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" Prove all things ; hold fast that which is good."
I. Thessalonians v. 20.
BY
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NEW YORK:
CHAS. H. LUDWIG, PRINTER, 10 & 12 READE STREET.
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BRIG -CiEN. SIR JOHN JciHNSON, HAK I .
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l.ll'B AM) MISFURTINHS
AM) THi:
MILITAR\' CAREER
OF
liriRvGcii. Sir Jolin Joliiisoii, Bart.
■• I.ifi up yiiiir eye>. and behold tliem that come from the north :'
Jeremiah xiii. ;o.
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J. WATTS i.E PEYSTER.
yK^ HvT. Maj.-Genekai., s. n. y. yt\
N E VV Y C) K K :
CHAS. H, LUDWIG, PRINTER, 10 & 13 READE STREET
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iip:spect and affection
iMis l.AHOK 1^,
<•DEDI0/^JlfED4^
MY VENEEAI5LK FATHER,
Frederic tie S^eijster, X%. S.*
I'HESIDENT OF THK NEvy YOKK HISTOKICAt, SOC'IKTV,
NEW YOUK S(JC1RTY MliUAUY, ST. NI( 11()I,AS CM;;, AND, KOI{MIiKI,Y, OK
THE ST. NICHOLAS SOCIETY, &u., &c.. &r .
With a .(rateful remembrance of the assiduity with whn.h, at
an early aeie, the father uispired the son with Uterary tastes
and introduced him to the study of history,
thus furnishimj to him an inestimable
resource in trouble and a sure
solace amid many sorrows.
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CoPYUUiHT, lSf<-,'. BY J. Watts dk Pevstki!.
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PREFACE
" Fidelity, that neither Ijrihe nor threat
Can move or warp, and f^ratitmle for small
And trivial favours, lasting as the life."
Cowi'KK, " Task."
Tliere is perluips no truer proverb than that which de-
clares that '"whoever excuses liimsclf accuses lumself."
There are exceptions, liowever, to this as well as to every
other rule — although, even in the case of this little work,
there would have been no necessity of explanation had
circumstances — as conceited niortalitv vainly inia<i;ines —
been in reality under human control. Man, let him deludi;
himself as he will, is anything but a free agent. As Canon
Charles Kingsley makes one of his characters sing, in
"The Saint's Tragedy,"
" 'Tis Dame Circimist.UR'c licks Nature's cul)s into shape :
Tlicn why puzzle and fret, plot and dream y
He that's wise will just follow his nose,
Contentedly tisl:, while he swims with the stream ;
'Tis no business ok ins w'ltiiiiE he goes."
"^All around is forethought sure,
FixKD wuA, and stern decree.
Can the sailor move the main '/
Will the potter heed the day f
Mortal ! where the spirit drives,
Thither must the wheels obey.
I— a
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b Preface.
"Neither ask, nor fret, nor strive :
Where thij pat?i is, thou shall go.
He who made the streams of time,
Wafts thee down to iceal or woe ! "
A variety of causes delayed the preparation of the his-
torical treatise assigned to the writer, as an Introduction
to Wni. L Stone's " Orderly Book of Sir John Johnson,
1776-7." Among these impediments was the expectation
of receiving new facts from Europe. While thus delaying,
Nature stepped in and demonstrated that a long series of
violations of her laws — one of them excessive metital
labor — would terminate in the arrest of all work.
It was at first intended to furnish a complete and de-
tailed narrative of the whole career of Sir John Johnson,
Bart., without limitation as to the space recpiired. Sub-
sequently a definite nundjer of pages was assigned. To
condense without ininrv to clearness is not onlv a rare
gift, but also a question of severe labor, of time, and of
thought. One of the most celebrated of English writers,
when asked to epitomize one of his difiusive works, in
order to render it more accessible to general readers, re-
marked, "I have not time to condense." It was also in-
tended to present in this connection a reprint of a rare
little work, entitled "Adventures of a Lady [Mary (Watts)
Johnson, wife of Sir John Johnson, Bart.] in the War of
Independence in America." This little duodecimo work
of 57 pp. has a very curious history, and is very valuable
as a presentation of the traditions of the Johnson family
in regard to the wrongs inflicted upon Lady Mary (Watts)
Johnson, and the sufferings undergone by her in making her
Preface. o
escape from the whigs, patriots, or rebels, in her successful
attempt to rejoin her husband, Sir John, witliin the royal
lines at New York, It is the tratlition of the victim, as
opposed to the legends of the victimizers ; it is the me-
morial of the persecuted, as a set-off to the stories of the
persecutors; it is the jjroduction of a cultivated mind, in
contrast to the recollections of many received as authori-
ties, among whom are numbered the illiterate depending
entirely upon the fallible functions of memory.
This story of Lady Johnson's "Adventures" was
written by Miss Susan GrifHtlis Colpoys — daughter of
Admiral Griffith Colpoys, of the British Navy — who mar-
ried Colonel Christopher Johnson, V>. A., sixth son of Sir
John Johnson, Bart. She was, consequently, sister-in-
law of Adam Gordon Johnson, third Baronet, son of Sir
John, and aunt of Sir William G. Johnson, the present
and fourth Baronet, the grandson of Sir John Johnson,
the second Baronet. The publication referred to was re-
ceived, and the main particulars in regard thereto were
derived from Sir William G. Consequently, also, Mrs.
Col. Johnson had every opportunity of hearing all the
incidents from those most interested in the occurrences
and cognizant of the sad facts of the case.
It was the youngest daughter of this Mrs. Col. Chris-
topher Johnson who married Mr. Henry Curwen, who
inherited the ancestral abode of the Curwens, the historic
estate of "Workington Hall," noted as having been the
temporary residence or place of detention of Mary, Queen
of Scots, in 1568, when she fled from Scotland after her
M.i
ill
d Preface.
defeat at Lan^side, IHtli of June of that jear. Amoiiii,-
the heirlooms of tliis fairiily, a portrait of Marj is pre-
served, whicli is said to liave heen j)reseiited by tlie queen
herself to Sir (Kiiiijlit. not Baronet) Henry Curwen, then
master or owner of Workini>-ton Hall.
In an address delivered by the writer before the New
York Historical Society, on Tuesday evening, tJth Janu-
ary, 1880, the case of Sir John Johnson was treated with
^reat care, and to this was annexed two volununous aj)-
))endices, presenting at length (piotations from original
authorities which explained and bore out the views ex-
pressed in the paper itself These supplements likewise
embraced accounts of the principal actions in which Sir
John was second or chief in ('(.nimand. Even to cite in
this introduction the full titles of all the works examined
would occupy more space than could possibly be conceded
to such a list, and the reader must be content with the
pertinent remark of a well-known writer (James Freeman
Clarke) Mdio says, in his introduction to the "Legend of
Thomas Didymus,^*' "I present no list of the auth> lities
from which my facts are derived, but will merely say that
the result of nmch study may be sometimes contained in
the form given to a single sentence."" , To friends who
have interested themselves no thanks are sufficient for
their assistance in thought, word and deed. To Gen.
Horatio Rogers, of Providence, li. 1., the diligent investi-
gator and digester of the facts and fancies, the narratives
and traditions of the past ; to Col. T. Bailey Myers, of
New York city, the true friend, the generous and genial
, )
collector and collatoi" ; to Mr. Wni. L. iStouc, the j>aiiis-
takiTiii: and indcf'atiijable historian, to Wni. C. Brvant,
Esq., of Buffalo, N. Y., the disinterested champion of the
\vron<i;ed and misrepresented ; to IVfr. Henrv A. Homes, of
the N. V. State Library, for much trouble and courtesy, —
to these and to others in lesser de<;ree, but with irreat kind-
ness, the warmest gratitude is felt and acknowle<lged.
„ ,. J. WAITS i.K PEYSTKK.
Tivoli P. ()., DuclK'Ps Co., N. Y.
4tli -July, 18S2.
NoTK. — There are few individuals in tlic United States wlio have the
prerojrative of expressing an opinion on tlie causes and course of the
Anieriean Revolution superior to that of the writer. Lincoln, in his
speech of si)eeclies, at the consecration of tiic Soldiers' Cemetery at
Gettysburu;, — an utterance declared by Enjrlish critics to be second only
to Scriptural siinjtlicity and sublimity — said that the brave men living
and dead wlio struggled here — that is on the battlefield — " have conse-
crated it far above our power to add or to detract :" " that they gave the
last full measure of devotion" to the cause that they espoused. The
writer's ancestors and relatives " gave the last full measure of devotion"
to the cause that they deemed right, and that they espoused. They were
among the most wealthy and the most influential in the province of
Xew York. A great great-uncle. Stei)hen de Lancey, was one of the most
accomplished Executives who ever administered public affairs. His
brother was a Brigadier-General, and common relatives iit-ld conmiis-
sions in the British service, from general down to cornet. A great uncle,
.James de Lancey, was Colonel of Light Horsemen, comprising " the
Elite of the Colony." His daring enterprises won for him the title of
"the Outlaw of the Bronx," and "the terror of the region," "the debar
able ground," of Westchester County. A near kinsman and namesake was
Major of the 8th or King's Regiment of Foot. He was among the ear-
liest officers to visit LakeGeorge ; he built the first frame buildingat Nia-
gara Falls ; won tlie affections of whites and redskins on the far lakes ;
left a work, styled " Miscellanies," which is a mine of facts for histo-
rians; rose to be colonel of his regiment, and of another, the " Dum-
Iries Gentlemen Volunteers," raised to resist French invasion ; is com
memotated in the dedication of the " Poem on Life," by a famonv pri
/
Preface.
vatc in liis corps, the poet Burns; died ftdl of years and bonors, and
was buried with rites only equalled on one other occasion, in the grave-
yard of St. Michael's OliUrcli, lamented and revered by all who knew him.
Both irrandfallwrs held royal rommissions, the first as the last royal
Recorder of the city of New York, and the other as a c iptain, from 17
to 25, and was severely vvoundiid, but recovered. Three great-uncles by
blood were shot on the battlelield : one killed ; another desperately
wounded, losing a leg ; a third I)y almost a miracle escaping the ell'ecta
of a rifle-shot. Another great-uncle by mirriage, afterwards Earl of Cas-
silis, was a cai)tain in the Hritish navy ; a second was Sir John Johnson;
a third (James) was major, afterwards colonel of the Rritish artillery,
threatened by tin; mob with burial alive, and, escaping their rage, lost
literary treasures, the accumulation of a lifetime and the n-st of
his accessible projierly. The writer's great-grandfather. President of
the King's Council, who, if the crown had succeeded, v/as to have been
the Lieutenant-(}overnor and acting Governor of the Province — in
place of his father-in-law, the distinguished Colden — who had main-
tained the rights of the j)eople against military as8nmi)tion, narrowly
escaped death at the hands of the mob, left the country, was attainted,
had his wealth confiscated a year subsequently to his departure, died
an exile, straightened in means, and laid his bones in a foreign grave.
His noble wife died of a broken heart. This list of martyrs might be
greatly augmented.
The same Loyalty which sent these men to the front during the Re-
volution, actuated their descendants during the war of 1812-15. The
writer's fither and four uncles, iieside other relatives who were of suf-
ficient age, were ail in arms for the United States. One cousin, after-
wards a major-general, the conqueror of New Mexico -and of Califor-
nia, died in consequence of the aggravation of i)olitIcal rancor, nay,
persecution.
A kindred loyalty to the government t;ent every available relative
into the field during the Slaveholders' Rebellion, and cort the lives of
five out of six of those nearest and dearest. Loyalty, when it pays
"the last full measure of devotion," has a right to make itself heard ;
Loyalty xkiiich shuns no danger and fears no con.sequence, is a better in-
terpreter of Duty than mere passion incited by prospective advantages.
To risk the loss of all is a better proof of honesty than the chance of
winning something in a desperate game. An:l it is not only injustice, but
spite that would endeavor to attribute unworthy motives to devotion
such as was testified by those who threw life, property and all that men
hold dear into the scale, and lost all from motives of Loyalty to Autho-
rity and Fidelity to the Flag.
-r'
THE JOHNSON FAMILY
OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY*
(Original motto of Sir William Johnson. Bart.)
"I cannot see," observes a gentleman (of New York
■ Wliig antecedents and ancestr}), at once an historical
scliolar, a practical soldier and an accomplished man of
business, "liovvanian so formed and trnsted in himself
and his family [as Sir John Johnson] could have acted
differently than he did."
In many respects the two greatest men who adminis-
tered the affairs of the colony or province, or, even since,
of the State of New York, M-ere Lieutenant-Governor,
* The following genealogy of the Johnson family is compiled from
various sources : from memoranda furnished by the present Baronet,
Sir William George Johnson, from Burke's " Peerage and Baronetage of
Great Britain, from Sabine's "Loyalists of the American Revolution,"
from Wm. L. Stone's "Life of Sir William Johnson, Bart.," &c., &c.
11
riti Joint so II Fdiiilh/.
iU'tijiii' (ioveriior, James dc Liuiccy, Jiiid Sir William
.lohiisoii, P>ai't.. tlu' '^ Indian 'ramcr''— tlie CoiU|ii('r<>r at
Laki' (Jcoruc in 1755, and the Capturor of Xiairara in
175!^ If s]>aee permitted, it would he a very interestint?
and au^reeable task or <lnty to clear up sonu' historic
douhts in reiiard to the lirst Sir William and introduce
illustrations of his al»ility which have never heeii ])resented
to the American puhlic.
It is nuirvellons what ridiculous nonsense has been
published in rey:ard to tlie antecedents and adventures of
this remarkable man. The following is the literal truth,
furnished from a most authentic source:
"The Hon. Sir William Johnson, Bart, in America,
was the son of Christopher JcJnison, Esq., of Smith-
ToMMi, County Meath (Ireland), a irentleman of great re-
pute and renown, <lescended from a distinguished Irish
family,* and of Anne Warren, daughter of Michael War-
ren, Es(j., of the same county, and sister of Sir Peter
* It; liiis Ix'cn bruited Hint orif^niiully tlU' I'ainily iiiunc Wiis not Jolin-
son, but -lausi'ii, aiul that tlic lirst who bore it and sottlod in Ireland was
a Hollander, who, like many of hiri countrymen, went over afterwards
with William III. in 1G9(), won lands and eslablislud themselves. If this
report had a ^n'ain of truth in it, that the name should become angli-
eised immediately would be nothing remarkable, since hundreds of
similar and of far greater transmutations and travesties, some amount-
ing to simple absolute translations, occurred in this Slate within a gene-
ration after its settlement : the Feuersteins l)ccoming Flints, the Muh-
lers Millers, «&c., &c.. This Jausen story, however, is a myth, like
many of the stupidities which are engendered by ignorance or started
through envy or other like meannesses in illiterate neighborhoods. Col.
Guy Johnson, nephew of ISir "William, always retained a touch of the
brogue. "His tongue bore evidence of his Irish extraction" (Captain
Snyder, in Stone's " Brant," II. (57.
TIk' JolniKon Juiniih/.
Ill
Wurroii, J\iiiu'lit of the most Iloiioral)U' ( )r(k'r of the
I)Uth, Vico-Adiiiiiiil in tlic liritisli Navy uimKt (ieori^o II,
(and well-known for his c'X|>l()it8 — {inioii^ these his co-
operation with Sir William Pe]>|)ei'ell in the famous expe-
(litictu aii'ainst Loiiishur^, the French (iihraltar in Ainer-
icu, in 174')), and niece of Admiral Lord Aylmer, of Hal-
rath, (bounty j\[eath, Ireland.
" The ahove Christopher .Johnson was son of William
Johnson, then called MacSean or MacShane, a iceneral of
\ery i;i'eat iv})ute and credit in that i)art of Ireland (coun-
ty Meath, whoso princi])al I'iver is the I'oyne, famous
for the victory of William 111. over flames II., 1st .luly,
1<)1>0), and of Anne Fit/.sinnuons, of Tallynally. county of
Westmeath. William MacSean was the son of Thomas
MacSean ami Frances Fay, of the very ancient family of
Dorrinai^'anale, county Westmeath. This Thomas MacSean
was son of flohii (O'Neil), from whom the MacSeans of that
familv were called, and was descended from the Royal
^Trish) family of Dunu-annon. County Tyroiu'. formerly
])rinces of Ulster and monarchs of Ireland, "• antecedent to
Chi'istianity" and "before the cominii; of St. Patricke."
The family of Warren (here referred to), of Warrentown, is
the head and stock of several illustrious families of that
name in Ireland, and the founder was one of the princi])al
followers of Earl Stront!:1)ow when he coutiuered Ireland,
11^)9-70. This family of AVarren is descended in a direct
leijal line from the ^Iar(|uises of Warrene, in Xornumdy,
France.
According to Sir William George Johnson, Bart., there
9
1
IV
7//' Johiixoii I'\(iiiiliJ.
is an t'xci'|iti<»iiiil lionor }ittaclK'<l to flic jtiitoiit of noliility
coiif't'iTcd upon flu- tii'st Sir AVilliain iiiid liis >()ii. Sir .loliii,
wliieli is {iliiM).st uin>n'('('(li'Mtt'(l in Ilritisli liistorv. Tlic
|)at(.'iit wliicli i)Oi')>('tiiat('s tlic haronctcy in this family con-
tains a clause' which u'ivcs tlic title of *' Kni<i:ht'' or ''Sir"
to the eldest son on his attainiiii; his majority, an extraor-
<linarv clause, as knii^hthood as a rule is not hercditurv,
hut is conferred for special sei-vices and terminates with
the life of the recipii'iit.
1. WILLIAM JOHNSON", Ks(i, (afterwards Kiiij-lit and
M.Mi'oiu't), w:is boll! at Siiiitli Town, County ]M(\'itli, Ireland,
and snl)SO(|uently adopted hy liis maternal undo, Admiral Sir
I'eter WMrrcn, K. II., capturer of Louisburii-, tfec, and went
<mt with liim to North America, where he rose to the rank of
Colonel in the British Army, Major-(Joneral of the Provincial
Forces and (or) of the Militia, HUh April, 1783, and distin-
iL^uished himself as a military commander durinc: the French
(American) War ( IT. ")4-( }.*>), and as a negotiator with Indian
tribes. He was created a Baronet -iTth Nov., 1755. In L7r)(»
he received Ids commission as " Colonel, ylf/enf and Sole Snperin-
tendent of idl tlie (ijf'aivs of tJte Sh Notions ar I ot/ier NortJurn
/?<^?/f/ns," " with no subordination but to Loudon (Ltmdon j;')."
He died lltli July, 1771, of chronic malignant dysentery, aged
r)9, at Iiis seat, Johnson Hall, Tryon County, New York, leaving
l>y Catherine Wisenberg [Weissenberg?], his wife:
I. JOHN, his heir.
II. Annk, married to Col. Damkt, Clauss, of North
America, and died about I7i>s.
III. Makv, mariied to Col, Guy Johnson, and had two
daughters: 1. Mary, wife of Field Marshal Lord
Clyde, queller of the East India Mutiny, originally
Sir Colin Campbell, and mother of Gen. Sir Guy Camp-
bell ; '^. Julia.
The Johnson J")) in Hi/. v
Tlic soil mimI liL'ir of Sir Willl:iiii .loliiisoii, I>iirt.:
II. SiK .I()IIN,ofJoliiison llall,*'rry«)ii (nttcrwanls Fulton)
(■(•iiiify, N. Y., finally ot" Mount .loluison, Montn-al : Colonel 't'
Il('t;inu'nl of Horse in tlie Nortliern District of N*'\v York, in
I77'>; Major-iteneral of the Militia beionuing to the same poi-
tion of the Province after the decease of his tiithur; Lieut. -Col.
coniniamlinij tlie Loval or Provincial "Kin'jr's Uoval lleyinient
of New York," otherwise "The (Queen's Jioyal New Yorkers;"
or "Johnson's or (^ni'di's Poyal (iieens;'" Colonel, I>, A., :ilst
Octolter, rji^ri; liriufadii'r-CTtneral of tin- Provincial Trooj>s,
iSrc, 14th March, ITN'i; Suj)ci'inten(lent-Cu'neral and Inspector-
* To lurnish senic iilca of I lie condition of insecurity in wlilcli
tiiclohnson family lived, and tlie state of prepai'ation ni!iint;iined ;it the
I[ail — tlie family liome — a semi-fortilicalioii, tlie followinj; order, cojiied
from the oriurinal hy Col. T. Uailey Myers, is inserted entire.
It was l)y a father who was 8o careful in his instruction, who was
socajialilein the liandlinuof men, so conscientious in his laliors, adminis-
trative, executive and military, and so t'ortuiiale in ids enterprises, .Sir
John Jolinsoii was lirouuht up and pre|)ared (or tlie arduous eareei'
wiiich ahsorlied the best portion of his active lite.
" 1st. You will keej) your Party sober and in good order and |»re-
vent tlieir haviiiij; any uiuiecessary Intercourse with the Indians least
any difference nnirlit arise lietweeu them from too niiieh familiarity.
!2(l. If any dilferenee should arise hetween them, if the Indians
use any of your |»arty ill, 1 am to he immediately ae(|uaiute(l with it.
4th. Vou will in the day time keep one Sentry on the Eminence
to the Northward of the House, who upon secinu' the enemy advance
is to tire his jiicce and retreat to the F\)ri. Another Sentry to he posted
al the (iatc of the Fort on the outside, who is also to enter the Fort on
the advanced Sentry alarminu; him.
;kl. The Seriieant to take care that the Men's (Quarters he kept
very Clean and that they wash well and freshen their Salt Provisions,
the neiilect of which makes them subject to many Disorders.
7th. In case ot an attack the 3 Bastions to be properly manned
and the 2 curtains also, there mi.xiim some of my Peojile with yours.
The remainder of my People to man the l)weliin;.r House and fiij^hl from
thence, makin"; Use of the Four Wall Pieces and Musquetoons and of
the windows titted for them.
VI
The Johnso" Fdiuf'^i.
(Tt'iicral of tlic Six Nations of Iiitlians and tlieir Confederates,
of all the Indians inhabitinsj^ Onr piovince of (2"*^'bec and the
Frontier, l()th Se})teinber, '701 (a copy of Sir Jolni's coni-
niission is a])i)ended as a note) ; * Colonel-in-Cliief of the six
IJattalions of tlie Militia of the Eastern Townships of Lo\\ cr
Canada. 1I<! was Knighted at St. James', London, 'l%\ Nov.,
ill
Oth. AVlioncveran aliirni isiriven bytlu' advanced Sentry, you will
order three Patteroes [or Peaeroes, a verj' small kind of caiuion] im-
mediately to he tired, that beinu' the siirnal I have iriven to the Mo-
hawks, and on their approach neiir the Fort, when cliallenired, they are
ro answer " Gcori>:e" as distinct as they '•an, then to be admitted if prae-
tieablc.
5tli. When there are no Indians here the Gates to be loeked al
s o'clock in y<' Evening and opened at Six in the Morning, tirst looking
.ironnd about to see that all is safe and clear, the advanced Sentry then
to be jiosted I">ery Day.
The men's arms and ammunition to be kept in Good Order.
To Foist Jounson, I am, Sir,
Lieut. August the 9th, 1756. Yrs.,
Ai.EXANDEK TruNBi'ia-. W.M. .Johnson.
N'lri;.— On llie lOllmt' Auyiist tliu .Maniuis (If Monlcalin. who li:ul succeeded Baron
Dieakau in eoinniand of FiLnch aruiy, invcsled ()>we<;(). On llie 18tli
Caii^e of llii- the garrison, Shirley and Peiipcrell's reirinient^, KiOO men, evacuated
ahsonce. and retreated to tli<' old fort across the river, and surrendered on 18th,
and both foris levelled. .Johnson was at Albany on the ;J(ith when the
news arrived, and was sent by Ld. Loudon w ith two batlalions of militia to German Flats
1(1 siipporl (ieii. Webb, who 'lad started from Albany for the relief of the garrison two
days before ihc surrender, but. m receiving intelligence of it. retreated with preciiii-
tancy to Gernian Flats, which ended Loudoun's campaign and disappointed and in-
censed the Six Xalions, who looked for his protection, and gave Sir William much
trouble ; the Moliawks oidy rt'maining reliable, the others for a time negotiating for
jieacc with the French.
*Gkn'l J. W. OE Fevstek, HiKFALO. March 30, 1882.
Deah Sir : — I enclose copy of Sir ^hn Johnson's commission as
Sui)erintendent-General of Indian Atfairs. The original is bound up
in a collection of autographs and documents in my possession, and
could not be detached without mutilation.
Possibly this may be of some slight service to you.
Very respectfully yours, AVm. C. Bryant.
[To wliom the Johnson family owe a heavy debt of gratitude for
,♦ ■•
Tld JoJiiiKOH F'lhiihj.
Vll
I7<>r). (On the flcath of his tiither, Sir William (I.), Sir John
positively refused to accept the succession to the tbrnier\s dinr-
iiities iind offices in coiuiection with the Indians, and they were
conferred upon his cousin, Guy .lohnson, who exercised them
throughout the Revolutionary War, and thus Sir John and
Col. Guy have often been coidbunded, to the disadvantage of
Sir John. Sabine says, "Col. Guy Joluison's intemperate zeal
for liis royal master caused the first affray in thiit [Tryon]
county.") Sir John married, .'»Oth June, I77;>, Makv, daughter
of Hon. John Watts, Senior, Esq., sonu; time President of the
King's Council of New Yoi'k, and by her (who died 7th Au-
gust, 181")) he had issue:
r. W^iLMAM, Lieut-Col., born 177'); man-icd in IH():J,Sl"san —
an extr..ordinary beauty — daughter of Stej)hen de Lan-
his noble defence of Sir .John .Joliiisoii, ami tlie writer abiuulant thanks
for information, ri'iidcrcd (l(iul)l_v valuable by the courtesies attending;
its transmission. .1. W. dk P.)
GEORGE H.
[Great Seai..]
George the Third, by tlic Grace of God Kinii' of Great Britain,
France and Ireland, Defender of tlie Faith, *tc. To our trusty and
well-beloved Sir Jolni .Johnson, Bart., Greetinix: We rei)osin{>' especial
Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Fidelity and Ability do by these
{'resents constitute and ajtpoint yon to l)e Superintemlent General and
lnsi)ector General of our Faitliinl Subjects and Allies, tlie Six United
\ations of Indians and their Confederates, and of their Affairs, and
also of our faithful Allies the Indians inhabitinii: Our Provinces of
l'pj)er Canada and Lower Canada, in America, and the frontiers of our
>aid Provinces, and of their affairs : And you are to ol)serveand follow
suc)i (Jrders and Directions as you shall receive from Our Commander
in Chief of Our Forces in Our said Provinces of Upper Canada and
bower Canada, or, in case of his absence, from tlie OHiccr who may lie
left In the Command of the said Forces for the 'f imc beinn.
Given at Our Court at St. James's, the Sixteenth day of Septem-
l)er, 171)1, In the Thirty First Year of Our r{<'i<rn.
By His Majesty's Connnand,
IIknkv DrxDAs.
Vlll
1 ft
II.
III.
IV.
\ .
VI.
VI
T/ti Johnsoh Foriiibj.
cey, Governor of Tobago, and sister of Sir William .le
Lanccy, K.C.B., "Qunrtcrmastor-Gcneral of Welling-
ton's army," killed at Waterloo; and <lied 1«12, leay-
i„.r by her (who married secondly, 1815, General Sir
Hudson Lowe, K.C.B., and died ls:}r>) three daughters :
1. Charlotte, married in 18:20, Alexander Count
Balmain, lilissiun Commissioner at St. Helena,
and died in 1824.
2. Mary, died unmarried in 1814.
\\. Susan, died unmarried in 1^28.
Adam Goudox, Hid Baronet.
.Iamks Stki'iikn, Captiiin r>8th Regiment, killed at
Badajoz, born in 1785.
lloHEKT Thomas, drowned in Canada in lSl->.
Wakkkn, Major OKth Regiment, died I8l:5.
John of Point Oliver, Montreal, Col. Com g Oth Bat-
talion of :Militia,born Sth August ; 17sr>, married 10th
February, 1^25, i\[ary Diana, daughter of Richard
Dillon, Esq., of .Alontreal, and died 2:3d June, 1841,
leaving issue :
1. William Gkoi;«4K, successor to lus uncle, and
present (in 1^82) Baronet.
2. Ciiaulks, Captain INIadras Artillery, born 4th
February, 18:»o.
;;. J AMI'S Stki'iien, Lieut. 14th Foot, born 5th
March, 18:}C); killed at Barbadoes.
4. AitoiiiuALi) Kknnedy, born 20th June, 1^:5!».
1. i\lAitiA Diana.
2. Anne Maikiaukt.
:], Ei-i/A Tmkiiksa.
4. Ma in Annk.
VII CuAKLKs CiunsTorHKK, of Argcnteuil, Canada East,
born 2«.)th Oct.-ber, llOS : Lieut.-Col. in the Army;
Kni<-ht of the second class of the Persian Order of the
Lion and Sun; married 1818, Susan, eldest daughter
j! I.'
Tltr ■/()h)is<>ii Ka/iilly.
IX
of Adiiiir.'il Sir Edward Giiftiths, of Xorthbrook
IIousi', Hants (Jl:iiii|ishiro) (who took the surname of
C'olpoys), and died .'JOth Sci)teniber, isr)4, leaving:
1. William, an officer in riOth Regiment, born
'~>Sth May, 1821, deceased.
'I. John Okmshy, Captahi Royal Xavy ; born lUh
August, ^xil'l.
;J. CiiAKLKs TiiKHAM), born 17th .June, 1825, de-
ceased.
4. EmvARi) CV)LPOYs, born lltli August, 1855, an
officer in the Army,
1. Uwiw J^owKs, married, 18th June, 18(57, Rev.
Wni. IJcIl Cin-istian, of p]wanrigg Hall, Cum-
berland, and JMilntown, Isle of AFan.
2. Mauv Anxk SisAX.
VIII. Akciiibali) Kenxkdy, born in I7i»2, married, l.'Jth Sep-
tember, 1818, Maria Johnson, daughter of Patrick
Langan, Esq., of ^Montreal, died 8th October, 186G.
1. AxNE, married to Col. Edward Macdonnell, De-
puty Quartermaster General to the Forces in
Canada, who died in 1812.
2. Catiiakink Makia, one of the loveliest, wisest and
best of women, married in 1805 to Major-
(leneral Harxahd Fooiid Bowks, an officer of
unusual ability and intrepidity, who fell in the
attack upon the forts at Salamanca, 23d June,
1 8 1 2.( See Harper's "/^lison," HI., 470 (2) and
note t, ami other authorities on the War in
Spain). She died at Anglesey, near (iosport,
F^ngland, in 1850.
;i. Mai{ia> ,k, died 1st January, 1808.
Sir John, died 4tli January, 1830, and was succeeded by
his eldest surviving son,
HI. Sir Adam Gordox, Lieut.-Col. of the 6th Battalion of
Militia, born 6th May, 1781; who died unmarried 2 1st May.
n
X The Johnson Funaly.
1843, and was succeeded hy liis nephew, William (4kor(ji:,
tlie present (188:i) Baronet.
IV. SiuWii.r.iAM (TE()K(iK JoiiNsox, of Twickenham, Coun-
ty of ]\liddlesex, P^ngland, was g-raduated at ^Yoolwic•h, and
lor the best jiortion ol Ins life lield a comniission in the l^ritish
iVrniy as Captain of Artillery, and acted, in the discharge of va-
rious staff duties, at different posts, and once upon the Island of
St. Helena; born lOtli Decend)er, 18;J0; succeeded as IV. Baro-
net at the decease of his uncle, in May, 184o.
Au.Ms. — Aro-ent, two lions counter-rampant, supporting a
dexter hand gules; in chief, three estoilles of the last, and in
has, a salmon naiant in water, proper.
CiiKsT. — An arm, gules, encircled with a ducal crown, Or^ the
hand grasping a sword, proper, poliuird and hilt. Or.
Morro. — "iV<'c aspera terrentr '■'• Difficulties do not stop
{or deter) or disnunj."" " Boldness Wixs."
Sir John Johnson, might have exclaimed, in the words of
Dryden :
"Fortune came smiling to my youth, and woo'd it.
And purpl'd u-reutncss mot my ripon'd years.
When first I canu' to empire, I was borne.
On tides of people crowding' to my triumph :
The wish of nations, and the willing world
Ueceiv'd me as its pledge of future peace.
1 was so great, so happy, so belov'd,
Fate could not ruin me, 'til I took i)ains,
And work'd against my fortune ; chid her from nu",
And turn'd her loose, yet still she came again.
My careless days, and my luxurious nights.
At length have wearied her ; and now she's gone.
******
Oh ! I am now so sunk from what I was,
Thou find'st me at my low-water mark :
The rivers tha* ran in, and rais'd my fortunes.
Are all dried up, or take another course.
What I have left is from my native spring ;
Pve still a heart that swells in scorn of fate.'"
il
I:, 'I
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
•■ ( »iir kniiwledjif nf thf rmiiro | iS'ii — 5], can only lie u copy iif the pa^l [1773 ■'.3I "
I'll. UlROl's " Pisiilses i>/' \teilhn y."
Ciesar. — "' N oil must, oliey wliat all ohey, the rule
Of fix'd necessity '. ai;aiii>t her eilict
Kehcllicm prospers not."
.linfl/d, — ".\n(l when it prospers-
Cifiiir. — ■■ ' lis no rehellion."
■* * * +
/'/il7ii'i-rr. — '■ How now. fellow I
Thou wa.vest insolent, heyind the (irivilege
Of a hiitToon."
Cipsiif. — ■■ Vou mean, 1 speak the truth.
I'll lie — it is as easy ; then you'll praise lue
I'or calling you a hero."
K\Ros'^ " Pr/'(ir)iif(i '/'yan.\-/('fiih;i." \( t I., >i one II
I'osselt, in his ■' History of (iustavus 111., of Sweden," after mentioning that he h.is
hai a numher of manuscripts communicated to him hy a high and competent authority,
>ays, " the author, although he fully .i^rees in opinion with the writer (of these manu
scripts), will not communicate them to the jiuhlic, hecause t/if wot Id '^vill iicit/irr h>a>
nor bflu'7'r the siiii/>/r t>nt/i^ hut ~vis/irs to he Jecei'.'ed."
ScHLo.ssKU, '^llistoi-y of the .\V.\'. ( entii : ." I\ ., j42.
".\ woiulerful and horrihle tiling is committed in the land ; the prophets prophesy
f.ilsely, and the priests hear rule hy their means ; and my people love to have it so : and
what will ye do in the end thereof." Jknrmi.mi V., 30. (i.
TIktc was rt ii'reater and a tiiior display of Lovulty lo
tlie Govcniinent, tliat is, to tlio Union and to tlio Ha^-,
in 18(11. ten times over, than of ))atriotisni or whatever it
may I)e said to i-e}>resent. to the cause of Liberty and
Independence, that is to the Confederated (\)lonles, in
8— .\i
J
\ii
Ilhtoricid Iiitri>(/ uctioii.
', t
'<i
ITTo-t*. In ls«!l tluMv was ji universal i)(»i)ular fervor iit
the Nortli, totally (lisinterested — an uprising- ofthe people.*
In 17T5-*;, as a national t'eelini;-, it was exactly tlie reverse.
There were more native Amerieans in tlie course of tlie
war ill till' r)ritisli service than WashiiijU'ton ever had to-
irether, regulars and irre<i:ulars, under the hiirhest i)res-
sure of voluntary an<l conijmlsory service.
Loren/.o Sahiue deinonstrates this, aiul the followinii;
letter is too pertinent and coi-rohorative to he omitted. It
is from the ]tcn of a very ahle Federal general, and one of
the most retlectinii' nii'ii of this j^eneration, who is like-
wise a collateral relation of one <.f the most j.ronnneiit
Coiitiueiital i^^enerals. Ju it the writer says:
''The more I rciul and understiniJ the American Revolu-
tion, the more T wonder at our success. I doubt if there were
more than two States decidedly whio- — ^Massachusetts and Vir-
uinia. Massachusetts (morally) overlai)i»ed New Hampshire —
and the northern part of Rliode Island— and <1 ragged them
after her. [These seemed to realize the dependence of the
Second Jager in Schiller's " W<tl/>nsfehi'ft Lrt;/n\' or camp—
" Freedom must ever with niisrht entwine,
I live and will die by Wallenstein."]
The Massachusetts people were Aryan (by race), witli a strong
injection of Jewish (instincts). The })opu]ation of Southern
Rhode Island and Comiecticut were divided— more loyal than
* There was more patriotism shown at the North, among all classes
and conditions of men, during the first two years of the " Slaveholders'
Hehellion" than has ever been exhibited, spontaneously, by any people
ill the world— far more than durijig tlie American Hevolution. Tlie
Loyalists of 18(51-2 took up arms for their colors and country and for
eonscience— for principle ; so did the Loyalists of 1775-6.
Hintoi'trnl In troi/nction .
Mil
Uclti'l. New York was Tory. New Jersey — eastern part t"<>l-
l«»\ve<l \e\\ York, western part Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania
was Tory, Maryland was divided; Xortli Carolina partly i'ol-
lowed lier, jtartly Soutli CJarolina. South Carolina had many
Tories. (ieorLria followed South Carolina. Two j»arties con-
stituted tlie strength of the Whigs — the Denioeratic Conunnn-
ists of Massachusetts and wherever theii' organization exteinled
and the (Provincial) aristocracy of Virginia, which was loyal
to the King ])ut would not bend to the aristocratic Parliament.
The Scotch (Protestant not l*a])ist) Irish in New York, Pennsyl-
vania and North C'arolitia were llelx'ls to tlie l)ackl)one. The
Dutch I'ainilies in New Y^^rk [not in authority], the Huguenots
in South Carolina, likewise. The Church party, the Germans,
the Catholic Ii'ish and the Quakers were I^tjyalists. The Dis-
senters evervwhenf were llebels." .
Without the active assistance <»f France and .Spain, and
the silent inliueiKH; of otlior powers, jealous or envious or
inimical to (treat JJritaiii, the achievement of American
Independence would iiave been an impossiltility. NVln-n
the goal M'as readied how did the Confederate*! Colonies,
transmute<l into the United States, show their gratitude
to France and Spain ^
Again, there was more honesty, mercy, magnanimity,
more charity or pliilanthropy manifested t«i the Rebels in
1865, than to their brethieii, if tliey were so in fact, by the
Colonial authorities in 17S2-ii. The Dnke of Alva was
scarcely more cruel for his race, day, prejiulices and
opportimities than the authorities of the State of New
York, for their blood and their era. Not one sentence of
this introduction is written to uphold Great Britain. P^veii
accei»ting Lecky's depreciatory estimate of George II J,
!l !
XIV
Illntov'ic<ll liiti'0<ll«!tlon .
!l
and liis ministry, iiotliinix can cxcn^c tlio aninnis wliicli
jH'rnu'atos the onactnients of TS\'W York apiinst the r.«)yal-
ists, stiirniatizod as Tories, who were certainly as lionest
and selt'-saeritieinii: in their convictions as their oi»]»onents.
Tlie iii.risinir of ls<;i settled the interi)retation or
detinition of Loyality— Fealty to the Government and
Fidelity to the F'hiir! If there was anv man in the
Colonies wlio was a decided enemy to tlie Crown it was
.lolin Adams, and yet lie it was who declared, or rather
wrote these I'eiriarkahle words;
" For my own part there was not a moment durin<^ the
Kevolution wlien I woidd not liave ,i;-ivei» anything I
p(»ssessed for a restoration to the state t)f tilings before the
contest began, provided -we conld have a snfHcient secnrity
for its continnance."
The idea thns expressed by John Adams with the pen,
was nothing more than Sir John Johnson wrote in fiercer
colors with the sword, at the sacrifice of such a magnificent
property that John x\dams would have regarded a portion
of it as an elegant competency.
Wliat have Native Americans gained by all that has
been undergone? AVould their leaders have taken the
stand that they did, if they could have looked forward
and foreseen the present condition of things^ Is material
prosperity the highest good 't The wish has been attributed
to .Fefierson, the "Apostle of Democracy?" that an ocean
of fire rolled between his coimtry and the old WMjrld, to pre-
serve it from the evils of emigration. B'oreigners in a
irreat measure eniriueered the American Eevolution. How
i
11 1 xi or I fit I I iif I'nd nrhtm.
XV
many ti'iuri'd at tlic licad of <>ui- aniiios ^ IIow many
iiiMiU'ii('(Ml tlic resolutions of Coiiijrcss ^ ( )f twcntv-ciirlit
active major-ii'enerals — tliere \veri' tliirty. l)nt one re-
siirned 'l'M\ April, lT7«i, and one was j-etired in 177H —
eleven were foreiirners, and toni" had leai'ned their tra<les.
in the British service. Throwinir o\it thosi' who were
promoted, of the fifty-five hriiradiers, l»etwi'en ITT.'i and tlu'
close of the war in 1 TSii. twelve wei'e forei<;ners.
The two cliief aii'ents of independence were Henjamiii
Franklin and Thomas Paine. The fii'st was an accidental
American, just l)orn in this counti'v, and tlu' latter an
Fn^lishman.
Indi^■i(hlal riirlits ai'e more res])ected and reirai'dcfl tt)-
day in Great Britain, and the law is held in more rever-
ence tliere tluin in the l>nited States. \\<tw^ license dictates
tlie laws and a res]»ectal)le minority has t(^ sntfer and suc-
cumb. Tliere is no law hut j)ul)lic o])inion. riirht or wrouijr,
and the atrocious inHuence of political <;reed and <!:raspinii^
mo- opoly. Is that worse than a royal will. temj>ered by
a cftnstitutional representation t
The atmosphere breathed by so many of the prominent
American fanulies of New York was surcharged with Loy-
jdty and Fidelity to a rii;:litful Prince. Whether the idea was
wise or foolish, right or wrong, nothing was considered as
much a man's personal duty as the maintenance of his honor.
