A new
edition of Judge Nathaniel Benton’s 1856 A History of Herkimer County is
now available for free download as a PDF and in a non-profit paperback edition at $5.45. Both versions are available at Wilderness Hill Books and are intended for students of local history.
The new edition
contains the historical narratives of the Colonial and Revolutionary period but omits sections on the European history of the Palatine
Germans, family histories and later events.
Those interested in consulting the complete book can find it on this link at Google Books. Chapter VIII will be of interest to genealogists and includes sketches of some of the main Palatine families such as the Bellingers,Caslers, Helmers, Herkimers, Dockstadters, Bowmans and Folts. Chapters IX and X cover historical and local political events from 1791 down to 1855.
In the seven chapters of the Wilderness Hill edition, Judge Benton traces the arrival of the
Palatine Germans in the early 1720’s through the growing storm of the Revolution
in the 1770’s and concludes with the aftereffects of that bloody struggle. He himself was a major political figure in the
county during the first half of the 19th century but does not draw
on his experience at all in this book. Born in New Hampshire,
he served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, where he rose to adjutant
general and presided over two courts martial. He came to Little Falls in 1816
to study law under George Feeter, and served as county surrogate judge, U.S.
Attorney for the northern district, New York State Senator from 1828-1831, and
Secretary of State of New York from 1845 to 1847. In his later years he devoted
himself to composing his history of Herkimer County, drawing on old records and
the memories of the few who still survived from the early years of the republic,
or their children.
The author shares relatively few
of the racial and gender prejudices of his own time, and his book is a reliable
source for many otherwise unrecorded incidents from the colonial and
Revolutionary eras. His observations on Iroquois culture, for example, are
quite candid on the freedoms enjoyed by Iroquois women in contrast to the
second class citizenship of American women of his own era:
"Another peculiarity marked these people. The matrons
of the tribe, in council, could always propose a cessation of hostilities, and
this could be done without compromising the warriors and chiefs. For this
purpose a male functionary, the messenger of the matrons, who was a good
speaker, was designated to perform an office which was deemed unsuitable to the
female. When the proposition to drop the war club was resolved upon, the
message was delivered to this officer, and he was bound to enforce it with all
the powers of eloquence he possessed.
Marriage
among the Iroquois was a mere personal agreement between the parties, requiring
no particular sanction and in no respect affected the rights of property, if
the wife had any. Whatever goods, effects or valuables of any kind the wife had
before marriage, she continued to hold absolutely, and if a separation took
place, the wife was entitled to take with her all her property."
It is the Palatine Germans who most concern
Benton and he goes to some length describing the many legal and political difficulties
which these pioneers faced in attempting to escape from indentured servitude in
the Hudson Valley and gaining their own land in the Schoharie and Mohawk Rivers
in the 1720s. And he is very compassionate in describing their hard lives and
the violent attacks they experienced, first from the French in 1757-1758, and
from the British and their allies during the Revolution.
The Oriskany Battlefield
Although he admired Nicholas
Herkimer, Judge Benton’s description of the subsequent battle of Oriskany in
1777 acknowledges that the general’s decisions cost the lives of hundreds of local
militiamen who followed him:
"All
previous accounts had fixed St. Leger's forces at 2000 strong, nearly half of
which were Indians led by Brant, a brave, active and artful Mohawk sachem.
Herkimer knew this, and he no doubt believed, as well he might, that a force
superior to his own, could be sent against him, which would select its own
battlefield, without in any way interfering with the investment of the fort.
But noisy insubordination prevailed, and precipitated the little band of
patriots into the jaws of death. Smarting under the repeated accusations heaped
upon him, and irritated no doubt, the General gave orders to take up the line
of march, which was received with cheers by the men, who proceeded rapidly on
their way, two deep, having thrown out the usual advanced and flanking parties.
