Harmon, Jesse Perse
1795 - 1877 (82 years)Autobiography of Jesse Perse Harmon
Jesse Perse Harmon, son of Martin and Triphena Harmon, who was the son of _____, was born in the Town of Rupert, County of Bennington, State of Vermont on the eleventh day of August, A.D. 1795. My father was married the 22nd day of November, A.D. 1785 to Triphena _____. My father and grandfather emigrated, soon after my father was married, to Rupert, Bennington County, Vermont, from Suffield, Connecticut, where my father remained until I was about six years of age. I then left my father and went to the Town of Lewis, about six miles from my father’s, and lived with John Gibbs and in June 1813 I left John Gibbs and went to my father and there remained until the 7th day of October following and then enlisted into the service of the United States, with my brother Martin N. Harmon with our father’s consent and shortly after joined the army, stationed at Burlington, Vermont. We remained there a few months, and then crossed Lake Champlain with the army under the command of Colonel Clark to Plattsburgh and joined Gen’l Hampton’s army and remained there a few months.
Sometime in the month of March 1814 my father came and visited us at Plattsburgh.
On the 30th of March was fought the battle of LaColle Mill, a large fortified stone house at which Major Hancock commanded, who was the British officer.
On the day which our father left us we took up the line of march from Plattsburgh to LaColle Mill and our father went to the town of Jay to get married to a Mrs. Bunbar which took place on the 30th at the time we were engaged in the battle in hearing of the cannon.
We had several skirmishes with the British and Indians before we reached LaColle Mill in one of which I received a sleight wound from an Indian’s tomahawk.
At LaColle Battle my brother and myself was on the right wing of the army under the Command of Col. Clark in Gen’l Smith’s Brigade. We were exposed to a galling fire from the enemy and my brother received a mortal wound in his breast while fighting by my side and died on the 17th day of April following at Little Sharzee, New York and was buried there in the honors of war.
I then returned with part of the army by way of Plattsburgh to Burlington, Vermont and there reenlisted on the 5th of June during the war, and left for Rutland County, Vermont where I remained in the recruiting service a few months and was appointed a Corporal. We then marched for Buffalo, New York from thence we crossed Lake Erie to Fort Erie, Upper Canada. While there we received a continual cannonading and combating from the enemy for several weeks and on the 17th of September we fought a general battle and spiked several pieces of cannon, took 800 prisoners and left upwards of 1,000 of the enemy dead upon the field of battle. We lost 571 men.
When General Brown, observing that the enemy had just completed a battery which could open a most destructive fire, the next day planned a sortie which has been considered a military chef d’oeuvre.
The British force consisted of the brigades of 1,500 men each, each one of which was stationed at the works in front of Fort Erie. The other two occupied a camp two miles in the rear.
The design of General Brown was to “storm the batteries, destroy the cannon and roughly handle the brigade on duty before those in reserve could be brought up. A road had previously been opened by Lieutenant Riddle and Frazer, in a certain route through the woods within pistol shot of the flank of the line of batteries, and with such secrecy as to have escaped the notice of the enemy.
At two o’clock, the troops were drawn up in readiness to make the sortie. The division commanded by General Porter, was composed of riflemen and Indians, under Colonel Gibson, and two columns, one on the right command by Colonel Wood, the left commanded by General Davis of the New York militia. This was to proceed through the woods to the road which had been opened, while the right division of the troops in the ravine already mentioned, was stationed between the fort and the enemy’s works, under General Miller, with orders not to advance until general Porter should have engaged their flank.
The command of General Porter advanced with so much celerity and caution that when they rushed upon the enemy’s flank, they gave the first intimation of their approach. A severe conflict for a moment ensued, in which those gallant officers, Colonel Gibson and colonel wood, fell at the head of their columns, and the command devolved on Lieutenant Colonel McDonald, and Major Brooks. In thirty minutes possession was taken of both batteries in this quarter, together with a blockhouse in the rear, and the garrison made prisoners. Three twenty-for pounders were rendered useless and their magazine blown up by Lieutenant Riddle, who narrowly escaped the effects of the explosion.
