1939 OSWEGO CITY LIBRARY Third Publication of the Oswego Historical Society 19 3 9 Palladium-Times, Inc. Printers CONTENTS Page OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY, 1939 IV STANDING COMMITTEES, 1939 V WINTER PROGRAM 1940 VI The French Regime in Northern New York (by H. F. Landon) 1-4 Col. Marinus Willett's Expedition Against Oswego in 1783 (by Edwin M. Waterbury) 5-25 How Local Militia Defended the Lake Ports (by Major Wheeler Chapin Case) 26-38 The Battle of Oswego in 1756 (by John M. Gill) 39-51 The Story of An Odd Shop (by Frederick W. Barnes) 52-66 National Figures Behind the Early Purchase of Oswego Lands (by Ralph M. Faust) 67-70 History of the Old French Fort at Liverpool and Its Relation to the Oswego River Valley (by William J. Gallipeau) 71-72 Early Jesuits in Central New York (by the Rev. Earle F. Anable).. .73-81 Necrology 82 77327 in LIST OF OFFICERS 1939 President Edwin M. Waterbury Vice-Presidents Frederick W. Barnes Ralph M. Faust Grove A. Gilbert Corresponding Secretary Mrs. Homan F. Hallock Recording Secretary Fred P. Wright Treasurer Harold A. Hubbard Curator Elliott B. Mott Mrs. James G. Riggs Members Mrs. Frederick Leighton of the Harold A. Hubbard Board of Managers John S. Parsons Daniel A. Williams [All of the elective officers are ex-officio members of the Board of Managers which functions as the Executive Committee of the Society.] IV OSWEGO COT LIBRARY STANDING COMMITTEES 1939 Membership Mrs. John S. Parsons, Chairman Mrs. James G. Riggs Frederick W. Barnes Mrs. Prank Elliott Ralph M. Faust Mrs. James M. Carey Grove A. Gilbert Donation and Collection of Articles of Historic Interest Daniel A. Williams, Chairman Gertrude A. Shepherd Mrs. May B. Miller Mrs. D. P. Morehouse, Sr. M. Winifred Turner Mrs. Charles R. Baldwin Frances J. Eggleston Fred P. Wright Anna W. Post Harold A. Hubbard Elliott B. Mott Frederick Leighton Col. Philip R. Ward Dr. Richard K. Piez Floyd S. Spangle John M. Gill Mrs. Samuel M. F. Peters Program Ralph M. Faust, Chairman Elizabeth Simpson Mrs. Frederick Leighton Juanita Kersey Mrs. Homan F. Hallock Adelaide C. Fitch Helen C. Quirk Dr. Joseph C. Park Frederick W. Barnes Rev. Henry S. Sizer Mrs. Harold J. Dann Dr. Lida S. Penfleld Collection Arrangement and Care Mrs. James G. Riggs, Chairman Mrs. Daniel A. Williams Cynthia A. Beadle Mrs. Robert L. Allison H. J. Ackerman Mrs. Harold J. Dann Joseph T. McCaffrey John S. Parsons Benjamin J. Racusin Expansion Grove A. Gilbert, Chairman Elizabeth Simpson Mrs. Samuel M. F. Peters Mrs. Charles R. Baldwin Mrs. Raymond C. Turner Harold A. Hubbard Mrs. Paul B. Enches James Gallagher Mrs. P. L. Beazley Frank R. Crandell Robert L. Allison Thomas A. Cloutier Ralph B. Watson Fred P. Wright Neil T. Hayes Auditing John S. Parsons, Chairman Frank W. Barnum Clarence T. Leighton V WINTER PROGRAM 1940 February—Old Churches of Oswego County Leon N. Brown March—Famous Homes of Old Oswego Mrs. Karl Kellogg April—Historic Development of Port of Oswego George H. Campbell VI "HeSt »e Jforget" DR. JAMES G. RIGGS To the Memory of Dr. James G. Riggs Whose Efforts Were Largely Responsible for Keeping Alive for a Period of Almost a Quarter of a Century the Oswego Historical Society, this Volume is Appreciatively Dedicated. The French Regime In Northern New York (Paper Read Before Oswego Historical Society, January 10, 1939, by Harry F. Landon of Watertown, N, Y.) The French regime in Northern countryside, Cape Vincent named New York history! What a color­ for one son, Alexandria Bay for ful chapter that is. A great cha­ another, Theresa for a daughter, teau in the wilderness where Chaumont for the family home in courtly gentlemen of the France France and Plessis for the family of the Empire toast a famous name. dog. The village of LaFargeville A former king of Spain and Naples recalls old John LaFarge who built taking his ease in his woodland his limestone mansion of 32 rooms estate. A prince of a distinguished just outside the village and admin­ house waiting on the trade in a istered a harsh justice to his ten­ general store. One who had been ants. The village of Deferiet a lady-in-waiting in the glamorous brings to mind that lady-in-waiting court of Marie Antoinette, a lonely to Marie Antoinette already re­ exile far from her beloved Paris. ferred to, Madame de Feriet, who Soldiers of the emperor plotting owned in her graceful home, over­ away in a tiny north country vil­ looking the wide reaches of the lage—and over all the shadow of Black river, the only grand piano the Corsican, the Eagle on the in all