II. MILITIA SERVICE OF 1813-1814.

AS SHOWN BY THE CORRESPONDENCE AND
GENERAL ORDERS OF

MAJOR GENERAL AMOS HALL.

The following letters and orders, now first published, are drawn from the original manuscript order book of Major General Amos Hall, kindly placed at the service of the Buffalo Historical Society by his granddaughter, Mrs. Samuel Johnson of Dowagiac, Mich.

Amos Hall, of English lineage, was born at Guilford, Conn., Nov. 21, 1761. At the age of 14, as fifer, he joined a company commanded by his father, Capt. Stephen Hall, and served until the close of the Revolution, being a sergeant when the war ended. In 1788-'89 he was connected with a surveying corps, engaged in surveying lands of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase in Western New York. In April, 1790, he bought over 3000 acres in Township Ten, Range Five, now West Bloomfield, and two lots in Canandaigua village. He settled on his Bloomfield purchase in 1790, where he "kept bachelor's hall" until, Dec. 11, 1791, he married Phebe Coe of Granville, Mass., and brought her to his western home.

In July, 1790, having been appointed United States Marshal, he took the first census of Western New York, em

bracing all the territory in the state west of the eastern line of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. His returns showed a total of 1084 persons. There were 205 families, of which number but 24 lived west of the Genesee River. Sixteen blacks were reported, of whom seven were free and nine were slaves.

At the first town meeting of the town or district of Geneseo—which included all that portion of the state west of Canandaigua-held at Canawagas in April, 1791, he was chosen one of its five assessors, which office he appears to have held for two years. He was supervisor in '93, '94, and '95; becoming supervisor of Bloomfield on the organization of the town in 1796. He was surrogate of Ontario County, 1796-'98; member of assembly from Ontario and Steuben, 1798-'99; from Genesee and Ontario in 1804-'05, and was re-elected for 1808, but resigned. He was state senator from the Western District from 1809 to 1813. He was one of the corporate trustees of the Canandaigua Academy, 1795, and held various other posts in the years prior to the outbreak of the War of 1812.

In 1800, Mr. Hall was appointed Brigadier General of Militia of Ontario and Steuben counties; and in 1810 was made Major General of the Seventh Division. He served on the Niagara Frontier in the War of 1812, and for a short time in the opening year of the war was in command of the forces there. In December, 1813, he was in command of hastily gathered troops, when, before organization could be effected,, occurred the battle of Black Rock.

After the close of the war, Gen. Hall was occupied on commissions for the distribution of landed estates and division of lands, a notable instance being the partition of a 100,000 acre tract between an English claimant and the State of Connecticut, being associated in this work with Gen. Israel Chapin. He died Dec. 28, 1827, at his home at West Bloomfield.

The chief value of the documents which follow lies in the light they shed on the difficulties and embarrassments of the militia service in the Niagara operations, and of methods of discipline then employed. Gen. Hall's journal opens with

the following entry, the date in part torn from the manuscript, but obviously Dec. 24, 1813:

"Brig. Genl. McClure commanding, by a polite note to Gen. Hall, assigned the command pro tempore.

"10 o'clock p. m. A letter was rec'd from Capt. N. Marvin, dated Dec. 24th, morning, stating the enemy's forces at about 300 Indians and 1000 regulars. Reconnaissances have been made as far as Beaches fields."*

Gen. Hall's headquarters at this date were at Batavia. Division orders, issued by him Dec. 24, 1813, directed Lieut. Col. Lawrence to "take the command of all the militia which have marched, or are to march to Lewiston from Batavia, and also of the troops now there under the command of Lieut. Col. Atchenson [Atkinson], who will be second in command." On the 24th and succeeding days numerous appointments were made; among others, Dr. Justin Smith to be surgeon to the detachment of volunteer militia on the Niagara, under Lt. Col. Lawrence. On Christmas day, that officer was ordered to join the detachment on the Ridge Road, march to Lewiston, and if possible to advance to Manchester [Niagara Falls] and Black Rock. The volunteer companies under command of Cols. Blakeslie and Gardiner, Capts. Hamlin, Rowley and Morehouse and Lieut. Kellogg were ordered, Dec. 25th, to "be inspected at this place [Batavia] by Major Mathew Marvin, and march forthwith to Buffalo, and report themselves to the Major General at that place." Following these orders is this memorandum, under date of Dec. 26th:

"At 12 o'clock took up our march from Batavia to Buffalo; arrived at Harris's in the evening. Heard a cannonading in the direction of Black Rock; it was ascertained to proceed from a firing commenced on the Canadian side upon a small vessel which was attempted to be got up the rapids. Vessel was stopped, no injury. "Arrived in the morning at Buffalo. senger to Black Rock, to appraise Gen.

* I have not succeeded in identifying this point.

Dispatched a mesHopkins of arrival;

requested his attendance for purpose of organizing plan of operations."

On the same day Maj. Gen. Hall issued general orders from his Buffalo headquarters, to the several corps of troops on the Niagara frontier, "that by the assent of Brig. Gen. McClure (to whose command the said Frontier has been assigned by the Commander-in-chief), he has assumed the command on said frontier for a short time," and calling for full returns of the number and equipment of all the troops. That evening the General wrote the following letter to the Commander-in-chief:

BUFFALO, Dec. 26, 1813.
Evening.

HIS EXCELLENCY GOV. TOMPKINS,

SIR :—On my receiving information of the enemy's crossing the Niagara river, and taking the fort, I immediately set off for that frontier. On my arrival at Batavia I found a number of volunteers assembled. I tarried one day to forward them on to the frontier and make arrangements for those who should follow.

I this day arrived at Buffalo and assumed command of the troops (being all volunteers) now on this station. The whole number here and at Lewiston, etc., may amount to 2000 of all descriptions. The enemy have made their appearance opposite B. Rock, and an invasion is to be expected.

The troops now out can be kept but a few days-the troops called out on your Excellency's last requisition cannot all arrive at this place until the middle or last of this week. The order did not reach me until the evening of the 16th inst.

Our loss in the capture of Fort Niagara has been immense. What number of brave men have been sacrificed, we have not yet been able to learn, it must have been great. Several inhabitants have been killed at Lewiston, among whom it is not ascertained there are any women or children. I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's most Humble Servant AMOS HALL.

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