From "A Collection of Family Records with Biographical Sketches and Other Memoranda of Various Families and Individuals Bearing the Name Douglas or Allied to Families of That Name" which was compiled and edited by Charles Henry James Douglas
and published originally in 1879.
"He removed from Plainfield to Old Canaan about 1746, and remained there some twenty years. In 1766 he removed with his family to what was at that time Jericho Hollow, Mass., but which was subsequently included in Stephentown, N.Y. His son William had preceded him the year before. When Asa came he brought with him a company of men who cleared thirty acres of land and built a large farm-house. The nearest neighbor was four miles away, and they were obliged to go fourteen miles to the saw-mill. The garret of the house, which is still (1877) standing in good repair, was used during the Revolutionary war as a jail, there being at that early day none in the county. Asa participated in the war, and led a company of thirty "Silver Grays" at the battle of Bennington, on the 16th of August, 1777, when the force of British and Indians sent to seize the stores collected at that place were defeated by the Americans under Col. John Stark. Asa continued to reside in Stephentown till the time of his death, which occurred Nov. 12, 1792. His widow survived him some fourteen years" (this should read 16 years)"and died June 12, 1809."
From "http://familyhistories.homestead.com/DouglasGenealogy.html"
"Asa participated in the war, and led a company of thirty "Silver Grays" at the Battle of Bennington, on the 16th of August, 1777, when the force of British and Indians sent to seize the stores collected at that place were defeated by the Americans under Col. John Stark. Disguised as an old farmer looking for his lost cows, Douglas acted as a spy at the siege of Ticonderoga. He left his horse outside the lines and proceeded boldly into the enemy lines. When he mounted his horse to go home, someone called, "The old farmer is a spy!" Then, as the shooting began, Asa said to his horse, "Old Ti, Ride for your life and if you get me home safely, you will never be saddled again." It is said that he kept his word and "Old Ti" lived happily in the pasture for the rest of his life."
From "Gazetteer and Business Directory of Rensselaer County, N. Y., for 1870-71," compiled and published by Hamilton Child, 1870.
"Stephentown, named in honor of Stephen Van Rensselaer, was formed from Rensselaerwyck, March 29, 1784. Petersburgh was taken off in 1791, and parts of Berlin and Nassau in 1806. It lies in the southeast corner of the county. The surface consists of two rocky, mountainous ranges, separated by the valley of Kinderhook Creek. ......................The first settlement of this town was commenced about 1766. Asa Douglas, his son William, and his grandson Benjamin, Nathan Rose, Elnathan Sweet and Joseph Rogers settled near the center of the town, and Joshua Gardner in the east part, at a very early day. Edward Carr settled near Kinderhook Creek, and John Mills, _____ Husted, _____ Lewis, _____Berry and others settled in the north part. Most of the early settlers were from Rhode Island.
The first child born in the town was William Douglas, a grandson of Asa, one of the first settlers. He afterwards married the first white female born in the town. The late Hon. Stephen A. Douglas was a descendant of the first settler."
From Grave marker in Stephentown Association Cemetery, Stephentown, NY
ASA DOUGLASS, SR. 1715-1792
REBECKAH WHEELER DOUGLASS 1718-1809
"In memory of Asa Douglass who was one of the first settlers in Stephentown in the year 1766 and died November 12th 1792 in the 77th year of his age and was rembered in this place------" (spelled as it appears on stone)
"In memory of Rebeckah Douglass, widow and relict of Asa Douglass, who died 12 June 1809
Friends and physicians could not save
Our mortal bodies from the grave
Nor in the grave confine them here
When Jesus calls they must appear
In honour of my Parents dear
This monument I have placed here
William Douglas"
Annual Address Before The Vermont Historical Society Deliverd AT Montpelier, VT., On Tuesday Evening, October 8, 1872, By Hon. Lucius E. Chittenden. Rutland: Tuttle & Company, Printers, 1872
The words: "Green Mountain Boys" was never referred to among the following information:
With Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga
Colonel Ethan Allen, ... Gen. Benedict Arnold,... Elijah Babcock, Colonel John Bigelow,..... Capt. Asa Douglas, ....
http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/ma/x/as/maxb0a28.htm
"The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, Handcock
This township originated from a 1762 King's grant that established a territory then known as the "Plantation of Jericho."