The young and charming Lord James Radcliife, Earl of
Derwent water, the idol of the .Jacobites, was beheaded*
(
*"LoKD Dkkwentw AT Kit's LiGiiTs. — There have heen sevenil
wonderful and most unusual displays of aurora horealis in England
XVI
1/lHtoriaal In trnthirtloi) .
24tli l"\'liniai'v, 17H> ; tliut is, on tin" vci-v day, it is
claiiiKMl l»y Col. T. liaiU'V Afwi-s, that Sir Wi'liaiii .luliii-
80II was l)orn, and tlic wild tri-Nor of .lacoUitc Loyalty was
still alive \\lK'n Sir .loliii was a hoy. T\\v world was yet
riri^iiii;- with the thrilliiiu', toiichini;' and tniini>et-toned
ballads wiiich celebrated the virtues and saeritices ofthos((
who dai'ed an<l died tor the Stuarts, With su(;li examples
bofore them, meii who had l)een elevated and rewarded by
the Crown would have ])een false to manhood if they ha<l
not stood by the source of honor whose sti'eains had en-
nobled and enriched tliem.
Contrast Loud Di;kmi;ntwati;u\>^ tanious " (lood iVi<i|;ht"
with a similar poem, evoked l)y the exile and ruin of the
Westchestei- de Lanceys. The same s])irit manifests itself
in both.
lately, .seriously atfeclinu', as tlicy iiavc done here, the teleirraphie
conuiiuiiicatioii. In Northuniherland, the aurora borealis is iiuowii
ainonir tlie peasantry by tlie name of Lord Derwentwaters Ligiits. In
the alf(Mni)t to place tlie Stuarts on the throne, the Karl of Derwent-
water, head of the <>:reat Roman Catiiolie nortii country family of
KadclitVe, took a conspicuous part, and i)aidthe penalty on the scaffold.
On the night of his execution there was a brilliant display of the
aurora borealis, and the simple peasantry, by whom their lord, a man
of high and amiable character, was greatly beloved, associated the
phenomena with the death of the unfortunate young nobleman.
"Tliere is also a legend, which yet lingers amidst the lumiesteads of
the property which once was his, that the water in the moat of Dilstone
Castle, the family seat, turned blood red on that same fatal night.
This notion is likely to have arisen from the retlection of the sky
(crimson with the aurora] in the water. The vast estates of the Rad-
clitl'es were confiscated to the endowment of Greenwich Hospital, and
are now worth about £60,000 a year. A maniac, calling herself
Countess of Derwentwater, has lately been claiming them." Post,
Nov. 29, 1870.
'■',*
Ilhtorn-iil Iiitmdtirtion.
" Farewell to pleasnnt Dilsfon Hall,
■^Iif f(ithn\'i jincient nent :
A stntiniir iinir inimt rail thee hin,
Wliicli giirs my lieurt to >;r<'et.
Farewell eiicli friendly well-known faee,
My iieart lias held so dear;
Ml/ tiii(tiit.i uoir innxt leare their lamtn.
Or hold their (ires in fear*
" No more iiloMir the l)anks of Tyiie,
I'll rove ill autumn u^rey ;
No more I'll hear at early dawn,
'I lie Ifiv' rocks wake the day.
Then fare thee well, brave Witherin.irton,
And Forster ever trwe ;
Dear Shal'tesliiiry and Krrinirton,
Keeeive my last adieu.
"And fare thee well, (4eoruc Collinjrwood,
Since fate has put us down,
If tlioii and I have lost our lives.
Our Kinir has lost his crown.
Farewell, farewell, my lady dear,
111, ill thou coiinseH'dst me;
/ nerer more titdi/ se" the babe
That xmileN upon thif knee.}
'And fare thee well, my l)onny grey steed,]:
That carried me aye so free ;
I wish I had Iieen asleep in my bed,
The last lime I mounted thee.
This warning bell now bids me cease.
My trouble's nearlv o'er;
XVII
* True to the letter as regards the tenants and dependents of Sir
John Johnson.
f Lady Johnson's child, born in cni)tivity, died in consequence of
the exposure attending her escape from the Whigs or Rebels, and Sir
John only looked upon it to see it die.
X Sir John Johnson had a famous (white or whitey-grey ?) char"-er
which was captured during the invasion of IT^O. (See Simm's "Scho'
harie,"38G.)
^%
I
xviii IfiHtorlcal liifnuhictlo)).
^ Oil iSiii. Iliiil rises IVoin the son,
Shall rise on iiic no more.
"Allx'il thill hire in liiindun tuwii,
It is my fate to die ;
(> carry mo to N'orthiimbcriainl,
III my I'atlici's j;iavc to lie I
Then chant my solemn i'e(|uieiii,
In IlexiiJim's holy towers:
And let six maids of fair Tynedale,
Scatter my icrave with flowers.
" And when the head liiat wears the crown,
Shall be laid low like mine,
Some honest hearts may then lament,
For RadclitVe's fallen line.
Farewell to pleasant Dilston Hall,
My father's ancient seat ;
A stranjrer now must call tliee his,
Which i^ars my heart to jrreet."
The toiicliiiiiT lilies, jti.st ([iioted, an* octliDcs of similui-
liwirt-uttorauces of every nation wliicli has a literature,
and M'liich has been torn by civil war. Several poems of
i'\([uisite pathos attest the <iee]) feeling of the Huguenot
e.viles driven by bii^otry from France and from the sunny
homes thev were never a<;aiii to behold. Manv vears ai^o,
amon^ old family records, the writer found some verses in
manuscript wliieh embody the same sentiments as those
which characterize "Lord Derwentwater's Good Nij^ht."
They refer to the desolation which fell upon the domain in
Westchester County, N. ^'., where his grandfather, Hon.
John Watts, ,lr., married. 2d October, 1775, the lovely
Jane de Lancey — a couple so fitted for each other in
every respect, that the festival was suitably commemorated
in prose and poetry. The genth; Jane was the niece of
,) ■
l/lKtoi'triil Intrinl urtiini.
.MX
Ladv .loliiisoii, wit'c <»t' Sir .lulm, ami the sister of tlic
tainousCyoloiii'lJaiiiosdi' Laiicev, whoor^uuizcMl u liattaliun
of Loval liiirht Ilorso. "This Troop |tlic' miek'ii,s| !•»
truly ' Elite' of tlie country," is tlie record of the lioyal
(lovernor. Their coimiiandei', sti^matize(| l>y his oppo-
nents as the "Outlaw of tin; Hronx,'' hecanie "the teri'or
of the region" h' tween the Harlem rixcr aii<l the ilioh-
lands. Jle was fearless and indefatiijahle. an<l, on oiu-
occasion, came near " fjjohbling" Washiniiton. So t'orniid-
ahU' did he j>rove, that Washin,i:;ton's '' first offensive (le-
sion" — after his junction with liauzun's Jiei>-ion and the ad-
vanced corps of Kochambeau — was an attemj)t to desti'oy
de Lancey's fA'^ion. This, like tliat of Lauzun, l*ulaski.
Armand and " lii^-jit II«jrse Harry"' Lee, comj)rised hotli
Horse and Foot. The enteri)rise was undertaken on the
niirht of 1st .Inly, 1781. It failed com})letely.
When the success of the Americans was decided, Colo-
nelJames de Lancey, the hero of so much sterling fact and
ronumtic fiction, went forth an e.xile — a sad fate for so hravt'
an<l conscientious a soldiei-, although he was rewarded hy
the bounty and confidence of the King for whom he had
lost all. He was a nejdiew of Sir John .lohnson. When
about to leave forever his ancestral lunne, tlie " 'Outlaw
of the Bronx' mounted his liorse, and, riding to the dwell-
ings of his neighbors [early associates and constant
friends through life] bid them each farewell. His i)aternal
fields and every object presented to his view wc-re associ-
ated with the joyful recollections of early life. The con-
sciousness that he beheld them all for the last time, and
XX
Historical Introduction .
■\
i!l
tlie uncortaiiities to 1)e eiiconntered in the stranc:e coiiiitrj
to wliich biiiiisliiuent was coiisij^niiiij liini, conspired to
awaken emotions such as tlie sternest bosom is sometimes
c-ompelled to entertain. It was in vain that he struirgled
to suppress feelings whicli sliook his iron lieart. Nature
soon obtained the masterv, and lie burst into tears. After
weeping M'ith uncontrollable bitterness for a few moments,
he shook his ancient friend by the hand, ejaculating with
difficulty the words of benediction — 'God bless you,
Theophilus [Bailey] !' and spurring forward, turned his
back forever upon his native valley" — the home of the
wi-iter's great-grandparents on the mother's side.
The following feeling lines were written by a stranger,
an Englishman, who visited the old de Lancey numor, in
Westchester County, N. Y., expecting to find there, still
existing, some memorials of that gallant, courtly and emi-
nent race which once directed the develojiment of the
colony and province. B'it, alas, in the same manner that
war, exile, confiscation and death had smitteii and scat-
tered the proud owners, even so liad flood, fire and change
laid waste or altered their ornate possessions. A solitary
pine^ towering aloft in natural majesty, alone survived to
mark the spot M'here once a flourishing loyal race ex-
tended its stately hospitalities, and enjoyed the sweets of
a home, the abode of prosperity and the shelter of extra-
ordinary hereditary capacity. A contrast so marked be-
tween the past and the present moved even the alien, and
in poetic numbers he testified his sympathy and recorded
the desolation :
Historical In traduction .
XXI
" Whero gentle Bronx clear winding flows
Ilis shadowing hanks between ;
Where blos.som'd bell and wilding rose
Adorn the brightest gn-en ;
Memorials of the fallen great.
The rich and honor'd line,
Stands high in solitary state,
Be Lancey's ancient pint.
"There, once at early dawn array'd.
The rural sports to lead,
The gallant master of the glade
Bestrode his eager steed ;
And ouce the light-foot maiden came.
In loveliness divine.
To sculpture with the dearest name,
De Lancey'H ancie?it pine.
"And now the stranger's foot explores
J)e Lnncey\^ wide domain,
And scarce one kindred lieart restores
Ilis memory to the plain ;
And just like one in age alone,
The last of all his line
Bends sadly where the Avaters moan—
De Lancey's ancient pine.
" Oh greatness! o'er thy final fall,
The feeling heart should mourn.
Nor from de Lnncey's ancient Hall
With cold rejoicing turn :
No ! no ! the satiate stranger stays
When eve's calm glories shine,
To weep— as tells of other days
De Lancey's ancient pine."
y^<^
•^^^
c??'
7i\'
^— v-
>-
■II
1
I
■ I
^■■B
■•mp
THE AMERICAN LOYALISTS,
I
\''
"At the conclusion of a long war, how ,ire we reconipensetl for the death of multitudes
.nul the expense (if millions, but hy contemphitin.u the suilden glories of paymasters and
agents, contractors and commissaries, whose eiiuipages shine like meteors, and whose
palaces rise like exhalations." * Dr. Johnson.
" 'I'hus perished the party of the tlironde ; reckless in its measures, cidpable for its
r.ibhness, hut illustrious fron\ its talents, glorious in its fall. It emhraced all the men who
were philanthropists from feeling, or Republicans from principle; the brave, tV- h"- ane,
the benevolent. But with them were also combined within its ranks nund3ers of a baser
kind ; many who employed their genius for the advancement of their ambition, and were
careless of their country provided they elevated their party. It was overthrown by a fac-
tion of coarser materials, but more determined character, ♦ * * Adorned by
the most splendid talents, supported by the most powerful eloijuence, actuated at times
liy the most generous intentions, it perished * * ♦ Such ever has, and ever
will be, the residt of revolutionary convulsions in society when not steadily opposed in
the outset by a firm union of the higher cl.asses of the community ; in the collision of oppo-
site factions the virtuous and the moflerate will too often be overcome by the reckless and
the daring. I'rudence clogs their enterprise ; virtue checks their ambition ; humanity
paralyzes their exertions. They fall because they recoil from the violence which becomes,
ill disastrous times, essential to conunand success in revolutions."
.\i.ison's ^' H istory of Eutopey'' II., ix., 214, 2.
Fortunately tor tlio colonies. Carleton was not in favor
with tlie British authorities at home, and liurj^oyne, suh-
stituted in 1777, had neither the wisdom nor the generosity
to develop an element of strength which Carleton had found
so ethcacions and trustworthy. Clinton, in this regard,
* This senteTui.' was iuloptcd as the motto ot" a somewhat scarce
■' History of the First Ten Years of Georjrc III.," London, 1788, written
hy (Robert ?) Macfarlane, wlio kept an academy at Walthamstow, in
Essex County, F^ufrland, seven miles N.N.E. of London,
xxii
Till' Anil rim )t Li>i/iill.^t><.
win
imitated Biirjr<)yiu'. The (Tcniian, Kiiyjiliiuisen, strjuiirc
to say, was tlio tirst to jterceivo the truth and oriraiii/.c a
iiiilitarv organization of the Loyalists that conUl he relied
on n])on every occasion, lie raised, in 17T!)-S{), six thou-
sand ^ood troops anionii: the citizens of New Yorlc, which
made this city — tlie trrand hase of tlu* IJritisli forces — se-
cure. A course similar to that of Carleton, aftei- tiie cap-
ture of Savannah ])y Campl)ell. in Deceiidiei-. 177>i, enahled
Prevost to convert Geori!:ia almost entirely from rebellion
to loyalty. Clinton, in 1777, was as unwise on the Lower
Hudson as Bur<j::oyne luid been on the U])per. CoruM-allis
had all the sense of Carleton without his astuteness. His
advice to the Loyalists of the Carolinas was admirable. He
counselled them not to take up arms ami embody until he
was near enouc;]» at liand to protect and support tliem ; until
they had ijcatliered sfreni;tli to stand and a-o alone. His
jxdicy ill this regard would have worked wonders, had it
not been for the intervention of a new element, Avhich had
not entered into the calculations of any of the Royal com-
manders. This was the appearance upon the scene of the
mountaineers of the Alleghanies, who were aroused to
action by the fugitives from the districts occupied by the
temporary victors. Cornwallis, although severe, was just;
and it is somewhat renuirkable that it was not until ISOO
that a little book appeared, entitled "The Last Ninety
Days of the War in North Carolina," in which justice is
done to tlie previously misrepresented Marcpiis. Cornwal-
lis did hang a number; but American historians are very
careful not to state tliat those hanged were taken ''red
nr
xxiv
Till Aiinrlean Loyalists.
I I
(l!
hand," ''witli Aiiicricaii arms in tlieir liands and with
British j)r()tections in their pockets." It M'as only through
the generosity of CornM-allis tliat the Loyalists with him
in Yorktown were enabled to get oft' with safety when the
place was taken.
The whole of this matter is misnnderstood, and has
never been clearly placed before the people.
Too many of the intluential Loyalists acted in 1775-f)
like the French nobility in lTH0-:2. Louis de Lomenie. in
liis ''Comtesse de Kochefort et ses Amis" (p. "i!*"), has
some remarks on this subject which are ])ertinent.
"To explain so proni])t a downfUU of tho French aristocracy
of the eigliteenth century, writers have often urged tlie irresist-
ible inij)etuosity of tlie Democratic movement. We do not deny
this impetuosity, but it is ui'verthcless necessary to recognize
that if this aristocracy, in place of being a mere shadow of wiiat
it should have been, liad retained tlu- vigor of an etfectivo /w^/v*-
ciate (higher or better class) and a living body, it would not witli-
out utility, perltaps, for tlu' cause of liberty, liave tempered the
revolutionary movement, or, at least, have opposed to it a stronger
resistance than it did. It was broken at the first shock, because
this formerly tlourishing branch of the great national tree"
was not true to itself. Lomenie goes on to give other rea-
sons which were peculiar to France, whereas in America,
although the causes were apparently ditl'erent, they were
at bottom the same, viz.: the better classes had "given
hostages to fortune," and this, according to the proverbs
of all time, unnerves men until it is too late.
It is inconceivable how the Loyalist strength in the co-
lonies was misapplied, frittered away or wasted. The re-
Tin Aiiurlcan LoijaJixts.
XXV
!»ult only sliows tliat in all revolutions the Middle or
Neutral — generally styled the Conservative — party only
embarrass the Ultras on one side in support of the govern-
ment, and aid the Radicals, on the other side, by attempt-
ing to arrest or mediate ; thus aftbrding time for the organi-
zation of the latter, M'hich converts rebellion into revolution.
In all political crises or cataclysms, a renaissance
through blood, the best, the conservative class, the cham-
pions of right, pure and simple, furnish the first and the
bulk of the victims. Tims it was in America. The daring
and reckless with conqjaratively little to lose, with grand
exceptions, it is true, fell nponthe intellectual and wealthy,
who adhered to the ffovernment under which tliev had
thriven. The myrmidons of the Crown — selfish, indolent,
self-satisfied j^rofessionals — were as cruel in their inaction as
the leaders of faction were merciless in their exactions. The
])ersecution of the Tories was determined with cold-blooded
calculation, since the Saxon can not plead in excuse the
excitability of the Celtic or Latin races ; what he does he
does advisedly. Kor was the desertion of the Loyalists
at the Peace of Paris, 1783, less disgraceful on the part
of Great Britain. It was fiercely denounced in the House
of Commons ; it was justly stigmati;ced in the House of
Lords. Even Lord St. Germain redeemed himself in a
measure by his eloquent advocacy of the brave party
who had abandoned everything for honor — jirinciple, the
mother-country ; its highest representative of these, the
Crown. Lorenzo Sabine has demonstrated all this, laid
o[)en the iniquity, revealed the truth, vindicated the
■nm
xw 1
Till Aiiiri'tcini Lo[/al!xtx.
fi
Loyalists or Tories ; tor the term Tory, as used in re-
<i;ar<l to a party adverse to liebellioii or Revolution, dur-
iiiir 1775 to 17.S;>, is a title of honor and not a term of
reproach.
When the difficulties hotween the (^rowji and tlu'
Colonies tirst began to develop into positive ideas of ulti-
mate resistance ou the side of the latter, the party for inde-
pendence was in a com])aratively small minority and con-
fined to particular disaffected localities. If the whole i)Oj)u-
lation had then resolved itself into two camps, the matter
migl't have been decided ])rom])tly and for many years to
come. As it ha])pened, those who had much to lose were
too timid to act instantly and resolutely ; and those who had
little 01" nothing to lose became bolder and bolder in the pres-
ence of an irresolute antagonism, which Mas not backed by
a military force sufficient absolutely to overawe. Massachu-
setts was mujuestionably in earnest from the first ; but an-
tagonism to the Crown was its normal condition. It had
always been the hot-bed <jf what might be harshly termed,
from a British ])oint of view, sedition. Although the
/7>aY bloodshed occurred in New York, on the lJ>tli-:>Oth
January, 1770, it would not have led to any comi)aratively
general outbreak, had it not been for tlie terrible uproar
following the second Ijh^odshed at Bostou, 5th March,
1770, and the consequences wliich ensued from the latter.
The yery assemblage which considered tlie Declaration of
Iiulependence, in 177(1, did not unanimously vote or agree
in the act to sever the connection between the colonic.'s and
the mother country. The <late accepted, 4th of July, is in-
The xi)iie)'!r(iii Loijullsts.
X X \- 1 1
correct; and the Declaration was jugi;le(l through, and the
signatui-es were apjiended from time t<> time thr<tngliout tlie
year, it' not a Ioniser [)erio(l. This accounts for the irre-
•i'uK'ii' numner they api)ear on the document, since tlie latest
were inserted where\er a vacant space was found. It l)e-
came a sort of test oath.
The Jtdhji pul)lished an admirable burlesque, oi' j)a-
rody, or caricature of TrumbulTs famous picture <.>f "The
Siii'niuii'. '' It depicts the representatives in very dilapi-
dated conditions, with blackened eves, bruised b<»dies. toiii
clothes and general tokens of an aHVay, drawing near to affix
their signatures at the table where Hancock presides look-
ing like the genius of an Irish wake. There is as much
truth as ])oetry in the conception, for the Declaration was
not agreed to with anvthing like uiumimitv or the general Iv
conceived harmony.
There is : omething vei'y curious about the res])ect as-
tached to this "4th of Julv." The first Conirress of tlu*
Colonies signed a "Compact of Tnion"' ( R. W. G.'sG.W.
and his Gens.,'' II . 15), on the 4th of Julv, 17."»4, at Al-
banv. This may account for the selection of this dav in
ITT^i. The fact that two of our ex-Presidents, who had
signed the Declaration, died on the same date, a<lded ad-
ditional significance, which a series of victories, from Kast
to West along the whole line on the same day. in ls»;;;.
coniirmed in the niiiuls of the peo])le.
The Loyalists, confiding in the power of the Crown,
did not take u]) arms as soon as their adversaries ; and
thus, when they did begin to embody, they were at once
i)
i
XXVUI
T/iC Amcrii'iih Loi/allHts.
cruslit'd 1)V stroiiijfc'r and hctttM' oru^anizod masses. Tlie
British j>r(>t'essii»iial leaders — as a rule tlirouirliout all time,
and especially in this country — with the usual arroffancc
of their caste, neither souLdit to utilize, sup])ort nor ])rotect
their friends when they did come toi:;ethei-, and even
treated them with su])ercili(»nsness an<l ue<;lect, if they «lid
not absolutely sacrifice them when they aj)j)eared as auxil-
iaries. Carleton was tho first wlio had the wisdom to
call this element into ])Iay, and throui;h it he saved Canada,
just as the French had })revi()usly lost New France tlirouuli
a contrary course t>) his. amountiniz" to the same subsequent
lack of Judgmen* on the part of the royal British military
•rovernors.
SIR JOHN JOHNSON,
KNIGHT AND BARONET.
BoKN 6th Nov., 171-,'. Died Jth .Ian., l^•^(•.
"The Past appeals to the impartiuMty of the Kutiire. History replies. Hut, often,
generations pass away ere that reply can tie given in a deterniinate fnriu. I'or not
until the voices of contemporaneous panegyric anil censure are hushed ; not until passionate
pulses have ceased to heat ; not until flattery has lost its power to charm, and calumny to
vilify, can the verdict of history be pronounced. 1 hen from the clouds of error and pre-
judice the sun of truth emerges, and light is diffused in bright rays, of ever increasing
refidgency and breadth. * * * Every age has its own heroes — men who seem to em-
body the prevailing ch.iracteristics of their relative epochs, anil to proent to after ages
the ideali/ed expression of their chief tendencies. Such men mtist be judged by no ordi-
nary standard. History must view their actions as a whole, not sid)ject them to separate
tests, or examine them through the lenses of partial criticism and narrow-minded [ircjudice."
Oscar 11., King of Sweden, in his "Li/e of Chw/es XIJ.'"
" I would serve my king ;
Serve him with all my fortune here at home.
And serve him with my person in the wars ;
Watch for him, fight for him, bleed for him, and die for him.
As every true-born subject ought I"
Tho.mas Otwav's Tragedy, "T/ie Orphan," i68o.
Perliaps no man in " tlie Colonies" who adhered to
the Crown, has heen so cruellv niisjud'ii'ed and consistently
niisrei)resented as Sir John Johnson. Every jjossible
charge, derogatory to him, has heen raked up and
bronght ont against him. Why ^ Beeanse he <lid not
submit (juietly to what he deemed injustice, but struck
back boldlv and severely— ^made himself felt, made those
xxix
w
i' -'-
XXX
A'//* John J(i/i)is(>n.
suftbr who caiisi-d liini to siilii'i". lie was tlic only l.»»yal-
ist who had \\\(' o|)])ortiniity to force tlie Ititter clialico
which he luid )>et'ii v-onipelled to drain, back iipou the; li[»s
of those who tilled it tor him, and in tni'n ohlii::ed tlieni to
(inaft'tlie isanie hatefnl <h'auiilit. The de Lancevs and many
other Loyalists t'onu'lit just as boldly and as l)itterly, and
as persistently, but they never had the same opportunity
as Sir .John to make ev(!ry tibre ot'antat^onism (juiver.
Tlu' fathei- ot'Sii- .btliii dohnsoii— the subject of this me-
moir — was the famous Sir William Johnson, Bart.. C\>lo-
\\v\ in the Royal Army, ISrajor-General in the Provincial
service and Jh'itisli Superintendent of Indian Alfairs.
This <>:entleman was, perhaps, the most i)romiiient uuui in
the province of New York durinu" the decade which preceded
the Declaration of Independence. Peter Van Schaack, a
very noted lawyer of the period, wrote, -luly, 1774. a few
days after the Baronet's decease: ''1 own, I consider him
as the (JKKATEST cHAKAC'TEK OF THE AGE." If cvcr there
was a leader who deserved the Corona Oleaglna'^ of
the Konums, it was Sir William. Whether a Jansen — a
descendant of one of those indomitable Hollanders wlio
assisted to subdue Ireland, and ang-licised their names —
or of English race, proper, Sir William was a strong ex-
ample of those common-sense men who know how to
seize Fortune by the forelock and not clutch in vain the
* This Corona Oleagina, was a wreath of olive leaves and the re-
ward of a commander throu«.'h whose instrumentality a triumph had
been obtained though not himself in the action by which it was
achieved. Ail. Gei.l., V.. <3. ; Kuh. Dict., R. & G. A.
111
:l
Sft' •/o/in Jojinxim .
.\XM
ti'i'sscs which How th>wii her rnutlhuj Ixifk. lie ojiciu'd
to c'liiiirratioii two ot' the most |'i"o(hictive vaMcys in
tlu' vvorM — the Mohawk and Sclioharic : and with the
dcvclopnu'iit of" thcii' riches rose hiniselt' to a heiirht of
ojiulence and influence uiie<[iianed in the '•'ridi'teen
Colonies/' .lust in his (k'alin_i;s with all men, he wj;
particularly so with the Indians, ami actjuired a power
over the latter such as no other imlividual ever ]»ossossed.
Transferred from civil jurisdiction to nnlitarv comnuind lie
exhihited no less alulity in the more danircrous exigen-
cies of war. than in tlie laborious services of peace,
lie, it was, wlio first stemmed the tide of Fi-ench
invasion, and tni-ned it at Lake (reorire, in IT"*'); re-
coiviui^ both from his sovereiixn and from Parliament
a irratef'ul recoirnition <'+' his extraordinary services.
Xor were the peoj)k* of ti.>- Province of New York less
demonstrative in tlieir ai)])lause or ajtjiri'ciative of his
achievements. At "Johnson Hall "" he lived in truly
baronial state, and uo other provincial mairnate ever ex-
hibited such aiiluence and i^randeur as was disjtiayed by
him in his castle and home ( Fort elohnson) on the ^^ohawk.
His ureatest achievement, in immediate as well as
ultinuite results. Mas Ids victory at Lake George over the
veteran Dieskau, Stli Auirust. 1755. New England,
ahvavs jealous of New York, has endeavored as usual
to transfer the laurels from Johnson to one of lier own
peo})le. As king, country and countrymen accorded tlie
honor and reward to Johnson, ''success," in his case,
"proved tlie test of merit."' That there were New Eng-
XXXll
*SV/' Jitlui John HO It.
i
laiuU-rs \vli<» c'duM t'stiiiiiitt' Joliiisson at lii.s true vahio, k't
the tbllowiii^di'tk'i' (Stone's ''SirW. ,1./' I., 521) uttest. It
is from Surgeon Williams, of Massachiusctts, to his wife in
Deertield in that colony. It bears the date of the very
day of the battle, which, by the way, was exactly a month
less a day subseciuent to IJraddock's defeat; the l*rovin-
cial by his ability redeeminj;' in New York the incaj)acity
of the Professional and Regnlar in Pennsylvania:'''
"I must say," wrote Williams, "he [Joliiison] is a complete
ijentlcman, and willim; to please and oldiije all men; familiar
and free of access to the lowest sentinel; a ixentleman of un-
common smart sense and even temper; never saw liim in a
rutHe, or use any had lanL>ua,i;e — in short, I never was so dis-
a|)p(>inted in a person in the idea T had of liini before I came
from home, in my life ; to sum up, lie is almost universally be-
loved ami esteemed by olticers and soldiers as a second 3[<irl-
horotKjh for eoolnsss of head and wammess of heart.'"
His next exploit, scarcely less notable and residtive, was
the defeat of a superior French force seeking to relieve
Fort Niagara, and his capture of this noted stronghold,
24th July, 17r)'.>. The distinguished British general and
ndlitary historian. Sir Edward Cust, in his "Annals of
the Wars," refers in tlu^ following language to this not-
able exploit of Sir William: "Th" tleman, like Clive,
was a self-taught general, vvh iit of innate courage
and natural sagacity, with j help of a military edu-
cation or ndlitary experience, rivalled, if not eclipsed the
srreatest commr nders. Sir William Johnson ondtted no-
thing to continue the vigorous measures of the late geiu'-
Mi
Sf'r John Joint son.
X.WllI
rill I I*i'i«l('iiux, kilU'dlaiHl juldcd to tliciii cviTytliinj; liis
own ,i:;t'iiins could sii<.«':i;est. The troops, who rt'SjK'cted,
and
tl
ic provincnils,
wl
lo adorci
Inin
w
ere n()t less dc-
voti'd than the Six Nations of Indians, who gladly fol-
lowed ins oW!i ever fortunate banner and the less fortunat<3
•^.nidoii of his no less valiant and loval son.
Thus, with a sway hard to eoinprehend at the i)resent
day, heloved. rositocted and feared by law-hreakcrs and
evil-doers, the mortal enendes of his senn-eivilized wards —
the Six Xjitions — lie lived a life of honor ; and died, not
hy his own hand, as stated hy prejudiced tradition, but a
victim to a cln'onic debilitating disease, and to that ener-
i;v which, althonj'li it never bent in the service of kiui; or
countrv, had to vield to vears and nature. Sick, and
thereby une([ual to the demands of public Ijusiness, he
|)resided at a council, 1 Itli July, 1774, s])oke and directed,
until his ebbin<:,' stren<i;tli failed, and could not be restored
by the iiKide<puite remedial measures at hand on the bor-
ders of the wilderness. To no one man does central
New York owe so much of liei- ])liysical (U^velopment as
to Sir William Jolinson.
Wedded, in 173J), to a Ilollandish or German maiden,
am])ly endowed witli the best ijifts of nature, both physical
and mental, ''<]food sound sense, and a nnld and ijentle
disj)osition," Sir William was by her the father of one
son, born in 1742, and two daughters. The latter are
sutticiently described in a charnung, well-known book,
entitled ''The ]\remoirs of an American Lady" — Mrs.
(Ti'aut, of Laggan. The former was Sir John Johnson, a
XXXIV
S/'r -litJm ■! iiJiii. '<())} ,
mori- heroic r('])rc'si'iit;iti\ r <>1" the transition i-ra of this
StJitt', tliiiii tliosi' whom Suc'coss, and its l)\tpi' — History,
iiavc i)hu'ed in the national "Waliialhi." Whik' yot a
yonth tliis son a('C(»ninanic'(l his father to histoids of battle,
and, when tiie ueneralitv of hovs are at school or eolleii'o,
witnessed tMo of the l)l()odiest contiicts on whicli the fate
of tlie colony depended. He had scarcely attaine<l majcjr-
ity when lie was entrusted with an indeiten nt command,
and in it dis|)layed aii ability, a fortitnde. and a jndi;--
nient worthy of riper ycirs and wider experience.
Sent out to Enirlaml by his father in 17<!r>, ''to try to
wear off the rusticity of a countrv echication,"' inniieciiatelv
• « *
n[)()n his presentation at court he received from liis
soveiciiLrn an acknowledgement — ])artly due to the ro])uta-
tion of his ])arent, and i)artly to his own tact and capacity
— such as stands alone in colonial history. Althouii'h his
father, Sir AVilliam, was already a kniirht and baronet for
service to the crown, John was hims(df kniu'hted, at the
aire of twenty-three ; and thus the old-new baronial hall
at .lohnstown sheltered two recipients, in the same fannly
and iicneration, of the accolade of chivalry. There is no
parallel to this double kniiihthood in American biop-aphy,
and but few in the family aimals of older countries.
This was the era when "New York was in its hai»piest
state.'"
In the sunnner of ITT^^, and in his thirtieth year. Sir
John Johnson married the beautiful Mary— or, as she was
atJectionately called, - Polly '*— Watts, ajred nineteen.
Sh' Jolin J(>hn>*on.
x.wv
Mrs. Grant, of liai;<i:an, has left ns a clianiiinfj jHai-portrait
of this ])ri<>lit iiiaidcn.
Iniioritiiii; liis fatlier's dignities and respotisi])ilities.
Sir .John »Jolinson eouh! not have been otherwise than a
eha»»'.pioii of his sovereign's I'ights. XK he had turned liis
coat to save his j)roperty, like some of the j)roniinent
j)atriots, he would have been a renegjuk'. if not worse.
Some of the liglits of patriotism had alreadv cast longing
glances upon his rich ]>ossessions in the Mohawk Vallev.
Its hisloi'ian intinuites (Simms, Vl{\) that in a successful
rebellion the latter counted upon dividing his princely
(lonuiins into snug little fai'ins for themselves. The germ
of anti-rentism was developing already : altl'.;>ugh it tO(d<
over sixtv to seventy vears to tlioi'ouijhlv enlist Icijislative
assistance, and perfect spoliation in the guise of m<»(k'rn
agrarian law. Surrounded by a devoted temmtry, backed
by those "Romans of Anu'rica," the "Six Nations,"
those "Indians of the Indians,"" the lr<»(|Uois. it was not
easy "to bell the cat" by foi-ce. It is neither jiolitic nor
inteiidcMl to revive here<litarv animosities bv the mention
of mimes. SutHcient to say, might prevaik-d over right,
and Sir John was jilaced under what the j\ll»any Coin-
mittee clutose to detine a "]>arole." ^fodern courts of
in([uiry, especially in the I'nited States since IS^IO, have
decided that such a vairue svstem of paroling' i^^ in itself
invalid, and that indivitluals subjected to such a jtroci'dure
are absolved de facto from an\ ple<lges.
It is both [lersisteut and popular to charge Sir John with
having broken his parole. Before even entering int<> the
(I
XXXVl
Sf'r John Johnson.
m
. i
'[uestion, it is simple justice to rebut the charge by denial.
His superiors did not recognize it, and able men ac(piainted
witii military hiw are not unanimous in holding that a
parole, imj)v>sed, as it was upon him. was binding either in
hiw or honor. F)Ut. even it' it were valid, he did not break
it, since the veiy self-constituted authority that imposed it.
abrogated it by its own action.
There are two })arties to every contract, legal, e([uitable
or honorable, and it'(Mie pai'ty uses dujdicity and manifests
the intention to alter an agreement l)y a procedure which
would coni])letely change the relation of the parties, what-
ever, great or small, could come within or under the legal
signitication of fraud, or even deception, or "a snare,"
abrogates every contract. If Sir John gave a parole to
any parties having })ower to exact it, he was entitled to
every right aiul privilege conferred by a parole. If using
the ])arole as a blind, those by whom it was exacted, un-
dertook to withdraw it simultaneously with the suhstitu-
tion of an order for his arrest and close and severe contine-
ment, and the lattei- could onlv be effected bv treaeherv
to the obligations of the former, common justice must
concede that the discovery of such an intention put
an end to the obligation of the parole. The treatment of
Lady Johnson subsecjuent to her husband's escape is the
very best j)roof of the anhnus which dictated the course
aij^ainst Sir John. If a bodv in authoritv could hold the
utmost penalty over the head of a hel]»less woman, detained
as a hostage, it is only fair to believe that there wouhl have
been no mercy shown to the detiant husband. The little
S/r ./o/i/i Johnson.
xxxvii
rare work Jilready citcMl in tliese pjiijcs as an authority,
" The Adventures of a Lady in the; AVar of Inde])endence
in America," sets fortli tlie cruelty exhibited towards Ladv
J(^linson, and, until that can be shown to be false, it must
be
ac
cei
ted
!is a trustworthy witness
The treatment of Madame de Lavalette, by the Fi'ench
<^overnmeiit, for co-o})eratiii<i: in thcesca]>e of her husband,
condemned to death for liis adherence to Napoleon in 18ir>,
has always been considered an indellible stigma u]>on it.
General Cust
li
it of ''tr<ac/i<
ounces mm mnocenl
Still, although this lady suffered a rigorous s(>litary con-
finement of twenty-six days, no one dreamed, even at this
period, of tlie intensest feeling and l>itterest animosity, or
intimated, that she should, or would be, lield iis a hostage
for the conduct of lier hnsbaml. "*.\ow. Madam," is the
lani^uaije addressed to Lady -lohnson, as (luoted bv her
daugliter-in-law, Mrs. Colonel Christopher Johnson, "My
command does not extend beyond this })rovince; but, if
Sir John comes one foot Avithin my disti'ict with his mur-
derous allies — your fatt is seale<l ! "TIow, sir: what do
you mean ( AVhat can I do! " gasped the lady, oyercome
for the moment by the information and the numner in
wliich it was conyeyed. " I mean. Madam, that if your
husband lets his Indians go on scal]»ing our j)eople, we can't
prevent then sliooting nou "'^ * Your case, ^Afadam, is
different from all others. Sir John [Coh Guy was Su|)erin-
tendent of the Indians, not Sir John] has jtower over the
Indians, wliom i»o one else can conti'ol. We liave no wish
to injure you indiyidually ; but we must save our j)eo]tle
X XX VI 11
xSVr John Johnson.
fVoiii liis savuixos. IIV liold i/oii und your childvi n nx host-
n<i<-s / iuid we consider that aiiotlici* siicli descent as tlie
Indians made yesterday on the vilhiue of , will iustitV
us in the eyes of the wliole world in a\enirin>r the
slau<i;liter of nianv women and children, as helpless and
more innocent than yourself! "
A prominent major-i^eneral, a ren'ular otHcer. dis-
tinguishe<l in liis profession as well as with his pen, to
whom the (juestion of this j»arole was snhnutted, decided
in favor of Sir .lolm, aixl a lawyer of standini; and an
historian of ability lias aruued this question at lenu'th in
his Notes, xxx., xxxi., to the ''History of New York," by
Jud<i!;e Thomas Jones, wlio, likewise, exonerates Sir John.
Mr. de Lancey after furnishini:: liis proofs, sums up the
matter in these words : •' The common diarize of historical
writers, that Sir John broke his parole, is therefore " ^/vV/c-
out t'o}(n(httio)i a)i(l untrue.''''*
In a conversation with Gen. B. B. C , had 5-3-80,
discussinu' the <iuestion of paroles, this ijentleman,
author of "' P>attles of tlie American Revolution,'' who
had given the closest attention to original documents at
home and in England, furnislied additional arguments as
to the impossibility of the right to impose a parole on
Sir .John. Johnson was put upon parole, so called, by
* In flic Appendices (" Proofs Considered") to the writer's Address
on Sir .lolin Johnson, Bart., delivered before the New York Historical
Society, at its annual meeting, ('»th January, 1880, iMr. de Lancey has not
only been quoted at lenpth, but additional evidence printed derived
from other and various sources.
sir 'John Jo/inxo)).
x\\i\
those wli»» wore styling tlieinselvos at the time 'M'aithtul
subjects of his ^rajestv.*"' If faitiifiil suhjects, how had
Sir Joliu rendered himself lia])k' when the oriirinal chai'^es
a_i>;ainst him were '' s\ibse(jiientl_v proved false f
There are some curious circumstances connected with
this consideration would re(juire a lawyer's brief to make
them ])lain to connnon obsei-vation. Sufficient to say,
everything turns on the success of the Kevolution. Miijh'
made riglit, and Sir John, who if the Crown had won
would have been exalted to the seventh heaven of honor,
since the mothei* country failed, is thrust down into the
lowest nether depths by those who rose on hi- I';,ll and
profited by the confiscation of his extensive estates. Such
is human judgment. It is to be ho[>ed tne same huv does
not rule elsewhere. If, however, it was a simple exeni-
})lificatio!i of "might nuikes right,'' there is no more
to be said. That is the supreme law of this country to-
day ; no other.
Here it is not oidy pertinent but just to remark, that
Count <rEstaing, the first Fi'ench (•ommamler who
brought assistance to this country, had notoriously broken
his parole, and yet American writers have never alluded
to the fact as prejudicial to his honor. It did not serve
their purpose. The French held thai AVashiuijfton once
violated his parole; and ^[ichelet, a devoted friend to
liberty and this country, feelingly refers to the case of
Jumonville, to demonstrate one of the heart-burnings
which France had to overcome in lending assistance to
the revolted colonies. Afarshall, in his "Life of Wash-
xl
*SV/' John Johnson.
in<rtcni, "* eiitiTs into a detailod ex|iIaiiation of tliis event ; but
it only sliows that if national anta;;onisni is so difficnlt to
reconcile, how ninch more so is tlie intenser spite of civil
dift'erences after blood has been slied. ]Iom' many South-
ern officers, in spite of their pandes, mot the Uiuon troops
on battleiield after battlefield. Tie<riments and brii^ades.
if not divisions, ])aroled at Vicksburg, were encountered.
it is averred, within a few weeks in the conflicts around
Chattanooga. French i^enerals. paroled by tlu' Prussians,
it has also been charged, tlid lujf hesitate to accej»t active
connnands in even the shortest space of time. CMrcum-
stances alter cases, and under those which govern in re-
spect to him, the charge against Sir John was a ]»retext ;
but, weak as it is, it f's not true. Power in all ages has
not been delicate in its choice of meat»s to destroy a dan-
gerous antagonist.
It would have been well for some of the noblest histor-
ical victims, such as Abner, Aniasa, Serforius, Viriathus,
Abd el-Kader, Osceola, — if they had com])rehended the
spirit of these verses (Ecdesiasticus xii., 10, \{\) as well as
the reply of van der Does, in Leyden, to the Sjianish
general Valdez, besieging the j)lace :
''The fowler plays sweet notes on his pipe when he
spreads his net for the bird."
