Chapter VIII: Highland Settlement on the Mohawk (2)

Sir John Johnson with the Royal Greens, principally his former tenants and retainers, appear to have been especially stimulated with hate against the people of their former homes who did not sympathize with their views. In the summer of 1781 another expedition was secretly planned against Johnstown, and executed with silent celerity. The expedition consisted of four companies of the Second battalion of Sir John's regiment of Royal Greens, Butler's Rangers and two hundred Indians, numbering in all about one thousand men, under the command of Major Ross. He was defeated at the battle of Johnstown on October 25th. The army of Major Ross, for four days in the wilderness, on their advance had been living on only a half pound of horse flesh per man per day; yet they were so hotly pursued by the Americans that they were forced to trot off a distance of thirty miles before they stopped,--during a part of the distance they were compelled to sustain a running fight. They crossed Canada Creek late in the afternoon, where Walter N. Butler attempted to rally the men. He was shot through the head by an Oneida Indian, who was with the Americans. When Captain Butler fell his troops fled in the utmost confusion, and continued their flight through the night. Without food and even without blankets they had eighty miles to traverse through the dreary and pathless wilderness.

On August 6, 1781, Donald McDonald, one of the Highlanders who had fled from Johnstown, made an attempt upon Shell's Bush, about four miles north of the present village of Herkimer, at the head of sixty-six Indians and Tories. John Christian Shell had built a block-house of his own, which was large and substantial, and well calculated to withstand a seige. The first story had no windows, but furnished with loopholes which could be used to shoot through by muskets. The second story projected over the first, so that the garrison could fire upon an advancing enemy, or cast missiles upon their heads. The owner had a family of six sons, the youngest two were twins, and only eight years old. Most of his neighbors had taken refuge in Fort Dayton; but this settler refused to leave his home. When Donald McDonald and his party arrived at Shell's Bush his brother with his sons were at work in the field; and the children, unfortunately were so widely separated from their father, as to fall into the hands of the enemy.

"Shell and his other boys succeeded in reaching their castle, and
barricading the ponderous door. And then commenced the battle. The
besieged were well armed, and all behaved with admirable bravery; but
none more bravely than Shell's wife, who loaded the pieces as her
husband and sons discharged them. The battle commenced at two
o'clock, and continued until dark. Several attempts were made by
McDonald to set fire to the castle, but without success, and his
forces were repeatedly driven back by the galling fire they received.
McDonald at length procured a crow-bar and attempted to force the
door; but while thus engaged he received a shot in the leg from
Shell's Blunderbuss, which put him _hors du combat_. None of his men
being sufficiently near at the moment to rescue him, Shell, quick as
lightning, opened the door, and drew him within the walls a prisoner.
The misfortune of Shell and his garrison was, that their ammunition
began to run low; but McDonald was very amply provided, and to save
his own life, he surrendered his cartridges to the garrison to fire
upon his comrades. Several of the enemy having been killed and others
wounded, they now drew off for a respite. Shell and his troops,
moreover, needed a little breathing time; and feeling assured that,
so long as he had the commanding officer of the beseigers in his
possession, the enemy would hardly attempt to burn the citadel, he
ceased firing. He then went up stairs, and sang the hymn which was a
favorite of Luther during the perils and afflictions of the Great
Reformer in his controversies with the Pope. While thus engaged the
enemy likewise ceased firing. But they soon after rallied again to
the fight, and made a desperate effort to carry the fortress by
assault. Rushing up to the walls, five of them thrust the muzzles of
their guns through the loopholes, but had no sooner done so, than
Mrs. Shell, seizing an axe, by quick and well directed blows ruined
every musket thus thrust through the walls, by bending the barrels.
A few more well-directed shots by Shell and his sons once more drove
the assailants back. Shell thereupon ran up to the second story, just
in the twilight, and calling out to his wife with a loud voice,
informed her that Captain Small was approaching from Fort Dayton with
succors. In yet louder notes he then exclaimed--'Captain Small march
your company round upon this side of the house. Captain Getman, you
had better wheel your men off to the left, and come up upon that
side.' There were of course no troops approaching; but the directions
of Shell were given with such precision, and such apparent
earnestness and sincerity, that the stratagem succeeded, and the
enemy immediately fled to the woods, taking away the twin-lads as
prisoners. Setting the best provisions they had before their
reluctant guest. Shell and his family lost no time in repairing to
Fort Dayton, which they reached in safety--leaving McDonald in the
quiet possession of the castle he had been striving to capture in
vain. Some two or three of McDonald's Indians lingered about the
premises to ascertain the fate of their leader; and finding that
Shell and his family had evacuated the post, ventured in to visit
him. Not being able to remove him, however, on taking themselves off,
they charged their wounded leader to inform Shell, that if he would
be kind to him, (McDonald,) they would take good care of his
(Shell's) captive boys. McDonald was the next day removed to the fort
by Captain Small, where his leg was amputated; but the blood could
not be stanched, and he died within a few hours. The lads were
carried away into Canada. The loss of the enemy on the ground was
eleven killed and six wounded. The boys, who were rescued after the
war, reported that they took twelve of their wounded away with them,
nine of whom died before they arrived in Canada. McDonald wore a
silver-mounted tomahawk, which was taken from him by Shell. It was
marked by thirty scalp-notches, showing that few Indians could have
been more industrious than himself in gathering that description of
military trophies."[132]

