B.v»vja::j:a,v>-.v..iV'-":., .•'„..,-,»., h OWL IX « ■ ■ «b« ^> »V '«>■««•_«■ « -mm «««• aj t VM.viK!:r-.3»-'.v.v.-.v.'''"r.v- . :j ■.■.-- ^A ^^ 1 fc— ^■S¥Vr' ^^"^ V^ ■!■ 1 « Bfc Mmv^^Vk ■■■la 1 ■ - ^ m ^ 1^ h ■ * J ^» * w T w X * *W »* I ^^^^^^^^^^^^: F 013 mi T, a^ 3 1924 074 488 366 \^^ ^m Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924074488366 VIEW OF LEATHER STOCKING FALLS , NfAff COO/'EffSIOWN.orsfCO CO, N Y M./^VMItt UL. hi^ ^\^^o^y un -OF- OTSEGO COUNTY. NEW YORK. ._g=iWIIH =0-' llliistraiians anil |!itogra|iIitcal Sketched (_g=>OF;==V^ SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. ^ » » T'l^i— 16 inilbert Street, Philadelphia. 1878. PRESS OF J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA. OONTEKTS. ECISTOI?.IO-A.L- onArxEn I II. Ill IV. V.- VI.- VII VIII. IX. X XI. XII XIII, XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV.- XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX. XXX, XXXI. XXXII. XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL. HISTOKY OF OTSEGO COUNTY. PAQR — Voyage and Disoovorj 9 — The Iroquois 10 Otecgo prior to the Revolution .... 12 The Revolution 14 15 19 20 21 22 2.3 24 The Massacre of Cherry Valley .... ■ — Sullivan and Clinton's Campaign .... — Extinction of Indian Title — The Close of the Revolution — Inftu-x of Settlers . Early Customs — Organization of Otsogo County .... — Qoographioal — Topographical — Geological . — Political History 25 — Bench and Bar 29 The Press 32 — Medical Societies, etc 35 , — The Common Schools 37 Eleemosynary Institutions 39 -Internal Improvements 42 — Agriculture 43 Statistical ....... . — Old Militia Organizations .... , — Otsego in the Rebellion .... . 62 . 54 . 55 . 58 . 61 . 63 . 72 . 83 . 94 . 96 — Town of Burlington 97 " continued . . . .102 Butternuts 109 *' continued .... 113 Cherry Valley 119 " continued . . . 124 Decatur 141 Edmoston 143 " continued .... 146 Exeter 150 " continued 152 CnAPTEB XLI.- XLII.- XLIIL- XLIV.- XLV.- XLVL- XLVII.- XLVIII.- XLIX.- L.- LT.- lill.- LIII.- LIV.- LV.- LVI.- LVII.- LVIII.- LIX.- LX.- LXI.- liXII.- LXIII.- LXIV.- LXV.- LXVI.- LXVII.- LXVIII.- LXIX.- LXX.- LXXI.- LXXII.- LXXIIL- LXXIV.- LXXV.- LXXVI.- FAOE -Town of Hartwick 156 " " continued . . . .161 " Laurens 167 " " continued 172 " Maryland 175 " " continued .... 180 " Middlefield 184 " " continued . . . .188 " Milford 192 " " continued 195 " Morris 201 " " continued 211 " New Lisbon 219 " Oneonta 223 " " continued 228 " " " 231 " Otego 238 " " continued 242 " Otsego 247 -Cooperstown 257 " continued 264 " 271 _ " " 277 -Town of Pittsfield 286 " Plainfield 292 " Richfield 298 " " continued . . . .306 - " " " .... 308 '* Roseboom 315 " Springfield 319 " " continued . . . .324 ". Unadilla 333 " " continued .... 341 " Westford 351 " Worcester 356 " " continued .... 366 Errata Patrons' Record ahd Dirbotort 369 370 IIjIljTJSTK.-A.TIOISrS. Leather Stocking Falls {froniiepiece) Outline Map of Otsego County . BURI.INGTON. Residence of A. A. Matteaon (With portraits) " Col. David Gardner " Portraits of John Norton and Wife . Ilesidenco of Maurice Bolton (with portrait) " A. A. Mather " " Willot Chase (with portraits) Portrait of Judge Jas! C. Walworth , " Benjamin S. Walworth , Residence of David G. Parker (with portraits) PAGE facing title facing 96 97 99 100 102 103 104 104 106 Residence of Orange Gardner (with portraits) Portraits of Roswell Kelsey and Wife BUTTERNUTS. Portraits of J. H. Rawlings and Wife Residence of J. H. Rawlings (double page) " Geo. T. Gilbert (with portrait) " Jos. T. Gilbert " Portraits of Jarod Oomstook and Wife " Elihu Hakes and Wife . CHEHRY VALLEY Portrait of George C. Clyde " Dr. Joseph White . PAOE facing 107 " 108 facing 113 between 112, 113 " 112, 113 " 112, 113 facing 11 n . 118, 119 facing 120 124 CONTENTS. ILIjTJSTE^^TIOITS. I'AOK 139 140 in Portrait of Oliver Judd '''"''"B " Hon. W. W. Campbell Residence of G. W. B. Dakin ^^"'"5 " Joseph Plielon (with portraits) . between 140 " Mrs. Susan M. Belcher . . • facing EDMESTON. Portraits of Hon. D. B. St. John and Wife . . facing 143 Residence of Chas. F. Goodrich (with portraits) . " l*i " Henry D. Crandall " between 144, 145 Portraits of John S. Coon and Wife . . • fao'ng 1*" Residence of the late John Barrett (with portraits) . " 148 Levi B.Banks " ■ " "^ EXETEK. Residence of Dr. W. L. Hurelle (with portraits) " B. W. Lidell .... facing 166 (( 167 facing 167 " 160 a 164 it 164 u 164 ti 164 u 165 it 166 IIAUTWICK. Residence of Cyrus Short facing Portraits of Harvey Maples and Wife " John Winsor *' " Edwin A. Wells " Portrait of H. K. Marsh " Horace Chase Residence of Clark Davison .... View of Hartwiok Seminary .... Portrait of Prof. J. Pitcher 1^* Peter S. Smith, M.D 166 " Torry J. Luce 16'' tAUKENS. Portraits of Hervey Keyes and Wife " Hudson Sleeper " MIDDI-EFIE1.D. Home of William H. Lynes .... Residence of Horace M. Pierce .... " S. G. Huntington . Portrait of Mrs. Agnes Church .... facing 170 " 174 facing 184 185 " 185 . 191 MILFORD. Residence of Hon. S. R. Barnes (with portraits) " A. G. Morris " " Wm. R. Hardy " " Freeman Murry " " Otis Westcott " Portraits of Jared Goodyear and Wife Portrait of Mrs. Elizabeth Collier Portrait of Richard B. Morris . " Zilpha Morris .... Residence of Henry Wilcox (with portraits) " Andrew Spencer . mORRIS. View of Hillington Cemetery . Residence of Bdson Wheeler (with portraits) " the late Gen. Jacob Morris . Portraits of Ansel C. Moore and Wife " Dr. Wm. Yates and Wife " Capt. Amos Palmer and Wife Residence of J. P. Kenyon (with portraits) " Myron Wagner " Portrait of Judge Pascal Franchot . Portraits of Deacon Joseph Lull and Wife " Hon. Jacob K. Lull " NEW LISBON. facing 192 " 193 " 194 " 195 " 196 between 196, 197 facing 197 . 198 . 199 facing 200 " 201 Residence of Ellis Gross " M. D. Cummings (with portraits) " Miss Martha M. Peck " rAos bulwocn 222, 223 " 222, 223 Portraits of Dr. 0. W. P. Wheeler and Wife " Ellis Gross and Wife ONEONTA. Residence of Carlton Emmons (with portraits) " the late B. R. Ford Portraits of B. R. Ford and Wife " Conrad Wolf " " Solon Huntington and Wife . " E. B. Kilborn " ... " Gen. S. S. Burnside " ... View of the Central Hotel Residence of Jas. and Hamilton F. Slade (with portraits) OTEGO. Residence of Edwin G. Birdsall .... facing 238 " Reuben Hale (with portraits) . . " 239 " W. and T. A. Birdsall (with portraits) between 242, 243 Portraits of Michael Birdsall and Wife . . " 242, 243 Residence of D. Day (with portraits) . . . facing 243 Portraits of Thomas Burnside and Wife ... " 244 facing 202 " 203 " 205 " 208 " 210 212 " 214 215 . 216 facing 217 " 217 facing 206 " 220 " 221 facing 225 between 224, 225 " 224, 225 facing 228 " 230 " 232 " 235 " 236 237 OTSEGO. Residence of F. C. Whipple (with portraits) " Five-Mile Point," Residence of J. D. Tunniclitfe Portrait of Russell Warren .... Col. J. A. Cheney facing The Dr. W. A. Thayer Group of Five Portraits Residence of Dr. W. A. Thayer " ' the late Piatt St. John (with portraits) " Mrs. H. A. Thayer " " Francis Taylor . " The W. K. Warren Group of Five Portraits Residence of Francis Hecox " C. Childs Outlet to Lake Otsego, Source of the Susquehanna Portrait of Judge II. Sturgos, Cooperstown " Jedediah P. Sill, " " Calvin Graves (steel), " " Hon. W. 11. AveroU (steel), Cooperstown " Edward Clark (steel), " " Ambrose L. Jordan (steel), " " Col. John H. Prentiss, " " Peter Barton, " I'lTTSFIELD. Residence, Mill, etc., of A. Finks " of Orincl Hall (with portrait) . " Jesse Beardslee (with portraits) . " Caleb G. Hall " 248 249 250 . 252 between 262, 263 " 252, 253 . facing 263 " 254 " 255 " ^66 between 256, 267 " 256, 257 facing 267 " ^64 " 271 " 279 bet. 280, 281 " 280, 281 facing 282 " 285 . 286 facing 288 " 289 " 290 " 291 PLAINFIELD. Residence of Alfred Wood (with portraits) . . facing 296 Portrait of Solomon Armstrong 298 " William L. Brown 297 RICHFIELD. Residence of S. Clapsaddle " A. Sitts " Norman R. Baker facing 297 306 307 View of Richfield Springs Seminary 313 Portrait of Hiram C. Brockway ...... 314 ROSEBOOIH. 'Residence of George Barrett (with portraits) . . facing 316 " Henry Roaeboom (with portrait) . " 317 Portrait of John W. Sterrioker, M.D 319 SPRINGFIELD. Residence and Carriage Manufactory of J. P. Endrcs " of Isaiah Cook ..... facing 297 324 CONTENTS. IXjXjTJSTK/J^TIOlsrS. PAGE Portraits of Col. John D. Shaul and ^Vife . . facing 328 Portrait of Jas. It. Cooko 3,S2 Rcsiilonoo of L. W. Kathbono (with portraits) . . " 332 " JamoB II. Cooko facing 333 UNADILLA. Residence of S. G. Cone (with portraits) . . . facing 336 Residences and Mills of Palmer &, Johnson (with portraits), dbuble page ...... between 336, 337 Residence of L. H. Blanohard (with portraits) . facing 340 " D. P. and R. W. Chapman (with portraits) " 341 PAOB Portrait of Arnold B. Watson 3*9 " Eli C. Belknap 350 WESTFOHD. Residence of Mrs. Lucy A. Coatcs (with portrait), double page between 356, 367 Residence of Horace Roseboom (with portraits) . facing 357 WORCESTER. Jersey Stock Farm and Residencb of John Triekey (double page) . , between 360, 361 Portrait of John Cook facing 366 Portraits of Chas. W. Martin and Wife . ... " 366 BIOC3-K.^miO^L. PAQR Alvan Stewart 30 Hon. Eben B. Morehouse 30 George A. Starkweather 31 Levi S. Chatfield 31 John Norton facing 99 Chauncoy II. Norton " 99 Judge Chas. C. Walworth "104 Benjamin S. Walworth "104 Col. David Gardner 105 A. Alonzo Matteson 106 Willet Chase 106 Orange Gardner 107 Andrew A. Mather 107 The Bolton and Briggs Families 108 David G. Parker Roswell Kelsey facing J. H. Rawlings " Jared Comstock Elihu Hakes George C. Clyde facing Dr. Joseph White " Oliver Judd Hon. W. W. Campbell • ■ Joseph Phclon KO David B. St. John facing 143 Henry D. Crandall between 144, 145 John S. Coon fiwing l^O Chas. P. Goodrich 1*9 Levi B.Banks 149 John Barrett 149 Harvey Maples facing 160 Peter S. Smitli, M.D 186 Torry Jl^Luoe 16'^ Cyrus Short 107 HerveyKeyes facing 170 Hudson Sleeper " 1^4 Samuel Gates Huntington 191 Jared Goodyear between 196, 197 Major Peter Collier facing 197 Richard B. Morris 198 Adolphus G. Morris 199 Simeon R. Barnes 199 OtisWcstoott 200 103 108 113 116 118 120 124 132 138 William R. Hardy Andrew Spencer Henry Wilcox Ansel C. Mooro facing William Yates " Amos Palmer Judge Pascal Franohot Kdson Wheeler 217 Deacon Joseph Lull 217 Hon. Jacob K. Lull 218 James P. Kenyon 218 M. D. Cumminga 223 200 200 200 208 210 212 210 Dr. G. W. P. Wheeler Ellis Gross E. R. Ford Conrad Wolf . Solon Huntington K. B. ICilborn . General Samuel S. Burnsido James Slade Carlton Emmons The Birdsall Family . Thomas Buruside Rensselaer Day . Reuben Halo Russell Warren Col. Joseph A. Cheney Dr. W. A. Thayer John Pierce Piatt St. John . Francis Taylor . Charles Childs . William Kendrick Warren Fenimore C. Whipple Francis Hecox . James Fenimore Cooper Judge H. Sturgcs Jcdediah P. Sill Calvin Graves . William Holt Averell . Edward Clark Ambrose L. Jordan . Col. J. Holmes Prentiss Peter Barton William U. Hall . Jabez Beardslee . Alfred Wood William L. Brown Solomon Armstrong . Hiram C. Brockway . Norman R. Baker Stephen Clapsaddlo . Henry Roseboom John W. Sterrieker, M.D. . George Barrett . Colonel John D. Shaul James H. Cooke Isaiah Cook Levant W. Rathbone Larkin H. Blanohard George W. Palmer Arnold B. Watson Uriah Chapman Eli C. Belknap . Tlie Cone Genealogy Elbert Coates . The Roseboom Genealogy facing facing PAOB between 222, 223 222, 223 " 224, 225 facing 228 " 230 " 232 " 235 . . .237 . 237 between 242, 243 facing 244 . 246 . 