engagement would have been extremely hazardous, it was deemed advisable to return to Crown Point. The night was exceedingly dark, and the .Americans succeeded in sailing through the British fleet un- observed, although the latter had been stationed in a line across the lake in anticipation of such a movement. On reaching Schuyle'r's Island, ten miles distant from the British fleet, they stopped to make some repairs, and, on being discovered at daylight, were pursued by the enemv. On the 13th, the British ships, three in number, came up with and attacked the " Washington," which, after a heroic defence for some time, was com- pelled to surrender, and her commander, with all of his men, were taken prisoners. The whole force was now concentrated in an attack upon the "Congress," which maintained the uneiiual contest with unflinching reso- lution for four or five hours, till it was reduced to a complete wreck. Ar- nold then ran the craft into a creek and burned it, together with the rest of his boats, and, marching to Crown Point, where the remainder of the fleet was stationed, sailed for Ticonderoga. (Ieneral Carlton took pos- session of Crown Point .and threatened Ticonderoga, but, abandoning his design, he prudently withdrew to Canada.

The Provincial Congress, which had assembled at White Plains on the 9th of July, and approved the Declaration of Independence, appointed a committee to draw up and report a Constitution. The occupation of New York city, and part of Westchester county by the British greatly disturbed the labors of the convention, and finally, in February, they repaired to Kingston, where the draft of a Constitution was prepared by John lav, and adopted on the 21st of .April, 1777. George Clinton was elected Gov- ernor under the new Constitution, and took the oath of oftice on the jist of July, following.

The principal object of the British in the campaign of 1777 was to carry out their cherished cL-sign of separating the Hastern from the Southern colonies, by controlling the Hudson river and Lake Champlain. The most prominent feature of the plan was the advance of an a-my from Canada, under l.ieutcnant-tJeneral Burgoyne, who h.ul superseded (;encral Carll..n. It was intended that Burgoyne should force his way down the Hiids.m as far as Albany, while Sir Henry Clinton was t,. pnn ccd ii|i the river and join him, and thus a free cniuuini, ati.ui l.ctuccn New Ynrk and Canada would be established, and the . ..l.mics separated. In order to distract the attention of the .Americans, and the mure compittelv subdue the Western border. Colonel St. Lcger was to ascend the St l.awreni e with a detachment of regulars, accompanied by Sir John Johnson, with a regiment of loyalists and a large body of Indians. From Oswego the expedition was to pene- trate the country to Fort Schuyler, on the present site of Rome, and after its I apture swee]. the Mnhawk valley and join Burgoyne at Albanv. Bur- goyne arrived in Can.ula early in Marih. Cn.ivoidable difficulties having greatly emlMrr.isscd his lirst movcuunts, it was past the middle of June before his army was assembled at Cuniberlanil Point, on Lake Champlain. The main army, of more than seven thousand men, appeared before Crown Point, and occupied that post on the 30th of June. Having issued a pro-

MOVEMENTS OF BL'RGOYNE— BATTLES OF BENNINGTON AND ORISKANY.

21

clamation, intended to terrify the inhabitants into submission, Burgoyne prepared to invest Ticondcroga, then in command of General St. Clair. On the east shore of Lake Champlain, on Mount Independence, there was a star-fort, so connected with Ticonderoga, on the west side of the lake, by a floating bridge, as to obstruct the passage of vessels up the lake. For want of a sufficient force to man all its defences the outworks toward Lake George were abandoned on the approach of Burgoyne. A detachment of the enemy, under General Fraser, took Mount Hope, and thereby cut off St. Clair's communication with Lake George ; and at the same time the abandoned works of the .\mericans, more to the right, were occupied by General Phillips. On the south side of the outlet of Lake George, and op- posite Mount Indei)cndence, is a lofty eminence, then known as Sugar-loaf Hill, which was found to completely command the works both at Ticon- deroga and Fort Independence. A battery was planted on its summit by the British during the night, and St. Clair, on perceiving his critical situa- tion, at once called a council of war, by which it was unanimously decided that immediate evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga was the only chance of saving the army. During the ensuing night such military stores and provi- sions as could be removed, together with the sick and disabled troops, were embarked on batteaux, and sent up the lake to Skencsborough, as WTlitehall was then called, under convoy of five armed galleys and a de- tachment of six hundred men, under Colonel Long, while the main body of the army was to cross the lake and proceed to the same point by land. The garrison passed over the floating bridge to Mount Independence about two hours before daylight, and would probably have made their re- treat undiscovered had not the house of the commander at Fort Indepen- dence been set on fire just at this time. This unfortunate occurrence threw the Americans into disorder, for the light of the conflagration re- vealed their movements to the British, w ho made immediate preparations for pursuit. St. Clair's force made a disorderly retreat to Hubbardton. On the following morning General Fraser came up with his brigade, and com- menced an attack. The conflict was for some time fierce and bloody. The Americans had almost surrounded the left " ing of the British when General Riedesel came up with reinforcements, and St. Clair made a precipitate retreat. The boats which conveyed the military stores and the detachment of Colonel Long reached Skencsborough safely. But Burgoyne In a few- hours broke through the boom and bridge at Ticonderoga, in which the Americans had placed much reliance, and with his fleet rapidly pursued them ; and while they were landing at Skenesborough three regiments dis- embarked at South Bay with the intention of gaining the road to Fort Ed- ward, and cutting off their retreat. On the approach of the British gun- boats Colonel Long's men destroyed three of their galleys and several buildings, and escaped capture by a rapid flight to Fort Anne. Two days after the battle at Hubbardton, St. Clair retreated to Fort Edward. Bur- goyne was joined at Skenesborough by the detachments of Fraser and Riedesel, and prepared to push forward to the Hudson. Lieutenant- Colonel Hill was sent forward to Fort Anne to intercept such as might retreat to that post, and to watch the movements of the .Americans. This post was guarded by Colonel Long, with about five hundred men, mostly convalescents. Hill's force exceeded this number. Colonel Long did not wait for an attack, but marched out to give battle, and gained a decided advantage; but their ammunition giving out, they were obliged to give way; and aware of their inability to hold the Fort against General I'hillips, who was approaching with reinforcements, set fire to it, and fell b.ack on Fort Edward.

CHAPTER XL

THE B.\TTI.F OF I!K.VMN(rn>N ST. I-Ec.KKS FATMkF. AT iiRI'.KANV AND

FORT hCHlVIKR — IURIJDVXf's IIKH ATS AMI SlRKtMII-R.