The close of the Revolution found the First Battalion of the King's Regiment of New York stationed at Isle aux Noix and Carleton Island with their wives and children to the number of one thousand four hundred and sixty-two. The following is a list of the officers of both Battalions at the close of the War:

"RETURN OF THE OFFICERS OF THE LATE FIRST BATTALION, KING'S ROYAL
REGIMENT OF NEW YORK."
-------|-------------------|--------|-------|------------------------------
| | |Length | FORMER SITUATIONS AND
Rank | NAMES |Place of| of | REMARKS
| |Nativity|Service|
-------|-------------------|--------|-------|------------------------------
Lt |Sir John Johnson |America | 8 yrs.|Succeeded his father, the late
Col | Bart | | | Sir Wm. Johnson, as a
Com | | | | Maj. Gen. of the Northern
Lt | | | | Dis. of the Prov. of New
| | | | York; was in possession
| | | | of nearly 200,000 acres of
| | | | valuable land, lost in
| | | consequence
| | | | of the rebellion.
Maj |James Gray |Scotland|26 yrs.|Ensign in Lord London's
| | | | Regt., 1745; Lieut, and
| | | | Capt. in ye 42nd till after
| | | | taking the Havannah, at
| | | | which time he sold out.
| | | | Had some landed property,
| | | | part of which is secured
| | | | to his son, ye remnant
| | | | lost in consequence
| | | | of the rebellion.
Capt |Angus McDonell |Scotland|25 yrs.|Ensign in 60th Regt. July
| | | | 8th, 1760; Lieut, in same
| | | | regt., 27th Dec., 1770.
| | | | Sold out on account of bad
| | | | state of health, 22nd May,
| | | | 1775. Had no lands.
Capt |John Munro |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Had considerable landed
| | | | property, lost in
| | | | consequence of ye Rebellion,
| | | | and served in last war in
| | | | America.
Capt |Patrick Daly |Ireland | 9 yrs.|Lieut, in the 84th Regt. at
| | | | the Siege of Quebec,
| | | | 1775-76.
Capt |Richard Duncan |Scotland|13 yrs.|Five years Ensign in the
| | | | 56th Regiment.
Capt |Sam'l. Anderson |America | 8 yrs.|Had landed property, and
| | | | served in last war in
| | | | America.
Capt |John McDonell |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Had landed property, 500
| | | | acres, purchased and began
| | | | to improve in April
| | | | 1774.
Capt |Alex McDonell |Scotland| 8 yrs.|200 acres of land in fee
| | | | simple under Sir John
| | | | Johnson. Bart., ye annual
| | | | rent of £6 per 100
-------+-------------------+--------+-------+------------------------------