Asa Douglas of Canaan City, New York wound up purchasing the biggest chunk of the territory -- a whopping 1,000 acres. Also getting a piece of the pie were Samuel Hand, Captain Caleb Gardner, Deacon Samuel Brown, and David and Charles Goodrich.
Asa also headed up the area's Local Committee of Safety during the Revolutionary War and led a militia company in the Battle of Bennington. Asa Douglas' son, Captain William Douglas, moved to Jericho with his wife, Hannah, in 1765, and Asa moved to Jericho the following year.
The senior Douglas' home, Shumway Farm, stands today just across the state line in Stephentown, New York. Most who lived in the territory which would incorporate into the township of Hancock chose to settle in the valley along Post Road. Only a few of the early settlers managed to farm in the high valleys."
http://www.berkshireweb.com/themap/hancock/hancock.html
"The Plantation of Jericho was laid out under a King's grant in 1762. Asa Douglas of Canaan Center, New York, received 1000 acres. Others who received smaller amounts were Samuel Hand, Captain Caleb Gardner, David and Charles Goodrich and Deacon Samuel Brown. The remains of the grant were sold by the General Court in 1789.
Asa Douglas' son, Captain William Douglas, moved to Jericho with his wife, Hannah, in 1765. His father arrived a year later. His home, Shumway Farm, exists today on Osgood Road just over the line in Stephentown, New York. Asa served as head of the Local Committee of Safety during the Revolution and led a company of Militia at the Battle of Bennington. The town vault or magazine, located in the cemetery is believed to have been constructed by him in 1777."
To His Excellency George Washington Esqr. Generalissimo over
all the forces of the United Colonies
May it please your Excellency,
May a Grey headed Farmer speak
freely? Will your Excellency allow me to unbosom myself to you
when I fear to do it & think it unwise to other persons? I hear your
Excellency is free of Access & ready to hear the story, if it is of Importance,
of inferior persons, & in their own natural Dialect? I beg leave
for once to speak & ease my distressed Mind.
I have been a constant observer of all our nothern Transactions from
the Beginning of our Troubles to this Day. I early raised a Company
& was at the Taking of Ticonderoga, some weeks after which I was
sent by the Commander of said Fort to the Honble Continental Congress.
On my Way to Philadelphia I was Thunder struck to hear that
that venerable wise Body had ordered said Fort to be deserted
& given up into the hands of our Enemies & the Cannon to be re-
moved the hither side of Lake George. Knowing that to be the Troy
to all New England & an inlet to the Savages to ravage our
Frontiers for many Hundred Miles in length, there being many
Thousands of New Settlers (New Englanders) north of said Fort, I viewed said
doings of the Congress as the finishing Stroke to New England ~
When I arrived at Philadelphia I carefully searched out the cause of
it & I found the Land Jobbers were the foundation or efficient cause
of said Resolution of Congress. I gave myself no Rest till that Resolution
was reversed. On my way to Philadelphia, I waited on New York
Congress & could get no relief from them. I found them deeply interested
& they insisted upon the forts being deserted gave no Encouragement of assisting me ~ And I believe in my Conscience to this Day that said province is not hearty neither in the
reduction of Canada nor in opposing Great Britain.
His Excellency General Schuyler was appointed to the Command of
the northern Army to draw in that Province to the support of the
cause of the Continent; neither the General, nor the province, I mean
near about the one half, appear to me to be real friends. ~
Your Excellency cannot be a stranger to what Events have taken
place in Canada, & I think Actions speak infinitely louder than
words. I speak plainly. I believe by all that has transpired that
General Schuyler is a Traitor & that an overwhelming De-
struction upon our Army in Canada if not upon all the New
England Provinces is near at hand. What but Disgrace & Infamy
are constantly pursuing our Army there & all for the want of their
being provided for. Why is S.r John Johnston now at the Head of a
powerful Army swallowing up our forces by large mouthfuls in
Canada, is this the man that was taken in arms against his
Country last Fall & not so much as confined? be astonished O
Earth. Why was our Army last year universally disaffected toward
General Schuyler? was there no reason for their universal Complaint?