At 10 o'clock, on the 6th, the
main body of troops passed over a causeway on a marshy ravine, the advance
having commenced an ascent of the westerly slope, when a well directed fire
from the enemy, in front and on both flanks, accompanied with the dismal Indian
war-whoop, unfolded to the American general that his division had become
involved in an almost inextricable ambuscade. Retreat was impossible, for the
causeway over the marsh was already blocked up with teams; and the rear guard,
just commencing the descent of the eastern declivity, commanded by one of the
officers who in the morning had taunted his general with cowardice, turned a
fled on the first fire of the enemy. But light did not save them from the fate
that awaited their comrades on the west side of the ravine; the enemy, knowing
well the ground, had gained the rear, and shot down the fugitives as they ran
away from their companions. As might well be expected, the suddenness of the
attack and the intensity of the enemy's ire, not only produced great disorder
among the provincials, but annihilation seemed almost inevitable for a time.
Hanyost Schuyler's mother pleads
with Benedict Arnold
(from 1877 Harpers Magazine)
"Hanyost
Schuyler was the instrument made use of to scatter the besieging forces
surrounding Fort Schuyler, and send them helter-skelter back to Canada in
double quick time. The home of this strange and singular being, was near the
upper Mohawk Indian castle in the present town of Danube, where he resided with
his mother and brother Nicholas, and hence in early life had much intercourse
with the Indians. He is described as coarse and ignorant, and but little
removed from idiocy, and still possessing shrewdness enough to be made the
instrument of accomplishing an important object. Hanyost was somewhat tainted
with loyalty, and had been captured at Shoemaker's with Walter N. Butler, and
others' he was tried by a court martial and sentenced to death. Hi mother and
brother, on hearing this sad new, of course hastened to headquarters to
intercede for his life. For a time their efforts were unavailing, but finally
it was proposed he should repair to St. Leger's camp with a friendly Oneida
Indian, and so manage to alarm the enemy as to produce an abandonment of the
siege.
Hanyost gladly embraced the alternative,
leaving his brother as a hostage for the faithful execution of his mission;
being assured that Nicholas should die if he faltered in the enterprise.
Schuyler having procured sundry shots through his garments, that he might show
he had run for dear life, departed with his Indian comrade for the enemy's
camp. They had arranged between them to approach St. Leger's position from
opposite directions, and were not to appear acquainted with each other, if they
should meet. This affair was wisely planned, and most skillfully and adroitly
executed. The instrument was well chosen. He was well known as a loyalist, and
the parties to whom he first addressed himself were no unwilling auditors, no
in an unfavorable mood to be deeply impressed and even awed by his ambiguous
language and mysterious manner. The native American Indians, like the followers
of Mahomet, were ever inspired with a peculiar respect and even reverence for
idiots and lunatics. Fraternal regard strongly prompted Hanyost to apply all
his energies and to leave no effort untried to secure the complete success of
his mission, and relieve his brother from the fate that was hanging over him.
He was completely successful, and having followed the retreating enemy to Wood
Creek, he there left them, and returned to Fort Schuyler the same evening, and
gave Col. Gansevoort the first intimation of Arnold's approach. It was not
until Schuyler's arrival at the fort, that its commandant was able to solve the
problem of St. Leger's sudden departure and precipitate flight."
I do not share the Judge’s estimation
of Hanyost and made him the protagonist of my novel, Neither Rebel Nor Tory, which includes much of the same history
included in Benton’s book, also available in paperback at Wilderness Hill Books and on Kindle.
The Judge's history also has good
descriptions of the Tory and Iroquois raids which followed the British
defeats at Fort Stanwix and at Saratoga. This period paralleled 20th
century colonial conflicts in that the British could attack the American
insurgents, freely engaged in war crimes and atrocities, but could not hold any
territory. Looked at another way, the
Tories and the Iroquois raiders proved to be as elusive as the Viet Cong or the Taliban, striking from a sanctuary in Canada. which their enemies would not breach.
A monument marking the massacre
site near Jordanville is on Route 167 about half mile north on the left from
Holy Trinity Monastery.
In July of that same year about 60 Tory/Iroquois raiders attacked Rheimenschneiders Bush, a small settlement and grist mill north of Little Falls. According to Benton, 19 captives were carried off to Canada. And according to legend, the raiders also carried off two small brass cannons but abandoned them in the forest somewhere near Stewarts Landing at the outlet of Canada Lake. (I have searched for both Rheimenschnieders Bush and for the lost cannons, without success)
Benton describes the attack
on the mill at Little Falls and the dramatic escape of several local residents:
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