UNYG Blog

Well we finally will see a new website associated with this Blog. It is still being tested and loaded up with content.

We are working on building the new site now and soon you will be reading this Blog on a new platform. As many of our long time readers know, the Upstate New York Genealogy website and then Blog evolved over the past nine or so years.

We actually had an earlier website on a free webhosting platform that was called NYGENES. That is why it seemed only natural to set up my email address as nygenes at gmail.com. the Internet has changed greatly since I started publishing genealogy information over a dozen years ago.

The new platform, (website to be announced real soon now,) will have a much nicer look and feel than having to use this pre-made template that Blogger supplies. We will also have a better method to handle categories and subjects, and will be able to offer you specials on certain products that we all need to do research with.

I thank Google for the free use of the Blogger platform as without it I would have never met so many of you nice people who have been following my rants and ramblings. So a very big thank you goes out to all of you as well.

The new website url will be very easy to remember and we will have it posted prominently right here on this Blog platform which will remain up for an undetermined time period. It will be very easy to find the new Blog.

So again, thanks and stay tuned for the new Blog platform for Upstate new York Genealogy Blog. Coming soon!

ps: We will also have some nice new gifts and contest prizes to reward you as loyal followers.
Dick Hillenbrand

pps: You may subscribe to this Blog by either RSS which will send all new posts to your feed reader, or you may subscribe by emai for a once a day email of any new posts that day.
RSS is the orange button at the top right. Subscribe to Upstate New York Genealogy Blog by Email

This family bible starts with William and Sally (BROOKS) CAPES and places mentioned are Boston, Linco[l]nshire, England – New York City – Williamsburgh LI, NY – Erie, PA and Darien, CT.

This bible was purchased from a rare book dealer in 1989.

Title Page:
The Holy Bible, Contatining the Old and the New Testaments: Together with the Apocrypha: Translated Out of the Original Tongues, and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. With Canne’s Marginal Notes and References. To which are added, An Index, An Alphabetical Table of All the Names in the Old and New Testaments, with their significations; Tables of Scripture Weights, Measures, and Coins, &c.

Cooperstown, [NY]: Stereotyped, Printed and Published by H. & E. Phinney, and sold by them at their book-stores, and by the booksellers generally in the United States. – 1829.

There is an inscription on the front flyleaf that is somewhat difficult to read but this is as I make it out:

Given to
Jennie Louisa SCOTT
By her cousin Harriett Arabella ORCHARD
Norton Conn.
Jan 1916
Formerly owned by your great grand parents
William and Sally BROOKS CAPES
And by your great aunt Harriett CAPES BELL.

Family Record

Marriages

William CAPES
Born January 21 1784 [crossed out & 1783 written over]
In Boston, Linconshire, England

Sally BROOKS was
Born October 17, 1792
Norwalk, CT

They were married 12th May 1810
In New York City

In Dairen, By Rev. Aaron ROGERS
Sarah Ann CAPES
Sept 22th 1847 To
William Frederick DICKMAN

Ellen Louise CAPES
March 2d 1851, to
John PILLOIS

Harriett CAPES was
Married to
James Joseph SACKETT
Of New York City
26th December 1836Ceremony by Rev. James
DEMORIST – R.D. Church
Williamsburgh, L.I. N.Y.

In Williamsburgh
Phebe CAPES
James BONNIWELL(?)
23rd November 1837

Harriet CAPES
26th December 1837

William H. CAPES —- [marginal note:] Cousin Julia’s father mother
To Mary DICKERMAN
25th February 1840

Julia CAPES To
John Frederick BROWN
24th April 1841

John W. CAPES
June 2nd 1844 to
Susan WEEKS later to
Alice

Mary E. CAPES to
Thomas LEWIS
[no date]

Births

Harriet CAPES was
Born July 30th 1812
New York City

Phebe CAPES was
Born October 9th 1814
New York City

William H. CAPES was
Born November 10th 1816
In Erie Penn.

