Craft Masonry in Oneida County, New York - Onondaga and ...

Oliver Collins was a sturdy and enterprising pioneer, and an able and social man. He did his part in advancing the prosperity and
good name of the settlement.
The first town meeting in Whitestown was held April 7, 1789, in the barn of Hugh White. Among those elected to the town offices
were—Jedediah Sanger, supervisor; Oliver Collins, collector; Hugh White, one of the poormasters. The next town meeting was
held in Capt. Maynard’s barn. Before all the electors had arrived the election was opened, the ballots cast and canvassed. The late
comers objected to this too great promptitude. So the election was by vote declared void, and the meeting adjourned till the next
day, when a new election was held. The old officers were then mostly re-elected, whereupon the old and the new clerk certified the
officers chosen at the second election.
In December, 1797, Horeb Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was organized in New Hartford. It continued until anti-masonic
times, with a membership of about fifty. Oliver Collins took his ‘first degree’ in December, 1797, and was probably a charter
member. To be a Royal Arch Mason at this time was a great distinction.
In December, 1805, Nathaniel Stacy, formed “The Universalist Society of Whitestown.” This was the third Universalist society
formed in this State. It long continued to be the parent society in Western New York. Hugh White and Oliver Collins were early and
prominent members of this society. The little white church below the village of New Hartford, on the bank of the creek, which
remained till lately, was its place of worship. The Puritanic strictness of the New England Collins, it seems, did not survive the
emigration into the Mohawk Valley.
In politics Oliver Collins was always a democrat, and a zealous one. It is related by our local historians that in 1801, after the
election of Thomas Jefferson, the few of the Democratic party in Oneida County “barely sufficient to form a corporal’s guard,”
celebrated the victory by a public dinner at White’s Tavern in Whitesboro. Oliver Collins was among the fourteen celebrants. A
cannon brought from Rome, was stolen and sunk in the creek. Another gun was dragged down from Fort Stanwix, amid many cares
and perils. Before the time came to fire it, the gun was spiked with a file. One of the unterrified fourteen Democrats, Shadrach Smith,
a blacksmith, cleared out the rat-tail file, when the nineteen guns were given according to the programme. In the next Whitesboro
Gazette and Cato’s Patrol, some offensive partisan,—a Federal poet—reviled and ridiculed in verse, the ardent and unterrified
democracy.
In his “Pioneers of Utica,” Dr. Bagg gives the name of this poet as John H. Lothrop, and says of him: “He was a writer of fluent
and graceful English, enlivened by playful fancy and lively wit, and chastened by a cultured taste.”Dr. Bagg’s book also gives a
portrait of this poet, which shows him good looking and genial, like many other mischievous partisans. The doctor furthermore
quotes from his verses with explanatory remarks, as follows:
After showing how
The rabble all in council met
To plan a Democratic fete—
it tells how at early dawn
“Crawled forth two demos, torch in hand,
“To roar their thunder through the land.”
And how
“The gun—a fed’ralist, I trow,
“A terror to Columbia’s foe.”
“Took its flight,
“ Protected by the friendly night
“ Without the aid of cart or carter,
“And dove six feet right under water.”
A messenger was dispatched and another cannon obtained, but
“O transient gleam! Misfortunes new,
“Befell the Democratic crew!
“A rat-tail file dropt from the skies,
“And plugg’d the gun before their eyes.”
The Democratic account of this affair says the poetry was “low and blackguardly in language; its only merit was its rhyme.” The
Democratic historian moralizes: “The little petty persecution at Whitesboro, no doubt made scores of Democrats in the county.”
Partisan feeling, it would seem was very much the same in 1801 as now.
When the militia was organized in the Whitestown country, Oliver Collins received a captain’s commission. He rose in regular
military gradation to the rank of Brigadier General. While holding this rank the war of 1812 was declared. In this war he rendered
valuable military services to his country.
He was three times in command of the militia forces at the important post of Sacketts Harbor. In the spring of 1813 General
Dearborn became greatly alarmed for the safety of Sacketts Harbor, and feared the British under Sir George Provost, might cross
from Kingston on the ice and overpower our forces. The militia in several counties was ordered out en masse, under the command
of General Collins. This force was assembled at Sacketts Harbor and Brownsville, and remained on duty for a month, till the ice
thawed and the apprehended danger had passed.
September 13, 1813, a draft for three months was ordered in Montgomery, Madison, Otsego, Herkimer, Oneida, Onondaga,
Jefferson and Lewis counties. The command was given to General Collins. His troops did duty at Sacketts Harbor and Brownsville.
This draft and service occurred during the costly preparations for the miserable failure of General Wilkinson in his boasted
descent upon Montreal. So important was the contemplated expedition of Wilkinson that the Secretary of War went to Sacketts
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