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Note: 1784 - Samuel's father was living in Belgrade, Maine. They settled at first in the West Pond Section of Belgrade. 1797 Aug 24 - He married Eunice Mosher in Belgrade, ME (Sindney,ME Mariages, pa. 334.) 1801 - Evidence shows Samuel and Eunice settled on Grindstone island in the St. Lawrence River and near Clayton, New York. 1809 - Living in Madison, Maine. (Ancestors and Descendents of Joseph Linnell, Pioneer Settler of Belgrade, ME by Charles T. and Harriet Whitney, pa.20.) 1812 - Samuel enlisted in the war of 1812. During the Revolutionary and War of 1812, Grindstone Island was one of many Islands in the St. Larwence River that was contested by Britian and the colonies. Samuel enlisted in the 108th (Britian's) New York Militia and served with the rank of sergeant. 1813 May 29 - He was taken prisoner by Indian forces at nearby Sacketts Harbor, New York in the War of 1812. He was then transferred to Quebec, then to Halifax, where he remained on a prison ship for 14 months. Two of his companions died of starvation and the filthy conditions of the prison ship. When he was released, he was sent to Boston, and he walked home from there. It is over 300 miles from Boston to Clayton, New York. His compensation for the period he was in prison was $201.37 by the U.S. government adn $93.13 by the state of New York. (Links in the Chain by Solon Massey pub. Watertown, N.Y. 1981) 1817 Oct 17 "...settlers took contracts of lots numbers 66, 75, 86, 87, and 95, near Stone Mills, in which vicinity A. M. Prevost held lands and had appointed Elisha Camp, of Sackets Harbor, as his agent. The contracts run for seven years, and the lands were rated at $5.00 per acre. ....Samuel Linnel..." History of Jefferson Co. N.Y. by F.B. Hough. Pa 210 (Orleans Township) 1825 New York Census - Samuel owned 75 acres of land, 26 meat cattle, 30 sheep, 2 hogs, his household manufactured 20 yeard of cloth in the domestic way and had 25 yard of flannel and woolen cloth. 1847 Aug 13 - Samuel died leaving his farm to his daughter, Sally (Cummings). The land remained in the Cummings family until 1965. Sally was the only remaining child who did not move West. The Descendants of Robert Linnell by Rachel Linnell Wynn The Ancestors and Descendents of Joseph Linnell, Pioneer Settler of Belgrade, ME by Charles T. and Harriet Whitney The Descendants of Samuel Linnell and his Westering family In the westward push of the nineteenth century, thousands of American families migrated into new territories beyond the Allegheny Mountain. Linnells, whose ancestors had moved beyond their Cape Cod boundaries into western Massachusetts and Maine were among these hardy migrants. By 1784 Joseph Linnell (118,241) and his family were already living in Washington Town, Maine. The oldest of his sons, Samuel, (118,241,1) married Eunice Mosher 24 August 1797 in Belgrade, Maine, and they settled at first in the West Pond Section of Belgrade. The Mosher, or Mosier, family was one of the very early Maine families. In fact, Eunice was the daughter of a sea captain of Maine who, legend has it, was "commissioned" a privateer in the Revolution to intercept shipping that could support the British in that conflict. But Samuel and Eunice did not remain in Maine. There is evidence that Samuel had located on Grindstone Island in the St. Lawrence river and near Clayton, New York, by 1801. Probably Samuel and Eunice’s first two children were born in Maine and the next seven on grindstone Island. Certainly by the time of Samuel’s enlistment to fight in the War of 1812 the family was part of that early Grindstone Island settlement. (Gazetteer of Jefferson Co., NY, Horton, Syracuse, NY 1890) Grindstone Island was a vulnerable location in the War of 1812 just as it had been in the Revolution. In both conflicts ownership of the many Islands in the St. Lawrence were contested between Britain and the Colonies. During both wars Grindstone Island had been one of the locations through which loyalists fled to Canada. Samuel, however, saw his future with the uniting colonies and enlisted in the 108th (Britain’s) New York Militia and served with the rank of sergeant. Along with Ensign Graves and his fellow soldiers, Cook, Ayers, and Ingalls, he was taken prisoner by Indian forces at nearby Ssacketts harbor, New York, on 29th May, 1813. They were transferred to Quebec, then to Halifax, where they remained on a prison ship 14 months. Ingalls and Ayers died of starvation and the filthy conditions of the prison ship. Ensign Graves existed on a biscuit for three days (Solon Massey, Links in the Chain published Watertown, NY, 1981). When Samuel was released at the conclusion of hostilities, he was sent to Boston, and from there walked home Clayton, NY a distance of well over 300 miles. His compensation for the period he was a prisoner of war was $201.37 paid by the United States government and $93.13 paid by the State of New York. The New York Census taken in 1825 indicated that Samuel owned 75 acres of land, 26 meat cattle, 30 sheep, 2 hogs, that his household manufactured 20 yards of cloth in the domestic way and had 25 yards of flannel and woolen cloth. Included in the family were six males including the head of the family, two females, two males subject to military duty and two males qualified to vote, and one female under 16 years of age. When Samuel died on Grindstone Island 13 August 1847 at the age of 68, seven of his nine children had left northern New York. One son Marshall, a schoolteacher in Detroit, Michigan, had died. The farm on Grindstone Island passed into the hands of his daughter Sally and her husband Thomas Cummings and remained in that family until after the death of Aaron Cummings their great grandson. The farm was sold about 1965. Through the middle of the twentieth century the Cummings family continued to farm on the island and to work in the marine trades and on the boats of the islands and the Great Lakes. After Samuel’s death, his wife Eunice went to live with her son, Charles