Northeast Historical Archaeology Volume 44 Special Issue: War of 1812 Article 9 2015 Finding Cantonment Saranac: The eS arch for Col. Zebulon Pike’s 1812-1813 Winter Cantonment in Plattsburgh, New York Timothy J. Abel Follow this and additional works at: https://orb.binghamton.edu/neha Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Abel, Timothy J. (2015) "Finding Cantonment Saranac: The eS arch for Col. Zebulon Pike’s 1812-1813 Winter Cantonment in Plattsburgh, New York," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 44 44, Article 9. Available at: https://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol44/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). It has been accepted for inclusion in Northeast Historical Archaeology by an authorized editor of The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). For more information, please contact [email protected]. Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 44, 2015 147 Finding Cantonment Saranac: The Search for Col. Zebulon Pike’s 1812-1813 Winter Cantonment in Plattsburgh, New York Timothy J. Abel From 2011 to 2013, archaeologists, students and volunteers conducted survey and excavation of the Zagreb site, near Plattsburgh, NY, in an effort to associate it with the enigmatic Cantonment Saranac— Col. Zebulon Pike’s winter cantonment of 1812–1813. Missing for over a century, local historians had tried unsuccessfully to establish its location based on archival descriptions. Until 2011, archaeological evidence from the site was entirely lacking. Using metal detection, the current project has successfully linked the historical to the actual, providing a unique glimpse into events of the early War of 1812 period in the Champlain Valley. De 2011 à 2013, des archéologues, des étudiants et des bénévoles ont prospecté et fouillé le site archéologique Zagreb, près de Plattsburgh (NY) dans le but de l’associer à l’énigmatique Cantonnement Saranac, le cantonnement d’hiver de 1812–1813 du colonel Zebulon Pike. Perdu depuis plus d’un siècle, les historiens ont tenté en vain d’établir son emplacement grâce à des documents d’archives. Jusqu’en 2011, les preuves archéologiques du site étaient absentes. Grâce à l’utilisation de détecteurs de métal, ce projet a réussi à faire le lien entre l’histoire et le présent, fournissant un regard unique sur les événements du début de la guerre de 1812 dans la vallée de Champlain. Introduction ranging from the Roman era up to and through recent conflicts in the Middle East. In Prior to the recent era of intensive the U.S., much of this research has been bolstered archaeological-sites inventory, the archaeological identification and assessment of ephemeral by the American Battlefield Protection military sites, compared to other types of Program, which gave national priority and more-permanent historical sites, have been funding to the identification and preservation relatively slow to mature. This delay may be of American military sites. While War of 1812 due to the fact that, while abundant historical sites also were included in this legislation, the information may exist about these site types, identification and investigation of these latter standard methods of systematic shovel testing sites has generally lagged. were poorly suited to identifying these sites, Some of this lag can be explained by the much less adequately assessing their limited scope of that war. Concentrated in the archaeological significance. The pioneering northeastern quarter of the United States, the survey work of Doug Scott and his colleagues rest of the country, save for the eastern and at the Little Big Horn Battlefield demonstrated southern coast, saw little impact from the conflict. that different methods were necessary if This contrasts starkly with the Revolutionary archaeologists were to be able to find and and Civil Wars, which had a much broader correctly assess these site types (Scott and Fox impact all across the nation. The scale of conflict 1987; Scott and Connor 1997). in the American Civil War, particularly, The past two decades of “Doug Scott resulted in a much larger number of sites for Archaeology” have seen a literal explosion in that war. The implications and outcomes of the number of ephemeral military sites identified those conflicts also were seen by many in the and under archaeological investigation; e.g., U.S. as pivotal to the national narrative. Only in Espenshade and Balicki (2010), Geier, Babits, the past few years, with the coming of the War Scott, & Orr (2011), Geier, Orr, and Reeves of 1812 bicentennial, has an interest in War of (2006), and Scott, Babits, and Haecker (2009). 