Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, NY
F. W. Beers & Co. 36 Vesey Street, 1878

THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

CHAPTER X.

THE MILITIA ORGANIZATION-ALARM ON THE APPROACH OF BURGOYNE AND ST. LEGER-FORT SCHUYLER INVESTED.

The Tories who remained in Tryon County after Sir John's flight made no further hostile demonstrations. For a time, therefore, the Whigs lived in comparative tranquillity, but they did not relax their vigilance or forget that they were living on a frontier always liable to incursions of the savages, aided and encouraged by the vindictive loyalists. Scouting parties were kept constantly on the alert to give the promptest notice of the appearance of the foe.

The new attitude in which the colonies were placed by the Declaration of Independence was heartily approved by the patriots of the Mohawk Valley, who nevertheless foresaw the suffering, toil and loss that would be required to sustain it. One necessity immediately created was the strengthening of the militia. A company of rangers was formed during the summer of 1776, and placed under command of Capt. Robert McKean. This force being ordered to duty elsewhere, another company, under Capt. Winn, was stationed in the Valley, in compliance with the urgent appeals of the people to the Congress of New York. In August, Capt. Getman's company of rangers was enlisted. The officers were : Captain-Christian Getman ; Lieutenants-Jacob Sammons and James Billingston ; Corporals-William Kind, John Hulsor and Leonhart Cratzer ; Sergeants-John Smith, Nehemiah Williams and Richard Coppernoll. The following were the names of the privates :

Joshua Agin, Michael Biller, John Brame, John Box, John Canton, Adam Coppernoll, Samuel Coplin, John Cram, John Dop, William Earb, Jacob Empie, Isaac Fuller, Michael Fuller, Jacob Fishback, Jacob Frey, John Fluno, Felton Fralick, Richard Freeman, Thomas Getman, George Hoyney Frederick Hoyney, Abraham Hodges, Conrad Hart, Daniel Hart, John Hails, George Hawk, Christian Jenne, Lodowick Kring, William Karin, Christian Leather, Johannes Leather, George Loux, Johannes Miller, Cornelius Mills, Jacob Pickard, Philip Phillips, Johannes Rate, Johannes Spanknable, Johannes Sutes, Jacob Staring, Nicholas Strader, George Saltsman, George Saltsman, Jr., John Schnell, Bolson Smith, Hendrick Shafer, Jacob Tucsler, Hendrick Van Der Werkin, John Van Der Werkin, John Van Anwarp, Hendrick Vrooman, Minehart Vrooman, Martin Van Der Warkin, Johannes Wormwood, Christian Wormwood, Christian Walliser.

The first steps in the organization of a militia had been taken more than a year before the declaration of independence. On the 3d of June, 1773, the County Committee recommended the appointment of a committee in each district to form the patriots into companies. This duty was performed by the Canajoharie committee on the 15th of June, and by the Palatine on the 16th. The men of the German Flats and Kingsland districts assembled for a similar purpose on the 17th, but the organization was postponed. On the 3d of July the County Committee granted permission to the settlers in North Germantown to form themselves into a company. John Eisenlord was chosen Captain, John Keyser, First Lieutenant, Adam Bellinger, Second Lieutenant, and John Smith, Ensign. This company, according to an ordinance of the County Committee, was to " begin at Jacob Staring's, included, and take in all the inhabitants from 16 to 50 years of age on the north side of the high road to Leonard Rickert's ; thence all the inhabitants of North Germantown of the ages above mentioned, and extend so far in Sir William Johnson's (deceased) settlement until the company amounts to 60 private men, the sergeants and corporals included." At the same meeting which made this order (held Aug. 26, 1776) the subjoined resolution was passed :

"The following persons are nominated by a majority of votes as field officers for each respective district:

"CANAJOHARIE-1st Battalion
"1st Colonel Nicholas Herkimer,
Lieut. Colonel Ebenezer Cox,
Major Robert Wells,
Adjutant Samuel Clyde,

PALATINE-2nd Battalion
"Col. Jacob Clock,
Lieut. Col. Peter Waggoner,
Major Harmanus Van Slyck,
Adjutant Anthony Van Vechten

" MOHAWK-3d Battalion.
" Col. Frederick Fisher
Lieut. Col. Adam Fonda
Major John Bliven
Adjutant Robt. Yates

"KINGSLAND AND GKRMAN FLATS--4th Battalion
" Col. Han Yost Herkimer,
Lieut. Col. Peter Bellinger
Major Han Yost Shoemaker,
Adjutant Jno. Demooth.

