Tuesday, January 19, 1813
The Medical Society's annual meeting was held with Dr. Benj. Moore,
Pres;. S. Goodrich, Vice-Pres.; Dr. Benj. J. Mooers, Sec.
Thursday, March 4, 1813
Col. Pike's regiment left Plattsburgh.
Friday, March 12, 1813
Lake Champlain Steamboat Company chartered by New York.
Tuesday, March 16, 1813
The 6th regiment left Plattsburgh.
Friday, April 30, 1813
Asa Aikens, afterwards of Westport, received his commission as captain of the
31st regiment, U. S. A. The colonel of the 29th (mostly from Dutchess
county) was Col. Melancton Smith of Plattsburgh, son of the late Judge of the
same name of New York.
Thursday, May, 27, 1813
Mid. Horace Bucklin Sawyer was directed by Com. Macdonough to take one of the gun boats to Plattsburgh. On entering the bay, however, she was struck by a gust of wind and thrown on her beam end and it was several hours before her crew were rescued more dead than alive from their immersion in nearly ice-cold water and taken on board the Eagle.
Wednesday, June 2, 1813
Lieut. Sidney Smith, U.S.N. with two sloops of war, the Growler and Eagle, chased some British boats over the line into Canada. The same day, the town of Peru was first divided into school districts by Benjamin Sherman, William Keese, and Robert Platt, Commissioners.
Thursday, June 3, 1813
At three o'clock in the morning, Lieut. Smith found himself at Ash Island while the enemy's row-galleys had taken refuge under the guns and fortifications of Isle aux Noix. Retreat against the current of the Lake and in the face of a strong south wind, was impossible and in the four-hour engagement that followed the Americans were forced to surrender. The officers, among whom were Lieut. Smith, Loomis, sailing master of the Eagle; Sawyer, midshipman, and Capt. Herrick, were sent first to Montreal and then to Halifax where they were confined in one of H.M. ships of war, commanded by Hon. Capt. Douglas "who treated them with great kindness although his government had proposed to deal with them as with traitors until assured by our government that for everyone so dealt with, two Englishmen should receive similar treatment". After an exchanged had been effected, Mid. Sawyer was ordered to the Constitution.
Sunday, June 13,
1813
A battery of thirteen guns, the sole defense of Burlington and the U.S. Army
encamped there during the War of 1812, repulsed an attack of three British
gunboats.
Friday, July 2, 1813
Far from his own family, Capt. John Schenck, aged 29. died in his country's service and was buried on Cumberland Head. He, no doubt, belonged to the troops stationed at the fortification, which Gen. Woolsey, Major Adams, and other military exempts helped to throw up.
Saturday, July 3, 1813
Date of following entry in War Journal of Eleazer Williams, commanding Secret Corps of Observation, for which service he received from the United States $10,000 but which, through lack of financial ability, he would have lost, had it not been "for friendly exertions of Chancellor Kent, Gov. Taylor, the Hon. Nathan Williams, and Morris S. Miller, of Utica"
"Plattsburgh,--A heavy cannonading is heard from the north about 10 o'clock this morning. Lieut. Sidney Smith, with two armed schooners (The Growler and Eagle), went yesterday to the lines--he is undoubtedly attacked."
Saturday, July 10, 1813
I have information from the Deputy Quarter Master, At Albany, that Gen. Wade Hampton is o assume the command of the
Northern Army. Strange that the government should appoint southern men to such responsible stations at the north. Gen.
Mooers ought to have this appointment, Montreal would be in his possession in a month. He is a brave, judicious, and prudent
officer, and, withal, extremely popular with his fellow-citizens. They would follow him with the greatest cheerfulness.- Journal
of Eleazer Williams.
Wednesday, July 21, 1813
Plattsburgh,--I have heard several able discourses from the Rev. Mr.
Weeks, on the Decrees of God, concerning which I can not agree with him in every
respect. Gen. Mooers seems to submit to them as in accordance with the
Scriptures. Gen. Skinner my particular friend dissents from them. He
pleads the agency of man. He is well versed in the Scriptures, i.e.,
he retains much in memory. Mr. Nichols, a lawyer, is greatly opposed, he
is willing to hear the subject discussed. -Journal of Eliezer Williams.
Saturday, July 24, 1813
Lieut. Thomas Macdonough advanced to the rank of Master Commandant.
SUMMER RAIN
Aslant, the driven rain incessant streams;
The thirsty meadows sigh with soft delight;
The wind blown poplar shifts from green to white,
And white to green, as aimlessly as dreams.
Buckham
Friday, July 30, 1813
Col. Murray embarked his force numbering over 1,400 men, including
infantry, sailors and marines in two war sloops, three gunboats, and forty-seven
longboats, and crossing the lines, passed Champlain where the Americans had not
and never had a naval establishment. The same day some of the British
gunboats menaced Burlington and exchanged a few shots with our batteries while
Gen. Hampton was organizing his forces in town, intending to invade Canada, and
Com Macdonough was procuring the necessary equipment for his flotilla then
occupying the harbor.
Saturday, July 31, 1813
Murray and his force landed in Plattsburgh without opposition and
began a work of destruction. In spite of her assurances that private
property and unarmed citizens should be unmolested, in addition to destroying
the block-house, arsenal on Broad Street, armory and hospital and the military
cantonment at Fredenbergh Falls, two miles up the river, the British wantonly
burned three private store-houses, taking possession of hardware belonging to
the merchants of the city of Boston, and broke into and robbed private
dwellings. Judge Delord, Peter Sailly, Esq., Judge Palmer, Dr. Miller,
Bostwick Buck, Jacob Ferris and Major Platt were among the losers.
Sunday, August 1, 1813
At ten o'clock Murray, having completed his work of destruction, embarked
in haste, leaving a picket guard of 21 men, which were immediately seized and
sent as prisoners to Burlington. The long boats and two of the gunboats went
north, landing their men at Cumberland Head and Point au Roche, where they
pillaged the houses and farms of Henry W. Brand, Judge Treadwell and Jeremiah
Stowe. At Chazy landing, the enemy burned a store belonging to Judge Saxe
and at Swanton, Vt., some old barracks and plundered several citizens. The
two sloops and the other gunboat sailed south ten or twelve miles above
Burlington, firing a few shots at Burlington as they passed.
This day on account of the invasion of the British troops there was no public worship, and the sacrament of the Lords' Supper could not be administered, according to appointment. Sessional records, Presbyterian Church, Plattsburgh
Friday, August 6, 1813
On Friday, near the lakeshore on the Boynton road, James Dougherty, a soldier,
was hung and his body delivered to the president of the Clinton County Medical
Society "for the use of said society." Dougherty had been tried and
convicted at the June Oyer and Terminer (Judge James Kent presiding) for the
murder of a young man named John Wait, a resident of Salmon River, who was
returning from Pike's Cantonment where he had been to deliver a load of wood.
Friday, September 10, 1813
Col. James Bellows, a soldier in the
Revolution under Arnold at Saratoga and in other battles of that campaign, died in
Fairfax, Vt., to which he had removed from Hartford, Conn. The same day at Robinson's Inn,
Chazy, was born the first child of Lewis S and Hannah (Eldred) Robinson-a boy-named a few
days later by Eleazer Williams (who chanced to come to the house to communicate with his
Rangers) for himself, Eleazer Williams Robinson, promising that the child should share his
gold.
Today
In Champlain Valley History -