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Formation of the King's Royal
Regiment of New York under Sir John Johnson.—It is placed on the
Establishment.— A Second Battalion Authorized.—List of Glengarry Gentlemen
to whom Commissions were Granted in that and other Loyalist Corps. — Arrest
of Wives and Families of the Highland Loyalists.—Retribution.—The Valley of
the Mohawk Rendered a scene of "Widespread, Heart Sickening and Universal
Desolation."—Battle of Oriskany.—Dr. Moses Younglove's Alleged
"Brutalities." -- Highlanders Rescue their Families.— Capture of Exeter amd
Fort Wintermoot by Butler's Rangers.— Americans Abandon Fort Wyoming.—
Highlanders make Another Incursion into the Scoharie Settlement.
The arrival of Sir John
Johnson and his Highland followers, in Canada was communicated by the
Governor General, Sir Guy Carleton, to Lord George Germaine, then Secretary
of State for American and Colonial Affairs, as follows :—
"Chamblie, 8 July, 1776.
"My Lord,
"The day after His Majesty's
Troops took possession of Montreal, and the communication with the Upper
Country thereby became open, Sir John Johnson and about two hundred
followers arrived there from the Province of New York. He represents to me
that there are -considerable numbers of people in the part of the country he
comes from who remain steadily attached to His Majesty's Government, and who
would take up arms in its defence had they sufficient encouragement on which
account, in the meantime, they suffer ill the miseries that the persecuting
spirit of the Rebels is able to inflict upon them.
In consequence of this
representation, and taking it for granted that the King's pleasure is not
only to furnish all his good and loyal subjects with the means of defending
themselves against rapine and violence, but further to grant them all
possible assistance, I have therefore given Sir John Johnson a-Commission to
raise on that Frontier of this Province a Battalion of men (to be called the
King's Royal Regiment of New York) of equal numbers with other of His
Majesty's marching Regiments serving in America, and I have appointed him
Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant thereof.
"I am, with all due respect,
" My Lord,
"Your Lordship's Most
Obedient and Most Humble Servant,
Guy Carleton.
"Lord George Germaine."
The Deputy Adjutant-General
in his letter to Sir John Johnson authorizing the formation of the Regiment,
instructed him that the officers of the new Corps were to be divided so as
to assist those distressed by the Rebellion, and in order to provide against
an abuse then common in the service, but which it was considered undesirable
to transplant, it was intimated "that there were to be no pluralities of
officers in the Corps." It was soon placed on an efficient footing, as on
the 13th January, 1777, Sir Guy wrote to General Phillips, applauding the
spirit of the Royal Regiment of New York, M suggesting arrangements for the
care of refugees with the Corps, many of the Loyalists having placed
themselves under its protection, of whom in December, 1776, a large
contingent had arrived from New York under the Messieurs Jessup, doubtless
the same body of men subsequently embodied under Major Jessup, and known as
the Loyal Rangers, who, on being disbanded on the close if the war, I
settled in the vicinity of what is now Brockville. On the 24th March, 1777,
Lord George Germaine wrote from Whitehall, London, to Sir Guy Carleton that
he had received notice of Sir John Johnson's arrival in Montreal, that the
distress and loyalty of the people in that part of the country from which he
came justified the raising of a Battalion there, and that the King approved
of it and of Sir John Johnson having teen platted in command. In July, 1780,
authority was given to Sir John to raise a second Battalion, which was done
with expedition, as on the 28th November General Haldimand wrote Lord George
Germaine, highly commending the conduct of Sir John Johnson, and stating
that the second Battalion was in a forward state. In the following year,
Lord George Germaine announced that the Regiment had been placed on the
Establishment of the British Army, and referred in complimentary terms to
the conduct of Sir John Johnson. It had previously been settled, and Sir
Henry Clinton informed, that officers of Provincial Corps were to take rank
with British officers of the Regular Army, to receive gratuities for wounds,
and to hold permanent rank in America.