Burgoyne remained at Ske mcnls were building bridges delay greatly diminished hi' sent a detachment under Col

le.sborough nearly three weeks while detai h- ind repairing the road to I-'ort .Vnne. This supplies, and on arriving at Fort .\nne he mcl Baiim to surprise and capture a i^uantity

of stores which he had heard was collected at Bennington, and with the expectation of receiving material aid from the loyalists m that .piarter. flencral Schuyler had not sufficient force to defend Fort Edward, and throwing all the obstructions possilile in Burgoyne's wav from there to Fort Anne, retreated down the valley of the Huds.m. Colonel liaum on his march to Bennington, reached Cambridge on the ijth of August.

The American General Stark in the meantime had repaired to Benning- ton, and was collecting the militia to join his brigade in opposing any invasion in that direction. Hearing that a party of Indians were at Cam- I bridge, he detached Colonel Gregg to attack them; and shortly after, I learning that a large body of the enemy were in their rear marching on Bennington, he moved immediately to the support of Gregg. After going about five miles lie met him retreating, and Colonel Baum not more than a mile in the rear. Stark at once disposed his army for battle, and Baum perceiving its strength began to intrench, and sent to Burgoyne for rein- forcements. The next day some skirmishing took place, and on the follow- ing day, August i6th. Stark arranged his army for an attack. Two de- tachments were sent to flank the enemy, while another was attracting their attention in front. .As soon as the attack on the enemv's flank began the main body pressed forward, and after two hours fierce conflict, gained a decisive victory. The remnant of Colonel Baum's force in its flight was met by Colonel Breyman with reinforcements, who pressed forward with the combined force to regain the abandoned intrenchments. Stark was also reinforced, and the conflict was renewed with vigor. The enemy at length giving way were pursued until darkness came to their rescue and enabled them with their thinned and broken ranks to escape to the main army. Colonel Baum was mortally wounded and taken prisoner. The total loss of the enemy was, in killed, wounded and prisoners, nine hundred and thirty-four, and all their artillery and military stores. Up to this time all had gone well with the boastful Briton, and his path had been illuminated with victory, but with the failure of this expedition his glory began to wane and his sky to grow dark and threatening, where hitherto it had been bright and serene.

While these events had been taking place with the main division, the expedition under Colonel St. Leger had invested Fort Schuyler, earlier and even now more commonly called Fort Stanwix on the site of Rome. A movement of the Mohawk valley militia to its relief, was arrested by the bloody battle of Oriskany, but while most of the beseigers were engaged in this coiiflict. their camp was sacked by the garrison ; and learning that a more formidable provincial force was on its way to raise the selge of the fort, which had held out tenaciously, St. Leger abandoned his undertaking and returned to Canada.

Schuyler, with his army, marched down the Hudson to Stillwater, and finally to the mouth of the .Mohawk, still keeping his headquarters at Stillwater and exerting all his energies for the augmentation of his force, preparatory to 3 conflict with Burgoyne. On the 19th of August, at the instigation of his enemies he was very unjustly superseded by General Gates. On the Sth of September, the .Vmerican army advanced to Bemis's Heights, above Stillwater, which had been fortified under the superintendence of Kosci- usko. The British detachment sent to Bennington, instead of bringing b.ick any plunder had lost largely of what they already had, as well as most of the force, and Burgoyne had hardly recovered from this unex|)ected shock when the news was brought him of the defeat of St. Leger at F'ort Schuyler. These disasters had a very depressing effect upon his army and the Indians and loyalists began to desert, while the .Americans were greatly inspirited. In view of these difficulties the British commander deemed it expedient to halt at F'ort Edward. Stores having been brought forward from the posts on Lake Champlain, he proceeded down the Hml- son, and on the iSth of September encamped at Wilbur's Basin, two miles from the .American position, and prepared for battle, and the next day advanced to the att.ack in three divisions. Cieneral Riedesel commanded the left column, which with the heavy artillery moved down a road along the margin if the river. The centre was commanded by Burgoyne in person, and the left by General Fraser. The front and flanks of both the centre and right, were covered by Indians, Tones and Canadians. The .American right, which was the main body of their army, was commanded by (iates, and the left by (jeneral .Arnold. Col- onel Morgan was detached from Arnold's division and encountered the Canadians and Indians in the advance and drove them back; but they being reinforced the contest resulted in both parties finally falling within their respective lines. The action soon became general and the com- bined force of Burgoyne and Eraser was engaged with .Vrnold's divis- ion. .Vrnold called upon Gates for reinforcements but they were re- fused, and he, resolving to do what he could with the forte at his com- mand, continued the contest with the most obstinate antl determined resolution, both armies alternately advancing and retreating without a decisive victory for either. The conflict did not cease until the shades

22

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

of night ffll upon the rombatants. The Americans thun retired to their encampment unpursued by the enemy. The British forces bivou- acked on the field of battle. The total loss of the former was three hundred and nineteen, and that of the latter, more than fi\'e hundred. Few actions have l>een more remarkable for determined bravery on both sides than this. The number of the British in the engagement was about three thousand, and that of the Americans five hundred less. Both parties claimed the victor)-. The object of the British was to ad- vance and gain groimd, which they failed to do ; while it was not the intention of the An^ericans to advance, but to maintain their jiosition, which they accomjiiished, and it is therefore not difficult to determine on which side the advantage lav. Though the British remained in pos- session of the battlefield through the night, they retired to their camp in the morning without adxancing to renew the conflict. GeneraUiates, in his report of the battle, said notliing of Arnold or his di\ision, to whom all the honor was due. He was jealous of the reputation that officer had earned, and of his growing po[)ularity with the army, and carried his meanness so far as to take from him the command of his division. Both parties strengthened their positions after the battle, but no general engagement to<jk place for upwards of three weeks.