Julia CAPES was
Born August 11th 1819
Erie Penn

John W. CAPES was
Born March 24th 1822
In Darien CT

Mary E. CAPES was
Born May 7th 1824
In Darien CT

George W. CAPES was
Born December 14th
1826 in Darien CT

Sarah Ann CAPES
Born May 27th 1829
In Darien CT

Ellen CAPES
Born Jan 10th 1833
Darien CT

Deaths

George W. CAPES
Deceased April 4th
1832

Julia BROWN
Deceased July 12th 1844

William H. CAPES
Deceased July 1st 1845

William CAPES
Deceased Oct 31st 1854

John H. CAPES
Deceased Aug 22nd 1876

Sarah [BROOK written in] CAPES
Deceased April 7th 1878

Phebe CAPES
Wife of James BONNIWELL
Deceased March 18 188[0?]

Harriett CAPES
Wife of John Jay BELL
Deceased Thursday
November 9th 1888
Funeral Monday the 12th
From St Lukes Church

John Jay BELL
Deceased Friday September
8th 1898
Funeral from St Lukes Church –
Darien on Tuesday
The 12th

(end)

Several resources to use for further information on this family may be found from Internet searches.

New York State Vital Records -
Revolutionary War Patriot or Loyalist -
World War II Soldier’s Grave Cared For in Holland -

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

Description of the Family record as transcribed of JOY – MACK – FLORIDAY – LANDERS Family Bible – 1852

The bible was badly worn and broken. The front title page to the Old Testament is lacking.

Inner title page:
The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, translated out of the original Greek, and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised —
Philadelphia, Jesper Harding – 1852.

Marriages

George Nelson JOY
Marid to Mary Ann FLORIDAY
July the 21th 1851

George Nelson JOY
Mared to Hanah Maria LANDERS September 23 1861

George Nelson JOY
Marid to Caraline Elizabeth MACK
June the 26th 1850

Births

George Nelson JOY
Bornd May the 8th 1827

Mary Ann FLORIDAY
Born June the 1th 1830

William Henry JOY Born
Novenber the 12th 1852

Hannah Willety JOY
Borned March the 26th 1863

Nelson Elmer JOY
Borned Thursday
September th 17 1868

Caroline E. MACK
Borned 1834

Births [next page]

Marage of Danel LANDER and his wife
Maried Hannah Maria EATON
February 16th [year obliterated, might be 1831?]

Danniel LANDERS Borned 1824

Hannah Maria EATON borned March the 16th 1839
[year penciled over, possibly changed?]

John D. LANDERS borned
November the 29 1831
[year penciled over, possibly changed?]

Carline LANDERS borned
July the 10 1849

D Albert LANDERS
Borned August the 16th 1851

Jeffferson LANDERS
Borned February 16 1853

Harriet LANDERS
Borned April 5 1857

Chancey LANDERS
Borned December 23 1858

Deaths

Mariann JOY
Dide Febuary the 18th 1858

Daniel LANDERS Dide June the 18 1861

John D LANDERS
Dide August
The 21 1851

Jefferson LANDERS died
Febuary the 3th 1868

Chauncey LANDERS
March 29 1900

Caroline E. JOY
Diede August
The 12th 1850

Hannah Viletty JOY
Diede January
The 18th 1868

George Nelson JOY
Dide September
The 24 1869

Nelson Elmer JOY
Dide May 21 1886

Spencer PARMENTER
Dide January 30 1890

Hanah Maria PARMENTER
Died July the 13 1896

Clara ARNOLD
Died July 12 1925

(end)

The handwriting and erasures and tracings over make this bible very difficult to verify as to accuracy, however the compiler has attempted the best interpretation as able.

There is a George JOY age 22 a “Dyer” with a wife Polly, age not readable, in household of Chauncey EVANS in New Hartford, Oneida Co. NY on the 1850 census.

