^^'6 , r? \jy'i,'r w^i. [l-'rom Vtica Morning Herald, December 29, 1890.] MARINUS WILLETT. CONCLUSION OF JUDGE WAGERS HISTORY. Reatl Before (lie Oneida Historical Society Liast Evening^. The monthly meeting" of the Oneida Historical society was held in the library building- last evening. A list of dona- tions was reported by Dr. M. M. Bagg, and the usual vote of thanks to the donors was passed. llev. D. W. Bigelow of the committee on addresses reported that Professor B. S. Terry of Colgate university would de- liver the address at the annual meeting of the societj', January 13. After~the routine business of the meet- ing had been transacted the society ad- journed to the Buttertield house parlors, because there was no lire in the library building. Hon. D. E. Wager of Rome continued his narrative of the life of Colonel Mariuus Willett, of which the tirst part was read at the last meeting of the so- cietj. In the year 1781, he said, there Avere 24 forts between Schnuectady ;iud Fort Daytoi', now Herkimer village, in which the inhabitants of the valley sought refuge when pressed by the enemy or otherwise threatened with danger. It was in the spring of that year that Brant and his Indians, while prowling around Fort Stanwix, carried off some 80 of the garri- son of that fort. The country was suffei"- ing from a lack of provisions. In the midst of dee[) gloom Colonel Willett consented to tak<; command of the northwestern frontier and make s headquarters in tlie ^lohaAvk valley, ill the forepart of 17S1 lie established mself at Cauajoharie, where he had 120 at Fort Herkimer he had 20 more; at Balston .'^ome 30 and at Catskill 20; ii other parts of the yalley were less thau 1 1)0 more. Tlie countiy he was to defend was all of New York" Avest of Albany cjiunty. He was not left long without (•X'upatiou. The speaker then told of a battle be- tween a force of about 400 men under (laptaiu John Doxtader, a bitter tory, iind Colonel AVMUett's forces near Corry- tivvn, a small settlement northeast of \Hi5it is now the town of Root. Montgom- dry countj'. After a sharp tiglit of two Hours the enemy fled, Colonel Willett fol- loAviug- vigorously in pursuit. He lost live men and the enemy lost 40. The com- mon council of Albany on July \{i passed complimentary resolutions in favor of Colonel Willett and his officers and men, and Aoted to Colonel AVillett the freedom of that city. The battle took place July 10, 1781, and has passed into history as "the battle of Siiaron."' Its centennial Avas observed in July, 1881, by the inhab- itants of that part of the state. reason of the promptness ami t'OlOUCl ^VUlelt'.D inovtJUi-olitf ;i!i in battle, and his seeming- ubi'ii'.:!\ iluit the Indians had a dread and fea^ uf him; they called him "the devil." Three months afterward, Avlien liie farmers liad gathered in their croi)s. ou the forenoon of AVodnesday, October 24,. a hostile force of 700 men, composed of British, Indians and torie.s, under the- lommand of Majors Ross and Walter H. liutler, appeared in Schoharie county, making its Avay tOAvard CorrytOAvn. The expedil^ion was organized at Bucks, noAV Carleton Island, in the St. LaAvrence, and thence it proceeded across Lake Ontario to Oswego, thence by tiie Avater route to Oneida lake as far as Chittenaugo creek. At that point the boats were secreted, and the men struck acro.«!S the country thro' Onondaga, Madison and Otsego ;Jb5Y\ couuties to the vicinity of Schoharie. avI ere "Mere they first discovered. Corrytowu vas l)luudered, aud the baud proceeded to the Mohawk aud followed it dowu ou the south side to Fort Hunter. It after- wards crossed to the uortlurly Side of the Mohawk, east of Tribes IJilJ, aud b.y a circuitous route went to Johus- town. The track of the eilemy vas marked by the murder or capture of Mie inhabitauts, aud pluuder aud destructiou of property Colouel AVillctt mustei'ed all his spare forces aud started iu pursuit with 41G uieu. Several skirmishes were had. after which the eueuiy fled to West Canada creek, which they crossed at a poiut about Ave uiiles up the stream from Gang- or Hinckley's Mills. At that i:)oiut the stream is fordable