Adventures of Robert Hugunin

Daily Democratic Press

September 3, 1856

                    Early Times upon the Lakes

                       No. XXIII.

                       Chicago, August 26, 1856

    In the years 1802-8 the first vessel was built on Lake Ontario, on the American coast of the lake, for commercial purposes. She was built at Genesee River, and was to have been called the Jemima Wilkinson. This was before the days of custom house officers on the lake cost. I think she never sailed under that name. She was purchased by some gentleman of Oswego, and Matthew McNair soon became her owner; he gave her the name of Peggy. 

    She was principally employed in carrying salt from Oswego to the different Canada ports. She was commanded by Augustus Ford, who afterwards became S.M. [Sailing Master] in the navy of the United States, and was a very efficient officer in our late war with England. In 1806, I think the Peggy was hauled out, cut into, and lengthened, After that she was called the Linda, and was considered quite a vessel. She would then cary two hundred and ten barrels of salt. She was commanded by Archibald Montgomery. In 1808 (I was a boy then, and belonged to the vessel -it was what was known as the embargo year) the Linda was principally employed in transporting potash and provisions from the lake coast down the River St. Lawrence. Customs houses had been established a several of the lake ports in 1804.

    Great attention was given by the settlers to the manufacture of potash; to was said to be worth then $400 per ton at Montreal. The Government ordered out to the frontier quite a number of United States troops, to assist the gentlemen of the Custom House department to sustain the laws, and prevent the exportation of our products to Canada. There was then a violent opposition along our whole frontier coast to the embargo does. Mobs would turn out and overawe the custom house officers, and force the produce from the ports and have it shipped to the ports in Canada.

    In  the forepart of November, 1808, the schooner Linda was chartered by some of the officers of the Government to transport from Oswego to Ogdensburg a company of U.S. riflemen. Part of the company was stationed at Sackett’s Harbor. We proceeded with the Linda to Sackett’s Harbor and lay there a few days to give them time to collect the balance of the riflemen, and prepare them for embarking. Sackett’s Harbor was then surrounded by a howling wilderness. From ur vessel in the night we heard the wolves howl, and the screaming of wild beasts in various directions. They truly did make night hideous.

    About the fourth day after our arrive we sailed with the full company of U.S. Rifles on board. The voyage down he St. Lawrence was truly romantic. It was then a wilderness from the mouth of the river to Morristown, twelve miles above Ogdensburg. There was then a small garrison of English troops stationed at the Fort at the head of Carlton Island; the Fort and buildings were then in good repair. There was an abundance of game on the American coast of the river, and about the Thousand Islands particularly so.

    It was hunting season. The American Indians - the Oneidas, Onondagas, with others from several tribes, were scattered along the American coast and on the islands. The river being the boundary between the United States and Canada, and the boundary line not yet established, made the Thousand Islands a disputed territory among the savages of the two countries. Sometimes the Canada Indians, the Missassaugas,  Mohawks, and Indians of other tribes. would come in force to drive the American Indians from the Islands, and considerable of an Indian war would be got up. Deer, bears, wolves, with many other animals, were in great abundance; gases swans, brant, with a great variety of water-fowl, were truly abundant. There was not a sheet of water connected with any of our great lakes where fish were more abundant and of better variety.

    I was writing about the schooner Linda. We arrived at Ogdensburg after a good passage, and discharged the troops and stores. Ogdensburg was not a very large town them. At that time no one presumed to navigate the St. Lawrence in the night. The channel that is used now was not then known by any one. There were no tug-boats. The river could only be ascended with a fair wind by daylight. We had a tedious passage up the river - our provisions grew scant, there was no place to purchase any, while in the river we could supply ourselves with fish and game. We at length got out of the river with a fair wind, which lasted us until we got within ten miles of Oswego, when we met a violent head wind. It blew hard - our canvas would not stand the breeze.

   We were compelled to upheld and run for a shelter in some port to leeward. In a few hours we came to anchor under the lee of an island called the Real Ducks. We came to at the northwest end of the island; we did not come to where vessels usually come to an anchor now. The northwest end of the island is a bluff rocky shore with deep water close to the rocks; it is what sailors call an iron-bound shore.   On the night of the second day after we came to an anchor, between 11 and 12, the wind shifted with a squall from the northwest, accompanied with heavy rain, the wind dead on the shore. The master had not taken the precaution to have his canvas reefed as all prudent seamen do when laying to an anchor on an open beach.

    Before we could get under way we had to reef our sails, which took us some time, raining as it was. When our canvas was set the men were called to the windlass to weigh the anchor. The anchor soon broke ground, and by some means he vessel canted the wrong way. We could not clear the land on that tack; the water was deep - it took sometime to get the anchor up. Then we tried to get the vessel about. She miss-stayed. We then undertook to wear ship - (I was at the helm) - the master sung out, “Hard up the helm.” The peak of the mainsail was lowered away. She obeyed her helm finely, when suddenly Capt. Montgomery discovered the line of spray upon the beach close o us. There was not room to wear before the vessel would be upon the beach.