At this moment the division of General Millercame up; General Brown, having heard the firing, had ordered it to advance. In conjunction with Colonel Gibson’s column, he pierced between the second and third line of batteries, and after a severe contest, carried the first of these. In this assault general Davis fell, at the head of his volunteers. The whole of these batteries and the two block houses, being in possession of the Americans, General Miller’s division inclined to the more formidable battereies toward the lake shore. At this moment they were joined by the reserve under General Ripley. Here the resistance was more obstinate, the work being exceedingly intricate, from the successive lines of entrenchments contrived with studied complexity; a constant use of the bayonet was the only mode of assailing them; the enemy had, also, by this time, received considerable reinforecements. General Miller continued to advance, although suffering severe loss in some of his valuable officers. The twenty-first, under Lieutenant Colonel Upham, forming a part of the reserve, and a part of the 17th, uniting with the corps of General Miller, charged rapidly upon the remaining battery which was instantly abandoned by the British Infantry and artillery.
General Ripley now ordered a line to be formed, for the protection of the detachments engaged in destroying the batteries and was engaged in making arrangements for following up, against the rear of General Drummond, the success which had so far transcended expectations, when he received a wound in the neck and fell by the side of Major Brooks; he was immediately transported to the fort.
The object of the sortie having been completely effected, General Miller called his detachments and retired in good order with the prisoners and the trophies of this signal exploit.
During the engagement General Porter who commanded the riflemen and Indians, on the right of the left wing was taken prisoner by the enemy, whom, I, then acting as orderly sergeant, with a small force, retook, together with several British officers and soldiers, before they had time to retreat to their camp. We then took up our line of march to Chipewa and had a small skirmish with the enemy and lost a few of our men, from thence we crossed the Niagara River and marched to Sackett’s Harbor by way of Black Rock, where I remained till the 23rd of May 1815, when I was discharged from the army and on the 24th started for Sangerfield, Oneida County, New York and arrived there about the 30th day of May and there remained about one year, and then removed to Georgetown, Casinova County, New York, remained there several months, thence to Wolcott, New York, Seneca County, and remained there about one year, from thence to Springfield, Erie County, Pennsylvannia, where I became acquainted with Anna Barnes, daughter of Abijah and Aby Barnes and on the 29th day of April 1819 was married to her, and in December following, removed to Coneaught, Erie County, Pennsylvania.
On the 4th day of August 1828 I was elected Second Lieutenant and on the 7th day of April 1832 was elected First Lieutenant and on the 2nd day of march 1834 was elected Captain of the “Lexington Light Infantry” attached to the first Battalion of Erie County volunteers of Pennsylvania.
In the year 1837 I removed to Coneaught, Astabulia County, Ohio in the month of April and removed from thence to Kirtland, Ohio in August following and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on the 28th day of April 1838 by Elder Elijah Cheney, and on the 4th day of November following I left there for Caldwell County, Missouri with the expectation of permanently settling myself there with the [same] and came as far as Springfield, Illinois (December 12th) and there settled, the brethren being driven out of the State of Missouri under the exterminating order of Governor Boggs and from thence I removed to Nauvoo where I arrived about the fourth day of October [1841]was there ordained a Priest by Elder William Marks, and received a license as such December 29th 1841. One the 2nd day of April 1842 was elected Major of the Second Battalion, Fourth regiment, Second Cohort, Nauvoo Legion. On the 6th day of the same month was ordained an Elder by Elder Lyman Wight. One the 15th day of September 1844 was elected Colonel of the aforesaid Regiment to fill the vacancy of Colonel J. Dunham who had been promoted. One the 8th day of October following was ordained under the hands of President Brigham Young and Amasa Lyman into the Eleventh Quorum of Seventies as one of the Seven Presidents of the same, and being the oldest one of said Presidents, presided as Senior President of the said Quorum at the organization of the same.
In the fall of 1842 my brother Alpheus and nephew was called on a mission to Wisconsin during the winter. My brother started for home and perished in a severe storm between Carthage and Nauvoo. Hearing the news of his death, I returned to Nauvoo. Acted as Sergeant of the police from 1845 until the Exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo. I had command of the Police while destroying the printing press that published the paper called the Nauvoo Expositor, which was declared a nuisance by the City Council.
I was taken with a writ the same time that the Prophet Joseph was to Carthage when we gave bail to the next erm of Court. The Prophet was taken with another writ and placed in jail where he was martyred. Had charge of finishing the work on the temple at Nauvoo. Left Nauvoo in June 1846, arrived on Missouri River opposite Winter Quarters in November. In January 1847 my wife and daughter died from exposure. In 1848 came to Salt Lake Valley with the rest of my family. Arrived in Salt Lake in the fall of 1848. Was the first Alderman elected in G. S. L. City and held said office till 1861. Was called on mission to Southern Utah in 1861. Resided there until 1866. I then removed to Holden, Millard County. I commenced to receive a pension in 1873 for my service in the War of 1812. My son Appleton died February 26th 1877.
