Re-telling a Local Legend…

Fort Ontario State Historic Site
Oswego, N.Y.

When last we gathered, walking through the parade grounds of Fort Ontario State Historic Site, we remembered the bicentennial of the Battle of Oswego, which saw the loss of the fort to British forces. Before the battle, American troops were able to hide or remove a store of naval supplies, the real prize of the battle. What transpired next is the making of a true local legend.

A Most Important Mission

Two years in, the War of 1812 had become a shipbuilding race with both British and American forces vying for control of Lake Ontario. Cannon, ropes, rigging, munitions, and anchor cables were saved by American troops in the Battle of Oswego; however, unless these naval materials reached the U.S. Navy shipyard at Sackets Harbor, N.Y., the four ships under construction there would likely not be finished, and the British would win control of Lake Ontario, the main theatre of action in the war.

On May 28, 1814, 19 flat-bottomed bateaux left Oswego Falls, now known as Fulton, rode the Oswego River to the port city and headed out along the lakeshore in the cover of darkness to avoid detection by British patrols. During the night, heavy rain separated one bateau from the party and it was captured by the enemy. Upon learning of the mission from its crew, the British gave chase to the remainder of the convoy.

Meanwhile, the flotilla, which had intended to rendezvous with 130 Oneida Indians at the mouth of the Salmon River, realized it had lost a bateau and feared the mission was compromised. They changed course and pushed on toward Big Sandy Creek instead, where they received confirmation that British boats were indeed in pursuit. Reinforcements were called in to aid the Americans and Oneidas in defense of the convoy and its precious cargo.

The Battle of Big Sandy

At sunrise on May 30, 1814, the British arrived at the mouth of Big Sandy Creek. Despite orders not to enter the waterway for fear of an ambush, the troops rowed up the winding creek, blasting into trees and brush along the way. At 10 a.m., the party rounded a bend and spotted the American flotilla at anchor. The order was given to advance on the banks, where a carefully prepared ambush awaited British troops.

Three hundred American riflemen, Oneida warriors and local militiamen rose from cover, firing rifles and muskets, catching the surprised enemy in the open and pressing forward to surround them. In 15 minutes, the British lost 17 men and had another 47 wounded, some of whom died in the days and weeks following the battle. American casualties were light comparatively; one rifleman and one Oneida Indian were lost. The Battle of Big Sandy was a devastating defeat for the British as they not only lost the battle, but 220 marines and experienced sailors who were either killed or captured.

Fort Ontario State Historic Site Superintendent Paul Lear (left) traveled up Big Sandy Creek to join in the Henderson Historical Society's bicentennial commemoration of the Battle of Big Sandy and the Great Cable Carry. Pictured with him are Peter Sterbak (middle) of Fort Ontario and Chris Rotunno (right) of the Oswego Yacht Club. Photo courtesy of Sandy Creek Town Historian Charlene Cole.

 

A Local Legend: The Great Cable Carry

After the battle, the Americans returned to their mission. With British naval forces now alerted, the decision was made to complete the journey by land. Most of the cannon and cables were transported by wagon and ox carts to Sackets Harbor; however, the anchor cable for the U.S.S. Superior, weighing 9,600 lbs. and measuring 7” thick and 600’ long, was too large and heavy for the one remaining ox cart.
 

About 200 men of the 55th New York State Militia Regiment were then ordered to move the cable to Sackets Harbor. With one section on the ox cart and the rest on their shoulders, “The Great Rope” was carried the remaining 20 miles of the expedition.

The serpentine line of cable carriers passed from village to village during the arduous journey. It took two days, with the men resting every mile and civilians pitching in to relieve them. Mats of woven grass were fashioned to protect their shoulders, but still many were left with large bruises. Excitement grew along the route as people turned out to encourage and help the men. Finally, when “The Great Rope” reached Sackets Harbor, the cable carriers were greeted with cheers, patriotic music, whiskey and other refreshments.

Former Fort Ontario State Historic Site and AmeriCorps volunteer Ian Mumpton demonstrates the Great Cable Carry of 1814. The original anchor cable would have been four times as thick and heavy as the one pictured here.

 

In The End

Just two months later, the U.S.S. Superior and three other ships were completed and the U.S. Navy once again ruled Lake Ontario. If the War of 1812 had continued into the spring of 1815, the Americans would have launched the U.S.S. New Orleans and the “War of Shipbuilders” would have continued to escalate.

The Battle of Big Sandy was one of few decisive American victories of the War of 1812, and the story of “The Great Rope” or “The Great Cable Carry” is a true legend of the North Country. The individual burden of the cable was estimated at 120 pounds, and it is said that some of the men walked with a limp the rest of their lives and many more proudly pointed out their permanent callouses or scars as evidence of their participation in the great event.