"RETURN OF THE OFFICERS OF THE LATE FIRST BATTALION, KING'S ROYAL REGIMENT OF NEW YORK." -------|-------------------|--------+-------+------------------------------ | | |Length | FORMER SITUATIONS AND Rank | NAMES |Place of| of | REMARKS | |Nativity|Service| -------|-------------------|--------|-------|------------------------------ Capt |Arch. McDonell |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Merchant. No lands. Capt |Allan McDonell |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Held 200 acres of land under Lt | | | | Sir John Johnson, at £6 | | | | per 100. Lt |Mal. McMartin |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Held 100 acres of land under | | | | Sir John Johnson, at £6. Lt |Peter Everett |America | 7 yrs.|Had some landed property. Lt |John Prentiss |America | 9 yrs.|A volunteer at the Siege of | | | | Quebec, 1775-76. Lt |Hugh McDonell |Scotland| 7 yrs.|Son of Capt. McDonell. Lt |John F. Holland |America | 5 yrs.|Son of Major Holland, | | | | Surveyor-General, | | | | Province of Quebec. Lt |William Coffin |America | 3 yrs.|Son of Mr. Coffin, merchant, | | | | late of Boston. Lt |Jacob Farrand |America | 7 yrs.|Nephew to Major Gray. Lt |William Claus |America | 7 yrs.|Son of Col. Claus, deputy | | | | agent Indian Affairs. Lt |Hugh Munro |America | 6 yrs.|Son of Capt. John Munro. Lt |Joseph Anderson |America | 6 yrs.|Son of Capt. Sam'l Anderson. Lt |Thomas Smith |Ireland | 4 yrs.|Son of Dr. Smith. Ens |John Connolly |Ireland | 2 yrs.|Private Gentleman. Ens |Jacob Glen |America | 3 yrs.|Son of John Glen, Esq., of | | | | Schenectady. Had | | | | considerable landed | | | | property. Ens |Miles McDonell |Scotland| 3 yrs.|Son of Capt. John McDonell. Ens |Eben'r Anderson |America | 6 yrs.|Son of Capt. Sam'l. Anderson. Ens |Duncan Cameron |Scotland|14 yrs.|In service last war preceding | | | | this one. Ens |John Mann |America | 8 yrs.|Private Gentleman. Ens |Francis McCarthy |Ireland |28 yrs.|Formerly Sergeant in the | | | | 34th Regiment. Ens |John Valentine |America |24 yrs.|18 years in 55th and 62nd | | | | Regiments. Ch'p |John Doty |America | 8 yrs.|Formerly minister of the | | | | Gospel at Schenectady. Adjt |James Valentine |Ireland | 4 yrs.|Son of Ens John Valentine. Q.M. |Isaac Mann |America | 8 yrs.|Merchant. Surg. |Charles Austin |England |22 yrs.|14 years in hospital work. M'te |James Stewart |Scotland|14 yrs.|Surgeon's mate in the 42nd | | | | Regt. the war before last. -------+-------------------+--------+-------+------------------------------