This Regiment is commonly
referred to by the American writers Sparks, Stone, Sebine and others as well
as by Dr. Canniff, as "The Royal Greens," possibly because their facings may
have been of that colour. Sir John Johnson, its Colonel Commandant, was
appointed by General Order of 1st October, 1782, Brigadier-General of the
King's Provincial Troops, with Captain Scott, 53rd Regiment, as his Major of
Brigade, a just tribute to himself, and a mark of distinction to the
Regiment which he commanded. Many interesting particulars relating to this
Regiment will be found in Judge Pringle's most valuable book, "Lunenburg, or
the Old Eastern District," pp. 172-83. Many of his relatives, as well as
those of his wife, served in the Royal Regiment of New York with honour to
themselves and advantage to the Loyal cause.
In thin Regiment, Butler's
Rangers—which also was largely competed of Loyalists from the Mohawk Valley,
and was commanded by Colonel John Butler, who greatly distinguished himself
during the War—and the Eighty-Fourth or Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment
also both raised, the Highland gentlemen who had emigrated from Glengarry in
1773, and settled, as we have seen, in Tryon County, received commissions
and the men enlisted. On the termination of the War and the reduction of
these Regiments, returns were made of the officers of these Corps and other
Regiments, copies of which are now amongst the Archives at Ottawa, and from
them I take the following list of the Scottish officers who had come from
Glengarry in Scotland. I think it will be admitted that it is a tolerably
fair one. It shows more gentlemen of one name than of all the names of those
well known and distinguished families in the early settlement and history of
the Province, who afterwards comprised the Family Compact, combined. Should
anyone feel disposed to dispute this statement of a historic fact the lists
are there to speak for themselves. Many of them eventually settled in
Glengarry in Canada and gave the name to the County; several of them
afterwards representing it when Parliamentary institutions were accorded to
the Province. The number of the private soldiers of the same name was in
proportion to the officers, as a glance at Lord Dorchester's list will show.
The following is a list of Officers, with rank, name, place of nativity,
length of service, and remarks, as follows:—
In giving the prominence that
I do to the above gentlemen of this name, I am far from wishing it to be
understood that they and those of their name were the only Highland United
Empire Loyalists who settled in the Mohawk Valley and other parts of the
United Stat«, and, having fought through the war, on its termination took
tip their abode in what is now1 Glengarry, Far from it. The names of those
Men mentioned are conspicious and easily distinguished and identified by
reason of the fact of their having held commissions, and on that account of
more prominence than others of equal merit, and who made equal sacrifices,
but who .served either as- noncommissioned officers or in the ranks, and
what names are not, therefore, now distinguishable one from another.
The figures given hereafter
will show that while other Scottish Clans were represented among these most
deserving men, there were so many more from Glengarry in Scotland than from
any other part of it, that it cannot be matter of surprise that among them
were many men whose position and other qualifications entitled them to
commissions in the Regiments raised. The fact is that white from other parts
there had been individuals who had Emigrated before the breaking out of the
War, from Glengarry there had been a very considerable portion of the Clan,
all at one time, settling in the same place, of the same name and religious
and political faith, and at their head many persons of station and
education, and all, without a solitary exception, taking up arms in defence
of a principle binding upon their consciences, and in defence of which they
were bound, if necessary, to die. large, indeed, was the proportion of the
Glengarry people in comparison with others that to that fact is due
undoubtedly, the name given to the County. And that alone, if no other
reason existed, would constitute a sufficient one for the mention of there
names. I would however, gone most carefully over Lord Rochester's list and
other sources of information, and the only other names of Commissioned
Officers that I can find who settled in Glengarry are those of Major Gray,
Lieutenants Sutherland and McMartin, of the King's Royal Regiment of New
York; the Rev. Mr. Bethune, Chaplain of the Eighty-Fourth Regiment, and
Captain Wilkinson, of the Indian Branch of the Service. There were, of
course, many commissioned officers of other Scottish names, but they did not
settle in Glengarry. Of the Frasers, for instance, there were four, but all
of them settled in the neighborhood of what is now 8rockville.
