Monday, March 31, 2014

Weird Tale of Old Fort

This is an article that appeared in the Oswego Daily, Oswego County, New York on March 25, 1916.  Colonel Roswell Lane (don't know when he became a Colonel) is my 3rd great-grandfather, and my soldier for the National Society of Daughters of the War of 1812. The following article contains a letter from A.S. (Adelbert S.) Lane, Roswell's youngest (13th) child. I don't know what the S. stands for, if anything.

WEIRD TALE OF OLD FORT
How Ghostly Soldier Broke Enchanted Spell
Digging for Treasure
Interesting Story About Old Fortification in Letter From Son of Colonel Roswell Lane
(these were all headlines)

The publication in the Times of Saturday last of the original of the west side of old Oswego attracted wide attention. It came to the attention of A. S. Lane of Hannibal and Mr. Lane has sent to the Times the following interesting letter relating a story of the search for buried tresure on the site of the old fortification. The story is of rare interest and throws the glamour of the weirdly romantic about the history of the fort. Mr. Lane's letter, in full, follows:
Editor Oswego Times:

     I saw in a recent issue of the Semi-weekly Times a map of early Oswego, showing the old fortification on the west side. It called to mind what I had heard my father, Colonel Roswell Lane, tell about that old fort. My father was born in April, 1798. In 1814 he enlisted as a soldier in the War of 1812 near the close of the war, being then 16 years old. He used to tell that when that fort was abandoned or taken by the enemy the French who occupied it buried a large quantity of money in an iron chest in this fort ground so the enemy could not get it. This story became known to many, and men tried to locate the money and dig for it. A man named Walters had a mineral rod and he and my father located the treasure and went there in the night and dug for it. Mr. Walters claimed to be a professional at the business. He took a sword and marked a circle around large enough so the dirt would not be thrown over the mark or out of the Circle. They then laid down two stones and placed the sword on them for a gate. Whenever they went out or in the circle they were to take up the sword and lay it back in its place. They were not to speak out loud.
     My father said they dug down and struck something hard; they struck an iron bar in the ground and dug by it and found an iron chest which appeared to be square. They found the top of it and the end and the corner and dug down to the bottom, and were talking about it when a soldier appeared and said: "What are you doing here?" The soldier was in full uniform. They had a bulldog lying by the wagon and when he heard the soldier speak jumped for him over the circle. That broke the enchantment and the chest moved off toward the lake with a rumbling sound and the soldier disappeared. The searchers stuck their shovels down in soft dirt where it had been and it was not to be found. It was thought later someone did find it and take it away.
     I used to think it was a fish story but later my father-in-law, John Ottman, who lived any years in Oswego town, told me he had been at the old fort many times when he was young, and saw where someone had dug there for money as it was said. That gave some strength to the story. In the 40's, when there was general training, Roswell Lane was colonel of the regiment. He died in 1870, being then 72 years old. I am the only one of his family living and am residing in the town of Hannibal, where I have lived nearly 76 years in the house where I was born.
     Thinking this may be interesting to someone as pertaining to the old fortification you have the liberty to publish it if you wish.
          Respectfully yours,  A.S. Lane            Hannibal, N.Y., March 23, 1916

I have transcribed this as it appears in the newspaper article. Thought it was a fun read. JMB

 Brothers: Adelbert S. Lane (1846-1930) and Marquis Dudley Lane (1828-1910)
                                     

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

DCH

Yippee!  Just received notice that my application for DCH (The Dames of The Court of Honor) has been approved.   

To become a member of DCH you have to prove you are "of lineal descent from a commissioned officer who served in one or more of the American wars, during the years 1607 through 1865 or from a Colonial Governor who served in the Colonial Period,1607 to 1775. Invitations to join are issued by State Societies."

My Revolutionary War soldier, Captain John Noyes, is my DCH soldier. His service was as a member of the Committee of Safety, he signed the Association Test of New Hampshire. His name was given as "John Noyce."

Captain John Noyes, was born on March 13, 1744 in Bow, Rockingham, NH. He died on October 7, 1835, in Pembroke, Merrimack, NH. He married Mary Fowler, on June 22, 1762 in Bow.  I am descended from their daughter, Sarah, who married Ballard Hazelton. Ballard is my 4th great-grandfather.

Now to concentrate on my "witch" application.