Burgoyne saw with painful an.xiety that the American forces were rapidly increasint^, v.-hile his own were daily diminishing by the desertion of his Indian allies. His provisions began to fail, and the vigilance of the Americans not only prevented any supplies reaching him, but deprived him of all communication with Sir Henry Clinton for assistance. At length he was obliged to put his troops on short allowance, and hearing nothing from Clinton, who was to make a diversion in his favor, became seriously alarmed. .\mid the thickening perils, he found himself reduced to the alternative of fighting or retreating. The latter was not only inglorious but difficult, and he resolved to make a reconnaissance in force, for the twofold puq)0se of xscertaining definitely the position of the enemy, and of collecting forage to su]>ply his camp, of which it was in pressing need. On the 7th of October he, at the head of fifteen hvmdred men, and accom- panied by Generals Riedesel, Phillips, and Fraser, advanced toward the left wing of the American position. The movement was seasonably perceived i by the .\mericans, and the enemy were repulsed and driven back to their | lines by Morgan, who, at his own suggestion, was dispatched by a circuit- i ous route to gain the nght of the British, and fall ujton the flankmg party of Fraser at the same time an attack was to be made on the left of the British. General Poor advanced towards an eminence upon which were i stationed the British grenadiers and the artillery of .Ackland and W illiams. | He had given them orders not to fire until after the first discharge of the British guns, and they moved onward toward the frowning battery in awful j silence until a sudden volley of grape-shot and musket balls made havoc I among the branches of the trees, scarcely a shot taking effect upon the advancing column. At this signal Poor's men s])rang forward and de- livered their fire, and opening to the right and left jiressed furiouslv u[>on the enemy's flanks and gained the top of the hill, where the struggle be- came fierce and obstinate in the evtreine. One cannon was t.iken and ! retaken fi\e successi\e times, finally remaining in the hands of the .\meri- ' cans, when Colonel Cilley turned it upon the retreating enemy, and fired it with their own ammunition. Williams and .Ackland were both taken prisoners, the latter being severely wounded ; and the grenadiers fled in confusion, leaving; the field in jmsscssion of the .-Kmericans, thickly strewn with their de.ad and wounded,

.\s soon as the action was begun at this point Morgan's command rushed down like an .avabmche from the ridge skirting the flanking party of Fraser, and a^^aik■.! theniVith su. h a destructive fire that they were lla^lllv driven back to their lines. Then, by :i rapid movement, he fell upon the right flank of the British with >iicli impetuosity as to throw them into mnfuMon. and Major Dearborn, coming up at this criticni moment, c ompleleil their discomfiture. The right and left of the British lines were thus broken, but the centre had remained firm. General .Arnold, who had so unjustU* lieen deprived of his command, had been watching the progress of the battle in great exi itement, and now mounted his horse and started for the battle-field. (lates sent Major Armstrong to order him back, but Arnold, suspecting his errantl, was ipiickly beyond his reach, and ex- posed to such perils that the messenger was not anxious to follow him. Pl.ac ing himself at the head of the men he formerly comm.inded, he nished like an un* hained tiger upon the British centre, which soon began to give way under his furious assault. General Fraser, who was com-

manding on the right, seeing the centre in such a critical situation, brought up reinforcements, and by his courage and skill restored order. He soon fell mortally wounded ; dismay seized the British soldiers, and a panic s|ircad all along the line, which was increased by the apfiearance of Gene- ral Ten Broeck with a reinforcement of New \'ork militia. Burgoyne finding himself unable to keep up the sinking courage of his men, aban- doned his artillery and ordered a retreat, and the whole force fell back precipitately to their intrenchments. The .Americans pursued them, and scarcely were they within their fortifications when, under a terrific shower of grape and musket balls, .Arnold assaulted them from right to left, forcing the outworks, and driving the enemy to the interior of their camp. Here he w.is overtaken by Major Armstrong, who delivered to him Gates' order to return to camp, fearing he "might do some rash thing." He returned, but not until he had achieved a glorious victory, and jnit his life in great jieril without a command, while Gates had remained in camp, receiving the honors that justly belonged to others. Night came on and the con- flict ceased, and before dawn Burgoyne abandoned his encampment, now rendered untenable, and the Americans eariy in the morning took pos- session of it.

Burgoyne. who in the beginning of the campaign had boastfullv ex- claimed, in general orders, " Britons never retreat," now found that there was no alternative for him but retreat, and when night came on again he began his retrograde movement in the midst of a drenching rain. This had been anticipated, and General Fellows, previous to the acrion on the 7th inst., had been sent with a detachment to take a position opposite Saratoga ford, on the east side of the Hudson. .Another detachment of two thousand men, was now sent to occupy the heights beyond Saratoga, to prevent Burgoyne's retreat upon Fort F.dward ; and still another was stationed at the ford above. On the evening of the 9th Burgoyne halted for the night at Fish Creek. The main portion of his army forded the creek and encamped on the opposite bank, while he, with a brigade as a guard, passed the night radier iiicrniv wiili some companions in a house belonging to General Schuyler. This delay lost him his army. Finding the ford across the Hudson strongly guarded by the detachment under Fellows, he concluded to continue his retreat up the river to Fort Edward. He sent forward a party to repair the bridges, and a detach- ment to take possession of the fort, but finding the -Americans stationed in force upon the heights, they fell back to the main army. In the after- noon of the Toth General Gates came up with the bulk of the .American army in pursuit, and occupied the high ground on the south side of Fish Creek, opposite the enemy's encampment. The detachment sent forward to Fort Edward led General Gates to believe the rumor that the main army of Burgoyne had retreated, and he resolved to fall upon wh.it he supposed was the rear guard. Burgoyne was aware of Gates' error, and hoping to profit by it, concealed his troo|is for the pur|iose of falling upon the .Americans as soon as a favorable opportunity should be afforded. F.arly the next morning, and in a thick fog, which both jiarties con- sidered favorable to their re^pcctne designs, the army of (lates advanced. Morgan was ordered to cro-^ ihr 1 r^ck and begin the action, .wd at once fell in with the British pi. keis. who fired upon him and killed several of his party. His reception led hiiu to lic!ie\e that the rumor of the enemy's retreat was false; that the ui.un bodv of Burgovne's force was still near, and that the |iosition of hl^ own corps was critical. .Another brigade had already irossed and captured a picket-guard, and another was .about to follow, when a deserter frum the enemv came in, reportiUL' that the entire llritis'n army was at h.ni,]. and prepared lor iMttle : whi. h statement was shortly after loiihnnc.l l.v tlic c aplirrc .if a re. nnnoitcr- ing party .\s the f.ig cleared ,i« u .md c\p..>cil the position of Imtli armies, a retreat wasilccmed ,i.U i.,il,lr hi lhedcl.iihnuntstli.il li.i.l . n.sscd the creek. .\s so.m a-, they tiirnc.l .ili.iirl, the british, uli.i were u.itdiing their movements and awaiting their a.U.nu e. opened fire upon them, but they made their retreat with the Ins^ nf nnlv a few men.

Burgoyne was now completely em irmud, (In the opposite bank of the Hudson, Fellows was entrenched, with heavy batteries to 0]ien on liilll if he should attempt to cross the river. Fort Edward was held by an .American force of two thousand men. On the south and west the main body of the Americans was posted, while sui.ill dcta. hiiunts were in all directions watching his every movement, and contmiLillv harrassing his outposts. His jirovisions were almost exhausted, and none could be ob- tained, and it w.is extremely hazardous to attempt to get water from the river or creek. There was no place of safety for the sick and wounded.