246 250 252 253 254 255 265 255 256 266 266 263 204 271 279 280 280 282 285 286 291 292 296 297 298 314 315 315 318 319 319 328 332 332 333 348 348 34 « 360 350 361 366 366 facing PEEFACB. The author feels that no apology is necessary in presenting this volume to the public. The history contained in the following pages embraces one of the most interesting localities, historically, within the bounds of the Empire Stiite. It lias been our lioncst endeavor to trace the history of the development of Otsego County from that period when it was in the undisputed possession of the red man to the present, and to place before the reader an authentic narrative of its rise and progress to the prominent position it now occupies among the counties of the State. That such an undertaking is attended with no little difficulty and vexation none will deny. The aged pioneer relates events of the early settlements, while his neighbor sketches the same events with totally different outlines. Man's memory is ever at fault, while Time paints a different picture upon every mind. With these the historian has to contend ; and while it has been our aim to compile an accurate history, were it devoid of all inaccuracies, that perfection would have been attained which the writer had not the faintest conception of, and which Lord Macaulay once said never could be reached. From colonial and other documents in the State archives, from county, town, and village records, family manuscripts, printed publications, and innumerable private sources of information, we have endeavored to produce a history which should prove accurate, instructive, and in every respect worthy of " Old Otsego." The following volumes were consulted in the preparation of this work : Morgan's " League of the Iroquois" ; Schoolcraft's " Notes on the Iroquois" and " American Indians" ; Stone's " Life of Brant," "Life of Red Jacket," and "Life of Sir William Johnson"; Campbell's "Border Warfare of New York" ; Lossing's " Field-Book of the Revolution" ; Thatcher's " American Revolution" ; Barber's " History of New York" ; " Documentary History of New York" ; Bcardsley's " Reminiscences" ; Spafford's "Gazetteer, 1810"; French's "Gazetteer, 1860"; "Chronicles of Cooperstown" ; "History of Madison County"; "Hartwick Seminary Memorial"; Bailey's "Richfield Springs and Vicinity"; Smith's " History of the Seventy-Sixth Regiment" ; Adjutant-Generals' reports, muster-rolls, and innumerable pamphlets. We desire to acknowledge our sincere thanks to the following persons for much valuable informa- tion which has greatly lessened our labor in the preparation of the work : In Burlington to Abram Marcy, Andrew A. Mather, L. F. Hubbell, Geo. S. Gorham, David Fisk, Daniel A. Park, A. N. Balcom, Pitman Cook, and Adna Wood. In Butternuts to Samuel C. Gilbert, E. S. Ilalbert, Lewis Donaldson, J. Comstock, and William Cox. In Cherry Valley to William W. Campbell, Charles McLean, Rev. H. U. Swinnerton, A.M., J. L. Sawyer, and H. 11. Browne. In Decatur to J. E. Tyler, L. L. Davis, Barzilla Brown, and S. B. Champion. Id Edmeston to S. L. Hoxie, H. Langworthy, Walter Chapin, D. B. St. John, Lewis Spencer, and W. Burlingham. In Exeter numerous prominent citizens were interviewed for historical data ; and wc were also iiHsisted by Bcardsley's " lleminiscouccs" and JJalley's " Richfield Springs and Vicinity." In Hartwick to Rufus P. Luce, Mr. Burlingham, Elisha Fields, Hosea Winsor, Harris Winsor, Rev. James Pitcher, Miss Davidson, Hiram K. Marsh, and Captain W. J. Kellogg. 7 PREFACE. In Laurens to Hudson Sleeper, Amos Winsor, Tlios. Tiifany, Leroy Tucker, H. T. Harris, M.D., Cliauncey Strong, A. P. Strong, M.D., William C. Fields, Mr. Hopkins, and Jacob Butts. In Maryland to Pliilor Benedict, S. 11. Gurney, Carlton Brown, Geo. W. Spencer, James E. Tyler, and A, Hotchkin's history. In Middlefield to Sumner Stow Ely, David Blair, Gilbert Parshall, O. I. Pierce, Barzilla Bradley, S. W. Barnura, H. M. Pierce, and Fernando Hubbell. In Milford to Amos Bissell, S. N. Bissell, Cliauncey Goodrich, John Eddy, Captain Joseph Mum- ford, and many others. In Morris to A. S. Avery, Jacob K. Lull, A. C. Moore, Miss J. A. Franchot, Mrs. J. Davis, and llev. ITobart Cooke. In New Lisbon to Jonathan 11. Neff, Walter II. Yates, Captain W. J. Kellogg, and Captain L. B. Paine. In Oneonta to Timothy Sabin, Jeremiah Mereness, David J. Yager, D. G. Campbell, G. W. Reynolds, Mr. Ford, N. N. Bull, and Captain H. G. Wood. In Otego to William Birdsall, Harvey Hunt, Thurston Brown, Cyrus Hathaway, D. Emerson, and E. Blakely. In Otsego to Joseph A. Cheney, John Wiley, William Kinnie, Alex. Taylor, H. B. Sprague, and Russell Warren. In Pittsfield to Chester Card and C. G. Hall. In Plainfield to Parley Philips, Mrs. Whitford, Mr. Clark, H. H. Babcock, Solomon Armstrong, and D. A. Dewey. In Richfield to Dr. W. T. Bailey and Parker D. Fay, Esq. In Roseboom to Henry Roseboom, Dr. Sterricker, and David W. Bailey. In Springfield to Albert Coates, H. R. Wood, George O. Smith, Rev. P. F. Sanborn, and J. H. Davy. In Unadilla to Colonel Samuel North, Major C. D. Fellows, Lewis G. Cone, G. B. Fellows F. A. Bolles, William J. Thompson, Mrs. Lydia Cone (aged ninety), and many others. In Westford to Nathan Bidlake, James E. Tyler, William H. Platner, Ezra W. Thurbiir, S. B. Champion, L. E. Preston, and J. K. Tyler. In Worcester to Hon. Leonard Caryl, Ezra W, Thurbur, C. H. Crippen, S. B. Champion, and John Ferguson. In Cooperstown we are under special obligations to Samuel M. Shaw, Esq., editor of the Freeman's Journal, for much valuable material and assistance, and also to Andrew Davidson, the editor of the Otsego Republican, Calvin Graves, George F. Ernst, Samuel Starkweather, Judge Sturges, Horace Lathrop, M.D., G. Pomeroy Keese, Newell Wolsey Wells, Frederick A. Goffe, and Fred L. Palmer. Our acknowledgments are also due to Major J. W. Cronkite, of New York, for the excellent history of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment, and to Stephen Holden, Esq., of Sherburne, for that of the One Hundred and Fifty-second Regiment. D. H. H. Cooperstown, N. Y., April 20, 1878. HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, l^EW YOEK. BY D. HAMILTON HURD. CHAPTER I. VOYAGE AND DiaOOVERT. The New World — First Discovered in A.D. 986 — Tlio Norsemen — Herjulfson — Lief Eriokson nnd his Adventures — Thorwald Eriok- Bon — His Death— Thorstein Erickson — Thorfinn Karlsefne — Christopher Columbus — John Vorrazzani — John Cabot — Spanish, French, and English Claims to Territory — The French and Indian War — Treoty of Peace. The New World, or Western Continent, was first dis- covered by white men a.d. 986". Herjulfson, a Norse navigator, in sailing from Iceland to Greenland, was driven by a storm to the coast of Labrador, or, as some historians seem fit to claim, to Newfoundland. The coasts of the new land being low, rocky, and otherwise uninviting, no landing was attempted. Thus Herjulfson first saw the new land, but it was reserved for other explorers to set foot upon its territory. The Norsemen returned to Greenland with wonderful stories of the land that they had seen, but no further attempt was made at discovery. After the lapse of a few years, an Icelandic captain, named Lief Erickson, who was possessed of remarkable spirit of adventure, resolved to discover, if possible, the country concerning which Herjulfson and his companions had related such fabulous accounts, and in the year 1001 landed upon the shore of Labrador. He pursued his course southwest along the coast, and finding tlie country pleasant and attractive, protracted his visit, and finally reached the terHtory embraced within the present State of Massachu- setts, where the intrepid explorers remained one year. They proceeded along the coast bordering upon Long Island Sound, and it is claimed that the persevering band found their way to New York harbor. Whether these hardy ex- plorers Bet foot upon the soil of New York is of but little consequence, as voyages were subsequently made to these shores, and discoveries carried as far south as Virginia. The return of these adventurers to their native country, with a description of the land they had passed through, stimulated others with a desire to see the new country, and in 1002, Thorwald Erickson, a brother of the former ex- 2 plorer, made a voyage to the coast of Maine, and is said to have ended his days in the vicinity of the present town of Fall River, Massachusetts. In 1005, Thorstein Erickson, another brother, with a band of adventurers, landed upon our shores, and was followed, in 1007, by Thorfinn Karls- efne, a celebrated mariner, who proceeded along the coast as far as Virginia. The Norsemen were simply an erratic band of rovers. They made no settlements, nor left any records of importance concerning their discoveries. No real good whatever resulted from their voyages. The en- thusiasm excited by first discovery gradually subsided, and as there were no spoils in the wilderness to fall prey to the Norse freebooters and pirates, the further occupancy of the country was abandoned, and the shadows which had been dispelled for a moment again gathered in ; the curtain which had been lifted was again lowered from sky to ocean, nnd the New World still lay hidden in the misty future. Until recently, historians have been incredulous on the subject of the Norse discovery, but the fact is now generally conceded. We are in possession of no more reliable information than Humboldt's " Cosmos," but that may be cited as conclusive : " We are here on historical ground. By the critical and highly praiseworthy efforts of Professor Rafn and the Royal Society of Antiquaries in Copenhagen, the sagas and documents in regard to the expeditions of the Norsemen to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, nnd Vinland have been published and satisfactorily commented upon. The dis- covery of the northern part of America by the Norsemen cannot be disputed, The length of the voyage, the direc- tion in which they sailed, the time of the sun's rising and setting, are accurately given. While the caliphate of Bag- dad was still flourishing, America was discovered, about the year 1001, by Lief, the son of Eric the Red, at the latitude of forty-one and a half degrees north." A period of four hundred and ninety-two years had elapsed from Lief Jilrickson's discovery, when Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, Italy, touched upon an island, subsequently called San Salvador, and, planting the banner of Castile, formally claimed possession of the land in the name of the noble Isabella, queen of Spain. He returned 9 10 HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. to Spain, and subsequently made two successive voyages to the New World, each of which was fraught with great and lasting benefit to civilized Europe. In justice to Colum- bus, this land should have borne his name, but through the artifice of a Florentine navigator named Americo Vespucci he was robbed of the honor, and it was bestowed on Ves- pucci, the least worthy of the many adventurers. Not alone to Spain was left the control of the country which the genius and success of Columbus had brought to the knowledge of the world. France, ever regarding with a jealous oyo tho success of her formidable neighbor, was not slow to profit by tiio discovcrius of Columbus. As early ns 1504 tho Normandy fishermen began to ply their vocation on the banks of Newfoundland ; and in 1508 a number of the aborigines were taken to France. In 1523 a voyage of discovery was planned under the auspices of Francis I., and thexpmmand of the expedition was given to John Verrazzani, a native of Florence. After a perilous voyage he discovered