"RETURN OF THE OFFICERS OF THE LATE SECOND BATTALION, KING'S
ROYAL REGIMENT OF NEW YORK."
-------|-------------------|--------+-------+------------------------------
| | |Length | FORMER SITUATIONS AND
Rank | NAMES |Place of| of | REMARKS
| |Nativity|Service|
-------|-------------------|--------|-------|------------------------------
Maj. |Robert Leake |England | 7 yrs.|Had some landed property,
| | | | etc., lost in consequence
| | | | of the rebellion.
Capt. |Thos. Gummesell |England | 8 yrs.|Formerly Merchant in New
| | | | York.
Capt. |Jacob Maurer |Foreign'r|28 yrs|Served in ye army in the
| | | | 60th Regt., from 1756 to
| | | | 1763, afterwards in the
| | | | Quarter-Master General's
| | | | Dept.
Capt. | Wm. Morrison |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Was lieut., 19th June, 1776,
| | | | in 1st Batt.; Capt., 15th
| | | | Nov., 1781, in the 2nd
| | | | Batt.
Capt. |James McDonell |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Held 200 acres of land in fee
| | | | simple, under Sir John
| | | | Johnson, at £6 per 100.
Capt. |Geo. Singleton |Ireland | 8 yrs.|Formerly merchant.
Capt. |Wm. Redf'd Crawford|America | 8 yrs.|Held lands under Sir John
| | | | Johnson.
Capt. |---- Byrns |Ireland | 8 yrs.|Held lands under Sir John
| | | | Johnson.
Capt. |---- Lepscomb |England | 7 yrs.|Midshipman Royal Navy.
Capt. |---- McKenzie |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Held lands under Sir John
| | | | Johnson.
Lt. |Patrick Langan |Ireland | 7 yrs.|Private Gentleman.
Lt. |Walter Sutherland |Scotland|10 yrs.|Soldier and non-commissioned
| | | | officer in 26th Regt;
| | | | ensign, 17th Oct., 1779, in
| | | | 1st Batt., lieut., Nov.,
| | | | 1781, in 2nd Batt.
Lt. |William McKay |Scotland|15 yrs.|7 years volunteer and
| | | | sergeant in 21st Regt.
Lt. |Neal Robertson |Scotland| 8 yrs.|Merchant.
Lt. |Henry Young |America | 8 yrs.|Farmer.
Lt. |John Howard |Ireland |18 yrs.|Farmer; served 6 years last
| | | | war, from 1755 to 1761, as
| | | | soldier and
| | | | non-commissioned officer
| | | | in 28th Regt.
-------+-------------------+--------+-------+------------------------------

"RETURN OF THE OFFICERS OF THE LATE SECOND BATTALION, KING'S ROYAL REGIMENT OF NEW YORK."--Continued. -------|-------------------|---------+-------+----------------------------- | | |Length | FORMER SITUATIONS AND Rank | NAMES |Place of | of | REMARKS | |Nativity |Service| -------|-------------------|---------|-------|----------------------------- Lt. |Jeremiah French |America | 7 yrs.| Farmer. Lt. |Phil. P. Lansingh |America | 4 yrs.|High Sheriff, Chariot County. Lt. |Hazelt'n Spencer |America | 7 yrs.|Farmer. Lt. |Oliver Church |America | 7 yrs.|Farmer. Lt. |William Fraser |Scotland | 7 yrs.|Farmer. Lt. |Christian Wher |Foreign'r| 7 yrs.|Farmer. Ens. |Alex. McKenzie |N.Britain| 4 yrs.|Farmer. Ens. |Ron. McDonell |N.Britain| 3 yrs.|Farmer. Ens. |---- Hay |America | 3 yrs.|Son of Gov. Hay at Detroit. Ens. |Samuel McKay |America | 3 yrs.|Son of the late Capt. McKay. Ens. |Timothy Thompson |America | 3 yrs.|Private Gentleman. Ens. |John McKay |America | 3 yrs.|Son of the late Capt. McKay. Ens. |---- Johnson |Ireland | 2 yrs.|Nephew of the late Sir Wm. | | | | Johnson, Bart. Ens. |---- Crawford |America | 4 yrs.|Son of Capt. Crawford. Ch'p |John Stuart |America | 3 yrs.|Missionary for the Mohawk | | | | Indians at Fort Hunter. Adjt. |---- Fraser |Scotland |10 yrs.|7 years soldier and | | | | non-commissioned officer in | | | | 34th Regiment. Q.M. |---- Dies |America | 7 yrs.|Farmer. Surg. |R. Kerr |Scotland | 8 yrs.|Assistant Surgeon.[133] =======+===================+=========+=======+=============================

The officers and men of the First Battalion, with their families, settled in a body in the first five townships west of the boundary line of the Province of Quebec, being the present townships of Lancaster, Charlottenburgh, Cornwall, Osnabruck and Williamsburgh; while those of the Second Battalion went farther west to the Bay of Quinte, in the counties of Lennox and Prince Edward. Each soldier received a certificate entitling him to land; of which the following is a copy:

"His Majesty's Provincial Regiment, called the King's Royal Regiment
of New York, whereof Sir John Johnson, Knight and Baronet is
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commandant.