I speak of Officers & Soldiers; when all was love and Affection for
the glorious Montgomery not a murmur, not a whisper heard
to his Disadvantage. Why has our Army been starving when
Albany has been overflowing with Provisions, & this Country all
round about us suffering thro' plenty. How many Bushels of Wheat
were sold in Albany last Winter for half a Dollar paid in goods
at the highest price & how many tens of Thousands of Bushels might
now in a Days Time be carried in for two thirds of a Dollar. Why has
there been such cheating in that Army as to the pork, great
part of which has been fit only for Dogs to eat; owing to the
Waggoners leting out the brine to lighten his Load.
The Army in Canada O how unlike the one before Boston last year.
I expect to hear Nothing but Disgrace & Infamy from our Canadian
Army without some great Change & mighty Exertions. If Canada
is gone America is undone. I speak here from Knowlege. A more
important post as to the support of our cause is not upon this
whole Continent. Can't General Schuyler be removed with honor
to some other post or have an assistant general or no other
Measures be taken to satisfy the minds of people in general?
What a dark plot has been carrying on of late thro' out
New York government. What Dependance has government upon
our internal Enemies to this What Multitudes from one End of New
York government to the other stand Tiptoe to Joyn our Enemies.
I expect it will be but a few Weeks before this Continent will
be struck with Amazement & Horror. Great Cromwell, under
God, I rest upon you to save this Country from Ruin. I pray
that what I have wrote may do no hurt to the glorious Cause
of my Country. May God preserve your Excellency, & give you
Wisdom from above & lengthen out your Life till millions
shall proclaim with a Voice that shall shake the pillars of the
World The American cause is finished. I am your Excellency's Humble Servant.
This comes from my Breast & will be
retained in your Excellencys. Asa Douglass
Transcriber's Note: Written vertically along the left hand border of this second page Asa added "I think few or none of New England Officers will serve two Campaigns under General Schuyler."
To His Excellency George Washington Esqr Capt.n General over
all the forces of the United Colonies.
The Address of the Committees of Safety & Inspection for several Towns
in the County of Berkshire Massachusetts Bay, bordering on the
Colony of New York, & with the Approbation of Kings District in
said Colony ~ May it please your Excellency,
We beg leave to lay
before your Excellency the Distresses of our Minds with all humility.
Fear of injuring our Common cause by writing as well as speaking
on the one hand, or by silence on the other has filled us with peculiar
Concern. The purport of this Epistle is so delicate we write with fear
& Trembling least when we mean to serve our Country, we do it an
irreparable Injury. Purity of Intention will not always secure us against
rong steps. We beg leave to assure your Excellency that it is our
hearty Intention to support your Excellency in the Defense of
America against the Tyranny & usurpation of Great Britain, & if that
is the pleasure of the Honorable Continental Congress to the building
up a distinct Republic, or American Empire, to the last Extremity.
But what has filled our minds with a peculiar Sence of Danger to our
Common cause are the following Things which we take to be facts
tho' we may be deceived as to some of them.
That his Excellency Honor General Schuyler has had the superintending
oversight of our Canadian Army.
That after the glorious Defeat of Dec.r 31st 1775 at Quebec in an attempt
to take it by Storm, Recruits were forwarded in the slowest & most
dilatory Manner.
That our Army before the walls of Quebec during a long & tedious
Winter underwent every kind of hardship & their Spirits were broken by
being neglected.
That about the 4th of May so inconsiderable was the Army, so miserably
provided with Provisions & Ammunition, in a word so greatly neglected
that it was obliged precipitately to raise the siege & disgracefully to
retreat, so as not only to leave those 500 valiant Sons of America
taken within the walls of Quebec to the Mercy of our Enemies but an
Additional Number of Sick to be disposed of at their pleasure.
That his Excellency Honor General Schuyler some time last Winter went
on an Expedition to subdue the Internal Enemies of this Country collected
in Arms against the Country at Johnstown & after the Suppression of the said Rebellion
The Ring Leader S.r John Johnston was not so much as put under
moderate Confinement.