the mainland in the latitude of Wil- mington. After a sojourn of a few days he headed his vessel northward and sailed along the coast of Delaware and New Jersey, entered the harbor of New York, touched Massachusetts and Maine, and continued his course along the coast to Newfoundland. At several points the enter- prising Florentine landed and opened a traffic witli the In- dians, being always received with every evidence of friend- ship. He returned to France and published an account of his remarkable discoveries, and, naming the country New France, boldly asserted his claim to the sea-girt coast in the name of Francis I. ]<]ngland, enterprising, wealthy, and adventurous, lost no time and spared no money in fitting out an expedition of discovery to the Western Continent, and no day in the his- tory of the New World was more important than the 5th of May, 1496. On that day Henry VII., king of Great Brit- ain, issued a commission to John Cabot, a Venetian, to make discoveries and to take possession of all islands and continents, carry the English flag, and assert the title of the king of England. After a protracted voyage tho gloomy coast of Labrador was the cliucrluss sight that mot the anxious gaze of the brave Cabot. This was the real discovery of the American continent. He explored the country for several hundred miles, and, in accordance with the terms of his commission, hoisted the English flag and took possession in the name of the English king. Au inci- dcut is related, in connection with this act, illustrative of the love man has for his native country : Near the flag of England he planted the banner of the repuhlic of Venice, little thinking, doubtless, that, as the centuries rolled on, not the flag of proud Albion, but that of a republic, would float from ocean to ocean. Cabot returned to England, and received all the adulations and honors that a proud nation could bestow upon an honored subject. This expe- dition was succeeded by others, all of which redounded to the honor and enterprise of England, aud resulted in the founding of colonies which, under the fostering care of the mother country, soon became prosperous and self-reliant. The French and Indian war, which began in 1754, re- sulted from the conflicting territorial claims between France and England. At the close of an arduous struggle, lasting nine years, a treaty of peace was made at Paris, by the terms of which all the French possessions in North Amer- ica eastward of the Mississippi, from its source to the river llerville, and thence through Lakes Maurepas and Pont- chartrain to the Gulf of ]\Iexico, were surrendered to Eng- land. Spain, who had also been at war with Great Britain, ceded East aud West Florida to the English crown. From the close of the French and Indian war to the beginning of the Revolution spanned a prosperous era in the history of the English colonists. The causes which led to the American Revolution and the history of that ardu- ous struggle arc so well known that no mention is needed in this connection : sufliccth to say that tho colonists, after a weary struggle of nine years, were acknowledged by Great Britain free and independent States ; and proud should Al- bion be to-day in the recollection that her sons planted the genn of the republic whose flag is honored and respected by all nations. CHAPTER IL THE IKOQUOIB. Early Traditions^OrgDnization of tbo League — Aboriginal Nomen- clature of the various Tribes — Wars and Conquests — Military Prowess — Their Introduction to Gunpowder and Liquor — "Manit- to" or "Great Spirit" — "Fire-Water" and its Baneful Effeels — The Incursions of M. Belabarre, M. Dcnonville, and Count Bo Frontcnac — The Jesuits — 1700. TiiADiTiON informs us that about the year ICOO this nation resided in the vicinity of Montreal, and were in subjection to the AdirondacJcs. How long the latter tribe had exercised this power, and whether the Iroquois had previously been a powerful nation, are questions that natu- rally suggest themselves to the searcher in history, but have not, by even the most indefatigable workers in aboriginal lore, been answered ; and the pen of the present historian is unable to lift the veil of obscurity that enslirouds the re- mote origin of this nation, tho most powerful and intelligent that ever dwelt within the boundaries of this republic. From the AdirondacJcs they acquired the art of hus- bandry, and became proficient in the chase and upon the war-path. As they increased in numbers and influence, a passion seized them to become the possessors of the country thuy occupied, and raising the tomahawk at the Adiron- dacks they waged a fierce contest against them, which re- sulted in the defeat of the Iroquois, and the remnants of the tribe were compelled to fly the country to escape ex- termination. They traced their steps into the lake country, and, gathering their scattered warriors, efiiected a settlement on Seneca river. No authority gives us the date of the organization of this celebrated league, but it was probably in about the year 1600, as it was a powerful organization at the date of Dutch occupation, in 1609. The league originally consisted of five nations, viz., the Onondagns, Oneidas, Mohawks, Cayiigas, and Senecas. O-nun-dii'-ga, the origin of the name of the Onoiidagas, signifies " on the hills ;" hence the name they gave themselves, O-nun-dii'-ga-o-wo, — as ren- HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. 11 dered, " the people of the hills." The Omidas were called the " people of the stone," or " the granite people," as indi- cated by their national name, 0-na-yote' -ko-o-no. Gd-ne-a'-ga-o-no was the name applied to the Mohawks, which signified "the possessor of the flint;" and they had for the device of the village a " steel and a flint." The Cayvgas were known by the appellation of Gm'-u- gweh-o-no, " the people of the mucky land." It doubtless referred to the marsh at the foot of Cayuga lake, where they first settled. Nun-da-wii' -o-no, was the national name of the Senecas, meaning " the great hill people." This was the name also of their oldest village on Canandaigua lake, whore, accord- ing to their Soicca myth, the tribe sprang out of the ground. The following account of their origin is given from a native source : " While the tribe had its seat and council-fire on this hill, a woman and her son were living near it, when the boy one day caught a small two-headed serpent, called Kaistowanca, in the bushes. lie brought it home as a pet to amuse himself, and put it in a box, where he fed it on birds, flesh, and other dainties. After some time it had become so large that it rested on the beams of the lodge, and the hunters were obliged to feed it with deer ; but it soon went out and made its abode on a neighboring hill, where it maintained itself. It often went out and sported in the lake, and in time became so large and mischievous that the tribe were put in dread of it. They consulted on the subject one evening, and determined to fly next morn- ing ; but with the light of the next morning the monster had encircled the hill, and lay with its double jaws extended before the gate. Some attempted to pass out, but were driven back ; others tried to climb over its body, but were unable. Hunger at last drove thern to desperation, and they made a rush to pass, but only rushed into the mon- ster's double jaws. All were devoured but a warrior and liis sister, who waited in vain expectancy of relief. At lensth the warrior bad a dream, in which he was shown that if he would fledge his arrows with the hair of his sister the charm would prevail over their enemy. He was warned not to heed the frightful heads and hissing tongues, but to shoot at the heart. Accordingly, the next morning he armed himself with his keenest weapons, charmed as di- rected, and boldly shot at the serpent's heart. The instan- taneous recoiling of the monster proved that the wound was mortal. He began in great agony to roll down the hill, breaking down trees and uttering horrid noisos, until he rolled into the lake. Here he slaked his thirst, and tried by water to mitigate his agony, dashing about in fury. At length he vomited up all the people whom he had eaten, bnd immediately expired and sank to the bottom." The Six Nations were constituted in 1712, by the uniting of the J'uscaroras, Z)«s-j7«-o'-M)e7i, " theshirt-wearingpeople," — a nation that inhabited the western part of North Caro- lina. The league was originated by the Onondagas, hence they were called the "Fathers of tlio Confcdcriicy ;" tho Mohawks, having first given their consent, were known as " The Eldest Brothers ;" and for a similar reason the Cayu- gas were called "The Youngest Brothers," having given their assent last. The Senecas were named " The Watch- men," from the fact, doubtless, of their location near their enemies from the west. The organization of the league was effected on the east bank of the Onondaga creek, on the , road to Syracuse. The chiefs and sachems soon discerned that the compact entered into was in all respects advan- tageous, thus creating and maintaining a fraternal spirit among themselves, and rendering them powerful upon the war-path. With the consciousness of returning power, their first warlike move was against their old enemies, the Adirondaclcs, whom they utterly exterminated. No^^ be- coming convinced of their power, they waged war upon all surrounding nations. Their tomahawk was brandished upon the shores of Lake Superior, their warlike measures were carried into New England, and tho scalping-knifo gleamed along the valley of the Father of Waters. They conquered the Ilurons, the Eries, the Aiidastez, the Chauaiwns, the lUinois, the Mlamics, the Algonquins, the Delawares, the Shawanese, the Susqiiehannoclcs, the Nanticolces, the Una- mis, the Minsi; and even the Carnise Indians, in their sea-girt home upon Long Island, found no protection against their attacks. The name of the Iroquois had become a terror to all the Indian nations. " I have been told," says Colden, " by old men in New England, who remembered the time when the MohawJcs made war upon their Indians, that as soon as a single Mohawk was discovered in their country, their Indians raised a cry from hill to hill, ' A Mohawk ! a Mohawk !' upon which they fled like sheep before wolves, without attempting to make the least resist- ance." The thirst for military glory was their ruling passion. They evinced a remarkable spirit of ambition, not unlike Napoleon, or Caesar of old, and but for the settle- ment of the New World by the Caucasian, we have no right to doubt that eventually the haughty chiefs of the dusky legion of the Six Nations would have wielded the sceptre over the Indians of North America with all the despotism of an Alexander, and, like him, would have thirsted for fresh con([uests. The effects of these military operations were carried as far north as Hudson's bay, while the Mis- sissippi did not form their western limits. They ravished the extreme eastern and southern portions of the United States, and, without doubt, as stated in Rogers' " America," their wars were extended to the Isthmus of Darien. That was a fatal hour when the red man quaffed the rum from the hands of Henry Hudson. That was a fatal hour when the red man was taught the power of gunpowder by Champlain. It is remarkable that the Indians were made known with tlioso, their two greatest enemies, during tho same week of the same year, 1609, by these rival explorers. The manner of giving the first draught of liquor to the Indians, as related by a manuscript in the New York His- torical