BURGOYNES SURRENDER— AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE RECOGNIZED BY FRANCE.

23

and the women and children, as well as soldiers and officers, were con- stantly exposed to the cannon balls that were flying about the encamp- ment On the 1 2th he held a consultation with his generals, and it was decided to retreat that night, but the returning scouts brought such discouraging intelligence that the movement was postponed till mommg. During the night the Americans crushed the river on rafts, and erected a batter)' on Burgoync's left flank. Retreat was now hope- less. The next morning a general council was called, when it was unani- mously decided to open negotiations with lleneral Gates for an honor- able surrender. This conclusion was hastened by the passage of a cannon ball across the table at which Burgoyne and other generals were seated. The negotiations were not completed until the i6th, when the terms of his surrender were agreed upon, and were to be signed by the commander on the following morning. During the night a Tory succeeded in reach- ing the British camp, from down the river, who reported that Clinton had taken the forts on the Hudson and ascended the river as far as Esopus. This news so excited Burgoyne's hopes that he resolved not to sign the articles of capitulation, and to gain time he wrote Gates that he had been iofonned that a part of his army had been sent toward Albany, which, if true, should be considered a breach of faith, and that he could not give his signature until convinced that the strength of the Americans had not been misrepresented. He was informed by Gates t i his anny was as strong as it had been before these negotiations took place, and unless the articles were signed immediately, he should open fire upon him. Burgoyne thereupon reluctantly signed the articles of capitulation. The surrender of BurgoxTie was of the utmost importance to the Ameri- cans in their struggle for inde])endence. The preponderance of success, up to this time, had been on the side of the British. The reverses on Long Island and at Xew York in the previous year, together with the recent defeats in Pennsylvania, had darkened the military horizon with thick clouds of doubt and dismay. All eyes were now anxiously watching the army of the north, v/hich had also been forced to relinquish Ticondcroga and Fort Edward at the commencement of the campaign, and shaded the prospect of successful resistance in that direction. The news of a com- plete victory filled the patriots with joy and hope, and appalled the Tories, who now began to tremble.

CHAPTER XH.

When Burgoyne first perceived the difficulties gathering around him, he urged Sir Henry Clinton to hasten the expedition up the Hudson to join him, hot Clinton was obliged to wait for the arrival of reinforcements, and it was the 4th of October before he was ready to move. The first object to be accomplished was the reduction of Forts Montgomery and Clinton, in the Highlands. These had been constructed to i)revent the ships of the enemy from ascending the river, and each was indefensible in its rear, and feebly garrisoned. Clinton landed first at Ver[)lanck's Point, and under cover of a fog dropped down with a part of his force to Stony Point, where he landed, and marched toward the forts. These were commanded liy Gov. George Clinton, and his brother, James. Governor Clinton, on learning that the enemy were moving up the river, sent out a scouting party to watch their movements, and from them he first learned of their having landed at Stony Point. A small force was then sent out by Gov. Clinton, which met the advance guaid of the British about three miles out. .Shots were exchanged, and the -\mericans retreated to tlle forts. Gov. Clinton then sent out a stronger detachment to oppose the enemy's advance, and as this was soon engaged in a sharp contlict, another was sent to its assist- ance. They were pre-.sed back by a superior force, but not until the enemy had met with considerable loss. Cpon nearing the forts the British were divided into two columns, and made a simultaneous assault upon them. After an incessant fire for several hours the liritish general demanded an instant and unconditional surrender. The proposition was rejected, and the conflict continued until evening, when part of the besieged fought their way out. Governor Clinton made his escape, and likewise his brother, though -mounded. Fort Constitution w.as abandoned on the approach of the British, which gave them command of the river. A det.achment, under Vaughn and Wallace, landed willuiiit mui h opposition, and burned Kings- Inn. On hcanng of the disastroM, tcrminalion of liurgovne's campaign • he expedition returned to New Vork

It was obvious that France had no sympathy with Great Britain, but looked upon the revolt of her colonies with secret satisfaction, and earnestly desired their separation from England. By the war which closed in 17C3 she had been compelled to relinquish her extensive possessions in North America, and she rejoiced to have an opportunity to assist in the infliction of a like dismemberment of territory upon Great Britain. The commis- sioners at the Court of \'er^ailles, from the revolted colonies, although not alwa\'s openlv countenanced, were by no means discouraged, and aid was frequently extended to the Americans in a clandestine manner. When in- telligence of the capture of Burgoyne reached France, her vacillating policy ended, and, casting off all disguise, she entered into a treaty of alli- ance with, and on the 6th of February. 1778, acknowledged the indepen- dence of the United States. This event made the patriots almost certain of ultimate success.

The Indians and Tories, who had been dispersed at Fort Schuyler, were meditating mischief, and making preparations through the winter of 1S77-S to invade the Mohawk Valley. Brant, the Indian chief who had prepared the ambuscade at Oriskany, was foremost in these threatening movements. Sir John Johnson and Colonel John Butler were also active in enlisting Tory refugees. A council was called by the Revolutionary authorities, to secure, if possible, the neutrality of the Indians. It met at Johnstown in March. None of the Senecas, the most powerful of the Six Nations, were present, and but few of the Mohawks. General La Fayette, who was to command a proposed expedition against Canada, attended the council. His attention was called to the exposed condition of the settlements, and he directed the building and strengthening of fortifications for their protection. The first hostile movement of Brant was the destruction of the small settlement of Springfield, at the head of Otsego Lake. On the 2d of Julv an engagement occurred on the upper branch of the Cobleskill, be- tween an Indian force of four hundred and fifty, and fifty-two Americans. The latter were overpowered. The Indians burned the dwellings, and slaughtered the cattle and horses they could not take with them. The settlers generally were continually harrassed by marauding parties of Indians during the summer, but on the approach of winter. Brant withdrew with his forces toward Niagara, and hostilities apparently ceased. On his way to Niagara he was met by Walter Butler, a fugitive from justice. He had been arrested as a spy, and condemned to death, but had been re- prieved through the intercession of friends, sent to Albany, and con- fined in prison, from which he made his escape. He joined his father. Col. John Butler, at Niagara, and obtained the command of two hundred Tories, to unite with Brant in an incursion into the Mohawk Valley. Upon meeting Brant he prevailed upon him to return and attack the settlement of Cherry Valley. Colonel Alden, « ho was in command of the fort at that place, received inform'ation of the intended attack, but treated it with un- concern. He refused to permit the settlers to move into the fort, believ- ing it to be a false alarm. He, however, assured them that he would keep scouts on the look-out. to guard against surprise, and he did send them, but thev fell into the hands of the savages, who extorted from them all necessary information respecting the situation. On the morning of the nth of No\ember the enemy entered the settlement, under cover of a thick and mistv atmosphere, and began an indiscriminate slaughter of men, women, and children. The house of Mr. Wells, of which Colonel .\lden was an inmate, was surrounded, and the whole family brutally m.ass,icred. The colonel, in attempting to escape, was tomahawked and scalped. Thirty- two of the inhabitants, mostly women and children, and sixteen soldiers of the garrison, were slain in the most horrible manner. The whole settle- ment was plundered, and every house burned. Nearly forty prisoners were taken, and conducted down the valley to encamp for the night, promi-.- cuouslv huddled together, some of them half naked, without shelter, and no resting-place but the cold ground. The next day, finding the women and children cumbersome, the captors sent most of them back. The infamous Butler w.is not only the author of this savage expedition. but he was the director of all the cruelty pr.icliced. With the destruction of this settlement hostilities ceased along the frontier until the following spring.