And Now…

Bring the whole family to Fort Ontario State Historic Site, 1 E. Fourth St., Oswego, for the one-and-only performance of “The Great Rope” at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2. Originally written and performed around 1976, Rosemary Nesbitt’s award-winning children’s play tells the story of the huge anchor cable being carried from Big Sandy Creek to Sackets Harbor.

Cast, crew and sponsors of "The Great Rope" hoist a replica of the anchor cable featured in the story. The model was crafted by Mary Kay Stone, production manager of the play. Photo courtesy of Jen Marriner Photography.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for teens and free for those aged 12 and younger. Advance tickets can be purchased at Fort Ontario State Historic Site, E. Fourth St., Oswego; H. Lee White Marine Museum, West First Street Pier, Oswego; Arts in the HeART Gallery, S. First St., Fulton; river’s end bookstore, W. Bridge St., Oswego; and Man in the Moon Candies, W. First St., Oswego.

Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to watch the performance on the parade grounds of the fort. In the event of rain, the show will be re-scheduled to Sunday, Aug. 3.

For more information, call Fort Ontario State Historic Site at (315) 343-4711 or visit www.fortontario.com, www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com or www.cnyartscenter.com.

 

Here are some previews from play rehearsal:

 

For more information about Oswego County’s fascinating heritage and events, visit our Web site at www.visitoswegocounty.com.

Cheers,

Kelly

Walking Through History…

"Attack on Fort Oswego, Lake Ontario, North America." May 6, 1814, Noon. By Captain John Hewett, 2nd Battalion Royal Marines. Etched by Robert Havell, London, England, 1 May 1815. From the Collection of the Public Archives of Canada.

This week marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Oswego in the War of 1812. Fort Ontario State Historic Site Superintendent Paul Lear helps us commemorate this historic event with the following passage:

Prelude…

During the War of 1812, Oswego, N.Y. was a crucial forwarding point on the waterborne supply route and for army campaigns along northern frontier. Fort Ontario, crumbling and un-garrisoned since 1804, was situated on a steep bluff on the Oswego River to guard warehouses, shipping and a small village of inhabitants. By 1814, the war had become a shipbuilding race with both sides vying for control of Lake Ontario. In April of that year, the Royal Navy was in command of the lake and Oswego was defenseless.

Lt. Colonel George Mitchell and five companies of the 3rd U.S. and Light Artillery Regiments arrived at the fort on April 30 after spies reported the threat of an imminent attack either on Oswego or Sackets Harbor. They were ordered to guard supplies and stores, send what they could upriver to safety and hide what couldn’t be transported in the woods.

It all started when…

Shortly after sunrise on May 5, lookouts at Fort Ontario spotted seven ships belonging to the Royal Navy. Although Mitchell had completed most of his orders and stood little chance of victory against overwhelming numbers, he and his officers resolved to resist an attack as long as possible. Mitchell would fight with 290 artillerymen armed with muskets, 200 militiamen and 5 light cannon. The British ships carried 1,000 Royal Marines and troops, 1,000 sailors and 222 heavy cannon. Villagers packed up what belongings they could and fled to the countryside as the fort sounded warnings and the militia came in from the sparsely settled countryside.

Around 1:30 p.m., the British reached Oswego. U.S. Navy Captain Melancthon Woolsey organized the militia to dump cannon and munitions in the river to avoid capture. The British moved in to draw American fire and determine the number and location of their cannons. Around 4 p.m., the weather changed and British troops were ordered back on board ship. As the last men returned aboard, a violent storm struck and the ships scrambled to get away from the treacherous shore. The weather cleared during the night and the fleet returned the next morning.

The battle resumes…

On the morning of May 6, three ships returned to the harbor. Despite the disadvantage in numbers, the Americans gave as good as they got. Around 10 a.m., the H.M.S. Prince Regent and Princess Charlotte moved in to cover the troop landings with their massive broadsides. Mitchell gave final orders to his men not to quit their posts until driven away at bayonet point. 

About 11 a.m., 200 seamen, 350 Royal Marines, 58 men of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencible Regiment and 160 Swiss troops of the DeWatteville Regiment approached the shoreline. The naval bombardment that began hours earlier reached a crescendo, with acrid white smoke covering the fort and the sounds of ear-shattering rolling broadsides reaching Kingston, Sackets Harbor, and Syracuse.

As the main landing force grounded east of the fort by Flat Rock, near what is now known as the Fitzgibbons Boilerworks property, men jumped out of boats into cold lake water. When cannon fire from the ships and gunboats slackened as the marines and troops waded ashore, the American militia moved to the edge of the wooded shoreline to pepper them with musketry.

