Volume 2 — 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 310Clinton’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.)

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