It is also to be understood
that of those mentioned above, several settled in Stormont and Dundas, and
one in the County of Prince Edward, though the majority of them were
identified with Glengarry, and, as I think the sequel will shew, served it
and its people with sufficient fidelity and distinction to warrant the
tribute paid to their memory by the mention of their name.
Such of the Scotch Loyalists
as yet remained in Tryon County shortly afterwards left, Mr. Stone stating
that early in the month of May, 1777:
"The residue of the Roman
Catholic Scotch settlers in the neighborhood of Johnstown ran off to Canada,
together with some of the Loyalist Germans, all headed by two men named
McDonell, who had been permitted by General Schuyler to visit their
families. The. fact that the wives and families of the absconding Loyalists
were holding communication with them and administering to their subsistence
on the outskirts of the settlements, had suggested their arrest and removal
to a place of safety, to the number of four hundred—a measure that was
approved by General Herkimer and his officers."
Such treatment of women and
children, howler, was scarcely calculated to placate the Loyalists.
I could not attempt, within
the limits I have laid down for my narrative, to enter at any length into
the various events of the Revolutionary War, or to narrate at all
circumstantially, even, those relating to the engagements in which Sir John
Johnson and his Regiment—which, on its disbandment, principally contributed
from among its officers and men the first settlers of our County, and has
therefore for us the most interest—were engaged. This Regiment, with
Butler's Rangers, and the Indians under Brant, harassed time and time again
the northern part of New York, from that part of the State west of Albany,
especially the Mohawk Valley, as well as Pennsylvania. They were evidently
bound to have it out with their former neighbours, whom they regarded not
only as traitors to the Sovereign, but doubtless also as the immediate cause
of all the misfortunes which had fallen to their lot-—the loss of home,
severance for years from kindred, imprisonment of friends, and death of
others, personal indignities, with hardships, persecution and suffering
unspeakable. Mr. Stone declares that:—
"No other section or district
of country in the United States of the like extent, suffered in any
comparable degree as much from the War of the Revolution as did the Mohawk;
for mouth after month, for seven long years, were its towns and villages,
its humbler settlements and isolated habitations, fallen upon by an untiring
and relentless enemy, until, at the close of the Contest, the appearance of
the whole district was that of widespread, heart-sickening and universal
desolation. In no other section of the Confederacy were so many campaigns
performed, so many battles fought, so many dwellings burnt, or so many
murders committed. Those who were left at the return of peace were literally
a people 'scattered and peeled.' So was the computation, two years before
the close of the War, that one-third of the population had gone over to the
enemy; that one-third had been driven from the country or slain in battle
and by private assassinations, and yet among the inhabitants of the other
remaining third, in June, 1783, it was stated at a public meeting held at
Fort Plain, that there were three hundred widows and two thousand orphan
children."
It was the Loyalist soldiers
of these Regiments principally who under Colonel St. Leger, fought and won
the Battle of Oriskany, on the 6th July, 1777, which was one of the
severest, and, for the numbers' engaged. one of the most bloody Battles of
the Revolution. In his despatch to General Bourgoyne, Colonel St. Leger
stated that four hundred of the Americans were killed, amongst whom were
almost all the principal leaders of Rebellion in that part of the country,
including; their Commanded General Herkimer, who was a brave and
distinguished Officer, with Colonels Cox, SeSber, Paris and others, while
upwards of two hundred of them were taken prisoners. The British loss was
also severe, falling principally on Sir John Johnson's and Butler's corps.
