SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 115 district schools, sustained an average period of six months each, and at an expense for teachers wages of $4869. The number of scholars was 4993, and of volumes in the school libraries 7951. There were eleven private schools, with 525 scholars, and one academy, with ninety-five pupils.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Friends, Universalists, and Episcopalians. The whole number of churches is twenty-eight, of clergymen, thirty-four. HISTORY. In the French war of 1754—63, a number of interesting events occured in this county.

In August, 1755, General Johnson, (afterwards Sir William,) led a force of about 5000 troops, including 1000 Indians, under the command of Hendrick, the celebrated Mohawk chieftain, to attack Crown Point. About the last of the month he encamped at the south end of Lake George, and made preparations to convey his troops, by water, to the foot of the Lake. The Baron Dieskau, the commander of the French forces, meantime, had descended the lake in search of his antagonist. On the 8th of September, General Johnson received intelligence of his approach, and despatched Colonel Williams, with 1200 men, to attack him.

Taking advantage of the dense forests, Dieskau had formed his troops in a crescent, and Williams erelong found himself surrounded by the enemy. He soon fell, as did Hendrick, both fighting with the utmost bravery. Lieutenant Colonel Whiting, of New Haven, Connecticut, the second in command, ordered a retreat, which he conducted with such skill and intrepidity, that his troops returned to the camp without disorder, and took their places in the ranks.

Dieskau pressed on in pursuit, but halting his men, to arrange them for the onset upon the English camp, the English forces recovered their firmness and awaited his attack without disorder. The Indians, in the employ of the French, were soon driven off by the cannon, and fled.

Dieskau led up the main body of his troops, but in vain; they were repulsed again and again, and after an obstinate action of five hours, the English, leaping over the breast work, engaged the French hand to hand, and soon put them to flight. Dieskau was mortally wounded and taken prisoner. The loss of the French was very severe. The British commander. General Johnson, was wounded in the early part of the conflict, and resigned the command to General Lyman.

For this success, the first which had attended the English arms during the war, General Johnson was rewarded with a baronetcy and a donation of £5000.

The day following the battle. a detachent from Fort Edward attacked the fugitives of Dieskau's army, on French mountain, and killed the greater part of them.

Sir William did not proceed after this vi t y to Crown Point, which if attacked might have been easily carried, but satisfied himself with erecting and fortifying Fort William Henry at the head of Lake George.

In August, 1757, this fort was taken by the Marquis de Montcalm, the commander of the French forces. Colonel Monroe, who commanded the garrison, made a brave resistance, but the failure of General Webb to send him reinforcements, and the want of ammunition, at length compelled him to capitulate, which he did on the most honorable terms.

No sooner, however, had the French obtained possession of the fort, than the terms of capitulation were most shamefully broken; the Indians rushed upon the defenceless troops, and plundered and murdered them without resistance. Montcalm had promised an escort, but it was withheld, and they were compelled to flee, as best they might, from the murderous assaults of savages thirsting for blood. The wounded and the women and children were the first to fall victims to their bar

barity, but the more able-bodied did t escape. It was computed that nearly 1500 were thus butchered.

The fort was destroyed by Montcalm. Fort George was erected as a substitute for it, on a more commanding site, but was never the scene of any important action. Burgoyne deposited most of his stores here in 1777.

Many interesting incidents also occurred during the French war, along the shores of the Horicon lake. At Sabbath-day Point, in 1756, a party of Provincial troops defeated a force of French and Indians, who attacked them. Here, too, Lord Amherst, with his army, stopped on a Sabbath morning for refreshment.

Rogers' Rock, is noted as the place where that bold and fearless partizan eluded the pursuit of the Indians, and gave them the impression that he had escaped down the face of the precipice.

The name of Pierson's Island, marks the spot where English prisoners were confined during the French war. Howe's Point, the spot where that brave and much lamented young nobleman landed, immediately previous to the battle of Ticonderoga, in which he was slain.

The first settlement in the county was made about 1770, at Luzerne and Queensburgh. Johnsburgh was settled in 1790. The Jessup patent, in the southern part of the county, com

prised 40,000 acres of land. It was granted in 1774, to a large company. The town of Caldwell was founded by Mr. James Caldwell, a large landed proprietor. In most parts of the county the population is sparse.

VILLAGES. CALDWELL, the shire town of the county, is delightfully situated on the southern extremity of Lake George. It abounds with interesting associations connected with the early history of this county. Population 300.

Bloody Pond, a short distance southeast of the village, commemorates by its name the bloody conflict of September 6th, 1755. The bodies of nearly 1000 of the slain, mostly Frenchmen, were thrown into it.