Jesse Perse Harmon died December 24th 1877 aged 82 years 4th months and thirteen days. He lived and died a faithful Latter-day Saint – was only sick 24 hours.
Recorded on microfilm in the records of the 11th Quorum of Seventies, at the Genalogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. GS # 025,553
(Transcribed by Melody Thatcher from LDS PH-1, Pioneer Resource Room, Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters, Omaha, Nebraska.)
Sometime in the month of March 1814 my father came and visited us at Plattsburgh.
On the 30th of March was fought the battle of LaColle Mill, a large fortified stone house at which Major Hancock commanded, who was the British officer.
On the day which our father left us we took up the line of march from Plattsburgh to LaColle Mill and our father went to the town of Jay to get married to a Mrs. Bunbar which took place on the 30th at the time we were engaged in the battle in hearing of the cannon.
We had several skirmishes with the British and Indians before we reached LaColle Mill in one of which I received a sleight wound from an Indian’s tomahawk.
At LaColle Battle my brother and myself was on the right wing of the army under the Command of Col. Clark in Gen’l Smith’s Brigade. We were exposed to a galling fire from the enemy and my brother received a mortal wound in his breast while fighting by my side and died on the 17th day of April following at Little Sharzee, New York and was buried there in the honors of war.
I then returned with part of the army by way of Plattsburgh to Burlington, Vermont and there reenlisted on the 5th of June during the war, and left for Rutland County, Vermont where I remained in the recruiting service a few months and was appointed a Corporal. We then marched for Buffalo, New York from thence we crossed Lake Erie to Fort Erie, Upper Canada. While there we received a continual cannonading and combating from the enemy for several weeks and on the 17th of September we fought a general battle and spiked several pieces of cannon, took 800 prisoners and left upwards of 1,000 of the enemy dead upon the field of battle. We lost 571 men.
When General Brown, observing that the enemy had just completed a battery which could open a most destructive fire, the next day planned a sortie which has been considered a military chef d’oeuvre.
The British force consisted of the brigades of 1,500 men each, each one of which was stationed at the works in front of Fort Erie. The other two occupied a camp two miles in the rear.
The design of General Brown was to “storm the batteries, destroy the cannon and roughly handle the brigade on duty before those in reserve could be brought up. A road had previously been opened by Lieutenant Riddle and Frazer, in a certain route through the woods within pistol shot of the flank of the line of batteries, and with such secrecy as to have escaped the notice of the enemy.
At two o’clock, the troops were drawn up in readiness to make the sortie. The division commanded by General Porter, was composed of riflemen and Indians, under Colonel Gibson, and two columns, one on the right command by Colonel Wood, the left commanded by General Davis of the New York militia. This was to proceed through the woods to the road which had been opened, while the right division of the troops in the ravine already mentioned, was stationed between the fort and the enemy’s works, under General Miller, with orders not to advance until general Porter should have engaged their flank.
The command of General Porter advanced with so much celerity and caution that when they rushed upon the enemy’s flank, they gave the first intimation of their approach. A severe conflict for a moment ensued, in which those gallant officers, Colonel Gibson and colonel wood, fell at the head of their columns, and the command devolved on Lieutenant Colonel McDonald, and Major Brooks. In thirty minutes possession was taken of both batteries in this quarter, together with a blockhouse in the rear, and the garrison made prisoners. Three twenty-for pounders were rendered useless and their magazine blown up by Lieutenant Riddle, who narrowly escaped the effects of the explosion.
At this moment the division of General Millercame up; General Brown, having heard the firing, had ordered it to advance. In conjunction with Colonel Gibson’s column, he pierced between the second and third line of batteries, and after a severe contest, carried the first of these. In this assault general Davis fell, at the head of his volunteers. The whole of these batteries and the two block houses, being in possession of the Americans, General Miller’s division inclined to the more formidable battereies toward the lake shore. At this moment they were joined by the reserve under General Ripley. Here the resistance was more obstinate, the work being exceedingly intricate, from the successive lines of entrenchments contrived with studied complexity; a constant use of the bayonet was the only mode of assailing them; the enemy had, also, by this time, received considerable reinforecements. General Miller continued to advance, although suffering severe loss in some of his valuable officers. The twenty-first, under Lieutenant Colonel Upham, forming a part of the reserve, and a part of the 17th, uniting with the corps of General Miller, charged rapidly upon the remaining battery which was instantly abandoned by the British Infantry and artillery.