society, was as follows : " Hudson, accompanied by a number of his attendants, was ascending, in a canoe, the river that bears his name, and discovering a band of aborigi- nes, made them a sign to halt. He went ashore, and, after friendly salutations, he beckoned to an attendant, who broiight him a hockhack (gourd) and a little cup, both ns clear as tho new ice upon the surface of a lake. And from the hockhack Manitto, or Great Spirit, as they regarded Hudson, filled the cup with a liquid which he drank, and refilling, handed to the chief near him, who quaffisd the cup 12 HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. to the bottom. In a few moments his eyes closed, lustreless, and he fell heavily to the ground. His companions thought .him dead, and the wailings of the women resounded through the forest. After a long time the chief revived, and, spring- ing to his feet, declared that he had experienced the most delightful sensations, seen visions, and was never more happy. He requested another draught, and, following his example, the liquor went around the circle. They all partook of the ravishing cup, and all became intoxicated." Froiq that fatal hour to the present their thirst for the maddening poison has not abated. In vain have their councils passed decrees against it, in vain have their teachers admonished them, and equally useless have been the eloquent and pathetic appeals of their women against it. Whenever and wherever, even at this late day, whether it be the Sioux, among the Black hills, or the remnants of the Iroquois, upon their reservations, they can lay their hands upon fire-water they are certain to drink it. This accursed liquor was among the strongest agencies used by the unprincipled settler in his intercourse with the red man to gain his land and furs. In this connection it is proper to observe that the English bestowed no attention upon the enlightenment of the race, either morally or religiously. In striking contrast with the attitude of England — a country under more lasting obligations to the Iroquois than any other nation upon the globe — was that of France, as exhibited by the Jesuit missionaries, Franciscan priests, and Recol- let fathers. These were the firat Caucasians who lifted up their voices in the wilderness in attempting to Chris- tianize the red man. History has never done these fathers justice. They left their homes in sunny France, sur- rounded by every luxury that wealth and ecclesiastical position could afford, and sought an abode in the wilds of the New World, with no companions save the beasts of the forest and hostile Indians. They came not as the trader, worshiping Mammon, nor the settler in search of a home. They endured all the privations of the forest with the sole object in view of Christianizing the aborigines. Their lives were sacrificed upon the altar of Christianity, that he might be raised from darkness and brought into sweet communion with the Great Spirit. Their motto — Ad majorem, Dei gloriam — was ever be- fore them, and but for the constantly-recurring wars, they would, without doubt, have left a spirit of Christian civili- zation among the savages of this land. In many localities they wrought a truly wonderful work in inculcating a tem- perance spirit among the Indians, who suffered severely from the unprincipled trader, who took their furs and gave the poor savage liquor in return. Several attempts were made by England and France to extirpate the confederacy of the Six Nations, but without success. The first incursion into their country was headed by M. Delabarre, the governor-general of Canada, in 1683 ; the second by M. Denonville, also governor-general of Canada, in 1687; the third by Count De Frontenac, in 1697. These incursions failed to accomplish the subjugation of the proud confederacy, and the year 1700 dawns and finds them in the zenith of their glory, They had reared a colossal Indian empire, and as far as their unsophisticated vision extended, destined to remain. " Xlio Futbor abovo tbougkt lit to givo Tho wbito man corn and wino; Tboro aro golden liolds wbero bo may live, But the forest shades are mine." CHAPTER III. OTBEQO PKIOK TO THE KEVOLUTION. Its Isolated Location— Tho I'lrst Sottlomcnt— John Lindcsay— His Friendly Intercourse with tbo Indians — Tbo Winter of 1740—118 Severity — Great Depth of Snow — Communication with the Settle- ments on the Mohawk cat off— Starvation Imminent — Timely Arrival of a Mohawk Indian — His Friendship — Supplies the Family with Food — Arrival of Rev. John Dunlop and Others in 1741— The First Meeting-llouse — The Pioneer Preacher — The First School in the State west of Albany — Arrival of John Wells in 1743 — A Fort erected — The French War — Captain McKean's " Ilangers"-:-Settlcments of Edmeston, Exeter, Hartwick, Lau- rens, Middlefield, Milford, Morris, Now Lisbon, Onconta, Bich- field, Unadillo — The Eve of the Revolution. " It was a gloomy wild where Indian warriors trod, AVhcre savage minds in solitude looked up to nature's Qod." Notwithstanding that the territory now embraced within the boundaries of Otsego County was remote from the flourishing settlements in the eastern part of the State, and was traversed by none of the great trails of the red man, still it received its first settlers as early as 1740, and when the War of the Revolution burst upon tho land the rude cabin of the pioneer was seen in various sections of the county, and " The axe, that wondrous instrument That, like the talisman, transforms Deserts to fields and cities," was already resounding among the stern old monarchs of the forest. In 1738, thirty-seven years before the first gun was fired at Concord, a tract of land, embracing 8000 acres, located in the northeast part of the present county of Otsego, was granted to four persons, — John Lindesay, Jacob Roseboome, Lenelet Gansevoort, and Sybraut Van Sohaick, — by George Clark, then lieutenant-governor of the province of New York. In the following year Mr. Lindesay, who was mainly instrumental in securing the purchase, having obtained an assignment of the grant from his associates to himself and Governor Clark, proceeded to survey the entire tract and subdivide it into lots. In the following year Mr. Lindesay, unused to the hard- ships and privations of frontier life, left the conveniences of a city home, where he had been surrounded with all that wealth could bring, and a highly-cultivated taste suggest, for a home in the forest. How great the contrast. To no one more than he was this apparent, but being a Scot by birth, the sight of deep valleys, the streams murmuring adown their rocky beds, and the declivities of the hill-sides, vividly reminded him of "Old Scotia," and that alone seemed to him sufficient reason for founding a home in the forest wilds. HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. 13 He selected for a location premises now owned by Joseph Plielon, and gave it the name of " Lindesay's Bush." At this early date, the locality was a favorite hunting- ground of the Mohawks, as bears, elk, deer, etc., were in abundance. They came in great numbers, and were treated by Mr. Lindesay with kindness, who at once saw the im- portance of cultivating and maintaining a friendly inter- course with them. The kindly spirit of friendship ex- hibited by Mr. Lindesay soon brought forth good fruit, and in all probability was the means of preserving himself and family from starvation during the coming winter. The winter of 1740 was of unusual severity ; snow fell to a great depth, and all communication with the settlements on the Mohawk was cut off. It was indeed a gloomy fu- ture. Mr. Lindesay, unaccustomed to the severity of the winters, had failed in making ample provisions for himself and the few that were gathered around him, and starvation stared him in the face. There seemed no alternative but to await the visitation of the " grim messenger." At this critical juncture, nssistanco canio in the person of a Mo- hawk Indian, who had traveled from the Mohawk on snow-shoes, and upon being informed of their destitute condition returned to the camp on the Mohawk, and, after securing a quantity of provisions, wended his way again to the imprisoned family. He continued his trips during the winter, and thus this faithful red brother saved from starva- tion the first settlers of Otsego County. Notwithstanding this episode of frontier life, which to many would have been .sufiScient reason for abandoning the settlement, Mr. Lindesay still sounded its praises, and in 1741 he induced Rev. Samuel Dunlop, an Irishman by birth, to visit the location, and offered him, as an induce- ment to settle there, a tract of land embracing several hun- dred acres. The generous proposal was accepted, and in 1741 Mr. Dunlop, together with David Ramsey, William Oallt, James Campbell, and William Dickson, were added to the frontier settlement. These pioneers, with their families, numbered about thirty persons. They had emi- grated from the north of Ireland, were industrious and hardy, and in all respects well adapted to encounter the privations and toil of the frontier, as they had been in- ured to hard labor from infancy in their native land. Mr. Dunlop was the first regular preacher in the settle- ment, officiating in a log house, which had been erected for a meeting-house, a short distance north of Mr. Lindesay's. He was an enterprising spirit, and subsequently opened a school for the instruction of boys, who came from the ad- joining settlements, and from Albany and Schenectady. This was the first grammar-school in the State west of Albany. In consequence of the isolated location of the settlement it increased slowly, and during the ten subsequent years not more than four families were added. Among these was Mr. John Wells, an Irishman, who settled in 1743, and in the following year purchased the Lindesay farm. The pioneer of this frontier settlement, Mr. Lindesay, after struggling several years, was compelled to abandon the en- terprise. In 1744, when the northern frontier was threat- ened by the French and Indians, he joined a company of "Independent Greens," his father-in-law, Mr. Congreve, having resigned his commission as lieutenant in the com- pany in favor of Mr. Lindesay. He remained in the service several years, and subsequently died in the city of New York. Mr. Wells, mentioned above, was one of the leading citizens, and was appointed the first justice of the peace of the town, and was one of the judges of Tryon county. The little settlement was in constant fear of marauding bands of savages, and during the last French war a body of 800 " rangers" was raised to protect Tryon county, and one company, under command of Captain Mc- Kean, was stationed at Cherry Valley, where a rude fort had previously been erected. In 1762 the population of the settlement consisted of eight families, and at the begin- ning of the Revolution its population numbered about three hundred persons. We have thus given the reader a glimpse of the first settlement in Otsego County, as it appeared upon the eve of the Revolution. Other settlements, though few in number, had been effected in various portions of the county. The present town of Edmeston was settled as early as 1770, by Colonel Edmeston, an ex-officer in the English army, who was granted a tract embracing 10,000 acres for his services during the French war. A small clearing was made and two huts erected, before the Revolution, in the town of Exeter, on what was sub- sequently known as the " Herkimer farm." These two cabins were standing at the close of the war, when the first settlers came in, but nothing further is known concerning this attempted settlement. The territory embraced within the present boundaries of the town of Hartwick was granted to John Christopher Hartwick, April 22, 1761, and settlements were soon after commenced. The pioneers of Laurens located in that town in 1774, the first settlement being made by Joseph Mayall, a short distance northeast of the present village. Middlcfield received its first settlers in 1755. Those who Settled prior to the Revolution were Wm. Cook, Daniel Benjamin, and Reuben McCollum, Samuel and Andrew Wilson, Andrew Cochran, Andrew- Cameron, and a Mr. Hall. On the Susquehanna river, in the town of Milford, one Carr, a " squatter," located prior to the Revolution ; but the settlements in this town assumed no importance until after the war. Ebenezer Knapp came from Dutchess Co., N. Y., and located in the valley of the Butternut creek, in the town of Morris, as early as 1773. Increase Thurston and Benjamin Lull and sons located in New Lisbon in 1773, thirty-three years before the civil organization of the town was effected. Oneonta received its first white settlers prior to the Revolution, but the precise date is not known. Their names were Henry Scramlin and a Mr. Young. The permanent settlement of Otsego was not mado until after the Revolution, but a small clearing was made not far from the outlet, in 1761, by John Christopher Hart- wick, proprietor of the " Hartwick patent," under the im- pression that his lands extended to the shore of the lake. Being soon convinced of his error, it was abandoned. 