Once on shore, Lt. Colonel Victor Fischer ordered “Forward!” at 11:50 a.m. Outnumbered six to one, Mitchell’s blue line of soldiers and sailors was driven back and slowly retreated up the slope towards the fort, turning and firing as they went. Two British lines with fixed bayonets drove forward, cheering, yelling and firing ragged volleys with many wet and unreliable muskets. Soon, the slope between the fort and present post cemetery was filled with bleeding dead, dying, and wounded men of both sides. 

The Royal Marine column charged into the ditch and up the ramparts, taking withering musket fire from the Americans on top. Other marines swept across the parade grounds, driving Americans before them. When Mitchell received word that the enemy was in the fort, he ordered a retreat and his men reluctantly ran from the ditch with the enemy on their heels, escaping capture by mere seconds. As Mitchell halted south of the fort to re-organize, a bugle sounded and the Union Jack was run up the flagpole; it was 12:06 p.m. In exactly sixteen minutes nearly 40 Americans and 90 British officers and men lost their lives or were wounded.

In the aftermath…

Retreating south, burning bridges to impede the enemy, the Americans fell back to Oswego Falls, now known as Fulton, to join militia gathering there. The British did not follow and busied themselves raising scuttled schooners, salvaging sunken cannon, loading barrels of food, munitions, and other valuable supplies and stores onto their ships. Finally, they left and sailed for Kingston around 4 a.m. on Saturday, May 7.

For the British, the prize was not worth the cost but another victory helped strengthen their position at the bargaining table in treaty negotiations. In the end, neither side won the War of 1812, which was fought for different reasons by both sides, but the young United States earned worldwide respect as a nation; one that would stand up for its rights, even if it meant taking on the most powerful military in the world.

 

Fort Ontario State Historic Site, located at 1 E. 4th St. in Oswego, is preserved as a memorial to those who served and continue to serve our great nation, in times of war and of peace, from the French and Indian War to the War in Afghanistan. On Saturday, May 10, at 1:30 p.m., Paul Lear will lead a free walking tour of the site of the 1814 Battle of Oswego beginning in the fort’s tunnel entrance. For details, call Lear at (315) 343-4711 or visit www.fortontario.com.

Here are views from the historic site:

For more information about Oswego County’s fascinating heritage and events, visit our Web site at www.visitoswegocounty.com.

Cheers,

Kelly

Commemorating heroes of the War of 1812 (Vol. III)…

This weekend, come to the Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego, New York to re-discover the history in your backyard. Learn all about the 1814 Battle of Oswego as part of the upcoming 200th commemoration of the War of 1812.

Because of its geographical location, Lake Ontario was a major staging area for the battle between American and British naval fleets, the latter being located in Canada. As both sides fought for control of the lake, shipbuilding had become the race and there were, in the spring of 1814, three American ships awaiting armament at Sackets Harbor, New York. The naval supplies for these warships had been stored at Oswego Falls (Fulton, New York) and the British were determined to make their capture.

British forces prepare for an amphibious assault on the beach at Fort Ontario. By William Steele. Collection of Paul Lear.

On May 4, the British navy, led by Commander-in-Chief Sir James Lucas Yeo, departed Kingston, Ontario and prepared to launch an attack on Fort Ontario. Assigned to protect the fort and, more importantly, the stores at Oswego Falls, was Lieutenant-Colonel George E. Mitchell.

Upon the arrival of the British, Mitchell implemented key military strategy and dispatched orders to sink the schooner Growler (to prevent its capture) and pitch every available tent on the opposite side of the river (to give the impression of a large show of force). These tactics brought the British to the shores of the fort where they were repelled by the Americans – with a little help from Mother Nature. A strong wind had come up, forcing the fleet back to the lake.

British sailors climb the bluff and ramparts of Fort Ontario while the British Marines, De Watteville Regiment, and Glengarry Light Infantry attack from the east. By William Steele. Collection of the Public Archives of Canada.

The following day, May 6, 1814, the British returned and immediately ascended the bluff at Fort Ontario and took its capture. Unable to defend the fort with his small battalion, Mitchell retreated to Oswego Falls to protect the naval stores hidden there, which included the main cable for the frigate, Superior.

By the next morning, the British had set several fort buildings ablaze and left with what little supplies remained. With Fort Ontario destroyed, it was imperative to transport the naval supplies to Sackets Harbor where shipbuilding was nearing completion.

British forces suffered many casualties in their attack on Fort Ontario. Here, wounded British sailors are transported back to their ships. By William Steele. Collection of Fort Ontario State Historic Site.

This Saturday, May 8, join retired U.S. Army Colonel Harold Youmans, historian and editor of the Journal of the War of 1812, as he presents a program on the 1814 Battle of Oswego. The featured speaker of this commemoration event, Youmans’ presentation begins at 1:15 p.m. at the Fort Ontario State Historic Site on East Fourth Street in Oswego.

Cheers,
Kelly