Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== A Memoir of the Late William Hodge, Sen. Bigelow Bros., Buffalo, N.Y. - 1885 (138-143) MEMORANDA & BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES -------- In this paper are collected several brief detached sketches for the most part relating to persons, places and affairs mentioned in the foregoing articles. I. Biographical Notices. These consist of notes written out by way of comment on papers read and discussed in Club Meetings of the Buffalo-Historical Society. I. RED JACKET and PRATT'S Ferry.—[See pages 97 and 67.] I remember RED JACKET well. In stature he was not tall, but rather stoutly built, and straight as an arrow. He was dignified in his appearance and walk, and quite reserved in his manner. But his reserve was sometimes broken, as in the following instance. Tradition says that he adopted SAMUEL PRATT (whose ferry across Buffalo creek has been mentioned above) as his son, and gave him a piece of land for a farm. He made it a point to call on his "son" whenever he came that way, making free to dine with him as occasion required. The ferrying at PRATT'S was accomplished by means of a flat scow boat over which passed a rope, running on rollers, the ends of which were fastened to strong posts on the opposite sides of the creek. By pulling at this rope the boat was moved, carrying over foot-passengers and teams. But sometimes, in cold weather, the ice would be strong enough to bear, and crossing was done upon it. RED JACKET one day wanted to cross, but the scow was on the other side of the creek. As the ice appeared to him strong enough to hold his weight, he started to walk over. To explain what followed, it must be here said that the chief was tenacious of the reservation lands of his people, and never would consent to their being sold to the whites. For many years ef- forts were made to effect a purchase, but no influence, not even money, could tempt the old chief to let their possessions go. Now, on the occasion I have mentioned, RED JACKET was mistaken as to the security of the ice, and on the way over broke and he fell in. While struggling hard to keep his head above water, he cried out lustily for help, shouting over and over "Son! son! come and help me out or they will get all land!" His ruling idea was strong in his peril. Mr. PRATT, being near by, did a son's duty by helping him out and saving his life. 2. YOUNG KING.—I well remember what commotion there was in Buffalo, one evening during the War of 1812 (such indeed frequently occurred), when word was passed from one another throughout village and town, that our soldiers were going to cross the river to invade Canada, and that YOUNG KING one of the Seneca Chiefs, with thirty or forty volun- teers from his tribe, were to accompany them. The history of those times as published in the journals gives reasons why the army and the volunteer Indians did not carry out the plan proposed. I think, how- ever, that the main reason was that the army consisted mostly of vol- unteers, who claimed that their duty was defend the frontier, and not to invade Canada. Among anecdotes concerning YOUNG KING, there is one which I have never seen published, excepting soon after occurrence to which it relates. Many years after the War 1812, there was a petition of YOUNG KING before Congress a pension, for services rendered during the war. It was gotten up by one of our sharp lawyers in Buffalo, and was pre- sented with a speech of much eloquence by one of our representatives. It stated that YOUNG KING had been of much service to the country during the war; had fought in several battles, and had lost an arm. The pension was granted without a reference or the asking of any questions. The name DAVID REESE, the blacksmith for the Seneca Indians, was not mentioned in the speech before Congress, although the arm of YOUNG KING was really lost in an encounter with him, is well known. 3- M. LOUIS LECOUTEULX. —[See p. 28.] M. LECOUTEULX was Town Clerk when we came to "New Amsterdam" (or Buffalo) in 1805. I have spoken of his old-style dress, queue, breeches, long stockings and knee - and shoe-buckles. I know of only two besides him who in those days still wore queues, my grandfather, BENJAMIN HODGE, and ROSWELL HOSFORD. The latter also wore the knee - and shoe-buckles; I remember seeing my grandfather's buckles in his house, but never saw them upon him. M. LECOUTEULX was very nice in his manners, and courteous to all. One day, for instance, he came into JOSEPH CLARY'S office, my father being there transacting some business with "The 'Squire." The trio chatted awhile, when M. LECOUTEULX, rising, bade the 'Squire good day, and left the office. In a few moments he returned, and begged my father's pardon for not having spoken to him, also, when taking his leave. He was also very particular and exact in transacting business, as for instance, buying of my father a barrel of flour, he paid cash for it, but required also a receipt for the payment. I had occasion from time to time to collect of him a tax for con- tingent expenses, levied on the real estate of our School District. He owned the large farm on the Main road, north of the Grider road, which was formerly owned by ASA CHAPMAN, and called the CHAPMAN Farm. I called on M. LECOUTEULX once on this collecting errand, and on pay- ment, he said, "You must give me a receipt." "Certainly, I will," I replied, and sat down to write it; when he quickly said, "Stop; stop; you will not spell my name right," and taking the pen, wrote his name, and I then finished writing the receipt. He was a beautiful penman, as the first records of the town bore witness, the letters being all made distinct and plain. M. LECOUTEULX on one occasion calling at my father's house to buy brick, said he desired to build a house for his wife, who, as she was younger than himself, might live many years longer, and the house must be built to last. He would have none but hard burnt brick, which we furnished, he paying fifty cents per thousand extra for the quality. This house was built on Exchange (Crow) street, north side, opposite the "Mansion House," standing back in his lot, which was the large one at