Northern New York. Rock, he who waited in far off St. What strange trick of fate Helena. brought these Napoleonic refugees Subtracting everything that can­ to the half wilderness of Northern not be definitely substantiated as New York, there to build their fact, even that legend so beloved houses and there to make their by all Jefferson county historians, homes? What was the incentive that the rescue of Napoleon was that caused Joseph Bonaparte, one­ planned in the Cup and Saucer time king of Spain and Naples, to house at Cape Vincent, and it is purchase a huge tract of land in still a story shot through with the section? Why should a man drama. like Count Real, Napoleon's prefect True the LeRays, the Bonapartes, of police, choose this remote sec­ the de Feriets, the La Farges, the tion for his plotting? Reals and the Murats have long Perhaps it was because Gover- since left, but there still remain neur Morris, who was something of evidences of the day when the a real estate agent in his day, had polished French of the boulevards popularized the section to the panic was heard in rude Jefferson county stricken French aristocrats in the villages. In the church yard in the days of the Red Terror. Possibly sleepy little hamlet of Oxbow-sleeps it was because James D. LeRay the niece of Napoleon, Caroline, was already there on his broad daughter of Joseph Bonaparte. In acres. Perchance, it was, as we the Catholic cemetery at Cape Vin­ Jefferson county people like to be­ cent, crumbling tombstones bearing lieve, because the friends of Na­ Gallic inscriptions mark the last poleon saw in this remote section resting place of men who stood a safe refuge for the emperor when with the Old Guard at Waterloo. at last he should be rescued from Hemmed in by the woods just at St. Helena. the edge of LeRaysville still stands However, that may be, to this that majestic home of James D. pioneer land, almost devoid of LeRay de Chaumont, as fine an roads, came these men fresh from example of Georgian architecture the boulevards of Paris. Particu­ as there is in all the East. larly to Cape Vincent, they came, And French place names there Count Pierre Francois Real, Na­ are aplenty. The LeRay family poleon's prefect of police during names are scattered all through the the Hundred Days, General Jean —1— Francois Rolland, and a notable LeRay with his engineers, his land company of others, some who had agents, his slaves, his doctor and followed the emperor on a dozen his cure, dispensing a lavish hospi­ battle fiields and wore the faded tality, generously giving of his ribbon of the Legion of Honor on lands and funds for churches and their breasts. Even the Marquis roads and occasionally sallying do Grouchy, his head bent under forth in coach and four, attended the tragedy of Waterloo, came and by liveried outriders, to visit his lingered for a while, while the mad­ villages and farms. cap Prince Lucien Murat, son of Not far away, as the crow flies, Napoleon's great cavalry leader, de­ stood the graceful hermitage of lighted the countryside with his Madame de Feriet, where LeRay pranks and astonished the natives was reported to be a frequent vis­ by opening a store full of French itor. There, too, were rare flower­ finery on the Indian river. ing plants, lemons and oranges, and LeRay's Career a stone bridge across the river There was always a cordial wel­ which the madame, an artist of come for all these strangers at the sorts, often painted. Here for 20 great house of James D. LeRay de years lived this mysterious lady, Chaumont near the little hamlet whose past for all the letters which which had come to bear his name. she wrote, is still obscure, until LeRay had known Benjamin Frank­ her neuritis proved too much for lin intimately in his youth when her and she returned to her be­ the great American had lived at his loved Paris to spend her last days. father's chateau on the Loire and Count Real built for himself and as early as 1790 the younger his companions a queer shaped LeRay visited America to attempt house at Cape Vincent which was an adjustment of some of his always known as the cup and father's claim against the new gov­ saucer house because of its unusual ernment. In 1802 he made his first appearance. Here, tradition has it, purchase of Northern New York was a great pier glass which swung lands and in 1808 he moved there on a pivot to disclose an under­ taking up his residence in the ground passage to the river, and house which his agent, Dr. Beau- certainly a room in the "cup" por­ dry, had constructed for him.