R. Linnell, who had a farm on the mainland near Layton. It was there that she died on 28 November 1853 at age 74. Charles was the executor her estate. Her bequests went to Charles R. of Clayton, Sally Cummings of Clayton, Sophia Darling, wife of Samuel of Massachusetts, John Linnell of Michigan, Rufus Linnell of Illinois, Samuel Linnell of Wisconsin, Thomas J. Linnell of Illinois, and Eunice See, wife of Adam See of Michigan. This family had become part of the expansion into the West. Their early occupations centered around land development with farms in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota. Since 1900, as with other middle class families of the nation, this family branch has shown increasing interest in education and the development of other occupations in addition to farming. Since 1900 it has produced educators, inventors, physicians, ministers, missionaries, business men, bankers, real estate developers, artists, musicians. And the family continues to expand their occupational and professional choices to this day. Early in the nineteenth century a part of Samuel’s family was converted to the beliefs of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just when and where their persuasion to this faith began is not clear. There was a sizable group of Mormons in the Watertown, New York area at the turn of the century. It seems likely that Betsy Tyler who married John Linnell, (118,241,11) on 10 May 1827 was of this persuasion. After John’s death on Beaver Island, Michigan, in 1853, Betsy married John Raymond, who was an elder in the Church of Latter-day Saints and her children were brought up in this faith. (The family joined the Mormons in NY but after the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, they followed James Strang’s group and not the rest of the Mormons who went to Utah) Later, when the families moved to Wisconsin, two of her sons, Hiram Samuel and Chester John, became elders in the Church of Latter-day Saints. Records of persons who were baptized by Hiram and Chester are to be found in Chester’s Journal now in the possession of Richard Linnell of Orangeville, IL. (Much of the research of this branch of the family has been the work of Richard Linnell (118,241,116,912). We are grateful to use it in this publication) The families of John and Betsy Linnell and John’s sister, Eunice and her husband, Adam See, were followers of James Strang, an early Mormon leader. Strang’s group had broken from the Mormon movement led by Brigham Young, and in 1846 had settled on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, off the coast of Charlevoix, Michigan. From here they had hoped to win converts to their beliefs and also to "live apart." The people of Michigan did not accept them, especially their ideas of polygamy and of establishing a "Mormon kingdom." After the assassination of James Strang by two of his disenchanted followers in 1856, a mob from the mainland drove the remainder of the group from the island. The Mormon group dispersed in many directions. Eunice and Adam See with their large family chose to settle in Wisconsin. Adam had been elected an "elder" of the Beaver Island group. Of their fifteen children, eleven had been "blessed" (or baptized) on the Island. Betsy and John’s daughter, Sarah, married Lorenzo Dow Hickey who also was an elder in the church of Latter-day Saints. The Hickeys chose to live in Coldwater, Michigan, continuing their traditions. The community never suspected that Lorenzo was the husband in two households and the father of the children in both homes. Letters in existence indicate that Lorenzo hoped that their branch of the faith would continue with a new prophet. He persuaded some families to return to the Boyne City, Michigan, are; but Lorenzo remained in Coldwater for his lifetime. Both he and Sarah are buried there. While the group was on Beaver Island, Clarissa O. Nichols who had moved with her family from Rochester, NY to Missouri, came to the Island and met there Chester John Linnell. They were married in 1856 and settled in Hixton Township, Jackson County, Wisconsin. It was here that Chester was named a priest of the Church of Latter-day Saints at the Mormon Conference 25 December 1863. In 1867 Chester bought and moved to a farm near Galesville, Wisconsin, but returned to Jackson County in 1879 to spend the last thirty years of his life devoted to his Mormon faith. Chester and his family brought together other of their belief for weekend services, driving with horse and wagon as much as 20 miles. Strong was their faith with the blessing and baptism of their children, the following generations did not continue in this tradition. (Wynn, pa. 331-334) ...Warren (118,241,5), the fifth child of Joseph bought up the claims of his three other sisters and their husbands, Phebe and Ansel Butler, Sally and Mason Lane, and Annie and Asa Piper. Their siblings, Samuel Jr, Sturgis, Phebe, and Hannah had sold some of their inherited property to Goff Moor. Both Warren and Joseph, Jr. Continued in farming. Their brother, Sturgis (118,241,2), farmed the land he had inherited from his grandfather Samuel. About 1801 the eldest of Joseph’s children, Samuel Jr. Began his move west, settling on Grindtone island in the St. Lawrence River. He is the ancestor of those Linnells in Chapter VIII. This move further extended the children of Joseph from Cape Cod to Maine and then to new York State. Second and third cousins of Samuel (118,24) and Joseph (118,241) already had been established in Gorham and Standish, Maine. The Linnell family were moving. (Wynn, pa. 275-276) The following family group descriptions are adapted from Hamilton Child's "Gazetteer of Jefferson County, N.Y.", published in 1890. Samuel Linnel, a native of Maine, came to Jefferson County when 20 years of age, and subsequently located on Grindstone Island, where he died in 1849, aged about 68 years. His wife, Eunice, died in Clayton in 1854, aged 71 years. Of their nine children, Charles R. maried Harriet Dillon, of Watertown, who bore him the following children: Silas H., Emily L., Maryette, Ursula J., Betsey, Harriet, Charles A., and George D. George D. Linnell was born in Watertown, whence he removed to Clayton in 1849. He married Elizabeth Gray, of Redwood, N. Y., daughter of Richard Gray, and their children are William J., John M., Merton G., and Elizabeth. He is a farmer, and has occupied his present farm in Clayton for 22 years. 