St. Leger did not state the number of his own killed and wounded. Mr. Stone
claims that their loss was as serious as that of the Ameriquts, but the
statement does not appear to be borne out by the facts. One of the many
Macdonells, a Captain in the Royal Regiment of New York, was killed and two
of his brother officers desperately wounded, and Captains Wilson and Hare,
of Butler's Rangers, killed. The Americans allege that the "Indians and
Tories" behaved on this occasion with great cruelty to their prisoners, but
to show the character of the evidence upon which there was so grave a
charge, its only necessary to give a specimen and to bear in mind that the
maker of the affidavit was vouched for by their historians as being "a
respectable man, incapable of any designed misstatements of facts:—
"Moses Younglove, Surgeon of
General Herkimer's Brigade of Militia, deposeth and saith: That being in the
Battle of said Militia above Oriskany on the 6th of August last, towards the
close of said Battle he surrendered himself prisoner to a savage, who
immediately gave him up to a Sergeant of Sir John Johnson's Regiment; soon
after which, a Lieutenant in the Indian Department came up, in company with
several other Tories, when said Mr. Grinnis by name, drew his tomahawk at
this deponent, and with a deal of persuasion was hardly prevailed on to
spare his life. He then plundered him of his watch, buckles, spurs, &c. ;
and other Tories, following his example, stripped him almost naked with a
great many threats, while they were stripping and massacring prisoners on
every side. That this deponent, on being brought before Mr Butler, Sr., who
demanded of him what he was fighting for, to which this deponent answered,
he fought for the liberty that God and nature gave him, and to defend
himself and dearest connections from the massacre of savages.' To which
Butler replied, 'You are a damned impudent rebel,' and so saying,
immediately turned to the savages, encouraging them to kill him, and if they
did not, the deponent and the other prisoners should be hanged on a gallows
then preparing. That several prisoners were then taken forward toward the
enemy's headquarters, with frequent scenes of horror and massacre, in which
Tories were active as well as savages; and, in particular, one Davis,
formerly known in Tryon County on the Mohawk River; that Lieutenant
Singleton, of Sir John Johnson's Regiment, being wounded, entreated the
savages to kill the prisoners, which they accordingly did, as nigh as this
deponent can judge, six or seven."
That Isaac Paris, Esq., was
also taken the same road, without receiving from them any remarkable
insults, except stripping, until some Tories came up, who kicked and abused
him: after which the savages, thinking he was a notable offender, murdered
him barbarously; that those prisoners who were delivered up to the Provost
Guards, were kept without victuals for many days, and had neither clothes,
blankets, shelter nor fire; while the guards were ordered not to use my
violence in protecting the prisoners from the savages, who came every day in
large companies with knives, feeling the prisoners, to know who were
fattest; that they dragged one of the prisoners out of the guard with the
most lamentable cries, tortured him for a long time, and this deponent was
informed, by both Tories and Indians, that they ate him, as appears they did
another on an island in Lake Ontario, by bones found there nearly picked,
just after they had crossed the lake with the prisoners; that the prisoners
who were next delivered up were murdered in considerable numbers from day to
day round the camp, some of them so nigh that their shrieks were heard that
Captain Martin, of the batteaux men, was delivered to the Indians at Oswego
on the pretence of having kept back some useful intelligence; that this
deponent during his imprisonment, and his fellows, were kept almost without
provisions, and what they drew were of the worst kind, such as spoilt pork,
biscuit full of maggots and mouldy, and no soap allowed, or other method of
keeping clean; and were insulted, struck, &c., without mercy by the guards,
without any provocations given; that this deponent was informed by several
Sergeants, orderly on General St. Leger, that twenty dollars were offered in
general orders for every American scalp."
There can be little doubt but
that on both sides there was much done that cannot be reconciled with
the-methods-of modern warfare, but such apparent falsehoods as those to
which the "reputable" Dr. Younglove deposed under oath bear their own
reputation on their face. Even as late at the War of 1813, it was a
favourite allegation of theirs that our Indians were encouraged to scalp,
while it was proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the first scalp of the
War vas taken by an American Officer at that—who boasted of it in a letter
written to his wife which was found in his pocket when he was killed a day
or two later.