There is a George N. JOY age 33 a Laborer in household of John D. RANDALL in Rutland, Jefferson Co., NY in 1860 census.

The Daniel and Hannah LANDERS family is on the 1860 census in Schuyler, Herkimer Co., NY page 303.

This Family bible was purchased in 1989 at a Used Book shop in Schuylerville, NY.

Permission to reprint, copy or publish is given as long as attribution is given to
Dick Hillenbrand
Upstate New York Genealogy
www.unyg.com

New York State Vital Records -
Revolutionary War Patriot or Loyalist -
World War II Soldier’s Grave Cared For in Holland -

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

SAUNDERS Family Record

Bible Record from Family Pages in Bible purchased from rare book dealer in 1989.

Title Page:
Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments:
Together with The Apocrypha Translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, with Canne’s marginal notes and references, to which are added, an Index… (more)
Saratoga Springs: printed and published wholesale and retail by G.M. DAVISON — 1826

Family record:
Lodowick SAUNDERS and Elizabeth LANPHEAR was Married April 29, 1802.

Lodowick SAUNDERS Jr., and Temperance HALL was Married Sept the 4(?) 1825

George N. GEEMAN(?) and Elizabeth SAUNDERS was married [no date]

Nathan SAUNDERS and Abagail REYNOLDS Petersburgh, N.Y, was Married Jan 2th 1828.

Family record
Births
Lodowick SAUNDERS was born Nov the 25th 1775

Elizabeth LANPHEAR wife of Lodowick SAUNDERS was born
Dec th 20 1781

Lodowick SAUNDERS jun was born October the 13 1802

Annis SAUNDERS was born Feb th 2 1805

Nathan SAUNDERS was born Nov th 1 1807

Elizabeth SAUNDERS was born Apr 11 1810.

Mary SAUNDERS was born Sept the 18 1811

Joel SAUNDERS was born March the 1 1814.

Family Record
Deaths
Lodowick SAUNDERS decease,d Jan the 18 1832

Elizabeth LANPHEAR widow of Lodowick SAUNDERS died Septbr 19 1856 aged 75 years 9 months.

————-
(end)

Note: there was a Lodowick SAUNDERS on the 1810 census in Berlin, Rensselaer Co., NY.

Permission to reuse or republish is given as long as the source citation is shown as coming from:
Dick Hillenbrand
Upstate New York Genealogy
www.unyg.com

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

As Pownal is very close to my favorite research area of the Old Cambridge District in Washington County, NY I am pleased to pass this announcement to the readers of the Upstate New York Genealogy Blog.

My name is Julie Bright (jbright@capecod.net) 30 Weathervane Lane, East Sandwich, MA 02537
Phone 774-413-9567

Would it be possible for you to post the following information on an upcoming DOWNER-DUNHAM REUNION, Descendants of John DOWNER (1744-1815) of Pownal and his wife Lydia DUNHAM (1785-1861). They are both buried in Morgan-Towslee

We would love to have one or more descendants of their children attend:

William (1773-1859) married Charlotte RICHMOND
Obadiah L. (1774-1815) married Rachel YELVERTON
Amy (1776-1840) married John AUSTIN
John (1777-1850) married Rence (Amy) FINCH married 2nd Lydia JOSSELYN
Joel (1780-1865) married Lovina RISLEY
Sarah (1782-1861) married Ichabod PROSSER
Lydia D. (1785-1861) married Dr. Thomas BANNISTER of Pownal
Mary (1789-1820) married Timothy BELKNAP
Lucy (1791-before 1850) married John HUNT
Abner (1793-1856) married Harriet HAMBLIN married 2nd Rachel HARRINGTON

Downer-Dunham Reunion Scheduled

We now have the date and place set for the DOWNER-DUNHAM REUNION. It will be October 19th through the 22nd at the Williams Inn in Williamstown, MA. This is about five miles south of Pownal, VT and fourteen miles south of Bennington, VT. We have ten rooms reserved, at a discounted rate at the Williams Inn. If you want to stay there, you will need to call them and reserve a room for the “Downer Reunion” All rooms at the Williams Inn are non-smoking. There info is:
Their site is http://www.williamsinn.com/

Contact Info:
Williams Inn 800-828-0133 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              800-828-0133      end_of_the_skype_highlighting They have October 19, 20, 21 & 22
Williamstown, MA
Rates: Mon, Tues, Wed & Thu nights — $139/room/night
Free Wireless

You can stay all four nights or less at this rate.

