SAG-HARBOR IN THE WAR
OF 1812
Excerpts from "Early Sag-Harbor,"
An Address delivered before the Sag-Harbor Historical Society February
4th, 1896, by H. P. Hedges
The attack of the British
on Sag Harbor, in June 1813, was a failure as disastrous as the Revolutionary
success was brilliant.
The British
fleet lay in Gardiner's Bay, commanded by Commodore Hardy. A launch
and two barges, with 100 men, attempted to surprise the place by night.
They landed on the wharf, but an alarm had been given previously and the
guns of the fort were with such effect, that they set fire to one
sloop only and retreated in such haste as to leave a large quality of guns,
swords and other arms behind them. The flames were speedily extinguished
by the Americans, who suffered no other loss.
Captain David Hand,
of Revolutionary memory preserveed as a relic, some portion of the arms,
and his grandson, Captain David P. Vail, has treasured the mementoes from
his grandfather until now. Captain Henry Green and John Gann were sentinels
on the wharf at this time. Green told me that he heard a boat and challenged
it, and obtaining no answer, fired. Knowing that a return fire would
follow, he jumped behind a large spile, that receiving the enemy's shot
protected him. He then ran from the wharf, continuing the alarm.
He said that Gann’s gun missed fire, and as he ran past him, Gann was on
his knees picking his flint and saying; “ I want to get a crack at them."
His Irish blood, it; in its enmity to England, was true as steel.
Does Great Britain know the burning resentment of the millions of Irish
Americans who pant for war against her? Her arrogance in 1776 cost her
half a continent; continued, it may cost her untold retribution. In the
connection with the flight of the patriots from Long Island to Connecticut,
to escape the consequences flowing from British rule here, after the disastrous
battle of Long Island, published in the New London Gazette of January 17th,
1777, is interesting.
“Thomas Dering,
John Foster and Thomas Wickham or either two of them being appointed by
the State of New York to receive, examine, and report on the several claims
against said State for transporting families, stock and effects from Long
Island to Connecticut, all persons who have any such accounts unsettled,
are desired to bring them in for settlement to Ephraim Fenno’s, inn holder,
at Middletown, the third Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in January and
February next, where attendance will be given to adjust the same.
They are requested to give particular account of the names and number of
the families, and owners, of the effects, and the places from and to, which
they were removed, and to be certified by the committee of the several
towns where they live.”
Middletown, Dec. 11th, 1776.
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