The Journal of Lieut. John L. Hardenbergh of the Second New York Continental Part 7

[91] Capt. Benjamin Lodge, with a party of a.s.sistants accompanied the army and with chain and compa.s.s surveyed the entire route of the army from Easton to the great Genesee town. On the return march he accompanied Col. Butler's expedition through the Cayuga country.

[92] CORPORAL CALHAWN, a volunteer, died the next day.

[93] GATHTSEGWAROHARE, so called by Nukerck; _Gaghegwalahale_ by Dearborn; _Ca.s.sawauloughly_ by Hardenburgh, was seven miles directly west of Kanaghsaws, on the east side of Canaseraga creek about two miles above its confluence with the Genesee river. Here is a beautiful plateau of about six acres, admirably adapted for an Indian town, at present occupied by the house and surrounding grounds of the widely known "Hermitage," the ancestral home of the Carolls. The town contained twenty-five houses, mostly new, and appears to have been located on both sides of the stream north of the Caroll mansion. The tribe residing here called Squa-tche-gas by Sullivan; by the Onondagas Tchoueragak, signifying wild cats; by Cusic Squakihows, and by others Kah-kwas, were the same that afterward settled at Squakie-Hill, to whom was reserved the two square miles in the Big Tree Treaty of 1797.

They were a remnant of one of the tribes of the historic Eries, who occupied the territory to the south and east of Lake Erie whose blood, language, and league did not differ materially from the Iroquois Five Nations. After a terrible conflict, and many b.l.o.o.d.y battles the Eries were finally overthrown about the year 1655, and a remnant incorporated with the league. They were permitted to live by themselves, to have a separate council fire and keep up a show of tribal rites, but were really va.s.sals to do the bidding of their masters. Boyd and his party reached this town about at the break of day on the morning of the 13th, and found it abandoned. He sent two of his men to report to Gen. Sullivan and concealed his force in the adjacent woods. Soon after four Indians on horseback entered the town, one of whom, Sah-nah-dah-yah, was killed and scalped by Murphy, when Boyd set out for camp. As Sullivan approached the town about dark on the 13th, he found the enemy, both Indians and rangers drawn up in battle array apparently intending to dispute the further advance of the army; but as the advancing columns a.s.sumed their positions in line of battle, and the flanking divisions moved to the right and left, threatening their lines of retreat, a few shots from the howitzers caused them to abandon their position, and retreat across the Canaseraga. The army were engaged until noon of the 14th in destroying the cornfields which were very extensive in the vicinity of the town.

[94] CHENUSSIO.--This town, though not in existence at the time of Sullivan's campaign, is intimately connected with its history. It was located on the site of ancient Williamsburg, near the confluence of the Canaseraga and the Genesee, on the east side of the latter river.

It appears on the Guy Johnson map of 1771 as Chenussio, on the Pouchot map of 1758 as Connecchio, in both cases at the point described and where Mary Jennison's narrative says it was in her day. In 1750 it was visited by Cammerhoff and Zeisberger, two Moravian missionaries, who called it Connesschio and describe it as then containing forty houses.

All of these names are dialectical and orthographical variations of the modern word Genesee, signifying _the beautiful valley_. Gaustarax, a celebrated Seneca Chief, was for many years a leading spirit of this town, and during the French and Indian war, being thoroughly in the interests of the French, it required all the diplomatic ability of Sir William Johnson, and the influence of the other nations of the league, to neutralize his efforts. It was in existence as early as 1750, and as late as 1770, but in 1768 it had ceased to be the western door, which honor was then held by the great town of Chenandoanes, on the west side of the river. At the time of Sullivan's campaign it had ceased to exist or had dwindled into an insignificance unworthy of mention.

This was the town that Boyd was sent to reconnoitre, and which Major Norris says the General expected to find on the east side of the river and two miles north of Gathtsegwarohare. This is the town also, that writers confound with the great town west of the river, and which so perplexed General Sullivan in his examination of the maps.

[95] GENESEE CASTLE.--This was the great village of the Senecas, the western door of the Long House, located between Cuylerville and the west bank of the Genesee river, in the town of Leicester, Livingston County. It appears on Evans' map as Chenandoanes in 1776, is mentioned as early as 1754 as Chenandanah, and is often called Little Beard's town. Sullivan's official report says: "The Castle consisted of 128 houses mostly large and elegant. The place was beautifully situated, almost encircled with a cleared flat, which extended for a number of miles, where the most extensive fields of corn were waving, and every kind of vegetable that can be conceived."