14 HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. Richfield was settled prior to the war, but the perma- nent settlement was not made until about the year 1787. In Unadilla settlements were made before the war, but nothing definite is known eoncorning either settlers or loca- tions. CHAPTER IV. THE HEVOLUTION. Position of tho Iroquois— Sir William Jolinaon — His Induonoo with tho Indians^Tho Massiicrn of Wyoming — The " Shades of Death" — Itesolutions of the Continental Congress — Denounced by the Court at Johnstown — Gxeitemcnt — Meeting at Cherry Valley — Address of the Indian Interpreter, Thomas Spencer — Resolutions Adopted^Conference between Brant and Rev. Mr. Johnson, at Unadilla, in June, 1777 — Council of General Herkimer and Brant, at Unadilla, in July, 1777 — Brant Enraged — Unsatisfactory Termi- nation of the Meeting. "Sad was tho year, by proud oppression driven, When transatlantic liberty arose ; Not in tho sunshine mid the smile of Heaven, But wrapt in whirlwinds and begirt with woes, Amid.Ht the strife of fratricidal foes. Her bright star was tho light of burning plain ; Her baptism is the weight of blood that flows From kindred hearts — the blood of British veins; And famine tracks her steps and pestilential pains." In the beginning of the Revolutionary struggle the little band of colonists found themselves at a disadvantage with their formidable antagonists, not only in men and muni- tions of war, but from the fact that, through the agency of Sir William Johnson, the fierce Iroquois were arrayed against them, and only waiting the opportunity to wage the barbaric warfare characteristic of the savage. It must be admitted that no representative of the Eng- lish government ever wielded the influence among the In- dians of this land equal to that of Sir William Johnson. lie came to this country when twenty years of age to su- perintend an estate belonging to his uncle. Sir Peter War- ren, located in the Mohawk valley. Young Johnson soon succeeded in gaining the friendship of the Mohawh Indians, and eventually, through the diplomacy which subsequently gave him an enviable reputation, controlled nearly every tribe of the dusky legion of the confederacy. This was the situation of affairs when the first gun was fired at Concord, and from that hour when the intelligence reached him of the conflict he directly and indirectly roused the savage spirit of the Indian against the colonists ; and to him, more than any other one man, are attributed the border wars of the Revolution, which for cruelty and inhu- manity are unparalleled in the annals of our country. While the colonists were struggling with a well-disciplined and determined foe upon the seaboard, the frontier settle- ments were being harassed by the savage and the parricidal American Tory, both animated by a spirit of vandalism, destroying the habitations, devastating the cultivated fields, and waging an inhuman war against helpless women and innocent children. In July, 1778, a force numbering about 1600 Indians and Tories, under the command of Colonel John Butler, appeared at Wyoming, a flourishing settlement on the Sus- quehanna. Butler informed the inhabitants that he came with no hostile feelings, and that none should be molested. At nightfall, however, the savages and half-breeds, "More fell than tigers on the Lybian plain," rushed upon their victims. Men were shot down upon their own thresholds, women were dragged from their homes and tomahawked, while the cries of tortured infants floated through the midnight air. The light of the burning village shone over the most inhuman scene that stains the page of history. Many of those who escaped the toma- hawk of the murderous savage were lost in a great swamp in the neighborhood, which from that circumstance acquired the name of the ^'■Shades of Death," and retains it to this day. Butler and his band of half-breeds returned to their haunts in triumph, and the surrounding hills doubtless blazed with many a camp-fire, around which was brandished the glittering tomahawk in the triumphal war-dance. As it is our purpose only to relate so much of the history of the border warfare as is prominently associated with the present county of Otsego, we must go back to 1775, and note a few of the movements of the loyalists and colonists in Tryon county. The Continental congress, which met in Philadelphia in September, 1774, sent forth a number of patriotic addresses and resolutions stigmatizing the " blocking up of the port of Boston" as " oppressive and arbitrary,'' and otherwise stating their grievances, and calling upon the people to maintain their rights. The resolutions and measures adopted by the congress were well calculated to rouse the ire of the loyalists, and at a court held in John.stown, in the spring of 1775, a declara- tion was framed and circulated by the loyalists of the county denouncing the measures adopted by the congress. This declaration met with some opposition, but finally was signed by the majority of the jui-ymen and magistrates. This bold assertion of the supremacy of the king, and opposition to the just and inalienable right of the colonists, caused great excitement among the people, and committees to cor- respond with the general congress were appointed in each district, and sub-committees were formed in every liamlet in the county. A meeting was immediately held in the little church in Cherry Valley, which was filled with the liberty-loving in- habitants of that small village, to discuss the situation and sign the article of association which had been framed for the patriotic people of Tryon county. The meeting was ad- dressed by an Indian interpreter named Thomas Spencer, who roused the spirit of patriotic fire in the breasts of his hearers, and at the close of the meeting the following article of association was signed by nearly all present: Whereaa, the grand jury of this county and a number of the magistrates have signed a declaration declaring their disapprobation of the opposition made by the colonies to the oppressive and aibi- trary acts of parliament, the purport of which is ovidonlly to entail slavery in America; and as tho said declaration may in some measure be looked upon as the sense of tho couuty in general if tho same bo passed over in silence, we, tho subscribers, freeholders, and tho in- HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. 15 habitants of the saul county, inspired with n sincere love for oar country, and deeply interested in the common cause, do solemnly declare our fixed attachment and entire approbation of the proceed- ings of the grand Continental congress, held at IMiiladolphia last fall, and that we will strictly adhere to, and repose our confidence in the wisdom and integrity of the present Continental congress; and that wo will support the same to the utmost of our power, and that we will religiously and mviolably observe the regulations of that august body. Thus it will be seen that the inhabitants of Cherry Val- ley early espoused tlie cause of liberty, and were ever after ready to repel the invasion and avarice of the mother coun- try ; and when, on the following 4th day of July, the col- onists declared themselves " free and independent," the declaration was received with mingled feelings of enthusiasm and joy. During the summer of ITTG nothing of any importance occurred in the vicinity, and a temporary feeling of ease and security settled^ over the people. In the month of June, 1777, a conference was held at Unadilla between Brant and the Rev. Mr. Johnson, who was accompanied by a number of the militia officers. Brant as usual had many grievances to relate, and stated that the Indians were in want of provisions, and that if necessity required force would be resorted to to secure the same. The inhabitants thereupon gave them cattle, sheep, etc., and they retraced their trail to Oquago (now Windsor, Broome county). In consequence of the close proximity of Brant, the people were in a constant state of excitement, and, in the ensuing July, General Herkimer with a force of 380 militia marched to Unadilla, and was there met by Brant at the head of 135 warriors. He reiterated his many grievances, and when asked if his tribe intended to remain at peace, made the following answer : " The Indians were in concert with the king, as their fathers and grandfathers had been. That the king's bolts were yet lodged with them, and they could not falsify their pledge. That General Herkimer and the rest had joined the Boston people against their king. That Boston people were resolut«, but the king would humble them. That Mr. Schuyler, or general, or what you please to call him, was very smart on the Indians at the treaty at German Flats, but was not at the same time able to afford them the smallest article of clothing. That the Indians had formerly made war on the white people all united ; and now they were divided the Indians were not frightened." This conference ended with no satisfactory results having been reached. During the council Brant became incensed at a remark of one of the officers, to the effect that if he intended " to espouse the cause of the king the matter was ended," and immediately roused his warriors and sounded the war- whoop. He was soon silenced by General Herkimer, who, in an address, informed the dusky warrior that he had met him with no warlike resolves, but Brant was defiant, and exclaimed that lie was ready for war. With this unsatis- factory termination the conference ended, and in all proba- bility was the last hold with the Six Nations, — except the Oiieidas, — at which an effort was made to prevent the league from participating in the war. CHAPTER V. THE MASSAOKB OP CHEEBT VALLET. The Summer of 1776— Exposed Condition of the Village— Captain MoKean Organises a Company of Rangers — Ordered to Rcmove-r Protest of the Inhabitants — Petition to the Provincial Congress — Defenseless- Fort Erected in 1776— Another in 1778— Brant's Approach in 1776 — Intended Attack — Amusing Incident : " Colonel