These are to certify that the Bearer hereof, Donald McDonell, soldier
in Capt. Angus McDonell's Company, of the aforesaid Regiment, born in
the Parish of Killmoneneoack, in the County of Inverness, aged
thirty-five years, has served honestly and faithfully in the said
regiment Seven Years; and in consequence of His Majesty's Order for
Disbanding the said Regiment, he is hereby discharged, is entitled,
by His Majesty's late Order, to the Portion of Land allotted to each
soldier of His Provincial Corps, who wishes to become a Settler in
this Province. He having first received all just demands of Pay,
Cloathing, &c., from his entry into the said Regiment, to the Date of
his Discharge, as appears from his Receipt on the back hereof.

Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at Montreal, this twenty-fourth
Day of December, 1783.

John Johnson."

"I, Donald McDonell, private soldier, do acknowledge that I have
received all my Cloathing, Pay, Arrears of Pay, and all Demands
whatsoever, from the time of my Inlisting in the Regiment and Company
mentioned on the other Side to this present Day of my Discharge, as
witness my Hand this 24th day of December, 1783.

Donald McDonell."[134]

There appears to have been some difficulty in according to the men the amount of land each should possess, as may be inferred from the petition of Colonel John Butler on behalf of The Royal Greens and his corps of Rangers. The Order in Council, October 22 1788 allowed them the same as that allotted to the members of the Royal Highland Emigrants.[135] Ultimately each soldier received one hundred acres on the river front, besides two hundred at a remote distance. If married he was entitled to fifty acres more, an additional fifty for every child. Each child, on coming of age, was entitled to a further grant of two hundred acres.

It is not the purpose to follow these people into their future homes, for this would be later than the Peace of 1783. Let it suffice to say that their lands were divided by lot, and into the wilderness they went, and there cleared the forests, erected their shanties out of round logs, to a height of eight feet, with a room not exceeding twenty by fifteen feet.

These people were pre-eminently social and attached to the manners and customs of their fathers. In Scotland the people would gather in one of their huts during the long winter nights and listen to the tales of Ossian and Fingal. So also they would gather in their huts and listen to the best reciter of tales. Often the long nights would be turned into a recital of the sufferings they endured during their flight into Canada from Johnstown; and also of their privations during the long course of the war. It required no imagination to picture their hardships, nor was it necessary to indulge in exaggeration. Many of the women, through the wilderness, carried their children on their backs, the greater part of the distance, while the men were burdened with their arms and such goods as were deemed necessary. They endured perils by land and by water; and their food often consisted of the flesh of dogs and horses, and the roots of trees. Gradually some of these story tellers varied their tale, and, perhaps, believed in the glosses.

A good story has gained extensive currency, and has been variously told, on Donald Grant. He was born at Crasky, Glenmoriston, Scotland, and was one of the heroes who sheltered prince Charles in the cave of Corombian, when wandering about, life in hand, after the battle of Culloden, before he succeeded in effecting his escape to the Outer Hebrides. Donald, with others, settled in Glengarry, a thousand acres having been allotted to him. This old warrior, having seen much service, knew well the country between Johnstown and Canada. He took charge of one of the parties of refugees in their journey from Schenectady to Canada. Donald lived to a good old age and was treated with much consideration by all, especially those whom he had led to their new homes. It was well known that he could spin a good story equal to the best. As years went on, the number of Donald's party rapidly increased, as he told it to open-mouthed listeners, constantly enlarging on the perils and hardships of the journey. A Highland officer, who had served in Canada for some years, was returning home, and, passing through Glengarry, spent a few days with Alexander Macdonell, priest at St. Raphael's. Having expressed his desire to meet some of the veterans of the war, so that he might hear their tales and rehearse them in Scotland, that they might know how their kinsmen in Canada had fought and suffered for the Crown, the priest, amongst others, took him to see old Donald Grant. The opportunity was too good to be lost, and Donald told the general in Gaelic the whole story, omitting no details; giving an account of the number of men, women and children he had brought with him, their perils and their escapes, their hardships borne with heroic devotion; how, when on the verge of starvation, they had boiled their moccasins and eaten them; how they had encountered the enemy, the wild beasts and Indians, beaten all off and landed the multitude safely in Glengarry. The General listened with respectful attention, and at the termination of the narrative, wishing to say something pleasant, observed: "Why, dear me, Donald, your exploits seem almost to have equalled even those of Moses himself when leading the children of Israel through the Wilderness from Egypt to the Land of Promise." Up jumped old Donald. "Moses," exclaimed the veteran with an unmistakable air of contempt, and adding a double expletive that need not here be repeated, "Compare ME to Moses! Why, Moses took forty years in his vain attempts to lead his men over a much shorter distance, and through a mere trifling wilderness in comparison with mine, and he never did reach his destination, and lost half his army in the Red Sea. I brought my people here without the loss of a single man."

