The St. Lawrence County Historical Association OUARTERL Y VolumeXL VI - Number 3- Summer 2001 The St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House .<&\ The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is a private, not-formmember . 'p organization based at the Silas Wright House in Canton, New York. ~oun&&iaXf~~7,the ~ssociatiod'is~overned ..:.:... ...., y by a constitution, by-laws, and Board of Trustees. The+,-.%ssociation9s membership meet,&nnually to elect its trustees. ..<:>... ..!+ .,.> .,.> ... 1 ..:> \% .;.!;.::.' ..:> g 2002 OfSicers: ,sYPii:...:' 2002 Trustees: % President: Carl Stickney, ~orylld3 Chris Angus, Canton 8 Vice-President: Jane ~ub$.~%ian,Potsdam Patricia Carson, Canton 1 Treasurer: Carol ~ohn@%,Canton Richard Foster, Rossie $ Secretary: Susie ~m$,Hammond R. Shawn Gray, Massena :[ E. Jane Layo, Waddington Stan Maine, Pierrepont f4 Lowell McAllister, ~euvel&n ,j Trent TruIock, Executive Director Todd Moe, Norwood ,:: sue .mishore, Collections Manager Cathleen O'Horo, Canton ~&.gllen Jones, Archives Manager Susan Omohundro, Hamada Falls ~everl$~cgwnell,..:.. Administrative Assistant Tim Strong, Potsdam 1 .... J. Rebecca Thompson, ~ar$awaFalls Peter Van de Water, Canto4 ??:.. ":*.., ..:&<:., ..%.. ..%.. ..;. .::. ha<.. k, Our Mission The St. Lawrence County Historical dwiation is a not-for-profit membership organization and serves as an educational resource for the use and::.@nefit of the citizens of St. Lawrence County and ~.thersinterested in the County's history and traditions. The AssocIati.on collects and preserves archival material and &ifacts pertinent to the County's history. In cooperation and collabo~~nwith other local organizations, the Associagon promotes an understanding of and appreciation for the County's rich fi~~~..~~.~h.~.uhM~.ati~~.~.~bits,.mQ.~grams.The St. Lawrence County Historical Association operates within museum standards established by the American Association of Museums. SLCHA Membership Membership in the St. Lawrence County Historical Association is open toall interested parties. Annual membership dues are: Individual, $25; SeniorIStudent, $20; Family, $35; Contributor, $50; Supporter, $100, Patron, $250; Businesses, $50 to $1,000. Members receive the SLCHA Quarterly, the Historical Association's bi-monthly newsletter, and various discounts on publications, programs and events. St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House 3 East Main Street, PO Box 8 Canton, New York 13617 (315) 386-8133 fax (315) 386-8134 e-mail: [email protected] www.slcha.org w- Published continuously since 1956 The St. Lawrence County Historical Association 7,'~g~~,t~ly is endowed in memory of Albert Pries1 ~d Ella Waltennan Newell. Ouarterlv &."I.. :"-1"- Publication GLA,&= vucrrrerry 15 arad made Volume XLVI - Number - 2001 P1ossible wit rids- from th ~eNew Y'ork State ( the Arts, ;i State ISSN: 0558-1931 a1gency. CONTENTS !at. Ol ffn Arts Siege of Fort Levis From Eyewitness Accounts 2 Rl Researched and Written by David Dickinson Memoirs of the Late War in North America uimet Between Prance and England 7 By Capt. Pierre Pouchot usarr b. uresve Siege and Capture of Fort Levis 17 1Idvisory B1 oard: Chris Angus, Canton-. Memoirs of a French and Indian War Soldier: Arthllr Jonnson,*. rorsaam. :rb Judd, Canton ‘CJolicoeur"Charles Bonin 28 Ruth Judd, Canton Edited by Andrew Gallup right 02,2(101 by the rence Counrty Historical Letter of Col. Nathan Whiting to His Wife from 'ion. AN rig :hts reserved. Fort La Galette (Fort de la Presentation) 30 E:xcept forblrief excerpas, no part of this Publication may be c:opied or repro- Siege of Fort Levis: Conclusion 33 duced withc)ut the express written per- . ".<, mlsslon. or tne autnor.. and the Historical Researched and Written by David Dickinson Association. The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is not ttsponsible Edith Duffy, Former Edwards Town and Village for the statements, interpretations, and pinions of rsto The S1 SCHA I Historian 35 ?uarterly. Edith Duffy Steps Down as Edwards Historian After .7.. :- -..%I The SLCHA guurrerry IS p~~~ished Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall each Years of Dedicated Service 36 year by the St. Lawrence County His- By La Verne H. Freeman torical Association for its members and riends. Edith Duffy, Good Friend and Neighbor 37 P .opiesmay 1be obtainedl from --. By Laverne H. Freeman the St. Lawrence County Historical Association, P.O. Box 8, Canton, NY Issue Editor:Parnela Ouimet 13617 at $4.00 each ($2.00 for mem- Cover Photo: Commissioned by the Old Fort Niagara Association to celebrate bers), plus $1 .OO for postage. the Fort's 275th anniversary, Robert Ducey 's painting portrays the French warship "L 'Iroquoise " sailing out of Fort Niagara in the summer of 1759. C ons: Built at the Pointe au Baril shipyard and launched in April 1759, 1 l Quarter4il welcomer s con- "L 'Iroquoise " ran aground in