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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Porter, Peter Buel 1773-1844 (search)
Porter, Peter Buel 1773-1844 Military officer; born in Salisbury, Conn., Aug. 4, 1773; studied law, and began practice at Canandaigua, N. Y., in 1795; was a member of Congress from 1809 to 1813, and again in 1815-16. He settled at Black Rock, near General Porter's medal. Buffalo, where he and his brothers made large purchases of land along the Niagara River. A leader of volunteers on the Niagara frontier, he became distinguished for his skill and bravery, and received the thanks of Congress and a gold medal. President Madison offered him the position Peter Buel, Porter. of commander-in-chief of the army in 1815, which he declined. He was secretary of state of New York (1815-16), and was Secretary of War, under President John Quincy Adams, in 1828. General Porter was one of the early projectors of the Erie Canal, and one of the first board of commissioners. He died at Niagara Falls, March 20, 1844.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Queenston, battle of. (search)
on the night of the 12th. It was intensely dark. A storm had just ceased, and the air was laden with vapor. At 3 A. M. the next day Col. Solomon Van Rensselaer, in command of 600 men, was on the shore at Lewiston, prepared to cross the river in the gloom, but, for want of a sufficient number of boats, he crossed with less than half his force. The British, on the alert, had discovered the movement of the Americans, and when the latter landed, at the foot of the high, rocky bank of the Niagara River, they were assailed with musketry and a small field-piece. To this attack a battery on Lewiston Heights responded, when the British fled towards the village Queenston in 1812. of Queenston. They were followed by regulars, under Capt. John E. Wool, who pushed gallantly up the hill, pressed the British back to the plateau on which Queenston stands, and finally gained possession of Queenston Heights. Colonel Van Rensselaer had followed with militia, but was so severely wounded that he w
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Roebling, John Augustus 1806-1869 (search)
o the United States in 1829, and settled near Pittsburg, Pa. Later he began the manufacture of iron and steel wire, which he discovered could be used with efficacy in the building of bridges. In 1844-45 he directed the construction of a bridge over the Alleghany River at Pittsburg, in which were used the first suspension wire cables ever seen in the United States. After successfully building several other suspension bridges he moved his wire factory to Trenton, N. J. In 1851-55 he constructed the New York Central Railroad suspension bridge across the Niagara River. This work at the time was considered one of the wonders of the world, and was followed by the construction of other great bridges, including that between Cincinnati and Covington. In 1868 he was appointed chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, his plans for which had been approved by a commission of eminent engineers. He was the author of Long and short span Railway bridges. He died in Brooklyn, N. Y., July 22, 1869.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Sackett's Harbor. (search)
ritish authorities heard of the depletion of the military force at Sackett's Harbor when Chauncey and Dearborn sailed for York, they resolved to attempt its capture. It was then the chief place of deposit for the Light-House on horse Island. naval and military stores of the Americans on the northern frontier, and its possession would give to the holder the command of the lake. The fall of York made the British hesitate; but when it was known that Chauncey and Dearborn had gone to the Niagara River, an armament proceeded from Kingston to assail the harbor. On the evening of May 27, word reached that place that a British squadron, under Sir James Yeo, had sailed from Kingston. Colonel Backus was in command of the troops at Sackett's Harbor. Gen. Jacob Brown was at his home, a few miles from Watertown, and he had promised to take chief command in case of invasion. He was summoned, and before the dawn of the 28th he was in Backus's camp. Thence he sent expresses in all directions
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Seneca Indians, (search)
Seneca Indians, The fifth nation of the Iroquois Confederacy (q. v. ), which inhabited the country in New York west of Sodus Bay and Seneca Lake to the Niagara River. They called themselves Tsonnundawaono, or dwellers in the open country. Tradition says that at the formation of the great confederacy Hiawatha said to them, You, Senecas, a people who live in the open country, and possess much wisdom, shall be the fifth nation, because you understand better the art of raising corn and beans Door of the Long House—the confederacy. They were divided into five clans—viz., the Turtle, Snipe, Hawk, Bear, and Wolf, and were represented in the great council or congress by seven sachems. There was a small family on the borders of the Niagara River, called Neuters, whose domain formed the western boundary of the Seneca territory; also the Erikes, or Eries, south of Lake Erie. On the east they joined the Senecas. By the conquest of the Hurons, most of the Neuters, the Series, and Anda