Campbell has got his House well guarded, I perceive" — Visit of Colonel Wormwood — Starts on his Return — Is Tomahawked and Scalped by Brant — Brant's Bock— Captain McKean's Challenge — Brant's Letter to Peroifor Carr — 1778 — Arrival of Colonel lohabod Aldon and Soldiery — Precautionary Measures Adopted — Approach of the Enemy — The Attack Opened — The Scnecas head the On- slaught-Colonel Aldon Killed — Butchery of Iho Wells Family and others — Cajiturc of Mrs. Campbell and Children — Incidents — 177S — The Garrison Abandoned, "Hark ! hark ! methinks I hear some melancholy moan, Steeling upon my listening ear, As though some departing spirit was about To soar, amid the horrors of a massacre I Yes, the savage fionil, with glittering knife And tomahawk, recking with infant blood. Stands in awful prospect before my vision." As Cherry Valley was the principal settlement in the county south of the Mohawk, it was greatly exposed to the incursion of the Indians from the south, one of whose fre- quented trails passed through the village. To guard the people against any attack of the Indians which might be made, a company of rangers was raised during the summer of 1776, by Robert McKean, of that village. Time passed on, and no indications of an attack being made. Captain McKean and his rangers were ordered to remove. This , occasioned much surprise, and the following letter was written to the committee by the Rev. Samuel Dunlop, bearing date June 3, 177C: Siiis, — We, the inhabitants of Cherry Valley, being assembled yesterday at a public town-meeting, and among other things taking the present critical situation of affairs into consideration, looked upon ourselves and the neighborhood around us, Springfield and Newtown-Martin, as a frontier, lying very open and unguarded, and very much exposed to the enemy, in case an Indian war should break out, or any party of the enemy should take it into their heads to conio down upon us ; and that it would be absolutely necessary to have a party of men stationed hero among us, in order to keep a sharp lookout, ond to scout all around our frontiers, lest at any time we be taken by surprise. And therefore have appointed me to write to you, to lay this matter warmly before the committee, and earnestly to impress them with the absolute necessity of tho thing, and to beg of them that if Captain McKean and liis company ho removed from this place that they would bo pleased to nond somo others in his stead, that we may not lie altogether naked and exposed to the assaults of the enemy. The committee being unable to comply with this request, several of the inhabitants signed a petition, of which the following is a copy, under date of July 1, 1776 : To THE IIONOItABLG MEllBF.nS OF THE PnOTlTlOlAL CONORESS OF NEW YORK. The humble petition of the inhabitants of Cherry Valley, Newtown- Martin, and Springfield, in the county of Tryon, humbly showeth : That we, tho aforesaid inhabitants, from the mostauthontio intclli- gonco wo have reoelvcd from our missionaries and Indian friends, learn that we are in imminent danger of being cut off by the savages our enemies, whom we understand are bribed by Sir John Johnson and Colonel Butler to execute the same. Know, also, honorable gen- 16 HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. tlemen, that the spirit of our inhabitants has been such for the Ameri- can cause that, out of the small and scattered bounds of Cherry Val- ley and Ncwtown-Marlin, no leas than thirty-three has turned out for imuiedluto sorvico, and good of their country, and thereby left us in a defenseless condition. We, therefore, your humble petitioners, hum- bly pray you would forthnith take this, our deplorable and distressed state and condition, under your immediate consideration, and medi- tate some speedy relief for us before it be too late, especially as the inhabitants of the Old England distiict and Unadilla are daily flying into our settlement, so that we shall immediately, in all appearance, become an open, defenseless, and unguarded frontier, and very much exposed to the insults of the enemy, especially scalping-partiea; and are at present without either ammunition or men, anyway sufficient to defend ourselves; and unless you, gentlemen, that can help us, will help us, by sending ammunition to the inhabitants, and a sufli- oicnt number of men, such as you may think proper, to guard our frontiers, we must expect to fall victims to the rage and fury of our merciless enemies. And, therefore, must once more beg you may take this, our deplorable circumstances, under your consideration, and send us immediate relief; and your petitioners shall ever pray. This petition, signed by Samuel Dunlop, Samuel Camp- bell, James Scott, Robert Wells, James Richey, James Moore, and Samuel Clyde, was granted, and a company of rangers, under command of Capt. Winn, were ordered stationed at the place. Still the settlement was in a defenseless condition, and it was deemed expedient to erect a fortification. The house of Colonel Samuel Campbell, which occupied a commanding position on elevated ground, was selected for the fort, and a strong embankment of logs and earth was thrown up, the whole inclosuro embracing the house, two large barns, and two block-houses which were subsequently erected. This was the only fortification in the settlement until 1778, when a fort was built by the direction of General La Fayette, at the earnest solicitation of Colonel Campbell and Mr. Wilson. An incident of these times is related by Judge Campbell : " As all the exercises and sports were of a military na- ture, the younger boys, in imitation of their elders, formed themselves into a military company. Those who were ac- quainted with military evolutions instructed them. Armed with wooden guns, they paraded with all the pride of soldiers. " It was a fine, pleasant morning, towards the latter part of May, that these miniature soldiers sallied out, and paraded upon the green east of the house. That morning Brant, having come up from Oquago with a party of his men, had posted them upon the hill about a mile farther east, and, concealed by the thick woods which covered it, was look- ing down upon the little fortification. His intention, as afterwards explained by a Tory who accompanied him, was to make an attack the following night, and either to kill or carry away prisoners some of the principal persons, and especially the committee. This sagacious warrior was deceived when he saw this little company of boys. Look- ing down from an elevation, and the view being obstructed by the trees, he supposed them to be men. Turning round to his followers, he remarked, ' Colonel Campbell has got his house well guarded, I perceive.' During the day he ascer- tained that the inhabitants were in garrison, but that no militia or soldiers from abroad were there. Wishing to gain definite information as to the force and the preparations for defense, he moved his party to a place near the main road leading to the Mohawk river, about two miles to the north. Here he lay in wait behind a large rock. A short distance from this, the road wound along near the top of a ledge of rocks forming a precipice one hundred and fifty feet high. It was shaded by evergreens, and was dark even at mid-day. " Its wildness was increased by the dashing of a small stream which fell over this precipice, called by the Indians the falls of the Tekaharawa. That day. Lieutenant Worm- wood came up from the Mohawk river, and informed the garrison that Colonel Klock would arrive the next day with a part of his regiment of militia. It was almost night when he started to return, accompanied by Peter Sitz, the bearer of some dispatches. Throwing down his portmanteau, he mounted his horse, saying he should not need it until his return on the morrow with his company. The fine personal appearance of this young officer, who was clad in a rich suit of ash-colored velvet, attracted much attention during his stay, and many persons remained at the door looking at the horsemen until they were hid by the hill over which they passed. The clattering of hoofs had scarcely died away upon the ear when the report of a volley of musketry was heard. Soon after. Wormwood's horse returned ; the saddle was covered with blood, which excited fears as to his fate but too well founded. A party went out that evening, but could make no discoveries. The next morn- ing the body was found behind the rock before mentioned. They had arrived near the rock, when they were hailed, and ordered to stop ; disregarding the order, they put spurs to their horses and endeavored to pass. The Indians im- mediately fired. Wormwood was wounded and fell from his horse, when Brant, rushing out, tomahawked him with his own hand." Though Brant was considered a merciless savage, and has by most writers been stigmatized as a heartless wretch, there are many instances on record where he conducted himself in a manner entirely at variance with this character. It is related of him that when he burned Springfield, in the summer of 1778, he gathered together the women and children and left them unharmed. Captain McKean, who raised the first company of rangers in Cherry Valley, was not only a good soldier, but enjoyed the reputation of being an excellent scout, and often penetrated the forest in search of the Indians, and was very instrumental in gaining trustworthy information of their movements. Wiiile Brant Wits at Unadilla, Cap- tain McKcan, with five others, was dispatched on a scouting expedition, and during this scout the courageous captain, becoming incensed at Brant's predatory warfare, wrote him a letter, and fastening it to a stick left it in the trail. In this missive he spoke of him in nowise flattering terms, and politely informed him that if he would come to Cherry Valley he would meet him single-handed, and change him from a Brant to a goose. This imprudent challenge of Captain McKean's was received by tlie warrior, as is shown by the following, which is a verbatim copy of a letter writ- ten by Brant soon after to Percifer Carr, one of the first settlers in the present town of Edmeston. TUNADILI.A, July 9, 1778. Sm,-I understand by the Indians that was at your house last week, that one Smith lives near with you, has little more eorn to HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. 