Sir John was to have been simultaneously released from
his parole and made a prisoner. The officer who carried
the communication discharging Sir John from his parole,
was the bearer also of di>*ections to arrest him as soon as
he had I'oad it, "and make liim a close j>risoner, and care-
Sf'r -loliii Johnson.
xli
tullv ijuiird liiiii tluit lie may not liave tlie least «>|»|)()rtuiiity
to escape." Sir .loliii liad sonu' triends ainon;ir tliose wlio
were now in jtower, and received intelli<xence of wliat was
goiui? on. Jle exercised ordinary discretion, and escaped
before tlie traj) — a ''snare," as Lossinif styles it — could
be sprnni; upon liini.
Sir flolin tied, but lie did not Hy unaccoini»aiued ; and
anionir his subse(|uent associates, otlicers and soldiers,
were men of as ijood standing; as those who reniaine«l be-
hind to i»rofit bv the chaiiire of authority. Manv of the
latter, however, expiated their sins or error- on the day
of reckonini^ at Oriskany.
" Sir Joliti, after nineteen dnys of iiiooiieeivable hardships,
reached ^Montreal with his companions in a state of thtiLTue and
destitution wliich tliey could not have survived nianv davs
Ioniser. The rcLfular roads were so entirely occui»ietl by the
rebels, that thev had to take a circuitous route throuirli the
thickets of the forests. The few provisions the Indians had
prepared were soon exhausted, and they had to subsist on roots;
their boots and dotlies were completely destroyc«l, and when
they reached the shores of the St. Lawrence, it was difficult to
recognize or understand the gaunt spectres who emerged from
tiie 'bush,' to seek sheUer and a [)assage across [tlie St. Law-
rence] from the wondering ' habitans' of the tirst settlement
they came to. But a few weeks sufficed to restore Sir John to
his usual vigor, botli of mind and body ; and, before he was able
to assume an active connnand, he was at work organizing a
force of Loyalists, of M'hich he is the colonel, and his frequent
irruptions into the territory held by the Continentals, as they
call themselves, were the causes of your [Lady Johnson's] heing
removed from Albany. He is charged by them with having
broken his word of honor, jiledged that he would remain pas-
XlII
Sf'r JoJui Jolnixou.
sive ; hut we all knot'' tlmt lih }iert<()n would hare been seized^ had
he regained that uU/ht [wliun Col. Dayton arrived] at the llaUP
Stone, in liis ' Life of Hrant' (I., 144), corroborates this. 'After
nineteen days of severe hardship, tlie Baronet and his partisans
arrived at Motitreal in a pitiable eondition — having encountered
all of suflerini; that it si-cjiud possildi' for man to endure.'
Stone then adds (//*/</, 144), and he presents ahnostthe idt-ntieal
idea of the maunaniinotis Sabine (I., oHl): 'Sir John was
immediately eonnnissioned a colonel in the British service, and
raised a command of two battalions, composed of those who
accom|ianied him in his ilii^ht, and other American loyalists who
subsequently followed their example, Tiiey were called the
*Roval Greens.' In the month of Januarv followinu;, he found
his way into Xew York, then in possession of the British
forces. From that period he became, not only one of the most
active, but one of the bitterest foes of his own countrymen
of any who were engaged in that contest — and repeatedly the
scourge of his own former neighbors. lie was unquestionably
a loyalist from |»rinciple, else he would scarcely liave hazarded,
as he did, and ultimately lost, domains lartxer and fairer than
jirobably ever beUmged to a single proj)rietor in Amciica,
Willian Pemi only excepted."
Sabine (I., .")Sl) (tbserves: "It is thought that lie was a
conscientious loyalist; and this may be allowed. He lived in
a style of luxury and splendor which few country gentlemen
in America possessed the means to support. His domains
were as large and as fair as those of any colonist of his time,
tlie estate of Lord Fairtltx only excepted; and wo Americati
ha/arded more, ])robably, in the cause of the Crown. Faith-
f'dnesf> to duty Unerer a crime: and, if he sacrificed his home,
his fortune, and his count)';/, for his principles, he deserces
admirutiun. * ♦ * rpjj^, conduct of the Whigs
towards him may have lieen harsh, and, in the beginning, too
harsh for his oft'ences."
Tlie iiiajority of tlioso who were most active in wronpj-
jSir John Johnson.
Xllll
ing tlio family of Sir William Jolnisou experienced severe
punislimeiit, either in themselves or their surrouiulings,
and the consequences of their injustice threatened to undo
the woi'k of a century and nuike Schenectady once more a
frontier town.
Not able to seize the man (Sir .lohn), disaj)|»()intment
determined to capture a woman. The victim was his wife.
Why? The answer is in the word? of aletttir preserved in
the series of the well-known Peter Force, which says: '' It
is the jreneral oj»inion of peo[)le in Tryon County, that
while Lady Johnson is kei)t as a kind of hostage, Sir
tlohn will not carry nuitters to excess." Lady Johnson
must have been a bold woman ; for even when under con-
straint, and in tlie most delicate condition that a woman
(;an be, she exulted in the prospects of (piickly hearing
that Sir John would speedily ravage the country on the
Mohawk river to redress his own and her wrongs and
suffering. To quote another letter from the highest
authority, "' It lias been hinted that she is a good se-
curity to prevent the effects of her husband's virulence."
With a determination even superior to that exhibited
by her husband, because she was a woman and he a man,
Lady Johnson in midwinter, January, 1777, in disi?nise,
made her escape through hardships which would ai)])al a
person in her position in tlie present day. Through the
deepest snows, through the extreme cold, through lines of
injxrates and enemies, she nuide her wav into the loyal city
of New York. Her stoj-y reads like a romance. Peoj^le
cite Flora MacDoiuild, Grace Darrell, Florence Nightin-
7
!^
xliv
iSlr John Jo/mson.
:i
^ak'. \\v liad a licroine in our midst who displayed a
couruj^c as lofty as tlieirs; but slie is f'orirottcn, because
slu- was tlu' wife of a man wlio had the coura<^e to avenge
lier wrouiTs even upon the victors, and chastise lier ene-
mies and persecutors as well as his own.
It was intended at first to embody the w ImjIc of Mrs.
Colonel Christopher Johnson's story of her step-mother's
wrongs ; but this sketch, as it is, will far outrun all pre-
vious calculation. For particulars, the reader is referred
to the "i\i>pendices" to his Address before the Historical
Society, on tile there; to pages 7<)-.Sl, " History of New
York," by Judge Thomas Jones; and to Note XXXI.
thereto, bj lulward Floyd de Lancey, Es(j. The conclu-
sion of the story of her escape, after she had parted from
lier sister, is too interesting and to(» touching to be
omitted.
!(i
"We must now foHow the course of tlie poor dispirited,
ugitJitod mother, who, thougli relying nnicli on the zeal and
tidelity of her devoted servants, yet felt keenly the loss of her
active and aftectionate sister [Antie Watts, afterwards Countess
of Cassilis], whose stronger healtli and spirits were sucli an
inestimable support. Poor Tony's [one of l)er husband's faithful
negro slaves, wlio risked so much from affection for the tiunily]
chief ground of consolation arose from the conviction that, being
so very near the British lines, they conld not fail of reaching
them — they were aln.ost within sight, he said! Poor fellow, if
strength and courage could have insured the safety of his mis-
tress and her childi'en, he would have carried them or Ibught for
them till he had drojjjjcd ; but, as resistance to sentries was out
of the (juestion, the present business of all was to be prepared
to exercise self command, and to reply with composure to the
t
sir John '/ohnson.
aIv
questions that would bo asked. Ft>rt»u)atel\ , (irove House
w!is hut ii little out of the way of tlieir real destination, and as
it was prolialile in(juiries niinlit be made there, it woidd not
have been safe ibr tiietn to take the sk'iuh on. They, therefore,
stopped at the cat tie-shed, a little distance from the maiision,
and leaving the sleigh antl horse there, with one of their
heaviest wrappings, as an indication that they intended to
return, pursued their way with as much speetl as possible in
the dnection of the British camp. liy means (»f tlieir j)ass, and
avoidance of the larger bodies posted at different stations, they
went on uninteruptedly to the end of that day; and when they
reached a resting place for the night, it was a matt(>r of dee|)
thankfulness to tind that, as tlie Continental camj* was ))rotected
on that side by a wide river just in a state of partial thaw, that
remlered the crossing it dangeroiis tor individuals and imprac-
ticable for a body of troops, it had been deemed unnecessary
to keep that point very strictly guarded. They etisily Ibund,
as usual, a meal ami a bed; but the anxiety of the Lady was
cruelly .aggravated by the state of her infant, who depending
enliiely on the nourishment derived from its unfortunate
moilier, participated in her physical exhaustion .-md siitfi-riiig.
The elder children, too, were both so fagged that Tony
.and the nui'se were obliged to carry them alnK)st without in-
termission — so that the poor Lady could hardly be relieved
from the buiden of the iidimt. They rose, thereibre, the next
morning, with trend)rmg frames and spirits, their sole consola-
tion being that they were but two miles from the river; yet
liow to cross it was a question that could only be solved on its
baid'is. While taking tlieir bi'eaktast, a soldier was seen
looking about in the i'vw cottages that were near their
refuge, and presently he came in to them. Ilajtpily there was
no sign of travelling about them, and supitosing them to be
the e>^tablished inhabitants, he began explaining his business
by asking after sctme peof)le who had arrived in a sleigh driven
by a black. Most fortunately, also, Tony had sejKirated fiom
1
XlVI
Sw 'Joint Jo/in son.
tlicni, :iii(l was tak'iiix his mcul in anotlKT cottn^e. The solilier
(lid nut s('<'ni to have liccn (lis|iatcliiMl wiili any very t'xact or
iniXi'nt (lircciions ; \n\\ liis otMccr linvinu' n'ct'ivod a nu'ssairo
from tlu; cainp near (Jiovi' House, to incjiiirc after a paity who
liad ln'cn expected tliefe. and liad not aiaived, sent his seivant
to uaiii some iidonnaiion previons to the ai'fiva! of nioro j»ar-
tieuiai" instructions. Takiiii; the liiu'iise which younu; and in-
ex|)crienced sohliers are apt to exercise, of nsini.'' the ir own
judgment, the man said, 'If the IJritishers wore scndiniif
women and chihh'(>n over to ns, weM send them hack ]>retty
smartly; Itnl if any of the stnpid fcMows who are takin<f ohl
George's pav, insti'ad ol' Ji^litinLT for their eoimtrv, have a
mind to have their wi\t's with them, why, I say, h't 'em have
the keep of 'em; and I think niy captain ihm't much ap-
prove f)f heini; sent woman-himiini;, ami not even a written
order. However, if you liear anythinj^ of 'em, yon can let me
know. I'm LToiui; hv the lane round the corner out there, for
I l)elieve there's a kiml of an inn to he found ;' ami, so sayin;^',
he wished them iroochhyi', and inarched oil! No sooner was
he out <if siijht than the terrified fi-niales summoned Tony, and
with stops (piiekoned by lear sot oft" towarcls tiio river. It w as no
great distance, and on reaching it the state of the ice showed
clearly why its shores were not very earofully guarded. It
nni>^t here he remai'ked that the danger of crossiuLT a river,
partially covered with ice, is dilfLMent from that incuried in a
milder climate. As long as the ice lasts, it is much too thick
to give way to the heaviest weights ; hut when repeated thaws
have loosened it< firm adherence to the shore, it breaks into
enormous masses, which, driving and struggling against e.ich
other, and the force of the current, j)artially icleased from its
winter bondage, form at once one of the grandest exhibitions
of N.ature, and threaten fearfid ]»ei'il to those who venture to
attein|»t a passage. Hut, like most dangers to whi(di the na-
tives of a country are habituatcid, they often risk their livt'S
even for an ineonsiilerable motive, and it is not uncommon to
iSir f/o/in Jo/mmni.
xlvii
H«'(' a Hloii^h j)!vs8in<j tlic wolI-inarl\i'<l i(»a<l uvi-r tho ice, wlilcli
ill two lioiirs alU'rwards is float inij away like a vast fultl, »m-
l)rok('ii till it craslu's ai^ainsi aiiotlu"' mass, w licii In.ili pile
upon t-aeh otlici- in awful ^fi:uuloui", till luiMlu'r a<MilioriH sliovc
tlieni on to linal desti uclion.
"By the side of a miiility stream in tins state, stand tlic
t'liLjitivrs, liojti'ios.s of osc.apc, and supposinij; that the Imur has
(•oine when tliev must vit'ld themselves liack to eaptivitv, — a
hitter anticipation after all their toils and dant,M'rs. Tony's
experienced eye, however, ih'scrihed, and pointed out to the
Lady that the »'entru of the river was tolerahly clear, and tliat
if thev could take advantauc f)f one of those nionients when
the opposint; masses were locked aLralnst each other, a l»oat
mi^rht land them on the opposite side. I>iit cotild a hoat he
found':' V'es. They see one, and a man in it, paddliui^ altout,
apparently seekinLj a safe nook wherein to hestow his little
vessel. Tony chose a point nearest the shore, :ind sprinu^inij
over lissiires and Hrm pie(!es of ice, succee>!ed in makinij the
m;m hear. He was one of those liold, careless characters, who
ratlier enjoyed the risk, as well ;is the .ac(piirenM'iit ol the
dollars often lavishly liestowed for a passage. It was now un-
neces.sary for the paity to feii>;n poverty, therefore the ijold
hitherto hi<lden in their Lrarments was |»roduced, aiul each
cairyini^ a child ma<le their way with infinite lahor and peiil of
slippini; to the frail vessel, which was to he guided amonjjf
tnasses that might in an instant he in inotion to crush or over-
whelm them. The poor Lady clasjx'd her infant closer and
closer to her hosom, not venturing to speak h-st she should
withdraw Tony's attention from the guidance of the l)oat; yet
trembling at the susj)ension of the feeble crii's which till then
had wnnig her heart with anguish. The little face was chilled,
and the eyes closed; but though she feai'ed the woist, slie yet
hoped that it was but the sleep of exhaustion. Half :m-hour,
wliich seemed an inlerminable period, brought them to th(^
opposite shore. The British tents were within sight, gold
PI
;lviii
S/f Jitjiit Jo/msn/i.
was ihrtMMi U) the iKiatiiiaii. aiul tlH»u<;li tlio snow was deep
and Kof't, and tlio Lady slai^gurt'd with wcakiu'ss, slic strutri'^Ied
on tlin)uu:li a niilo wliich yet separated them from the first line
of sentries. Indians were the first who spied the party, and
ihi>ui;h tliey received with tlieir usual composure the amiounce-
nuiit ol" the Lady's na?ne,* a Lrlaiice sent ofV two of their num-
ber towards the camp, whik' the otiiers. wi-appini: some furs
around tlie Ladv and her inliint, Hfted thetu with the utmost
care and tenderness in tlu-ir jtowerful arms, till lliey were met
by the messengers returninu willi blankets an<l mattrasses,
hastily formed into litters. On these all were carefully de-
positet' and carried on swifHy ; Tony weepintr with joy and
thankfulness over his mistress, and tellini; her Sir John was
(•ominii! The poor mytlier cast one hopeful glance towards
the distance, and another of anxiety upon her infant, who just
opened its little eyes, and ere she could see that it was the
last convulsion of the siidiing fianu', she was clasped in the
arms of her liusl)and and borne insensible to the (juarters of
the Commander-in-C'liief, where every care aiul comfort was
bestowed on her and her children that their exhausted state
recpjired. The first ilelight of being restored to her husband
and seeing her children at rest and in safety was marre<l by
tlu' anguish of missing the little loved one, whotn she had boi'iie
through so nuu'h sorrow and suffering. 'lint a few hours
sooner,' she tliought, 'and my pretty one had been saved.'
But the joy and thankl'ulness of those around hers«>on stilled her
rej)iiiing. lloth her surviving children appealed to be entirely
restoied to health; but with tlu' little girl the ajipearance was
* Sucli wastlic affection borne by tlie "Six Nations" to the Johnson
family, that, many years after, when the writer'.s father visiicd lliem,
in Canada. ;iih1 wlun tiic survivors of this once inia'hty Confederal l.)ii,
'• tlie |{( nuns of AiinTica," ieanied tleit lie had married a niece of bady
Johnson, they adopted him with theanectionate pseudonym (aeconli'iy;
to Sir Wllliain (Jeorjre Johnsi n. Hurt.): " Saitat-t.^inou-iakion," sigiii-
fyinj;, in siihslanec, " One of usy
.SV/" '/(J fill 'lohllHOlt,
XllN
f'l
it
fMll.'icious. After the first week lier streiintli iuid appetiti'
fleclined, mikI her parents ha»l the txrief of laviiij; her in an
untimely grave, from the tlestructive effeets of eoM and ex-
posure on a frame previously dehilitated by illness durint; her
mother's captivity, when she eould nut jtrooure either advice
or proper medicines." (" Adventures of a F^aily in the War of
Independence in America," paj^es i").*)-?.)
Tt is not tlio intention (d'tliis work to retlect ijpi»ii, or
refer to, Revolutionary ofticiuls further than is ahsoliitoly
necessary. Tlie . I olinson family, tlie loyalists, their friends
and advocates, present an entirely diH'erent statement of
facts from those which may be styled the pojnilar account,
which is that of the victors, realizinu' the hitter force of
the prov(ud> '"vve viotis.'"' The jiidicnients pronoinu^ed
by either of these are not more severe in tlieii- (conclusions
and opprobrious in their lani^uaue than the terms used in
the various accoimts of the contests between the settlers
and their leaders of the New Ilaiupshire (irants. now
Vermont, and the authorities of New York and their
agents; or of the collisions bi'tween the Connecticut
settlers and their chief-men in the Wyoming Valley, and
the "Pennamites " an<i their exectitives seeking to enforce
the rights of the Penn Patentees in the Suscjuehanna
Valley, or of the Tnion party or Loyalists arui the South-
erners during the "Slaveholder's Rebellion'' iti ISfll-.^and
since.
There is nothing so bitter and s[>itelul, so barbarous
and revengful and unforgiving as the raiicor and re-
course of political struggles and those arising from
religious antagonisms, except family feu<ls. The conflict
1
Sir f/o/i7) Johnson.
of tlie American Itevolution necessarily partook of the
nature; of all three. Presbvterianisin, in one form or
another, irave eneru'v to the Ilevolutionai'v pai'tv, while
Episeopalianism was, as a rule, the creed of the Koyalists or
Loyalists. The former fouojlit to obtain what the others
enjoyed, and families and nei^'hhorhoods were divided,
and blood poured forth like water, with spiteful savaireness,
by hands whose vigor was derived from the same veins,
under the impulse of the same brains, of race, kinman-
ship and connection, family ties and associations. This
was especially exenii)lified in the two bloodiest and de-
cisive encounters of the war, King's ^lomitain at the
Soutb, and Oriskany at the North. In the Carolinas and
in the Mohawk Valley, mortals on both sides sometimes
surpassed demons in their ennuty, because in both, par-
ticularly in the latter, fathers, sons, brothers, cousins and
foimer friends exchanged shots, crossed steel and a])j)lied
the torch. Men of this day cannot conceive the fei'lings
of that, and to judge the Lovalists or Tories bv the
stories of the Kebels or Patriots is just as fair as to credit
the charges of an ultra tii-e-eating Southerner against Loyal
n»en and the invading troops of the L^nion. Furthermore,
if the fury of the antagonism in the Carolinas eijualled
that in New York, there was a vast contrast in the legis-
lation that followed the jjcace. The Carolinas excelled
in magnanimity and New York in ungenerous severity.
There the offences of the Loyalists were condoned from
respect to their gallantry and convictions; in New York
the consfiscations and penalties were continued in force
*SV;' Jn/iii •foJillSo)).
li
and the Loyalists, tnie-meii, wci-c coiiipelkMl to live 5in<l
die, as a rule, in ))o\c'i-ty, ]»aiii, t'xili- and |>r<»sc'i'ij)ti(jn.
All this occnri'ud prior to the s])i'ini;' of 1770.
Sir Guy Carloton, nndonhtedly the i^randest cliaracter
anionij; the JJritish military cliiet'tains, at this time, actinj^
indepen(U'ntly, in America, received Sir John with open
arms, and innncMliately i;ave him opjtortunities to raise a
reijiment, which made itself know and felt alon^ the
fn »ntier, thron_i:hout the wai'. With a fatal parsimony of
jndixment and its application, the Crown frittere(l away
its strenirth. in some cases in |)rotectini; [trivate or vested
interests, and never accumulated sutKcient tro<»i>s at de-
cisive |)(>ints and moments. The arrival of these was too
often delayed and even afterwards they were diverted from
objects of hiirhest imjiortance t<» points where success could
produce no lasting result. In 1777. when I>ui'i;oyne was
preparini; for his invasion of New ^"oi-k down the Hudson,
St. Leirer was entrusted with a similar advance down the
^lohawk. Sir Henry Clinton, an al>le strate^'ist and a
brave soldier, but an indolent, nervous moi'tal, and an
inefficient commander, recoi'ded a sagacious opinion on
this occasion — endorsed l>y Continental Nathaniel Greene —
viz., that to St. Le_u:cr was assii^ned the most imj)ortant
j»art in the )»ro<i:rannne with the most inadecpuite means
of carry iiiir it out. To play this part successfully, re-
([uirfMl a much lai'irer force; and yet — to take a fort ,i:;arri-
soned by at least 7.'»" (perhaj»s IK")*!) not inelHcicnt troops,
with sulHcient artillery (14 pieces '.), and tii;ht the whole
availabh' i>opulation of Tryon Comity in arms Ijeside, —
8
Hi
'^W •Itmn f/oluixtni .
St. I.c^t'v lijul not iiiort' tliaii iiltoiit 41(» wliilt-s and ;ni
ji^r^r|(.oati,,ii (,t'«!(i(i to ."^0(1 Indians t'roin 'I'l ditlcMent tribes,
iiatliered IVom tlie remotest jiomts administered i»y llritisli
tdHeers — oven from the extreme western sliores of Lake
Sn|ierior. To batter this foit he had a few >mall jtieees
"f ordnance, whieli wei-c abont as efleetivi- as [ioj»-i:nns:
and were >im|i|y a<h<inate. as he says in his rejort, ot'
'• teasini;"."* withont injiirinir tlie iiai'rison. St. Leber's
seermd in command was Sir Jolm Jolinson.
I''or the relief of Fort Stanwix, ^lajor ((»ronly r)ri<:adier)
General Ilarkheimer. Sir John's old anta«roni.-t, gathered
no ail the valid men in Trvon eonntv. variously stated at
from Sddaml !Mi(i to 10(M». eon stitntina" tour embodied re^n-
iiients of militia, besides numerous volunteers of all grades
and standing, a few mounted men (Ilotl'man), and some
Oneida Indians. These latter, traitors to a fraternal
bond of centuries, seemed about as useless to their new
associates as they were faitldess to their old ties. To meet
irarklieinier. P>ri,iiadier-CTeneral St. Leijer allowed Sir Jolm
.iolins<»n to proceed in person and carry out the able }»lan
conceived l>v the latter. It is n
ow clearly
established
beyond a doubt that his ability planned and his determin-
ation foniiht the battle of Oriskanv. Had tlie Indians
shown anything like tlu' plnck of white men, not a Pro-
vincial would have escajted. In spite of tlieir inetficiency.
Sir Jo'tc's whites alone would have accomplislied the
business had it not been for ''a shower (»f blessing''
sent bv Providence.
ai
id a recall to the assistance of St.
L
egei-
As it 'was, this wa.s the bloodiest battle of the
S/r ./o/i/i ■Ji>]<))xn}K
llll
lit'volutioii at tlie Noi'tli. liitlecisive uii the ticld of battle,
it was morallv decisive in i-osults. narklieiuK'i" lost liis life,
likewise several liinidrcMl of his followers, and Tryoii
County siitt'ered such a terrific calamity, that, to use the
inference of its historian, if it smiled ai^ain during tlie
war it smiled throui^h tears. The iron will of Schuyler,
another old, almost lifedoiiii' pei'sonal and [)olitical antai^o-
iiist of Sir John, sent Arnold, the best soldier of the Revo-
lution, to save Fort Stanwix, the key lo the Mohawk
valley. The rajtid advance of this bi-illiant leader, an<l the
dastardly conduct and defection of the Indians, preserved
the beleau'uered work ; and St. Leuer and St. .John were
forced to retire. On this salvation of Fort Stanwix and
Not on, pro})erly speakinir, lloosic or Walloomscoik, mis-
called Benninu'ton, nor on Sarato^-a, hinijed the fate of the
Burgoyne invasion and the eventl'ul certainty of indej)end-
ence. jVo ]>art of the failure is chargeable to Sir flohn.
As before mentioned, the English war administi'ation
seemed utterly inadequate to the occasion. They had not
l»een able to grapple with its exigencies while the colo-
nies were "iloing for themselves,'" as jNfaz/.ini exju'essed
it. When France and Spain entered the list, and JJur-
goyne's army had been elinunated from the war problem,
they seem to have lost their iieads ; and. in 17T>1, aban-
doned all the fruits of the misdirected efforts of their main
army. The nervous (Minton succeeded t(j the indolent
Howe in the field, and the uncertain llaldinnind to the
determineil Carleton in Canada, llaldinuind, a Swiss l>y
birth and a veteran by service, was entirely deficient in the
liv
Sn' '/o/ut '/tj/ui «'»/).
j»i'it'«.'l('ss jtracticiil altilitics in wliicli liis |»r(.'dc'('ess(»r cx-
ct'lk'<|. Those who knew him consicK-rod him an oxct'Ilcnt
in-otetij^ioiial sohlicr, l>ut tor administration and oriraniza-
ti<»n liis uil'ts wc'rc' sniaU. He was s(» at'rai<l tliat tlir
French and I'l-ovincials woidd invade aixl dismcnilicr the
remaininir Hritish possessions in Xorth America, that hi-
not oidy crijt[ded Clinton in a measure, hy constant de-
luaiuls foi" tr<t(»j)s, hut lie wa.s atVaid to entrust such hril-
liant }»ai'tisans as Sir .lolm Johns(»n with forces sufiicient
to accom]>lish anythinir of imj»ortance. He sutlere»| i-aids
wlien he should have launched invasions, and he kejit al-
most everv availahle comoanv and hattalion for tlie defence
<tf a territory, which, excej»t in its jK»rts, was amply pro-
tectetl l»y nature and distance. Washini;toii })layed on his
timi<lity just as he afterward tiuirered the nervousness of
C'lint<in. Thus the rest of 1777. the whole of 177s, and
the p'eater part of 177!* was passe<l liy Sir John in com-
paratively comjiulsoi-y inactivity. IF
e was undouh
tedl'
Itusy. Hut like thousaiuls of human efforts which cost
>uch an expenditure of thou_i:ht and preparation, hut are
fruitless in marked results, their records are " writ in
wateiv
In 177{> occurred the famous invasion of the territorv
o
f tl
le
MX
Nat
n)ns l»v
Sull
ivan.
I
n one sense it was
triunipliant. It did the devil's work tlioroujrhly. It con-
verted a series of l»loomin<; gardens, teeming orchards and
productive fields into w'astes and aslics. It was a <li8grace
to developinir civilization, an<l. except to those writers who
worship not
thing l)Ut temporary success, it called forth
S/i' -/o/i/i .l<t]aisnii .
Iv
some of tlie most scathini; coiKU'riniatloiis ever itennod l»v
historians. Wlu'ii Mliito men soalj) ami tlay Iiidiaiis. and
convert tlie skins dt' the hitter's thiirlis into l(oot-tf>j»s, the
(|Uestioii sna'ii'i'sts itself, whicli were the savaires. the
Continental troops or tin- Iinlians. It is scarcely an
exa^^ireration to say that, for every Imlian >lain and
Indian lint con^nnied in this canipaiirn. a thousand white
men, women and children |>aid the i»enalty : and it is
almost unexce|»tionally adnntted that the inextiniruishahle
hatre«l of the redskins to the Cnited States dates from
this raid of Sullivan, worthy of the Scottish chief who smoked
his enemies to death in a cavern, »»r nf a Pi-llissier, a St.
Arnaml or a Pretorius. Shnmes, in hi> •• Hist»»ry of Sco-
harie Conntv." X. V., commentinij on Sir John's devasta-
tions in Isso. lemarks: ''Thus was reven«red the destruc-
tion <^»f the Indian jiossessions in thi' Chemunir and Txene-
see Valleys the year hefore Ity Cieneral Sullivan; n'hiclt^
liiul then a hlHtorkin,, would he fox ml n no lixif ijbtoinij
picturi'.'''
Sullivan's ultimate military ohjective must have heen
Fort Niatrara, the basis, for al'out a century, of inroads,
French and Jiritish, upon New York. AVhy he did not
make the attempt re(iuires a consideration would occujty
nK)re space than can he assiijned in this memf»ir. There
were adversaries in his front who did not fear po]>-^nn
artillery like the Indians, and were not to be dismayed
by an ''ek\irant'' cannonade as at Newtf»wn. Ilaldi-
mand had sent Sir J<^)hn .lolmson to <»rgani/.e a body <»f
500 (N. V. Col. Doc, viii., T7I») white troops, besides
!vi
S/'r JnJiii ./o/nixntt.
till' Iinliaiis, ami tlu'st' wci'i- rapidlv comrntnitini; (Stone's
'• lirandt," II., lo) upon Sullivan, when the latfiT cuunti-r-
nuin
•lied.
jiK'ncau historians i^ivo tlu'ii* reasons tor
5?
tliis retreat; IJiitish writers e.\|)iaiu it \ery difrerently.
In anv evi-nt tin's expedition was tlu- last inilitarv eum-
iiiand eiiioved 1>\ Sullivan. The Sc-rii>ture here atl'ords
an expression which may not l)e inaj)pli('al)le. •• lie
dej>ai"ted witliout l>ein<; desired.
Sir .lohn's t'urther au;i:ressive niovenionts were ]»re-
vented l»y the early setting; in (»t' winter, which rendered
the navii^ation (»t' Lake Ontario to(» danjicrous for the
certain dispatch of the necessary troops and ade<jnate
suj'plies.
The diliirent search for information in rei^ard to tin-
details <»f the m(»ven>ents upon this frontier, has been
hitherto hatHed. Accordin:^: to a I'eliable contemj)orary
record. Sir flohn .lolinson. Col. I'utler and Cai>t. Brandt
cajttured F<»rt Stanwix on the 'liX of Novend»er, 177l».
This is the onlv a^i::ressivo oiieration of the veai" attributed
to liim.
In 17>»<> Sir .lohn was u'iven head, or let loose, and he
made the imtst of his time. In this vear he nuide two
incursions into tlie ^Mohawk N'allev, the first in May and
the second in October.
There is a verv curious circumstance connected with
the first of these raids. The burial of his valuable plate
and papers, and the jruardinu- (»f the secret oi' this <leposit
by a faithful slave, althou»2;h sold into the hands of his
master's enemies: the recovery of the silver throuijh this
*SV/' Juliit fliiJinsini.
Ivii
faitlit'ul ne<rr(), jumI the transport of tlie treasures, in tlie
knapsacks of forty soldiers, through the wilderness to
Canada; has l»een related in so many bo(»k8 that there is
no need of a repetition of tlie details. One fact, however,
is not generally kn<nvn. Tlii-ouuh danii>ness the ]>aper8
had heen wholly or ['artially destroyed; and this may ac-
(MMint for a irreat many ,i;aj>s and involved ([uestions in
narratives connected with the .lohiison family. The
" treasure-trove "' eventually was of no service to him.
(iod nuiketh the wrath of man to praise Ilim; and al-
thonirh Sir John was the rod <>f His an^er, the staff of
His indij^'nation and tlie weapon of His venu'cance for the
injustice and harharisms shown hy the Americans to the
Six Nations, hut especially duriui:; the precedinii; year, the
instrument was not allowed to profit, personally, hy the ser-
vice."'' The silver and other articles, retrieved at such a cost
of j)eril, of life, of desolation and of sufferinj!:, was not des-
tined to henetit anyone. What, amid tire and sword and
death and devastation, had heen wrenched from the enemy
was placed on shiphoartl for conveyance to Knu-land, and,
bv the "-ironv of fate," the vessel foundered in the Gulf
of St. Lawrence and its precious freight, like that described
in the " Nibeluniren Lied," sank into the treasury of so
much of earth's richest s^xtils and possessions, the abyss
of the sea.
* According tounothrr triulition — as iitllr nlinblc, jiciiiaps, ai< such
Ici^cnds usiuilly aro — tlic vessel did nut foiuider. hut was captured l)y a
New Eutjland privateer out ot'Saleni, Mass. .Vnotiier lei,a'nd attributes
Sir Joini's ill hu k and loss to a Freueli letter-ofmarciue.
Iviii
iSV/' Jftlni JoJuiHoii.
'riicri' is ;i ciiiious Imt rnin|iloti' moral in tin- (•iiicci' of Sir
.loliii .I(^linsoii. Those \\li») (Viiin jiiirt'ly scllisli inotivt's por-
seciitiMl liiiii for liis .'Kllicrciicc to the crown — loyal from piiit-
i'iplc and sim|ily slrivinu' to save his own ; perished or sMtferol
some other Just |iunishnu'nt. Nevertheless, Sir .lojni, the in-
strument of their ehastisenuMit, did not piolit liy his sueooss to
tliecxtent of reifainiiiLj his own, throuuli his triuni|ihant retalia-
ti(»ii Mjioii his enemies. Tlio course and eonse(jiienco ol" the
wlioU' original wron^-dointj and leprisals realized tliu prophecy
of Isaiah, to the elfcct that when the Lord had performed his
■whole Work u|)on .Fudah, lhi-oui,di the Assyrian, " the rod of his
anuer and tlie stall" ol his indij^niation," he declari'd that in turn
\w would punish the instrument, hecaiise he had excee<lcd his
commission and made it, as it were, a personal matter. .ludah,
the Whiles, were to bo scourged to the l»one foi' their sins, hut
the Hail, the Loyalists, were not to proiit personally l»y it. This
is just alxnit the view that tlic Injnest Sahine takes of the
mIioIc mattei" and agrees with the exjiression of Zechariah,
that <iod was "sore disideased" with those whom he employeil
to execute his punishment, because he "was but a little dis-
])leased, and thi'y helpi'd forwaivl the affliction." So it is ever,
ali
is, m
tl
ns witrltl
As h
cclesnisticus impresses upon its
I'eaders, there is an existiuif and unerrini; law of c,om|)ensalion.
The |iendulum of what "will be" sweeps far to the rij^ht, but
the law of "must be" gravitates and the momentum brings it
back as far to the left; and thus it swings, to and fro, as loner
n' '
ir
as the impetus of cause .and result continues to exert tin
forces ; like a thousand agencies, great and small, scourging
ihe worlil: the west like Attila, the east like Tamei'lane; a
(•ontinent, Eui'o]»e, like Napoleon, or a country aj)art, Italy,
like Ilannilt.al; a p)"oviiice, as the Lowlands oi" Scotlaiul, like
Montrose, or a district, the ^lohawk and Schoharie Valleys,
like .Johnson. When the mission is fiillilled and the victims
liave suffered, the .agent perishes or the Instrument is laid .aside ;
the former often tlying i)eaceably, trampiilly, trustingly; be-
cause, howi'ver man mav judge the act, it is God, alone, who
Sf'r -/o/nt JolitiHOh.
lix
I
<':iii J'hIljl' tilt' motive, wliicli is (»lt«Mi liilulity ti> |»iinci|»le, ptire
Mild siiiiplc, and ;ui cxrcutioii in riuid ulicditMit'c !<» a law that
linnianity cannot coni] iclu-nd, Men in tlicir wratli sow the
wind to reap the whirlwind of" the passions they arouse. The
Whiles of the Mohawk N'alh'y worke<l tlu'ir will npon the
Tories in I77(>, and, if the day of evil liad not been nu'rcifully
shortened for them, the rich di>ti'ict they coveted wonld have
been left to them a deseit.
It is said that Sir dolm's second invasion of this year
was co-ordinate witli tlu- plan of Sir Henry Clinton, of
Avliicli the basis was the suri'ender of West Point by
Arn<»l<l. if so, the former boi-e to the latter tlic same
relation that tin- advance of St. Leuer did in resj)ect to
I3tiri;ovne. St. lu-irer's faihire bm-st the eonibinod move-
nient of 1777; and the capture of the unfortunate An<lre
cxphtded the conception of 17>'<>. Thus Sir .lohn's movt;-
nient, whicli was to have been one of a irrand military
series, unha]t)iily for his rejmtation became an apparent
"mission of veui^eance,'' executed, however, with a
tlM)rou<;liness which was felt far beyoinl the <listrict upon
which the \ isitation came — came in such a terrible guise,
that a hundrt!(l years have scarcely weakenetl the bitter-
ness of its memories. Whatever else may be debited to
him, it can bi' said ot' .lohiison. as of certain, but few,
other honest, earnest, Loyal men, wlio have otlendi'd the
masses, that he did his work ettectively.
Even in 17^1 Sir dolm was still a menace to the frontier.
Att'airs in New York and Vermont, alom; Lake Champlain,
were in a very unsatisfactory condition. All the assist-
ance that could be ho|>ed for from France was directed tt>
Ix
•>//' .
litJtH J(l/l
utmni.
aiKtflicr and a <Iistaiit iiiiai'ttr. 'I'lic very districts «»t' New
^ (»rlv wImcIi had rallied to (tpjtosc I'liriroyiic and his
liciiti'iiaiits, \\('i-f disatrccti'd. " Thi- jxiisoii was activt-ly
at \v<»rk cNcii in Alhaiiy." At this time an cxitoditioii
was iiK'ditatt'<l aijainst l*ittsliiir<;h, to Ix' h'd l»_v Sir .lohn
.lohnson and Colonel Connelly, in connection with com
l»inations ainon<x the hostile Indians nior** extensive than
any I'revionslv set (»n toot. Whv these all failed is anion<r
the nnsolved enigmas of" the Itevolntion. It'they <lej)ende«l
on (ieii. Ilaldiniand, the explanation is clear, lie luul
not snrticient activity, either of mind or body, to hold the
wii-es. nuicii less to |iiill them with tlie rtMnnsite energy.
Althouirh scarcely one hnndred years have |»assed
away wince the events considered in this sketch, there
are almost as contlictin^- acconnts (»f the personal a|)|a'ar-
ance of Sir .John as there
ai'e antaironistic jnd: v'nts in
resjK'ct to his character. Wy some lu' has hem repre-
s<'nt» d as (»ver six feet in heiirht ; hy others as not taller
than the oi-dinary rnn of men in his district. I)(»uhtle8s
in matnri' years he was a stont or stalwart titrnre, and
this, always at least to some extent, detracts from heiijlit,
and deceives unless everything is in exact ])rop(»rtion. The
only likeness in existence, sai<l to he of him, which is in
accordance with descriptions, is a red stipple eni^ravinu' <»f
F. Bai'toloz/,i, K. A., that apj)eared in some contemi)orary
pnblication, representini:; him in nnitorm. It is not
inconsistent with tlie pictures of him at a nioi-e advanced
aire
ordinarily
•roduce
in \v(
Il-k
nown recent works.
SVV Jo/th 'lolutHim.
l\l
Tlii'sc. lidwc'vor, iv^ .11 till' {'uHtutiK* iiikI fxpit'ssion, si'imu
t(» liuve Ih'i'Ii takt'ii \\\ ti luucli later dutu.*
Hv liis iiivctcratt' lu'i'i'ditarv ciKMiiit's and liisttirians,
s(» stvli'il, who havf adopted ti-aditiunary bins as tact.
Sir .I<diii has hocii ''(U'scrilnMl as coM, hau^htv, cnul and
iiiij)hical»U'. uf (|iu'sti(»iialdi' " courair^', . d with a teehk'
sense ot" personal honor, Mr. Wiliiaii ('. I>rvant, in his
athnirahle l)io;;raphical sketch, <lisj>oses ot" this repulsive
pictiirf with a sinirle hom-st sentence: "Tlu' detested
title of y'^r//, in tact, was a sviioiiyni tor all these nn-
ainialtle (pialities."
According to a recently t'onnd sketch of ('hark'ston,
South (.'arolina, pultlislie(l in is.")4, it would ap})ear that
every American opposed to I''rench .lacohinisni was sti_u"-
niati/.ed as an aristocrat ; and when Washinijtttn ap[)roved
of .lay's treaty of 1 7!>5, six prominent advocates of his
policy were hun^ in cHi^y and polluted with every nuirk
of indignity; then hurned. Kven the likeness of Wash-
ington, at full length, on a sign, is rejiorted to have heen
much abused by the rabbU'. These patriots experienced
the same treatment accorded to the character of Sir John.
The procession at PoughkiH'j)sie, in this State, to ratity
the adoption of the Federal Constitution, came near end-
* Mr. <1(' LiiiU'py, ut piijrc r»4'J (Note Iv.), Vol. 2, appended tn Jones'
" History of Xew Yurk," A:e , furnishes a deseri|>ti(»ii of Sir .loiin,
which laliic' e.xactiy with tlic colored eiiirraviiij; by Harlolo/.zi, in the
writer's possesHion, which has heen reproduced for tliis work.
" He wasa handsome, wellujade man, a little short, witii blue eyes,
lii,dit liair, a fresh eompUxion, and a firm l)Ut i)leasanl exj)re8hion.
He was ((ulck and decided in disposition and manner, and posses.sed
of jrreat endurance."