1784 - Samuel's father was living in Belgrade, Maine. They settled at first in the West Pond Section of Belgrade. 1797 Aug 24 - He married Eunice Mosher in Belgrade, ME (Sindney,ME Mariages, pa. 334.) 1801 - Evidence shows Samuel and Eunice settled on Grindstone island in the St. Lawrence River and near Clayton, New York. 1809 - Living in Madison, Maine. (Ancestors and Descendents of Joseph Linnell, Pioneer Settler of Belgrade, ME by Charles T. and Harriet Whitney, pa.20.) 1812 - Samuel enlisted in the war of 1812. During the Revolutionary and War of 1812, Grindstone Island was one of many Islands in the St. Larwence River that was contested by Britian and the colonies. Samuel enlisted in the 108th (Britian's) New York Militia and served with the rank of sergeant. 1813 May 29 - He was taken prisoner by Indian forces at nearby Sacketts Harbor, New York in the War of 1812. He was then transferred to Quebec, then to Halifax, where he remained on a prison ship for 14 months. Two of his companions died of starvation and the filthy conditions of the prison ship. When he was released, he was sent to Boston, and he walked home from there. It is over 300 miles from Boston to Clayton, New York. His compensation for the period he was in prison was $201.37 by the U.S. government adn $93.13 by the state of New York. (Links in the Chain by Solon Massey pub. Watertown, N.Y. 1981) 1817 Oct 17 "...settlers took contracts of lots numbers 66, 75, 86, 87, and 95, near Stone Mills, in which vicinity A. M. Prevost held lands and had appointed Elisha Camp, of Sackets Harbor, as his agent. The contracts run for seven years, and the lands were rated at $5.00 per acre. ....Samuel Linnel..." History of Jefferson Co. N.Y. by F.B. Hough. Pa 210 (Orleans Township) 1825 New York Census - Samuel owned 75 acres of land, 26 meat cattle, 30 sheep, 2 hogs, his household manufactured 20 yeard of cloth in the domestic way and had 25 yard of flannel and woolen cloth. 1847 Aug 13 - Samuel died leaving his farm to his daughter, Sally (Cummings). The land remained in the Cummings family until 1965. Sally was the only remaining child who did not move West. The Descendants of Robert Linnell by Rachel Linnell Wynn The Ancestors and Descendents of Joseph Linnell, Pioneer Settler of Belgrade, ME by Charles T. and Harriet Whitney The Descendants of Samuel Linnell and his Westering family In the westward push of the nineteenth century, thousands of American families migrated into new territories beyond the Allegheny Mountain. Linnells, whose ancestors had moved beyond their Cape Cod boundaries into western Massachusetts and Maine were among these hardy migrants. By 1784 Joseph Linnell (118,241) and his family were already living in Washington Town, Maine. The oldest of his sons, Samuel, (118,241,1) married Eunice Mosher 24 August 1797 in Belgrade, Maine, and they settled at first in the West Pond Section of Belgrade. The Mosher, or Mosier, family was one of the very early Maine families. In fact, Eunice was the daughter of a sea captain of Maine who, legend has it, was "commissioned" a privateer in the Revolution to intercept shipping that could support the British in that conflict. But Samuel and Eunice did not remain in Maine. There is evidence that Samuel had located on Grindstone Island in the St. Lawrence river and near Clayton, New York, by 1801. Probably Samuel and Eunice’s first two children were born in Maine and the next seven on grindstone Island. Certainly by the time of Samuel’s enlistment to fight in the War of 1812 the family was part of that early Grindstone Island settlement. (Gazetteer of Jefferson Co., NY, Horton, Syracuse, NY 1890) Grindstone Island was a vulnerable location in the War of 1812 just as it had been in the Revolution. In both conflicts ownership of the many Islands in the St. Lawrence were contested between Britain and the Colonies. During both wars Grindstone Island had been one of the locations through which loyalists fled to Canada. Samuel, however, saw his future with the uniting colonies and enlisted in the 108th (Britain’s) New York Militia and served with the rank of sergeant. Along with Ensign Graves and his fellow soldiers, Cook, Ayers, and Ingalls, he was taken prisoner by Indian forces at nearby Ssacketts harbor, New York, on 29th May, 1813. They were transferred to Quebec, then to Halifax, where they remained on a prison ship 14 months. Ingalls and Ayers died of starvation and the filthy conditions of the prison ship. Ensign Graves existed on a biscuit for three days (Solon Massey, Links in the Chain published Watertown, NY, 1981). When Samuel was released at the conclusion of hostilities, he was sent to Boston, and from there walked home Clayton, NY a distance of well over 300 miles. His compensation for the period he was a prisoner of war was $201.37 paid by the United States government and $93.13 paid by the State of New York. The New York Census taken in 1825 indicated that Samuel owned 75 acres of land, 26 meat cattle, 30 sheep, 2 hogs, that his household manufactured 20 yards of cloth in the domestic way and had 25 yards of flannel and woolen cloth. Included in the family were six males including the head of the family, two females, two males subject to military duty and two males qualified to vote, and one female under 16 years of age. When Samuel died on Grindstone Island 13 August 1847 at the age of 68, seven of his nine children had left northern New York. One son Marshall, a schoolteacher in Detroit, Michigan, had died. The farm on Grindstone Island passed into the hands of his daughter Sally and her husband Thomas Cummings and remained in that family until