CHAPTER IV
THE MOVEMENT OF THE RIGHT WING
The right wing of the expedition, consisting of the 3rd, 4th and 5th New York, the 6th Massachusetts, and 4th Pennsylvania, with four companies of riflemen and two pieces of artillery, was under the command of General James Clinton. This veteran officer gathered his forces at Schenectady. He encamped his regiments around this little palisaded frontier town, while his flotilla of over 215 boats was building in the boat yards that then lined the Mohawk river, between the stream and the town’s wooden walls on its north and west sides.
When all was ready, about June 15, the boats were pushed, poled or rowed up the river to Canajoharie. Then both the stores and the boats were loaded on wagons drawn by four yokes of oxen, carried over the hills and unloaded on the beach at Otsego Lake. This very toilsome work was over by July 3, and on the “Glorious Fourth” was celebrated by a parade, salute of cannon, divine service and a banquet with thirteen patriotic toasts. Herds of cattle had been driven from Kingston, N. Y., by the great western route through the Catskill mountains, to furnish fresh beef. The soldiers enjoyed their camp life in the fragrant woods, though eager to move against the enemy.
An engineer and the father of the “father of the Erie Canal,” General Clinton’s first object was to provide enough water to float his boats down out of the lake and into and along the shallow Susquehanna, in order to make junction with Sullivan at Tioga Point. To secure this, in the dry mid-summer a reservoir was made by damming up the little lake at its source near the present Cooperstown. The flow of rain not only in this, but also in the adjoining Schuyler Lake, during four weeks of waiting to hear from Sullivan, was thus secured. The gain of one month’s water from sky and earth was apparent. It is uncertain from extant journals and diaries how high a level was reached, some saying that three feet, but one declaring that only one foot of water was gained. At any rate, the rise was sufficient to send the flotilla down into the valley, as if moving on a toboggan slide.
Monday, August 9, was fixed as the date of movement. On the previous Saturday, the chaplain, the Reverend Mr. Gano, inquired of the general whether he could break the news to the army. Being forbidden, he asked whether he might make choice of any text he pleased. To this full liberty was granted. When the preacher stood up before his audience he pronounced the words in Acts xx. 7, “Ready to depart on the morrow”; at which the faces of all the troops lightened.
The glad work of chopping away the dam was begun on Sunday night when the water rushed out, so filling the lower channels of the river as to afford easy passage for the boats. The Tuscaroras dwelling in the valley looking upon the swollen stream and their inundated cornfields, deemed themselves under the wrath of the Great Spirit, and fled in alarm. After every defeat the savages, according to their custom, hung up white dogs to avert the anger and beg for the pity of their gods. Our men found these tokens of primitive religion all along the route. As the army marched overland the various settlements of Indians and Tories were destroyed by fire and axe.
WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS.
ITHACA, N. Y.
(_To be continued._)
THE BRITISH NAVY IN THE REVOLUTION
SECOND PAPER
During the early summer of 1776 the American forces were actively engaged upon a work of great magnitude, which it was hoped would prevent the British vessels ascending the Hudson.
The project was the blocking, by means of sunken vessels filled with stone,[1] of the narrowest portion of the deep channel of the river.
This was, and still is, the waterway extending between what is now known as Fort Washington Point, about 178th street, then called Jeffrey’s Hook, and the foreshore below the Palisades about due west of the Point, under Fort Lee.
Both sides were more or less protected by guns mounted in the earthworks of Fort Washington and Fort Constitution, the extent and character of which were not well known to the British commanders, though they seem to have been kept pretty well informed by treacherous informers of the progress of the work of obstructing the channel with the sunken vessels, from the decks of which protruded masts or sharpened poles, forming a rough “chevaux-de-frise,” a dangerous form of obstruction for wooden vessels propelled by tide and wind.
During all the spring and early summer the British naval force in the waters around New York was represented by two very active vessels, the sixty-four-gun man-of-war _Asia_, Captain George Vandeput, and the forty-four-gun frigate _Phœnix_, commanded by an able and energetic officer, Sir Hyde Parker, Jr., son of a well-known commander of the same name, who had already done good service for his king.
On June 30, the advance guard of the British fleet under Vice-Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, Rear-Admiral of the White, arrived at New York from Halifax. His flagship was the _Chatham_, of fifty guns and with her was her consort, the _Centurion_, also of fifty, and the twenty gun frigate _Rose_, which took a very active part in later affairs. By the first week of July the force under Shuldham had increased to fifty-four armed vessels of all ratings, aggregating about 1200 guns in broadside, with fully eighty supply vessels and transports laden with troops under the command of General Howe, who had made the journey from Halifax in the frigate _Greyhound_, of thirty guns.