General Ripley now ordered a line to be formed, for the protection of the detachments engaged in destroying the batteries and was engaged in making arrangements for following up, against the rear of General Drummond, the success which had so far transcended expectations, when he received a wound in the neck and fell by the side of Major Brooks; he was immediately transported to the fort.
The object of the sortie having been completely effected, General Miller called his detachments and retired in good order with the prisoners and the trophies of this signal exploit.
During the engagement General Porter who commanded the riflemen and Indians, on the right of the left wing was taken prisoner by the enemy, whom, I, then acting as orderly sergeant, with a small force, retook, together with several British officers and soldiers, before they had time to retreat to their camp. We then took up our line of march to Chipewa and had a small skirmish with the enemy and lost a few of our men, from thence we crossed the Niagara River and marched to Sackett’s Harbor by way of Black Rock, where I remained till the 23rd of May 1815, when I was discharged from the army and on the 24th started for Sangerfield, Oneida County, New York and arrived there about the 30th day of May and there remained about one year, and then removed to Georgetown, Casinova County, New York, remained there several months, thence to Wolcott, New York, Seneca County, and remained there about one year, from thence to Springfield, Erie County, Pennsylvannia, where I became acquainted with Anna Barnes, daughter of Abijah and Aby Barnes and on the 29th day of April 1819 was married to her, and in December following, removed to Coneaught, Erie County, Pennsylvania.
On the 4th day of August 1828 I was elected Second Lieutenant and on the 7th day of April 1832 was elected First Lieutenant and on the 2nd day of march 1834 was elected Captain of the “Lexington Light Infantry” attached to the first Battalion of Erie County volunteers of Pennsylvania.
In the year 1837 I removed to Coneaught, Astabulia County, Ohio in the month of April and removed from thence to Kirtland, Ohio in August following and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on the 28th day of April 1838 by Elder Elijah Cheney, and on the 4th day of November following I left there for Caldwell County, Missouri with the expectation of permanently settling myself there with the [same] and came as far as Springfield, Illinois (December 12th) and there settled, the brethren being driven out of the State of Missouri under the exterminating order of Governor Boggs and from thence I removed to Nauvoo where I arrived about the fourth day of October [1841]was there ordained a Priest by Elder William Marks, and received a license as such December 29th 1841. One the 2nd day of April 1842 was elected Major of the Second Battalion, Fourth regiment, Second Cohort, Nauvoo Legion. On the 6th day of the same month was ordained an Elder by Elder Lyman Wight. One the 15th day of September 1844 was elected Colonel of the aforesaid Regiment to fill the vacancy of Colonel J. Dunham who had been promoted. One the 8th day of October following was ordained under the hands of President Brigham Young and Amasa Lyman into the Eleventh Quorum of Seventies as one of the Seven Presidents of the same, and being the oldest one of said Presidents, presided as Senior President of the said Quorum at the organization of the same.
In the fall of 1842 my brother Alpheus and nephew was called on a mission to Wisconsin during the winter. My brother started for home and perished in a severe storm between Carthage and Nauvoo. Hearing the news of his death, I returned to Nauvoo. Acted as Sergeant of the police from 1845 until the Exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo. I had command of the Police while destroying the printing press that published the paper called the Nauvoo Expositor, which was declared a nuisance by the City Council.
I was taken with a writ the same time that the Prophet Joseph was to Carthage when we gave bail to the next erm of Court. The Prophet was taken with another writ and placed in jail where he was martyred. Had charge of finishing the work on the temple at Nauvoo. Left Nauvoo in June 1846, arrived on Missouri River opposite Winter Quarters in November. In January 1847 my wife and daughter died from exposure. In 1848 came to Salt Lake Valley with the rest of my family. Arrived in Salt Lake in the fall of 1848. Was the first Alderman elected in G. S. L. City and held said office till 1861. Was called on mission to Southern Utah in 1861. Resided there until 1866. I then removed to Holden, Millard County. I commenced to receive a pension in 1873 for my service in the War of 1812. My son Appleton died February 26th 1877.
Jesse Perse Harmon died December 24th 1877 aged 82 years 4th months and thirteen days. He lived and died a faithful Latter-day Saint – was only sick 24 hours.
Recorded on microfilm in the records of the 11th Quorum of Seventies, at the Genalogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. GS # 025,553
(Transcribed by Melody Thatcher from LDS PH-1, Pioneer Resource Room, Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters, Omaha, Nebraska.)
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