The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1917-07-06
WRITTEN BY ZENOS RAWSON
SOLDIER IN WAR OF 1872

oOhDiLiN i4N w AN vi ioA-s
The following is from the pen of
Zenos Rawson, father of Mrs. Martha
Smith of Paw Paw. and was clipped
from the Wyoming Times, February
Goth, 1856.
In the latter part of August 1914,
while living at Palmyra in this state
the MALTA companies of Western
New York were called together to
stand draft for the purpose of
forming large detachment of militia
that was needed to relieve General
Brown, who with large amount Of
property was kept in Fort Erie by
General Drummond. We were order
ed to appear in two days at Canaan
doigua for the purpose of organizing
into companies and regiments. We
were there three days before we drew
rations, and / had been obliged to
use $500 of my money. We were then
furnished with rations and camp
equipage, and marched to Buffalo
Here the condition of General Brown
at Fort Erie was made known to us,
and volunteers were called for. By
means of free whiskey barrels, and
tie parade of a regiment of Silver
Greys-old Revolutionary soldiers-a
sufficient number for the expedition
was raised. Fort Erie lay opposite
Buffalo about mile and a half. /
was one of the four sergeants be-
longing to my company, and was
drafted into the company of Col.
Hopkins.-We were ordered to en-
bark at 800 o'clock in the evening to
avoid the notice of the enemy, and
were all prompt at the time. But
setting out in our boats in line close
together, the swells which ran very
high, drove us one on upon another,
producing a horrible collision of the
boats, and broken oars, and lost equip
ments, and hard swearing were
sufficiently abundant.
When our boat was extricated from
the collision, it stood up the lake, but
soon put out for the Fort. Major
Burr, who was on board with us, fear
ing to be landed too low down, order
ed the boat further up. The man at
the helm paid no attention to the
order until it was savagely repeated,
and, probably angry at the interior
ence, he put the boat up the lake, and
drove her on the shore above the
lines, where she struck upon a rock,
and stove a hole through the bottom.
We were ordered to put on our KNAPP
sacks and leave the boat, which we
did. The water was up to our waists
and the surf slapping us to our
shoulders. We carried our muskets
with the breech upward twelve or
fifteen rods to shore.
AS soon as we had reached the
shore, we were hailed and ordered to
Stand until the officer could advance
to give the countersign. Major Burr
had none. The guard had no right
to let anyone pass without it. The
sergeant of the guard soon came but
would not acknowledge us as Ameri-
cans. He declared we were British,
and were trying to go round the
guard. Major Burr took musket
from one of the soldiers and shot the
sergeant dead. The rest of the guard
dared not make any further resist
ance, and we passed on to the Fort,
where we had to lie down on the wet
ground, in the rain, under the poor
shelter of the low walls, without a
board over or under us. Our clothes
had been soaked in the lake. and the
ground was soaked with the rain.
All our camp equipment was left be-
hind, and it was a terrible night of
wind and storm. No boat could cross
the lake in two days. We had no
provisions, but about noon we receiv-
ed a little pork, one sea biscuit,
(about as eatable as a granite boul-
der, and one gill of whiskey, which