Friday, January 7, 1814
In
Philadelphia in poverty died Gen. Ira Allen, a brother of Ethan Allen and
Vermont's founder and great diplomat during the trying years of revolution. His
remains were deposited in public grounds and his grave remains unmarked.
The wrongs and misfortunes of Ira Allen, on the eastern side of the lake, and of William Gilliland, on the shore directly opposite, are the direst I ever read of inflicted on deserving man, under form of law, in a civilized community.
Saturday, January 8, 1814
A detachment of infantry
from Chateaugay Four Corners ordered to Plattsburgh by Gen. Wilkinson, reached
there after a forced march of forty miles that day.
Monday, January 10, 1814
Other detachments of troops having arrived Wilkinson repaired to Plattsburgh in person while the camp at French Mills was broken
up and all magazines and provisions forwarded to Lake Champlain.
Sunday, January 14, 1814
The "Centinel" Published in Burlington,
became the "Northern Sentinel" and so continued until 1830 when it became the
"Burlington Sentinel" and so remained until its removal to Providence, R.I. in
1872. From 1851 to 1855 while under the control of John G. Saxe, the poet,
a daily edition was issued.
Saturday, January 22, 1814
The death of Letitia Platt, daughter of Judge Charles
Platt and first wife of the Rev. Frederick Halsey, occurred.
Sunday, January
30, 1814
Noadiah
Moore of Champlain married Maria Caroline Mattqocks of Middlebury, Vt.
Saturday, February 19, 1814
"Your
company is requested on
Thursday evening,
the twenty-fourth
instant, at a Ball,
to be given
at Israel Green's
Hotel
Major Lomax,
(Manager)
Capt. Rees, (Manager)
John Bleecker, (Manager)
R. H. Walworth, (Manager)
This invitation was printed in Old English text, on the reverse side of an ordinary playing card, the Queen of Diamonds.
Wednesday, March 2, 1814
About the first of the month Maj. Forsyth, with 300 Riflemen and Dragoons had
been sent to the lines near Champlain to protect eth frontier and break up an
illicit intercourse which had been carried on with the enemy during the winter,
while Gen. Macomb and Col. Clark had been sent to the Vermont frontier for a
similar purpose. The British becoming alarmed had occupied Lacolle and
strengthened the forts at St. Johns and Isle Aux Noix.
Tuesday, March 22, 1814
Clinton county records show that 80 rods of land, corner Bridge and Peru streets
were deeded to Gen. Benj. Mooers. The house, a wooden one painted yellow
was built and occupied by Thomas Green. Many years later it was bricked
up.
Wednesday, March 23, 1814
William Sowles, aged 72, died in Alburgh, Vt., where he had settled soon after the
Revolution, supposing himself in British territory. AS William Soule, he
had served in the English navy and, at the battle of Saratoga, fought on the
side of Burgoyne. After the confiscation of his property, he started
northward, intending to go to Canada. Tradition says he was the owner of
the of the Astor House property on lower Broadway, New York city, which he leased
for 99 years to the first John Jacob Astor, the lease expiring in 1900.
Saturday, March 26, 1814
Wm. Baker, a sergeant of the British Army (103d regiment of Infantry), was
executed as a spy on the sand ridge between Court and Brinckerhoff streets, now
site of Mount Assumption Institute.
Tuesday, March 29, 1814
4,000 men were collected at Champlain, of whom 100 were cavalry and 304
artillerists, having 11 pieces of canon of small calibre. With this force
Wilkinson planned an attack against Major Hancock of the 13th who, with 600 men,
occupied a stone grist-mill on the banks of the Lacolle river about five miles
north of the lines.
Wednesday, March 30, 1814
In
the morning the American army marched out of Champlain upon the Odelltown road
now nearly impassable for artillery, obstructed as it was by fallen trees and
heavy snow drifts. Major Forsyth and his Rifles led the advance, followed
by the 30th and 31st and part of the 11th under Col. Clark; two corps of infantry under
Bissell and Smith and a reserve of 800 men under Macomb brought up the
rear. The attack on the stone mill ended disastrously for the Americans,
their loss amounting to 104 killed and wounded, among them several brave
officers while the British loss reported was but 10 killed and 46 wounded.
At sundown the whole army retired to Odelltown.