By another vote of the committee Nicholas Herkimer was appointed "Chief Colonel Commander for the county of Tryon." At the same time, however, a request was made to General Schuyler, then at Ticonderoga, for a couple of the companies under his command to protect the frontier, the inhabitants, probably, wishing to attend to their ordinary avocations as long as possible.

In the spring of 1777 a large party of Indians, under Brant, having come down from Canada without committing any depredations, appeared at Unadilla on the Susquehanna. Having required the people of that settlement to furnish his warriors abundantly with provisions, Brant told the Rev. Mr. Johnstone and the militia officers of the place that he had entered the British service, and would not allow any of the Mohawks to be seized and confined to their castles, as he understood had been done. The savage horde remained at Unadilla two days and when they left, drove off some cattle and sheep. This visitation so alarmed the people of the settlement that they abandoned it, most of them returning to Cherry Valley, whence they had emigrated to the Susquehanna, and some repairing to the German Flats and the Hudson river settlements.

From Unadilla, Brant descended the river to Oghkwaga. There he received reinforcements, and his threatening attitude caused great anxiety in the frontier neighborhoods. It was determined by General Schuyler and his officers in council that Col. Herkimer should confer with the Mohawk chief, with whom he had been on friendly terms when they were neighbors beside the Mohawk. Herkimer accordingly sent a message to invite Brant to meet him at Unadilla, and proceeded thither himself with about three hundred of the Tryon county militia. There he had remained for a week when Brant encamped with five hundred warriors, two miles distant. The commanders and a portion of their followers met, unarmed, in an open field between the encampments. Brant told his visitor that his forces were in concert with the king and had opened a war path across the country to Esopus, to form a junction with the tories in that quarter. The conversation on the part of the chief was hostile in tone, and a battle was narrowly avoided. A second interview the next morning was equally fruitless, and Herkimer led back his forces to the Mohawk. Brant and his warriors shortly after joined Sir John Johnston and Col. John Butler at Oswego, where they were gathering a force of refugees and Indians preparatory to a descent upon the Mohawk valley, and where Guy Johnson had called a council of the Six Nations. At this council were present a considerable number of sachems, who still adhered to their pledge of neutrality, given to General Schuyler, until the appeals of the British agents to their avarice overcame their sense of honor. Finally they concluded an alliance with the English, binding themselves to take up the hatchet against the colonists. They were then clothed anew and armed by the British officers, and a bounty offered them for every scalp they should bring in. Brant was from this time acknowledged the grand sachem of the Six Nations, and soon after entered upon the murderous career which Jnade his name a terror to the people of the Mohawk valley.

The intended invasion of that section from the west by St. Leger co-operating with Burgoyne's descent by the way of Lake Champlain, was seasonably announced to the Tryon county authorities by Thomas Spencer, an Oneida half-breed sachem, who had learned of it in Canada on a spying expedition. He reported that there were seven hundred Indians and four hundred British regulars at Oswego, who were to be joined by six hundred tories, then on one of the islands above Oswegatchie, in an incursion into the valley. He urged a reinforcement of Fort Schuyler (Stanwix), and that the woods about it be cleared away and trees felled into Wood creek, the route by which the enemy would advance from Oneida Lake. He was, concerned for the safety of his tribe, who would be compelled to join the invaders if the latter were not promptly checked.

This startling information, instead of arousing the whigs of Tryon county to active measures of defence, seemed to paralyze them with alarm. As the thus far victorious army of Burgoyne advanced from Ticonderoga, threatening to overwhelm everything before it, the patriots of the county began to waver, while the remaining tories, secretly informed of the move ments of the British, again took heart. It was declared that the Indians would ravage the whole country, and many of the inhabitants who had previously been neutral, now espoused the cause of the crown and stole away to the enemy. The residue of the Scotch Highlanders in the vicinity of Johnstown, together with some of the Germans adhering to the British cause, had fled to Canada, headed by two men named McDonald, whom General Schuyler had allowed to visit their families. The wives and children of the absconded tories maintained communication with them and administered to their needs. The plan of arresting and removing them to a place where they could neither do nor suffer harm was suggested and approved by Col. Herkimer, or Geneial, as we might better style him, since, though appointed a Colonel by the Tryon county committee, he outranked the officers of that name commanding battalions, being himself commander of all the county troops. So alarming were the various reports which reached the settlements that some of the inhabitants were obliged to be constantly ranging the frontier to guard against a surprise by the enemy, while others stood as sentinels around the fields where farmers were at work. The deplorable state of the county is revealed by the following extract from a letter of John Jay to Gouverneur Morris, dated July 21, 1777:

" The situation of Tryon county is both shameful and alarming. Such abjection and despondency as mark the letters we have received from thence disgrace human nature. God knows what to do with them, or for them. Were they alone interested in their fate, I should be for leaving their cart in the slough till they should put their shoulders to the wheel."

In the discouraging communications from Tryon county which Mr. Jay referred to, the committee of that county reported that with part of their militia at Fort Edward many of those remaining at home thought it hopeless to take up arms against the overwhelming invasion that was expected ; and that if immediate relief was not afforded by a reinforcement of five hundred men, they must fall a prey to the enemy, or else seek their protection. A letter by General Schuyler, dated Fort Edward, July 18, 1777, contains the following sentences corroborative of Mr. Jay's complaint in regard to the spirit of the Tryon county patriots :

" I am exceedingly chagrined at the pusilanimous spirit which prevails in the county of Tryon. I apprehend much of it is to be attributed to the infidelity of the leading persons of that quarter. If I had one thousand regular troops, in addition to those now above and on the march, I should venture to keep only every third man of the militia and would send them down. The substance of Col. Harper's information had been transmitted about a month ago. In consequence whereof I sent Col. Van Schaick into Tryon county with as many troops as I could collect. After the improper agreement made by General Herkimer (with Brant at Unadilla), these troops were marched back ; but as soon as I was informed of the march, I ordered them to remain in Tryon county, where they are still, and 1 have sent up Col. Wesson's regiment to reinforce them. But if I may be allowed to judge of the temper of Gen. Herkimer and the committee of Tryon county, from their letters to me, nothing will satisfy them unless I march the whole army into that quarter. With deference to the better judgment of the Council of Safety, I cannot by any means think it prudent to bring on an open rupture with the savages at the present time. The inhabitants of Tryon county are already too much inclined to lay down their arms and take whatever terms the enemy may please to afford them. Half the militia from this (Tryon) county and the neighboring State of Massachusetts we have been under the necessity of dismissing ; but the whole should go."

The committee, a few days previous to this appeal for protection, had been called to reinforce Fort Schuyler. Of the two hundred militia ordered to muster and form the garrison of that post, a part only obeyed. They had also ordered two companies of regular troops, stationed at different points in the county under their direction, to repair to the fort; but even these made various excuses, claiming that their service as scouts had unfitted them for garrison duty. They, however, reluctantly complied At this late hour, with Burgoyne advancing upon Albany, little help could be expected from a distance ; and it was obvious that the people of the Mohawk valley must rely mainly upon themselves for their defence against the tories and savages of St. Leger, who, if not confronted on the remote frontier, would soon be at their doors. Gen. Herkimer, therefore, on the i7th of July issued a proclamation, announcing that two thousand "Christians and savages " had assembled at Oswego for a descent upon the Mohawk valley, and warning the people en masse to be ready at a moment's notice to take the field in fighting order, the men from sixteen to sixty for active service, and the aged and infirm to defend the women and children at points where they might gather for safety. Those who did not voluntarily muster for service when called upon were to be brought along by force.

On the 30th of July the Tryon county committee received a final warning from the Oneida sachem, Thomas Spencer, that the enemy would be upon Fort Schuyler in three or four days, and an exhortation to make the most of the time in pushing the preparations for its defence. On the 2d of August, Lieut.-Col. Mellon, of Col. Wesson's regiment, arrived at the fort with two batteaux of provisions and ammunition and a reinforcement of two hundred men, all sorely needed and most heartily welcomed. As the last load of supplies was hurried within the stockade, the vanguard of St. Leger's army broke from the border of the surrounding forest.

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