for tvfo or three miles. It is kuowu by souie as "Hess' rifts," aud by some as "Butler's ford." There the pursuit was abaudoued. Iu au eugagemeut at the ford Major But- ler, the worst hated tory of the region, yvas shot dead. The expedition closed the war in the valley of the Mohawk for that year. For the year 1782 Colouel Willett re- mained at his headquarters ou the Mo- hawk, but little of uote occurring. At the close of the year he had 400 state troops. Having prepared winter barracks for his men. inoculated mauv of them for small pox aud built a log hut for himself, Colouel Willett set out iu I>uveail)er lur Albany. At that time Geueral Washiug- ton's headquarters were at Newbui-g, aud there Colonel Willett weut to paj^ his respects to the commauder-in-chief. He was then asked to lead a secret expeditiou against Oswego. He accepted the invita- tion, but iu tlie course of the expeditiou, news of peace was received. After Colo- nel Willett returned to his headquarters he went to Albany aud there heard the glorious news proclaimed to the rejoicing inhabitants of that town by the town clerk at the city hall. Colonel AVillett was elected to the as- sembly from New York in 1783, and the next year he was appointed sheriff of that covinty for three years. In 1790 he was appointed by President Washington com- missioner to the Creek Indians on a peace mission, iu which he was successful. In 1791 he was again appointed sheriff for in behalf of his countrj^ were well known, was applauded to tlie very echo. , In the Greek revolution of 1823 Colonel AVillett warmly sympathized with the op- pressed iu that country. He was a chair- man of a comiuittee appointed to aid the ;^ Greeks in their struggle for independence. The visit of Lafayette to America iu ii^ 1824 was then described by Judge Wager, 'f aud Lafayette's meetiug with Colonel W^illett, ills old friend. He also read several letters written to Colouel Willett by Lafayette, showing their intimate ac- quaintance. I^afayette's tour of the Mo- hawk valley iu 1825 was next narrated. Colouel A\illett owned 700 acres of land iu Westmoreland, 2,000 acres in Steubeu, ^;- >villetis little patent,^') a lialf of 1,500 other acres iu Steubeu, and also lands in Bayard's township aud the 20-towuship tract in Chenango county. Colonel AYillett's beautiful liomestead in what is now the thirteenth ward of New York was described. Colouel Willett was three times mar- ried. First in April, 1760, to Mary Pease, by whom he had one son, who l)ecame a noted surgeon iu the LTnited States army, and who died unmarried. Unto the second marriage no children were born. The third wife was Margaretta Barcker, married not far from 1800; bj'- her he had four children; one sou, now 87 years old, lives iu Jersey City, a re- tired divine of the M. E. chlu'ch. Edward, the other sou, is a lawyer, now 86 years old, and resides at Brook Green, IN EXCHANGE JAN 5 - 1916 ■S. C. The widow of Colonel AVillett died in 1S(J7 at the age of 96. Ou Sunday, August 22, 1830, the fifty- third anniversary of the abandonment of the siege of Fort Stanwix, Colonel Wil- lett passed peacefully away — 22 days past his 90th birtliday. llis death cast deep gloom over the city. Many public bodies passed suitable resolutions and the public journals of the day paid handsome tributes to his memory. Other heroes of the revolution may stand out more promi- nently on the pages of recorded history; other'names may be perpetuated in poetry and song, but none who lived in the try- ing and troublous times of Colonel Willett more faithfully or efficiently than he per- formed the important work assigned to him, which in the result worked out the grand problem of his country's destiny. He was a fearless leader and an enthu- siastic patriot, a worthy citizen and an un- compromising friend of the rights of men. A resolution of thanks to Judge Wager was offered by Henry Hurlburt, and unanimously adopted. The resolution also provided for the publication of the entire narrative of Colonel Willett's life, in pamphlet form. The resolutions were seconded by Rev. D. Ballon, who spoke appreciatively of the address. Adjourned.