Glen's Falls, located on the north bank of the Hudson, in the town of Queensburgh, was incorporated in 1839. It is largely engaged in the manufacture of marble, lime, and lumber. The marble is found on both sides of the river, and is highly prized for the beauty of its color, (black) and its freedom from flaws. The falls at this place have a total descent of fifty feet, affording great hydraulic power, and presenting a picturesque and beautiful landscape. A bridge 600 feet in length crosses the river just above the falls. The navigable feeder of the Champlain canal passes through the village. Here is an incorporated academy, and a female seminary. Population 2500.

Chester, in the town of the same name, is a pleasant village, situated in the midst of a fertile country. The "Stone Bridge" in the northern part of the town of Chester, is a great natural curiosity. The stream which it crosses, enters the county from Essex, about thirty rods above the bridge, where it falls over a rocky precipice into a natural basin; thence, turning to the east, it divides into two branches; the northern passing under an arch of granite forty feet high and about eighty feet chord, diminishing in size as the stream descends; this branch may be followed 156 feet from the entrance; the southern and larger branch forces its way through the rock, by a passage which is explored with great difficulty, being at times narrow and confined, and at others opening into caverns of great depth, and thirty or forty feet in diameter. At the distance of 247 feet from the entrance, the two streams, having united during their subterranean passage, again make their appearance, beneath a precipice fiftyfour feet high, which terminates the bridge. The arch on this side is five feet high and ten wide.

Rivers.

TOWNS.

12. Granby, 1818.
13. Hastings, 1825.
14. Albion, 1825.
15. Sandy Creek, 1825.
16. Boylston, 1828.
17. Parish, 1828.

18. Amboy, 1830.

19. Palermo, 1832.
20. Schroeppel, 1832.

21. West Monroe, 1833.

22. Greenboro, 1844.

a. Oswego River. i. Oneida Outlet. b. Little Sandy Creek.

c. Salmon River. d. Salmon Creek. e. Deer Creek. h. Oswego Falls.

Lakes and Bays. J. Ontario. Z. Oneida. k. Fish. 1. Mexico Bay. f. Little andy Creek Bay.

Battle Fields. Sacketts Harbor.

Forts. Oswego. Ontario.

Villages. PULASKI. OSWEGO, Fulton. Mexico.

BOUNDARIES. North by Lake Ontario and Jefferson county; East by Lewis and Oneida; South by Oneida Lake, Onondaga and Cayuga counties, and West by Cayuga and Lake Ontario. SURFACE. The southeastern, southern and western portions of the county are level, the interior rolling, and the northern portion rising into hills. A ridge, 110 feet in height, runs westerly through the county, about eight miles north of the southern boundary, forming the watershed or dividing line between the northern and southern waters. The Oswego breaks through this at the great falls at Fulton in the town of Volney.

RIVERS. The Oswego is the principal river of the county. The other important streams are Salmon river, Salmon creek, Little Sandy and Catfish creeks, flowing into Lake Ontario; Scriba and Bay creeks, flowing into Oneida Lake, and Scott and Black creeks, tributaries of the Oswego. The west branch of Fish creek, from Oneida county, drains some of the eastern towns of this county.

Lakes, Bays, &c. Lake Ontario washes the whole northwestern boundary of the county. Oneida lake forms nearly onethird of its southern boundary. Fish lake, and several other small ponds add to its picturesque beauty. Mexico bay is an indentation of Lake Ontario some ten miles broad. Little Sandy Creek bay is a small land-locked inlet from the lake in the northwestern part of the county.

The Oswego canal, which connects the Erie canal with Lake Ontario, passes through the southwestern portion of the county, following the valley of the Oswego river.

CLIMATE. The climate, influenced by its proximity to the lake, is more uniform than in some of the other counties. Fruits thrive well. It is considered healthful.

GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The geological formations of this county are v ry simple. The basis rock is a slaty sandstone, making its appearance on the surface in the northwest section of the county. Grey sandstone overlies this on the east, extending into Lewis county. Red sandstone comes next in order, and covers the southern portion of the county, except a narrow strip along the south border. The Clinton group, (limestone,) occurs in several sections of the county, but is generally thickly covered with alluvial deposits.

The county has no minerals of importance. There is a single locality of bog iron ore, and some weak brine springs, in the red sandstone formation.

The soil is generally

SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. rich and fertile, but better adapted to grazing than the growing of grain. The timber is oak, pine, beech, basswood, ash, butternut and hemlock. The grass crops are very large and of fine quality.