I Ml
>'//' Jit/iil 'I oil It Si til.
iiit:' ill I'Nxxlslu'd. Any oir' (i]»j)f r<! t«» sluvory, wlicii it
existed, risked liis lite, south of ■ Miisoii and I)ixoirs
line,*'' if lie uttered Ids sentiments in pul)lie. No virtues
would lijive saved liini from violence. ( )n tlie other hand,
tliero Wi'i-e classes and communities at the North who
would not concecU' a redeeminir ((iiality to a slaveholder.
f*assioii inteusilies jiuldic ojtiiuon. The masses never
rcHect.
jlei'e let a distincti<tn lie drawn which verv few, even
llnnkin^ persons, duly appi'i-ciate. The rahhle are not
the |te<ti»U'. Knox, in his '* Races of Men," draws this
distincti(»n most ch'arly. And yet in no couiirry to such
an extent as in the Inited States is this mistake so often
made. ( )ld lioine was styl- .1 hy its f»wn liest thinkers
and annalists ''the cesspool of the world:"' and if any
UKxh-rn State deserves this scathing' imputation, it is this
very Stat«' of New \'ork. ('Miiiit Tallyrand-I'eriirord sai<l
that as lon<^ a there is suflicii'ut vii'tue in the thinkintr
classes to assimilate what is <ro(»(l, and reject what hs
vi.'ious in iimniirration, there is true |»roi;ress an<l real
|>r<»sperity. When the p<»ison hecomes suj)erior to the
resistive am' assimilative power, tlie descent hetiins. It
is to pander t<» the rahhle. not the people that men like
Sir .f<»lin Johns(»n are misrepresented. Such a course is
politic for (u-mairoijues. To them the Mtteraiu-c of the
truth is suicidal, hecaiise they oidy could exist tlirouj;li
perversions worthy of a Machiavelli. They thrive tlirouch
political .lesuitism. The Roman poj»ulace were main-
tained an<l restrained hy '' juDnni <t rirrmcts.'* The
>//' John '/oh II. sail.
Ixiii
Imlk <tf iiiodeni votcM'S tt-cd like tiK'iii— to usi' tlio Seri|)tiiro
t'Xpi'i'ssioii — on tlio wind of (U'lusinn ; and it is tliis niotliod
<it' portrjiitiiiH' which I'liahk'*! Local Committees to strike
down Sir .loiin .lohnson, confiscate his ])rc)])ert_v and drive
him toi'tli, and ••Iiin<;>"' to carrv out their |tur[»uses in
our \erv nddst to-day.
Peoj)U' ol' the present [lerifxl can scarcely conceive tlio
virulence of vittiperation which characterized the political
literature ol" a cenlurv sinci'. Ifoiiirh, in his "" Xorf/n r/i
/)ii'(is/o/i/' has a n»te on this suhject which applies to
every similar case. The ijist of if is this: The opinions
of local po[)ulations in reirar<l to prominent men ut're en-
tirely hiased, if not founde(| u|)on their jtopularity or tlu^
reverse. If modern times were to jutlu'c of the character
of Ilannil>al hy flu; pictures haiuled down liv the irravest
of Roman historians, he would havt' to he I'cuardeil as a
man destitute of almost every redeeunuir trait except
couraire and ahiliry or astuteness: whereas, when the
truth is sifted out. it is positively certain that the very
vices atfrihute<l to the tri'eat ('arfha,i;inian should he trans-
ferri'd to his Latin adversaries.
Sir .lohn was n(»t c<>ld. lie was one of the most allec-
tionate of men. Mr. l>ryant fells us that he was not
"hautchty, " hut, on tl.. contrary, displayecl (pudities
which are totally incotisistent with this defect. "His
numners were peculiarly mild, irentle and wimnn<jr. He
was remarkahlv fond <»f the s(»cietv of clnldren, who,
with their uuirv<'llous insiiiht info character, hestowcd
upon him the full measure of their un(|ueslioninL'' love
Ix
IV
W/'
'/oil II -/o/ili-siiii .
and t'aitii. IK' was al>«> urcatly attaclu'd t<» all <l<»iii(.'stic
animals, and notaMy vcit huniaiu' and tefHk-r in liis treat-
ment of tlioni." Anotliei- writiT. commenting npon these
traits, remai'ks : " His peeuliar cliaiacti'risticdt" ti'iideniess
to cliildi'iMi and animals, makes nu' think tliat the stoi'ies
of his inhunumitv diiriiii;' the War of the Ilevcdntion can-
not he true."
II
e Mils .\o|-
(•rue
A nnmher of anec<lot('> arc re
lated to tlie contrary hy hose not pccidiariy favorahlc
to him. Tliese in themselves, recorded as they are hy
j>ai'tisans of a ditfei'cnt order ot" tldnirs to those i'ej)re-
sented hy the .lohiisons, are sufficient to I'aise stronjj: doiihts
of till' truth of the chari;-es hrouirht against him, excn if
they do not positively di.-prove such a swee|)ini; judii'ment.
The honest Hryant j>enned a [larairraph which is j>erti-
nent in this connection.
"Sir John, certainlv, inherited immv of tlu' virti
les
w
hich shed lustre uj)on his father's lumie. His devotion
t( the interests of his iXov(M*nment : his energetic and en-
lightened admin.istration of important trusts; his earnest
chamj»ionshij> of the harl.arous race which looked up to
him as a father and a tViend ; his cheerful sacrifice of a
princely fortmie and estati' <»n what he conceived to \)v
the altar of patriotism, connot he controverted hy tlu'
most virulent of his detractors. The atrocities which
were j»ei'petrated hy the invading forces under his com-
mand are j)recisely tho>e which, in our annals, have
attached a stiirma to the names of Montcalm and liur<;t)vne.
To restrain an ill-(liscij>lined rahhle of e.xiled Tories and
•Sff '/o/i/i '/tjt/i.sn/i.
I\V
nitliU'ss savii^jcs was hcydiid tlu> power <>t' iiicii wlmsc
limiianitv lias iu'vit in otlici- instaiiccs hccii (iiicstioiiol."'
The iiiajoritv of writers al)S(ilv('<l Montcalm-, and
l>uriro_viu' (lisclainuMl, and alnM»st coiicliisively ]»ro\«,'(l,
thai lie was not resj>onsil>le tor the (•liai"_ii:«'> hrouijht
airainst him hy the i^randilotjuent (iates and others, who
did n(»t hesitate to di-aw upon their inmiii nation to make
a |ioinf. Sir .lohn. with his own lips, declared, in reirard
to the ciMU'Jties sulli'i'ed hy tlii' Whites dnrini; his tirst in-
road, that "theii- Tory neii^hltors, and not himselt", were
Itlamahle for those acts." It is said that Sir .lohn mu'-h
reirretteil the death of those who \vei*e esteenu-d Iiv hi^
father, an<l censured the muiMJerer. Hut how was he to
puinsh I Can the I'nited States at this day, with all its
|iower. punish the individiud perpetratoi's of cruelties
alonii' tlu' Western iVontiei' and amoui; the Indians f it is
justly reiuarkecl that if the *"Si\ Nations" had an his-
torian, the Chemunir and (Jeiiesee valleys, desolaled hy
Sullivan, would ]>resent no less i^lai'inir a |»icture than of
those of the Schoharie and Mohawk, which expeiienced
the visitations of Sii- .lohn. lie, at idl events. oi-(lei'e<|
churches and other l»uildiui;s, certainly the hoiises of nonn-
luil friends, to he spare<l. Sullivan's ven_i;eance was indis-
criminate, and left nothing standinjLT in the shape ot" a
liuildinir whi<*h his tires could reach. Sii- .lohn more tlian
once interposetl his disciplined fi'oops hetween tlu^ savaires
and thi'ir iutende*! victims, lie redeemed captives with
his own moiu-y ; and while without contradiction he pun-
ished a unilfv district with ndlitarv execution, it was not
Ixvi
Sff ./o/i/i •/o/i/t,Si)/l.
<liiH'('t('(i liy Ills onlcrs nr couiitiMuiiK'O Uiraiiist individuals.
IIoii<;li, for liimsi'lt". and (juotiiii; otlici-s, admits that "no
violcnct' was otrcrnl \<i women and children." Tht^'e is
nothinir on record or hinted to show that he refused
mercy to ]trisoners; no instance ol' what was terine(l
*• Tarh'ton's (juartei-" is citeil ; nothinir like tlie wlioiesah'
slanu'hti'r of 'r<»ries l»y Whi::> at the South whenever the
h'ltter ir<»t tlie chance or u|»)»erhand : no suniuuii'v han:.''in;i>:
of |»risoners as at ixinu's Mountain; and it is wry (|ues-
ti(»iuilde if cohl-hh>ode(l jn'cuhition in the American ad-
ministrati\e corps did not kill olf incalcidahly mori' in
the course of a siuLde camjKiiirn, than fell Jit the hands ot'
all. white and reil, <lirected l»y .Iohnsf)n. <lurinir the war.
.As to the epithet '* imphu-alile," it amounts to nolhiii<;.
To the masses, anyone who ]»unislies a majority, cmmi
temperiuii' justice with mercy, j)ro\ ided he moves in a
sphere al»o\t' the plane of those who ar(> the suhji'cts of
the tliscipline, is always eonsi<lei-ed not oidy unjust hut
cruel. The patriots or ri'hels ofTryon county had wc^rked
their w ill on the lihei'lies of the family and the jiroperties
of Sir .lohn .lohnsoii ; and he certainly iiave them a i;ood
deep draniiht from ihe irohlet they had oriirinally forced
upon his li]>s. He did not live u|> to tlu' Christian code
which all nuMi }»reach and no luaii practices, and assuredly
did not turn the other clu'i'k to the smiter, oi" oiler his cloak
to him who had alri-ady stolen his coat. Will any uni)reju-
4lici'<l pi-rson deny that there was liieal Justilicalion for his
<'onducl. The masses a century since and previous could
uuderstanti nolliim:' thai wa> not l'ioUi:ht home to them in
sir ./o/m Johnson.
Ixvii
letters of tire jitkI of sut}erin<jf. Their conipjissioii juul tlieir
furv were both the bhi/,e of straw ; and tlieir ei'iiclty was
as eiKhiriiiu" as the lieat ol" red hot steel, especially when
their passions were thoroughly excited in civil and reli-
gious contlicts.
There is oidv (tne more charge against Sir John to dis-
jiose of, viz., that "his courage was cpiestionahle." The
accusation in regard to his having a "feeble sense of j)er-
sonal honor" rests n|)on the stereotyped fallacy in regard
to the violatioTi of his pande. This has already been
treated of and declared, by experts, to be nnsustained by
justice. In fact, Mr. Edward Floyd de Lancey has ])roved
that he did not tlo so. In this (connection it is necessary
to cite a few more pertinent words from the inijiartial
William ('. I'ryaiit. This author says: "'Sir .John's
sympathies were well known, and he was constrained to
sign a pledge that lie would remain neutral during the
struggle then impending. Tliert; is no warrant for su})-
posing that Sir .I(diTi, when lie submitted to this degrada-
tion, secretly <letermined to violate his promise on the
convenient plea of duress, or upon grounds more rational
and (luieting to liis conscience. Tlu» jealous espionage to
which he was afterwards exj)osed — the plot to seize upon
his j)erson and restrain his liberty — doubtless furnished
the coveted pretext for breaking taith with the 'rebels.' "
Mrs. Martha J. Lamb, wliose " History of Xew^ York"
is one of the most remarkable protluctions of the age, writ
ing with the bias of an American, btit nevertheless desirous
of doing justice to both sides, makes the following remarks
10
Ixviii
S//' Jnlm JohiiHoii.
ill iciTiird to Sir Jolin .Idlmsuii.* " He was known to hi- a
I>owi'rt'nl Ioa<U'rot" mcii : lu* possessed the iiia^nietisiii which
iiisjtired (U'votinn.'' •' pjioui^li has ])eeTi said ahont his own
* III rcirard to lln' imtsoiimI iippcaniiicf nf Sir.Ioliii, llicrc urr as \\\([v
(liscn|i!iii<its as ill the oiiinioiis alli(liii;i his ciiaractcr. 'I'iiis, Ikiw-
• vcr, should iioi lie siii|nisiiii: to any close stiulcnl of" history, (ircatcr
tlivcrirt'iH'ics iinsciil Ihciiistivcs in ilitlVnnt accomits of llic Karl ol
IJothwrll: sonic |ii(liiriim- him as slriJiinu'Iy ui:iy and Itooiisli, otiicrs
as cmiiicnlly haiidsonicaiid coiiilly; also of tin- Russian hero Miwarrow,
» ho a|i|>cars in one |iorti-ail as tall and coininandinir, in another as di-
inimitiveand repulsive, in one an »ceenlrie irenius, but still a ticniiis ; in
another a liiiHoon devoid of even eouraire and altility. Where prejiidiei'
mixes the colors and |iassion holds the hriish nothinir like truth can he
hoped for. " Ilamn nohix out thun nut tftprnoii," uml party or laetidii
elevate a friend or an ally to the foinicr, or sink an «'iiemy or oppo-
nent to the latter. This is particularly the case in civil wars. In them
there is no jiistr milieu of feeling or opinion. Mr. Win. C. Hryaiil, Sir
John'.s most ixeneroiiH American hioiriaphcr, presents him as six feet
two, and laruc in proportion. This would almost make him i:ii,'antic.
His kinsman, Kdward F. de Lancey, Kscp, historian, draws an entirely
difVerenl portrait. It would he hard to n-conciie sucli contrasts, were
it not thai some men, like the late (tcneial, our irreat (leoiiie II.
'i'hoinas, are so erect and imposiiifj; that they impress heholders with
the idea that their physical proportions are as iniLdily as their Mitellecl
and influence'. .\ similar Judirment — tibxit iinidin — is apposite, as to
the moral characteristics of .^ir .l<iliii.
It has heeii remarked that tailiire is the ;;reatcNt crime that mortal-
ity recoirni/.es, and that .some of the most cruel tyrants would he ac-
eeptcd as exemplars if they had not failed. Such is the opinion of
Fronde, ill reirard to the Duke of .\lva. lie Justly remarks: " Ue-
li^nous"— yes, more especi.illy political history — " is partial in its ver
diets. The exterminators of the Canaanites are enshrined anion;,' the
saints, and had the Catholics come otl" victorious, the Duke of Aha
would have hCvii a second Joshua." The ojiinioiis of the people of
this colony or Slate could scarcely he otherwise than unjust and injiiri
ous in repird to a man who, to a mo>t important portion of it, rescm
Ided ii tornado or a p.heiiomeiial tropical storm. Such cataclysms are
not instantaneous developments, hut the result of a series of causes
Their iniinediate elVects are never lieneficial. Their ultimate etlects are
oi'teii eminenllv so. The idea that Sir Williani .lohiiHon coniniitted sni-
S/'r '/oh /I ./o/itisoN.
Ixix
tVartul losses utkI tlic uiijnstitial)Ie surt'eriiiirs to wliicrli his
wW'c was suhjcctt'd. She had cscapt'd. tliaiiks to (iod and
licrst'lf (ITT*!).'" " Thus no ri'straiiit coidd now he* inii)ost'd
<>
<i(lc to avditl thr dilcmmn ofcustiiii; his lot in witli rcliillioii or niraiiisi
the crown is ultcrly pn-postcroiis — one of tlu)si' ii)s;iiif sflt'-tii-iiisioiiH
tiiat the Ainorican p(M)|)lr iii(liilir<'(l in. Itliruli-d with tlif iiii-a of their
own s(ll'-(:(iiist'(|ii(iHr. That a man wlio owed tverythinir lo tin- Kii)n,
who iiii'i |irt'-('iniii(Mitly ilistiniruisln'd and rcwarditl him, >lio(dd '^n over
to the t'licmit's of ijiat monarch, would have stainpctl him at once as
unworthy ol" liic very iH'iictits he had received. ( enturies since, the
tlie people were not of tlie eonseipieuii' ill the eyes of tlic rill ill j; <'lasses
thai they iiave since lieeoinc. Ill this remark there is no attempt to
presume that tlie people do not deserve the consi«|eralioii they are now
enabled to exact. Mill theracj is iiidispiitaMc that they did not then en-
joy it. Washiniiflon and .lell'ersoii, ai.d ail the i.'reat li^'lits of the Uevo-
iutinii, did not reirard the masses as llie |<>liticians of this day ace com-
pelled to do. If they could ris«' from tlieir jfravcs they would iieirvel
at the almost incrediltle proi^rcss made liy the mass of humanity, in
wriniriiiu:, ev<n from des|M>ls, a c<uisideiation for their opiiiicin>-.
It is just as ridiculous to iiuau;ine that Sir John Johnson wittild he
t
false to his alle<riance as to imat;ine that Sir William killed himself
to avoid chanifinu' his uniform. None of the most ardent patriots,
.so styled, desired ill I771 that complele severance of ties liet ween tin-
inoili(>r country and the colonies which the success of the latter (gradu-
ally more and more eoncnti'd into a fixed determination. The wisest
could not have foreseen the armed intervention of France and Spain,
and yet, without this, independence cDiild not hav«- heen se«ur»'d. The
event was Htill douhlfiil in 17MI. and it was only a <-oncurrence of cir
i'limslances heyond mortal control that decided the stru^'irh'. For Sir
John .lohiison to have turned his ha<k on all those rharacteris
tics whici), by ^^enerouH minds, are regarded us the finest ({ualities in
man — gratitude, loyalty, consistency — mitrhl have made him popular
with those who would have jirolited i)V his treason. Imi would have
damned him in irreater decree with those whosei.piniin> he valued. It
is jiiHt about as Hcnsible to e.xpect an impartial verdict upon M<introHe
niui Clavcrhouse from the Wliiu:s and ("ovenanters of Scoilaiid as from
the peo|ile of central New York ipon Sir John J<din>on. No man
who is connected by the ties of lilood or interesi, or \\\t<> has made up
his mind, litis a ri::hl to sit u|ion a jury ; ami no nne imbued with the
prejudices of the Mohawk \ alley, or it< historians, has a moral rij;ht
I.w
S/ r ,/nh n Jolt n Hon.
Upon Sir .Icilni's niovcnu'iits, since liis family wcro sat'c
inidiT iSritisli jtn>tecti<>n, and lie pluiiiiv*! into tlit' strilr
with a Kittcrness scarcely to Ite e(|iuille<l. And lie was a-
111 sit ill Jiiil;.'in< nt iipon ihr .lolinsons. A;riiin, Sir .Inlm .lulniNon
(lid not (Icsirc lo have iiiiytliin;^ lo do with tin- inniiipulatioii of tin- In
diann. ArttT Ills fat Iht'h dciitii he was olVcrcd tin- snccrssion of Mr
Willi nil, as Indian Sn|HiinlcMd<iit iindtr tin- ("rnwn. and In- rrS'usfd it,
and. at iii> sii;r;xts!ion. it was uivcn lo Ids cousin (Jii\. 'I'lusrluo
liavr lii't'ii olKii conronndcd : and, on one occasion, when a pulilir d(
fi-nsf of Sir John was hcinir made, a tlosccndant <if snllVrcrs at thi*
hands of the Indians rose to olijiii'jatc Sir .lolin. nnd liad hi> whole
;;ronnd enl from niider iiiin h\ lii< >iniple dt inoiislralion thai the party
incidpated hv him was Colonel (iny, and not Sir .lohn. Lei no one
thinix that this is an excuse of (he latter at the expense of (iny ; lint
lher< is a proverit ;is old as laiifrna^re : "Let each man claim his ov\n
creilit. or Im ar his own lilame."
The W hitrs, or I'atriots. or Wehels, of 1774-H, made out a lonir list
of L'rievaiKcs aijainsl the Crown, on whiili they founded the Uevoln-
iiiiion. Amoiri: these. non<' was ho promiiK iil as the hated Stamp Act.
It has been jiiNlly said that, in earpiii!; or eonniieiidinjir, thr eyes
of nioKt eritU'H are liUe ihe tnrhol's, holh on one side This has never
heen show n mo, '• ch arly than I he .Vine riean consideration of the St. imp
Act. \N iliiim r.dw.ird llartptile Leeky, in his "lli-ion of Kn<.d,ind
in the Kiuhleenlh (< nlury," IMM'i, \ ol. III.. Chap \i, p. :{4(), inis
summed up the whol( malter eoncliisively at,'ainsi ihe Colonies, anil
his verdi< I is irretutaide :
•• I liiixf nil wiwli 111 il'iiN lliiit ilir SliiMi|i .\il was a i;i ji-viimi' to Ilir Aiiu-riraii-;
lull It i» iliif III ilie triitli of lii*<liiry tliiit the iirimH i. fiii/i/t-ru/ionM wUWh hiivi- liecii n'-
|H'iili>i| nil till' xiilijcct "lioiilil III' il|v|>i'll"i| iiiiil tliilt llii> iiMliiri- iiT llic iillfL'i'il lyniniiv
of Kii;.'liiiiil iiIkiuIiI III* rli'urly il'llni'il. Il I'.itniiot hv tun ili-iiiHtly -lalcii. iliiit Ilicrc
i" lint u rni'.'ini'iii iif i'\ iilriiri I lull any rai::liNh Hlali'i«iiiuii. m any rlai>> of thr Kiii;lipli
(HMiplr. tli'-iri-il til iai^<i' aiiylliiii;{ liy illicit tM\atiiiii fniiii ihi- rnliinJcM fur iiiirpntiih
that wi-ri- pim-ly Kiii.'li'-li. Tln'y utikeil tliriii in >'iintiiliiitf iintliliii; to tlii' miiiiMirt of
tlif tmvy » lili'li (iroii'rU'il tlirir rim>t?'. luilliiiii; In tin- iikiti-I of tli'' Klll;li^ll dobl. .\I
till- cln^r iif a war wliirli had Irlt l<:ii;:laiiil oviTWIii'liiifil with Hililiilnnul luinlfii.-, in
uhirli thr w hull- ii"-i<iinrH iif till' llriti-li lvin|iiri' hail liciii Hiraiiii'il for llir i-.\t(>ni>iiiii
Miiil »«•! iiiity nf Mil' Itriti-h ti'irilnry in .Xiiiirira, liy wliirli thr .Xiiu-nruii iiIiiiiI-in hail
cnmcil iiiriiinparHlily iiii'ii' than any othrr of ihi< xiilijiTtn nf tli' rmwn, the colnnlrH
Hi'n- aoki il to hear their i>hari' ai tlif liiirili-ii of tlit- Kiiipirc- liy riiiiinliiiliiit; a thiril
l>urt— ihi'y wiiiilil iin iloiilil iiltliiiiiii'ly liavc lici'ii a^ki-ii to roiitriliiitr the wlmlc— ol
wtiai wax ii'i|iiiir(l for thr iiiaiiiti'naiu c of an army of I(I,in.O nun, iiiicniii'il primarily
fi>r ihi il own ili'Triiri'. .l'l(X),UOi> wa^ ilu' lii)j;lu'.-4i uMtiiiuiii' of what the sianip Ari woiilU
.S//' ,h>liii Joh iixoii .
IWI
l»rav«' iiiid ciu'rurt'tic as lie \va> \ iinlictiv c. .Imich savs,
tliat lie "litl more niiscliii-t' to tin- rcltt'l scftlcint'iit^ ii|Mtii tlic
itiiiniallv iiiinliirc. and ii wu> iiiilirr Ioh ilmn it ihinl imri of ilic exinMi-fc (if llir new
iiriny. 'I'liio \va.» wimi Kii(!liiii<l ankid from Ihi- iiiohi itro^pcroiiK portion of her Kiiipln'.
Kvciy fnitltliiu' wlilcli il \\a.« intcinlfd to raiC' in AtiiiTicu. It wan iiitriidcd al«o to
ypciid llicii."
Kiiirliiiitl ((Jn'sii Mriiiiin* was y\\i\\\ ami just mikI the 'riiirtecn Coin
nil's wire \vi'i)iiL''aiuI iiiiiri'innuis : and yd llir Itcst iiit'ii in tiic ("i)li)nics
siiUVrcd fortliiiiolinrK'iicttKtliroiiicrsor Iciialiy cniislitiilcd anilinrii y.
Tiny wrrc iiiailr in sutler uili<ially and ixisdiialiy, in cvciy line and
every dctfrt'i', in sneeecdins;: jirncnitions.
Tlie Ainciiean"' expend Vdlntnes of syinpalliy upon the vielims of
liie Miilisli |»iis(in sliips. An (lay awaie tlial their own side liad
prison ships, and on one oicision ti nninlier of eiiiitives perished in
<ons((pieiice, liy a siiiule a<iident :' Arc they awtire that tiiere was
a enpper mine in ('oiineelieill. to wiiicli respectafde penjde were con-
siuiu'd as ialiorers, willi a want ct t'eeliiiL; al^in lo tlial witi» wliit li the
1 Var Nieiiojas and his predecessors sent olV convoys of iiohic champion^
')t'what tiicy deemed the ritthl. to Siberia. IaikIi law wsis iis active
aniotii; the Patriots as on the so style(l borders ol" civilization, and the
term does not emanate from thesemi b.nliarons West, but from the ant i-
revoiiitioiiary times and centre of \ eiinont. As an hottest descendant
ot ipiie of the siiU'erers at Wyominnjiist ly oliserved, ii|ioiitlie very spot
atid under the sliadow of the commemorative nionnmctit : "The story
has two sith'H, iind I am not jroinir to allow myself to be c.irried away
by the prejndif es of tradition." To exoticralc Sir .lolm .lohnsoti is to
condemn his opponents, and to hitn and them is applicable the sen-
lenee ol Ihe Iliirhest .\ulhority: " ll limsl needs be that olVences cdme ;
init woe to ilnit man by whom the otfeitcc comclh." Sir .lolm did not
inaumiralc the <<>nllict. lie was defendant, and not plaintill'. either in
the <'onrts of law or the ordeal of battle.
How many ol those who stirred up the dilliciilty perished at Oris-
kany, where tirsi the waiter of battle occurred, and how m my were
impoverished in tiie course of die cdiitlict y Auiiin, the Scripture ob-
serves: "vSurely liic wrath of man shall praise Thee." (iood. undoubt-
edly, WHS cvolvi'd out of the evil that w.is done, but how miiny of those
who were its ajifcnts lived lo see the day? " The mills of tiie Lnxls
urind slowi_\ :" and lime with (Jod i> n<ltbin^^ The !,MMst cini only be
valued w hen Hi-' time has come I'icdmoiit or Sardinia, Italy, ex-
pelled the Waldeiises, and was compelled to permit them to return.
Spain tirovc out the .Moors, and accepted ccnnpaiiitive ruin as the
Iwii
S//' .lull II JohiisiHi .
ii
frontiers of New Wwk fluui all tiic jmrtisaiis in tlic l»riti«i|i
sorvicc j»ut toifctlu'i'."
The cliiiri^i' ut' " (jut'stioiiuldc coiiram' " is utti-riv riilicii
ions.
Ft •iriiiinatcMJ with his jtcrsonal I'lU'iuii's, and, if such
cvidriKH' wiM'c admissihli', it is (lis|n'()vt'(l l»v facts,
'riicrc is scarcciv aiiv aiiiunnt of i'iil(>y,v which has not
pricf of liijjolcd opprcssidii. Kr.incr lliniMl out llic Iliiiriicmiis,
1111(1 tlicnliy ciiriclicd ami toifilii'd licnditarv iiicmits Tlic Siiiarls
persecuted llie I'liiilaii.-, and. Iu, i|ie Amerieaii I{e\ nliition I Fraiiee
assisted a reliellion, and tli<> riMriliiition came williin tit'teen VM'ars. Tlie
Americans drove out the Loyalists.* and lliev constituted the Ixnieand
sinew, the industry an«l wealth <d tin- Dominion of Canada.
The Seven I'nited Slates, or I'rovinces of Holland, two hundred li>
three hiindreil years a,u:o, were the "Asylum of'Thou^ht," the " Hct'ii^fe"
of persecuted mankind, ami the fri-est country in theworlil. They I'd!
Iiel'ore their time, from three causes, which are destined to wreck
thlH country : centrnli/.alion, the inistakinu: of national wealth for n.i
tional fiireatiiess. and the ntistakiiiu; of the virulence of political paiii
saiiship for the virtue of pat riotism. These three diHintcLrrated the
whole structure of the hotly politic, ami, when the storm arose and
heat upon it, the condition of the fiihric revealed itself in ruins.
The liods of Homer nod, and an a-on has passed away. (Jod shul>
his eyes to the evil, and centuries pass awa.\ before the ex|iialion
<(>mes ; hut it does come.
* "A iiuinlii'r (if I.oviil lifriiKccx liiiil pctillolii'd, iiiid ln'Uii iicniiilli'd )iy Sir llrtitv
i'linton to «'iiiti.)ily imdcr proper ()ni('('r>^, uiid to ri-tMliiit<> mid innkt! lepriMiilH upon lln'
.Vinrrlfim- dcrliircd to lie in actual rt'tp«'ll1i)u airain^t llu-ir soviTi'it;M .\ party of iIh'iu.
U'lio liad foiMH'ily lit'loimi'd lo tlic .MaHKH<'liu->'tl--. iiiadc an attriiipt upon Kalnioiilli.
ill liariiHlniiN- I'ouiity, luit won' rr|iiilH<'(l liy tlic luilitia. 'I'licy renewed it. tint not mie
reedliii.', went otT to Nanliickt'l, ami landed V!U(I men, iMilered the town, lirolti! open
wareliouHf^. and enrrled <dT lar(;t> (|iiaiiiiti(.>i> of oil, wlialelioiie, iiKilu^neH. HiiL;ur, cotToe.
and eveiytliin;; thai fell in their way, Tlicy alno carried olT two lirifjit, loaded for tin-
NVift Indii'H. two or tliree scIiooium>. and a lar;.'c nunilier of lioatn. In a proclaiimtion
lliey left tieliind Ihiij liink nutht iif llnir hiii'iii'i lieeii iiii/trMinnl, riniifiilhtl In n/xini/oii
tlitiv ilit'iiriinis, fiimtli' tiiiil (11111111 limis, hml Ihiir ikIiiIih sKjin/ili ni/, iinii /mil t/nin
iu-lre»foriiiiill!i /lanis/inf. nerer torfliint, on /lalit of i/fiif/i. Thiin lirruiiiKtanceil, thetj
iunnkral tliiiiisthin wiirrinitiit, l>y the laim or' ami ami mnii, li> inu/i inir luiniiint f/idr
/K rmi'iiliir''. 1111(1 til «w fririf iiinnis in ffietr iKurrr to iJiliihi (i)/n/)ni''iitioii for t/ieir nnf
fn-inijn:' .'illi .\prii, ITVs (iordon. Ill, •.'.•jc, '.
»SV/' John Jn/nisrni.
I \ \ 1 1 1
Iti't'M lavislu'd u|Miii ArtKiId's i'\|n'<litinn fVnin tin- Kcrmc-
lu'c, across tlic ^rcat <livi<U' lictwccii Maiin' aiul Caiiatlu,
down t(» flic sit'iyc (it'tjuchcc, aii<l the same praise has hccii
c\tcM(h'<l t<» (Mai'kc for his t'aiiious march across the
<irt»\viK'(l hinds ot' Iiidiatia. Ariiohl dcscrvi-s all that can
lie said tor him, ami so does ('larke, and i-veryone who
has displayed e<pial eMcriry and intrepidity. It is only
>«iirprisini,f that sinnlar justice has not heeii exti-ndi'd to
Sir .lohn. It is nnivi-rsally concede<l that, when he matle
his escape from his persecutors, in I77*», atid |>luni;i'd
int(» the howlinir wilderness to preserve his liherty ami
honor, he encoujiterecl all tlu' siitrerin<r that it seemed
possihle for a man to en<hii'e. \\\vn Na|iolt.'on admitted
that (^)uraire is secondary to Fortitiide. As one, well ac-
<|uaiiite(l with tlie Adirondack wihk-i'ness, remarke<l, "such
a traverse would he an astonishinir feat, even under favor-
ahle circumstances and season, at this day." Sir John
was nineteen (lays in making the transit, and this, to<j,
at a time when snow and drifts still hlocked the Indian
paths, the only ncogni/ed thor<»uirlifares. \o man de-
ficient in s]>iiit and fortitude would ever have nuule such
an attenijif. Jioth of the invasions under his pi-rsonal
jeadiui; were characterized hv similar darinir. In some
casi's the want of intrepidity was assuredly on the j>art
of those who hurled the epithet at him. American writers
admit it hy infereu'^i', if not in so many words.
One of the traditions of Tryon county, wliich must
have hi'cn well-known to he rememhere<l after the lapse
of a century, seems to he to the effect that in the last hattle.
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Sir -/o/u) Jo/infiO)!.
known as the tiijlit v]\ Ivlock's Field, or near Fox's Mills,
both sides ran away from each other. In (le<:'i'ee this
was the case at Bull IJun 1st. Were it ti'ue of both sides,
it would not he an extraordiiuiry oecurr'-nce. Panics,
more or less in ]:)ropovtion, have occurred in the best of
armies. There was a partial one after Wai^rani, after
CTuastalla, after Solferino, and at our tirst ]ju11 Run.
But these are only a few among" scores of instances that
niia'ht be cited. AVhat is still more curious, while a single
j)ersonal enemy of Sir John charii'ed him with ([uitting
the field, his antagonist, (len. van Rensselaer, was gene-
rally abuse(i for not ca[)turing Sir John and his troops,
although a court-martial decided that, while the Genera/
iliil all he coiihl^ his troops were very "bashful,'' as
the Japanese term it, about getting under close fire, and
they had to be withdrawn from it to kee}> the majority
from going to the rear. The fact is that the Ameri-
can State Levies, (piasi-regnlars. under the gallant Col.
Brown, had exi)erienced snch a tei-rible defeat in the
morning, that it took away from the militia all their ap-
petite for another tight with the same adversaries in the
evening. Sir John's conduct would have been excusable
if he had quitted the field because he had been wounded,
and a wound at this time, in the thigh, in the midst of an
enemy's country, was a casualty which might luive placed
a man "fighting," so to speak, " Nvith a halter around his
neck," at tlie mercy of an adndinstration which was not
sloM', with or without law, at inflicting cruelties, and even
"hanging in haste and trvingat leisure." But Sir John did
Sir John Johnso)).
Ixxv
not <]iiit tlio field ju'emalurely. He was not there to flight
to obliije liis adversaries ; his tactics were to avoid any
battle which was not absolutely necessary to secure his re-
treat, lie repulsed his pursuers and he absolutely re-
turned to Canada, carrvinu' with him as i)risoners an
American detachment which souii'ht to interce])t and im-
})ede liis movements.
To (piality Sir .lohn's evasion from Klock's Field as
evinciu'i' want of courai^e, is to stiii'iuatize as such the re-
jieated retreats of Washington, "the Father of his Coun-
try," l)efo)-e su})erior enemies, or the withdrawals after
Antietam and (Tettysbur<;, or from Petersburi;, of Lee,
the idol of the South. A successful retreat or escape
in desperate circumstances is credited to a <?eneral as
equivalent to a victory. To brin<i; such a charge against
Sir John on this occasion is as just as to censui'e Frede-
ric the Great for disappearing from the field of Liegnitz
when he liad made Loudon "get out of that," as did
van liensselaer's militia, and then did not wait to be
fallen u])on with crushing force by Daun and Lascy, re-
presented in this case by Colonels Duboise and Harper,
who had more men than he could oppose to them. Sir
John's capture of Vrouman's detachment, sent to intercept
him, will complete the parallel as a set off to Frederic's
tricking Soltikotf, advancing for a similar purpose to
complete the toils, in 1760.
"I know," said St. Paul (Phillipians iv., 12), "both
how to be abased, and I know how to abound." This
remark applies eminently to war. Alexander, Hannibal,
11
Ix.w i
Sn' Jolin JitJtunoh.
\i
\f
Ca^stir. (lustavus, Frederic and Na]K)]o()ii knev wlu'ii to
ix'treat and when to iiolit — the hitter never at tJie voJit'ion
of (in enriiti/. Some o;eiierals are known to fame hv little
more than successfnl retreats: those of Baner trom Tor-
fjaii. in l<)li7 ; Tandoniont hetore Villeroi, in 1095 ; Frede-
ric before Trann, in 1 744 ; Moreau through the Black
Forest, in J TOO, and a Imndred others are cited as brilliant
efforts of ireneralsliip, better than victories, when a thou-
sand successfnl battles are forgotten as unworthy of ex-
em])lai-y citation.
This little work, it is true, i^ treating of opei'utions
which are mere pigmies in comparison to the gigantic
pai-allels cited, in connection : but the trite remark must
be remend)ered, that "the destinies of the world were be-
ing decided in America (during the Revolution) by colli-
sions between mere detachments or squads of men."
While van Rensselaer, the scion of a race which dis-
played uncommon courage in the Colonial service, was
being tried and it was sought to make him a scape-goat
for the shortcomings of his superiors and inferiors, Sir
John Avas receiving the coivipliments, in public orders, of
his own superior. Gen. Kaldimand, to whom the German
officers in America have given in their published corre-
spondence and narratives, the highest praise as a profes-
sional soldier, and tlierefore, professionally, a judge of
military merit. What is more, as a farther demonstration
of the injustice of ordinary history, the severe Governor
Clinton was either Avith van Rensselaer or near at hand,
and conse(|uently as much to blame as the latter for the
«SV/' Jdlui Johnson.
Ixxvi
an
oscupe of Sir John. Stone, who wrote at u time wlien as
jet there were plenty of living contemporaries, distinetiy
says that Gov. Clinton was with Gen. van Rensselaer
jnst hefore the battle, and remained at Fort I^lain whik'
tiu^ battle was taking place a few miles distant. Finally,
the testimony taken before the court-martial indicates
that the Americans were vastly superior in nundjers to
Sir John's Whites and Indians (if not treble or even (piad-
ru])le his force), and it was the want, as usual, of true fight-
ing pluck in the Indians, and their abandomnent of their
white associates, which made the result at all indecisive
for the Lovalists. Had the redskins stood their <rr<»und
some of the militia ought not to have stopped short of
Schenectady. All accounts agree that the invaders had
been over-worked and over-weighted, foot-sore and fatigued,
having performed extraordimiry labors and marches ;
wdiereas, except as to ordinary expeditiousness, the
Americans, quasi-regulars and militia, were fresh and in
light marching order, for they were just from home. So
mnch stress has been laid on this light, because it has
been always unfairly told, except before the court-mar-
tial which exonerated van Eensselaer. Ordinary human
judgment makes the philosopher weep and laugh : weep
in sorrow at the fallacy of history, and laugh in bitterness
at the follies and prejudices of the uneducated and unre-
flecting.
Some of tlie greatest counnanders who have ever lived
have not escaped the accusation of want of spirit at one
time or another. Even Napoleon has been blamed for
Ixxviii
«S'//' flohu Jo/rn.ioi).
not suit'eriiii; liiiiiself to bo killed at Waterloo, thus ending
Ins career in a l)laze of glory. Malice vented itself in such
a charge against the gallant leader who saved the ''middle
zone" to the Union, and converted the despondency of
retreat and defeat into victory. It is a remarkable fact
that the majority of peo})le always select two vitu}>erative
charges the most repngnant to a man of honor, to hnrl at
the objects of their dislike, perhaps becanse they are those
to which they themselves are most open — falsehood and
poltroonery ; forgetting that it is not the business of a
commander to throw away a life which does not belong
to himself individually but to the general welfare of his
troo{)s. Mere ''physical courage," as has been well said
by a veteran soldier, "is largely a (piestion of nerves."
Moral courage is the God-like quality, the lever wdiich in
all ages has moved this world. Moreover it is the corner-
stone of progress ; aiul without it brute insensibility to
danger would have left the nineteenth century in the same
condition as the "Stone Age." A man, bred as Sir John
had been, who had the courage to give up everything for
principle, and with less than a modern battalion of whites
j)lunge again and again into the territory of his enemies,
bristling with forts and stockaded posts, who could ])ut in
the field forty-five regiments (0, of which seventeen were in
Albany and five in Tryon counties — the actual scenes of
conflict — besides distinct corps of State levies raised for
the protection of the frontiers — in which every other num
was his deadly foe, and the nuijority capital nmrksmen,
that could shoot off a squirrel's liead at a humlred yards —
'S'//' JoliH JoJiiimn.
Ixxix
. sucli a man must have liad a very lai-e amoimt of tlie
hero ill his C()m])osition. Americans would luive been
only too M'illinij: to erowr. Iiim with this halo, if he had
fouo-lit on tlieir side instead of tightiui^- so desperately
against them.
In conclusion, readers, your attention is invited tbi- a
short space to a few additional consideratiojis. Sii- AA^illiam
Johnson was the son of his own deeds and the creatnre of
the bounty of his sovereign. He owed Jiothing to the
people. Tliey had not added either to Ids intiuence,
affluejice, position or power. If this was true of the
father as a beneficiary of the Crown, how much more so of
tlie son. The jjeople uiulertook to de|)rive the latter of
that which they had neitlier bestowed nor augmented.
They injured him in ahnost every way that a nuin could
be injured ; and they nuule tliat which was the most com-
mendable in liim — his loyalty to a gracious l)enefactor,
his crime, and punished him for that which they should
have honored. Tliey struck ; and he had both tlie spirit,
the power, and the opportuinty to strike back. His retali-
ation may not have been consistent with the literal admo-
nition of the Gospel, but there was nothing in it inconsistent
with the ordinary temper of hmuanity and manliness.
^ome disciples of '^ Indiferentism'' have argued that
Sir John should have remained neutral, like Lord Fairfax
and retained his pojndarity and saved his property bv the
sacrifice of his i)rinciples. These forget the severe "judo--
ment of the ancient Greek philosopher ami lawgiver (ui
such as they.
Ixxx
iSi)' 'lolin 'lo/tii.son.
^' It iiuis a lU'iiHirkdhlr Id II' f)f Soh/n, tJiii.t (11)1/ ptrxni,
>i'/ti>, hi ihe <'<>in niothnis of the RepuhVn-^ I'ciiia'inxl )i<'>(t'i\
())• <i)i INDIFFKKKNT spectator of tha coittendlntj purfn's,
should hi ruiidiiinicd tit pirpctunl IxtnishimHt."'