after the death of Aaron Cummings their great grandson. The farm was sold about 1965. Through the middle of the twentieth century the Cummings family continued to farm on the island and to work in the marine trades and on the boats of the islands and the Great Lakes. After Samuel’s death, his wife Eunice went to live with her son, Charles R. Linnell, who had a farm on the mainland near Layton. It was there that she died on 28 November 1853 at age 74. Charles was the executor her estate. Her bequests went to Charles R. of Clayton, Sally Cummings of Clayton, Sophia Darling, wife of Samuel of Massachusetts, John Linnell of Michigan, Rufus Linnell of Illinois, Samuel Linnell of Wisconsin, Thomas J. Linnell of Illinois, and Eunice See, wife of Adam See of Michigan. This family had become part of the expansion into the West. Their early occupations centered around land development with farms in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota. Since 1900, as with other middle class families of the nation, this family branch has shown increasing interest in education and the development of other occupations in addition to farming. Since 1900 it has produced educators, inventors, physicians, ministers, missionaries, business men, bankers, real estate developers, artists, musicians. And the family continues to expand their occupational and professional choices to this day. Early in the nineteenth century a part of Samuel’s family was converted to the beliefs of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just when and where their persuasion to this faith began is not clear. There was a sizable group of Mormons in the Watertown, New York area at the turn of the century. It seems likely that Betsy Tyler who married John Linnell, (118,241,11) on 10 May 1827 was of this persuasion. After John’s death on Beaver Island, Michigan, in 1853, Betsy married John Raymond, who was an elder in the Church of Latter-day Saints and her children were brought up in this faith. (The family joined the Mormons in NY but after the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, they followed James Strang’s group and not the rest of the Mormons who went to Utah) Later, when the families moved to Wisconsin, two of her sons, Hiram Samuel and Chester John, became elders in the Church of Latter-day Saints. Records of persons who were baptized by Hiram and Chester are to be found in Chester’s Journal now in the possession of Richard Linnell of Orangeville, IL. (Much of the research of this branch of the family has been the work of Richard Linnell (118,241,116,912). We are grateful to use it in this publication) The families of John and Betsy Linnell and John’s sister, Eunice and her husband, Adam See, were followers of James Strang, an early Mormon leader. Strang’s group had broken from the Mormon movement led by Brigham Young, and in 1846 had settled on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, off the coast of Charlevoix, Michigan. From here they had hoped to win converts to their beliefs and also to "live apart." The people of Michigan did not accept them, especially their ideas of polygamy and of establishing a "Mormon kingdom." After the assassination of James Strang by two of his disenchanted followers in 1856, a mob from the mainland drove the remainder of the group from the island. The Mormon group dispersed in many directions. Eunice and Adam See with their large family chose to settle in Wisconsin. Adam had been elected an "elder" of the Beaver Island group. Of their fifteen children, eleven had been "blessed" (or baptized) on the Island. Betsy and John’s daughter, Sarah, married Lorenzo Dow Hickey who also was an elder in the church of Latter-day Saints. The Hickeys chose to live in Coldwater, Michigan, continuing their traditions. The community never suspected that Lorenzo was the husband in two households and the father of the children in both homes. Letters in existence indicate that Lorenzo hoped that their branch of the faith would continue with a new prophet. He persuaded some families to return to the Boyne City, Michigan, are; but Lorenzo remained in Coldwater for his lifetime. Both he and Sarah are buried there. While the group was on Beaver Island, Clarissa O. Nichols who had moved with her family from Rochester, NY to Missouri, came to the Island and met there Chester John Linnell. They were married in 1856 and settled in Hixton Township, Jackson County, Wisconsin. It was here that Chester was named a priest of the Church of Latter-day Saints at the Mormon Conference 25 December 1863. In 1867 Chester bought and moved to a farm near Galesville, Wisconsin, but returned to Jackson County in 1879 to spend the last thirty years of his life devoted to his Mormon faith. Chester and his family brought together other of their belief for weekend services, driving with horse and wagon as much as 20 miles. Strong was their faith with the blessing and baptism of their children, the following generations did not continue in this tradition. (Wynn, pa. 331-334) ...Warren (118,241,5), the fifth child of Joseph bought up the claims of his three other sisters and their husbands, Phebe and Ansel Butler, Sally and Mason Lane, and Annie and Asa Piper. Their siblings, Samuel Jr, Sturgis, Phebe, and Hannah had sold some of their inherited property to Goff Moor. Both Warren and Joseph, Jr. Continued in farming. Their brother, Sturgis (118,241,2), farmed the land he had inherited from his grandfather Samuel. About 1801 the eldest of Joseph’s children, Samuel Jr. Began his move west, settling on Grindtone island in the St. Lawrence River. He is the ancestor of those Linnells in Chapter VIII. This move further extended the children of Joseph from Cape Cod to Maine and then to new York State. Second and third cousins of Samuel (118,24) and Joseph (118,241) already had been established in Gorham and Standish, Maine. The Linnell family were moving. (Wynn, pa. 275-276) The following family group descriptions are adapted from Hamilton Child's "Gazetteer of Jefferson