Shortly after this, another
expedition was despatched from Niagara to the Whig settlements in
Pennsylvania under Colonel John Butler, who also had with him, in addition
to his Rangers, about five hundred Mohawks under Brant. They entered the
Valley of Wyoming through a gap of mountains near its northern extremity,
took possession of two forts, Exeter and Lackawanna, also known as Fort
Wintermoot, the former of which was burnt; Colonel Butler establishing his
headquarters in the latter. He was shortly afterwards attacked by the
Provincials under a namesake of his own—Colonel Zebulon Butler, and on the
3rd of July a very desperate battle was fought, which resulted in the total
defeat of the Whigs, less than sixty out of four hundred of them escaping,
amongst the dead being one Lieutenant-Colonel, one Major, ten Captains, six
Lieutenants and two Ensigns. Those who survived, with the women and children
of the neighbourhood, took refuge in Fort Wyoming. The following day its
surrender was demanded, when Zebulon Butler made good his escape with such
regular troops as he had with him, his subordinate, Colonel Dennison,
entering into articles of capitulation with the British Commander, it being
agreed that the Americans, upon being disarmed, the garrison demolished,
public stores given up, and the property of "the people called Tories" made
good, should be permitted to return peacefully to their farms, their lives
and property being preserved. Colonel Butler, however, was unable to
restrain his native allies, and scenes were enacted in the Valley almost
equalling the outrages perpetrated shortly afterwards on the Indians in the
Seneca country by the American forces under General Sullivan. Much fiction
has, however, been written with regard to this affair by American writers,
and is admitted to be false by Mr. Stone, such for instance as the account
of the marching out of a large body of Americans from one of the Forts to
hold a parley by agreement, and then being drawn into an ambuscade and all
put to death, also that seventy Continental soldiers were butchered after
having surrendered, while equally untrue is pronounced to be the story of
the burning of houses, barracks and forts filled with women and children.
The Poet Campbell, in his mawkish sentimentality entitled "Gertrude of
Wyoming," has had much to say about "the monster Brandt" In connection with
these events, but then Edmonstoun Aytoun, in the "Execution of Montrose,"
terms a Chief of the Campbell Clan, in whom they take great pride, "the
monster-fiend Argyle." I suppose if Poets were allowed no license we would
have no poetry
At the close of the War, the
Mohawk tribe almost to a man, under Brant's leadership, quit their beautiful
Valley and retired to Canada with the other loyalists. Brant was a Christian
and a member of the Church of England. In 1786 he built a Church on the
Grand River, wherein was placed the first "Church-going bell" that ever
tolled in Upper Canada. Shortly before his death he built a commodious
dwelling house for himself near Burlington Bay, where he died on the 24th
November, 1807, aged sixty-four years and eight months, and after a painful
illness borne with true Indian fortitude and Christian patience and
resignation. Mr. Stone states that while his manner was reserved, as was
customary with his people, nevertheless he was affable though dignified, on
all occasions and in all society comporting himself as would be expected in
a well-bred gentleman. His great quality was his strong, practical, good
sense and deep and ready insight into character. He had a keen sense of
humour and was an excellent conversationalist, while in letters he was in
advance of some of the Generals against whom he fought and of even still
greater military men who have flourished before his day and since. Though
not without failings, they were redeemed by high qualities and commanding
virtues; in business relations he was a model of promptitude and integrity;
the purity of his private morals has never been questioned, and his house
was the abode of kindness and hospitality. As a Warrior he was cautious,
sagacious and brave, watching with sleepless vigilance for opportunities of
action, and allowing neither dangers nor difficulties to divert him from his
well-selected purpose. His constitution Was hardy, his capacity of endurance
great, his energy untiring, and his firmness indomitable. On the occasion of
his visits to Great Britain, he was treated by the Royal Family, the leaders
of the Nobility and the Political chiefs with the most distinguished
consideration. He had during the Revolutionary War made the personal
friendship of several officers of high social station, among others being
Earl Moira, afterwards Marquis of Hastings, who had served in America as
Lord Rawdon, who presented him with his miniature, set in gold; General Sir
Charles Stuart, a younger son of the Earl of Bute, and the Duke of
Northumberland, who had as Lord Percy been on terms of intimate friendship
with him, and with whom he maintained a correspondence until his death. Many
of these letters are given by Mr. Stone in his ' Life of Brant," the Duke,
himself by the way a warrior of the Mohawk Tribe by adoption, always
addressing Brant as "My dear Joseph" and signing himself, "Your affectionate
friend and brother, Northumberland Thorighwigeri," in which Indian title he
rejoiced, and which had been conferred upon him by Brant himself. The name
signified "The Evergreen Brake," a pretty conceit, indicating that a titled
house never dies, like the leaves of this peculiar species of brake, in
which, when the old leaf falls, the young is id fresh and full existence.