Tlic p(.'(j])le of this era have no coiicoptiou of the fear-
ful siij-iiitieiince of Lovjiltv, one hundred vears since.
ir^ II'' I
Loyalty, then, was almost j)arainount fo reliii'ion ; \\v\\
after a man's duty to his God was his allei^ianee to his
prince. '•' Xnl)lefii-i,> ol)f!(je''^ has been blazoned as the hiuh-
est commeiidation of the otherwi-*' vicious aristocracy of
France. It is charged that when the perishing Bourbon
<lynastv was in direst need of defenders it discovered them
*' neither in its titled nobility nor in its native soldiers,''
but in mercenaries, AVhereas, in America. George III.
found daring champions in the best citizens of the land, and
foremost in the tront rank of these stood Sir John Johnson.
Ilunie, who is anvthing but an inuiiriiuitive or enthusiastic
writer, couples loyalty axd patriotism together ; and
with his philosophical words this vindication of Sir John
Johnson is connnitted to the cahn and unprejudiced judg-
ment of readers :
''''The most inviolable attachment to the laws of our
country is everywhere acknowledged, a capital virtue ;
and where the people are not so happy as to have any
legislature hit a single person, tue strictest loyalty
i^, IN that case, the truest patriotism.
??
" Hopes have precarious life ;
They are oft blighted, withered, snapt sheer ort'.-
Bui FAITHFULNESS Call feed on suffering.
And knows no disappointment.''''
Sir -lolin Joluixon.
Ixxxi
CONSIDERATIONS
BkAKIM. IPOX TIIK VlOI.AiroN S()-SIVI.I.:i)~(.F A l*Ai;(.r.K (?)
sAii> ro HAVK |{i;kn (uvkn ijy .Sii: Joiix Johnson, Uakt.
(Sec text, pai^t' xl, xnpra.)
TIk' plan on whicli turns the wlicio ri-j^'lit or wroiiir of
tlic i)arolo storv, as detailed in a letter to (Jeneral Sulli-
van, IJ-th ^[arcli. 1770, iVecjuently eited, emphasizes the
directions to Davton, that care must he taken to i)revent
Sir Jolin .lohnson from heing- apprised of the real desio-n
of his o])p()nents. Fortunately the eoniniunication des-
l)atehed, although cunningly conceived, was not sutticient-
ly ingenious to conceal the latent intention. As van der
Does, in Leyden, wrote to Valdez, the Spanish general be-
sieging:, and trying to delude him, its governor, into sur-
rendering the town: ''The foAvler plays sweet notes on
his pipe when he spreads his net for the bird''— even so
the Loyalist leadei* was not deceived by the specious
words of liis enemies, seeking to enmesh hiu),
Lossing, M-ho had all the original papers in his hands,
admits (11., 69) a snare : "The wily baronet M'as not to
be caught in the snare laid for him by Schuyler." — I. W
de P.'s "Sir John Johnson's Address," Appendix I.,
page vi., col. 1, 2.
Dr. F. II. Hoof, or RhiiU'bcck, forwarded, tntli .Iiinc, 1880, to the
writer, a copy of a letter, which is i)retty good j)ro()f tliat, in tlie whole
of the paroling business, the relative |)ositions of the parties in anta-
gonism, and the circumstances connected therewith, are not only mis-
understood, hut have l)een consistently misrepresented. To clear this
up is imi)ossible, because the documentary testimony on the loyal side
•i f-
I-
Ix.wii
iS'/r John J t)lin »<>)(.
liiis iilinost cnlircly pcrislicd (ir (lisiip]>car<'(l. Tliis Icltcr was tlic pro-
perty of Henry liOiuks, ii hrollier-in-law ol'.Mr. Itoot's t'atlifr(fi)ri\itrly
a law partner of Abraham van Vechten) bolli now deceased. Upon llie
hack of the original was the followinjif note by Mr. Loueks : "Sir John
Jolmson's L;raiiddauti:hter, 1777, Heieu MeDonald ; presented nic by a
;;r,iiiddaii,i,Miler of Jellis Fonda, Oct, 7, 1810. il. L." Tiie date must
refer to that oftlie letter, because Sir Jolm edidd not li;ive had a graud-
daiiiihter capable of writin.u' any letter in l'(77: but one of his graiid-
daimhters did marry a Colonel McDonald, and the latter may li.ave
been a descendant, a relative, or a connection of the .McDoneil, nv Mr-
DoiKilil, who was chief of the Ilii^ldanders dependent upon Sir, John,
who snrrdidered their arms :2()th January ( V), 177('), and was one oftlu;
si.\ hostages for the rest, seized at that time.
Coi'v OK liKTTEH. — "Siu: Some lime ago I wrote you a letter.
much to this purpose, concerning the Inhabitants of this Hush being
made prisoners. There was no such thing then in agit.atioM as you
was ple.ised to observe in your letter to me this morning. Mr. Hillie
Laird came amongst the peo])lc to give them wirning to go in to sign
and swear. To this they Avill never consent, being already prisoners of
(Jeneral Schuyler. His Hxcellency was i)leased by your proclamation,
directing every one of them to return to their furmx, and that they
slioiild he no more troubled nor molented dnriny the W(ir. To thin thei/
agreed, and have not done ani/tliiiKj of/aiottt the rountn/, nor intend to,
if let alone. Jf not, then ""'^^ '"•""' ^''^*'' live>* before being taken prixon-
em AGAIN. They begged the favour of me to write to Major Fonda and
the gentlemen of the committee to this jjurpose. They blame neither
the one nor the other of you gentlemen, but those ill-natured fellows
amongst them that get up an excitement about nothing, in order to in-
gratiate themselves in your favour. Tliey were of very great hurt to
your cause since May last, through violence and ignorance. I do not
know what the consequences would have been to them long ago, if not
prevented. Onli/ think ichat daily provocation does.
"Jenny joins me in compliments to Mrs. Fonda.
" I am. Sir,
"Your humble servant,
"Callachie, 15th March, 1777. "Helen McDonell."
" Major Jellis Fonda, at Caughnawaga."
In this connection nothing can be more jjcrtinent than the remarks
of "our greatest and our best," General Geokge H. Thomas, at the
breaking out of the " Slaveholders' Rebellion," in 18()l-2: " In a dis-
cussion of the causes given for their action by some oitiicers who de-
M
>'/y' •lolni •loJni^n}),
Ixxxiii
Hcrtcd tlie Government at the Ix'^inninir of the Uehellion, I (n Iriend of
Tlionifts) ventured the assertion tlmt, perhaps, some of tliem at distant
l)()sts iiiid acted ignorantly; Ihat I liad hccii iiitbiiiK'd that some of tlicni
had been imposed upon by friends and relatives, and led to Itelieve thai
there was to be a peaeeable dissohitioii of the Union ; lliat there would
be no actual lijovernment for tlie whole country, and by resiijfuinjf their
commissions they were only takinu' the necessary steps towards ri'-
turuin|.5 to the allegiance of their respi'ctive States, lie replied, 'Thai
tills was but a i)oor excuse ; he coukl not believe ollicers of the army
were so ii^norant of their own form of .ujovernment as to sup|)ose such
proceedings could occur ; and as they had niooru (il/ei/ifuire to the Go
ver/iinciif, then ""■'"<' bound to (idhere to it, and iroidd hare done no if then
hud been ho inelined." He said, 'there was no excuse whatever in a
United Sftatcs otbccr cliiiUiinu- the riij^ht of secession, and the only ex-
cuse for their desert in.ij; the Government was, what none of them ad-
mitted, haviu!^ eni^aged in a rebellion ajfainst tyranny, because the
tyranny did not exist, and they well knew it.' 1 then asked 1dm ; ' Sup-
jiosinsi' such a state of affairs existed, Ihat ari'aiiiien.v'its were bcinu'
made for a peaceable dissolution by the Government, the North from
tlie South, and that it was in progress, what would you have done ?'
He i)rom|)tly replied : 'That is not a su|)posable case ; the Government
cannot dissolve itself; it is the creature of the people, and until they
had agreed by their votes — that is, the votes of the whole country, not
a i)ortion of it — to dissolve it, and it was accomi)lished in accordance
therewith, the Government to which they liad sworn allegiance re-
mained,. md as h)ng as it did exist I sliould have adhered to it.' "
There is in this extract a clear recognition of the ol)ligation of his
oath to support the Government, and at this very i)oint the better class of
S(mthern ollicers who joined the Kebellion, and who i)erhai)s took this
step with reluctance, made direct issue with Thomas. They claimed that
their oath of oflice was obligatory only while they held oflice, and that
all ol)ligation ceased with resignation, especially when their resigna-
tions were accepted. This assumption rests upon the supposed fact
that sui)reme allegiance is due to a single State rather than to the Union
of the States or nation represented by the General Government. The
subtle logic, by which the doctrine of State Rights was carried to the
complete negation of the national unity, or autonomy, had no force
with General Thomas, although he greatly regretted the necessity of
choosing between the General Government and his own State, in alle-
giance with other Southern States. And although he had not enter-
tained Northern views of the institution of Slavery, he did not hesitate
to maintain his allegiance to the National Government ; and, in contrast
Ixxxiv
.V//' .lolnx 'Ivhnxon.
with tliosc who clainu'd their frct'doin from the ohlifiiiti*)!! of thi-ir oath
of alic^riaiu'c, wlicn their risiffiiations had hueii aceepted, carryini^ this
freedom to tiie extreme seciuence, tliat they could ieuilimately array
tlieinselves in war af^'aiiiHt the Government that had just freed them.
Thomas helieved that there was a moral and legal ohliiration tiiat for-
bade resignation, witli a view to take up arms against the (iovernment.
And from this point of view he condemned the national autiiorities for
accepting tlie resignation of ofticers, when aware that it wastheir inten-
tion to join the Kehellion as soon astht^ wer*; in this way freed from the
obligation of their oath of allegiance. In his view, resignation did not
give them freedom Xu take up arms against the (Jeneral Government,
and, resting upon this ground, he did not wait till his own State had
seceded to make uj) his own decision, but made it in entire indepen
dence of her i)robable action in the national crisis." — Chaplain Thomas
B. Van Home's "Life of Gen. George li. Thomas," pp. '^(5, 27.
k % :!;'
iriitaiit).
" Against srui'iuiTV tlie <„'od> arc powerless,"— Gukthk.
'■ When through dense wonds priniev;il howerM
A perfect hail of bullets showcrM,
Where bold Thayentlanega towcr'd —
Good old Harkheinier prov'd no coward,
Commanding' at Oriskany I
" True to his Teuton lineage.
Foremost amidst the battle's rage.
As bold in fight, in council sage,
Most glorious as he quit the stage
Of life, by the Oriskany !
"Although he felt the mortal wound.
Though feil in swathes his soldiers 'round,
Propp'd 'gainst his saddle, on the ground,
He calmly smok'd, gave counsel s(jund,
'Mid war-whirl at Oriskany !
" War never llercer sight has seen
Than when Sir Johnson's cohort green
Charged on the Mohawk rangers keen ;
The sole such strife Aliiianza 'd been
As that on the Oriskany I
" New York's bold yeomen, Watts, at head.
Breasted meet foes — New Yorkers bred —
There, eye to eye, they fought, stabb'd, bled ;
Bosom to bosom strove, fell dead
In ambush of Oriskany 1
Ixxxv
i •
1
1'
1
I
1
I I
1
111
Lwwi The Battle of Orishfn//.
"Alone can Berwick's shudder tell
What fury rul'd that mrment fell,
When Frenchman's steel hi's'ei Frenchman's knell :
Horrent made the sole parallel
To hattle of ( )riskany !
" Teeth with like frantic fury set,
'I'here Frank died on Frank's hayonet —
litre neighbor tleath from neighbor met, —
With kindred blood both fields W!:re w?',
Almanza* and Oriskany !
"And, ceas'd the storm whose rage had vied.
With ruthless shock of fratricide,
There lay the Mohawk Valley's pride
Just as they fonglit, stark, side by side.
Alon^; the red Oriskany !
" 1 hough neither force conUl triumph claim
In war's dread, da/zling, desp'rate game,
Knkindled there, the snioidd'ring flame
Of Freedom blazed, to make thy name
All glorious, Oriskany!"
"Anchor" (J. W. de P.), in Chas. G. Jones' Military Gazette, Nov.. i860.
i'hese verses were exquisitely translated into German, and printed in Kapp's "A/;/-
-viitii/t-ntng." 1., \f>g, by Miss Marie Blode.
* The battle of Almama, tbu.irht on tlie 25th April, 1707, was re-
inarkabk- in two resiiccts— first, for its rexult, in that it assured the
crown of Spain to Philip V. ; second for a bloody epuoile, whicli it is
said the Duke of Bericick. bigoted and pitiless as he always proved
himself to be, could never recall without a shudder of horror. In the
midst f)f that conflict, Jolin Cavalier, the expatriated French Protestant
liero, with his battalion of fellow-exiles, the Camisards, or Huij;uenots
of Languedoc, found themselves opposed to a regiment of French
Roman Catholics, who it is supposed had been chiefly instrumental
in applying the atrocities of the Dragonnades against their native Pro-
testant brethren. No socmer had they recognized each other, than the
two corps, without exchanging a shot, rushed to the. attack with the
bayonet, and engaged in such a mutual, inveterate slaughter that, ac-
cording to the testimony of Marshal, the Duke of Berwick, not over
three hundred survived of both corps. As the CamUariU constituted
a battalion of 700 men, and the Roman Catholics a full regiment of at
least 1000 eflectives, only one out of every six combatants survived
the merciless conflict. Such a slaughter is almost unparalleled in
historv.
The Battlv, of Orlskani/.
(i
Ixxxvn
Enji'laiul lias never been ]>rolitic in iireat, nay in even
moderately <;reat generals, however exuberant in er()i>s of
tlie bravest soldiers. Sinee Marlboronirli, wlio enlminated
at IToelistedt or Blenlieini, 18tli Anirust, ITO-i — 17'^ years
an'o — there have been only three wlio stand forth as re-
markable leaders — AVolfe, Clive and AVellington. Clive
was destined to the command against tlie revolted colonies,
and if he had displayed in xVmerica the tremendous power,
influence and fortune he exerted in Ilindostan, the historv
of the American Revolution would have had a different
termination. The name of Sir AVilliam Johnson, ''a
heaven-born general,*' has been associated with that of Lord
Clive by more than one English writer of distinction, and
particularly by one of (ireat J>ritain's best military an-
mdists, Sir Edward Cust. Lord Clive perished by suicide,
•22d Xov., 1774, and Sir William Johnson, it is insinuated,
hut frt/sel//, in the same manner on 11th July, 177-1-. Tie
died of chronic, malignant dysentery.
American affairs were desperate enough in 1770 and
1777, in 17'*^0, and even in 17>^1, to need only a feather's
weight in the scale to sink it into ruin. A breat) of
genius would have done this, but there was no one to
breathe it. Cornwallis might have done so had he oc-
cupied an inde}tendent position like Marll)orough, Wolfe,
Clive or V* ellington, ami have added his name to these
illustrious four.
T^nfortunately for England, and Im-kily for the I'nited
States, he Nvas subordinate to successive sujjeriors, who
were his inferiors in everything but rank. Gage was
■ 1
Ixxxviii
Tlie Ihittlu of (Jrida?)'/.
weak and vacillating; ; n(nve indolcMit and self-indnli»ent ;
Burii:()viu' vain, selt'-seokinij and ovor-contident ; Clinton
nervous and afraid of resi)on.sibilitv. Carleton and Corn-
wallis are tlie only two of hiii-h rank that relieve the picture.
There were al)le men in lower a-rades, l)ut they exercise<l
oidy restricted intluence. The American Kevolution
was a political quarrel between parties in Enn'hnid. It
was fouuht out Avith so much bitterness that, to injure the
Tories, the Whiu's were willing; to sacrifice the worth,
wealth and welfare of the empire. Without this wordy fi<jcht
in Parliament, the bloody conflict in America would not
liave lasted six months. It was the story of Hannibal
over ai>:ain. The violence of faction in the senate house
of Carthage, at home, sacrificed the hero wlio was breaking
down, abroad, the deadly enemy of his country, and the
oligarchs in Africa carried this spite so far that, with
the fall of the victimized hero, fell the commonwealth
which he sustained. Ko wonder he burst out into a
sardonic fit of laughter when he saw the oligarchs, ab-
ject, broken-hearted, ho])eless, weeping the bitterest tears
on feeling the ruin thev had caused when thev beheld their
own riches the prey of Ronum flames. The Loyalists of
America were representatives of the spirit of the Barcida' —
faint imitations of tlie genius, but strong representatives
of the feeling which lay beneath it. Like Hannibal they
expiated their patriotism and loyalty — all in exile, some in
poverty, many on foreign flelds of battle, others in })rison,
not for crime but debt, when rebels were revelling in their
sequestrated possessions — and all martyrs ; for there can
lltt Buttle of Urlskanii.
Ixxxix
1)0 no martyrdoni Avitliout a full ai)preciation of the canse—
a complete perception of the result and a perfect M'illing-
ness to suffer for ])rinciple.
Tradition can scarceh' be deemed worthy (^f satisfvinir
legitimate imjjortance, or perhaps more properly speak-
ing of serious consideration, hy a historian, unless snj)-
])orted or corroborated by other irrefutable testimony,
less susceptible of the iniluence of time and the weakness
of the human structure. Eyen physical pro(;fs, if they
continue to subsist, are only trustworthy as to locality
or results, but not as to the ''^ylly'' and the "when,"
Ayhich, after all, to the philosopher, are of the most conse-
(pience. This remark as to the little Meight that can be
attached to human recollections, transmitted from genera-
tion to generation, is particularly applicable to the Johnson
family in the State of New York and especially respecting
Sir Jolin Johnson, the last of them who figured in con-
nection with the affairs of the Mohawk Yalley. If eyer
a mortal has been the yictim of bigotted ])rejudice and
continuous misrepresentation, he is the man. The English
translator of yon Clause\yitz's "Campaign in Kussia," in
1S12, remarks in regard to the action of the Prussian
General York, on which hinged the fate of Napoleon,
that, whethei" the Prussian <;eneral should be recarded as
a traitor oi- a hero, was not dependent on ^yhat he risked
or did, but upon subse(pient deyelopments based there-
upon. The same doubt hangs over the memory of
Wallenstein. That, the last, neyer can be cleared up,
although with time York has receiyed full justice. Sir
xc
Tlu.' liattlr of ()rl><l'<i.n>i.
•loliii Johnson l)i'loiii::s to the catoijorv of Wallensteiii. I)e-
cause he tailed, jiistityini:!; the maxim — '' to a})])ear abso-
hitelv ahle a man must always l)e successful." Human
success, as a I'ule, is the counterfeit of merit in the ma-
jority of cases ; as re<T;ards the recipient of tlie reward, a
sham. It is often the greatest of impostors. It has cer-
tainly hecn so in American history. And, yet, it is the
fallacy which is always accepted by the masses — who
never reason — as the reality.
One of the closest students of American history, con-
siders that the two men j>;reatest in themselves who exerted
an iniluence on the C(»lonies were Sir William PeppereH,
('aj)tor of Louisbui'g, aiul Sir William Johnson, "the In-
dian Tamer.'" In reii'ard to the latter, public opinion has
been led astray. It believes that he was little better than
an adventurer, who owed his start in life to the accidental
patroiuige of his uncle. Admiral Sir Peter Warren. For
Sir William Pe])])erell the best informed would substitute
Hon. James de Lancey, who for so many years was
Lieutenant and acting Governor of the Province of New
York. Of him the great Pitt remarked, "Had James
de Lancey lived in England, he would have been one of
the first men in the kingdom."
William, afterwards Sir AVilliam Johnson, Bart., was
more directly influential in the arrest which involved the
overthrow of the French power in America than any other
individual ; and that this does not appear in po}»nlar his-
tory is due to the local antagonisms, prejudices, and in-
terests, which have obscured all the narratives of the
TIu' Battlr of Ovlxkomi.
xci
t ;'
colonics or provinces that iitt'ectcti more or less closely
the arro<;ant elaiins of New En^-land. This is owinu; to
the principle which is most evident in war, that while the
purely defensive, oi* passive, is scarcely ever, if ever, suc-
cessful, the oifensive or a^js^i'cssiv'e, with any proportional
power, is almost always so. Examj)le, Alexander of
Macedon. The offensive-defensive is likewise most ad-
visahle-- witness tlie triuni})!! of ''Frederic II. of Prussia,
the greatest man who was ever horn a king.''
When, nearly lialf a century aji,o, the writer first iiad
his attention directed to American history, lie placed great
faith in standard works, accepted hy older men, as un-
questionable authority. As he investiiiated more closely
this faith became gradually chilled and in numy cases
killed. Then he came to appreciate the force of the Latin
proverl), "• Hear the other side." A sterner scrutiny and
harsher judgment was now applied to every hook, nor
were apparent facts alone subjected to microscoi)ic exam-
ination. Attention was directed to the motives which
imperceptibly or visibly guided the pens or influenced the
periods of our most popular and j)olished writers. With
St. Paul he perceived that those ' ' who seemed to be pillars "
were not stone or marble but deceptions, stucco or frailer
material. All this led to the conviction that no one can
prepare a satisfactory narrative, especially of a battle,
who does not go back to original documents on both sides,
or at least to the works in which they have been reproduced ;
who has not reflected \\\)o\\ the anunus which did or
might actiulte the autlujrs of such jiajjcrs; who has not
\-A\
XCll
/'//r liattlr of (h'i^kanij.
M-oi<rlic'(l report iii^airist report ; and then, and oidy then,
after a careful stiidv of the cliaracter of tlie actors and
consideraUon of time, phice, and circumstances, lias formed
an opinion for himself ITis lirst storv of Oriskany was
written in IS.")!*: his second in IS^tO; his thii-d in 1S78;
his fourth in 1S80. In all tliese he continued to pin faith
to the American side of the story. Suhsecjuently he
determined to investij2;ate Avith ecjual cai'e tlie Loyal story
and Ih'itish side, pure and simple; this, witli the discovery
of Sir .John .lohnson's ''Orderlv Book,'' has hr ought with
it a feeliiiii" that, altlioui^li the moral effect of tlie hattle,
particuhu-ly upon the Indians, Nvas to a i;reat extent de-
cisive, the physical circumstances Mere not so creditahle.
It was a sacrifice rather than a conflict; an immolation,
a holocaust which Heaven acce])ted, as the Great Jvuler
i'Ncr acce])ts, rn>f according to what is actually fjiven, hut
according as man jairposeth in his heart to ijjive. ''For
if there he first a willing mind, it Is accepted according to
that a man hath, am/ not according to that he linth not."
As it was admirahly put in his Centennial, hy tue Hon.
Kllis H. Roherts, ''^lIcrl'iiiK r'' sglory h that out of i<a<'h a
Klavghti I' hi' unatchcd tJtr sKtbstanee.''' This is a sentence
will live, for it is the concrete truth in a very few admir-
able words.
in com})aring Oriskany to Thermopyla% there is lu)
intention to contrast the physical circumstances. In both
cases, however, a heroic leader offered himself for the
defence of his country and lost his life in consecpience.
In both cases a portion of the troops did their duty and
IJk Biittli of Oi'lxkii ii>i.
xciu
aiiuthcr portion tailed, iii,i;-lonoii«ly, to do so. iMeiituaily,
tlio Greeks, like the Moliuwkers, were surrounded and
tew escaped death, wounds or captivity. A i)ass, whether
aei'oss a marsh, or throui>;h a wood, or anion^' mountains,
any similar locality, in tact, is in a military sense a "detile!'"
The moral similitudes between the (ith July, 1>. C. 4S(),
and r»th Au<rust, A. D. 1777, resemble each other in many
respects. Leoni^las tell to save Attica and Athens;
IFerkimer to relieve Fort Stanwix. and tlius i»reserve his
native valley.
A better parallel to certain phases of (Jriskany is the
l)attle of Thrasimene, W. C. 217. In the latter case the
Gauls, like the Indians in 1777, rushed in too soon, and
thus by their preci])itation enal)led a snuiU portion of the
Romans to escape. Another a])posite example is the
battle of (^revant, 81st July, 14i>:5. The French and their
Scotch auxiliaries were l>esiegin<,^ Grevant, al)out one hun-
dred miles southeast of Paris on the right baid^ of tlie
Yonne, and the English and Burgundians advanced to
relieve the place. In this case the result of Oriskany* Avas
reversed under similai- circumstances, and the besiegers
were almost all slain or captured. During the Austivj-
Ilungarian war Gen. Guyon nearly came to grief in a sim-
ilar trap during the winter of 1848-!>. Dade's massacre
* The light, disastrous for Balo or Basel city, striving;, in 18;W, to
luaintown its ancient i)rivile,i?es or influence over tlie whole State,
was a collision similar in many respects to Oriskany. It led to a rup-
ture between the Past and Present, and ended in a division of the
canton into two half- cantons. Bale Ville (city) and Bale Camjia^nie
(country) to the advantage of neither.
f: '
XCIV
Tin lidtth of (h'iahii It ij .
l>y Stiuiiiole riidijuis, iiSth Di'ctMiibcr, ISBo, in Florida,
was a iiiiniatiii't' of l>rad<lo('k's overwlieliniiii; on tho
MonoTipihola, Htli -luly, 1755. Tlie irlory of this success
hcloiiiis to Laiiifiadc, the famous French leader of Indians,
vvlio |)re|)ared a similar traj* for Wolfe on the Montmorenci.
in 175!). In the latter the ^reat Enijlish leader was only
saved by the suj)ei'cilious self-suthciency of the French re-
gular supei'ior ofhcers, who rejected tlie pr()])ositi()n of
the partisan.
It is somewliat curious that in the same way that the
Provincials seemed to liave better strategical as well as
graud-tactical views thaii professionals, Georije III. was
wiser in his views tlian his ministers and generaL**. lie
suggested a route for J3urgoyne which, had fortune favored
instead of thw.arting it, would have been far more advan-
tageous and would have enabled Burgoyne to reach his
objective, Albany, without <loubt. The movement on
this point, in 1777, was simply reversing the plan which
was triumplumt against Canada in 1759. Alas for England,
there was no Pitt at the head (»f military and colonial
affairs in 1777, only a St. (n'rmaine; no Wolfe, but a
Hurgoyne: no Amherst, but a Howe and then a Clinton :
no Prideaux or Sir William Johnson, but a St. Leger.
Sir William Johnson's son might have rivalled his father's
fortune had o])portunity favored or circumstances [)ei'-
mitted. Like that of 1759, the o})erations of 1777 were
not simple, but com})lex, tri])le. In 1759, Quebec was the
first objective. Against it Wolfe asceiuled the St. l^aAv-
rence, Amherst ascended the Hudson and descended Lake
Tlx liOtfh of Oritfhiln;/.
XfV
Chaiiijdaiii. Jiiid Pridciuix, at'terwimls .lolmsoii, usccmmUmI
the Mohawk and ('Jii)turo(l Niai;arii. In 1777, PuriijoyiK' as-
cended Lake (Jlianiplain and descended tlie Ihulson; St.
Le_i;er ascended tlie St. Lawrence and descended the Mo
hawk; and Howe (afterwards Clinton) wjis to ascend tlie
Hudson. The Hurijjoyne of 1777, would have reached his
i;oal luul he heen the Buru'oyne of 17<»:i, and estinuited,
as then, the value of time, and reniend»ere<l the orders (jf
his great nuister in the art of war. Count de la Lippe,
through which he avoided, in 1 7<'»2. a catastro]»he similar
to that of Saratoija. Evervthiuir contrihute<l to insure
the Burijovne fiasco. Where Carleton would ha\-e succeeded
Burgoyne must have failed. The most important function
was entrusted to St. Lei;er with the most inade([uate
means. St. Leger was greatly to blame because he did
not listen to Sir .John Johnson and Colonel Daniel Clans,
and because he underestimated the adversaries he had to
encounter and the obstacles he had to overcome. The
greatest cul])rit, however, was Sir William Howe, "the
most iiuU)lent of mortals,'" apathy itself, who, with or-
dinary judgment, energy, and even a spirit of lukewarm
camaraderhu could have even remedied the shortconnngs of
Burirovne aiul the blunders of St. Leger. If Ilowe had
so manamvred in the .lerseys as to occupy the attention
of Washington, simply demonstrating in his trout with
half his army, which half was fully (Mpial to the whole
force under Washington at this time, iu' could have dis-
patched (it laist 700(1 men uj> tlie Hudson to co-operate
witli Hury-ovne. H' Bui'govne had attended to his busi-
\C\ I
riu liOttlr of (h'ixkmni.
iiess tliorouijlily, uiid iU'tcd witli iiiterju'isc utkI audsicity,
and if St. Lci-vr luid liiid from 1.500 to L>00() whites, instead
of ahoiit 400, the history of this coiitiiient woidd have
l»een totally different. All however hinged, Hrst on
Howe's pai'alyziiii; Wasliinu:;ton. second on St. Lei^er's
cleaninn' out the M<diawk Valley. The eain]»ai<;'n of 1777,
as reiiiirds the British, was a ^larini;' part of a tissue of
hlunders. The colonies were at their mercy if they had
used tlie forces, moral and [)hysical, undei' their control
with any jud<;-ment — simple common sense. The Duke
do Lau/.un and other competent military jud<j^e8 contii-m
these views.
It is ridiculous, however, in a mere military point of
view, to claim tliat all the advantai>;es in this contest were
in favor of the i>i"itish. They miij^ht have heon, had
they utilized the Loyalists, respected them, shown eneruy
and activity, and forcjotten professional conceit and iner-
tion in zeal for the crown and patriotic desire to maintain
and extend the iJjlory of the imperial dominion. The
Jiritish, like Najjoleon in Russia, were con({uere(l by
space. Paradox as it may seem to be, discipline, ric^id
martinet regulation, may actually, under some conditions,
become a disadvanta<!:e. Marksmen M'ith some idea of
<lrill may be better than strictly line rei2:ulars in a new,
a wooded, and a rough or mountainous counti'y. The
range of heights extending from northeast to southwest
across New Jersey, the broken elevations and extensive
marshes around Morristown, as a central citadel, and
the spur shot out into the plain opposite the elbow of the
7//< liatflt Iff Oi'ixkunij.
XCVIl
Iviiritan, hetwcoii l^ouiid P.r<»oI< and Middle Jjrook, witli
its ^Mps for sallv-ports, saved tlie iViiierieah {'aiise. Niini-
liers and hiih mom the first tii^dit at lloosio {hiis-nanhf/
lU'iiiiiiii^toii), and tlioii, wlieii iiidisci|)line, dissolved in
]>liinderin^', needed tlie supj)ort of <lisci]>line, in the
second %ht, Warner eanie in witli his Continentals or
reijulars. ^fan for man, the eoh.nists were as ijood as
tlie best, I^ritish, and, hein^i; irHliiuj, better than the
(iennans ////-vvillinij: combatants. Why not? They were
all tlio same race, and the world has yet to see its e(jual
as enchirin^^ and c()nrao:eous soldiers.
And here it is i)ertinent to the (occasion to remark,
that the declamation and slirieks of the Americans at tlie
emidoyment of the Indians by the British is the sheerest
hypocrisy. They would liave enlisted tlie tomahawk and
scal])in<j:-l<nife Avithont the sliirhtest re])U_iriiance if thej
could have bid as lii^h as the crown, or would have paid
cash down as honestly. If the assistance of the sava,i?es
was nefarious, the Americans would not liav(^ objected
to its utilization on that account, if they could have con-
tracted for, coerced, cajoled oi- controlled it. Lucky for
tlie Americans a factious opposition in Ejiuland and Par-
liament used the American AVar as a weapon of offence
against the crown, just as the Whigs in America ])rofessed
loyalty to the King, but opposition, nay bitter animosity,
to the Ministry and Parliament. As (4en. i). S. W.
wrote (from Innsbruck, 1!>, 7, 1SS2), -The Eu<rlish
government, like our own, is a government of ])arty ; and
the consideration of gaining or losing ])arty-ca])ital out-
'
f!
.\('\ 111
'I'hi Jhittli of (fri-sliinnj.
W{'i_i:;lis ii!l otluTs." '' Of course tlui tliiiii? [Ef^yj)t| was
badly II Mumjicd in many rt'Spccts." Kiiirlish taction nearly
mined Wellinjzton in Spain and colonial coni;ressi(»nal
discordances and jealousies very nearly occasioned a worse
late tor Wasliiniiton. Even the liberally praised Cbatliani,
in bis hypocritical (k'nunciation of settin*;; the Indian
bloodhounds uj»on the colonists, was rejiroved or shewn
U}) by General. Lord Andierst, and rebuked by the pro-
duction of his orders, when I'riine Minister, for lettini;
tlieni loose ui)on the French. The Americans courted
the assistance of the Indians with assiduity, but the
bitter foresaw the fate which would attend tbo success
of the colonists, as tlieir chiefs in council foretold, and
i-eiiiained faithful to tlie old country, which bad always
})rotected and fostered them and treated them witb jus-
tice and forbearance.
This fact — ;just referred to — in connection with the
employment of Indians, which is too little known, is
apposite to the su})port of the American devolution in
I^arliament. The Earl of Chatham (Pitt) denounced in
the House of Lords the emjiloyment of the wild Indians
in conjunction witb tlie British troops, altbou<,di lie himself,
nineteen years before, had used Indians in the same man-
ner airninst the French and the Canadians. In advocatinf;
bis views be waxed still more loud and indignant, "pour-
ing out fresh volumes of wn>rds." ''Ministers then otfered
to produce, from the depository of papers in the Secre-
tary's office, documents MM-itten by himself to prove the
charge. The dispute grew still hotter; and at length
TIk Ihitth of <h'isl'(()iil.
XCIX
Lonl Amlicrst, Cliatliaiii's jjfoncral, wlio had coimnanded
oiir [the P>ritish| troops in tliat raiiach'an war, \va.> so
loudly ajijii'ah.'d to on all si<k's, that lie found hi)nnelt'
conipt'lUMl to acknowk'dii't' that hi- liad followed the ex-
ample of the Frencli in employini; .sava,<j:e.s, whicli he would
not have done tritltinif t.rj)ri'tis orders from (jovc.rninent at
houu'. He even ott'e .d to j»ro(hu*e the ordei'y, if Ills
Jiiajesty would permit him." '" *•;<**
L(^rd Denhiuh rather liappily called ('hatham •'Tlu-
•i'reat oracle with the short nieniory," and stated that
"Chatham, wlieu in office under George II., had guided
and directed everything i-elating to the war; had monopo-
lized functions which did not belong to him, and had been
excessively jeah)us of any interference hy others, whether
boards or ministers.'*'
The Lords who supported Chatham now seemed in-
clined to lay the question hy, as fai- as it concerned his
veracity or correctness of memory. According to Lord
Brougham, when Lord Ihite heard wliat had passed (jn
this occasion in the House of Lords, and that Chatliani
had denied his having employed tlie red men (or Indians),
he exclaimed with astonishment, "Did Pitt really deny
it? Why, I have his letter still l)y me, singing lo Ptvanii
of the advantages we were to gain through our Indian
allies." As a poMtical (piestion, Whigs against Tories, the
cause of the Colonies was fought with as much virulence
with words, in Parliament, as, with weapons, In America,
and in many cases with just as much principle.
Let the consideration, however, confine itself to Cris-
is
c Tliii Battle of, Oriskany.
kany. It was the tunuiig point of the Burgoyne campaign
and of the American Ilevohition. Witliin the scope of
tlie- considerations before dwelt upon, it was tlie Thermo-
pylae of the Colonies.
In regard to the numbers at Oriskany there are such
discrepancies in the various accounts that it is almost
impossible to reconcile them. The Americans exaggerate
the English mnnbers to excuse Ilarkheimer's coming short
of decided success, and to exalt the determination of the
garrison. IIow many the latter comprised is by no means
certain. Stedman (4to, I., 384) says 750 men, but Gen.
Carrington, V. S. A., one of the most'careful of investiga-
tors, uses language (328) that would justify the belief that
it consisted of 1>60 men. If only 750 ' ' under cover ' ' it ought
still to have been a full match for the whole heterogeneous
corps that St. Leger brought against it. The "Burgoyne
scare " was upon the whole country and the garrison of Fort
Stanwix felt the eifects of it.
Prior to the discovery of Johnson's Orderly Book, it
has always been .stated that St. Leger had 675 white
trooi)s with him : the Orderly Book, however, distinctly
shows that only 500 rations were issued. This demon-
strates conclusively that the M'hite troops, at most, could
not have exceeded that numbe. . The Americans, to swell
the numbers of British and Loval Provincials under Col.
Ferguson, encountered at King's Mountain, 7th October,
1780, based their calculations on the Ration lieturns
found in the captured camp.
The same rule of judgment in justice should apply to the
The Battle of OrUlxanij.
ci
force under St. Leger. The difference betM-een 400 and 075
can be easily acconnted for in various ways, even if exact
proof did not exist to establisli tlie smaller number. Ex-
perts, including Xapoleon, consider that an army of 100,000
on paper rarely can put S0,000 effectives in the field. In
a new country subject to local fevers, when men are
called upon to discharge the severest labors at the hottest
period of the year, this ratio would, most likelv, be i>-reatlv
increased. Consequently, if St. Leger had OTo at Lachine,
near Montreal, it would not bo extraordinary if he left a
number of wivalids behind, besides those, especially indivi-
duals foreign to the counti-y and service, who dro])ped out
on the road. There is no mention in this Orderlv Book
of a list of sick or casualties, and yet it is impossible l)ut
that there must have been both. A highly educated
pedant argued that the Romans had no Medical Depart-
ment, because Ca?sar does not mention one in his Com-
mentaries. His reasonings were completely demolished
by the observation that, on the same plea, C^sar had no dis-
eases in his camp, because he does not allude to them in
any of the accounts of his campaigns, which is Avhat the
scholars call an argumentum ad ahsurdum.
The statement attributed to St. Leger, that he had 675
Avhite troops, he never made. It is a deduction of their
own by American writers, to make c:ood their case. Anv
reader desirous of investigating this can easily refer to the
reports made by St. Leger to ]^>urgoyne and also to Carle-
ton. These figures are not in either: Where then are
these numbers to be found ? In a letter from Lord
.1
m
Cll
Thr Battle of Orlskany.
George Germain to General Carleton, 20tli March, 1777,
he says :
"From the King's knowledge of the great preparations made
by you last year to secure the command of the lakes, and your atten-
tion to this part of the service during the winter, his ^lajesty is led
to expect that everything will he ready for General Biirgoyne's pass-
ing the lakes by the time you and he sliall have adjusted the pun of
the expedition.
'• It is the King's further pleasure that you put under the command
of Lieutenant-Colonel St. Leger,
"Detachment from the 8th Regiment, . . . 100
Detachment fnmi the ;j4th Regiment, . . . 100
Sir John Johnson's Regiment of New York, 133
Hanaii Chasseurs 343
67.-)
" Together with a sufficient number of Canadians and Indians; and
after having furnished him with proper artillery, stoi'cs, provisions,
and every other necessary article for hi,- expedition, and secured to
him every assistance in your power to afford and procure, you are to
give him orders to proceed forthwith to and down the ^lohawk River
to Albany, and put himself under the command of Sir William Howe."
Mark this : not Burgoyne, hut Sir William Howe, who
was expected to co-operate, hut did not, partly hecause
through the indolence of his superior, Lord St. Germain,
lie did not receive his orders on time.
On the 2Sth February, one month previous, Burgoyne
considers that even a smaller force than the 675 assigned
by St. Leger would be sufficient. Tie oidy mentions 233
white troops. These are his exact words :
" Not, to argue from probability, is so much force necessary for
this diversion this year, as was required for the last; because we
then knew that General Schuyler, with a thousand men, was fortified
upon the Mohawk. When the different situations of things are con-
sidered, viz., the progress of General Howe, the early invasion from
.< •
The Battle of Orislaity.
cm
Canada, the tliroatening of the Cnnnecticut from Rhode Island, &c.,
it is not to be imairined that any detachment of sueh foree as tiiatof
Scliuyler can be supplied by tiie enemy for the Moliawlv. I tvould not
therefore propose it of more (and I liave ij;reat dithdence wliether so
much can 1)e prudently atlorded) than Sir John Johnson's corps, an
hundred British from the Second Bri,u;ade, and an hundred more from
the 8th Ue.ii'inK-nt, with four pieces of tlie lightest artillery, and a body
of savages ; Sir Jolm Jolmson to be with a detaciiment in person, and
an able field oflieer to command it. I should wish Lieutenant-Colonel
St. Leger for that emploj-ment."
How itiaiiy men, tlien, did St. Leo:ei' have ? Stedman
states he had " a body ofliglit troops and Indians, amount-
ing to between TOO and 800 men." Carrington calls it a
"composite army of regulars, Ilessian-chasseurs, Royal-
greens, Canadians, axemen, and non-combatants, who, as
well as the Indians, proved an ultimate incumbrance and
curse to the expedition." St. Leger did not have 342
Hanau-chasseurs, nor anything like it. This is now known
to be an error ; he had only one company. AVhy ? Be-
cause only one company had arrived when he started. It
was commanded by a 1st Lieutenant, Jacob llilderbrand.
There could be no mistake here, because Germans are the
most methodical people, and the journals of many of their
officers exist, which were written with no ideaof their ever
seeing the light in print, Avith no intent to deceive or to
influence public opinion. What is more, a company at
that time ranged from 50 to SO ; in the English Guards,
always kept full, 8( is the figure (178S) ; 50 to 120, num-
ber never fixed (James, ISIO, Iloyt, 1811). Had more
than a companv been sent, a hii::her officer than a 1st
Lieutenant would have been placed in command. Sir
CIV
The Jjdttlc of Orlsk'ani/.
