The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-27
THE PAYMASTER,S ROBBERY.
A "Reminiscences of the War of 1919.

Watertown is the county seat of JEFF
ferson county, New York. 1t is situated
on the south side of Black river, large
and rapid stream. This river rises, far
up in the Adirondac mountains, and pur-
suing a westerly course for more than a
hundred miles, empties into Lake Onta-
rio at its eastern extremity, not far from
the outlet of the st. Lawrence river. II
is valuable stream, not only watering q
large proportion of the northern part of
the State, but abounding with many rap
ids and falls, and thus furnishing n null
titude of privileges for manufacturing
purposes, which are being amply occu-
pied. Watertown is located about ten
miles up this stream from Sacketts Har-
Dor. This latter place, during the last
war with Great Britain, was the head
quarters of our northwestern armies, and
the rendezvous of the American war
ships on Lake Ontario. Even at as early
a date as that struggle commencing in
1S1D Watertown was village of no in
considerable magnitude and importance
And yet it has been comparatively un-
known to the people of our country gen.
orally until of late years. But the build
ing of the Rome, Watertown and Cape
Vincent railroad, when the ST. Lawrence
river and its Thousand Isles became O
fashionable summer residence and fish
ing resort, Watertown rose rapidly into
importance and celebrity. Visitors to
the beautiful regions of the ST. Lawrence,
when nearing them by railroad and
crossing the Black river at Watertown,
find themselves suddenly in the midst of
a large and thriving town, filed with
manufactures and rapidly advancing to
the dimensions OF city to which point it
has already attained. The settlement of
this place commenced near the close of
the last century, or about the year 1895.
The people who originally located there
were from the New England States, and
were much more than ordinarily intel
hgent, educated, industrious and enter
prising class of citizens.
During the war of 1912 Watertown was
great thoroughfare for United States
troops, militia, sailors and suffers, and
all the motley crowd which follow an
army. Being in the vicinity of Sackett's
Harbor, the headquarters of the north
western armies, and in the vicinity of
the Canada line, near which nearly all
the hard battles of that war were fought,
it was the scene of many bold deeds and
daring adventures, and of exceptionally
thrilling events.
Passing my early days in this vicinity
of encounters, battles by land and water,
soldiers, sailors, marchings, counter
marching and encampments, my young
mind became necessarily filled with the
history of thousands of stories of slaugh-
ters, woundings and death, scalping and
tortures by Indians, and the many wild
scenes and transactions of which war is
always the prolific source.
Among the many noted transactions
which could be narrated, the most re-
markable, in many particulars, was
what came to be called "the Whlttlesey
robbery" Being young and personal
spectator of some of its most tragic
events, / will narrate them as they were
then deeply imprinted on my fresh rec
objection. In this effort my memory is
strengthened and assisted by Dr. Hough's
history of Jefferson county, and also by
a pamphlet lately placed in my posses
sion by lady of Watertown (Mrs. Judge
Strong, formerly Mrs. Norris M. Wood
ruff, an old friend of mine. This
pamphlet is entitled "The Life and Char
acter of Jason Fairbanks
Samuel Whittlesey, Esq, lawyer by
profession, of fine abilities, settled in
Watertown in 1907. He and his wife
were members in good standing of the
Congregationaist (now Presbyterian
church of that town. The office of first
Judge of this county, and other appoint
ments of distinction were conferred upon
him. the duties whereof he discharged
creditably and honorably.
at the close of the war of 1912, Gov.
Tompkins conferred on Judge Whittle-
sey the appointment of Brigade Paymas-
ter, for the purpose of paying off the
militia belonging in that region of the
State, who had served for longer or short
er periods during the then late war with
Great Britain. As sureties for the faith
full and prompt discharge of his duties,
and as indorsers for whatever amount of
moneys might come into his possession,
Judge Whittlesey presented the names
of Perley Keyes and Jason Fairbanks,
both residents of Watertown. These
were men of New England birth, and OF
strongly developed New England charac-
teristics. Perley Reyes was an intelli-
gent. shrewd, long-headed man, and Jn-
son Fairbanks was possessed OF more