It has been noted that the Highlanders who settled on the Mohawk, on the lands of Sir William Johnson, were Roman Catholics. Sir William, nor his son and successor, Sir John Johnson, took any steps to procure them a religious teacher in the principles of their faith. They were not so provided until after the Revolution, and then only when they were settled on the lands that had been allotted to them. In 1785, the people themselves took the proper steps to secure such an one,--and one who was able to speak the Gaelic, for many of them were ignorant of the English language. In the month of September, 1786, the ship "McDonald," from Greenock, brought Reverend Alexander McDonell, Scotus, with five hundred emigrants from Knoydart, who settled with their kinsfolk in Glengarry, Canada.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 101: Gentleman's Magazine, Sept. 30, 1773.]

[Footnote 102: Am. Archives, Fourth Series, Vol. II. p. 151.]

[Footnote 103: _Ibid_, p. 637.]

[Footnote 104: _Ibid_, p. 638.]

[Footnote 105: _Ibid_, p. 661.]

[Footnote 106: _Ibid_, p. 665.]

[Footnote 107: _Ibid_, p. 672.]

[Footnote 108: _Ibid_, p. 712.]

[Footnote 109: _Ibid_, p. 880.]

[Footnote 110: Stone's Life of Brant, Vol. I, p. 106.]

[Footnote 111: Am. Archives, Fourth Series, Vol. III. p. 1194.]

[Footnote 112: _Ibid_, p. 1245.]

[Footnote 113: _Ibid_, p. 1963.]

[Footnote 114: Documentary and Colonial History of New York, Vol. VIII, p. 651.]

[Footnote 115: Am. Archives, Fourth Series, Vol. IV, pp. 818-829.]

[Footnote 116: Documentary and Colonial History of New York, Vol. VIII, p. 668.]

[Footnote 117: See Appendix, Note J.]

[Footnote 118: Am. Archives, Fourth Series, Vol. VI, p. 447.]

[Footnote 119: _Ibid_, p. 643.]

[Footnote 120: _Ibid_, p. 642.]

[Footnote 121: _Ibid_, p. 644.]

[Footnote 122: _Ibid_, p. 511.]

[Footnote 123: Documentary and Colonial History of New York, Vol. VIII, p. 683.]

[Footnote 124: Am. Archives, Fourth Series, Vol. VI. p. 647.]

[Footnote 125: Sir John Johnson's Orderly Book, p. LXXXII.]

[Footnote 126: Macdonell's Sketches of Glengarry in Canada, p. 22.]

[Footnote 127: Documentary and Colonial History of New York, Vol. VIII, p. 779.]

[Footnote 128: Stone's Life of Joseph Brant, Vol. I, p. 238.]

[Footnote 129: Johnson's Orderly Book, p. 57.]

[Footnote 130: _Ibid_, p. 59.]

[Footnote 131: _Ibid_, p. 56.]

[Footnote 132: Stone's Life of Joseph Brant, Vol. II, p. 164.]

[Footnote 133: Macdonell's Sketches of Glengarry, p. 47.]

[Footnote 134: _Ibid_, p. 51.]

[Footnote 135: See Appendix, Note K.]