Wednesday, April 6, 1814
Com. Macdonough wrote to Peter Sailly, Collector of Customs: " I have
rec'd only this morning your favr of 29th ultimo, owing to the impartibility of
crossing the Lake." He then gives the information that the "B.
flotilla has been at Rouses point since a few Days," and that their ship
will soon be ready to "display the English Collours." He speaks
of the great danger lest the enemy seize the boats and sink them loaded with
stones at the mouth of rivers and creeks, telling Mr. Sailly that he will know
best as to the advisability of placing strong batteries at the mouth of the
Saranac, and closing with: "It will do no good to growl; but I may
observe that we are going to be in a desperate situation on the shores of this
lake as long as the British can navigate it, Stop all Communication and plunder
our Shores."
The letter is written with evident hast, with several
erasures and changes. An inventory of military stores such as boxes of
candles, soap, pounds of beef, pork, etc. occupies the margin and the commander
signs himself Yrs. Ths McDonough.
Monday, April 11, 1814
The Saratoga, destined to be Macdonough's flag ship, was launched at Vergennes,
only forty days from the tree in the forest to the vessel on the lake. Her
equipment had not yet arrived and the roads were impassable for the heavily
loaded wagons which were to draw the naval stores from Troy.
Monday, May 9, 1814
Capt. Daniel Pring entered
the lake with the brig Linnet, five sloops, and thirteen galleys.
Several of the enemy's vessels had been anchored near Rouses Point since the
second of April when the northern end of the lake was free from ice.
Tuesday, May 10, 1814
Pring anchored
his fleet near the Providence Island; Gen. Izard at Plattsburgh notified Macomb
at Burlington of the approach of the enemy and late that night the latter sent
the news to Vergennes and Capt. Thornton with 50 light artillerymen in wagons to
man the battery. All night the selectmen of the lake town worked running
bullets for the approaching conflict.
Sunday, May 15, 1814
Macdonough's squadron
sailed out of Otter Creek into the Narrows, and away to the north, cruising all
summer about the lake, and drilling for the engagement that was deemed
inevitable.
Monday, May 16, 1814
The Steamboat Vermont,
the first on the lake on her trip between Burlington and Plattsburgh,
escaped capture by three gunboats from the British fleet under Captain Pring, in
ambush under the shore of Providence Island, opposite Cumberland Head, through
the discovery and revelation of the plot by Duncan McGregor of Alburg VT.
Sunday, May 29, 1814-
Macdonough brought his fleet out of Otter Creek and cast anchor that same
evening off Plattsburgh.
Saturday, June 11, 1814
A light brigade, under command of Gen. Smith, Forsyth's
regiment of riflemen and two companies of artillery, were encamped near the
mouth of Dead Creek.
Friday, June 17, 1814
The troops at Dead Creek advanced as far as Chazy.
Friday, June 24, 1814
Lieut.-Col. Forsyth with 70 of his rifle men penetrated Canada as far as Odletown where he
was attacked by a detachment of 250 British light troops. He returned to Champlain with
the loss of one killed and five wounded. A few days later he was ordered forward again for
the same purpose when, as his men retreated closely pursued by 150 Canadian Indians, he
was shot down by an Indian. Forsyth's riflemen instantly fired upon the enemy who now
retreated leaving 17 dead upon the field.
Monday, June 27, 1814|
Smith's brigades, fourteen hundred strong, occupied Champlain while Col. Pierce of the
13th was at Chazy with 800 men and about 1,200 men occupied the works at Cumberland head
at Dead Creek. Macdonough's fleet lay at anchor in King's Bay while the British held
LaColle with a force of 3,600 and had strong garrisons at Isle aux Noix and St. Johns and
forces at L'Acadie and Chambly.
Saturday, July 23, 1814
The keel of the Eagle was laid at Vergennes.
Sunday, July 31, 1814
Macomb's brigade, consisting of the 6th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 29
Regiments set out in boats from Cumberland Head for Chazy Landing while
Bissell's brigade, comprising the 5th, 14th, 30th, 31st, 33rd, 34th and 45
Regiments, started for Chazy by land. There were now 4,500 men at or in
the rear of the village of Champlain. Invalids and 200 effective were left
to finish the works on the Head while a working party of 400 under Col. Fenwich
were completing the three redoubts in that village.
Thursday, August 11, 1814
The new brig, carrying 20 guns, was launched at Vergennes and named the Eagle.