Through the winter Brant and his colleagues were making preparations for a renewal of their incursions, and necessity seemed to demand the infliction of severe punishment ujion the savages who threatened to deso- late the border settlements. Accordingly on the i8th of .\pril, 1779, Col- onel Van Schaick was sent out with a force, from Fort Schuyler, to make a descent upon the Onondagas. They had approached to within a few miles of their villages and castle before their occupants were aware of the

24

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

expedition against them. The Indians fled to the woods, leaving ever>'- thing behind them, even to their anii*i. Their villages, three in number, consisting of about fifty houses, were burned, and their provisions and cattle destroyed. The council-house, or castle, was spared from the flames, but a swivel found in it was rendered useless. Thirty-three of the Indians were taiben prisoners, and twelve killed. The expedition then returned to Fort Schuyler, arriving on the 24th, having accomplished its object in six days, without the loss of a man. White this short campaign was in progress. the lower section of the Mohawk was visited at different points by scalping parties, and the settlements menaced with the fate of Cherry Valley. The Onondagas, fired with indignation at the destruction of their villages, re- taliated by a descent upon the st-iilcment at Cobleskill, and more than twenty of the militia were killed in defending it. The settlement at Min- isink, being uni)rotected, Brant resolved to ravage it. On the night of the 19th of July, at the head of a party of Indian^ and Tories, disguised as savages he silently approached the town and had set fire to several houses before the inhabitants were aroused to the danger of their situation. All who could sought safety in flight, leaving everything to the invaders, who plundered and destroyed all their property, and retired to (.irassy Brook, where Brant had left the main body of his warnors. When intelligence of this outrage reached Goshen. Doctor Tu^ten, Colonel of the local militia, ordered them to meet him at Minisink. and one hundred am' " irty-nine responded to the call. A council was held, and it was resolved to pursue the invaders. Colonel Tusten was opposed to such a hazardous undertak- ing with so small a force, but he was overruled, and the line of march taken up. The next morning the pursuers were joined by Colonel Hathom, with a small reinforcement. On coming to the place where the Indians had encamped the previous night, it was ob\ious from the number of camp-fires that the force was much larger than had been expected, and the leading officers advised return rather than pursuit, but their rash associates were determined to proceed. Soon after, Captain Tyler, who was with a scouting pirty, was shot by a hidden foe. hut this circumstance, although it gave the company some alarm, did not check the pursuit. When the party reached the hills overlooking the Delaware, they saw the enemy marching toward the fording place near the mouth of the Lackawaxen. Haihorn determined to intercept them, and arranged his men accordingly. Hills intervened between the opi)Osing forces, and they soon lost sight of each other. Brant was watching the movements of the whites, and antici- pating their design turned as soon as they were lost to view, and throwing his whole force in their rear, formed an ambuscade. Not finding the enemv »here they expected. Hathom's men were greatly perplexed, and retracing their steps discovered the Indians in an unexpected quarter and greativ superior in numbers. The latter managed to cut off from the main body of Hathom's troops about one-third of his entire force in the com- mencement of the skirmish. From the summit of ahiil the militia maintained the une<]ual conflict until their ammunition was exhausted, and then attempted to retreat, but only thirty succeeded in m.iking their escape from their merciless enemies. When the retreat began, there were seventeen of the wdunded behind a ledge of rocks under the 1 .ire nf Doctor Tusten, and in this helpless condition they were ruthlessly murdered, together with the doctor, by the Indians.

But a fearful retribution was at hand, and snon fell on the Indians with destructive force. In the spring it was determined to send a large expedi- tion into the Indian coL:ntry; and so severely chastise the savages, and Tory allies as to discourage them from renewing their depredations upon the settlements. (Icneral Sullivan was pl.iced in the chief command of this e\|K:dition, the plan of which was a combined movement in two divis- ions ; one from Pennsylvania, to ascend the Susquehanna, uniler Sullivan himself, and the other from the north, under (leneral James Clinton. The two divisions were to unite at Tioga. On llie 17th of June. Crener.il Clin- ton ciimmenced the transportation of his boats across the countr\ from Canajoharie to Otsego Lake, and proceeded to its outlet, where heauaitcd orders from Sullivan. Whik 'here he built a dam to confine the water within the lake, hoping by its sudden rcmov.nl to render the navigation of the river more certain in case of a long drought. This not onlv i.u ilitated the transportation of his boats ujum the ri\er, but it caused an o\ertl.)\\ of its bants and destroyed the corn-fields belongmg to the Indians, who being ignorant of the cause of their loss were greatly astonished and alarmed. General Clintcm formed a junction with Sullivan at Tioga on the 22d of August, and the tnmbined forte moved cautiously ii[> the Tioga and Chemung. On the 29th the enem\ were discovered occupying an advan-

tageous position near the present city of Elmira. The light infantry in the advance formed for battle, and while waiting for the main body to come up, skirmishing was carried on with small parties of Indians who would sally out from their works, fire, and retreat, and make the woods echo with their hideous war-whoops. The Indians occupied a hill on the right, and Sullivan ordered Poor, with his brigade to advance against them, while the main body of the army attacked them in front. As Poor began to ascend the hill he was fiercely opposed by the savages under Brant, and the Tories under Sir John Johnson. It was some hours before the latter began slowly to give way. Having gained the summit of the hill. Poor moved against the enemy's left flank, which he soon carried, and perceiving that they would be surrounded they abandoned their works and made a precipitate retreat. Sullivan's army encamped upon the battle- field that night, and the next day the wounded were sent back together with the heavy artillerv. and the march was resumed toward Catharines- town, where the expedition arrived on the 2d of September ; on the follow- ing day the place was destroyed, together with the corn-fields and orchards. The Indians fled before the inv.iders, who continued their work of destruc- tion, pillaging the villages of their enemies and thus depriving them of all means of subsistence. On the 7th. Sullivan's army reached Kanadaseagea. the capital of the Senecas. This they destroyed, as well as all the smaller villages on their way to the Genesee river, which was reached and crossed on the 14th. The Genesee Castle was doomed to meet the fate of the rest, and the whole surrounding country, including the town which comprised 120 houses, was swept as with the besom of destruction. On the i6th the expedition recrossed the Genesee river, and retracing their steps, arrived at Tioga, tne starting point, on the 3d of October. The Indians, although subjected to great suffering, were not wholly crushed by these severe losses. Their numerical force was but slightly reduced, and they retaliated upon the frontier settlements with savage vengeance when- ever a favorable opportunity offered.