That the said S.r John Johnston hath since collected a Number of
said Enemies as we suppose & Joyned some of the Kings forces in the
upper forts & raised a Number of Canadians & Indians & came down
upon Col. Beatles Regiment stationed at the Cedars & taken them
to a Man not less than about 500 in Number many of whom
were Shot & others Tommahawked in cool Blood by the insatiable
Savages after they were made Prisoners this we have from Men of Credibility
who were made Prisoners at the same Time but found Means to getaway.
The Col. of said Regiment being necessarily absent at the Time of said
Fight after Provisions etc ~
That our Army had long been in a most deplorable Situation
in Canada as to provisions Intrenching Tools etc & we view them as
being in Danger of being driven wholly out of those Territories
which Event we have but too much Reason to fear will decide the
fate of New England. & be of the most dangerous Consequence to all
the united Colonies.
That the Minds of many Officers & Soldiers & others are greatly dis-
satisfied with the Conduct of his Excellency Honor General Schuyler & have
great fears Respecting his fidelity to his Country tho' they may
be wholly without foundation & we find a great Backwarding
in Men to enlist in this Expedition on this Account. God forbid
that we should harbour ungrounded Jealousies of the Deliverers
& in a Sense Saviours of their our Country, or willfully shut our
Eyes against the greatest Dangers.
We beg leave to assure your Excellency that we consider
the United Colonies but as one & observe no other Distinctions but
those of friends & Enemies to their Country. We indulge no private
Disgust or Resentment, we are of no faction or party. We wish
not to injure the Reputation & Glory of his Excellency Honor General
Schuyler were it in our power, we sincerely hope his name
may be handed down with immortal Honor to the latest Pos-
terity as one of the great Pillars of the American Cause.
We must not conclude without assuring your Excellency of the
utmost Repose & Confidence placed in your Excellency by
persons of all Ranks & Conditions within the Sphere of our
Knowlege. We can chearfully rest in your Excellencies Wisdom
under the Direction of him who ruleth over all, for the directing
the Military Opperations in general thro' this great Continent
in Conformity to the Advice of the Hon.ble Continental Congress.
We heartily pray for Success to your Arms, & Salvation
to America; And that your Excellencies disinterested Services
may meet with a glorious Retribution in the Resurrection
of the Just at the Last Great Day & your present Tears
for America be turned into never ending Joy & Triumph.
Pittsfield, June 7th 1776 Asa Douglass / Chairman
\ of the Committee
Punctuation, capitalization, spelling and strikeouts as in original.
Transcribed on 3/17/2002 by Kenneth W. Holcomb
from The Library of Congress American Memory, Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ use search term Asa Douglas and match exact phrase
George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 4. General Correspondence. 1697-1799
Asa Douglas and the Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Safety Committee to George Washington, June 7, 1776
The following is from:
COLONEL JOHN BROWN OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
THE BRAVE ACCUSER OF BENEDICT ARNOLD
An address delivered before the Fort Rensselaer Chapter of The D.A.R. and others, by Archibald M. Howe
at the Village of Palatine Bridge, New York September 29, 1908.
W. B. Clarke Company; 26 and 28 Tremont Street ; Boston 1908
"It was Captain Asa Douglas, of Hancock, the man who had done much to promote the capture of Ticonderoga by skillful recruiting and by pledge of his estate, who in May, 1776, was Chairman of a convention of Berkshire towns which, deluded by false rumors and influenced by their own prejudices against the noble General Schuyler, sent to General Washington their doubts concerning his loyalty, although expressing their hope that his name might be handed down to posterity as one of the great pillars of the American Cause. Their hope is grandly fulfilled, but the Berkshire men have left us with some doubt as to their skill in judging of current events. However, on the twenty-sixth day of May, 1776, Mark Hopkins, as Secretary of this Convention, wrote to Washington to tell him their fears concerning Philip Schuyler were groundless. "
Asa was the greatgrandfather of Stephen Arnold Douglas, "The Little Giant", of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Historic Markers in NY
Town of CANAAN, Marker reads
"DOUGLAS HOUSE
HOME OF ASA DOUGLAS. NOTED
RESORT OF WHIGS DURING THE
REVOLUTION. GARRET USED
TO CONFINE TORY NEIGHBORS."
Location: CO. RD., N. OF CANAAN CORNERS