WASHINGTON COUNTY is the war-path of America.  Though other portions of the continent have been the scenes of more terrible conflicts, no other of equal size has been crossed by as many hostile expeditions as the one which is the subject of this history.  Occupying as it does the territory between the Hudson and the northern lakes, it has been the ground over which Hurons and Iroquois, Canadians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders, French and English, Continentals and Hessians, have successively passed on their missions of attack and defense, of destruction and of vengeance.
     Curiously enough, while Washington county is thus emphatically the "war-path" of America, is is not to any considerable extent a battle-ground.  Fortune has so ordered that, while many minor conflicts have taken place within the present limits of the county in question, all the great battles which have made this region famous were fought outside - but barely outside - of its boundaries.  From every one of those battles the roar of cannon could be heard in what is now the county of Washington, and several of them were fought within sight of its territory.
     Had a cordon of sentries been patrolling the boundaries of the county during the eventful quarter of a century of the county during the eventful quarter of a century which succeeded the great French and English war, some of them would have learned, by eye or ear, of the occurrence of all the important contests for the mastery of this great strategic locality while they were being fought.  Those who, in the autumn of 1755, had been guarding the western line of the present towns of Fort Ann and Kingsbury would have heard the thunder of General Johnson's artillery, as he repulsed the columns of Dieskau from the rude breastworks on the shore of Lake George, only four miles to the westward; those who occupied the same posts two years later might often have stayed their course to listen to the roar of the ill-fated Fort William Henry; while they who, in July, 1758, had stood on the northernmost peaks of Putnam would have known by the terrific cannonade that a desperate battle was being fought five miles northward, around the ramparts of Ticonderoga.  In the Revolution, the famous fields of battle were still closer.  The sentries on the southern line of the town of White Creek, in August, 1777, would have seen close before them, in the valley of the Walloomsac, the rude farmers of New England and New York driving in disastrous rout the disciplined mercenaries of Brunswick and Hesse; those who, a month later, had stood where the western border of Easton is washed by the placid Hudson, might have watched the red-coated battalions of England on the other shore recoiling before the terrible fire of the Continentals in the first battle of Saratoga; while those who had stood there on the 12th day of October would have seen those same proud battalions, English and Hessions alike, fleeing before their despised antagonists to the shelter of their intrenchments, and the fate of America decided in favor of independence.
     To give the public a full and, so far as possible, an accurate history of a county which has played so important a part in the history of America is the design of this work.  We propose, in the first place, to present a general view of the county's history from the earliest accounts to the present time, showing all the events of general importance or especial interest, following closely the chronological order, confining ourselves to the territory now included in Washington county and to the acts of the citizens of that territory, and mentioning outside matters only when necessary to make manifest the connection of those which are especially our theme.  This will be followed by sketches of various societies and other subjects pertaining to the county at large; the whole, thus far, constituting the general history.
     While this covers all the time down to the present year, yet it will treat most copiously of the early history, and of the action of Washington county regiments in the recent war, leaving the details and minor circumstances occurring since the era of settlement to be specified in the separate town-histories.  These latter follow the general record, and will portray the ordinary course of events in the various localities—events which the dignified Muse of History has too often neglected, but which are always interesting to

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those who participated in them and to their descendants, and which may be made to contribute to the true knowledge of a nation's life, at least as much as the more sonorous record of stricken battle and legislative conflict.
     Interspersed among these town-annals will be found numerous separate sketches of the men and women of the county, both dead and living, while the monotony of the print is broken by portraits, views of residences, public buildings, etc.  Certainly no reasonable person can complain of the amount of information furnished.  As to the manner of its presentation, we must leave others to judge.  In dealing with the events of two hundred and sixty momentous years the compiler has found a difficult task, and if any have expected perfection they will doubtless be disappointed.  To those who can appreciate the labor involved in compiling such a volume—the consultation of books, the harmonizing of conflicting authorities, and the still more difficult task of obtaining the town-histories from the lips of residents—we commend the work for their favorable consideration, and trust it will not be found entirely unsatisfactory.
     The principal books consulted have been Parkman's “Life of Champlain,” Smith's “History of New York,” Gordon's and Botta's “Histories of the American Revolution,” the “Documentary and Colonial Histories of New York,” Bancroft's “History of the United States,” Stone's “Life and Times of Sir William Johnson,” Pouchot's “Memoir of the War of 1754,” Lossing’s “Life of Schuyler,” Sparks’ “Lives of Putnam, Stark, and Arnold,” Madame Riedesel’s “Letters,” “Memoirs of General Riedesel,” “The Sexagenary,” Neilson's “Campaign of Burgoyne,”
Stone's “Campaign of Burgoyne,” Mrs. Bonney’s “Legacy of Historical Gleanings,” Hough's “Northern Invasions,” Butler's “Lake George and Lake Champlain,” French's “New York Gazetteer,” Corey's “Gazetteer of Washington County,” Childs “Directory of Washington County,” besides numerous manuals, registers, pamphlets, etc.; and last, not least, Dr. Asa Fitch's “Survey of Washington County,” published in the “Transactions of the State Agricultural Society for 1848–49.”
     For aid in the task of compiling the general history we are especially indebted to Hon. James Gibson, of Salem, who has devoted much time and attention to the annals of this, his native county, whose pen has been often employed in elucidating its history, and from whom we trust the public may yet receive some permanent historical contribution.  Scarcely less is our obligation to the ladies in possession of the papers of their distinguished ancestor, General John Williams, for the privilege of examining those valuable documents, which, admirably arranged in six ponderous volumes, throw more light on the internal, home history of Washington county in early days than can be obtained from any other source.  The courtesy of Mr. McFarland, principal of Salem Academy, in affording the writer frequent and convenient access to the library of that institution, is thankfully remembered.
     We also beg leave to acknowledge the aid given to the general history through special contributions and personal reminiscences by Dr. Asa Fitch and Dr. John Lambert, of Salem; Rev. Seth C. Carey, of Massachusetts; Hon. John McDonald, Hon. Ebenezer McMurray, and Colonel Solomon W. Russell, Jr., of Salem; General James C. Rogers, General Thomas J. Strong, Major William H. Kincaid, Major James McCarty, Captain M. S. Teller, and Hon. U. G. Paris, of Sandy Hill; Mr. Henry McFarland, of Fort Edward; Colonel Antoine Renois and Mr. L. K. Pierce, of Whitehall; Mr. Lewis R. Harsha, of Argyle; and Mr. William Ladd, of Salem.
     Thanks, too, are due to the many others, too numerous to be named here, who have furnished aid to the town-historians in the compilation of their part of the work.  The record which has thus been produced from all these numerous sources, and arranged and embellished with the best skill of the writers and artists, be the same more or less, is now respectfully submitted to the public.

- END OF CHAPTER I -

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