1812 archaeology finally rooted itself within As a result, our understanding of many key the broader scope of military-sites archaeology. aspects of military-site types, the historical The history of the Zagreb site is a record, and of military culture more broadly, manifestation of this broader history of has increased. The array of conflicts covered military-sites archaeology. The site was by these inquiries has also expanded, now discovered during a standard, systematic 148 Abel/Finding Cantonment Saranac shovel-testing survey of the Plattsburgh Air New Jersey, in 1779, the son of a Revolutionary Force Base in 1993 (Morgan, Abbott, Doggett, War officer of the same name. His storied Hedrich, & Richardson 1995). Prior to this military career began in 1794, and, in 1802, as time, this discovery would have elicited nary a a young lieutenant, he accompanied General second look. Because artifact density was James Wilkinson to the Illinois Territory. In small and undiagnostic, however, its 1805 he was appointed to lead an expedition identification as a military site, as well as its west to locate the source of the Missouri River. potential association with Colonel Zebulon He led a second expedition up the Red River Pike’s 1812–1813 winter cantonment, in 1806, during which he described the mountain “Cantonment Saranac,” were questioned. An that would eventually bear his name: Pike’s Peak. even more-intensive assessment carried out in Upon his return from the west, Captain 1995, using close-interval shovel testing and Pike was promoted to major and served as test units, failed to yield diagnostic military military agent in New Orleans from 1809 to artifacts (Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. 1810. In 1811 he was a lieutenant colonel in the [PESI] 1997). Thus, while the possibility was 4th Regiment, seeing action at the Battle of discussed, direct evidence of a military Tippecanoe. After serving as deputy quarter- association was lacking. master general at New York from April to July It was not until 2011–2013, in work by the 1812, Pike was appointed colonel in August Battle of Plattsburgh Association using metal and given command of the 15th Regiment. detectors as the primary survey tool, that the The army at Greenbush moved north in site was positively identified as Cantonment the fall of 1812. On 8 September, it put into Saranac. This article documents the discovery boats to traverse Lake Champlain and arrived and survey of the Zagreb site and its association at Plattsburgh, New York, and Burlington, with Pike’s 1812–1813 winter cantonment. It is Vermont, on 11 September (FIG. 1). Here the intended to provide a more complete army camped to await remaining units, background to current (Abel 2014) and future including the 16th Regiment and two companies research, as well as an understanding of its of “flying” artillery (light, mobile artillery that significance as both an historical and could support a moving army). No barracks archaeological site. In recognition of this were built, so the soldiers lived in tents while significance, the site was listed on the National waiting to move on Montreal. On 15 Register of Historic Places in 2012, just in time November, General Dearborn arrived to lead for its 200th anniversary. the army across the border and into battle. On the next day the army marched to the village of Champlain, a tiny village just 1 mi. south of Historical Background the Canadian border. The United States declared war on Great There the army stopped to probe the Britain on 18 June 1812. For the United States, British defenses. Small scouting parties were the opening year of the war could not have sent across the border on the evening of the gone worse. Confusion over chain of command, 17th and 18th, none of which reported any politically appointed military leaders, and a enemy contact. Intelligence gathered from reliance on fickle and poorly trained militia local inhabitants suggested a force of about led to disastrous and embarrassing defeats at 400–500 British and Native Americans were Mackinaw, Detroit, and Queenston. In the encamped at the small village of LaColle, just Northeast, the last hope for an American victory 4 mi. from the border. On the evening of 19 was pinned on an army gathering at November, the 15th Regiment, along with a Greenbush, New York, under the command of few members of the 16th Regiment, some 70 Major General Henry Dearborn. Through the dragoons, and 40–50 militia volunteers from summer and into August of 1812, the army the Troy Rifles, about 600 soldiers in all, crossed trained for an invasion of Canada through the into Canada. In the early morning hours of the Champlain Valley to Montreal. 20th they came upon LaColle Creek. The units that arrived at Greenbush Pike split his force into two columns to included the newly organized 15th Regiment, trap the enemy in a classic pincer. Being well under the command of newly minted colonel, aware of the American army’s approach that Zebulon Pike. Pike was born in Lamberton, evening, however, the British withdrew most Northeast Historical Archaeology/Vol. 44, 2015 149 Figure 1. Movements of Dearborn’s army, 1812.