County, N.Y.", published in 1890. Samuel Linnel, a native of Maine, came to Jefferson County when 20 years of age, and subsequently located on Grindstone Island, where he died in 1849, aged about 68 years. His wife, Eunice, died in Clayton in 1854, aged 71 years. Of their nine children, Charles R. maried Harriet Dillon, of Watertown, who bore him the following children: Silas H., Emily L., Maryette, Ursula J., Betsey, Harriet, Charles A., and George D. George D. Linnell was born in Watertown, whence he removed to Clayton in 1849. He married Elizabeth Gray, of Redwood, N. Y., daughter of Richard Gray, and their children are William J., John M., Merton G., and Elizabeth. He is a farmer, and has occupied his present farm in Clayton for 22 years. Samuel Linnell POW of the War of 1812 on April 06, 2018 By Jason Quick Samuel’s story starts with a brief summary of the Battle of Henderson Bay and the Second Battle of Sackets Harbor May 28th- 29th 1813. Commodore, James Lucas Yeo commanded the British Navy and General Sir George Prevost, Governor General of Canada commanded the British land force. Yeo’s ships were the HMS Wolfe, Royal George, Earl of Moira, General Beresford, Sir Sidney Smith and Lady Murray. The British land Force consisted of the grenadier company of the 100th Regiment, two companies of the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot, four companies of the 104th Regiment, one company of the Glengarry Light Infantry, two companies of the Canadian Voltigeurs, a detachment of Royal Artillery with two 6-pounder guns and a war band of Native Americans (Probably Shawnee). The British force set out late on the 27th of May and arrived off Sacket's Harbor early the next morning. The wind was very light, which made it difficult for Yeo to maneuver close to the shore. He was also unfamiliar with the local conditions and depths of water. Shortly before midday on May 28, Prevost’s troops began rowing ashore, but unknown sails were sighted in the distance. In case they might be Chauncey's fleet, the attack was called off, and the troops returned to the ships. The strange sails proved to belong to twelve bateaux (shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boat) carrying troops from the 9th and 21st U.S. Regiments of Infantry from Oswego to Sackets Harbor. The British sent out three large canoes full of Native American warriors and a gunboat carrying a detachment of the Glengarry Light Infantry to intercept them. The British force caught up with the convoy at Six Town point off of Stoney Point on Henderson Bay. As the British opened fire, the Americans, who were mostly raw recruits, landed their bateaux at Stoney Point and fled into the woods. The Natives pursued them through the trees and hunted them down. After about half an hour, during which they lost 35 men killed, the surviving United States troops regained their vessels and raised a white flag. The senior officer rowed out to Yeo's fleet and surrendered his remaining force of 115 officers and men. Only seven of the American troops escaped and reached Sackett's Harbor. Defending Sackets harbor the Americans had about 400 Regular troops; the 1st mounted and un-mounted Dragoons, 1st and 3rd Artillery Detachment, and the 9th US Infantry. Also present were 750 Militia and Volunteers consisting of; the 55th, 76th, and 108th Regiments of the New York Militia and the Albany Volunteers. The Navy also had a detachment of Marines manning the Naval Batteries and the ships USS Fair American, Pert, General Pike (under construction) Duke of Gloucester (recently captured and damaged). The next morning, 29th May, Prevost resumed the attack. The British troops landed on Horse Island, south of the town, under fire from two 6-pounder field guns belonging to the militia and a naval 32-pounder firing at long range from Fort Tompkins. They also faced musket fire from the Albany Volunteers defending the island. Although the British lost several men in the boats, they succeeded in landing, and the Volunteers withdrew. Once the landing force was fully assembled, they charged across the flooded causeway linking the island to the shore. Although the British should have been an easy target at this point, the American militia fled, abandoning their guns. Brigadier General Jacob Brown eventually rallied about 100 of them to take a stand and halt the British advance. The British swung to their left, hoping to take the town and dockyard from the landward side, but the American regulars with some field guns gave ground only slowly. They fell back behind their blockhouses and defenses, from where they repulsed every British attempt to storm their fortifications. Yeo had gone ashore to accompany the troops, and none of the larger British vessels were brought into a range at which to support the attack. The small British gunboats, which could approach very close to the shore, were armed only with small, short-range carronades, which were ineffective against the American defenses. Eventually one British ship, General Beresford, mounting 16 guns, worked close in using sweeps (long oars). When its crew opened fire, they quickly drove the American artillerymen from Fort Tompkins. Some of Beresford's shot went over the fort and landed in and around the dockyard. Under the mistaken impression that the fort had surrendered, a young American naval officer, Acting Lieutenant John Drury, ordered the sloop-of-war General Pike, which was under construction, and large quantities of stores to be set on fire. Lieutenant Woolcott Chauncey had orders to defend the yard rather than the schooners, but had instead gone aboard one of the schooners, which were engaging the British vessels at long and ineffective range. By this time, Prevost was convinced that success was impossible to attain. His own field guns did not come into action and without them he was unable to batter breaches in the American defenses, while the militia which Brown had rallied were attacking his own right flank and rear. He gave the order to retreat. Prevost later wrote that the