Purpose of this reunion:

a.. It would give us all an opportunity to meet & share information and memories.
b.. We will see the area where our ancestors lived.
a.. John Downer served in the Revolutionary War along with his father-in-law Obediah Dunham and brother-in-law Benjamin Morgan.
b.. John & Lydia Dunham Downer lived their adult lives in Pownal, VT and are buried at the Morgan-Towslee Cemetery.
c.. Bennington, VT has a monument for the Battle of Bennington. The battle took place on August 16, 1777. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bennington
a.. The actual battle field is a few miles away and located in New Your State.
c.. Williamstown MA, is home of the much respected Clark Art Institute and North Adams, MA which is now home to MOCA the Modern Art Museum.

We are looking forward to hearing from you. Even if you are not interested in attending or can not make the reunion. All thoughts are welcome and encouraged.

Julie bright
jbright@capecod.net
30 Weathervane Lane
East Sandwich MA 02537

bill downer
wrdowner@comcast.net

Jan Wadoski
janforjan@aol.com

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

I would like to make you aware of a unique website for learning about Obituaries, and to use for searching for obits as well, at www.obituarieshelp.org.

This free website that is staffed by volunteers is quite different than the normal site for gravestones, and obits, in that there is a good blend of information and data about obituaries that may be used for people in need of writing an obit for the recently departed.

I do not think I have ever seen such a site before and when thinking about it do believe that this is a great service and an excellent idea.

There are advice sections on what should be included in an obituary, online resources, sympathy messages, sample letters of condolence and funeral resources.

Along with this element of information there is a very strong complement of genealogy resources such as Free Genealogy Forms downloads, Ancestry Research, Search, Family Trees online, and many other sections helpful to genealogists.

From their own description of their website: Access newspaper obituaries and discover your genealogy online. Discover obituary resources like old newspaper obituaries archives and Download free genealogy forms and printable family tree charts.

Please visit Newspaper Obituaries – ObituariesHelp.org and have a look around. I’m sure you will find something that will be of interest and will help you in your research.

Here is another website that will give you some ideas about using old newspaper articles for genealogy research and how to Search Obituaries.
www.old-newspaper-articles.com

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

—

The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is in Boston and was founded in 1845.

That makes it the oldest and most respected non-profit genealogical society in the U.S. If you have been a member of NEHGS you know that they also have a great amount of material on New York State in their holdings.

The NEHGS has been publishing many free articles on their main website, NewEnglandAncestors.org which will no doubt give you some excellent reasons to become a member and to have full use of all of the online databases that they have to offer. Short of a trip to Boston, which you should schedule as soon as possible, the website is a great starting point and will lead you to databases that you never knew existed.

Well NEHGS has long had very nice collections of New York State materials also. What you say? New York is not part of New England.

Maybe so but the New Englanders followed the setting sun and guess where they arrived at first? Sure many went on to the upper mid-western states, but many stayed in New York. There was also quite a bit of interaction between the families that lived in the western counties of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, with the eastern counties of New York State.

So it is a natural thing to gather documents and manuscripts of New England areas that also included quite a lot of information on New York. One way to make this fact known to a larger audience was to create a new website named NewYorkAncestors.org and to bring information to people that might be helpful in researching their Yorker ancestors.

