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General View of the County

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We pass over the early settlement of the colony, and remark, that in 1687 the French aimed a blow at the interests of England in North America. Denonville, with 1500 French and 600 Indians, took the field against the Seneca Indians, one of the five confederated nations who were the friends of the English. An action took place near the principal Seneca village, in which 100 Frenchmen and so Senecas were killed. The Senecas burnt their village, the French burnt others, and many things besides, and returned to Canada. For these injuries the Senecas thirsted for revenge. On the 26th July, 1688, 1200 of their number landed at Montreal, while the French were in security, burnt their houses, sacked their plantations, and put all the men, women and children outside of the town to the sword. The French loot 1000 men in this incursion, and 26 carried into captivity and burnt alive. In October they made another descent and destroyed the lower part of the island. The Senecas only lost three men in these bloody scenes.

In 1693, Count Fontenac, with a force of 600 or 700 French and Indians, made a descent on the Mohawk country, surprised an Indian village on the river, killed many of the inhabitants, and took 300 prisoners. The five nations were friendly to the English, and Col. Schuyler hurried to assist his allies in their distress, and with about 300 Indians, principally young men, followed the track of the retreating foe and had several severe skirmishes with him. When the French came to the north branch of the Hudson they crossed it on a cake of ice fortunately there, and Schuyler gave up the pursuit, having retaken some 50 of the Indians. The French lost 80 men and such was the severity of their sufferings, they were forced to eat their shoes; the Iroquois, while following in pursuit, subsisted on the dead bodies of the enemy.

In 1796 Fontenac made another incursion with a large force, and made havoc of the possessions of the five nations. The Indians in league with the English continued to harrass the inhabitants near Montreal; and the Indians in like manner that were friendly to the French continued to invade the settlements in the vicinity of Albany till the peace of Rysweck, 1697.

In 1708 the government of New York, by the sudden death of John, Lord Lovelace, the successor of Cornbury, devolved on Richard Ingoldsby, Lieut. Governor, who made an unsuccessful attempt on Canada. In this attempt New York raised several companies and employed 600 warriors of the five nations, paid them wages, arid maintained 1000 of their wives and children, at an expense of £20,000. In 1710 Col. Schuyler went to England to impress upon the ministry the importance of conquering Canada, and carried five Indian chiefs with him, who assured Queen Anne of their sincerity to her cause. The expedition was commanded by Col. Nicholson, who had under him 2000 militia, 1000 Indians, and 1000 Palatines, then lately brought into the country by Brig. Gen. Robert Hunter, a Scotchman. This expedition started Aug. 28; proceeded as far as lake George, and then Col. Nicholson was compelled to return in consequence of some tempestuous weather having injured and dispersed the fleet sent to convey some additional troops by way of the St. Lawrence. The peace of Utrecht, 1713, stopped hostilities, and continued till 1739. In 1744 war was declared between England and France, and great preparations made in the colonies to conduct it with vigor. The country above Albany was kept in a continual state of alarm by Indians, who in small parties ranged through the country, murdering all they met, and firing and burning up every thing combustible. The fort at Hoosie was taken by M. De Vandervil in Aug. 1746, and the inhabitants at Saratoga were taken by surprise, some killed and others carried into captivity. These transactions of the Indians and French caused great alarm and distress in the counties of Ulster and Orange and brought the war as it were to their own door. New York made great preparations to carry on the war, and if possible take Crown Point and Montreal. The Six Nations held a congress in Albany in July, 1746, which was attended by the counsel of the Governor, he being sick. On this occasion the Indians renewed their pledge to unite heartily in the war against the French. This amounted to nothing, as England failed to send troops to the country, and peace was again made in 1748 by the treaty of Aix la Chapelle, and the war closed.