On the 7th of July, while messengers from Philadelphia were bearing the news of the Declaration of Independence to New York, Governor Tryon and Howe were consulting aboard the _Greyhound_ as to the expediency of sending a naval force up the North River in order to obstruct the supplies of the Americans. Action on this scheme was evidently deferred pending the expected arrival of Admiral Lord Howe, the general’s brother, with a powerful addition to the fleet.
No sooner was the arrival of this force announced by its advance guard than a squadron was ordered up the North River in a bold attempt to force their way past the obstructions at Fort Washington.
The vessels selected were the _Phœnix_ and _Rose_, with the armed schooner _Tryal_, and two bomb-ketches, tenders of the two frigates, respectively the _Shuldham_ and _Charlotta_.
It will be remembered that on passing the town of New York these vessels opened a bombardment, which it has been claimed was unprovoked by firing from the defences, and that a distressing bloodshed and panic among the inhabitants resulted.
The log or journal of Captain Hyde Parker relates the events as follows:
“Saturday 13th. Wind. S. W. Moderate breeze and fair weather. At 3 made the signal and weigh’d and came to sail in company with the _Rose_, _Tryal_ Schooner with the _Shuldham_ and _Charlotta_ Tenders, at ¾ past 3 the Battery at Red Hook on Long Island began fireing on us, on our standing on, the Batterys on Governors Isl^d and on Powle’s Hook commenced a heavy fireing at us. At 5 minutes past 4 being then between the last mentioned batterys we began fireing upon them at ½ past 5 we pass’d the Batterys near Town and at 7 anchor’d in Tapon Bay abrest of TarryTown in 7 fathom.... In passing the Batterys Rece’d two shott in the Hull, one on the Bowsprit and several through the Sails, and had one Seaman and two marines wounded.”
The log of Mr. Savage Landor,[2] sailing master of the _Rose_, gives further details, as follows:
Week day Mo Winds REMARKS IN YORK RIVER July dy 1776 Friday 12th N.W. First part light Breez^s Middle & latter light Breez^s & clear. PM Came in H. M. Armd Brigg _Hallifax_. Saturday 13th S.W. Little wind and clear w^r Came in H M sloop _Kingsfisher_ at ½ past 1 H M ship _Phenix_ made the Sig^l to unmoor d^o & hove short on the B^t B^r ½ past 2 the _Phenix_ made the signal to weigh d^o and Came to Sail as did y^e _Phenix_ & _Tryal_ Arm^d Schooner & 2 Tenders Steering up the North River at ½ past 3 the Rebels began a Constant fireing on us and the _Phenix_ From the Red Hook Governours Island Powles Hook and the Town as we past and continued there fireing from 6 different Batterys on the E^t shore above the Town for 11 miles as high as Margetts Hooke ret^d a Constant fire’g to all the Batterys as we past. they shot away the Starboard foreshroud, Fore tackle Pendant, forelift, fore topsail Clewline, Sprit sail and Main topsail Braces, one 18 Pound Shott thr’o the head of the Foremast one thr’o the Pinnace several thr’o the Sails and some in the hul^l: at ½ past 5 passd the last battery there Number of Guns not known Weight of mettle from 12 to 32 pounders at 8 anch^d in Torpand [Tappan] Bay 28 miles above the Town with the B^t B^r [best bower anchor] in 6½ f^m low water soft bottom Veerd to ½ a Cable Carried out the Stream Anchor to N W to Steady the Ship Terry town E ½ N The high Bluff head on the Western shore S W b W ½ d^o anchr^d the _Phenix_, _Tryal_ Schooner & 2 Tenders. A M Sailmakers Employed repair^g Sails damaged by the Shot. Emp^d repairing, Carpenters fishing the Foremast.
The journal of the Captain, Sir James Wallace, is nearly identical in the main features recorded; repeating that “the Rebels began to fire upon us and the _Phenix_,” and confirming the material damage done to the ship. As to this it may be remembered that Anthony Glean, who fired the first gun at the squadron from the guns at the Battery, claimed that his shot took effect on the hull of the _Rose_, and the good gunnery of the Americans is evident from the general damage inflicted.
REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON.
NEW YORK CITY.
[Illustration: [Fleuron]]
THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS
IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES BEFORE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO CONDITIONS IN THE ROYAL COLONY OF NEW YORK.