Yours truly was very excited a few months ago when one of the editors of the NEHGS website contacted me and asked if I would be interested in writing a monthly article for NewYorkAncestors.org. Well, yeah! My what an honor to even be considered. Now I’m no Michael Phelps but I sure am proud to be included with the excellent authors on this fact filled website. My first article appeared this week and it is titled; “Getting to Know the Lay of the Land Using New York State Gazetteers.”

So please visit NewYorkAncestors.org and check out some of the great free information available. There are articles on a Case Study of Thomas Herring, Settlers of the Beekman Patent, The Erie Canal, Welsh Immigrants, NYS Census Records, NYS Vital Records, and many many databases that you will want to spend some time in.

While you are at it, check out all five of the NEHGS websites; NewEnglandAncestors.org, NewYorkAncestors.org, GreatMigration.org, PlymouthAncestors.org and NotableKin.org.

Your membership in NEHGS will allow you full access to all of the best websites and data that Boston has to offer.

Please tell us of any of your successes and leave comments below this post.

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

The above title is the name of an excellent website that we will discuss in this post.

You have read here before about the tremendous amount of information on Michelle Stone’s Onondaga County German Immigrants website.

After asking Michelle recently if she would like to have me write a Blog post about her website, she responded with the following email. Gee I wish everyone would do this, cuts down on my writing time. \grin/

Here is the Michelle Stone response:

Hi Dick,

Thanks so much for choosing my website, “German Immigrant Ancestors in Syracuse & Onondaga County, NY”

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/

as a subject for your excellent blog.

This labor of love of mine has been online as a Rootsweb (now Ancestry.com) Freepages site for over seven years (ever since my son, then 10 years old, would sit on my lap and show me how to design webpages in HTML code!). I have been pouring information into it ever since, so that it has become my major ongoing act of genealogical kindness. I have intended it to be a beginning point and central depot for anyone doing research into their German roots in Onondaga County, and with the kind and generous help of so many contributers, I believe it has become that. But I know that many folks who are new to doing Onondaga County genealogy might not yet be aware of it. Thank-you for letting them know it is available.

Perhaps the most useful item on the website is my partial transcript of the 1897 book, /Geschichte der Deutschen in Syracuse und Onondaga County, Nebst Kurzen Biographien von Beamten und Hervorragenden Buergern./ Translated into English, this means “The History of the German People in Syracuse and Onondaga County, With Short Biographies of Officials and Prominent Citizens.” Anyone who had German-speaking ancestors living in Onondaga County prior to 1897–or anyone interested in the once-strong German heritage and influence in the history of Syracuse and Onondaga County–will find the stories, biographies, and photos collected there quite fascinating, and may even find an ancestor, family, or surname of interest mentioned. The book is chock-full of individual names, photos, and anecdotes, and can be viewed in the original German text at my own website, and now, happily, it is also available online in facsimile at this website:

http://www.archive.org/stream/geschichtederdeu00syra

But as far as I know, there is no other English translation that exists of this book besides the one I offer at my own website, along with an index to the book which I created:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/bookindex.html

I have uploaded only a partial transcript and translation as yet, but if anyone needs additional portions of the book transcribed or translated, I am glad to respond to requests as time permits.

Another useful tool at my website is the Timeline of Syracuse History 1654-1945:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/timeline.html

This detailed timeline is helpful to any researcher, and includes not only events and dates specific to the German community, but also general information and events for Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York State, the U.S. and the world as well. It too has grown organically as a labor of love, originally begun as a way for me to flesh out the context of my own German immigrants’ lives in Onondaga County.

Another general (not just German-related) research tool there is my database of Syracusans arriving at Ellis Island, NY between the years 1892-1924. I collected this data by exploring the Ellis Island immigration online database with the help of Stephen P. Morse’s helpful search engines, to ferret out any arriving passengers referencing a destination or home address of Syracuse, New York. It is interesting to see who had the money and the inclination for overseas travel in those years.