Jolin's reii'iiiieiit, or battalion, only nnniLered 183. The
great mistake is the item generally (juoted, 342, Nvliieh
should he under 50. If people would read carefully they
would avoid many serious errors which serve to feed and
stimulate })0})ular vanity. Col. (^'laus corroborates von
Eeiking. "And here [at Buck's Island] the [>rig'r had still
an op]>ortunity and time for sending for a better train of
artillery, aixl ^r<iit for thr junction of the [Ilesse-IIanau]
Chasseurs^ vhlch must ha>'r Hicured ux success^ as every one
will allow. "^ Again below Claus expressly mentions "•<<
co.Mi'AW of i'Jiassejirs latelv arrived." Can lanmiaue be
clearer and more munistakable. The 2)roptn\ or real,
not the lut<-nth:(l. or ideal, enumeration would give St.
Leger about 3S0 organized troops, besides Rangers. Here
again people are led into a serious error because they
desire S(j to be. Butler, and other officers belonii-ino; to
the Bangers, did not have regular white commands at
()riskany, but, as ({jficcrs^ were distributed among the
Indians U) steady them. This Avas accordin<>- to French
militar}' usage; otHcers, in France, at this time, were often
multi[)lied in certain regiments to insure solidity by
example and intluence. Such a course was much more
a necessity among undisciplined savages. When Butler
got back to Quebec he could only collect or muster fifty out
of all he had had or had. There was, it is true, quite a
numerous staif of Whites serving with the Indians. The
discovery of the " Orderly Book " should settle the mat-
ter. The number of rations issued would not have been
falsified. This establishes the fact that there must have
Thf Batths of Orlslani/.
cv
been coiisidenil)lv less tliiin 500 to receive tliein, since,
before rations were comrantcd, officers were entitled to
more than one, especially when they had servants to feed,
and in those davs no connnissioned officer took the field
withont one or more servants. Colonel Claus, De])uty,
Acting Superintendent of the Indians, is very explicit in
his letter to Secretary Knox, lie blames St. Leger for mis-
cak-nlatint; the force and etHciencv of the enemv and for
not taking with him more troops and more powerful artil-
lery when he could have had a full sufficiency of botli.-^
Undoubtedlv there Avere detachments from the 8th
(Major, afterwards Colonel, A. S. de Peyster's Regiment)
and 34th (St. Leger' s own) Regiments. P>. A. of 100 each ;
Sir John Johnson's Royal-greens, 133 ; and a company of
Chasseurs or Riflemen lately arrived in Canada, from Ger-
many, which exactly tallies with von Eelking's published
* Col. Claus, in liis letter of tlie 16th October. 1777, to Secretary
Kuox, shows tliiit St. Lesier himself alone was to blame for not having
a sufficiency of artillery of the proi)er calibre in his expedition against
Fort Stanwix. Col. Claus demonstrates that the Americans expected
the siege which followed, and prisoners taken agreed in their story re-
vealing the precautions necessary to insure success. St. Leger con-
cedes that "if they | Americans] intended to defend th( mselves in that
fort [Stanwix], our [British] artillery was not sufficient to take it."
"The Brig'r." (St. Leger) had still an opportunity and time of sending
for a better train of artillery, and Avait for the junction of the Cluis-
seurs (German .Taegers) which must have secured us success, as every
one will allow." Here we have a repetition of the self-sufficiency of
Braddock and the rejection of the Avise counsels of Provincial otlicers
like AVashington, in this case represented by Sir John .Johnson and
Col, Daniel Claus. Oh hackneyed but eternally applicable truism of
Euripides : " But the diemon (directing spirit), Avhen he devises any
mlochief against a man, tirst perverts (or stultifies) his friend."
CVl
The Battle of Oriffkanf/.
account. These Jire all the white ti-oojts lie mentions.
Tlie best warriors of the Six Nations were with Burgoyne.
The sum total of the savages with St. Leger, according to
Col. Daniel Chius, their Sui)erinten(lant in the absence of
Col. (iu\ Johnson, was SOO. Among these were 150
Mississaugues, who were acccj)te(l as a Seventh by the
Six Nations, in 174r!, but the alliance did not long continue.
In 1755 the Irocpiois Confederation found their Seventh
member in the ranks of the enemy. The fact is there never
were over Five Nations : even the Sixth, the Tuscaroras,
did not stand on an e([ual footing with the original Five;
they were sim]>ly tolerated. The IMississaugues were
afterwards expelled or dropped from the Confederation.
They were a nnserable set, ^' drunk and riotous from the
start," unreliable throughout, robbers and murderers of
the associated Whites at the end. They came from the
neighborhood of Lake Nippissing, to the northward of
Georgian Bay. Gordon (American) puts St. Leger's In-
dians "at 700 warriors, who, with their wives, children,
other men and women, made up 1400." Deduct the non-
combatants and Indians ett'ectives and this, again, demon-
strates the nundjer of white soldiers, rank and file, repre-
sented by 500 rations, less than 400. The Americans
estimated the King's troops at King's Mountain at 1125,
from the numbei* of rations issued that morning according
to the returns captured ; whereas, it is well-known, accord-
ing to the Diary of Lieut. Allaire, recovered within two
years, that Ferguson had only 906 or 907, of whom over
800 were raw militia.
Tilt: Battle of Orhl'iUnj.
evil
Whv St. Leii'CM' took with liliii so few men uiul sucli
injide(|iuite cannon is due to the suj)ei-cilious disrey'ard
lujinit'ested \>\ ])rotessional I>ritish otiicials for the advice
of American provincial otficer.s. All the ability he did
show was due to the advice of Sii" John Johnson (Stone's
"Brant," I., :2:26). Whei-ever he did so, ho was successful,
and where he did not, he failed. Had J>raddock followed the
councils of Colonel Washinii'ton, he would have escaped
the catastrophe in whicli he fell, in July, 1755. Had St.
Lcijrer listened to the suiju'estions of Colonel Claus,* he
would have succeeded in August, 1777. Could Colonel
(actini; Briuadier) PY'rixusonf have divested himself of his
* Col. Daniel Glaus, writiiiir to Secretary Knox, 6tli November, 1777,
shows liow tlie jealousies artectinc; the supersedure of Sir Guy Carleton
by Bur<j:oyne were fatal to all the ojierations of this camiiaiirn. Col.
Clans, on applyinir to Sir (tuv for orders, was told he had none to give,
and that he (Claus) might do as he pleased. This was a curious re-
mark for a chief to make to a subordinate. One fact of interest is dis-
closed by this letter, viz., that Sir John Johnson, after the failure at
Fort Stanwix, was to proceed to join Burgoyne. Why he did not is
exjilained by the concluding sentence of this i)aragraph of the connnu-
nication of Col. Claus: "Such I'riques [freaksvl and jealousies I am
afraid have been rather hurtful to our Northern operations last cam-
paign." Verily! (Col. Doe., VIII., 725.)
f Johnson and Claus told St. Leger what he wanted and what to do,
and he would not hearken, and did not succeed. De Peyster advised Fer-
guson as to the character of his opponents, and he was not listened to.
Americans knew Americans better than Britishers. The result was,
St. Leger failed and Ferguson fell, and with the failure of the one and
the fall of the other, it was not the interests of England that suflered
only, because the " mother country "' came out of the war richer, greater
and mightier than ever, but the Loyalists, dupes of their faith in the
Home Government, her ability to conquer, and her determination to
preserve the rights of all, to punish the guilty and to recompense the
faithful.
15
: i
CVlll
The Batth' of Ovlshouj.
contempt for the Mouiitaiii-inen lie would not have sacri-
ticcd his (letachiuent in ( )etober, 17S0. Ciii)tain (actini:: Col-
onel) de Peyster, an American Provincial, his second in com-
mand, knew the value of the exc^nisite ])iekcd shari)sh()oters
who were about to assail his superior, in tar preponderatinnj
nundiers. Tie indicated the course which would have
secured immediate relief and eventual success. Feri^uson
was too fearless or perhaj)s reckless to listen to his sub-
ordinate and the result was a defeat from which the Eng-
lish never recovered at the South. It was exactly the
same with the French regulars. They would never pay
the slightest heed to the warning of the Canadian provin-
cial leaders, experts in forest-craft and Indian fighting,
and tlms the Bourbons lost New France. Arroirance in
epaulets will never listen to exoteric experience. Mem-
bers of a caste or hierarchy never pay due attention to
the sajTacity of intuitive external practical observation
which does not exhibit the tonsure or the shoulder-strap.
West Point and the regular army pooh ! pooh ! silently
or audibly, everything that is not stamped with their
cabalistic emblems or has not joined in the chorus "Benny
Havens, Oh !" It has been so since the world began, and
brave men M'ill be massacred through "red tape " until the
era of common-sense arrives, if it ever does come, to bless
mortalitv — until the descent of the Xew Jerusalem.
ft/
How many men had Ilarkheimer ? Estinuites vary from
800 to 1000. There were four rejjiments of militia, some
faithful Oneidas, numerous volunteers of all ranks, a bloom
of colonels and officials, and a few mounted men. By how
Till linttlii of Oi'lslant/.
CIX
many was Ilarklioiiiiei' anilmscadod at first ? Xot- near as
many as lie liimst'lt' had. St. Legor says that, when Sir
Jolin was alloMC'd to phm and traj) tlie Americans, lie had
not 200 of the King's troops in camp, and he could only
spare to the Baronet 80 white men, Kangers and Troops,
Sir John's IJglit Company, the Ilanau liitlemen, and But-
ler Avitli a lew Officers and liangers and the whole corps of
the Indians. Here again is incontrovertible circumstantial
proof that St. Leger's white troops, present and detached,
assembled and scattered between his camp and his depot,
or ])ase, at Fort Bull <;n Wood Creek, did not exceed from
350 to 400 men. After the Indians had Hunked and be-
haved so badly the remainder of the " lloyal Greens " were
quickstepi)ed into the light, whicli would not have added
100 to the force besetting Ilarkhenner. Consequently the
latter could not have been eiii^afired at anv time with as
many as 200 wdiites.*
* Mr. Stone (pages e and/) emplmsizes the fact that Stei)Iien Watts
i. only mentioned as Captain in tlie " Orderlj- Book," whereas lie was
generally known as ^lajor. If he had turned to his own no*e on the snb-
ject of Enu'lish rank, the diserepancy would at once be e.\i)lained. It is
very unlikely that a man's brother, at a i)eriod when the lines of titular
distinction were tirmly drav-n and closely observed, would not have
known the rank borne by a brother of whom he was ])rond, or the name
of the corjis to which he belonged. Stephen Watts, of Oriskany, was a
great favorite in his family, and designated by the most afleetionate
epithets. What is more, there were a variety of titles of rank in the
British Army at that time, two or more of which were often borne by
the same individual. A man might be a "line" Captain, very likely
"brevet" Major or Lieutenant-Colonel, a "local," "temporary" or
" provincial " Colonel or Brigadier, and a militia Major-General. In
some eases he did no^ receive an actual commission, but was delegated
in writing to act as such or thus. Sir Jolm Johnson, Bart, held com-
I .'
C'X
Thi BnttJi' of OrlKk-(in>j.
As to how iiiiiiiy tlic Anicriciiiis lost is {uiotlu'i- (lis|iutt'(l
point, St. Lcixcr sjivs in liis <liti('ivnt n-jioits that not over
200 (out of SOO or !MI0) cscaiKMl. The snialk'st list of'thoir
casualties eoini»rises 1<!<I kille(l and ahoiit 200 wounded
and ju'isoners.
In some respects, Gordon, take him all In all, is the
best authority for the American Revolution M'hen In ac-
niissions ns ^rajor-Gencral of Militia, as Rri^ailirr-Gi'iicral of tlic Pro-
vincial troops (21st OctolaT, 1782), and the date of his ('(mimission as
" Suijcrintcndcnt-Ueiu'ral and InsixTtor-Gcnoral of tlic Six Nations
of Indiinis and their Confederates of all the Indian nations inhabitinc;
Oiu- i'rovincc of (^uibi c and the Frontiers," is of March 14th. 17H2.
In 1777, as Lientcnant-Colond, he was comniandinif his rejiiment.
Here a^ain ]Mr. Stone Is emphatic. "He says that this regiment
is nowlicrc mentioned as the " Itoyal Greens." They mnst liave been
known as sneh or else they would not have been thus desi^niated in
tlie histories written nifj/iest to their period. Any discrepancy here
again is susce])tiblc of hieid solution. At lirst it was determined to
uniform the Provincial corps in irreen, and some were orii^imdly
clothed in this color, but Iiadit chaniicd ; others, e.xceotions to the rule,
retained it to the end of the war. Doubtless for valid reasons, not now
known, it was found more; advantaireous or economical to issue to the
Provincials clothes of the same color as those worn by the Regulars,
but with distinctive facings. The same process is now going on
throuirhout the whole British Army, and evoking a perfect wail of
indignation and grief from corps which had won renown in dresses
and fiicings of exceptional color and cut.
" ^Ve" [English], observes the author of " International Vanities"
(No. III., Titles), in Blackwood's M(((j(tzi>ie, " have carried this adoring
love of variety of names and titles even into our army, where we have
created five kinds of rank altogether irrespective of military grades j)ro-
peril/ so called; our army rank maybe [1] Regimental (substantive),
[2] Brevet, p}] Local, [4] Temporary, or |51 Honorary, and we might
almost add [Oj " Relative" to this absurd list, which no other nation
can understand. In our navy, at all events, rank is rank ; there our
otficers are in reality what they say they are." — LittelVs Livi/ig Age,
No. 1506, 4th April, 1874, p. 14.)
i:
V.
Thi Pxitthl of (h'tlikuNiJ.
CXI
cord witli St(.'(liii;iii ; l)iit inii|Ut'stioiiJil)ly Mi'icy Warri'ii —
daughtiT of James Otis — political dissertationist, iioetesH
and historian, who wrote in tlie li<rlit and nieniories
of contemporaries, presents facts not to Ite found elsewhere:
Paul Allen's "American Revolution" is the most philosophi-
cal work on this subject. Here lot it he I'emarked, that
Mrs. Warren f avs : "Their dan_i;er"- that is the peril
of the jjarrison of Fort Stanwix — " was greatly eidianced hy
the unsfortuiw u\ (\Q.\w\"d\ irarkheimer, who had marclu'd
for tlie relief' of Fort Stanwix, but with too little precau-
tion. At the head of eiu'ht or nine hundred militia, he
fell into an and)uscade eons!sth}(/ niofith/ of ItidiiOiH^ and
notwithstandin*^ a iiumly defence, fir of tlicni tWdpi'd.
They were surrounded, routed, and butchered, in all the
barbarous shapes of savage brutality, after many of them
had become their prisoners, and their scal])s carried to
their Britisb allies, to receive the stipulated price."
The Americans claimed a victory Ijecause the survivors
were allowed to retire unmolested. This was due to the
fact that the Indians had long since "voted themselves out
of the tight," and because the white troops, misled by the
false reports of "a cow^ardly Indian," were recalled to the
defense of their camp. There is no intention in this little
work to detract from the glory of Ilarklieimer or of liis
Mohawk men ; but the best regular troops have fallen
victims to ambuscades from the time of (ya?sar, and, doubt-
less, long before, judging from analogy, down to the pre-
sent day. "Eternal titness of things" is the pertinent phi-
losophical sneer of Sardou. Ilarkheimer against his better
'I. :
CXll
Till Ihittlr (if Oi'lnkani/.
jiKl^iiK'iit was jduiiirud iiit(» a (k-iully trap and lu' .siitlV'rrd
uwt'ully, us is tlio iiiiiversal result iindorsiu'li circuinstances.
Personal enemies, witli tlie ]irt'suiiii»tit)n of i<;norance
and the bitterness of sj)ite, \\\\\v iircsunicd to insinuate
that Sir Jolm was wantinu' in conraiiv. Want of piiysicul
hravery in a ti'ain(>d otHcer or soldier is extremely rare.
^AFoi'al cov.-ardice has very few and (tod-like exce])tions.
As one anion^' numerous proofs that Sir John was detieiejit
in neither (piality, physical or moral, it is admitted by
friend and foe that ''Sir John Johnson i>ropose(l t<» follow
the hlow ^ivon to the reinforcement (who were chietly
Mohawk river peo})le) to march down the country Mith
about '2(M> men, and I intendc<l joining him with a suf-
ticient body of Indians; hut the I'riij^adier (St. Let,aM') said
he could not si)are the men, and <lisapi)roved of it." It
was an admitted fact, however positively it may bo denied
now, at this day, that the po})ulati()n of this district were
stunned by the catastrophe at Oriskany. Is it any Nvon-
der "i There was the " ]\[ournin<i:; of Et,^ypt " throughout the
Mohawk valley. Scarcely a house but wept its dead or
missini;. It was not until the tiaminu" sword of Arnold and
the Hashing bayonets of his i2000 regulars, volunteers and
militia sliowed themselves that resolution lifted its head
and hearts once more pulsated with the throbbing of hope.
"False as a bulletin," has passed into a proverb.
Justice would seem to reqnire that, since bulletins or re-
ports are with few excei)tions "special jJeas," the state-
ments of both parties concerned should be compared in
the light of common-sense, and the verdict given accord-
The llnttU iif Ui'lakdinj.
CMU
iui; to iiiiiiiit'ost jn"<tl»altilitic's. It is tlii' iKipuljir n(»tii>u
that Wilk'tt's sortii'* was a iiiairiiiticoiit tWit of arms. Why
was it ^ If he found no (lillicnlty in spoilini; the l>ritish
camp at his leisure \vith(»ut oxpcrit-nciiii!: any h>ss either
in his sortie or return to the fort — (Iin'imr wliich time his
M'aj^ons (h'ove out, looted and carried hack into the fort
twenty-one htads of spoil ; if, auain, tlie garrison derided
the besiegers, why did ('oh»nel Willett and Lieutemmt
Stockwell vohmteer, U-ave tlie fort to seek assistance from
Schuyler, mt»re than a hundred miles away, aijainst a foe
Avlio, accordinir to American accounts, had sliown so little
viiror duriuiT tlie sortie ami had effected so little suhse-
(juently i Such facts are hard to reconcile. Within the
fort were 750 (to J'aO ?) MJiite men, Americans, who must
he considered as i^ood, man for man, as the four to live
hundred Eni:lishmen and Americans oi>posin^ them ; and
no one will pretend that an armed white man hehind
* Tliat AVillott's sortie was cntiri'ly (Icstitutc of peril nnd, tliroiiu'li-
oiit, iininterrui>ted, is clearly siiowii I)y the tlioroiiirlnicss with which
he ransacked the Provincial and Indian camps, and the complete lei-
sure that was atl'orded for "lootiiiir" them, witli only a remote chance
ot' reprisals by the absent enemy. All told, St. Leiicr had only (y) four
liundred and ten "Whites. At first he sent out eii^hty of these, and.
jicrhajis, subsequently, one hundred went to the assistance of Sir
John, hurried to thescenc of action by the report of a cowardly Indian.
This would leave St. Lesrer at most two hundred and twenty-seven.
Deduct the men necessarily on detached duty, and any one who is
willinjj to judiic fairly will believe the British commander, that he
had only two hundred "Whiles and no savaircs with him when Willett
made the sortie with two hundred and fifty whites, for the savages had
all trone to Oriskany with Brant and Sir .John Johnson. The wounded
men captured had been brought back from the field of fighting during
the earlier stages of the battle.
I I
H
ex IV
Tlie Batth of Orlsl-anij.
works is not worth ten times as many savai»'es, especially
(lemoraii/ced Indians. Ag-aiii, take the ])lan of the siege,
all tlie works and posts luld hy St. l^eiier's whites were on
the west of the Mohawk. At all events four to five hundred
men could not effect a perfect investment of the fort. For
this St. Legerhad to depend in ap'eat measure upou his In-
dians, and nothing shows the untrustworthiness o'' Indians,
either as fighters or scouts, than that Willett and Siockwell
could creep out without heiug ohserved and get off without
being molested. The American story does not hang well
together. Common-sense must endorse St. Leger's report,
ignoring its maguilocjuence, which is of no consequence. St.
Leger took liltle account of the troops to whom he was inune-
diately o}^})osed ; hut he was afraid of his denujralized savage
continirent.wliose insubordination had ruined his ambuscade
at Oriskany — whose anxiety for lighting, but not their thirst
for blood, had been allayed in the tight with Ilarkheimer ;
and thus when a force of Mdiites, at least cpiadrnple his own
men of Saxon blood, were advancing under the best Ameri-
can execntive, Arnold, to co-opei'ate with the garrison,
really mnch superior to the besiegers of the same race, St.
Learer found himself with less than three hundred and
fifty valid soldiers opposed to at least two thousand, w ith
his worst and most dangerous enemy in his own camp,
the barbarians M'ho had i)roved almost worthless as fight-
ing factors.
e m^iiilii.tt^rHile mi flie 4Jniri5{tai
AXD
SORTIE FROM FORT 8TANWIX.
Old Seventeen Hundreil and Seventy-seven,
Of Liberty's throes, was the croun and the leaven.
Just a century since, August Sixth, was the day
When Great Britain's control was first stricken away.
I.et us sing then the field where the Yeomen of York
Met the Lion and Wolf on their slaughterous stalk ;
\\ hen Oriskany's ripples were crimson'd with blood ;
And when strife fratricidal polluted its Mood.
Oh, glorious collision, forever renowned !
While America lives should its praises resound,
And stout Harkheimer's name be the theme of the song,
Who Willi Mohawk's brave sons broke the strength of the strong.
I'o relief of I'ort Stanwix the N'orkers drew nigh.
To succor stout ("lansevoort, conquer or die ;
And if unwise the counsels that brought on the fight.
In the battle was shown that their hearts were all right.
If their Chief seemed so prudent that " subs" looked askance,
J^till one shout proved their feeling, their courage— "Advance."'
Most unfortunate counsel I The ambush was set,
Leaving one passage /«, but none 011/ of the net,—
()f outlets not one, unless 'twas made by the sword
Through encompassing ranks of the pitiless horde.
Sure never was column so terribly caught.
Nor f^ver has column inme fearlessly fought : —
ThiM Harkheimer's Mohawkers made victory theirs,
For St. Leger was foiled in spite of his snares.
10 — cxv
Pll
[li
1
ex VI
The Ainlmseade on the Oriskany. .
The kiul braggarts who \i taunted Harkheimer so free,
Kre the figlit had Ijegun. were from t"ij;ht first to flee ;
While the stalwart old Chief, who a father had proved,
And his life offerM tip for the cause that he loved,
'Mid the war-whirl of 1 ieath still directed each move,
'Mid the rain from the clouds and from more fatal groove
Oi the deadlier ritle,— and object assured.
To him I'alm. both as victor and martyr, inured.
Search the annals of War and examine with care
If a parallel fight can discovered be. there.
When nine hundred green soldiers beset in a wood
Their assailants, as numerous, boldly withstood ;
And while Death sleeted in from environing screens
Of the forest and underbrush, Indians and " C.reens"—
Gainst the circle without, took to cover within.
Formed a circle as deadly— which as it grew thin
Into still sni.-iUer circles then broke, until each
Presented a round that no foeman could breach,
Neither boldest of savage nor disciplined troops: —
Thus they fought and they fell in heroical groups—
But though falling still lighting they wrenchd from the foe
The great object they marched to attain, and altho'
The whole vale of the Mohawk was shrouded in woe.
Fort Stanwi.x was saved by Oriskany's throe.
No New I'.irth, no advance in the Progress of .Man,
Has occurred since the tale of his suflerings began.
Without anguish unspeakable, deluge of blood.
The Past's buried deep 'neath th' incarnadine flood.
So, when, at Oriskany, slaughter had done
Its fell work with the tomahawk, hunting knife, gun ;
From the earth soak'd with blood, and the whirlwind of fire
Rose the living's reward and the fallen's desire.
Independence I
For there, on Oriskany's shore.
Was wrought out the death-wrestle deciding the war !
If our country is free and its flag, first displayed
On the ramparts of Stanwix, in glory's arrayed ;
If the old " Thirteen Colonies" won the renown
"Sic sfiuper tyrannis :~-\^itM. Tyranny down ;
There, there, .u ^Iriskany, tlie wedge first was driv'n,
Hy which British Invasion was splinter'd and riv'n :
Though 't Hoosic and " Sar'tog" the work was completed.
The end was made clear with St. Lcger defeated ;
Nor can boast be disproved, on ( )riskany's shore
Was worked out the grim problem involv'd in the war.
.\ Poem, by.tlen. J. Watts de Pkvster, read at the Centennial Celebration of the
Battle of Oriskany, 6tli August, 1877. (.)rigin3illy published in the "Centennial Celebri-
tions of the State of New York." Albany, 1879.
The Ainhuscade on the Orhl'un^i.
CXVll
Burgojne commenced his march on tlie 80tli of Jnne,
ascended Chami)]ain ; bridged, cordui-oyed and cleared
tM'enty-one miles between this Lake and the llndson, and
watered his horses in this river on the 2Sth of July. From
Montreal, St. Leger ascended the St. Lawrence, crossed
Lake Ontario to Fort Oswego, moved up the Onondaga
River eastward, traversed Oneida Lake, and thence pro-
ceeded up, and "a ehemW Wood Creek, its feeder. Six-
ty picked marksmen, under Major Stephen Watts (of Xew
York city) an officer of Sir Johnson's Battalion of Refugees
from the Mohawk, kjiown as the " Koyal Greens," pre-
ceded his march and etl'ectively cleared the way. About
this date, St. Leger's advance appeared before Fort Stan-
wix — the site of the present Rome — on the "great port-
age " between the headwaters of the jMohawk and the
feeders of the streams Mdiich unite M'ith the ocean throu<'-li
the Gulf of St, LaM-rence. St. Legei- was to sweep in and
gather supplies for Burijoyne as well as to o])erate mili-
tarily against Gansevoort, in Fori Stanwix.
About the same time the necessary repairs of this Fort
were completed, its magazines tilled, its garrison aug-
mented under Colonel Gansevoort and Lieutenant-Colonels
Marinus Willett and Mellon, and simultaneously the invest-
ment was initiated by the advance guard of the British,
under Lieutenant liird, Sth (King's Regiment of) Foot, a
famous organization, dating back to 10S5.
On the 3d August, 1777, St. Leger arrived before Fort
Stanwix and the siege began.
Amid the mistakes and blunders of this campaign, the
cxviii Thv AhihuHcade on the (^rishinfj.
greatest was seiidiiiti' ' 'Local " Brli^adier-Geueral [Lt.
Col.] St. Leger witli only 4<>0 to 410 M-liites (Iiulians counted
as notliing in sucli an undertaking) to besiege a regular work,
held by "5(» (or W50 ?) comparatively good troops. Besides
this, St. Leger had only a few light pieces, ijarely sufficient
to harass and inefficient to breach or destroy. The carriages
of his two six-i)ounders were rotten, and liad to be rej)laced
when actually in battery. Still the " Burijovne scare '^ was
upon the colony, and nothing liad been done as yet to dissi-
pate it, to restore confidence, or to demonstrate how base-
less was the terror. [" The Albanians were seized with
a jianic, the peo])le ran about as if distracted, and sent off
tlieir goods and furniture."]
Seeing tlie im})ortance of relieving Fort Stanwix, Nicho-
las llarkheimer,* Major-General New York State Militia, a
brave man although not much of a soldier, summoned the
males of the Mohawk Valley, capable of l)earing arms, to
meet on the German Flats at Fort Dayton, now bearing
his name. lie cast his lot in with the revolted colony, al-
though his own brother was-' a Local Colonel in the British
service, and many other relations and connections as well
as friends were in the opposite camp. The Militia of the
Mohawk rendezvoused at Fort Davton on the verv day (•^)d
August) that St. Leger actually began the siege of Fort
Stanwix. The evening of the 5th, Harklieimer was at
li
* Ilorfkheinier or Ilcikimcr, (>ri<;;inally Erucmon or Ertrenmr,
according to "Osgood's Middle States," p. 1(55, wldcli is most likely to
have been the original name. Still, loth June, 1704, lie signed Nicolas
Ilerckmer to an otlicial paper.
The Ainhnscaih' on the Orlsl'utii/.
cxix
" Tlic Mills" at the mouth ofDriskany Creek, some seven to
nine miles from Fort Stanwix, and in commiinif-ation with
tlie garrison, which was to make a sortie in combination
with his attack. It is certain tliat Ilarkheimer liad Indians
with liimhelonufini; to the '' Oneida House,'' or tribe of the
"■ Six ^Vations,'' but how many is nowhere stated. They
were of little account. One of tlien), however, gave tlie
militia the l)est kind of advice, but as usual was not lis-
tened to. This tribe, or a large })ortion of it, had been de-
tached from the British interest by agents of the Albany
Committee. Their decision resulted unfortunatelv for
them ; while they accom])lished little for the Americans,
they brought ruin u})on themselves by their defection from
the ties of centuries. After the impending battle, the
other Five Nations swoo}>ed down upon them and nearly
(lest roved them.
Ilarkheimer moved on the morninu' of the »»th Au^cust,
and immeduitely fell into an altercation with his four Colo-
nels and other subordiiuites, and the Trvon C<»untv Com-
mittee-men. He wanted to disi)lay some soldierly caution
and send out scouts to reconnoitre and throw out tlaid^ers
to protect, and tlius feel^ as it were, his way through the
woods. For tliis his othcers, wit'' the eflVontery of igno-
rance and the audacitv of militiamen, stvled him a " Torv. ''
or ''a Traitor " and a "('oward,'"' just as the same terms
of reproach, with as little justice, M'ere applied to SirJohn
.lohnson. Abuse is the weapon of little minds, and sneers
of those deficient in the very qualities which they tleny to
others they dislike. "Who can defend himself against
'f
I K,?
cxx
The Amhimcade on the OriHl'duy.
ji sneer f The bickerinu' lasted for liours, until Ilark-
lieinier, worn out with the persistency of the babblers,
gave the order to '' INFareh on.'' Ilis Oneida Indians should
have been most useful at this conjuncture. But these traitors
to a confederacA' "-of ages of glorN-," (b-eadiui; to meet as
foes those wlioni thev had deserted as frieiuls, cluni' close to
tlie main bodv, and forijot tlieir usmil cunnini; and wood-
craft.
Meanwhile Gen. St. Leu'er was well aware that Ilark-
heimer was on the way to the assistance' of Col. Ganse-
voort in Fort Stanwix, and listened to the councils of his
second in conniiand, Sir John Jolmson. and adopted his
})lan to set a traj) for the a])proachinu' column. According-
ly St. lA'ger detached Sir Jolm with a company of Jaegers,
or Ilesse-IIanau Uitlemen, Sir John's own Light Infantry
Comj)any, and some Provincials or Kangers Avitli Butler,
the total only eighty whites, if St. Leger's Reports are
trustworthy, and Brant (Thayendanega) and his Indians.
Sir John established an ambush about two miles west of
Oriskany. Just such an ambuscade under the partisans,
de Beaugeu and Langlade, absolutely annihilated Brad-
dock in 1755 ; just such, again, under the same Langlade —
had he been listened to by Regular Superiors — would have
ruined Pitt's grand conce])tions for the con(piest of the
Canadas by destroying the forces under AVolfe on the Mont-
morency, below Quebec. 31st July, 1759.
Ilarkheimer had to cross a deep, crooked, S-shaped
ravine, with a marshy bottom and dribble, spanned by a
causeway and bridge of logs. Sir John completely en-
The Ainhuseiule on the Orlsl'CDii/.
ex XI
veloped tliis spot with marksmen, leavin<; an inlet for
tlic entrance of tlie Americans, ])ut no outlki for tlieir
esc'ai)e. Moreover he phiced liis best trooj.s — Avliites—
on the road westward wliere real fiirhtin«r, if any occurred,
liad to be done, and to l)ar all access to the fort.
No plans were ever more judicious, either for a hattue
of<rameoran ambuscade for troops. Ilarkheimer's col-
mini, without scouts, eclaireurs or flankers, ])luni;e<l intv»
the ravine and had ])artly climbed the opposite crest and
attained the plateau, when, with his wag'on train huddled
together in the bottom, the surrounding forest and dense
undej'wood was alive with enemies and aliu'ht with the
blaze of muskets and riHes, succeeded by yells and war
M'hoops, just as the shatterinij: lightninu- and the terrifying
thunder are almost simultaneous.
Fortunately for the Americans, the Indians anticipated
the signal to close in upon them. The savages— violatin<r
their promises to restrain their passions, and disregardiuir
the very plan they had agreed to, and which would have
tilled full their thirst for slaughter— shoAved themselves a
few moments too soon, so that TTarkheimer's rear-guard '
was shut out of the trap instead of h,, and thus had a chance
to fly. They ran, but in many cases thev were outrun by
the Indians, and suffered almost as severely as their com-
rades whom they had abandoned. Then a butchery en-
sued such as had never occurred on this continent, and if
the entrapped Americans engaged had not shown the cour-
age of desperation they would all have been sacrificed. But
Heaven interposed at the crisis, and sent down a delui:in«>-
m
cxxu
Tlic Aiithnsctitlc on the, Orislani/.
in
liV
shower wliidi stopped the shiuiji:liter, since, iji tliat (hiy of
Hint-locks, tiriii_i«: amid torrents of rain was an impossihil-
ity. Such " a shower of hlessiiii;'' saved the En_i;;lish at
jNfontniorenci In IToll, AVashini;;ton after Brandywine (Cior-
don ii., ilTa) in 177^, and perhajjs preser\ed the eitv ot'
Waslnni^^ton })\ terminating* the tiulit ar Cliantillv in 1S(;-J.
A simihir downpour on the 1 7tli June, ISIT), certainly had
a considerahle intluence on the AVaterloo cam})aii:'n. Ex-
amjdes may he sidded </<{ /Hijisrain. This ufave the Ameri-
cans time to reco^'er their hreath and senses, llarkheimer,
very early in the a* tion, was desperately wounded in the le<r
hv a shot which killed his horse, lie caused his saddle to
he placed at the foot of a beech tree, and, sittinir upon it
and j>rop])ed ai^ainst the trunk, he lit his pipe, and, while
quietly smoking-, continued to ^'ive orders and make dispo-
sitions M'hicli saved all who did escape. Ilis orders on this
occasion were perhaps the germ of the best subseipient
rifle tactics. He behaved like a hero, and perished anuir-
tvr to his ideas of Libert v, dvint»: in his own home at "Dan-
ube," two miles below Little Falls ("Little Portage"),
ten days after the engagement, in conse(juence of a bun-
gling amputation and subsequent ignorant treatment. The
monument he so richly deserved, which was voted both by
Congress and his State, to the eternal disirraceof both, has
never been erected, and this grand representative yeonum
NeM' Yorker has no public memorial of his (puilities and
services.
When the shower was .about over, Sir John Jolinson,
seeing that the Lidians were yielding, sent (f) back to camp
The Ainhiinfuide on the, Oriskdny. cxxiii
for a roiiiforct'iiu'iit ot'liis '* [loyal GrccMis," imdcrliis bro-
tlior-in-law, Mjij. St('i)luMi Wutts, or else tlioy wore sent
them to 011(1 tlio iiuittor more sspeodilj. Those, Jilthoui^h
they disijfiiisod thonisoivos like Mohawk Valley Militia,
were recognized by the Americans as brothers, relatives,
connections or neighbors whom IIarkheiiner''s followers
had assisted in driving into exile and poverty. These Loy-
alists were presumably coming back to regain what they had
lost and to punish if victorious. At once to tlio fury of
battle was added the bitterness of mutual hate, s])ite and
vengeance. If the previous fighting had been mnrdorous,
the 8ul)so(|uont was horrible. Firearms, as a rule, were
thrown aside, the two forces mingled, they grasped each
other by the clothes, beards and hair, slashed and stabbed
w itli tlieir hunting knives, thrust with " spears"* and bayo-
* There is a lireat. deal of talk aboiit tiLrlitin;^ with " spears " in thia
battle. "Captain CJardonicr slew three willi iiis sjiear, one afirr the
other." Colonel Willett and Lieutenant Stockwell. " eieh armed with
a spear," crept out of the fort to seek relief, ctr. That the Indians
used spears is very likely, because a weapon of this sort is primitive
and in ordinary use among savages. Storming ])arties, or iroojjs des-
tined to assault a breach, it is true, were furnished with something
resiimbling "boarding pikes," peculiar to the Navy. That the English
and American troops or Militia employed such a weapon is ridicnlou;?.
These " spears" were Espoiitons, which were the !)adges of military
rank. "To trail a half pike" was a term once recognised as equiva-
lent to holding a commission. As late as 1811 "the Militia Law
of the United States required that the conunissioned ollicers shall
severally be armed with a sword or hanger and esponton." The
latter was a short pike, about eight feet in length. Colonels carried
them, just as in the previous century sergeants bore halberts. "To
bring a man to the halberts" exiiressed the idea of the infliction
of corporal i)unishment. This explains how Colonel Willett and
Captain Gardenier and Lieutenant Stockwell canie to be furnished,
17
I
CXXIV
The Ainhnscade 07i the Oriskany.
nets, and were found in pairs locked in tlie embrace of
hatred and deatl>.
There Ih now no lonsjrer tlie sliirhtest doubt that Sir John
Johnson eoinnianded the l»ritisli Loyalists and Indians at
Oriskany. Only one oriii:inal writer ever questioned the
fact, whereas all other historians agree in establishini^ it.
The reports of St. Leijrer not oidy prove the presence of Sir
John Johnson in eoniniand, but they j)raise his able dispo-
sitions for the ambuscade or l)attle. Family tradition — a
sure index to the truth if not the very truth itself — and con-
temporary publications remove every doubt. Sir John's
brother-in-law, Major Stephen "Watts, of New York city,
dangerously wounded, appears to have been second in com-
mand, certainly of the white troops, and most gallantly
prominent in the bloodiest, closest fighting. He, like ITark-
heimer, besides receiving other terrible wounds, lost his
leg* in this action ; but. unlike the latter, under equally dis-
advantageous circumstances, preserved his life.
NOT with spears, but with lialf-pikt's or cspontons. The last were sym-
bols of authority and conimand, and in an old print St. Leger is repre-
sented with an esjiontrn in his hand. Over a hundred years ago there
was a great question whether light double-barrel niusketf^^— s(>metliing
like those furnished to the Freneh military police in Corsica — should
notconstitute a part of the armament of officers in the French service.
The folly of espontons survived down to the beginning of this century
in some services, and the canes of Spanish officers to-day may be repre-
sentatives of the obsolete espontons.
* " Major (Stephen) Watts was wounded through the leg by a ball
(he eventually lost his limb), and in tlie neck by a thrust from a bayonet,
which passed through, back of the windpipe, and occasioned such an
effusion of blood as to induce not only liim but his captors to suppose
(after leading him two or three miles) that lie must die in consequence.
He begged his captors to kill him : they refused, and left him by the
2'he Ainhuscade on the Oriskany.
cxxv
Without jittempting io dcvulop the compluteiiess of this
t'riitricidiil butchery, it may be stated us one curious tact
tiuit Ilarkheiuier's brother was not t)nly, according; to
some narratives, atituhir Hritisli coh)nel, but certainly a sort
of quarternuister to St. Leger, and esi)ecially char^^ed with
the supervision of tlie Indian auxiliaries wiio were t .e
cause of the General's death and the slaui^hter of so many
of their connnon kinsmen, connections, friends and neigh-
bors.
All the Revolutionary battles on i\ew York soil were,
more or less, family collisions, and realized the boast which
Sliakespeare, in the closing lines of his Tragedy of King
.Tohn, puts in the mouth of the valiant bastard. Falcon-
bridge :
side of a streimi under the 81i..ae of ii bridge (across Oriskaiiy Creek),
where he was found two days subseciueiitly covered witli tly-blows, but
still alive, lie was borne l)y sonie Indians to Sciienectady (Oswego,
and then by boat to Montreal), wherche remained until sulliciently re-
covered to endure a voyage to England, where he was often after seen
limping about Chelsea Hospital. [Error. He married a Miss Nugent,
and reared a family of distinguished sons in elegant ease.) The sash
taken from him is still in possession of the Sanders family." — " Legacy
of Historical Gleanings," Vol. I., pages G$)-70.
"The soldier who carried the Major to the stream — and received
the (.Major's) watch as a reward— was named Failing, a private in Gen-
eral Herkimer's (own, or original) regiment. He sold the watch for
$300, Continental money, to his Lieutenant, Martyn G. Van Alstyne,
who would never i)art with it, &c. M. G. Van Alstyne was First Lieu-
tenant, in the Seventh Company, General Herkimer's (own, or original)
regiment, and was a great-uncle of my (F. H. Hoof, of Khinebeck, TS^. Y.)
father. He lived until IHiJO. My father, now aged 75, remembers
the watch well, and has often mentioned the incident to me, as related
to him by his uncle."
cx.wi TJtc AinlniHoatle on the (h'Ls/xdnif.
" This Knjjliind [New York) never diil (nor never shall)
Lie lit the proiid loot of a coiuiiicror
Jliit wlien it first did help to woiind itself.
* * * * *
Come the tliroe corners of tlic world in arms
And we shill shock them. NoiiLrht shiiil make »s rue
If Kiiji;hmd [New York] to itself (h) rest but true !"
Tills savu^c iifVair crazed even tlic Iiidiaiis. It out-
Ktri|)[)<.'(l their own ferocity. Tliey lost their heads — went
mad like wild animals -'t the si^-ht ;ind smell of blood.
Thev came to the conclusion that the white men had lured
them into this vorv hell of tire and shino-hter t<» extemii-
nate them. The arena of battle became a maelstrom of
bloodshed, and the Indians tomahawked and stabbed friend
and foe alike, and in the wild whirl iuid cataclysm of pas-
sions, more powerfid than their own, sutfered a loss which
appalled even the fell instincts of the savai^e.
As an American, and especially as a Ivnickerbacker, the
historian cannot but rejoice in the determination exhibited
by the people of his State and kindred blood, and of this op-
portunity of demonstratino; it. Still, as a chronicler of events,
there is no evadini; the concurrent testimony of facts; of
"Kapp*s History of his People" (?'. e.^ the Dutch and Ger-
man settlers of the Mohawk Valley), and of St. Leger's Re-
ports. All of these concur in ^' deuce, direct and cir-
cumstantial, that Ilarkheir Je army suffered a tae-
^xm^ disaster. That this ot remain a defeat and was
converted (as was Monmouth) eventually into a moral
triumph and ;.olitical as well as a Strategical success, was
due to the com.non-sense commandership of Ilarkheimer.