Tuesday
, August 16, 1814
In the afternoon, Com.Macdonough, accompanied by a body guard, visited Capt. Caleb Hill at his home on Isle La Motte and
consulted with him in regard to depredations made by certain sailors from his fleet upon property on the Island. That the
offenders should be punished, if caught, was decided and Macdonough returned, his boat laden with green corn, new potatoes and
garden truck which Capt. Hill had given him from the house garden. That evening a part of desperate men, including an officer,
pretending to be British, entered the house and while being served with refreshments, murdered Capt. Hill in his own kitchen. His
young son, Ira, while trying to escape, was struck by an officer with a sword, cutting a gash from below the right eye, through
the mouth to the end of the chin, inflicting a scar which was carried through life.
Saturday, September 10, 1814
The entire British fleet was now anchored off
the south end of Isle La Motte, where the gun-boats, under Capt. Pring, had been since the
7th. Com. Downie arrived the 8th and the British officers now took possession of the stone
house built by Samuel Fisk, still standing. Macdonough's fleet had been anchored a little
north of Blanchard's Point previous to the first of the month, but soundings made with
reference to an engagement there proving unsatisfactory, the fleet had withdrawn to
Cumberland Bay.
Sunday, September 11, 1814
At early morn in
Cumberland Bay,
Four Gallant Ships at anchor lay,
The Saratoga, the Eagle grey,
Preble and Ticonderoga they
And now along the western shore
Slowly sail down as many more,
The Confiance the Linnet gay,
The Finch, the Chuth that day
Destined to be the Eagle's prey.
A few minutes before 9, Downie gave the signal for the squadron to advance. In the momentary hush before the battle, Macdnough with his offcers about him, knelt upon the deck of his flagship and repeated the prayer appointed by the Church to be said before a fight at sea. A moment more and the carnage had begun. Downie fell early in the fight but the battle raged for two hours and twenty minutes when the British colors were hauled down.
The veterans from Trafalgar
Declared that naught but mimic war
Compared with this, which left no spar
But splints for matches;" naught but rags
For proudly waving battle flags.
One out of seven, who fought that day
Dying, or dead, Or wounded lay,
Stansbury, Carter, banks, of ours
And Gamble fell, wrecked by the showers
Of iron hail; and there all pale
Lay Downie, Jackson, Gunn and Paul
And Anderson; brave foreman all.Palmer.Mrs.
Macdonough wrote to the Hon. W. Jones Sec. of the Navy.-" The Almighty has been pleased to grant us a signal victory on Lake Champlain in the capture of one frigate, one brig and two sloops of war of the enemy."
At the beginning of the battle on the bay, the enemy had opened his batteries on our forts and the fighting continued in different quarters nearly all day. But as night fell no time was lost by the van-quished foe in making their escape as best they could over the muddy and nearly impassable roads north-ward.
Thursday, September 15, 1814Monday, September 12, 1814
Commodore Macdonough caused the wounded to be removed to his own hospital on Crab Island and there, south of the hospital tents, the dead of both armies were buried in trenches together. The same day the Vermont volunteers returned home.Tuesday, September 13, 1814
The New York militia were disbanded and the most severely wounded of the enemy were paroled and sent to the English hospital at Isle aux Noix. This day the body of Lieut. Stansbury, who mysteriously disappeared from the Ticoncieroga during the action, rose to the surface of the water, and was found to have been "cut in two with a round shot." He was a son of Gen. T. B. Stansbury.Wednesday, September 14, 1814
The remains of the lamented Gamble, Stansbury, Carter and Barron were placed in separate boats, manned by crews from their respective vessels. The sad procession then moved to the Confiance, where the British oflicers joined them with their dead. At the lakeshore the funeral party was met by a large concourse of soldiers and civilians and, as the procession slowly wended its way to the village cemetery, minute guns were fired from the fort. In the centre of that peaceful spot, friend and foe were laid to rest, the flags for which each had fought, furnishing a pall.
Tuesday, September 20, 1814
At Hampton, Washington Cp., whither his father's family had moved because of the anticipated invasion, was born Peter Sailly Palmer, named for his maternal grandfather. The home in Plattsburgh stood just left of a ravine, through which the railroad now passes ( No. 2 Cornelia Street). Young Palmer received his education at Plattsburgh Academy, studied law with Judge William F. Haile and in the office of McKowen and John Van Buren of Albany, and was admitted to the Supreme Court and Court of Chancery in 1836. With the exception of a few years' absence in Michigan, his life work was done in Plattsburgh, to the interests of which he was ever faithful.
Thursday, September 22, 1814