Brant, on his part, fully aware of the customs of the great, always
addressed His Grace as "My Lord Duke," signing himself, "Your Grace's
faithful friend and brother warrior, Jos. Brant, Thayendanegea." The Earl of
Warwick was another of his friends, and for whom he sat for his picture, as
he had done for the Duke of Northumberland.
When presented at Court, he
declined to kiss the King's hand, but with equal gallantry and address
offered to kiss that of the Queen, which the kind-hearted Monarch tooki'n
excellent part. He stood equally well in the graces of the Prince Regent,
who took great delight in his company, and by whom he was frequently
entertained. It was quite the mode to affect him, and the Carlton House set
Fox, Sheridan and others, taking in this as in much else their due from "the
first gentleman of Europe," lavished attention and civilities on him.
A laughable episode occurred
at a fancy dress ball which was given during his stay in London. Brant
attended the masquerade, which was got up on a scale of great splendour, and
at the suggestion of Lord Moira dressed himself in the costume of his
nation, wearing no mask, but painting one-half of his face. His plumes
nodded proudly in his cap and his tomahawk glistened at his side, no
character in all the brilliant pageant being more picturesque or attracting
greater attention. Among others who were present was a Turkish diplomat of
high rank, who scrutinized the .Chief very closely, and mistaking his rouge
et noir complexion for a painted visor, took him by the nose, intending,
probably, to remove the mask and have a look to see who was concealed
thereunder! Brant, to carry out the joke, feigned intense indignation,
raised his appalling war-whoop, which made the blood of the merry-makers
curdle in their veins, flashed his tomahawk around the head of the terrified
Turk, who doubtless was a remarkably "sick man" at that particular time, and
left the swooning women under the impression that they would be the
unwilling witnesses of the scalping of the poor Turk. The joke had been
carried far enough, however, and the Mussulman was left in possession of his
hair, the matter was explained, and the incident accounted quite the feature
of the evening. Mr. Stone states that some of the London papers represented
that Brant raised his weapon in serious earnest, having taken the freedom of
the Turk for an intentional indignity, but this of course is ridiculous.
Readers of Mr. John Gait's work, "The Steamboat,'' will remember another
instance in which Printing House Square was imposed upon in connection with
another Chief, not unknown to the Clansmen of Glengarry, when at the
Coronation of George IV. a lady's hysterics at seeing a Highlander in full
dress almost created a panic and the "Times," under the heading of "A
Mysterious, Circumstance," absolutely gave the impression that it was a
deep-laid Jacobite scheme for the destruction of the Royal Family.
But to resume.
Later in the summer, one of
the Macdonells who had formerly lived in Tryon County, and according to Mr.
Stone was a Loyalist Officer "distinguished for his activity," made a sudden
irruption into the Schoharie settlements at the head of about three hundred
Indians and "Tories," burning houses- and killing and making prisoners of
such of the male inhabitants as came in their way, the American force in the
fortress at Schoharie being afraid to come out.
Colonel Gansevoort, however,
with a squadron of Cavalry, arrived to the assistance of his countrymen, and
Macdonell and his men, having accomplished the object of their mission,
returned to headquarters. |