    He sung out, “Let run the anchor, down your helm, take in the canvas,” as fast as he could give the orders. The anchor soon reached the bottom. It probably hooked got some ledge; it took the cable from the men rapidly, (we used hemp cables then,) the vessel swung and came head to wind. By this time there was quite a sea. On she rocked to her anchor about five minutes, when a sharp sea struck her bow; the spray flew high over us; the cable parted in about two minutes; we were broadside upon that rocky beach. It was very dark; it rained in torrents, the wind and surf howled above frightfully - we were within about thirty or forty feet of the high bluff rocks, which were about as our cross-trees, which was about forty feet - the vessel took a can’t off shore, and when the waves retired from the beach the vessel would lay with her sail under the water; when the next sea came it would send an immense sheet of water over our deck - it was difficult to hold on.

    When the vessel would roll towards the shore, she would bring her salt the water on that side. In the midst of the noise and confusion, the master ordered me to go below and secure his gun and ammunition - that was no trifling undertaking. I went, and by watching the roll between the seas, I got to the companion way, and dove below, and was smartly hustled about there. I soon found the gun and ammunition, and made the best of my way out; with all speed.

    I rushed for the deck - the vessel had bilged. While I was ascending the stairs the water forced up the cabin floor, stairs and all; my hand had reached the companion way at the head of the stairs, when the stairs under my feet seemed to be crushed to atoms; I had a firm hold and reached the deck; for a short time I held on to the companion way. The next sea that came made a tremendous breach over the deck: it stove off the companion way, and sent me flying with the rubbish to the lee side of the deck. I caught on the rail, and before the next sea came gained the manned rigging; the gun and ammunition flew from me in the spray, and were lost forever.

    There were six of us all told on board of the Linda; the master and three women, one man, a passenger, one young woman, the niece of Capt. Montgomery, a Miss Pinkerton, (she was about sixteen yeas of age,) and myself, a boy sixteen years old. I could swim like a muskrat. I knew the difficulty of swimming at least half a mile to gain a gravel beach in as bleak a night as that through a sharp surf. Our vessel was breaking up fast. The wind was sharp and cold. We were constantly drenched with the sea breaking over us. Our chances looked small. I still had good courage; the roaring of the winds and waters did not frighten me; my hopes were strong.                                                   ROBT. HUGUNIN.

Daily Democratic Press, Chicago, Ill.

October 22, 1856

Capt. Montgomery Vindicated by his daughter.

    Will you allow me to make a reply to certain remarks made in the Press in an article headed “Early Times on the Lakes.” The writer may have supposed that there was none left to vindicate the character of Archibald Montgomery, but children remain who will ever feel his loss most sensibly, and who will indignantly repel all charges against him derogatory to his character as a seaman and a gentleman.

    Mr. Hugunin’s first experience in sailing was under Capt. Montgomery, and continued till the beginning of the War of 1812, He commenced somewhere about the age of 14, a short time before the loss of the Linda, as he calls her. According to his own statement, Capt. Montgomery, being an old sea captain, must undoubtedly have known his duty as well as a young stripling of a boy of the age of 14.  He’d also states the vessel cast away on the Ducks (by the name of Linda) had  been owned by many of the principal men of Oswego, and lastly by Matthew McNair.

    Well so far; but lastly of all she was owned by Capt. Archibald Montgomery himself, and her name was Betsey and Nancy, called after two of Mr. Hugunin’s sisters, playmates of Capt. Montgomery’s little daughter. And again he states he was a great swimmer. May be; but this much I know, the best swimmer was chosen to swim to shore with a rope so as to lash the rest and draw them on shore, and then (he could not swim) he and the niece he spoke of, both being small and light, were lashed together and drawn ashore.

    In 1810 or ’11, Capt. Montgomery bought another boat of Matthew McNair, by the name of Sophia, and in the spring of 1812, as he was passing down the river St. Lawrence, he and his vessel were taken by the British, together with one owned by Alvin Bronson & Co. The vessels were burned that evening. On his return home he joined the navy as pilot and sailing master of the fleet on Lake Ontario under Com. Chauncey. He piloted the fleet at the taking of Toronto, (then called York, commanding and taking the place while the commodore stood back and looked on; and this is not the only place where he stood back while the old pilot fought this battles.

    I have not Capt. Hugunin’s statements before me at this time, but he states that Com. Chauncey came to him, requesting him to pilot the fleet down the river St. Lawrence on or near the American shore and among the Thousand Islands, at the time of an expected skirmish with the enemy, saying that the old pilot was incompetent for the task. Let reason speak. What will she say? Which would be the most capable, the old sea captain that had navigated the waters since he was twelve years of age, or a young stripling of a boy about 17 years of age?

    Let Capt. Hugunin be kind enough hereafter to confine himself to facts, or at least to state nothing injurious to the memory of the dead.

                                                                                             Mrs. S.A. Sawyer.