I have many more nuggets of info and history hidden away at my site, so a use of the Search Engine is a must. A visitor will find postcards, research sources and research advice, surname queries, and various German-connected datasets including churches, cemeteries, naturalizations, social clubs, membership lists, newspaper clippings, and an extensive collection of helpful website links. In addition there are such items as these:

The Syracuse Turn Verein:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/turn.html

The Philip Eckel Monument:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/eckel-p-mon.html

The Syracuse Harugari (what was it?):
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/harugari.html

The story of St. Joseph’s German Cemetery (now the location of a Wegman’s store in Syracuse):
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/stjolotowners.html

Anton V. Altmann: A Syracuse Bottler:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/altmann-av.html

John Jacob Kreischer and Katherine Gilcher: an immigrant story (still under construction):
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/kgbookfront.html

The Story of Michael Andersag, master painter and Civil War veteran:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/andersagmon.html

By the way, a descendant of Michael Andersag’s family is still hoping some master paintings by Michael will turn up in some Onondaga County barns, basements or attics, so if you would ask your blog readers to check and see if they might have one of these treasures, his family and I would be very grateful!

Finally, from the top of my homepage, visitors can click on “My Other Genealogy” and find additional works beyond the scope of Germans in Onondaga County, including some employee lists of the Crouse-Hinds Company of Syracuse,

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/chmain.html

and various other genealogical projects. The story of my great-great-grandfather, Lewis Humphrey Roberts, was especially interesting for me to recover. I started out not knowing who he was, finding only an obituary in an old family Bible. Now sixteen years later, having done research on his trail in Watertown, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in northern Wales, I have reclaimed the details of what turned out to be a surprisingly long and amazing life of the “Old Soldier” who ended up in Jefferson County, NY:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstone/lewishroberts1.htm

Because I live so far from New York State now, I am not able to do much personal research into the Syracuse Germans there at all regularly, except via the computer. I welcome data contributed by Onondaga county researchers and will gratefully accept and add anything of interest to my website that would be pertinent in helping others. I remain truly grateful for the help and contributions so many have already offered (including you) to help make the website as useful as it can be. It is definitely a collaborative project, still growing organically.

Michelle Stone

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com

*****

Peter Force was a 19th-century politician, newspaper editor, archivist, and historian.

Born near the Passaic Falls in New Jersey, to William and Sarah (Ferguson) Force.

His greatest achievement came as a collector and editor of historical documents. He published Tracts and Other Papers, Relating Principally to the Origin, Settlement, and Progress of the Colonies in North America.

His American Archives was a collection of the most important documents of the American Revolution, 1774–1776. 9 volumes were published between 1837 and 1853. Force’s lifelong desire to establish an American national library finally came to fruition in 1867 when Congress purchased his own collection of original documents for $100,000 to found the Library of Congress.

Force died January 23, 1868 at the age of 77. His son, Manning Force, was an officer during the American Civil War.

(source – wikipedia – Peter Force)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Force

*****

To the readers of the Upstate New York Genealogy Blog;

I have a personal story abut this collection that goes back many years in my own genealogy research. My mother’s direct line 4th great grandparents were Seth Chase and Sarah (MILK) CHASE, of Little White Creek (Cambridge District, Albany County, New York.)

Seth CHASE was a Loyalist, a Quaker, and a Tavern Keeper in Little White Creek. His home/tavern was immediately the first farm north of the Battle of Bennington battlefield in the town of Hoosick, Rensselaer County. His house still exists and I have been all through it through the courtesy of the present owners. It is located on Cobble Hill Road south of the hamlet of White Creek adjacent to the town of Hoosick border.

About 25 or so years ago I was at the library in Cornell University and I came across a transcription description of Seth’s arrest in 1776 by the Americans, and being excited did not cite the exact reference. All I remembered when I went back later was that it was in a large book which was part of a multi-volume set. See boys and girls, cite your sources!