1,"
Tl <' AinhuHoiufi on the Oi'isli'dny. cxxvli
Acconliiii; to liis |tlaii, tlic iulvunco and attack of liis col-
uiuii (»t" Mohawk \'alk'V men was to Ixi a ('oMihiiic'd move-
mt'iit, based upon, or iuNvdvin^-, a siiiudtuiieous sortie from
Fort Stanwix. I'hls sorto- was not made in time to save
Ilarklieimer's life or tin- loss of over two-thirds of liis
command, killed and wounded or prisotiers. Xothini^ pie-
served the siii'vivors of Ilarklieimer's column hut the del-
ugin<j^ "shower of hlossini^." When the tlood hei^an to
abate, an<l not until then, did Willett take advanta<jre of the
storm to make his sortie and attack that [)ortion of St.
Leber's lines which had been stripped to co-ojjerate in tli3
andnish set for Ilarkheimi-r. 'Y\\v sieije works, oi- lines of
investment — to apply a formal term to very tritiini;- imita-
tions — were very ineonij)lete. To style them "lines of in-
vestment " is a misnomer. St. I^eger's three batteries —
the first, tiiree liglit ijuns ; the second, four diminutive
mortars ; the third, three more small i:;uns — were totally
inadi'quate for sie<:;e purposes, whereas th we irtrc fourteen
pieces of artillery mounted in the fort. St. Lei^er did
liave two six-pounders, but the carriages were found to be
so rotten that they had to be reconstructed on tlie sjjot,
and consetpiently could not liave been of service when
most needed, lie refers to tliis fact by implication in his
report. The redoubts to cover tlie J3ritish batteries, St.
Leger's line of aj)proaclies and his encamj^ment were
all on the north side of the fort. These were occiipied by
250 to 350 regulars and Provincials. Sir John Johnson's
camp or works, held by about 133 Loyalist troops, were to
the southward. It was against these last, entirely den uded
cxxviii The AmhuHoade on the Orlska)iy.
of their defenders, that Willott made his sortie. Pt.
Leger's works and those of Sir John Johnson were widely
separated and independent of each otlier, and the intervals,
to make the circjit of the investment apparently complete,
wore held, or rather ])atr()lled, hy the Indians, who, how-
ever, during the sortie, were all away amhiiscading and
assaulting Ilarkheimer. Consecpiently, Willett's sortie,
liowever successful in its results as t( iiaterial captured,
and as a diversion, M'as utterly devoid of [)eril. That he
had time to plundei Sir John Johnson's camj), aiul three
times send out seven wagons, load them, and send them
back into the i)Ost, witln.ut the loss of a man, is ummswer-
able proof that he met with no opposition. Tie surprised
and captured a small squad of prisoners (0 — five, an offi-
cer (connnissioned or non-commissioned) and four })rivates
— aiuI saw a few dead Indians and whites, hut nowhere
does it appear whether they had been killed by the fire
from the fort or in the attack. All the merit that belonifs
to his sortie, in a military j)oint of view, is the fact tliat to
save whatever material Willett did not have time to re-
move, Sir Jolm Johnson had to extricate and hurry back
his '' Royal Greens " from the battle-ground of Oriskany,
four to five and a half miles away ; leaving the stage of
collision with the expectation that the conipletion of the
bloody work would be effectually performed by the In-
dians. These, however, had already got their fill of figlit-
ing, and to this alone was due the result, so fortunate for
the survivors of ITarkheimer's column, that its remnant
was left in possession of the field, soaked with their blood
The Ainhui^aade on the OrUkany.
cxxix
and covered with their duiid and wounded. The j?lory of
Oriskanj helon<j:;8to the men of the Mohawk Valley, only
ill that, althou.ii,'h they wore " completely entrapped," they
defended themselves with such des})eration for iive or six
hours, and finally displayed so nnich re8tore<l courage, that
they were ahle to extricate even a few fragments from the
slaughter pit. That W'illett cai)tured "five ]^>ritish stand-
ards," or five British stand of coloi's, is not prohahle ;
scarcely possible. They may have been camp colors or
markers. The regimental colors are not entrusted to drib-
let detachments from regiments. The " Roval Greens "
may have hud a color, a single flag, although this is very
doubtful, because, if only 133 co!»stituted their whole
strength, thev formed a verv weak — a mere skeleton—
battalion. The colors of the Eighth or King''s Tlegiment
of Foot were certainly left at headquarters, likewise those
of the Briiish Thirty-fourth.* The same remark ap]:)lies
to the Ilesse-IIanan Chasseurs — a com])any of .lagers or
f'^
* In corroboration of this vii;\v of the subjcol, take tin; conciiulini;
parai^raj)!! of \Vas!iini!;toirs letter of July 20, 1779, to the President of
Conj?ress, reporting the capture of Stoney Point, on the night of the
i5-l(ith July, 1770. In this paragraph he states tliat " two standards"
were taken, " one belonging to the garrison jtiiis was not a standard
proper, but what is technically called a garrison flag] and one [a stand-
ard pro|)er] to the Seventeenth Kegiment." Stoney Point w'as held by
11 British force only a few less than the white besieging force before
Fort Stanwi.x. The garrison was composed of detaclunenis from four
difFercnt regular organizations, and yet these had only one standard,
proper, which belonged to ihe Seventeenth. Of this regiment there
were six companies, the majority of it in the works, where also the
Lieut. -Colonel commanding had his |)ermanent quarters.
:• t
I
cxxx
The Amhuscade on the Orlslumy.
Riflemen would certainly not have with it the ref^iniental
standard.
As still further proof of this view- taken, the cam]) of
the British Tlei;ulars, ])roj)er, was not attacked. The fact is,
the American story of Wlllett's sortie has an atmosphere
of myth about it. St. Leger's report to J^urgoyne, and
likewise to his imniediate suj)erior, Carleton — the latter
the most circumstantial — present the most convincing evi-
dence of truth^" ' less. St. Le<j;er writes to Carleton:
^^ At the time [when Ilarklieinier drew near] I had not :.*.")0
of the A'uif/\-i troo2)s hi cmnp^ the various and extensive opi-ra-
lions I was uiuk-r an absolute necessitv of eiiteriuijiuto haviuij
employed tlie rest ; and tlierefi)re [I] could not send [original-
ly] above HO ichite men^ rantjers and troops iiwluded, with the
whole corps of Indians, Sir John Johnson put himself at the
liead of this party. * * * * * *
"In relation to the vietory [over Ilarklieinu'r], it was ecpially
complete as if the whole [of the Anu-rieans] had fallen; nay,
more so, as the 200 [out of S()() or {)(){) or 1,000] who escaped
served only to spi-ead the panic widei-; hut it. was not so with
the Indians, their loss was great. I nuist he iniderstood In-
dian eo)?ij)>'tatio7i, being only about .'50 killed and wounded,
and in that mnnber some of their favorite chiefs and coutideu-
tial warrioi's were slain. * * * As I snspectcfl, the eiuMuy
[Willett] made a sallv with *2.")0 men towards Lieut. Bird's
post to facilitate the entrance of the relieving corps or bring on
a general engagement with every advantage they could wish.
**#**♦
" Immediately upon the depart me of Captain IIovks I learned
th.-it Lieut. Bird, misled by the iuibrniatiou of n eovHirdly In-
diaiitiiat Siu John was prest, h<td quitted his post to m.aich to
his assistance. I commanded the detaehiuent of the King's
regiment in support of Captain IIoyks by a road in sight of the
The Amhuscade on the Orisl:u)ij/. cxxxi
garrison, ?/'/<iV'A, xnith exei'utlve fire from his party ^ h)tmediutehj
drove the enetuy into the fort without any further advautai/e
than frightening so)ne S(ju(ncs and pilfering the jMcks of the
zoarriors which they left behind them. '"
Col. Claus corroborates and explains this :
" Din-ins^ the action [with llarkhcinier], wlion the garrison
found the Indians' camp (who wont out against their reinforce-
ments) empty, tliey boldly sally'd out with three hundred men
and two iield-pieces, and took away the Indians' packs, with
tlieir cloaths, Avampum and silver work, ' they having gone in
tlieir sliirts, or naked, to action ;' [Western Indians strip to tlie
butt' for fighting to tliis day] and when they found a party
advancing from our camp, tliey returned Avith tlieir spoil, tak-
ing with them Lieut, Singleton [wounded about the same time
with Major or Captain Watts at Oriskany], and a private of
Sir John's Regiment, wlio lay wounded in the Indian camp.
The disai>pointment was rather greater to the Indians than their
loss, for they had nothing to cover themselves at night, or
against the weather, and nothing in our camp to supply them
till I got to Oswego."
^Nothing beneficial could have resulted from collusion in
the reports of the British and Loyal officers. The fact that
Willett sent his seven wagons out and in, three times, shows
there could have been no enemy encountered, for rifiemen
in the woods could at least have shot down his horses if
they had not the courage to exchange fires with his men.
It was Harkheimer Avho knocked all the fight out of the
Indians, and it was the desertion of the Indians, atid this
alone, that rendered St. Legcr's expedition abortive.
In summing up it should be borne in mind that St.
Leger had only 375 to 410 regulars and Provincials, inad-
IS
CXXXll
Thij Arnhuscadc on thv (frisl'anti.
clition to liis ten liglit guns and diniinutive mortars, to be-
siege a fort, well supplied, niounting fourteen guns, garri-
soned with 750 at least, and according to the indelinite
language of other authorities, 050 troops of the NeM' York
Line, /. '.., to a certain degree, Tlegidars.
Nevertheless, St. Leger continued to press the siege,
with at most 410 whites against 750 to 950 M'hites, from
the 0th until the 22d August, and when he broke up and
retreated at the news of Arnold's approach with a force
magnitied by rumor, it was almost altogether on account
of the hifamous conduct of the Indians. All the evidence
when sifted justifies his remarks that the Indians " became
more formidable than the enemy M'e had to expect."' By
enemy he meant Arnold's column, hastening his march
against him and the garrison in his innnediate front, and
yet neither St. Leger nor Burgovne underestimated the
American troops — not even the Militi.i, especially when
the latter were fighting under cover or behind works.
The irist of all this lies in one fact — it was not the de-
fense of F<.rt Stanwix, but the self-devotion and desi)erat ion
of Harkheimer's militia that saved tlie Mohawk Valley,
and constitutes Oriskany the Thermopylae of the American
Revolution ; tlie crisis and turning-point against the Bri-
tish,^ of the Burgoyne campaign; and the ''''Decisive Con-
JJicf of America's Seve7\ Years'* War for frnhpendcnce.
* As every thine in regard to these eceurrences is interesting, the
following: translation of von Kelking's " Devtrfien Iliilfstrvppen " (I., 3-
23) is presented in regard to the Hesse-Hanau Jager or Ritle Comjiany
attached to St. Leger's connnand :
The Ainhnticade on the (Jriskoivj. cxxxiii
" Fiu;illy it is i)roper to commemorate in detail an event in con-
nection witii this campaign wliicli we liave alluded to or treated al-
ready more at length : the Hanking expedition undertaken, as u side-
issue, against Port Stanwix. The Jager or Hide Comp my which was
assigned to him was the first that the Count of Ilessellanau sent over
to America. It left llanau 7th May, 1777, and reached Canada 11th of
June. It was at once sent forward by the Governor (C'arleton) to jcni
the troops which had already started U|) the St. Lawrence and assigned
to the column of St. Leger. It was conmianded hy Lieut. Ilildehrand.
The march through these distant and sparsely settled districts v ng
and very laborious, accompanied with all kinds of dangers a" X&-
cles. In order to avoid the almost imjjenetrable wilderness, a greater
circuit was made across Lake Ontario. The cori)s of St. Leger. coin-
prisinr/ detarhmentu from no maiu/ different oryduiziitinnn, started in
the beginninir of July from tlie neighborhood of Montreal as soon as the
expected Indian force had been assembled there. ^\\?. transportation
in Hat boats 150 miles up the river was very slow ; tiie more so because,
every now and then, the boats had to be * vken ashore anil carried by
hand around the rapids or cataracts. Iluving overcome the ditHculties
of the river, the route lay across the broad Ontario Lake to Fort Oswe-
go on the south shore. There a day was dt^voted to re>t, in order that
the troops might recover to some extent from the exhaustion produced
by their previous exertions. Thence the route followed a stream (Os-
wego Itiver] and a small lake [Oneida] inlan<l in a soutlierly direction ;
[liience a rhecal, and up. Wood Creek] the troops marched to tiie Mo-
hawk, on which stood Fort Stanwix, held Ity the enemy [Americans].
The march was extremely laborious, since not only natural ditHculties
had to be overcome, but also the artiticial obstacles which the Ameri-
cans had placed in the way to hinder the advance of their opponents.
" On the ;kl August, the Fort — after the garrison had rejectod the
demand for a surrender — was assaulted without success. On the 5th, a
relieving column of nearly 1,01)0 men drew near. St. Leger was aware
of its approach in time, and for its reception [Sir John Johnson] placed
an ambuscade in the wo(»ds. This for the greater part consisted of regu-
lar troi>ps, and among these were the IIes.se- Ilanau Jagers. [It was
the intention of the British authorities to send the whole Regiment or
Battalion of Flesse-IIanau Chasseurs or Hitlemen, but only one com-
pany arrived in time, and only one company, not over 40 or 50 men,
was furnished to St. Leger. | The rest were Indians."
[This account differs from every one hitherto examined, and shows
even yet we are not actiuainted with some of the most interesting facts
cxxxiv The Aiiihuseade on the Oriskani/.
of this niomcntous conflict. St. Lcircr,' in his ofliciul report, expressly
states tliat he did not send over 80 white men, Hangers and troops in-
chided, with the whole cori)s of Indians, and that Sir Jolni Johnson
was in command. The discrepancy, however, is easily reconcilable
with what has been hitherto stated, and explains the late arrival of the
" Joimson " or " Royal Greens." These latter must have remained in
camp to hold the garrison in check. When the Indians began to slink
out of the tight, the Koyal Greens must have been hurried to the scene
of action, leaving their lines to the south of the Fort entirely destitute
of defenders. This estal)lished what the writer has always claimed,
that Willett encountered no opposition at all in his sortie, and that the
ordinary accountsof it arc no better than a myth. Furthermore, every-
thing demonstrates irrefutably the total unreliability of the Indians as
fighters; and that the failure of St. Leger's expedition is entirely attri-
buted to the misconduct of these savages. J'inally, since the Burgoyne
expedition dejiended on St. Leger's success, and his utter military
bankruptcy is chargeable to the Indians, and to them alone, therefore —
as is clearly shown — the whole British Combined Ojierations of 1777
ended in a catastroi)he, through a fatal overestimate of the value of In-
dians as a fighting power, or as auxiliaries wherever any hard fighting
had to be done, or for any useful purpose whatever involving perse-
verance.]
" The surprise was such a perfect success scared}' one-half the mi-
litia escaped. While St. Lcger had thus scattered his troops, the be-
sieged made a sortie and plundered his camp. I'his was a grievous
loss to him : because in these almost desert districts prettj' much all
the necessaries of life had to be carried [along with a column | ; since
the British troops were wanting in artillery, and since a second relieving
column, 2,000 strcmg, was approaching under the audacious Gen. Ar-
nold, which threw the Indians into such extreme nervous terror that
they either scattered or besought that tiiey might be led back again.
In consequence of |alll this, St. Leger had to break up the siege on the
83d August, and, abandoning tents, guns and stores, retreat at once.
" So ended this operation ichirJi, if it had turned out more success-
fully, icoukl, in any event, have precented the tragic fate of Burgoyne' s
army."
If the disinterested German soldier and historian, "von Eelking,
does«o< demonstrate that the success of Burgoyne depended on that of
St. Leger, and that this wns completely frustrated by Oriskany, thus
making Oriskany the turning point of the American Revolution —
words are inadequate to express the truth.
||,nga.i]eiilin!f near ^,^ox'h J||j1!j»/"
OFTEN STYLKD
THE BATTLE OF KLOCK'S FIELD,
iotii ocToiiEH, irso.
" ///story is not >io:r-a-iiays consfltcd as a faithful oracle : it i> latlier treated
like the (lid lamp as too rusty, too old and homely, to hear light aiiiidht the hla/e of
modern Illumination, but more valuable as an instrument of incantation, which, by
occasional friction upon its surface, may conjure up mighty spirits to do the bidding
of a master. Such an instrument in the hands of a good and faithful magician
will not be employed upon baseless fabrications^ that new power may dissolve, but
in building upon f/ie foundations of Truths that shall still hold all together, in
defiance of the agency of even the same enchantment to destroy the structures it has
raised."' Soithgatk's ^'Many Tlioughts on Many J'/iings,"
Of all the eiiga^euionts wliicli liave occurred upon the
soil of New York, the "cock-pit," or "the Flanders,"
of the Colonies, there is none which has been so much mis-
represented as this. There is very little basis for the nar-
rative generally accepted as history. Envy, hatred and
malice have painted every picture, and even gone so far as
to maliji;n the State commander, the scion of a familv who
risked more than anv other for the Commonwealth, to con-
ceal and excuse the bad conduct of his troops. As for the
* Sometimes confounded witli that of Stone Arabia (on or near de
Peyster Patent) ; East side of Caroga Creeii, where it empties into the
Mohawlv Hiver, near St. Jolinsville, Montgomery County, S. N. y.,
sixty-three miles AV. hy N. of Albany.
cxxxv
CXXXVl
KmjiUjeracnt near JFows Mt'll.'^
leader of the Loyalists, it is no wonder that liis reputation
fared 1)adlv at tlie hands of a connnunitv wlioni he liad
made to suifer so severely for their sins au'ainst justice, his
family connections, friends and himself. The State I'rlua-
dier-General was wronufullv accused ami abused, althouah
acquitted of every charge by his peers,* and highly com-
mended for activity, tidelity, prudence, si)irit and conduct.
The Royal leader, like the State comnumder, was also sub-
jected to the false accusation of want of courage, on the
statement of u personal enemy ; but, like his antagonist,
received the highest commendation of his superior, a vote-
ran and i)roticient.
Before attempting to describe what actually occurred on
the date of the collision, a brief introduction is necessary
to its comprehension. The distinguished Peter Van
Schaack (Stone's " Sir William Johnson," II., 3SS) pro-
nounced Sir William Johnson '•• the gkeatest charactek
OF THE AGE,'' the alJcst man who figured in our imme-
mediate Colonial history. He was certaiidy the benefactor
of Central Kew York, the protector of its menaced fron-
tier, the first who by victories stayed the flood-tide of
French invasion. Ilis son, Sir John, succeeded to the
bulk of his vast possessions in the most troublous times of
New York's history. He owed everything to the Crown
and iK>thing to the People, and yet the People, because he
would not betray his duty to the Crown, drove him forth
* " French's Gazetteer," 432 ; Stone's " Brant," II., 12'l-5 ; Stone's
" Bonier Wars," ii., 126-7 ; Simin's "Schoharie County," 430-1 ; Camp-
bell's "Border Wars," 199-301.
En(ja(jeraent near Fojy 8 M'llh. cxxxvii
and despoiled liiin. More than once he returned in arms
to }»unish and retrieve, at a greater hazard than any to
which the mere professional soldier is suhjected. V>\ the
detestable laws of this end)ryo State, even a peaceable re-
turn subjected liim to the risk of a halter ; consequently,
in addition to the ordinary perils of battle, he fought, as it
were, with a rope around his neck. There was no lionor-
able captivity for him. Tiie same pitiless revenge which,
after King's Mountain (S. C), in the same month and year
(7th October, 1780), strung up a dozen Loyalist officers and
soldiers would have sent him speedily to execution. The
coldly cruel or unrelentingly severe — choose between the
terms — Governor Clinton would have shown no pity to
one who had struck harder and oftener than any other,
and left the record of liis visitations in letters of iire on vast
tablets of ashes coherent witli blood.
In 1777, through the battle-plans of Sir John, a major-
ity of the effective manhood of the Mohawk — among these
some of his particular persecutors — perished at Oriskany.
Neither Sir John Johnson nor Brant had anything to do
witli Wyoming. This is indisputable, despite the bitter
words and flowing verses of historians, so called, and poets,
drawing false fancy pictures of what never had any actual
existence. In 1779, his was the spirit M'hich induced the
Indians to make an effort to arrest Sullivan, and it was Sir
John, at length, interposed between this General and
his great objective, Niagara, if it was not the very know-
ledge that Sir John was concentrating forces in his front
that caused Sullivan to turn back. In the following autumTi
cxxxviii Kn<j<i<jcment near Fox'^s Mills.
(1770) he miido liimself master of tlie key of the "great
portage" between Ontario and tlie Moliawk, and his tar-
tlier visitation of the valley eastward was only frustrated
by the stormy season on the great lake by whicli alone he
could receive reinforcements and supplies.
In May, 17S0, starting from l>ulwagga I>ay (near Crown
Point) on Lake Champlain, he constructed a military road
through the wilderness — of which ve&tiges are still plainly
visible — ascende<l the Sacondaga, crossed the intervening
watershed, and fell (on Sunday night, :ilst May) with the
suddenness of a waterspout upon his rebellious l)irthplace,
accomplished his purpose, left behind him a dismal testi-
mony of his visitation, and despite the pursuit of aggre-
gated enemies, escaped with his recovered plate, rich booty
and numerous prisoners.
It was during this expedition that Sir William's fishing
house and summer house on the Sacondaga were destroyed,
and it is a wonder Sir John did not burn to the ground the
family hall at Johnstown. This was not a raid, but an in-
vasion, which depended for success upon, at least, demon-
strations by the British forces in New York. As in 1777
and 1779, and again in the fall of 1780, there was nothing
done by the indolent professionals.
In August-September of the same year, he organized a
second expedition at Lachine (nine miles above Montreal),
ascended the St. Lawrence, crossed Lake Ontario, followed
up the course of the Oswego River, coasted the southern
shore of Oneida Lake, until he reached the mouth of Chit-
tenango Creek (western boundary of Madison County
EnijiKj' ini ht tu'ii}' y't>./''.v Mills. cx.wix
and C'jisteni of ()ii<)iulau:ji (bounty), wlu'ro hi' left liis
Ixittinu,!' und canoes, struck <»tf southeastward up the
Chittenauiro, thou crossiui? the Uuadilhiand the CIuirh)tte,
(sometimes called the East hranch of the Sustjuehanua),
and descendi'd in a tem])est of flame into the ricii settle-
ments alon^ the Schoharie, which ho struck at what was
known as tho Upper Fort, now Fnltoidiam, Schoharie
County.*
Thence he wasted the wliok' of this rich valley to the
mouth of this stream, and then turnin<;- westward completed
the devastation of every thinu: which preceding: inroads liad
spared. (Stone's "Brant," 11., 124.) The preliminary
nuirch tlirouijh natural obstacles, appirt'ontly insurmount-
able to an armed force, was one of certaiidy 200 ndles.
The succeedin<ji: sweep and retreat embraced almost as
many. The result, if rei)orte(l with any correctness, mi<;;ht
recall Sir Walter Scott's lines (" Vision of Don liodcrick,"
Conclusion 11.) :
" Wliile downward on the land his legions press,
Before him it was rich with vine and ttoeii,
And smil'd Iil<e Eden in her siiniiner dress, —
Beliind tlieir marcli a liowliiij' wilderness."
More than one contem])orary statement attests that the
invasion carried things back to tlie uncertainties of the old
French inroads and reinvested Schenectady with the dan-
* If the old maps of this then savage country are reliahle, he maj'
have crossed from the valley of the Charlotte into tliat of the Mohawk
Branch of the Delaware, or the Pa,<ontuck Branch further east again.
From either there was a portage of only a few miles to the Schoharie
Kill.
19
cxl
Kn<j(i(jr)n.ent near Fo.ru Mlllx.
iiC'i'(»iis honor ot" l)«.'iu^ coiisidorcd jii^aiii a front iur |»»ist.
(TIoii^'li'8 "NortluMMi Iiivjisioii," i;U, 144.
Till' iniincdiatc local <lauiaiu:t' done l»y Sir .Folin, trlt/un
tlic territory atlectod by liis visitation, was notJiinir in
conii)arison to the ('onstM] nonet's, militarily considered,
nutlinHt \\\v»v. The destrnction of hreadstnffs and t'oraire
was enoi'inons. AVashiii<;ton and tlie army felt it, since
the districts invaded and wasted were granaries on which
the American connnissariat and (jnartermaster's dejiart-
ment depended in a irreat measure for the daily rations
which they liad to provide. The nninher of hnshels of
wheat and other p-ain rendered v.-orthless '' tlireatened
alarming consecjuences." Eijrl ty tliousand bushels were
lost in the Sclioharie settlement alone. Washington ad-
mits this in a letter to the President of ('ongress, dated 7tli
November, ITNO. Had the l^>ritish military authorities in
New York and in Canacbi been alive to tlie advantages to be
derived from the condition of affairs in Central New York,
they might l)ave enabled Sir .lohn to strike a blow tliat
M'ould liave shaken tlie fabric of Ee volution, throughout the
Middle States, at least. Alas ! they seem to have been
possesse<l with the spirit of inertion and incaj)acity, and the
abamloned Lovalists mi<rht have exclaimed, with Fhland :
Forward ! Onward ! far and fortli !
An eartlKiuako shout awakes tlie North.
Forward I
Forward ! Onward ! far and forth !
.Vnd prove what gallant hearts are worth."
Forward ! "
Kntjinji iiu'ut iwar Fo^k Mllh.
fxli
Till' tcrrll'viii^ iiitt'IIiucMicc of tlio sipiJuarance of this
litfk' "army (»t' veui^ejiMcc " aroiisi'd tlu* wliolo ciieriry of
cotcniiinous districts; the militia were us.scinhlud in liasti',
uihI |)Us1i(m1 forward totlio i)oint of danger, under Briiradier-
Genoral Kohortvan Kenssi'laer, ofCMaverack (now (N)liim-
liia County), who wero «;uided into the presence of their
eneniv literallv 1)V "pilhirs of tire hv nii^-iit and cohimns
of smoke hy (hiy.'' AltiioUii;h he knew tliat he was pur-
sued hy forces treble or (juadruple if not (|nintui>le liis own,
ISir .lolm continued to burn and ilestrov ui) to the verv hour
wlien his trooj)s were obliged to lay aside the torch to re-
sume tlieir firelocks. In fact, if the two eni^airements of
the 10th of October, 177<>, were contemidated parts of a
combined ]»lan to overwhelm Sir .fohn, he actually fouirht
and burned simultaneously. To whomsoever a contemix.-
raneous maj) of this country is accessible, it will be evident
how vast a district was subjected to this war cyclone. On
the very day (li»th October) that van Rensselaer was at
Fort Plain, the tlourishing settlements of Stone Aral»ia
(Palatine Township, Montii^omery County), a few miles to
the westM'ard, were destroyed. Findiuiij that he must liirht,
either to arrest pursuit or to insure retreat. Sir John hastily
assembled some of liis wearied troops, while others kept on
burninir ia every direction, to engage the garrison of Fort
Paris — constructed to protect the Stone Arabia settlement
(Simm's "Schoharie County.'' 42r)) — which nuirched out
to intercept him under Colonel Brown, an officer of un-
doubted ability and of tried courage. Brown's immediate
force consisted of 130 men of the Massachusetts Levies,
cxlii
Ku(ja<ji:inent mar K(),r\s Mills.
and a IkxIv of militia— 7<> and upwards — whose munlicrs
and co-opci'ation st-cnu'd to have Ix'cn stndionsly conecalt'd
l)V almost cviTV writer at the ix-riod ; tliat tliere were mi-
litia present is un(iuestionahii'. It is almost, if not abso-
hitelv, certain tliat I)rown niarehed ont of Fort Paris in
pursuance of the orilers and plan of van Rensselaer, in oi--
der to cut Sir John off from Ins line of retreat, and lioldhim
or "'head liim '' until van Rensselaer could fall upon him
with overwliehniui; mmd)eis. The saiiu' failure to co-
operate in executimr a very sensible piece of strateijy sac-
rificed Ilarkheimer to Sir .lolm at Oriskany, some three
years j>reviously, and resulted iri a similar catastrophe. To
ap[)reciate and to forestall was the immediate and only so-
lution. Sir .John attacked Colonel Brown — like " now,
on the head," as Suwai-row phrased it — a])out !»or H» .v. m.,
killed him and about 1(>() of his men, and cajjtnred several
(Hough's "•Northern Invasions" says 40 killed and two
prisoners), and sent the survivors flying into van Rensse-
laer's lines, to infect them with the terror of the slaughter
from which they had just escaped. The Stone Arabia tight,
in which Colonel J>rown fell, was only two miles distant
from the "Nose," where van liensselaer's forces had al-
ready arrived. They heard the tiring just as twilight was
melting into night, in a valley where the latter prematurely
reigned through the masses of smoke from burning build-
ings, which brooded like a black fog, sensible t<t the touch.
Van Rensselaer came uj»on the position where Sir Jt>hn
had ''settled" himself lo resist. This "settled" is most
apj)osite. It recalls a sj)ectacle often visible in our woods,
Enijaijfini nt IK (II' Fo,i'\h J////,y.
CXJlU
wlicn Ji predatory luiwk, wearied witli liis Hiirlit, settles on
a liiid) t«» rest and resist a tloek of eiK-oiiipassiiii; furious
crows, whose nests lie lias just invaded.
To refer back to the dai'kness oeeasioned l»y smoke, it
may l»e necessary to state that the dwellers of cities or .-Id
cultivated districts have no conception of the atmosj>heric
disturiiance occasioned hy extensive con tl aerations in a
woode«l country.*
It is only lately that forest fires, comminirled with t'oii".
so obscured the atmosphere aloiio- the coast, to the east-
ward, that lamps and uas were necessary in the middle of
the afternoon.
AVhat is more, the eveninir air in Octolter is often heavy
through a surcharire of dampness, esi)ecially ah)ni; lari,'e
streams ajid in bottom lands. To such as can ima.ijine this
condition of the atm(»spliere, it will at once become evi-
dent bow much it was auirniented inmiediately after a few
volleys from about two thousand muskets, the smoke of the
cftntbiiirations. and the exi>losions of the j)owder, render-
ing^ objects invisible almost at arms' len<;th. This is estab-
lished l>y the testimony of a irallant American ofticei-, Coi.
* The (lark day in Miissacliusctts, of li)fh May, 1780, was due to
tliis causi' (Hcatli, 2.%-T-H), when artlticiai iii.irlit, culminatinjr ahoiii
noon, sent the animal creation to roost and repose with less exceptions
tlian duriii.i,' tlie coinpletest eclipse, and filled the nnnds of men with
apprehension and asl(misliineiit. This is not the only "dark day" so
recorded. On Me 25fh October, 1820, at New York, candlelig: . was
necessary at U A. m. The alth May, ITSO, was another "dark day"
in Canada, where similar phenomena were observed on the !>th, ir)tli
and Uith October, ITSr). On the last, " it is said to have been as dark
as a dark night." .Several other instances a.e chronicled.
CXMV
Entjafjeiiient near F<>,r\H M/ll.-i.
Dubois (II()n<jli, Isli-o), wlio stilted tluit sliortly iit'tcr the
firiiijjj l)C'caiiie warm, wlion witliiu fixe ])uc('8 of liis general,
he could only recoffuize liiiii by his voice. Tlierefore tor
anyone to pretend to relate what occurred within the lines
of Sir John Johnson a few (15 i) minutes aftei' volleys had
been exchamred alonu: the whole fronts, is simi)lv drawinu-
u]ion the "imagination for facts." (^onse(|uently, when
the American wi-iters say that the enemy broke and ran, it
was simi)lv attributinir to them what was occurrinii: within
van Kensselaer's lines, where the oiticers could not restrain
tlie rear from tiring over and Into the front, and from
breakinir beyond the power of beinir rallied. Doubtless,
as alwavs, the rcirulars on ])oth sides beliaved as well as
circumstances ])ermitted. Sir John's Indians, ojiposed to
the American Continentals and Levies for the defence of
the frontiers, it is very likely gave way almost at once.
])raiit, their gallant and able leader, was wounded in the
heel, and therefore unable to move about, encourage them
and hold them up to their work. Thus cripj)led he had
enough to do to get off, for if taken he knew well that his
shrift would l»e short and his ''despatch " speedy, if not
"hapjn-." Sir Jolin was also struck in the thigh, and was
charged with (putting the iield. The only evidence of this is
derived from one of his bitter })ersonal enemies, surcharged
with s])ite and a desire for vengeance. IIow bitterly he
felt can be easily conceived, when he tiu'ned u})on van
Rensselaer and en)j)hasized: — (Stone's "Brant," IT., 124-
5, tfcc.) Colonel Stone remarks, "other accounts 8i)eak dif-
ferently." (M/V, II., 122.)
Knijatjenunt ncdv Fnxs Mills.
cxlv
Gon. Sir Frederick IIuldiiiuiiKl wroto to tlie home <;o-
vernnieiit tliar Sir Jolm " liad destroyed tlie settlements of
Sclioharie and Stone Arabia, and laid waste a lari;-e extent
of country," Mhieli was most true, it M-as adde<l :
'' He had several enira^ements with the enemy, in which
he came off victorious. In one of them, near Stone Arabia,
lie killed a Col. Brown, a notorious and active rebel, with
about one hundred otHcers and men." '• I cannot tinish
without expressin.i,^ to your Lordshij) the jh^rfecfmf/sf act Ion
ir/i/e/t I hiwefroni the zatl, spirit and activit>i >rith vhioh
Sn- John Johnson ha.s conduetid this arduous cnterprist.''''
Max von Eelkins; (II., 1!M>-L>(»0), in his compilation of
contem].oraneons observations, iiresents the followin"' tes-
timony of thejudi,nnent and reliability of the sui)erior, Gen.
Ilaldimand, who reported, otHcially, in such tlatterini?
terms of the result of Sir John's expedition. He says of
Ilaldimand that ''he passed, according- to En^dish ideas,
for one of the hrst and most trustworthij of British tjene-
ra/s; had foui^bt with distinction durin<r the Seven Years'
War in Germany. * * :<• JL was a man strictly up-
right, lind-heartcd and honorafde. * * * Always of
a character (piite formal and punctilious as to eticjuette, he
was very fastidious in his intercourse, and did not easily
make new ac(juaintances. * * - He requireiJ continual
activity from his subordinates, * '^ * A Jirunswick
officer considers him one of the most worthy oj^'cers Emf-
land has ever had. * * '^- This was about the charac-
ter of the man to whom now the fate of the Camulas was
intrusted by his I^ritannic Majesty."
cxivi
Eixjoijiiin'nt near F(>.i'\s MHIn.
It now st'cnis a fitting time to ('<»nsi(l('i' tin- nuiulH>r of
tlio ()j)]K>sing forces tMii;a<;ed. Tliere luis i>e('n u stutiit'd
Uttenij)t to ajipreclatt' tlmso present under Sir .lohn and to
dejtreeiate tliose at tlie disposal of \ iu\ Kensseiaer. The
8anie liolds ijood witli rei;ard to the h)sses of the foi'iuer ;
Avliereas tlie casnahies suti'ered hv the hitier are stndiouslv
concealed. No two works ap:ree in regard to tlie column
led h\ .lohnson. It has been estinuited even ashiirh as 1500,
whereas a critical exandmition of its conijionent parts de-
monstrates that it couhl not have comju-ised much more
than a thii-d of this nund)er at the outset. As all Sir .lohn's
papers were lost in the Ei^vptian darkness of the idii-ht of
the 19th October, it is necessarv to fall l)ack ujion contem-
poraneous works for every detail.
The i»ro(bict of this calculation exactlv ai;rees with the
statement end»odied in the testimony of Colonel Harper :
"The enemv's force \vas about 40(t white men and but
few Indians, The ]K)st from Albany, 18th October, rei>orted
that Sir Jolm's party were "said to be about 500 men
come down the Mohawk River." (TTou<;h^s " Nortliern
Invasion," 1*22.)
When Sir .lohn struck the Charlotte or Eastern Susque-
hanna he was joined by several hundred Indians. Ihit a
<puirrel founded on jealousy — sinnlar to sudi as was the
curse of every agirrciration of Scottish Ilii^hland tribes,
even under ISfontrose, Cluverhouse and the Pretender —
so( !! after occurred, and several hundreds abandoned him.*
(Simnrs " Schoharie County, 3!M».)
*TIk' actual composition of Sir Jolin Joliiison's txpeditioiiiiry lo-
Kn(/(UJriin ilf nrd)' Fi'.r's Mills.
cxlvii
(Jrt'iit stress lijis jilso hcfii laid on Sir Jcjlm's hfiiiix pro-
vided with artilli'rv. |Tlu' Aim-ric-aii iiviu'ra! did liave
unite lieavv -iiiiis lor the period and locality, nine pounders. |
linun is well known, Iiowcvcr often willfully misstiitcd. \\v liail tlirci-
«()ini)iini(s of his own Hciriincnt of " Hoviil (ircens," or •' Loyul New
Vorkcis ;" one company oT Ocrnian Jaircrs ; om- conijiany of British
Kf!.nilais hclouirinii- to tlic Kiuhlh (Major, afurwards Coloiu-I A. S. tk-
Poystrr's) Kintr's Hcirjincnt of Foot, which ixrfornu'd duty by dt'tach-
nicnts all alonir Ihc Irontiir from Montreal to the farthest west, and in
every raid and hostile inovoinent— besides detaehinents— a eomiiany
or platoon from the Twentieth, and (r) also tioni the Thirty-fourth
Hritish Infantry, iind a detachment— sometimes rated by the Americans
as hiuh MS two hundred nn^n— from Hutler's Loyalist or Tory Wanirers.
Sir.Iobn in his reports of casualties mentions these all, except the Twen-
tieth l{e.«:iment, and no others. Fii^ure this up. and lake sixty as a fair
allowance for the numerical force of a comiiany. w Inch is too larije an
allowance, basini,' it on the avera,<:;e strength of Hriiisli re<:imenfs w hicli
had seen active service for any leni,'lh of time (.u this continent, and
six times sixty makes tlnee tiundredand sixty, plus two hundred, irives
tive hunilred and sixty. Deduct a fair percentaije for the footsore and
oth<r casualties inseparable from such service, ami it reduc<'s his wintes
down to exactly wluit Colon*'! Harper states was reported to him by
an Indian as beini,' at Klock's Field.
Colonel W. L. Stone (" Brant," 11., 105) specifies three companies of
Sir John's own Heniinent of Greens, one company of German ,Ia<rers, a
detachment of twohundred nu-ndhmbtful authority cIie(I)from Butler's
HaniTi-rs, and one (only one) com|»any of British Hesrulars. The In-
dian portion of this expedition was chietly colle<ied under Brant at
Tio'za Point, on the Sus(iuehanna, which they ascended to L'nadilla.
Stone s lan.sruaue. " besides iMohawks," is ambiirucms. Sir John had
few Indians left— as was usually tJu- case witli tliese savajres— w hen
tliay had " to faci' the music."
Governoi- ("lintim (llou^di's " Xortliern Invasion," l.")4) estimates
Sir John's force at seven hundred and fifty picked troops uml Indians.
Very few Indians were in the tiirhi of the Mdli October, p. m. Other cor-
roJ)orations have already been adduced. Simm's ("Schoharie County."
;}9I)) says that Sir John Irfl Nia>;ara with about five hundred British.
Royalist and (brman troops, antl was joined by a larire b»»dy of Indians
and Tories under Ca|)tain Brant, on tlie Susipielnnuia. makintihisetfcc-
20
•xlviii
KtKJtHjciiK ni null' Fo.r's Milh.
Close studv exploded this pluiDtasv likewise. That lie
lie liad several pieces of extremely liiilit artillery, liardly
deservinn' the iiaiiie, with him as far as ('hitteiiaii<;o
live force. " as est iniiitcd ;it llic scvcijil forts." one tliousniul men. If
this estimate is erediteil to the several forts who were '" panicky," tlie
condition of their vision remh'rs its correctness nnwortiiy of acct'j)t-
ancc. He tlieii troes on to say tliat several iiundred Indians <hserfed.
The slreniTtli of regiments varied from three iiundred and un(h'rto
six hundred and fifty. It is well known that some .\meiican rei:imenls
scarcely rose ahove ime iiundred rank and tile. It is almost uniiiii-
moiisly conceded that Ilarkheiiner had at least four reirinients — if not
five — the whole comiirisiiiu: only eiL':lit or nine hundred men, at Oris-
kany. This does not include volunteers, Indians, iVc, «.V:c.
(tcneral van Rensselaer, jud.irinir from the testimony triven hcfore
the Court of Kmiuiry. and his own Iett<'rs (Simms,4'25.i^-c.), had seven
to nine hundred militia when he reached Schenectady. It is very hard
to calculate his ultimate agirreiiate of militia. He liad at tirsl his own
(Maverack Uriijade. The Citij of Albany Militia and siniteother Ilcf/i-
vn'itts had preceded him. Colonel Van Alstyne's He^inient joined him
by another route. How did (\)lonel Cuyler's .Mliany Heirinicnt come
up ? Colonel Clyde reinforced liim with thcCanajoharie District Hi'jji-
ment(Tryon County, for military purjioses, was divided into Districts,
each of which furnished its (|UOta), likewise (Sinun's, f','.')) "the Scho-
harie .Militia" "near Fort Hunter." This dissection miiiht he followed
out further to mai;nify the American force, and show asrainst what
tremendous odds Sir John presented an undaunted front, and what
numhers he shocked, repulsed and foiled. Van IJensselaer was after-
wards Joined hy the Continental Infantry, under Coloinl Morgan
Lewis: the \ew York 7!/«.Y<-rci!:uIars or Levies, three or four hun-
dred, under Colonel Dubois ; .McKean's Volunteers, sixty ; the Indians
under Colonel Louis, sixty ; John Ostrom, a soldier present, adds
(Simm's " Schoharie County," 4'24) two hundred Indians under Colonel
Harper, the .\rtiilery and the Horse. The Militia of Albany County
wereorirani/.ed into seventeen r<'p;iments ; of Charlotte County into one;
ofTryon County inte five ; besides these there were other troops at
hand under dilVerent names and peculiarities of service. It is certaiji
that all the Militia of Albany, Charlotte and Tryon Counties, and every
other orjranizat ion that were accessible, were hurriid to meet Sir John,
and severe Clinton was not the man to brook shirking. Twenty-three
F.n{lii(J<in>nt nriii' Ftt.ra M'llh
CXllX
C^i't'ck is true (Ilimmioiwrs "^Arjulison ('(nmty,*' ♦'»,')<>).