CHAPTER XIII.

Arnold's tre.\son— close of thr rf.volution — .\doptiox of the constitution — intern.\l improvements.

Early in June of 1779, Sir Henry Clinton conducted an expedition up the Hudson, and attacked two small forts, one at Stony Point, on the west side of the river, and the other at Verplank's Point, nearly opposite. The former had only about forty men to defend it, and they retreated on the approach of the British ; but the latter, with its garrison of seventv men, resisted, and was captured. Washington much regretted the loss of these posts, and although they had been enlarged and strengthened after the British took possession of them, he resolved to make an effort to regain them. Stony Point was suri)rised on the night of the 15th of July follow- ing, and, after a short and fierce conflict, the garrison, of more than five hundred men, together with the cannon and military stores, were captured, and the works demolished and abandoned.

In the spring of 17S0 Urant was again upon the war-path, and with a band of Indians and Tones, destroyed Harpersfield in April. It was his design to attack the upper t<irt of Si hoharie, l>ut on his way he captured Captain Harjjer, who represented to him that the fort had lately been rein- forced, and he returned to Niagara with his prisoners. Sir John Johnson, with a force of five hundred Tories and Indians, ver\' unexpectedly ap- peared at Johnstown on the night of .May 21. and the next day swept the countrv between that neighborhood and the Mohawk. Several persons were murdered, others taken prisoners, and all buildings not belonging to the Tories were burned. On the following afternoon the party retreated toward Canada. On the 2ist of August. Canajoharie and the adjacent settlements were atta* ked by Brant, at the heail of a large body of Indian- and Tories, who dicl even more damage than Johnson's party.

Genera! Benetlit t Arnold, wounded at the hist battle with Burg-nne. and unable to take any active position, was a]ipointed .Military Gc.\ern<>r nf Philadelphia in the sj)ring of 1778. Feeling the importance <>f his station, and fond of making a show, he Itegan living in such an extrava- gant manner as to become pei uniarily embarrassed; and rather than retrench, and live within his in< onie, he resorted to a system (>( fraud which brought him into unpteas.int relations with the citizens of Philadel- phia. By i>rder of Congress he was tried before a court-martial, and sen- tenced to the mildest form of punishment — simply, a reprimand from the

TREASON OF ARNOLD—CAPTURE AND EXECUTION Of MAJOR ANDRF— CLOSE OF THE WAR. 25

Commander-in-chief. He appeared lo aciiuit.'S( c in the sentence, but his pride was wounded, aud he thirsted for revenge. While in Philadelphia he had married the daughter of a Tory residing in that place. She was accustomed lo receive the attentions of British officers durmg their occu- pancy of the city, and through her intimacy -with Major .\nUre a corres- pondence had been initiated between him and Arnold, by which means his treacherous schemes were developed, and culminated in a most infamous treason. Still he was loud in his professions of patriotism and attachment to his country's cause, and pretended to be anxious to again join his com- panions in the field. He solicited the command of West Point, then the most important post in the possession of the Americans. Washington had assigned him to the command of the left wing of the army, but upon his repeated and earnest request, the command of West Point was given him instead on the 3d of August, 1780. He established his head-quarters on the opposite side of the river, at the house of Colonel Beverly Robinson, whose property had been confiscated on account of his espousal of the British cause. Arnold well knew that Sir Henry CHnton would richly re- ward him for being instrumental in placing West Point in his hands, and hinted as much to Major Andre, between whom and himself letters passed in disguised hand-writing, and over fictitious signatures. In order to settle the terms of this infamous treachery it became necessary for Sir Henry Clinton to send Major Andre for a personal interview with Aruoid, not only to agree upon the conditions of his contemplated surrender, but to guard against a counterplot. Major Andre sailed up the Hudson on board of the Vulture, and a meeting was finally effected. Near the village of Hav- erstraw resided Joshua H. Smith, who was duped by Arnold to assist in carrying put his designs. It was he that brought Major Andre on shore, where Arnold was awaiting him, and concealed in a thicket they plotted the ruin of the patriot cause from about midnight until day began to dawn, and then repaired to Smith's house to complete their plans. Arnold was to receive ten thousand jiounds and the oftice of Bngadier-General in the British army, while We^it Point was to be given up on the approach of the English fleet. Major Andre was supplied with papers explaining the mili- tary condition of the fort, which were concealed in his stockings; while a pass was given him under the name of John Anderson. In the morning a cannonade was opened upon the Vulture, and she was obliged to fall far- ther down the river, which reminded Andre of the fact that he was within the .American lines. Smith's fears were so much aroused that he refused to convey him by boat to the Vulture, but offered to accompany him a con- siderable distance by a land route. They crossed the river and jirocceded toward White Plains. Near Pines Bridge they parted, and Andre continued his journey alone. When near Tarrytown he was stopped by three militia- men, who were watching for stragglers from the British lines. From what they said to him he was led to believe they were loyalists, whereupon he avowed himself a British officer, but upon discovermg his mistake he pre- sented Arnold's pass, and endeavored to explain his previous statements; they insisted upon searching him, and he was forced to submit, and the important pa[>ers were found. His liberal offers of money, if they would release him, were of no avail, and he was conducted to the nearest mili- tary post.

On the same morning that Washington arrived at Arnold's head-quarters from Hartford, where he had been to confer with some French officers, Arnold received intelligence of Andre's arrest, and hastening to his barge made his escape to the Vulture. He was apprised that Washington would soon be at his (juarters, and left orders to inform him that he had gone over to West Point, and would soon return. Washington arrived shortly after, and crossing over to West Point found, to his surprise, that Arnold had not been there. After spending some time in examining the works, he re- turned, when the pai)crs which had l)een found upon Andre were placed in his hands, and the whole conspiracy revealed. An immediate pursuit to overtake the traitor was made, but it was too late to prevent his escajie. Infortunate Andre was tried by a court of fourteen generals, convicted of bci ig a spy, sentenced, and executed. Arnold wreaked his malice on the AnK-ricans by devastating different parts of the country during the war. Afier its close he went to England, where he was shunned and despised by al! honorable men.