the northeast corner of Main and Exchange streets, extending quite a distance on Main street towards Seneca. When the hill was cut down several feet in front of the Mansion House, on grading the streets, M. LECOUTEULX had a wall of block stone built to protect his corner, and preserve the level of his land. STEPHEN GOSS, a young man of my acquaintance, once when standing on the sidewalk, fired his gun. M. LECOUTEULX coming along soon after, patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Young man, you must pay for that; you should not shoot your gun on the sidewalk." STEPHEN thought no more of the matter, but in a day or two he was called to go before the magistrate, and answer to a complaint in the case, and had to pay a fine of one dollar and costs for his offence against the village law. M. LECOUTEULX, like others, had his troubles. One of these was in reference to the location of the Erie Canal, for, to connect this with Little Buffalo Creek, near the foot of the Terrace hill, it neces- sarily passed through land belonging to him, to his great pecuniary loss and damage, as it ruined his chicken-yard. This greatly grieved him, and I believe he was sincerely honest in the opinion that the canal ought not to have thus invaded his premises. As an offset to this I give an incident which occasioned him great satisfaction, and over which he was very gleeful. He had erected on his house a weathercock, but soon after came one of our "Buffalo zephyrs," which worked a general destruction of signs, chimneys, fences, etc. He expected to find in the morning that his weathercock had perished. But, finding it safe in its place, he went over in a joyful mood, highly elated, to tell JOSEPH LANDON, of the Mansion House, of his good fortune; but meeting Mrs. LANDON at the door, he gave his high-wrought feelings utterance by telling her of his ex- ceeding great deliverance. 4. Rev. GLEZEN FILLMORE.—[See pp. 82, &c., 112.] Jan, 28, 1875, I attended at Clarence, in this county, with many others, the funeral of Rev. GLEZEN FILLMORE. I had known him from my boyhood to the time of his death at eighty-five years of age. Elder Fillmore was the first Methodist minister whom I remember as preaching in this neighborhood; and I am quite sure that he was the first who used to come occasionally and preach in our little log school-house near Cold Spring. I cannot give the date of his first visit. He was licensed to preach in 1818, and Buffalo was in the cir- cuit assigned to him, but I remember that he staid at my father's over night when we were living in the rebuilt shop, in the summer of 1814; and I am quite sure he had preached in the log school-house in the evening. In traveling his circuit he always rode on horseback, and when he came into our neighborhood he made my father's house his stopping- place. He was much beloved and respected by all who became acquainted with him. Possessing a large, noble frame, and a powerful but pleasant voice, none could hear him preach without admiring him as a preacher, and none could know him without loving and respecting him as a truly faithful servant of the Lord, —ever ready to speak a word for his Master, whenever and wherever an opportunity offered. I remember that at one time soon after I first knew him, I had been over, with two of my sisters, on Sunday, to see an aunt. We were walking home, when Mr. FILLMORE overtook us, and passed by, without checking the gait of his horse. But, in his distinct yet pleasant way of speaking, he said to us, "Have you spent to-day to the glory of God?" I was quite sure he did not know whose children we were, and seeing us in the road on Sunday, thought it likely that we might be spending the day for our own pleasure. That remark contained a full sermon. I have always re- membered it, and respected Mr. FILLMORE for making it. I have some- times thought that we may all be preachers, in a certain application of the term, in our actions and doings, and in our conversation with others, especially those who are directly influenced by us; and that ministers' sermons are not always preached from pulpits. 5. Judge SAMUEL WILKESON.—[See p. 72.] In a paper by Dr. LORD, read (1867), before the Buffalo Historical Society, he said truly that Judge WILKESON was a man of remarkable character, prompt in decision, of comprehensive mind, and energy to accomplish whatever he wished or thought best; and that he had the fullest confidence in himself as being able to succeed in everything he undertook. Thus, when invested with legal authority, he acted on his own judgment, without much deference to the judgment or opinions of others. He would assume the responsibility of his acts, let the consequences be what they might. At an early period in his judgeship, the following illustration of this characteristic occurred, when he was holding a court in the summer time, a very busy season of the year for farmers. Immediately after the opening of the court the clerk was directed to call the names of the jurors, most of whom had been summoned from their farms for this duty, and had nearly all answered to their names at the first call. The Judge then took up the calendar and called the names of the parties to the first suit. The attorneys answered that they were not ready yet. The next case was called; the lawyers were not ready. The third was called, the attorneys wanted it put down for a certain other day. The fourth, fifth, sixth cases were called, and so on to the last on the calendar, —none of the lawyers were ready to try their cases. The Judge then at once turned to the jurors and told them they were discharged and could go home and attend to their work. He said that if the lawyers got their cases ready at the next term they could have them tried then; but that he would not keep the jurymen at that season of the year from their farms, waiting for them to get their cases ready. "Clerk," said the Judge, 'pay these jurors!—Crier, adjourn this Court!" At this summary proceeding the whole bar rose as one man to remon- strate against it, but it was of no avail. The decree had passed, and it was not to be revoked. ===========================================================================