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

Colonel Elmore, and 23 Aug of the same year, the day General Benedict Arnold entered the fort after the hurried retreat of St.
Leger's troops.
It also gives the date (3 Aug 1777) when the first American flag, of the regulation Stars and Stripes, was raised above an
American fort, having been made by the inhabitants of the fort from a blue cloak, a red flannel skirt, and strips of white
cotton.
[An interesting fictionalized account of this flag may be read in the book Little Maid of Mohawk Valley, by Alice Turner Curtis, 1924,
which may be read at: http://books.google.com/books?id=_-
WG37gxMZAC&dq=%22swartout%22+%22fort+stanwix%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s ]
The manuscript begins as follows:
The Journal of William Colbraith (Colbreath)
1777—Journal of the most material occurrences preceding the siege of Fort Schuyler (formerly Fort Stanwix) with an account of that
siege, etc.
April 17th.—A detachment of Colonel [Peter] Gansevoort's regiment, under command of Major Cochran, arrived to reinforce
Colonel Elmore, who was stationed there. [Col. Gansevoort was a Freemason]
May 3d.—Colonel Gansevoort arrived and took command of the garrison agreeable to instructions.
May 10th.—Colonel Elmore's regiment march for Albany.
May 28th.—The remainder of the regiment under the command of Colonel Willett arrived here from Fort Constitution, who informed
Colonel Gansevoort that by order of Major Gen. Gates he had relieved Fort Dayton, (then in charge of Lieutenant Colonel
Livingston), with one captain, two subalterns, two sergeants, one drum and fife and forty rank and file of his detachment. Some
Oneida Indians arrived here with a flag from Canada, who informed the Colonel that they had been to Caughnawaga [now Fonda,
NY] to request them not to take up the hatchet in favor of Great Britain and gave him assurance of that tribe being much inclined to
keep the peace, that had for so long a time subsisted between them and their American brethren, and that some of the sachems
would be here in eight days on their way for Albany to treat on this subject. And also, as they were going to Canada they met the
enemy on their march from thence to Oswego, being destined for this place, and after the treaty was over, which Sir John Johnson
was to hold with the Indians in that country at Oswego, we might hourly expect them.
June 25th.—Capt. [James] Grigg [Gregg], with Corporal Maddeson of his company, being between the Forts Newport and Bull,
about 1¼ miles from Fort Schuyler, were attacked by a party of Indians who wounded and tomahawked them and scalped them.
The captain was alive when found, but the corporal dead. [Note Capt. Grigg (Gregg) was a Freemason. See his brief biography at
the end of this Journal].
July 3d.—Ensign [John] Sporr, being in command of seven men cutting sods for the fort at Fort Newport, were attacked by a party
of Indians, who killed end scalped one, wounded and scalped another, and took the ensign and four men prisoners. [Bro. Spoor was
also a Freemason; he brief biography follow Bro. Greggs at the end of this Journal]
July 18th.—Capt. Grigg, being much recovered of his wounds, set off for Albany.
July 19th.—Same day arrived Captain Swartwout, Lieutenants [Jacob] Diefendorf, Ball, Welch, McClellan, Bowen, Ostrander and
Colbreath and Ensign Denniston, with a number of recruits for the regiment. [
[Abraham Swartwout, Solomon's Lodge No. 1, Poughkeepsie, New York; Junior Warden of Lodge. Ensign, 2nd NY; Captain, 3rd
Regt, The Line; Associated Exemprs, Dutchess Co. Militia. – see his genealogical sketch at this end of this Journal]
July 26th.—The sachems of Caughnawaga arrived here with a flag agreeable to the intelligence received from the Oneida Indians.
A party of one hundred of the garrison went to guard a number of the militia sent to obstruct Wood creek by falling trees from either
side into the creek.
July 27th.—Three girls belonging to the inhabitants being about two hundred yards from our out-sentinels were fired on by a party of
Indians, two of whom were killed and scalped, the other wounded in two places, neither of them dangerous. The party returned who
had been to stop the creek.
July 28th.—The Colonel sent off those women which belonged to the garrison which have children, with whom went the man that
was scalped, the girl that was wounded yesterday and sick in the hospital.
July 30th.—An Indian arrived express from the Oneida castle with a belt of wampum and a letter from the sachems of
Caughnawaga and the Six Nations, in which letter they assured us they were determined to be at peace with the American brethren;
that the enemy were at the Three Rivers and two detachments were to set off before the main body; one body of eight would be
sent to take prisoners, and another of 130 to cut off communication on the Mohawk river. Major Bedlam arrived with 150 men of
Colonel Weston's regiment from Fort Dayton; with him came Captain Dewitt and his party who had been left at Fort Dayton by
Colonel Willett, the whole making to the garrison a reinforcement of about 200 men. Mr. Hansen, commissary of this garrison,
arrived and acquainted us that seven bateaux, loaded with ammunition and previsions, were on their way for this place. The letter
and belt was, agreeable to the request of the Indians, sent down by express to the several committees on the Mohawk river.
Aug. 1st.—Three Oneida Indians came express from their castle informing us that they had seen three strange Indians, who told
them that there were 100 more at the Royal Block House, and that they were to march for this place. Supposing them to be a party
sent to cut off communications, the Colonel detached 100 men under command of Captain Benschoten and three subalterns to
meet the bateaux that were hourly expected, in order to reinforce the guard sent with them from Fort Dayton.
Aug. 2d.—Four bateaux arrived, being those the party went to meet, having a guard of 100 men of Colonel Weston's regiment from
Fort Dayton, under the command of Lieut. Col. Mellon of that regiment. The lading being brought safe into the fort, guard marched
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