( )n the 15th of October, 17.S0, a large jiarty of Tories and Indians, under Sir John Johnson and Brant, invaded the Mohawk Valley by way of Scho- harie Creek, destroying the settlements on the way to Fort Hunter, and thence up the Mohawk, on both sides. As soon as intelligence of this in- vasion reached Albany, General Van Rensselaer marched against them

with a bodv of militia. Colonel Brown was stationed at Fort Paris, and receiving orders from Van Rensselaer to attack the enemy, promptly obeyed, but his small force was dispersed, and himself and forty of his men slain. \'an Rensselaer, after great delay, attacked and routed the invaders, who fled, and suet eeded in making their escajie to Canada. The Mo- hiwk Valley continued to be devastated by the savage foe On the 9th of July, 17S1, Currytown was attacked by a party of more than threehundred Indians, commanded by a Tory named Doxstader. They were pursued by Colonel Willett, and in a battle forty of their number were slain, and the others routed. On the 24th of October Major Ross and Waller Butler, at the head of nearly a thousand men, consisting of British regulars, Indians, and Tories, made a sudden descent into the Mohawk Valley, and began their work of plunder and devastation. They were met by Colonels Wil- lett and Rowley near Johnstown, and a sharp engagement ensued, lasting till dark, when the enemy fled. They were pursued, and at Canada Creek another skirmish took place, wherein the cruel and infamous Butler was slain. Upon his fall their whole force fled in the utmost confusion. This was the flnal invasion of the Mohawk Valley, and their flight the closing scene in one of the most terrible warfares on record.

While menacing an attack on New York, Washington carefully withdrew from the Hudson to attack Cornwallis in his devastating march through the South, and was far on his way to Virginia before Sir Henry Clinton was aware of the movement. Cornwallis was beseiged at Vorktown, and com- pelled to surrender his whole army on the 19th of October. 17S1, This virtually closed the war. Sir Guy Carlton was sent to take the command of the British forces in place of Sir Henry Clinton, with directions to open negotiations for peace. A provisional treaty was signed on the 30th of November, 1782, and a definitive treaty, recognizing the independence of the United States, was com luded al Paris, September 3d, 1783. On the 25th of November the British troops took their final departure from the city of New York, and on the same day Washington entered it with his army, amid the joyous acclaiuations of the emancipated people. Nerer, perhaps, was peace more welcome, for the long war had been a terrible and trying ordeal for the patriots, and we, who are living in peace and plenty, so far removed by the wheels of time from that eventful period, are not likely to properly estimate their endurance of great and continued suf- ferings, nor fully appreciate the liberties they obtained at so great a sacri- fice, and bequeathed to succeeding generations.

The United States, having been recognized as an independent nation, it was early perceived that the powers conferred upon Congress by the .Articles of Confederation, were in many essential respects inadeipiate to the objects of an effective national government. The States had been leagued together for a particular purpose, but retained their individual sovereignty, and Congreeis had no power to compel them to obey its man- dates. The people were losing their regard for the authority of Congress ; its recommendations for ihe liquidation of the debts incurred by the war were not promptly complied with, and financial and commercial affairs were falling into serious derangement. Each State being independent of the others in the Confederacy, jealousies would naturally arise, and without concerted action on the fiart of the States it was almost impossible to col- lect revenue. In view of these increasing evils the leading minds of the country desired a closer onion of the States under a general government. A convention was held at .Annapolis, in September, 17S6, lo take into con- sideration the establishrrtent of a general tariff on imports and a uniform system of commercial regulations. Commissioners were jiresent, however, from only five States, among which was New York. rei)resented by Alex- ander Hamilton. They recommended the calling of a convention of delegates fron\ the several States, in May following, and transmitted a report of their conclusions to Congress. Their recommendations were atlopted by Congress, and that body deemed it expedient that the delegates should be instructed to revise the Articles of Confederation and report to Congress, and the several State Legislatures, such amendments and pro- \isions as should seem adecjuate to the exigencies of the government. All the States except Rhode Island, were represented in the Convention, which was held at Philadelphia- Believing that the Articles of Confederation were so defective as to be wholly inadetpiate to the wants of the country, the delegates went to work to form a new Constitution. Its plan was gener.illy approved, but there were many in the convention who looked upon the pre.servation of State sovereignty as pre-eminently essential, and regarded the ])roposcd change in this particular as an infringement of State rights. The delegates from New York, ujjon their appointment, had beeri

26

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

restricted to the revision of the existing Articles of Confederation, and when the Convention decided to provide a new Constitution they, with the exception of Alexander Hamilton, withdrew. That body then proceeded to form a consti- tution, which was adopted and submitted to the several Stales for approval, the assent of nine being required for its ratification. A spirited contest ensued in the State of New York, between its advocates and opponents, the latter being in the ascendancy ; but having been adopted by the requisite number of States, it was ratified in convention by the State of New York by a close vote, on the 26th of July, 1788, but with the recommendation of several amendments which, however, were not adopted. The city of New York was chosen for the seat of the Federal Government, and George Washing- ton was elected President.

The difficulties relative to the New Hampshire grants still continued. A convention of the people in that disputed territor}-, in 1777, declared it an independent State, and petitioned Congress for admission into the Con- federacy. New York thereupon sought the mterposition of Congress in her behalf, and that body recognized her claims ; but the people interested in the New Hampshire grants were determined to maintain their indepen- dence, and during the following year organized a State government This revived the discord, which had remained inactive since the breaking out of the war, and so great was the hatred of the New Hampshire pe^nle toward the State of New York, that rather than be subject to her jurisdiction they chose to return to their allegiance to Great Britain, and were secretly negotiating with the British to become a colony under the Crown ; but before the conspiracy was fully matured it was interrupted by the capture of Comwallis. Hostile feelings continued after the war, but in 1790 the difficulties were amicably adjusted. New York, on receiving a stipulated sum for the extinction of land claims, relinquished her jurisdiction, and in the following year the disputed territory was admitted into the Union, under the name of Vermont.