Two of tlit'sc he sunk iiitiMitionjilly in this sti'cain, oi- I'lso
tliov went to its liottoiu accidi'Utally. 'I'licncc lie caiTiiMl on
two littK' tour ami tln'ce-tiuai'tcr [miuikU'I' uiortars. proh-
ahly "Tioyals,"' and UiiTasslioppor tlii't'c-jxtuudiT. As our
armies were well a("<n"unti'(l with tlu; improved (^»horns
used at tlie sieije of I\'tei-shur^, it is unnecessaj-y to exphiin
that tliey were uttt-rly impotent a_i;ainst stone hiiihliiiijs, or
even tht>se constructed of lieavy h)ii-s. The Coliorns of 1 7><0
were just wliat St. Le<;er reported ot them in 177" — tliat
tliev were i>-ood for "teazini;,'' and nothing; more. Kven
one of these Sir John submerired in a marsli after his at-
tempt up(»n the MichUe Fort, now Mi«hlU'l>urij, Clinton
(157) wrote that both wei'e ''concealed ( ahan«loned | l»y
the L«»yalists on their route from Sciioharie."'
Most likely it was an impediment. And nothin<; is af-
terwards mentioned of the use of the other. The "<;rass-
liopper " three-pounder derived its name from tliefact that
it was not mounted ujion wheels, but ujxui iron lei^s. It
was one of those almost useless little ^uns which were
transj)orted on bat-horses, just as twelve-pounder moun-
tain liowitzers are still carrie<i on pack ani'.nals. As Sir
Jolin-s horses, draught and beef cattle, a[)pear to have
been stampeded in the confusion of the intense (Uirkness ;
rt'irimi'uts of Militia mui^t liavc i)n)duccd twenty-four luuidred men — ii
ridiculonsly siniill tii::ur('. Add the other troops known to be with van
Rensselaer, and he faced the Loyal leader with tive or six times as many
as the latter had ; or else tiie Claverack Hrijiadier had with him only a
startlinj^ redundancy of field otllcors and a disgraceful deficiency of
rank and file.
n^
•1
KmjiKJi in< ut lirav J'o.r's Mllh.
almost ovorvtliinij: \vliicli was tiot uikhi liis soldier's \\v\'-
sons, or lijid not Ikhmi sent forward when he "settled" at
Kloek's Field t(» check |>nrsiiit, had to he left when he drew
otr. Till' dai-kness of the niirht, as statetl. was intensltied
hy the powder smoke and smoke of l)nrnini;Ituil<lini;s. and
the hottom foy; which tilled the whole vallev. I'nder snch
circnmstances small ohjects could not he recovered in the
hurrv of a march.
The Americans ma<le a <rreat tlourish over the capture
of Sir John's artillerv. The orii^inal report was c(»mpara-
tively len«j:th_v. hut simply covered the little "<^rassliop[»er,"
iifty-three rounds of ammunition, and a few necessary im-
])lements and et[uii>ments for a pii-ce, the wliole suscep-
tihle of transport on two i>uck-saddK's. "Most prohahly the
hat-horses were shot or disahled <»i' '* run otf " in tin- melee.
It is even more ditKcult to arrive at van Ri-nsselaer's
nund)ers. The lowest tii;ure when at Schenectady is si'vin
hundred. This perhaps indicated liis own Claverack (now
Columhia Countv) liriijade. lie received several acces-
sions of force, Tryon an<l Alhaiiv Countv militia; the dif-
ferent colonels and their re<iiments are especially men-
tioned, hesides the y^/^/.v/-re«rular connnand— three or four
hundred (llouirh, one hundred and tifty) — of Colonel Du-
bois' Levies raised Jind exj>ressly maintained for the defence
of the New York Northern Frontier; (^ai>tain M'Kean's
eighty Independent ^'ol^nteers ; sixty to one hundred In-
dians, Oneida wai'riors, under Colonel Louis: a detachment
of regular Infantry under Colonel Morgan Lewis, who led
the advance (Stone's ''Brant," II., 120): a company or
Ehijaiji lilt ut iKOr Fn.r's Mills.
•li
dt'tacliiucnt ot'artilU'rv and two niue-puiiiKk'rs, and a ImkIv
of lioi'si'ineii.
Colonel St<»ne, writiii*; itrcvioiis to is.'js, savs : '• Tlif
comniand of (lonoral van Itcnssi'lacr nnndxTcwl al»ont \\\'-
teen linndi'ed — a force in everv way superioi- to that of tlie
enemy. "' It is very prol»al»le that he had over two thou-
sand, if not many more than tiiis. Stone adds ("lirant," II.,
lll>): " Sir John's troojts, moreover, were i .r/iautttetl l>y
forced marches, active service, and heavy Unajisacks, while
those of Van Kensselaer were fresh in tlie field." Sir
John's trooj)s had irood reason to he exhausted. Besides
their march from Canaseraii'a, one hundred and fifty miles,
they had heen movinir. tlestroyinij: and fiiihtiiii,'' constantly
for three or foui" days, covering- in this exhaustive work a
distaiu'c of over seventy-five (twenty-six miles straii::ht)
miles in the Mohawk Valley alone (Ilouirh, X^i'l). On the
very day (tf the main em^ai^ement they had wasted the
whole district of Stone Arabia, destroyed Jlrown's com-
mand in a sjtii-ite<l attempt to hold the invaders, and actu-
ally a<lvanced to meet van Rensselaer by the lii,dit of the
conthii'rations thev kindled as they marched alonij^. Each
British and Loval soldier carried eiirhtv rounds of annnii-
iiition, which, toj^ether with his heavy arms, eciuipments,
rations and plunder, must have weii^hed one hnndred
pounds and upwards per man. Van Rensselaer's Militia
com]>laint;d of fatij;ue ; but >vhen did this sort of troo]>s
ever march even the shortest testing distanci' without ijrum-
blini;?
The Americans fi^mred out Sir John's loss at {> killed.
Chi
I'!iii((i(fi III) lit mill' yo.i's Mills,
7 woimded, and 51^ iiiissiiiix. lUs rcjtoi't to (ioiuTal Tlal-
(liiiiaiid states that tlir(jn;;lioiit liis wlwdc oxiK'dition ho
lost in killed, whites and Iiidiaiis, t> ; wouiuK'd, 7; and
nnssing, 4s, wiiieli uinst liave inchuh'd tlie Mounded who
liad to he al)an(h»ned ; aii<l (U'serti<»ns, ;5 ; the last item is
tile most i'eiiiarl\al)le in its sii^nificanci' and insi<;niHeanco.
(Hou<i-irs '*N(.rtheni Invasion," ):}(;.)
How the troops on eitlier side were drawn up tor the
H^lit ajtpears to liavi- been pretty well setth'd, tor there
was still liiriit eiioiiu'ii to nialce tliis out, it" no more. Sir
Jolni's line extended from the river to the orchard near
Klock's house. His Rangers — Loyalists — were on the
riirht, with their riijht on the hank of the ^^()llawk. Hi8
rcij^ular troops stood in column in the centre on the Flats.
Hraufs Indians and the llesse-IIanaii liiileiiieii or Jailers
were on tlu' lett, in echelon, in advance of the rest about
one hundred and Hftv yards, in the orchard. Van Kens-
selaer's forces weVe dl-nosed : Colonel Dubois with the
Levies [quasi -V{i^^\\\'AYi>) on the riicht, AVhitus and Indians
eonstitutiui; the central column, and the Albany INfilitia on
the left. [Simni's " Schoharie County," 430.) Not asin^de
witness sho^ys where the Continentals, Artillerymen and
the Horsemen took ])osition. As for the two nine-})ounder
fieldpieces, they were left behind, stuck in the mud. It
was a tohn-hohu. The regulars on both sides behaved well,
as they almost always do. With the first shots the militia
began to fire — Cuyler's Regiment, four hundred yards
away from the enemy — the rear rank ran over and into
those in front, two hundred and fifty to three hundred
t J
/'^n(f(((j<'i,nnt )ir(i}- F„.,-\h MIJIh.
(-1111
yards in a.lvancH. ( 1!>l>), tluMi bn.kc : all was (...nfiision. It
does not appc-ai- fl.af thr AiucTicai. In.liar.s ammiplislKMl
anvti.ln- Colonol I)„l,oi,' Xcm- York Lc-vu-s nin .,ut
Hnnit's Indians, and -..t in the rear. ,f Si,- J„l,„'s line, and
tiicn tlK'iv was an end cf tlic matter. (Sinun's -Sd,,,-
I'aric (\,nnty," 42!»-.".o. ) It had h.conu. so dark fr va-
'•K.i.s cause's tl.at, t„ use a c.unuK.n expression, "a nuin
could not sec his hand hcforc his face."
Van Kcnnselaer had now enou-h to do to keep the
"■ajoritv ofhis troops t-.i^otlior, and retreated fron, one
and a half to three nules, to a cleared hill, where he was
eiud>led to restore some order. The stories of disorder
witliin Sir .John's lines, excej,t as re-arde.l the Indians, are
all foun<led on unrelial.le ,hita ; n<,thin.i; is known. When
lii8 antagonist fell hack, he waite<l aj-parentlv until the
moon rose, and then, or previously, tonled thJriver ( just
above Nathan rhristie\s_(Sinnns, 4;}0)-and connnenced
Ills retreat, wl.ieh he was, .ermitted to continue unmolested.
^ It is amusino- to read the renuirks and reasoning of pa-
tnotic imagination on this event. "By this time," says
the Sexagenary, - however, the alarm I'.ad spread through
the neighhorino; settlements, and a body of militia, of
sufficient force to become the assailants^ arrlwd, it is
said,^././M/V^ a .short ^flManre of the mmn/, nrar th.'rira',
and Sir Jolm Johnson, h, mnHnjn.urr, had a<'tualh/ lundo
arranrnnnts to .mrr.t,drr:' [Mark the logical military
conclusion, Sir John being ready to surrender!] 7%-
Americaiis, however, at this laommtfell hack a short dh-
f">,r. [two or tliree miles] for tlie sake of occt:pying a bet-
!f *
•liv
hiKjiKJ) nil ' mill' I'n.r^M MUfs.
ti I' poHttlon thn'iiHj t/ii nnj/if.'' It" Sir .luliii was scared
and williiijr to j;ivt' uj», what iM'od was tlu-iv of tin- hravt-
Americans talliiiir l)ack at all, or sci'kiiii;a Kcttcr j»ositioii '.
All tlii'V l>ad to do was t(» ij<> tor\var<l, disarm tlic willing
prisoners, and irsitlier in tlie troiddes. lie liad fou^^dit a
Cumberland CMmrdi fi^lit to clieck imrsnit, and there was
no llnnij)hre\s present to renew it and pi'ess on to an Ap-
])oniattox Court House, lie hatl accomjdished his task;
he had compk'te(l the work of" destruction in the Schoharie
and Mohawk valleys. There was nothiui; more to he
wasted. Col(»nel Stone sums it uj* thus ('• I'rant," IF..
l'J4) : '• r>v this thinl and most t'ornddahle irrup.ion into
the IMoluiwk countiv during the season. Sir .lohu hadcom-
|»lete(l the entii'c destruction above Schenectady — the prin-
cipal settlement ahove the Little Falls havi' ^een sacked
and bui'ned two years befoi-e." French obs(M'ved that these
incm'sions left ''the remainini;' citizens sti'ij»ped of almost
everythinu- e.\ce[>t the soil.'**
* The forces (^tToloiicl [Sir .lolin] Jdliivum, II part of wliicli li^d
croHscd llic river iwar ('aii^^imawa^fii, deslniyed all liie Wlii;; properly,
not only on the south, l)Ut on the north side, from Fort Hunter to the
(Anthony's N. T. f]l)| Xose (some twenty-three to twenty-five miles),
an<l in several instances where dwellinirs had been Itnrned l)y the In-
dians under his eommand in iMay (1780), and temporary ones reiinilt,
they were also consumed. * * * .\f'ter Brown fell, the enemy, scat-
tered in small bodies, were to he seen in every direction plundering
and hurniULr the settlements in Stone Arabia. In the ufternoon Ciene-
ral van Uensselaer. after being warndy eensiu'ed for his delay by Col.
Harper and several other oHleers, crossed the river at Kort Plain, and
bejxan the pursuit in earnest. The eiu'iny were overtaken | awaited
him| on the side of the riv«'r al)ove St. .lohnsville, near a stockatle and
blockhouse at Klock's, ju8t l)elbre niiiht, and a smart brush took place
between the Hritish troops and the Americans under Col. Dubois, in
I'.nijilijfiin lit Hi III' J'n.r^M Millx.
cIv
Till' mi»>t curious tliiiiu' in this ('(Hiiit'ctiuii i.s flu- jiart
|ilav«Ml l»y till' lii'i-v (tovt'nior ('liiitnn. ('oIomcI St<»nc cx-
pi'i'ssly stated, in isM.s, tliat lie m'Uw with (u'IutuI van Ht'iis-
wliicli sfvrnil 1)11 «':i«li >i(l<' wcrr killi-d (»r wouiiilrd .liilinsnn was
n)in|i('lli'(| to ri-ticat to a ix'iiiiisiilii ii 'li«' rivn-, wlu-n- lie ciu iiiii|i*-*l
Willi Ills iiini iiiiicli wearied. His si.,,atinn was siirli tliat he could
liavc hei-ti taki'ii with e:iHc. Col. Dubois, with ii Itody of Levies, took
a station al»o\ e him to prevent his proceediiiir up the river ; Jleii. van
IJensseJuer, with the main ariii.v, lielow ; while Col. Harper, with the
Oneida Indians, naiiietl a poMitinii on tin- nnnthnide of the ricer nearli/
o/tjxiMiti . I Why dill Ihey not irnard the ford hy whieh Sir John crossed r
They were afraid of him, and L'iail to let him 1:0 if he only imulil t;o
<iir<ii/.\ The general i:u\r express orders that the attaek should he
renewed l>y the troops under his own immediate cuinmand at the risinij
of the I full (between 10 and 11 iv M. ?)(!!. \. l.T}')) | moon, some hour
in the iiii^ht. Instead, however, of encanipiiiir on the i;round from
which the enemy had been driven, as a brave otlicer would have done,
he fell liiv'k ilottii the rirer nnd eiirdiiijted riinKK Mii.Ks diMtant. The
troops under Dubois and ll.irper could hardly be restrained from com-
meiieini: the attaek loiii; before tlie moon arose ; bit when it diil. they
waited with almost breathless anxiety to hear the rattle of van Ken.sso-
laer's musketry. The enemy, who encamped on lands owned by the
late .ludire .Iac(»b (f. Klock, spikeil their cannon |tlie dimimitiv*' ihr«e-
pouiuler liiiisshojiper was all they had|, which was there abandoned:
and. HDou tiftrr the moon tij)j>e(ii'ed, beyaii to more funcurd ton fording
pfd'fjiixt iifxirr the renidem'c of Anthitn Christie, and not far from thn'r
encantjunent. Many were Ihedeiumeialions made by the men tinder Du-
bois ami IIari)er against Van Kensselaer, when they found he did not
lieirin the attack, and had ijiven strict orders that their <-ommanders
should not. They openly sli'jfinatized the <;eneral * * * Imt.when
sever.il hours had ela|)sed, and he had not yet made his apjiearance, a
iminnur of discontent pervatled all. Harper and Dubois were com-
pelled to see the troojis under .lohnson and Hraut ford the rivj-r. an('
pass iAX II h molested, or disobey the orders of their lonimaiider. wIk ,1
t.iey could, unaided, have iriven them most advantageous battle. Had
those brave colonels, at the niotnent the enemy were in the rirer. taken
the responsibility of disolieyiiiir their commander, as Murphy had
done three days before, and commenced the attack in front and rear,
the conseiiuences must have been very fatal to the retreating army,
21
el VI
Enijinji nicnt nmr Fo-vh M'dh.
schior a fc'wliours Ix'tore tlic tiL'lit, (lined with liini at Fort
IMaiii, and it'iiiainod at the V .)\\ wlu'ii van Kt'iissfhicr
marched ont to tlie ti^lit. In (\d. Stone's, (»r Ids son ami
nai. esake's, " HonU'r AVars" (II., li'-J), fids statement is
repeated, ('linton, in one ofhis letters, dated .".(itli < )clolier,
does not make the matter clear. He says (Iloui^h, ir>l) :
"On receivini,' tins intelli<rence [the movements of the Brit-
ish | I immediately m<ivt'd up the i-ivi-r. in hopes of hein^
ahle to ^ain their tVont. vVc." In th'scriliini:" tlu' i'ni;ai;e-
ment he says, "the niicht canic on too soon tor '/.v ,'" and
then afterwards he mentions "the mornin<r after the action
I jirrived with the ndlitia nndei" my immedi;ite command."
This does not disprove Stone's acc(»unt. Aid-^fajor Lan-
sinj; testified hefore the c(»urt-martial that the (iovern«»r
to<tk connnand on the moi'idntjof the 21st. It is not likely
that (fctvei'nor Clinton wonld have found it jileasunt to fall
iiit(> the lunnls of Sii- ,Iohji, and Sir John would have heen
in a decidi'dl;, disai^reeahle position if the (iovernor could
have laid hands u(»on him. There was this ditference,
however; Sir .lohn was in the fi;;ht (C))lonel Dulxtis wrote
II A. M., the day after the lijrht (Ilonj^h's ".Northern In-
vasion,
I
I
nsoners sav Mr.lo
•as woinK
dtli
rouirii
the thijjh) which he mi^ht have av(»ided; and the (lover-
n(»r nd<;ht luive heen. Anyone who will considei' the mat-
ti'r dis))assionately will perceive that, now that the whole
countrv was aroused, and all the ahle-hodied males, rcirti-
ni)(l the (Initli ot'Cnl. Hrown ami hit* nwii promptly icvciijrcd. — Jarob
lie<'kfr, (t Schoharie Militiaman. 428-480 .Icplillm U. Siinm'H " History
<>r Scliohiiric Coinilv," 1845.
EniJ<l(f> nil nt liiiir /''o.r''s J////.S'.
1» •
VII
lurs and militia, ('oiici'iitrafiiii; upon liiiii. Sir .loliii liu«l
siiiii»lv to ln(»|< to the sat'ctv <»t'lii.s coiniiiaiKl. lie rrtrcati'il
liy a routf |»araili'I to tlic Mohawk liivc r and to tlic south
<^)t' it, jtasscd the ( )n('i(hi Custle on the cri-ck of the same
nanu', the presi'iit Itoandary hotwct'ii .\fatlison and ( )nei(hi
(\)unti('S, and nnuU' tor ( 'anaseraira, whcix' he had left his
Itattiiiii.r. Meanwhile van Rensselaer had dis[)atehed an
express to Fort Schnyler or Stanwix, n(»w Koine, orderini(
Captain \'rooiiian, with a stroiii; detaehiiieiit from the_i;ar-
rison, to jtiish on ahead as (piickly us possiMe and <lestroy
Sii- .lohiTs little llotilla. A deserter frustrated Huri^oyne's
last and Itest ehaiice to escajie. Two Oneida Indians, al-
ways unreliahle in this war, revealed the a]ii»roach of iSir
.I(»liii. and hy alarminu: savetl the forts in the Sclndiarie
valley. And now another such chance enahled Sir .lohn
t<» save his boats and [uiiiish tin; attempt made to <lostroy
tlii'in. ( )ne of ('ajitain Vroomun's men fell sick, or pro-
tended to fall sick, at ( )neida (,'sistK( ( '' II ist. Madison C'o.,"
<!."►('», i^rc. ), and was left hehind. Soon after, Sir .I(»hn ar-
rived, and learned from tiie invalid the whole |)lan. There-
ui»oii he sent forward l>rant and his Indians, with a de-
tachment of IJutler's liantrers, who came? ujkhi V^-oomaii's
<li'tachment takinj; tlu-ir midday meal. 2:»d N«»vein!»er, I "SO,
ami 'Vi^'ohhled" tli' whole [»arty. Not a shot was tire(|, and
Captain \'ro<»nian and his n.- n wi're carritMl off prisoners
in the \<'\'\ boats they were dis|)atched t<t destroy.
If any reader sui)poses that this invu-^ion ((f Sir .lohn
.lohnstMrs was a simple ]>re(latory expedition, he has ]»etMi
kept in i<jrnorMice of the truth throui;h the idiosyncrasies
\ I
•Iviii
KniJillJ, iin id Uriir Fo.i's Mills.
1 !
I'
of American w rittTs. It was tlu-ir itiirposi' fo nialiiiii Sir
.lolm, and tlicy liavf adniii-ahlv succcrdcd in dniiiix so. Sir
♦lolm .lolinscjn's i'Xj)t'<liti()n was a }>art ota i-Tan*! sti-atciric
j>laii. Itasi'd iii>on tlu' tojxiijrapliy of flu' counti'v, winch
rendered certain lines of (»j»eration inevitahle. Hvi'i- since
tlu' Enirlisli l>ni!t a foi't at ( )swe|u;o, as a nienaci' to tlic
French then in possession of (\ina«hu this poi-t and Nia-
iXai-a wei'c hases for liostile movements aijainst Camuhi.
Pitt's ijreat jdan, tic con<|nest of New France in 1 7r»!>,
contemphited a triph- attack : down Lake Champhiin,
across from Oswego, ami np the St. Lawrence. The I>m'-
i;(tyne campai:;n in 1777 was pre<licated on the same idi-a :
Ihn'irovne njf Champhiin, St. Li'irer from ( )swe«io down
the ^lohawk, ai.;' Howe np the llndson. ('nnt(»irs phin
for the fall of 17>^(» was ahnost identical. althoni;ii excrv-
thini; hiniii'd on tlu' sm-cess of Arnold's treason and his
delivering np Wi'st Point. (Clinton himself was to play
the part Howe shonld have done and ascend tlu' llndson.
Colonel (^nletoii was to inntate IJnriroyne on a smaller
scak', and move np CMnunjtlain to attract attention in that
direction ; and Sir John was to re|)eat the St. Leiii'r niove-
nu'iitof 1777. and invade the Mohawk valley. Ai'iiold's
failnre frnstrated Clinton's movement. Carleton at hest
was to dem<»nstratc. hecanse the amhi^nity (or consistent
self-seokinj;) of Vermont ren<lered a nioi'c mnnerons col-
nmn nmiecessary. As it was. he penetrated to the llnd-
son, an<l took Fort 'Anne. Haldinnmd's nervon.sni>ss ah(»ut
a French attack npon Canada nnide him timid ahont detach
injr a sntlicient force with Sir.Iohn. Moreover, tlu' Uritish
Kii<jiuj< iiii 111 II, ar Fo.r'fi MHIn.
clix
rei,MiI{irs wciv vcrv iiiiwilliiii; to acroiiipaii.v this hold parti-
san, whose c'lu-riry insuriMl ciioniious hardship, hd)or and
suHc'riiiijr to liis followers, to which r('<;ulars, niore partiou-
\i\\'\\ (lonnan intTft'iiarics, wt-iv fspcciallv averse. NOn
Eelkiiiu iiit'onns us (.ftliis, and furthermore tliat a terrihh'
mutiny canie very neai- hreai<infi- out annmi; the Ilritisii
troops umk'r ,l(»hnson in the succeeding .luiu-, when Ilal-
(h'nuind jiroposed to send Sir dohii on anotlier exjtedition
aii-ainst l*ittshur«r. The phm of thi- nnitineers (von Kel-
i<in,«r, II., 1!»7) was to fall upon the Uritish otlicers in their
(pjarters and murder them all. The complot was disco-
vered, l.ul it was politic to liu>li the whole matter up,
which was accordinuly done. Douhtless there was haui;--
injj: or shootini; an<l i»unishment enouiih. hut it uas in-
f1icte<l (piietly. These were the reasons that the invasion
which was to have heen headed hy Sir .John .lolinson was
converted into a desti-uctive raid, and this explains whv
Sir .John was so weal<-lianded that he could not disjtose of
van Kensselaer on Klock's Field as eoinpletely as he an-
nihilated ]}rown in Stone Aral>ia.
Kimdly, to divest Sir John dohnsoii's expedition of the
character of a mere raid, it is only necessarv to c(»mpare
s<»nie dates. Arnold's ne^cttiations with Sir Ilenrv Clin-
ton came to u head ahout the nuddlc of Se|)temher. It was
•not settled until the 2lst-l>L>d of that month. It is not con-
sistent with prohahility that llaldinumd in Canada was
ignorant that a comhined movemeiW was contemplated.
To justify this conclusion, von Kelkinystates (II., l!>:.)tliat
three expeditions, witii distant ohjectives, started from
c-lx
Kn<i<i(j«'n)rni nror /'o.i',s J//7/.>
(^iU'l)i'C ulxMit ^lic " middle <»t" Si'iitciidx'!"," -tlic very tiiiio
wlicii Clinton and ArnoM were {•onclndini; tlioir hjirijuin ; —
tlie first, under Sir .lulm .lolmson, into tlu; Selioliarif and
^foliawk vallics ; tlu- si'C't)ntl. nn<l«'r Major CarU'ton. whicli
took Forts Anne and rJcoriri'. towards Alhanv ; and the
tldrd, under Colonel Carleton, reversini:' tlie direction ot"
the route followed by Arnold in I""."*.
The time neei'ssarv to hriui; Sir John int(> middle New
York, makiui; dm' allowances tor obstacles, was about C(»-
incident with the date caicuiateil for the sui-renderot West
}*oint. Arnold made his escape on the 2."ith of Septendx'i".
Andri' was arrested on the "J:><l of Sejitendier, and was exe-
cut(Ml on the 2d of October followinif. Major Carli'ton
came ujt Lake Cham|tlaiu, and aj>|u'ared before I'Ort Anne
on the Ktth ot' ( )cfober ( Ilouuch's "Northern Invasion,"
!., 1:5), Major Iloui,ditoji {//t/i/, I4<l) simultaneously tell
u|>on till' upper si'ttlements of the Connecticut N'alley ; and
IVIajor Afunro, a Fioyalist, startecl with the intention — it is
believed — of surprisin<^ Schenectady ; but, for reasons now
unknown, stf>pped short at Jiallston, attacked this settle-
ment on nndniiiht of the Httli of ( )ct(d)er, and then retire<l,
carry iuiT oil" a nmnber of jirisoners. Such a coincidoiico of
concentrating^ attacks fri>m foui- or five ditfei-i-nt (juarters
by as many dillereiit i-outes could not have been the result
ofaccidi'Ut. (Jircumstances indicate that Sir ilenrv Clin-
ton was first to move in force upon West Point, and nuike
bin self nuister of it tbi'ouirh the treasonalde disp(jsiti<»nsof
Arnold. This would have; riveted the attention of tliu
whole country. Troo]>s woubl have been hurried from all
Klif/iKJi iii> lit at ill' J'o.r'is Milh.
el XI
<iuartcr8 towards tlic IliirlilaiMls. and \\\v wlmlo tcrritorv
around Alliany dcnndcd of drti'ndt'rN. Tlm> it was v\-
jic'cti'd tliat Sir .lolin would have solved the proldoni which
St. Iii'<j:i'r t'aih'd to do in 1777. .Meanwhile, the ("arh-tons,
certain <d"the neutrality of Vermont, whose hostilities had
heen so etl'ective in 1777, would have captured all the posts
on the n|i|n'r Hudson. In this way the ju'reat plan, which
faile<l in 1777, was to he acconijilished in 17'^<'. Thou-
saiuls of timid Loyalists woidd have sprtintj to arms tt» sup-
p<»rt Sir .I(din and Clinton, and the severance (»f the Kast-
ern from the Aliddle States coniplete<l. ami perfect com niu-
muiMcation estahlished hetween .\ew ^'ork ami Afontreal.
It would havi' taken hut vei-y little time ft»r Clinton to
douhle his lorce from Loyal I'lements alon«; the whole
course of the 1 ludson, as can he denn»nstrated from re-
cords, admissions and letters of the times. The majority
ot'the |>eoph' were tiri'(l of the war. and even Washiuirton
despaired. On the 17th Octoher, 17>'<>. (tovornor Clinton
wrote to (lem lal Washington : " This » htrrju'ixi of tin-
r//r/;<// [Sir John .Iohns(»n| in j)t'<ihahhf tin- tff',rt of Ar-
iio/i/\s fi'niHnii.'"' On the iJlst of the same nuuith (ieneral
Washini;t«»n, addi'essiiiir the President of the Continental
(/onp'css, wrote: " It !s fjiom/lit^ uml jtrrlmptt not o^itli-
oiif foiiuildtioii, tlutt tlilx iiirit/'xio/i irn:-t hiiti/>> (hy Sir.Iohn
flohnson] itjto/i t/i' .stijfjiositii'ii tloit Anio/iffi t/'ntr/o rf/
Imil xiici-t'rihil.'^^
If Arnold's treason had not heen discov«'re«l in time,
the name of Sir -Ldin Johnson nii^^hl stand to-day in liis-
tor\ in the same class heside that of Wolfe, instea«l of he-
CI XII
I'huiinjfUn til tU'iir Fors Mills.
iiit; ltra!i<l('<l as it lias hccii \)\ vinilt'iici', and worse, in
many cases. \)\ direct iiiisre|)resi'iitati<)n.
"•Success is the test of merit," said tlie uiitortuiiate
Rehel General Albert Svdiiey .lolinson — "a hard rule,''
lie added. " hut a just one."' It is hoth Indd and in.iust,
and were couraire, merit, selt-dev(ttion and exposure to sut-
terinir an<l jteril the test, and noi' .si/r/us.s, there are tew
men who would stand hin'hei to-dav in military annals
than Sir .loiix .Iounson.
iP a n i c s
Imvc occiincd, iKil only imidiiii MiUtiii iiiid /rn f/nturs, hut in |{k<.i i,.\i!
Armies, siilticctc(l, in iippcuriiiicf, to llie liiiilicst stale of (lisei|)iine and
the iiinsi severe of military codes. Tliese panics arc not only incom-
preliensjlilc, liut inliniteiy more disiiraeernl tlian tlie worst whicli lias
lieen altril)iited to Militia— even American .Militia, sncli us llie
Ki,u( k's Fiki,i> tdhiiholiH ill ITM): the Bladcnshiifif Haces in 1814;
and the dissohition ol' the I'nion I'orces at Hull Uuii I., in IJ^fil.
Nolhinu', however, can appro.ich what took jdace in the .\ustrian
army under Joseph II , in 17SH It almost transcends heliel', and it
ini<;lit lie deemed incrcdihle, if it was not recorded in the followini;
laniruaL;-e Ity the veteran French Marshal Marniont, Dnkeof I'aLrnsa. in
his •The Present State of the Turkish Kmpire." translated by l.t.-('ol
Sir Frederick Smith, K. II , Uoyal iJrilish Kn;;ir.eers, London, IHJW,
pj). .\x -xxiv., ■• Introduction."
"At lsarans<'lies (on the Tenu's, .'»() miles S. K. of Temcsvar, just S.
of the Iron (iaics Fass) we are reminded of the lamentatile cata>lrophe
[Cust'H Annals of the Wars," I, i v., •,'!»-;{() ] that liefeil the troops of
Austria, in Seplcmher, 17hs, near this])]aee, in the latter wars |1T8S-'9(»1
hctween that power iind Turkey.
•Joseph the Second all'onh'd on this occasion ;i remarkalile instance
of the misfortunes which a monarch may hrinj; upon his peojilc hy
overratiii'j: his (pialilications as a military commander : for, thouirh
personally brave, he seemed, when the lives of otlu rs (lc|)( nded on his
deci>ion, to be dclicient in that moral couraire and presence of mind
which are indispensable in a treneral : yet he evinced irreat resolution,
as well as indefatiirabic industry in conductiii'i- the civil affairs of the
stale, and umpiestiruiably possessed superior talent. His political acts
have been the subject of much discussion : how far they may be
descrvim; of praise or censure this is not the |ilace to enquire; but it
is imi)ossil(le to deny that the views of this monaidi were directed lo
promotiii;! the welfare of his counlry. Hy movini:- in advance of
public (ipinioii. and by promptly efVectintj those changes in the national
Institutions which the « irciimstances of the times seemed lo demaml,
he uipjiid in the bud, so far as his own dominions were concerned, the
revolutions th:U threatened Austria us well as the rest of Kurope.
'I'l — clxiii
ClMV
Pnhh
(•8.
I
" In I7H9 11788 .'|, Joseph, haviii;.' «'(>n('clc(l lou'cllicr SO.OfM) nun, for
tlic pur|ioH(' of iittiukinjr tlu- Turks, tslnldislnMl his cjimji near Kanms
lies. 'I'hc Turks were in n position opposite to tlic Austrian iiriny. and
so placed hs to cmi'v thi' proviiiff of Waliachia. All \va« prcitarcd for
the attark ; Hie irciicrals were asscinliled in (lie lent of the Knipcror to
receive their orders, and evcrythiii;: a|ip<'are(l to prouiisc success l<»
tlic Austrian arni.> ; liut .lo.scph, feelinir a <lc<;ree of disquietude
respcctiii/jf the result, asked Marshal Lascy if lie felt sun* of heating
the enemy. The ^larshal replied, as any scnsilile |vl man would have
dc>iie, under similar circumstances, that he Imped for victory, hut that
he could not al)S(dutely guarantee it. I'liliappily this answer so tlis-
coiiraucd Joseph | where were his own n-sohition and brains 'I that
he iniinediately aliandnncd the intention of altackiiii: the Turks, and
resolved to retire Iiehiiid the Tcmes.
"The plan of retreat was arranjfcd. and the army was formed in
parallel columns, tlic infantry licini: placed in the centre, the <av.ilry
on the Hanks, and the liairirairc in the intervals. The Austriaiis com-
menced their inarch at midnight, but shortly aftirwards Marshal
Lascy, disroverinir that the order had not been issued fin- ;\ ithdrawinir
the |d(|Uets of the left winir. supplied the omission, and suddenly
halted the main body to wait for these detachment- |Somethini^
similar occurred on the niirhl of l."»ili December. 18(t'i, when the left
wiuj: of the Tniou army withdrew from Ik l.ni the Uebels, after the
disastrous ''liliirc of the attack of the liUh. prccediii!.'. 1 The word of
<'onmiand, t(» "halt,' was :;iven and repeated in the usiiiil manner ; bm,
beini: mistaken for the word 'Allah.' whi(h the Turks are in the habit
of shoutinirwlu'n about to fall upon their cncndes. many of the Austrian
troops believed thai they were attacked. Thi.s was the ease with the dri
versof the tund)rils. who, seized with panic, put their horses into a troi,
in the hope of escapini;. The infantry, supposini; the noise made by
these rarriaires to be caused by the charire of the encuiy, ennuiicnced
lirinir in all directions. The havoc they thus created in their own
ranks was sr» irrcat. that no less than lO.tXtlt men are said to have been
killed or woun<led durinir the darkm-ss of the niirht. At dayli^dit the
mistake was discovered, and 'he Austrian army then retreated to the
posit i<tn the Kmperor had intended to take up behind the Tcmes. If.
instead of jfivinff w.'y to his alarm. Joseph had attacked the enemy, it
is probable that he wouI<l ha\e obtained possession of Wallachia with-
out losinu; more than iJ.JOO or l.Oi'd men. As it wa>, lie not only lost
KI.IKKt by the tlisaster above mentioned, and 2t).<KK( by sickness, wliieh
was the conse<juenee of a pndonu'cd occupation of an unliealthy tract
of rountry. but he raised the courajre of tin- Turks, and thereby
deprived his own troops of the C(U»fidence lliey had previously reposed
both in him and in themselve.-;."
g'Huuoi.
The )H'i'(viliiin' pui^cs arc the result of a pi'oiiiisc, iiiadu
in liasto and iH'|K'ntt'W at leisure; hut kept to the h'ttei-, as
man's word of honor shonhl he, at whatever cost it may he
to liim. IielK'ction soon led t<i re<ii'et that tlie jtU'dufe hati
ever heen t;i\en ; hecanse, as a friend wiselv ohsei'ved,
" the peopU' of this country have sucked in tictioii as fact
with their motliers' milk, and no amount ot' I'cason could
reversi' the vei'dict of success, however ohtained." No
j)hil(tsopher helieves in the judgment of the people, so
styled —the people, as usually underst(K(d, ai'c the sim])le
dupi's and pack and l>rey of the hold and the desi^nini^,
who poHs<'ss the Hcrpent ^uile of pandering to their lusts
and to tlieir passiojis. Tlu-re is a I'Koim.k, invisihle hut
intluential, running thriMiirh every p<u'tion of the hody jioli-
tic, like tlie mysterious symj)uthetic nerve (»n which vitali/a-
tion depends, 'i'his people is that portion of the community
referred to when Klijah sai<l, •• I, even 1 only, am left ;'' and
God answered that he had reserved to iiimself seven thou-
sand wlio had not bowed the knee to Baal nor worshi|»|)ed
him. Unfortumitely this minority entertain opinions wliieh,
for their own preservation, discretion teaches them to ki.'cp
dxv
clxvi
L " Eiti'ol.
out of siijlit as iinicli as possible. Tlicy arc like the .lews
of tlie ^Middle Aues, who had to coiiceal their riches,
h'st tlie j>eo|)U', so called, Itv violence then, l»_v votes now,
sliouht "{TO for them," make a i-aid npon theii'<lwellin;;s, and
" rahlile " them. ( )nce in a while a huld ex|»onent <>f the
ideas of the minority comes forward, like an Arnold of
Bri'scia. a Savonarola, a llnss, a Zwini^li or a Lnther, and
iinuiijurates a moral revolntictn, ijenerally with fatal and
terrilde eili'cl to himself: for instance, the Hi'st three were
hnrnecl at the stake, and Zwinuli was ninrdere(| on the
hattletield. Lather, thanks to the iBifis of l*rovidence,
die«l a natni-al death, hnt livi'd loni;' enoiiirh to teel the
(lisijnst that invades the bosom of t'verv able and trne man
who reaches the i>eriod when the decavof ihi' bodilvfacnl-
ties — that is, of the resistivi' and recnperative powers — be-
<;ins to qnench the h(»[)es and illnsions which, with few
rarely continne to exist Mdien the downwaid road becomes
rouixh and steep. The peo[»le, so styled, the inasst^s, are
to-(hiy wlnit they were a tlionsand, yes thonsands of years
air«». the obtnse instrunuints of wicked minds. "'Piuu in.
ft ('h'cennt's^'' (Food and I'leasnre) was and is and ever
will be tlieir wat(;hwor<l : tlii'ii- bellies and their e\'es ;
in (jnr <hiys, their ears. xVll i^reat men see throuijh the
ntter emptiness of ])o|tnlar applanse, althouirh few, like
William I If., have the cold, caustic cynicism to exjn'ess
tlie conviction pnl»licly. When the mob received hiiu
with cheers, he simply remarked, the same class that
cries " IFosanna" to-day will sliont '' (Crucify him" to-
morrow. r>old, bad men, witli serpents' intellects and
I. ' I'.iirn!.
•l.w ii
oily toiiuiu's or vcrsiitilc jicns, like our successful politi-
ciuiis or popular liivoritcs u[' the press, coiMluct or cxcifo
tiic "iiiiiiiv IicjuKmI" at tiu'ir pleasure. The venlict of
the peopk', -hv a vast majority," recalls tlu- auecdole of
the luiueiited wii, Arthur (iiluian, n-ceiitly (lecease<l, in
re<rar(l to Colom-i ^CH, of ^i-llvilh-, a iiieinDer (.f one of
the southwestern leoislatures. The Vellvilk. l!ank ha«l
irone U]) suddenly, and the WwuU jiad (lisai)peared under
the receivershij* of the said colonel. F(»r this the Ilon-
orahle Kuriiel "\'ell was called upon for an explanation.
In a speech, as involved as one of the calculated deceptive
utterances of Cromwell, tin- colonel furnished no elue to
the diwappearance of the assets of the I>ank, or the par-
ticular pockets into which they had eventually found their
windin<?way; hut he covered his tracks, and awakem-d
the enthusiasm of the Lefjisluture and crowded <;alleries hv
a hifalutin (hii;li-tor-newton) glorification of tlie Stars and
Stripes '' that was kulkerlated to stir the heart of the most
fastidious." Pronounce an oration or write a hook or ar-
ticle tliiniderous with citations of the " patriot sires ;" shout
out or italicize ^'Bunker Hill! Old Put! Valley For<;e !
Prfital P>utchers! Washiu<;ton, the Father of his (-ountrv!
Traitor Arnold!" and ''the ( 'apt(.rs of Andre," at judicious
intervals; ahuse "the mother country." muiti])ly t!;e vir-
tues wiiich do not e.xist in the audience, and a triumph inevi-
tably must ensue. EixUavor honestly to tell the i)lain un-
varnished truth, and liold the mirror uj) to nature, and the
result is either tlie silence of contemptuous miiiht or incon-
scipient stu])idity, or a storm such as furnisiies the speaker
■,'ii^
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IMAGE EVALUATION
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or writer with a full realization of the vulgar but expressive
proverb of '' having as good a chance as a specimen of the
feline genus without claws in the dominion of Abaddon."
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