[96] This soldier was named Parker, who with Lieut. Boyd were made prisoners. They were carried to Little Beard's Town, where Boyd after being tortured in a most cruel manner was beheaded. Parker was beheaded without being tortured. The remains of Boyd and Parker were removed to Mount Hope Cemetery in August, 1842.

[97] Several writers claim that Canawaugas, on the west side, and Ohadi and Big Tree on the east side of Genesee river were destroyed in this campaign. No reliable authority has been furnished in support of the theory. Sullivan says distinctly that he went no farther than the great town, beyond which, as he was informed, there was no settlement, and no villages are mentioned in any account as existing on the east side of the river, nor is mention made of any portion of the army being on that side,--on the contrary, several mention the fact, that _all the army_ were engaged in the destruction of the town, and cornfields, which, when completed at 2 o'clock on the afternoon of the 15th, _the whole army_ came to an about face, and returned on the same route and in same order in which they advanced. Butler left Canawaugas on the morning of the 15th for Niagara.

[98] Nathan Davis in his account, before referred to, mentions the incident with additional particulars. Her story was that at the time she and her little boy were taken prisoners, her husband was killed by the savages; that she had lived with the Indians some two years, and when the army entered the town, the day before, the Indians were in such haste to get out it that she could not follow them and finally lost herself in the woods, and thinking it might be Butler's camp she had ventured to show herself. She was taken to the General's Quarters and well provided for. During the march the woman and her boy were furnished with a horse. On the third day of the march the child was taken sick and shortly after died. The boy was wrapped in an old blanket and hastily buried. The scene is described as exceedingly touching. She afterward married Roswell Franklin, the first settler of Cayuga County.

[99] Present Canandaigua Lake in Ontario county, see note 86.

[100] See note 84 for description of this town.

[101] This encampment was on Rose Hill in the town of Fayette.

[102] Lieut. Col. William Butler. See Thomas Grant's account of the march of this detachment.

[103] No account has been found of the exact route taken by this detachment. It is supposed they followed the regular Indian trail, the line of which was afterward substantially adopted for the Seneca Turnpike, which pa.s.sed through Auburn and Onondaga Hill to Fort Stanwix on the Mohawk, on the site of present Rome in Oneida County.

On the way the party pa.s.sed through the Oneida and Tuscarora towns, where every mark of hospitality and friends.h.i.+p was shown the party.

They reached Fort Stanwix on the 25th.

[104] KENDAIA. See note No. 81 for description of this town.

[105] "We lost in this place more than a hundred horses, and it has been called, I suppose, the valley of Horse Heads to this day."--_Nathan Davis' Statement._

[106] During the absence of the army Col. Reid had constructed a palisaded work at the junction of Newtown creek and the Chemung just below Sullivan's Mills in Elmira, called in some accounts Fort Reid.

[107] There were five brigades.

[108] At the same time news was received of "the generous proceedings of Congress in augmenting the subsistence of the officers and men."

[109] Thirteen appropriate toasts were drunk. The last was follows: "May the enemies of America be metamorphosed into pack horses and sent on a western expedition against the Indians."--_Lossing's Field Book Rev., I, 278, note._

[110] "Sept. 27.--A large fatigue party was sent up the river nine miles, where they loaded nine boats with corn and other vegetables and brought them down. This evening Mr. Lodge and five men from Col.

Butler came and informed us that the Col. was about 10 miles from camp."--_Jenkins' Journal._

[111] Col. VanCortlandt says he went above Painted Post.

[112] TIOGA POINT, below present Athens. See note 63.

[113] FORT SULLIVAN, built on the narrow isthmus between the two rivers in present village of Athens. See note 70.

[114] VAN DER LIPPES. See note 58.

[115] LACKAWANNA. See Note 55. The site of c.o.xton, ten miles from Wyoming at the upper end of the valley.

[116] _Wyoming_, fort and village on the east side of the Susquehanna below present Wilkesbarre. See note 44.

[117] BULLOCK'S, deserted house, seven miles from Wyoming at the Great Meadows, and fifty-eight miles from Easton,--called also Sullivan's camp, from his encamping there June 22. Nathan Bullock resided here at the time of the Wyoming ma.s.sacre. He had two sons, Amos and Asa, one of whom was a lawyer, both killed in the battle. The father was captured and carried to Canada in 1780.

[118] SHADES OF DEATH, so called from being a dense forest. Several places in Pennsylvania bore the same name. See note 31.