17 sparo. I should bo much obliged to you if you would bo so kind as to try to get as rauoh corn as Smith can spare; he has sent mo five skipplcs already, of which I am rauoh obliged to him, and I will see him paid, and would be very glad if you could spare ono or two your men to join ns, especially Elias. I would be glad to see him, and I wish you could sent mo as many guns you have, as I know you have no use for them, if you any, as I mean now to light the cruel rebels as well as I can. Whatever you will able to sont'd mo, you must sent'd by the bearer. I am your sincere friend and humble ser't, Joseph BnANnr. To Mil. Carr. P.S. — I hoard that Cherry Valley people is very bold, and intended to make nothing of us. They call us wilJ geeiie, but I know the con- trary. Jos. B. In the summer of 1778, Colonel Icliabod Aldcn, witli a rogiment of CoiiUiioiital Holiliers, were oidoreJ to Clicny Valley, and took conunand of the foit. Precautionary measures were at once adopted for the safety of the set^ tlement, and stockades were placed around the church by the militia and rangers. In October, 1778, an Indian interpreter and agent named Dean informed Major Cochrane, then in command of Fort Schuyler, that an attack was intended on the frontier during the coming autumn. This intelligence was transmitted to Colonel Alden, at Cherry Valley, as will be seen by the following letter : Sin, — Wo were just now been informed by an Oneida Indian that ycstcrda.y an Onnndatja Indian arrived n.t their castle, from ono of the hranehos of tho Rusquolmnna called tlio 'J'ioga. 1'hat he was jtrcsent at a great meeting of Indians and 'Lories at thai place, autl their rosult wa.s to attack Cherry Valley, and that young Itutler was to head the Tories. I send you this information that you may be on your guard. This admonitory letter was duly received by Colonel Alden, as shown by his reply, — CnrinnY Vallrv, Nov. 8, 1778. Sin, — Received yours of the 6th inst. by express, inCoriuing me of tho intelligence you obtained by one of tho Oneida Indians of a large bofly of the enemy who \vero collected on the SuRqiiclianna, and were destined to attack this place. I am much obliged to you for your information, and am, Sir, your very humble servant, IciiABon Alde.v. P.S. — General Hand is now here; arrived at this place the day before yesterday ; will return soon to Albany. Naturally enough, this intelligence alarmed the inhabi- tants, and they requested of Colonel Alden permission to remove into the fort, or at least be allowed to store their property there. Colonel Alden a,ssigned various reasons for not granting their requests. lie thouglit the report doubt- less unfounded, and rca.ssured thetn by stating that he would keep a strong scouting force out. Scouts were dis- patched in various directions, and the detachment sent down the Susquehanna exhibited their lack of knowledge of Indian warfsire by kindling a fire on the night of the 9th of November, and, reposing in its genial warmth, soon fell asleep. They awoke on the following morning to find themselves surrounded and captives in the hands of the Indians. We have now traced the movements of the Indians and Tories in this vicinity to the night of Nov. 10, 1778, the eve of the savage butchery which has gone down in history as the " Massacre of Cherry Valley." The following version of this sacrifice of human life is 3' given by lion. William W. Campbell, of Cherry Valley, and is the most authentic narrative of the massacre ever written : " On the night of the 10th the enemy encamped on the top of a hill thickly covered with evergreens, about a mile southwest of the fort. On the morning of the 11th the enemy moved from his encampment toward the fort. They had learned from the scout which they had taken that the officers of the garrison lodged in different private houses out of the fort ; their forces were so disposed that a party should surround every liouse in which an officer lodged nearly at the same time, while the main body would attack tho fort. During the night the snow fell several inches. In the morraing it turned to rain, and the atnio.sphere was thick and hazy. The whole suttleniont thought themselves secure. The assurances of Colonel Alden had in a con- siderable degree quieted their fears. Everything favored the approach of the enemy undiscovered. Colonel Aldcn and Lieutenant-Colonel Staoia, with a small guard, lodged at Mr. Wells'. A Mr. Ilamblc was coming up that morn- ing from his house, sovcriil miles below, on horseback ; when a short distance from Mr. Wells' house ho was fired upon and wounded by the Indians. He rode in great haste to inform Colonel Alden of their approach, and then hastened to the fort. Still incredulous, and believing them to be only a straggling party, he ordered the guard to be called in. The delay of a few minutes gave the Indians time to arrive. The Rangers had stopped to examine their firelocks, the powder in which had been wet with tho rain. The Indians, improving this opportunity, rushed by. The advance body was composed principally of Senecas, at that time the wildest and most ferocious of the Six Nations. Colonel Alden made his escape from the house, and. was pursued down the hill toward the fort by an Indian. Wiien challenged to surrender he peremptorily refused so to do ; several times he turned round and snapped his pistol at the Indian. The latter, after pursuing some distance, threw his tomahawk and struck him on the head, and then, rush- ing up, scalped him. He thus 'was one of the first victims of this most criminal neglect of duty.' Lieutenant-Colonel Stacia was taken prisoner. The guard were all killed or taken. " The Senecas who first arrived at the house, with some Tories, commenced an indiscriminate massacre of the family, and before the Rangers had arrived had barbarously mur- dered them all, including Robert Wells, his mother and wife, and four children, his brother and sister, John and Jane, with three domestics. Of this interesting and excel- lent family not one escaped, except the late John Wells, of New York city. His father had left him in Schenectady the previous summer with an aunt, that he might attend the grammar school there. He might almost have ex- claimed, with Logan, that not a drop of his blood ran in the veins of any human being ; or, as it has been beauti- fully expressed by Campbell in his 'Gertrude of Wyoming,' " ' They loft of all my tribe Nor man, nor child, nor thing of living birth. No : not the dog, that watched my household hoarth, Escaped — that morn' of blood upon our plains All perished ! I alone am left on earth ! To whom nor relative nor blood remains, No ! not a kindred drop that runs in human veins.' 18 HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. " A Tory boasted tliat he killed Mr. Wells while at prayer. The melancholy fate of Jane Wells deserves a more particular notice. She was a young lady, not dis- tinguished for her personal beauty, but endeared to her friends by her amiable disposition and her Christian chari- ties : one ' in whom the friendless found a friend,' and to whom the poor would always say, ' God speed thee.' She fled from the house to a pile of wood near by, behind which she endeavored to screen herself Here she was pursued by an Indian, who, as he approached, deliberately wiped his bloody knife upon his leggings, and then placed it in its sheath ; then drawing his tomahawk he seized her by tho arm. She possessed some knowledge of the Indian language, and remonstrated and supplicated, though in vain, Peter Smith, a Tory, who had formerly been a domestic in Mr. Wells' family, now interposed, saying she was his sister, and desiring him to spare her life. He shook his tomahawk at hha in defiance, and then turning round, with one blow smote her to the earth. John Wells, Esq., at this time deceased, and the father of Robert Wells, had been one of the judges of the courts of Tryon county ; in that capacity, and as one of tho justices of the quorum, lie had been on intimate terms with Sir William Johnson and family, who frequently visited at his house, and also with Colonel John Butler, likewise a judge. The family were not active for or against the country : they wished to remain neutral, so far as they could, in such turbulent times. They always performed military duty, when called out to defend the country. Colonel John Butler, in a con- versation relative to them, remarked, ' I would have gone miles on my hands and knees to have saved that family, and why my son did not do it God only knows.' " Another party of Indians surrounded the house of the Rev. Samuel Dunlop, whom we have frequently had occa- sion to mention as the pioneer in education in western New York. His wife was immediately killed. The old gentle- man and his daughter wore preserved by Little Aaron, a chief of the Oqiuiyo branch of the Mohmohs. Mrs. Wells was also a daugiitcr of Jlr. Dunlop. LiUh Aaron led him out from tho house, tottering with age, and stood beside him to protect him. An Indian passing by pulled his hat from his head, and ran away with it; the chief pursued him and regained it; on his return, another Indian liad carried away his wig. The rain was falling upon his bare head, while his whole system shook like an aspen under (ho combined influence of age, fear, and cold. He was released a few days after, but the shock was too violent ; he died about a year after. His death was hastened by his mis- fortunes, though he could have hoine up but a few years longer under the increasing infirmities of old age. A Mr. Mitchell, who was in his field, beheld a party of Indians approaching ; he could not gain his house, and was obliged to flee to the woods. Here he eluded pursuit and escaped. A melancholy spectacle presented itself on his return ; it was the corpses of his wife and four children. His house had been plundered and set on fire. He extinguished the fire, and, by examination, found life still existing in one of his children, a little girl ten or twelve years of age. He raised her up and placed her in the door, and was bending over her when he saw another party approaching. He had barely time to hide himself behind a log fence near by before they wore at the house. From this hiding-place ho beheld an infamous Tory, by tho name of Newbury, ex- tinguish the little spark of life which remained in his child with a single blow of his hatchet. The next day, without a single human being to assist him, he canied the remains of his family down to the fort on a sled, and tliere the soldiers aided him in depositing them in a common grave. Retributive justice sometimes follows close upon the heels of crime. This Tory was arrested as a spy the following summer by order of General James Clinton, when he lay with his army at Canajoharie, on the Mohawk river. Mr. Mitchell was called to prove this act. He was found guilty by a court-martial, and, with a companion, suffered an igno- minious death. " The party which surrounded the house of Colonel Campbell took Mrs. Campbell* and four children prisoners. Mr. Campbell was absent from home, but hastened there on the first alarm, which was a cannon fired at the fort. He arrived only in time to witness the destruction of his property, and not even to learn the fate of his family ; their lives were spared, but spared for a long and dreadful captivity. Many others were killed ; some few escaped to the Mohawk river, and the remainder were made prisoners. Thirty-two of the inhabitants, principally women and chil- dren, were killed, and sixteen Continental soldiers. The terror of the scene was increased by the conflagration of all the houses and outhouses in the settlement ; the barns were, many of them, filled with hay and grain. He who fled to the mountains saw, as he looked back, the destruc- tion of his home and his little all which he had labored for years to accumulate. " When the enemy approached, on the morning of the 11th, Mrs. Clyde, the wife of Colonel Clyde, collecting to- gether her children, fled into the woods. During that day and the following night she lay with her children, one of whom, was an infant, gathered around her, and concealed under a large log. As we have before mentioned, it was a cold, rainy day, and the storm continued through the night. She could hear tho yells of the savages as they triumphed in their work of death ; several of them passed near where she lay, and one so near that the butt of his gun trailed upon the log which covered her. At the intercession of her husband, who was in the fort, a party sallied out the following morning, and, at the risk of their lives, brought her and her children into the fort ; they were drenched with rain and stilFcned with tho cold, but they all survived. Mrs. Clyde at the time of her flight had missed her eldest daughter, about ten years of age, and supposed she had gained the fort ; when she arrived at the fort on the morning of the 12th this daughter appeared in the neighboring field. When she saw the sentinels, who had wrapped themselves in blankets, she supposed them to be Indians, and again fled to the woods ; she was followed and brought back to tho anxious mother. When fleeing from the house she had separated from the rest of the family, and had lain concealed alone until her appearance in the field. The suff"erin"-s of * She was subseijuently exchanged, and, in 1784, returned to Cherry Valley. HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. 