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Smyth, Alexander (search)
l, and for some time Smyth was in personal danger. He was fired at several times when he ventured from his marquee, and he was compelled to place a double guard around it, and to move it from place to place to avoid continual insults. At length Smyth challenged Porter—his second in command—to fight a duel. It was accepted. They both violated the articles of war in the challenge and acceptance. With friends, seconds, and surgeons, they repaired to Grand Island (Dec. 12, 1812), on the Niagara River, exchanged shots at 12 paces distance, and neither of them was hurt. The expected tragedy was a solemn comedy. The affair took the usual ridiculous course—settled by the seconds. General Porter acknowledged that he considered Smyth a man of courage, and Smyth declared Porter to be above suspicion as a gentleman and an officer. So ended the melodrama of Smyth's invasion of Canada. General Smyth was removed from the army without trial. He afterwards petitioned Congress to reinstate h<
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Toronto, (search)
an invasion of Canada. He did not think the American troops on the northern frontier sufficiently strong to attack Montreal, and he proposed instead to attack successively Kingston, York (now Toronto), and Fort George, near the mouth of the Niagara River, thus cutting off the communication between Montreal and Upper Canada. As the British had a sloop-of-war on the stocks at York, another fitting out there, and a third repairing, Dearborn and Chauncey were of opinion that the surest way to semiddle of April (1813) Chauncey and Dearborn had matured a plan of operations with a combined land and naval force. It was to cross the lake and capture York, and then proceed to attack Fort George. At the same time troops were to cross the Niagara River and capture Fort Erie, opposite Buffalo, and Fort Chippewa, below, join the victors at Fort George, and all proceed to capture Kingston. With 1,700 troops under the immediate command of Brig.-Gen. Zebulon M. Pike, Dearborn sailed in Chauncey
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Trials. (search)
g and teaching Pelagian and Arminian doctrines; acquitted......June 9 et seq., 1835 Rev. Albert Barnes, Presbyterian, for heresies in Notes on the epistles to the Romans; tried and acquitted by presbytery of Philadelphia, June 30–July 8, 1835; condemned by the synod and suspended for six months, but acquitted by the general assembly......1836 Case of slave schooner Amistad......1839-40 Alexander McLeod, a Canadian, charged as an accomplice in burning the steamer Caroline in the Niagara River, and in the murder of Amos Durfee, is taken from Lockport to New York on habeas corpus, May, 1841. Great Britain asks his release in extra session of Congress; Mr. Webster advocates his discharge. A special session of the circuit court, ordered by the legislature of New York at Utica, tries and acquits him......Oct. 4-12, 1841 A. W. Holmes, of the crew of the William Brown for murder on the high seas (forty-four of the passengers and crew escaping in the long-boat, the sailors threw
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), United States of America. (search)
the boundaries of the Floridas......1785 Massachusetts cedes to the United States her claims to lands west of the Niagara River, in accordance with an act of legislature of Nov. 13, 1784......April 19, 1785 John Adams appointed minister pleniigate Brandywine, furnished him by the government......Sept. 7, 1825 Mordecai M. Noah selects Grand Island, in the Niagara River, as a site for a city of refuge for the Jews, to be called Ararat......Sept. 17, 1825 Com. David Porter, while crurevails throughout the northern United States night of......June 4, 1859 M. Blondin for the first time crosses the Niagara River just below the falls on a tight-rope......June 30, 1859 San Juan islands occupied by General Harney, U. S. A. (tho N. Y., May 19, and 1,000 at St. Alban's, Vt.......May 30, 1866 Fenian raid into Canada; about 1,200 men cross the Niagara River at Buffalo, N. Y., landing near old Fort Erie, May 31, 1866. After a skirmish near Ridgeway they withdraw to the Un
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), New York, (search)
rsey, Pennsylvania, lakes Erie and Ontario, and the rivers Niagara and St. Lawrence. Its greatest length, north and south, i 1678 La Salle builds Fort Conty at the mouth of the Niagara River......January, 1679 La Salle begins building the Grifew York, and build a palisaded fort at the mouth of the Niagara River, on the east side......1687 Francis Stepney, a danci.1837 Patriot war—Canada......1837 Navy Island in Niagara River occupied by the Patriots......December, 1837 Steamerroline, at Schlosser's Landing, on the American side of Niagara River, is fired and sent over the Falls by Canadian soldiers or......1858 M. Blondin (Émile Gravelet) crosses the Niagara River, just below the Falls, for the first time on a tight-roncy.] Fenian raid into Canada; about 1,200 men cross Niagara River near Buffalo, camping near old Fort Erie......May 31, 1Sept. 19, 1873 International Railway Bridge crossing Niagara River at Black Rock (Buffalo) to Canada, built under authorit
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