enemy had been beaten and that the retreat was carried out in perfect order, but other accounts by British soldiers stated that the re-embarkation took place in disorder, and each unit acrimoniously blamed the others for the repulse. Samuel’s Story Samuel Linnell was 3rd Sgt. In Samuel Harger’s Co. of Pamelia Militia in the 108th Reg. Commanded by Maj. Calvin Britain. He was mustered from March 4th to March 25th 1813 and was Paid $5.56 for service at Brownsville, NY by J Edmonds Paymaster. Samuel was probably training around the home of General Jacob Brown who resided in Brownsville and was the commanding officer of the Jefferson County Militia. On May 28th 1813 Samuel Linnell was called out to defend Sackets Harbor from an expected attack by the British forces. Samuel, was living in Pamelia, NY and now a Second Sargent in Captain Samuel Harger’s Co. of 108th New York Militia. Capt. Harger was ill, so Lieutenant Andrew Newell was acting as commanding officer. Samuel’s unit quickly marched to Sacketts Harbor by dusk and was assembled in a defensive position next to other Militia units on the bank of Lake Ontario near and facing Horse Island. “That on or about the 28th of May 1813 orders were received from the Colonel to muster the Co. and march them to Sackets Harbor to defend that port from an attack mediated by the enemy. Capt. Harger being sick and unable to take the command of said company” - Andrew Newell Early the next morning on the 29th, the British along with a group of Indian allies landed close to their position and a light battle ensued. “the ground where the action commenced partly cleared and obstructed by brushes and fallen timber, and troops were during the action compelled to retreat, this deponent sprained his ankle during the action and was unable to retreat with the rest if the Militia. He was surrounded by enemies by the enemies and Indians and was felled to the ground by a severe blow inflicted by an Indian with the breech of a gun on the back of this deponent’s head, and while this deponent was down, an Indian seized this deponent by one of his testicles and pulled it with all his strength, while others held him down, which gave this deponent such pain as to deprive him of all strength.” - Samuel Linnell Samuel was assisted by the Indians to the shore of Lake Ontario and taken by canoe to the HMS Royal George a 20-gun sloop. Samuel was captured with Ensign Abraham Graves, John Ayers, Joseph Cook, and Jonathan Ingalls and about 25 other soldiers mostly from the 76th New York Militia. “Samuel had no hat and a strip of bearskin was around his head” when he first saw him. The ship already had about 130 captured prisoners aboard from the previous nights battle at Henderson Bay.” - Abraham Graves - 1832 The next day the Royal George sailed to Kingston, Ontario, Canada a few miles away. On May 30th the men were formally surrendered as prisoners of war. “He had been captured (Abraham Graves), together with Mr. Jonathan Ingalls, Mr. Ayres, Mr. Cook and Mr. Linnell, by the Indians, and taken on board the enemy's fleet when they returned to Kingston, where he and his companions were formally surrendered into the hands of the British General, as prisoners of war. He had had no food from the time of leaving home on Thursday p.m., until Sunday p.m. following, except one small biscuit which the Indian chief had given him.” - Abraham Graves, New York Reformer, Links in the Chain Article by Solon Massey - March 24th 1859 - The Canadian prisoner of war record of Samuel’s capture shows him being captured on the 28th of May because he was probably lumped in with the other 130 prisoners from the battle at Henderson Bay. By June 8th the captured Soldiers had been transferred by ship and were recorded being in Quebec. The British POW Records show that Samuel was processed the 24th of June in Quebec and aboard the British prison Ship Malabar. The Malabar was moored just south of Quebec on the St Lawrence River and was a modified 56-gun fourth-rate formerly belonging to the British East India Company commanded by the POW agent, Capt. Francis Kempt. The Malabar was considered a “black hole” and had deplorable conditions. “with 12 ounces of salt beef and 12 ounces of hard bread his only daily allowances for provisions during the whole time. There were an average of two-hundred prisoners confined on board the said ship stowed and shut below nights, with no change of clothes & without shoes and badly fed, we all became filthy emaciated and covered with vermin, great numbers died, this deponent became sick and feeble” - Samuel Linnell - “In February following, Mrs. Graves got another letter from her husband which gave the intelligence of the death of Mr. Ingalls and Mr. Ayers, by disease induced by cruel suffering and confinement in the hold of a filthy prison ship, and by Starvation. The truth was, that they were dead at the time of the date of the first letter by Mr. Graves, which was about the last days of July, though he did not know it at the time.” - Abraham Graves, New York Reformer, Links in the Chain Article by Solon Massey - March 24th 1859 According to British records, the Malabar was set to sail for England after Nov 20th 1813 and was going to drop off some of the prisoners off at Halifax. Samuel was recorded being received at Halifax Dec 15th from the Malabar and spent the next 6 months at the military prison at Melville Island. The conditions at Melville were just as bad as the prison ship. “This deponent was then sent as a prisoner to Halifax where he arrived in December and was confined in a prison, with about 1000 others and suffered from cold, famine, foul odor, and the small pox” - Samuel Linnell - 1832 On May 31st 1814 Samuel and Joseph Cook were boarded on the Privateer ship Matilda Cartel and sent to Salem, Massachusetts in a prisoner exchange negotiated by Colonel Thomas Barclay “we arrived on the 7th of June 1814. The said Linnell was put on board a sailboat and sent to Fort Independence Boston. This deponent went from Salem by land and saw