TOWN OF CANISTEO. 



219 



A pleasant little anecdote is related of Moore, at his 

 surrender in this battle, exhibiting his courage and humor. 

 In the fight, which was a hand-to-hand bayonet encounter, 

 Moore and a few of his companions had got separated a 

 considerable distance from the main body, and were not 

 included in the general surrender. A soldier was sent 

 down to them to order them up to surrjsnder their arms. 

 Moore had posted himself on a barrel of whisky which 

 they found in that part of the field, and drawn up his half- 

 dozen men in order of battle around him, and stoutly 

 refused to surrender unless certain conditions were granted. 

 The soldier returned and reported, whereupon an ofiicer 

 and a sufficient number of men were sent to insure com- 

 pliance. The officer found Moore still in position on his 

 barrel of whisky. The officer demanded surrender. Moore 

 replied that he was " ready to capitulate^ but must have 

 terms." The officer, pleased with Johnny's humor, in- 

 quired what terms he demanded. Johnny replied that, 

 " his men be permitted to march into camp under shoulder- 

 arms, and that each one be allowed to fill his canteen from 

 the barrel on which he stood." The officer humorously 

 acceded to the terms proposed, and the canteens were filled, 

 and Johnny, at the head of his column, marched into camp 

 and surrendered. He was soon after paroled and sent into 

 the American lines, but he did not for some time after 

 leave the service. 



Another adventure used to be told of Moore, illustrating 

 his courage and endurance. Early in the history of the 

 Valley, Moore and several others made an excursion to 

 Cryder's Creek, a small stream in Allegany County. On 

 their return they struck through the woods from some- 

 where in the neighborhood of Andover to Canisteo. It 

 was in midwinter, the snow was deep, the weather cold, 

 and the distance a good day's travel with ordinarily good 

 roads. Towards night, and while yet a good way from the 

 end of their journey, our travelers began to feel excessively 

 weary, and especially Moore, who was very short-legged ; 

 but all saw the necessity of persevering and even of quick- 

 ening their pace, as night was fast approaching. At length 

 Moore gave out and refused to go farther. The others, 

 who were less exhausted, urged and entreated him to con- 

 tinue his efforts, but nothing could move him to go farther ; 

 and the party, thinking that all must perish if they 

 attempted to spend the night there, finally left him and 

 urged their way through. The sad story was soon told 

 through the neighborhood, and a party early next morning 

 started to find Moore, expecting that he had certainly per- 

 ished during the night. But after going a few miles, what 

 was their astonishment and joy to meet Johnny puffing his 

 way through the snow and making as good headway as his 

 abbreviated appendages would permit. On inquiring of 

 him how he had kept from freezing during the night, he 

 said that after resting awhile, he followed on till he came 

 to a hollow log, into which he crawled as far as he could 

 and soon fell asleep. After sleeping awhile he was awakened 

 by finding something was crawling on his feet. The crea- 

 ture, he said, lay quietly till nearly daylight and then 

 quietly left. He said he lay warm and rested well. In 

 the morning Moore backed out and found by the tracks 

 that his bed-fellow had been a huge bear. His friends 



were so incredulous that they followed the back track to 

 the log where Moore had slept, and found it even as he had 

 said, 



Mr. Moore, though he lived and died in humble life, be- 

 queathed to his posterity a rich inheritance, — " a good 

 name," which we are assured is far better than great riches. 

 In passing up Bennett's Creek, the first settler above 

 Johnny Moore was Joshua Stephens, a son of the Rev. 

 Jedediah Stephens. At what time he settled there we arc 

 not aware, but he is mentioned by an old citizen as being 

 there in 1819, and the clearing was then a small beginning; 

 a small log house stood on the right hand, and a barn on 

 the left of the road, and only a few acres were cleared. It 

 was, however, a very desirable location, embracing a full 

 sweep through the flats, and offering to industry a reward 

 in the future which his worthy sons have made full proof 

 of Joshua Stephens was a man of kind and amiable dis- 

 position, and was highly esteemed as a neighbor and citi- 

 zen. He married Miss Rhoda Stephens, a daughter of 

 Uriah Stephens, Esq. Two sons, Clinton and George, still 

 occupy the old homestead where their father lived and 

 died. One of the daughters married Mr. Henry Hamilton, 

 one of the most enterprising farmers in this section of the 

 country. Mr. Stephens was cut down in the very vigor of 

 manhood, and when earthly prospects were most inviting, 

 flattering, and full of hope. With an estimable lady for a 

 companion, a promising little family of beautiful children, 

 a farm susceptible of being one of the most desirable in the 

 neighborhood, there seemed but little between him and 

 earthly felicity ; but in one sad hour the whole was shrouded 

 in gloom. He went out one evening, as he was in the habit 

 of doing, after his cows, but not returning and night coming 

 on, the family became alarmed, and search was instituted. 

 He was found the next morning a mile or more from the 

 house, on the roadside, shot through the body and dead. 

 He had evidently traveled some distance after being shot, 

 as his course was indicated by traces of blood. It was sup- 

 posed that he thought himself f^itally wounded and had 

 made a great effort to reach the road, so that his body might 

 be the more readily found. It is supposed that this murder 

 was committed by two Indians who were encamped near 

 by. The Indians were soon after arrested and put in jail, 

 and after a time were tried for the murder. They were 

 ably defended through the influence of their old friends, — 

 Jones & Clute, of Geneseo. The Indians were found not 

 guilty, although a strong case was made by the people 

 airainst them. Little doubt remained in the minds of the 

 people that the Indians shot him. The names of the In- 

 dians were Sundown and Curly Eye, and were well known 

 to the early settlers.^ The latter was a professed doctor, 

 and went by the title of Dr. Curly Eye. Deacon Mowry 

 Thacher, now living in Hornellsville, seventy -six years of 

 age, and still active and vigorous, knew the Indians well ; 

 had an intimate acquaintance with Mr. Stephens, and was 

 familiar with the circumstances of the tragic death and 

 the solemn funeral of the murdered citizen. He said in 

 1868, " Though some forty years have since elapsed, I have 

 a most vivid recollection of that funeral. When the corpse 

 was about to be removed from the house, his aged and ven- 

 erable father, trembling under a weight of years, and his 