19 such a child in such a night, thinly clad, alone in the woods, must have been of the most excruciating nature. "Some generous acts were performed by Brant, which, in justice to him, ought to be mentioned. On the day of the massacre, he inquired of some of the prisoners where his friend. Captain McKean, was. They informed him that he had probably gone to the Mohawk river with his family. " ' lie sent me a challenge once,' said Brant ; ' I have now come to accept it. lie is a fine soldier thus to retreat.' " They answered, ' Captain McKean would not turn his back upon an enemy when there was any probability of success.' " ' I know it. He is a brave man, and I would have given more to have taken him than any other man in Cherry Valley ; but I would not have hurt a hair of liis head.' " In a house which he entered he found a woman en- gaged in her usual business. ' Arc you thus engaged while your neighbors are m\irdcrcd around you ?' said Brant. " ' We are king's people,' she replied. " ' That pica will not avail you today,' he answered. ' They have murdered Mr. Wells' family, who were as dear td me as my own.' " ' There is one Joseph Brant : if he is- with the Indians, he will save us.' " ' I am Joseph Brant, but I have not the command, and I know not that I can save you ; but I will do what is in my power.' " While they were speaking several Senecas were ob- served approaching the house. " ' Get into bed and feign yourself sick,' said Brant, hastily. " When the Senecas came in he told them there were no persons there but a sick woman and her children, and besought tliem to leave the house, which they accordingly did. As soon as they were out of sight Brant went to the end of the house and gave a long, shrill yell ; soon after, a small band of Mohawks were seen crossing the adjoining field with great speed. As they came up he inquired, ' Where is your paint? Here, put my mark upon this woman and her children.' As soon as it was done he added, ' You are now probably safe.' " This was a general custom ; each tribe had its mark by which they and their prisoners were designated. Most of the other prisoners were thus marked. It was an evi- dence that they were taken or claimed by some particular tribe or individual, and woe to that person upon whom no captor had put its mark I " Brant, jealous of his character, always said that in the councils he had urged the Indians to be humane, and not to injure the women and children. When he had the ex- clusive command this was in some degree effected. Colonel Butler alleged that Brant secretly incited the Indians in this massacre in order to stigmatize his son, who had superseded him in command. Others said that he was humane in order to contrast his own conduct with that of Walter Butler. Brant stoutly denied both charges, and appealed to his conduct in Springfield and other places." CHAPTER VI. SULLIVAIf AND CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN. Sullivan leaves Camp— Arrives at Tiog.a — Erects "Fort Sullivan" — Clinton moves up tho Mohawk — Kcaohcs tlio Present Site of Cooporstown via Otsego Lake — Encamps — Builds Dam — Floats down the Susquehanna — Savages Terror-Strickcn — Joins Sullivan at Tioga — Forward Movements — Battle of Newtown — Enemy De- feated — " Sullivan's March" — Villages Burned and Cornfields Destroyed. " Oo seek the covert of tho savage foo. Disperse them at thy weal or woe." The frequent recurrence of these troubles mentioned in tho preceding chapter brought upon the Indians the ven- geance of Washington, who determined to visit them with retributive justice. In the year 1779 an expedition under Generals Sullivan and Clinton was planned, the command of which was given to the former, with explicit instructions to devastate the Indian country, and to spare none. It was a severe course, and at this remote period seemingly inhuman, but tho only one that could serve to bi'ing a speedy close to tho sacrifice of human lives in the border settlements. Sullivan and Clinton lost no time in marching northward. General Sul- livan left his camp on the Hudson May 1, 1779, and on the 24th day of the following month arrived at Wyoming, where he remained until July 31, when he continued his march, arriving at Tioga on Aug. 11. He threw up a fortification at this point called " Fort Sullivan," and re- mained here until the arrival of the detachment under command of General Clinton. Clinton in the mean time was making his way up the Mohawk, with the 1st and 3d New York regiments. Upon arriving at Canajoharie he made a successful raid into the country of the Onondaga Indians, and then commenced his march from Canajoharie to the head of Otsego lake, a dis- tance of about twenty miles. This overland march through an almost impassable forest was accomplished with much diificulty, and midsummer had arrived when the boats wore launched on the clear waters of Otsego lake, and the little band of soldiers moved over its placid surface which had but lately been dotted with the birchen canoe of the savage, and along its shores where tho echo of the war-whoop had scarcely died away. General Clinton, upon arriving at the foot of the lake, en- camped on the site of the present village of Cooperstown, where he remained several weeks awaiting the movements of Sullivan. He soon discovered that, in consequence of the prevailing drought, his boats could not be floated down the river, and with his characteristic forethought performed an engineering feat clearly illustrative of the ingenuity of man, and that rendered him substantial service. He constructed a dam at the outlet of the Susquehanna, and when sufficiently filled with water he launched his boats, and, removing the obstruction, floated down on its swollen flood. The Indians, witnessing the rapid rise of the river, fled in terror to the adjacent forests, believing it to be an intervention of the Great Spirit in behalf of the "palo face."* * Remains of this dam were piainlj to be seen many yefl.rs after- ward, and tlie last log was removed at a eelcbration held at Coopers- 20 HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK. General Clinton joined the main army at Tioga on the 22(1 Jay of An<^ust. The entire command consisted of four hrigados of infantry, one company of artillery, and a corps of riflemen, numbering in all about four th(m.sand men. The Indians were aware of the movements of Sullivan, and strongly fortifying themselves at Newtown, now El- mira, awaiting the coming of the whites. The Tories wore well disciplined and under the command of Butler, while at the head of the savage clans was Joseph Brant, Ihayen- danegea, the foremost Indian warrior of his day, whose savage barbarity and courage has passed into history with- out a parallel in Indian annals. Brant thought it impos- sible, in consequence of the dense wilderness, that an army embracing any considerable number of men could penetrate into their country, and conceived it an easy task to repulse the invaders and re-enact upon them the scenes of Wyo- ming and Cherry Valley. The 29th day of August, 1779, served to dispel that ill-conceived idea, when General Sullivan with his entire force appeared in front of the iiitrenchments. The Americans lost no time, but immediately opened a deadly fire. The recollections of Wyoming and Cherry Valley were still fresh in their minds, and the scenes of those nights of carnage rose spectral-like before their vis- ion, and, actuated by a spirit of revenge, they rushed upon the foe; volley after volley was poured into the fort, and their fire was returned with energy. Brant, with his char- acteristic bravery, rallied his dusky legion again and again, as they fell back before the unerring fire of the whites. After a fierce conflict, lasting two hours, the Indians and Tories, perceiving that they were likely to be annihilated, broke and fled in great confusion. John Salmon, who belonged to the expedition, and gave an account of it to the author of the " Life of Mary Jenii- son," in speaking of the battle of Newloion, says, " This was the only regular stand made by the Indians. In their retreat they were pursued by our men to the Narrows, where they were attacked and killed in great numbers, so that the sides of the rocks next the river looked as if blood had beep poured on them by pailfuls." The Indians left their dead upon the field, and, gather- ing the women and children, fled before the pursuing foe northward toward Seneca lake. The army of Generals Sul- livan and Clinton followed hard upon the retreating form of the red brother. The Indians fled before the thunder of his artillery like leaves before the whirlwind. At Knawaholee twenty cabins and a large field of corn were destroyed. Queen Catherine Montour (at Havana) fled from her lodge, never to return. He passed down on the east side of Seneca lake, burning villages and destroying cornfields. At Kanadcsaga, the capital of the Senecus, a contest was expected, but the poor savages, who had wit- nessed with sinking hopes the destruction of their homes and their food for the coming winter, became entirely dis- organized, and oft'cred no resistance whatever to the invaders, wlio pursued their course to " Big Tree" (now Goncsco), devastation and ruin marking their pathway. He swept the town, October 20, 1825, while tlie booming cannon from nulTalo to Albany wcio piocliiiuiing to the people of tliis great Stato thutUuneral Do Witt Clinton baJ commenced the passage from iJuifalo to Albany by Canal Boat. Indian country as it were with a besom of destruction, burned forty villages, and destroyed more than four hundred thousand bushels of corn. Eroni " Big Tree" Sullivan re- traced his line (if nnirch, and upon hi.s arrival at Kanadc- saga (Geneva) he dispatched Colonel IJeaiborn with a de- tachment of riflemen to the village of the Cayugas, located in what is now Seneca county, on the west shore of Cayuga lake, where he visited upon them the same penalty so re- cently dealt to the Senecas. The penalty inflicted upon the Cayitgas and Senecas by Sullivan was severe, but served well the purpose for which it was intended. It ended the border wars, and the Indians never again at- tempted a rcocoupation of the country. Tiiey returned only as erratic bands, to attend treaties. CHAPTER VTT. EXTINCTION OF INDIAN TITLE. The Iroquois Deserted by the English — Deplorable Condition— Inter- cession of AVnshington, Clinton, and Schuyler — State Commission- ers Appointed — United Slaies Commissioners Appointed — Tbo First Treaty between tlio Lfnited States and tho Iroquois — " Fort Slanwi.v" — The First Treaty between New York \iin\ tho Iroquois — " Fort Herkimer" — Subsequent Treaties — Conflicting Claims to Territory — The Hartford Arbitration. The unfortunate alliance of the Six Nations to the Brit- ish crown during the War of the Revolution tended in no- wise to benefit them. On the contrary, the close of the war left them with no protectors save those against whom they had waged, through eight dreary years, the relentless border warfare, as ]