him there again. (Fort Independence). This deponent returned to his home in Watertown, Jefferson County and the said Linnell arrived home in about a month afterwards. When the said Linnell arrived at Fort Independence he was about naked, all the prisoners suffered very severely during their captivity.” - Abraham Graves - 1832 “On the 8th he (Abraham Graves) went to Boston, where he remained until the 14th when he took the stage for home, where he arrived, without accident or adventure, on the 19th day of June, 1814.” - Abraham Graves, New York Reformer, Links in the Chain Article by Solon Massey -June 2nd 1859 It was widely believed that Samuel and the other soldiers were killed but Ensign Graves was allowed to write letters back to home in July since she was an officer and gave updates on the soldiers. “The general opinion was that he was taken prisoner or killed (Samuel Linnell)” - Andrew Newell “It Was sometime in the afternoon before any person who was from that immediate neighborhood returned from the battlefield to relieve the dreadful suspense, by anything like reliable information upon the subject of the results of the engagement. Mr. Winslow l could assure the family that he had been personally present at the scene of strife-that the British had been defeated, and had fled to their vessels and set sail for Kingston, leaving many of their dead and mounded on the field. He could not answer the question of most importance, however, for he had not seen Mr. Graves since the conflict closed. The next day there was a thorough and systematic search Instituted among the dead and wounded, and through the surrounding woods and fields, but all in vain. It was rumored a few days afterwards that some dead bodies had been found in an obscure spot in the woods near the Harbor, and that they had been buried in a pit, which had been dug for that purpose. Mr. Winslow and Mr. Potter repaired at once to the spot designated, and exhumed the bodies, with the view of settling the question of the fate of Mr. Graves; but the only satisfaction derived from the effort was of the negative kind-simply proving that he was not a tenant of that apology for a grave.-The hope that remained was, that he might have been captured as a prisoner of war, and be in the hands of the enemy.-It was, however, a dreadful alternative, and a harrowing suspense to wait until some time towards the last of July before a letter was received from him, written at Quebec, giving the welcome intelligence that he was in good health, though a prisoner in the hands of those whose tender mercies were remembered as cruelty by our fathers in the period of the revolution.” - Solon Massey from accounts of Mr. Winslow, New York Reformer, Links in the Chain Article June 2nd 1859 After Samuel returned home he requested payment for 424 days at about .36 cents per day as well as $42 for clothing and $4 for the 20-day trip from Boston back home. When the government finally settled his claim, it paid only for 409 days. Samuels incarceration as a POW and the injuries he received eventually took their toll on him. In Dec of 1832 with his attorney Justin Butterfield, Samuel petitioned the House of Representatives to receive a Pension for Injury in the War. “this deponent further saith that during his imprisonment he suffered more than his constitutions could endure. That he has never recovered from the injury his health experienced during his said imprisonment. That this deponent has never recovered from the injury which it received as aforesaid. But of late year has grown worse as this deponent increased in years and gives this deponent a great deal of pain and his health and strength and inconsequently he is now unable to do scarcely any labour. That when this deponent exerts himself a pain exudes from it to his kidneys and this deponent further saith that he is now 54 years old; that until very recently he has been in very comfortable circumstances, and thought he would not apply for a pension, but recently his circumstances have changes, and his disability from the injuries aforesaid increases and this deponent considered as it his duty to invoke an application for that relief of which he is entitled. This deponent has heretofore felt a delicacy about exposing to the public the injury which he received in his private parts as aforesaid , which has also had some influence on the mind of this deponent in delaying his application until this time and this deponent further saith, that he had a family and children, and is a farmer, and this deponent further saith that after his he continued to reside in Pamelia aforesaid until about 16 years ago when he removed to the town of Orleans in the same county where he has ever since, and still doth reside and this deponent further saith that at the time he was knocked down and injured as aforesaid. There were no person belonging to our troops who witnessed it that this deponent is acquainted with or can find that our troops at the time 40 or 50 rods in observance of this deponent on the retreat, when the enemy overtook him and injured him as aforesaid, That this deponent can only from his service , captivity, and return and the visible marks and all his strength while others held him down, which gave this appearance of the said injuries get upon him and the effect of said injuries. This deponent further saith that he was paid by the paymaster of the New York Militia for his monthly pay during his captivity as aforesaid, after his return home as aforesaid. But this deponent has never received any other pay, nor has ever received any pension, and this name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any State nor has this deponent ever before applied for any pension.” - Samuel Linnell -1832 Samuels written affidavit is taken from his pension request that he sent the US House of Representatives Dec 29th 1832. Unfortunately, they denied his request Jan 31st 1834 because he could not provide eye-witness testimony of his injury happening while he was in the service of the US Military. The