the St. Lawrence River shortly before the Siege r.. r.. .. hourtons. I o submlt a manuscript, or of Fort Levis. Her guns and crew were removed to help defend Fort Levis for further information, please contact whiole the ship was scuttled ofthe downstream tip of today's Chimney Island. the editor through the St. Lawrence The vessel was re-floated by the British and sailed a few more years on the St. County Historical Association. Please address communicationsto: Managing Lawrence and Lake Ontario under a British flag. her sister ship, Editor, TheSLCHA Quarterly,P.O. Box "L 'Outaouaise, " was captured by the British on August 17, 1760 infiont of 8, Canton, NY 13617. Fort de la Presentation. (Photo courtesy of the Old Fort Niagara Association) Whitehall 1lth Dec 1859 Siege of Fort Levis from Eyewitness Accounts "The King saw, with much concern, that unhappily the execution had not fol- Researched and written by David Dickinson lowed the plan which you had so prudently concerted, and the orders you had given, for the taking possession of La Galette, being a post of the utmost conse- quence, and by which, we should be entire masters of Lake Ontario and his Whitehall Dec. 29th 1758 Majesty's subjects on the Mohawk River as effectually freed thereby from all "...it is His Majesty's Pleasure that you do attempt an invasion of Canada by inroads and scalping parties of the Enemy ...by the reduction of that important Way of Crown Point or La Galette, or both, according as you shall judge practi- Post..."" cable, and proceed, if practicable, and attack Montreal and Quebec..."' (Secretary of State William Pitt to General JewAmherst)" (Secretary of State William Pitt to General Jefhy Arnherst)i Detail of 17.57 French map of the upper St. Lawrence River by cartographer Bellin. (Photo courtesy of David Dickinson) 3 St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly 2 St. Lmvrence County Historical Association Quarterly Crown Point is a familiar loca- tian Majesty Louis XV's Fort Le- gara, Both ships would later figure tion to New Yorkers but many may vis, commanded by Captain Pierre prominently in the Siege of Fort not recognize the place-name, La Pouchot ofthe Regiment du Beam. Levis. Galette. As early as 1673, the ori- What Britain's King George had ginal La Galette was a stopping asked in late 1758 finally became Readers will be more ac- point above the Galop Rapids for reality in August, 1760. His inva- quainted with the history ofFort de French military and trading expedi- sion army occupied Fort de la Pre- la Presentation, located at the tions bound for the interior of the sentation and pushed on to take po- mouth of the Oswegatchie River. continent. In the English parlance sitions on islands now known as Founded by Abbe Francois Pic- of 1758, La Galette referred to Spencer, Drumrnond, Prisoner's quet in 1749, Fort de la Presenta- Abbe Francois Picquet's Fort de (Adams) and Galop. Connecticut tion served a unique purpose in la Presentation. As France built soldiers and Royal Artillery set up New France. It was a fort founded other fortifications nearby, La on Chimney Point. Inside the walls and initially admhsteredby a priest Galette served as a collective name of Fort Levis 350 or so soldiers, of the Sulpician order. Its utopian for Fort de la Presentation and its sailors and militia of New France purpose was to provide religious successor, Chimney Island's Fort braced for a massive attack. Their instruction to Native Peoples as Levis. fort at the head of the Galop Rap- well as to rescue them hmthe evil ids stood as the last stronghold for iduence of all things British. With In the middle of the St. France between Amherst's horde special permission of the King of Lawrence River, just downstream and Montreal, the only North Arne- France, Picquet was allowed to fiom the Ogdensburg-Prescott In- rican city remaining in French con- locate his mission in territory other- ternational Bridge, lies Chimney trol. The ensuing battle was to be wise forbidden to French settlers. Island, once pear shaped but in the the last between France and Great Picquet endeared himself to the 1950's eviscerated by construction Britain for the control of Canada governors of New France by, of the St. Lawrence Seaway. For and the North American continent. among other things, establishmg a a few weeks in the summer of 1760, much-needed sawmill on the banks it was the focal point of an invasion Despite its benchmark position of the Oswegatchie River. In or- army the likes of which the upper on Great Britain's and France's der to understand the importance St. Lawrence River had never be- timeline of history in the New of the sawmill, readers must reahze fore seen and will never see again. World, modem historians largely that everything needed in the con- Over ten thousand British soldiers, have neglected the Siege of Fort tinent's interior but manufactured in among them several regiments of Levis.