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Tri-Counties Genealogy &
History by Joyce M. Tice
Tri-County Communities
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Bradford County PA
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Chemung County NY
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Tioga County PA
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This Plaque in Horsehead at Hanover Square Commemorates
the event that gave Horseheads its name |
| Article: Horseheads |
| Township: Town of Horseheads, Chemung County
NY |
Article by HHelen Mac Dougall Samson (1909-1995)
1974
Sent in by Walt Samson |
Photographer - Joyce M. Tice - May 1999
Retyped by Debbie Hansen |
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Joyce's Search Tip - November 2008
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Do You Know that you can search just the
articles on the site by using the Articles button in the Partitioned search engine at
the bottom of the Current What's New
Page? |
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OUR HERITAGE OF FREEDOM
HORSEHEADS
BY HELEN M. SAMSON
The title of the village and the town of Horseheads seems to be the
only time in history that man’s ancient helper, the pack horse has been
so honored. The contribution of the services of horses to the advance of
civilization has been praised but it remained for the soldiers of General
Sullivan’s Indian chasing soldiers to set in motion events that would lead
to the actual naming of the locality, "Horseheads." It seems to be a name
that is unique in the whole world and a postmark collector’s prize.
The story of General Sullivan’s expedition against the Indians is an
often told story. In brief, it goes this way. In 1779, General Washington
was concerned because the Indians were raiding remote settlements and as
allies of the British were supplying them with much needed corn and other
food from their gardens and orchards. He decided to end the trouble once
and for all and planned on a three headed attack against the nations of
New York State. One division under the Irishman from Boston, headed for
northern Pennsylvania and southern New York with its aim set for the Indian
towns of the Chemung valley and the lake country.
After a battle along the river under the hill where Sullivan’s monument
commemorates the event, they built a fort at the juncture of the river
and Newtown Creek and proceeded toward Catherine’s Town and the longhouse
villages. The swamp proved a worse enemy than the red man but they were
successful in breaking up the tribes and in cutting the orchards along
the lake.
On the return trip, they found themselves with too many horses and the
supplies were used up as were the poor horses after that journey through
the mud and the steep hills. Near the present spot in Horseheads called
Hanover Square (no one knows why) they decided to mercifully dispose of
some of these horses. Some accounts say they killed 30 and other stories
give 300 as the number. There must have been many as children of later
settlers were said to have played games with the old skulls. The remaining
Indians using the old trail that passed through the area had set up skulls
along the trail for some reason known only to the Indians.
The place where the horses were killed came to be known as the place
of the horses’ heads and then Horse Heads and finally Horseheads. The old
spelling persisted for many years and is sometimes seen today on letters
from abroad.
In 1830, the skulls were still to be seen. A soldier of the Revolution,
William Mapes came to Big Flats on or about that date and told an interviewer
his version of the incident.
Captain Mapes said that he had been present when the pack horses were
killed; and also at the same time he had seen a broken cannon partly buried
in the soft soil at the site. As far as anyone knows, no evidence of this
cannon has been found. Tales have been told, too, of cannon lost by the
army in the swamp near Watkins Glen and one was supposed to have fallen
into the river near Waverly at the place still called "Cannon Hole." Sullivan
was known to have had a few small cannons with him and used them to frighten
rather than to kill the enemy.
Captain Mapes, and the title may have been an honorary one, lived to
be 103 years of age. His discharge was given him directly from the hand
of Washington and was written by him. However, Mr. Mapes, who was certainly
a drum major in the army although he may not have been a captain, led an
exciting life after he came back to settle in Big Flats. He figured prominently
in election campaigns, especially in the "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" election
of 1840. He gathered his fellow veterans together and the old soldiers
provided the enthusiasm and noise at meetings held around the county in
the prevalent country "stands" or hotels. Captain Mapes presided and told
his stories of the Indians he had killed and the surrender of Cornwallis,
which he had witnessed. Perhaps, he included a mention of the "place of
the Horses’ heads" which he also knew about.
Some years ago, an excavation turned a great number of ancient skulls
not far from the center of town. Wishful thinking made them resemble very
old horse remains and it was hoped that the famous skulls were still around.
However, research revealed that a slaughter house had once stood on the
spot and the heads resembled those of goats. The village was not always
called Horseheads. It was incorporated as Fairport in 1837 because of the
location on the Chemung Canal. People agitated for a return of the old
name and it was restored in 1845. In 1885, the name was again changed.
This time it was North Elmira but again, public indignation forced another
change only a year later and the Village of Horseheads it has remained
ever since.