records were obtained from HR23A-D9.1 (House Committee on Invalid Pensions, Committee Papers, Claims). Testimony of Samuel Linnell Samuel Linnell being dully sworn saith “that in the year 1813 he resided in the town of Pamelia in the County of Jefferson and State of New York and belonged to the Militia of that town. That on the 28th day of May in the year aforesaid the Militia of the said county, were called out and ordered to ???? to Sacketts Harbour to defend that place from a threatened attack of the enemy. That this deponent was Second Sergeant in Captain Samuel Harger’s company 108th Regiment of said Militia and Marched with his said company from Pamelia afone said to Sacketts Harbour on the 28th day of May afone said on which occasion the said company was commanded by Andrew Nerville the Lieutenant of said company Captain Harger being at that time sick. General Jacob Brown, was the commanding officer at the time at Sackett’s Harbour, and this deponent’s company was stationed on the Bank of the Lake at Sackett’s Harbour near Horse Island with the other Militia and laid out there during the Night of the 28th of May Aforesaid. Early in the Morning of the 29th of May, the enemy consisting of British Soldiers and Indians effected a landing and a warm action ensued, the ground where the action commenced partly cleared and obstructed by brushes and fallen timber, and troops were during the action compelled to retreat, this deponent sprained his ankle during the action and was unable to retreat with the rest if the Militia. He was surrounded by enemies by the enemies and Indians and was felled to the ground by a severe blow inflicted by an Indian with the breech of a gun on the back of this deponent’s head, and while this deponent was down, an Indian seized this deponent by one of his testicles and pulled it with all his strength, while others held him down, which gave this deponent such pain as to deprive him of all strength. This deponent was then assisted up and taken as a prisoner aboard the Royal George, by the Indians and was taken to Kingston and from there to Quebec and there confined aboard a prison ship as a close prisoner until the latter part of the next November, with 12 ounces of salt beef and 12 ounces of hard bread his only daily allowances for provisions during the whole time. There were an average of two-hundred prisoners confined on board the said ship with this deponent, clasily stowed and shut below nights, with no change of clothes and without th?? And badly fed, we all became filthy ???? and covered with vermin, great numbers died, this deponent became sick and feeble (and has never enjoyed ??? health since). This deponent was then sent as a prisoner to Halifax where he arrived in December and was confined in a prison, with about 1000 others and suffered from cold, famine, foul odor, and the small pox until time following and was then sent in a cartel to Boston where he arrived 13 months after his capture aforesaid, and this deponent further saith that during his imprisonment he suffered more than his constitutions could endure. That he has never recovered from the injury his health experienced during his said imprisonment. That this deponent has never recovered from the injury which it received as aforesaid. But late year has grown worse as this deponent increased in years, and gives this deponent a great deal of pain ???? his health and strength and inconsequently he is now unable to do scarcely any labour. That when this deponent exerts himself a pain exudes from it to his kidneys and this deponent further saith that he is now 54 years old; that until very recently he has been in very comfortable circumstances, and thought he would not apply for a pension, but recently his circumstances have changes, and his disability from the injuries aforesaid increases and this deponent considered as it his duty to invoke an application for that relief of which he is entitled. This deponent has heretofore felt a delicacy about exposing to the public the injury which he received in his private parts as aforesaid , which has also had some influence on the mind of this deponent in delaying his application until this time and this deponent further saith, that he had a family and children, and is a farmer, and this deponent further saith that after his he continued to reside in Pamelia aforesaid until about 16 years ago when he removed to the town of Orleans in the same county where he has ever since, and still doth reside and this deponent further saith that at the time he was knocked down and injured as aforesaid. There were no person belonging to our troops who witnessed it that this deponent is acquainted with or can find that our troops at the time 40 or 50 rods in observance of this deponent on the retreat, when the enemy overtook him and injured him as aforesaid, That this deponent can only from his service , captivity, and return and the visible marks and all his strength while others held him down, which gave this appearance of the said injuries get upon him and the effect of said injuries. This deponent further saith that he was paid by the paymaster of the New York Militia for his monthly pay during his captivity as aforesaid, after his return home as aforesaid. But this deponent has never received any other pay, nor has ever received any pension, and this name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any State nor has this deponent ever before applied for any pension. - Samuel Linnell Sworn Dec 15th 1832 D.G. Keyes - Jeff County Samuel was married to Eunice Mosher and they both were originally from Belgrade, Maine. Samuel and Eunice’s fathers, both participated on the Revolutionary War. Samuel’s father, Joseph Linnell served as a Private in the Barnstable County, Mass. Militia under Captains; Micha Hamilton, Ebenezer Baker, and Jacob Lovell. Eunice’s father, Jonathan Mosher was a Private in the Dartmouth, Mass. Militia in Thomas Kempton’s Co. under Col. Timothy Danielson.
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