[119] WHITE OAK RUN, or RUM BRIDGE, 33 miles from Easton. See note 36.

[120] BRINKER'S MILLS, or Sullivan's Stores, so called "on account of a large house built here, and a quant.i.ty of provisions being stored therein for the use of the forces under Major General Sullivan's command."--_Rogers' Journal._ Captain Patterson was in command; 19 miles from Easton in present town of Hamilton, Monroe county.

[121] Encamped near h.e.l.ler's Tavern at the foot of Blue Mountain, at present h.e.l.lerville in town of Plainfield, Northampton county, 12 miles from Easton.

[122] "EASTON consists of about 150 houses. There are but three elegant buildings in it, and about as many inhabitants that are any ways agreeable. Take them in general they are a very inhospitable set--all High Dutch and Jews."--_Shute's Journal._

[123] MARBLETOWN, a town in Ulster Co., N.Y., west of the Hudson. They appear to have taken the road through Warren and Suss.e.x counties, N.J.

[124] WARWICK on Wawayanda creek in south west part of Orange county.

[125] NEW WINDSOR on the Hudson, in Orange county.

[126] NEW PALTZ, a post village, on the Wallkill in Ulster County, N.Y.

GENERAL CLINTON'S MARCH DOWN THE SUSQUEHANNA.

General James Clinton was born in Orange County, New York, August 9th, 1736. He was third son of Colonel Charles Clinton, brother of Governor George Clinton, and father of Governor DeWitt Clinton, of New York.

During the French and English war, in 1756, he distinguished himself at the capture of Fort Frontenac, where he was a Captain under Bradstreet. Seven years later he commanded the regiments raised to protect the frontiers of Orange and Ulster counties against Indian incursions. In 1775, with the rank of Colonel, he accompanied the chivalric Montgomery to Quebec. He was appointed a brigadier, August 9th, 1776, and commanded Fort Clinton when it was attacked in October, 1777, by Sir Henry Clinton; his brother, George Clinton, at same time being in command of Fort Montgomery. After a gallant defense against superior numbers, the forts were carried by storm, Gen. Clinton being the last man to leave the works. He was stationed at West Point during the greater part of 1778. In 1779 he commanded the brigade of New York troops under General Sullivan. With a force of 1600 men he ascended the Mohawk to Canajoharie, and thence across to Otsego lake. Here he collected a large number of batteaux, and erecting a dam at the foot of the lake, raised the water several feet. By tearing away the dam, an artificial flood was made, on which the batteaux floated to the place of meeting at Tioga, the army marching alongside by land. The Journals of Lieut. Van Hovenbergh and Major Beatty give an account of this march.

MAJOR ERKURIES BEATTY.

Major Erkuries Beatty, was born October 9, 1759, son of Rev. Charles Beatty, who came to America from Ireland in 1729. He was an apprentice in Elizabethtown, N.J., at the beginning of the revolution, and served with the Jersey troops; was at Long Island Aug. 9, 1776, under General Sterling, and served as a sergeant at White Plains, Oct 28. He was commissioned an Ensign in the 4th Penn. regiment, with rank from Jan.

3, 1777; was promoted to Lieutenant May 2, and was engaged in the battle of Brandywine, Sept. 11th of same year. He was badly wounded at Germantown, but rejoined his regiment at Valley Forge in January, 1778. He was at Monmouth June 28 of that year, and shortly after accompanied his regiment to Schoharie, N.Y. He was with Col. Van Schaick in his expedition against the Onondagas in June, 1779, and with his regiment accompanied Gen. Clinton down the Susquehanna to partic.i.p.ate in Sullivan's campaign, during which he wrote a Journal covering the period from June 11 to Oct. 22 of that year, of which the following is a part, the original of which is now in the archives of the New York Historical Society, to whose courtesy we are indebted for permission to make a copy. He was at the surrender of Cornwallis Oct.

19, was mustered out of service Nov. 3, 1783, and died at Princeton, N.J., Feb. 23, 1823.

PART OF BEATTY'S JOURNAL, 1779.

Monday, Aug. 9.--Agreeable to yesterday's order the Gen'l beat at 6 o'clock, the troops marched about 8, excepting 3 Men which was to remain in each boat to take them down the River. The Infantry march in front which I now belong to, and the Remainder of Battalions next, marched on 16 miles within 5 miles of Yorkham's[127] where we encamped on a small improvement called Burrows'[128] farm where there was a great many Rattlesnakes and very large, there was one killed with 15 rattles on.