Large tracts of wild land were in possession of the State of New York, at the termination of the war. In 1786 the State granted two tracts to Massachusetts, to satisfy certain antiquated claims of that State, but retained her sovereignty over the ceded territory. The largest of these tracts, known as the Genesee country, embraced the western part of the State, and was designated by a line running south from a specified point on Take Ontario to Pennsylvania. The other embraced a portion of the present counties of Tioga and Broome. Land commissioners of the State, a few years later, authorized by an act of the Legislature, disposed of large tracts of land in the northern part of the State, for very small considerations. The largest and most important of these was that granted to Alexander Macomb, con- taining upward of three and a half millions of acres, at about eighteen pence per acre.

In 1791 the Legislature ordered an exploration and survey to ascertain the most eligible method of removing obstructions from the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, in view of improving their navigation by the construction of canals. The following year two companies were incorporated, styled the Northern and Wcstem Inland Lock Navigation Companies, for the purpose of facilitating navigation by connecting by canals Lake Ontario with the Mohawk and Lake Champlain with the Hudson.

Governor Clinton, in 1795, having declined to be a candidate for re- election, John Jay was chosen as his successor. The State was now rapidly gaining in jjopulation, and- in 1800 had reached to nearly six hundred thousand. By an act of the Legislature a convention was called to amend the State Constitution in regard to the apportionment of members of the Legislature. This body convened in iSoi, chose Colonel Aaron Burr to preside over it, and fixed the number of Assemblymen at 100. In iSoi George Clinton was again elected to the Governorship, which office he held until 1804. when he was chosen Vice-President of the United Stales, and Morgan Lewis was elected his successor. At this time Aaron Burr was holding the office of Vice-President, and failing to receive the nomination for re- election was nominated by his friends for the office of Governor of New York. Mortified and chagrined at his defeat he sought revenge upon those who had been the most prominent and inllucntial in causing it. He regarded the influence of Alexander Hamilton as having contributed largely to his defeat, and in desperation at his blighted political prospects deter- mined to wreak his vengeance upon him. An excuse was presented by Hamilton's expressing political views antagonistic to his own, whieh having been reported to him in a distorted form he chose to consider as personal, and challenged him. The challenge was accepted and the duel fought, Hamilton fallmg mortally wounded at the first exchange of shots.

His deplorable death produced a gloomy feeling throughout the country, as his brilliant talents and unexceptionable character had won for him the esteem of the whole community. After this occurrence, Burr visited the Western States and engaged in treasonable schemes for detaching them from their present political associations, to form, in conjunction with Mexico, a separate government. He was arrested and tried for treason, but escaped conviction for want of sufficient proof. All confidence in his integrity, however, was lost, and the remainder of his life was passed in comparative obscurity. In 1S07 Daniel D. Tompkins waseiected to succeed Morgan Lewis as Governor of New York. In this year Robert Fulton com- pleted the Clermont, the first boat that ever succeeded in steam navigation. It was launched at Jersey City, and made its trial trip up the Hudson to Albany.

Great Britain and France being at war, the former by a series of "Orders in Council." prohibited vessels of neutral nations from trading with France or her allies, and in retaliation Napoleon proclaimed the notable Berlin and Milan decrees, forbidding all trade with England and her colonies. The effects of these ordinances were very injurious to American commerce: and inconsequence thereof Congress, on the 23d of September, 1807, laid an embargo on all vessels in the harbors of the United States, which bore heavily on the mercantile interests of the country, and excited considerable opposition.

CHAPTER XIV.

CAUSES OF THE LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN — EXPEDITIONS AGAINST CANADA — HOSTILITIES ALONG THE BORDER.

The country was now rapidly drifting into another conflict with Great Britain. The aggressions of the British had, for several years, been a subject of great anxiety and bitter animosity, which continually increased. Although the United Stales maincaincu a strict neutrality while the Napoleonic wars were raging between Great Britain and France, their rights, as a neutral nation, were disregarded. The embargo laid by Congress upon the shipping in American ports was found so injurious to commercial interests that it was repealed, and a non-intercourse act passed in its place. In .\pril, 1S09, the English ambassador at Washington opened ne- gotiations for the adjustment of the existing difficulties, and consented to the withdrawal of the obnoxious "Orders in Council" so far as respected the United States, on condition that they should repeal the act prohibiting intercourse with Great Britain. Upon this basis an agreement was effected, when the President issued a proclamation declaring that as it had been officially communicated to the United States that the "Orders in Council" would be repealed on the loth of June, trade might be resumed with Great Britain after that date. As soon as intelligence of this agreement on the part of their ambassador reached the English Government, the latter refused to ratify it on the ground that he had exceeded his instructions, and immediately recalled him. The proclamation of the Pre- sident was then revoked, and the two governments resumed their former relations. In addition to other injuries and encroachments upon the rights of the United States as neutrals, the English Government claimed the right to search .\merican vessels, and authorized its officers to examine their crews, seize all whom they chose to regard as British subjects, and force them into their service. All remonstrances were unavailing. The English officers in enforcing ihis right of search commuted great outrages, and the practice became so obnoxious as to demand some decided mea- sures for its suppression. Under these circumstances, there appeared to be no alternative but war. and Congress having authorized it, war was declared against Great Britain on the 19th of June, 1812. The mea- sure was far from being universally sustained, however. The Federal party, then in the minority, opposed it, and their political opinions being apparently stronger than their patriotism, they loudly denounced it. It was also but feebly sustained by a portion of the Democratic party, not on political grounds, but from the belief that the country was unprepared for war. New York and New England were most prominent in their opposi- tion, and if they did not directly aid the enemy, their conduct was dis- couraging and injurious to those who were perilling their lives in their country's cause.

The Americans, deeming it ex[)edient to invade Canada, directed the attention at once toward that point, and measures were taken to collect forces along the northern frontier of New York, and westward to Michi-

SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE OF SACKETT'S HARBOR— COMMODORE PERRY'S BRILLIANT VICTORY. 27

gan. They were distributed in three divisions. The eastern rendezvoused in the vicinity of Plattsburg, on the western shore of Lake Champlain. The central was under the command of General Stephen Van Rensselaer, who made his headquarters at Lcwiston, on the Niagara river; and the northwestern division assembled at Detroit. In connection with these armaments a naval force was fitted up on the lakes, the command of which was assigned to Commodore Chauncey. In July a small British fleet made an attack upon Sackett's Harbor, on Lake Ontario, which was defended by Lieutenant Woolsey, who, from a battery arranged on the shore, so dis- abled the hostile fleet that it withdrew. In October an attack on Ogdens- burg by a British fleet was repulsed by General Brown. In the same month Lieutenant Elliott, by a bold movement, captured on Lake Erie the British vessel Caledonia, laden with a