66 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



reasonable and thinking men. No prophetic inspiration 

 tells that the people of this great State will surely vindi- 

 cate him. I assert that they will do so, because I claim to 

 know something of the people of this State. Fellow-citi- 

 zens, the day will come when shame and confusion will fall 

 upon the heads of the perpetrators of this outrage." 



Any measure which became necessary for him personally 

 to carry into execution was never delayed on account of 

 darkness or the elements. In such cases sunshine and tem- 

 pest, day and night were all the same to him. The follow- 

 ing incident illustrates this characteristic, and evinces a 

 greatness of action which, had he been a military comman- 

 der, would, in times of war, have rendered him formidable 

 and victorious in the field : 



While in the discharge of his duties as district attorney 

 under the large district system, he left Bath to attend a 

 term of the Allegany Oyer and Terminer at Angelica. At 

 that day lawyers as well as judges traveled from circuit to 

 circuit on horseback. In those days Cruger was the owner 

 of a valuable horse which he called Jingle Foot. He was 

 a large bay animal, with a white star in his forehead, finely 

 proportioned, and like his master, with whom he was a great 

 favorite, capable of great endurance. He was as fleet as a 

 deer and docile as he was fleet. Jingle Foot had for two 

 or three years carried his master to all the courts in West- 

 ern New York, and was therefore almost as famous as the 

 steed of Alexander the Great. On this visit to Angelica, 

 Gen. Cruger, as usual, rode his favorite horse. He reached 

 that village some time in the afternoon of the first day of 

 the circuit. On his arrival he found his Democratic friends 

 in a state of great vexation, owing to an advantage which 

 the Federals had apparently gained over them. 



About this time the term of the clerk of Allegany County, 

 who was a Republican, was drawing to a close. That officer 

 was then appointed by the Council of Appointment at 

 Albany, which at that time was composed of Democrats 

 (Republicans, as they were then called), and of course 

 would appoint any person upon whom the leaders of that 

 party in Allegany County could unite. This council was 

 to meet on Thursday of that week, but as there had been 

 some misunderstanding among the Democrats as to the 

 proper person to recommend, no name had been sent to 

 Albany. But in the mean time the Federals had been on 

 the alert, and taking advantage of the misunderstanding 

 among their opponents, had forwarded the name of one of 

 their own party for the office of clerk to the council. This 

 fact had just come to the knowledge of the Democrats when 

 Cruger arrived. The partisan contests of those days were 

 bitter in the extreme. The appointment of a clerk was a 

 matter of considerable advantage, and of course this was a 

 serious aff'air, especially as it was now apparently too late 

 to remedy the evil. 



Nothing could exceed the chagrin and mortification of 

 Cruger on learning of this state of things. In a few 

 moments his room was filled with the leading Democrats 

 of the county. A Federal clerk in the county of Allegany ! 

 Such a thing was not to be thought of for a moment ! But 

 where was the remedy ? It was too late for any mail to 

 reach Albany in time to prevent the appointment. For a 

 time Mr. Cruger walked the room in a state of intense ex- 



citement. At length he sent for the landlord, and that 

 person soon made his appearance. 



" Bullock," said Cruger, " have Jingle Foot well rubbed, 

 fed, saddled and bridled within an hour and a half" 



He then sent for Gen. Haight, who was attending court 

 at Angelica at that time. When that gentleman appeared 

 he said, — 



" General, I want you take charge of my business during 

 this term ; put over what causes you can and try the rest, 

 for I am going to Albany." 



" Going to Albany !" exclaimed several gentlemen at the 

 same moment. 



" Going to Albany, Cruger ? What can you be going 

 to Albany for?" asked Gen. Haight. 



" To prevent this county being disgraced by a Federal 

 clerk," was the reply. 



" Why, good heavens ! Cruger," said a gentleman present, 

 " you can't reach Albany in time to prevent that appoint- 

 ment now." 



" Yes I can. Jingle Foot will land me safely in Albany 

 between this and Thursday noon, or I am mistaken in him ; 

 at any rate, he and I will make a trial to overturn the nice 

 plans of these infernal Federalists," said Cruger. 



He next gave the general some further instruction con- 

 cerning his business, and in due time word came that Jingle 

 Foot was ready at the door. 



This was in the month of June. The sun was just 

 going down as Mr. Cruger mounted his horse and rode out 

 of the village. Night and day, over hill and dale, he pressed 

 forward, stopping just long enough for refreshments and a 

 little rest. Jingle Foot seemed imbued with the same deter- 

 mined energy as his master, — seemed to gather fresh strength 

 as he sped on his course. Such was his progress that just 

 as the old Albany town-clock tolled the hour of noon of 

 Thursday Cruger drew up in front of the City Hotel. 



" Take such care of that horse as you never did of any 

 other," said he to the hostler, who came forward as he rode 

 up ; and the noble animal was soon safe in the comfortable 

 stables of the hotel. 



At the appointed time the Council of Appointment assem- 

 bled. As Allegany County was the first on the list, that 

 body was in the act of moving the person recommended 

 by the Federalists for clerk of that county, when Daniel 

 Cruger, to their great astonishment, stood before it. He 

 was not long in relating the true situation of affairs in that 

 remote region, and matters were soon arranged to his satis- 

 faction. After resting a day or two in Albany, he again 

 mounted Jingle Foot, returned to Angelica, and the Demo- 

 crats of Allegany County rejoiced in the appointment of a 

 clerk belonging to their own party, having learned a lesson 

 which healed all dissensions among them. 



In person. Gen. Cruger was below the common height, 

 somewhat thick-set, but with a manly, genteel figure and 

 bearing. He was graceful and easy in his manners, and his 

 conversation was refined and cultivated. Both himself and 

 Mrs. Cruger possessed that genial hospitality which always 

 filled their house with intelligent and pleasing guests. 

 During the session of the courts at Bath their house was 

 always the headquarters of the judges who presided. There 

 Ambrose Spencer, Yates, and Van Ness rested from their 