Well it turns out that Cornell has since put their set of this collection of transcribed manuscript records in their Kroch Rare Books and Manuscripts Department. Earlier today I was in discussion with another researcher friend, Deanna Smith, and I was reminded of this collection so set about locating it in today’s wonderful digital world.

Found it! Thanks to WorldCat.org I found the title “American Archives” by Peter Force, and then wonder of wonders, the whole collection is digitized and online at the University of Northern Illinois.

What follows is just a snippet from the manuscript testimony of the two men that gave evidence against Seth CHASE:

The Deposition of Captain Isaac Peabody, of lawful age, being duly sworn, saith: That on Sunday morning, the 13th instant, he returned to the house of Seth Chase, in Little White Creek. I asked Mr. Chase if he had seen any of our Kinderhook friends the night past. He answered, no. I told him I wanted to see Mr. Hughs, the man we discoursed with last night in the road. He then told me Mr. Hough told him the discourse he had with us, and that Mr. Hough knew no more of the plan than what he had communicated to him. I asked him if he had for certain that Burgoyne with his Army was coming round the lakes? ….

The page further saith, that the people of Arlington had made such preparations for their march, that they could not forego it without being discovered; therefore, would march to-night. Mr. Chase then said, the people of White Creek are secure, they would not march till further order from Colonel Man. He likewise said, that Colonel Man had twelve fat oxen for the purpose of victualling the friends of Government on their march to join the King’s Army. And others had several more cattle for the same purpose. I then asked him to direct me to a plan whereby our Kinderhook friends could get safe to the King’s Army.

He then told me that Colonel Man had given countersigns at two places, and if these countersigns could be conveyed to your friends, they can pass safe, and get all intelligence necessary. He then spoke to his wife to bring him a paper, on which she immediately came to us and takes a paper out of her bosom and gave it to her husband, and he handed it to me, saying, Now I give you my life. I took the paper and read it to be this: “At Landlord Northrop’s the countersign is Tryon; and at Jacob Lansing’s Ferry, the countersign is Burgoyne.” I told him for fear I should make a mistake in these countersigns, I would write them down. Then wrote them down. He then said that upon giving these countersigns out at these two places, we could be secreted, have provisions, or be helped on our way, or any thing we desired to forward.

He further said, that Simon Covill was a good friend to Government, and that I might not be afraid of him; he further said, that his house was a place where Colonel Man’s page came for entertainment, and to bring news to the friends to Government.
ISAAC PEABODY.
Bennington, October 14, 1776.

*****

Seth was arrested and put in jail for 14 days in Albany, then with many other prisoners was marched to Exeter, New Hampshire, to be banished to stay within the gaol limits of the town of Exeter for one year. At the end of the year he was allowed to return to his home and he also was allowed to keep his property.

As I said, I have been in that house where this event happened and I have this image burned in my mind of my fifth great grandmother pulling the secret password code out of her bosom.

Damn, I love history!

I encourage you all to search through these marvelous original documents that are online. There is just a world of exciting finds to be made!

American Archives – Peter Force

http://dig.lib.niu.edu/amarch/index.html

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News release:

MASSENA — Nearly 100 years of Massena Newspapers are now available on-line to the general public and researchers alike on the Northern New York Historical Newspapers web site at news.nnyln.net.

The site is provided free of charge to the public by the Northern New York Library Network in Potsdam. The run of papers from 1891-1989 includes the “Massena Observer” (1897-1989), “Northern Observer” (1891-1897), and “Massena Press & Norfolk Times” (1915).

The “Massena Observer” is one of 33 newspapers with 1,205,000 pages on the Northern New York Historical Newspapers site. Go to news.nnyln.net for a complete listing of on-line newspapers, which may be searched by county or individual paper.

The Northern New York Library Network is dedicated to support and services for all of its members. The Network serves libraries in the seven counties of northern New York. For more information, call 265-1119, or go to www.nnyln.org

Visit our main website at www.unyg.com