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RB BE "Scugog"s Community Newspaper of Choice" by Paul Arculus Sketches of Scugog is a historical column written by local resident and historian Paul Arculus and published In the Port Perry Star each month. ~~ HE SUMMER months pro- vide an excellent opportunity to explore the communities which played a major role in our own history. In order to gain a better understanding of our predecessors, it is often important to visit the communities which influenced their lives. The story of Perry's life has been frequently outlined in these articles- Perry's birth in 1792 near Bath, Ontario, his involvement in politics as one of the leaders of the Reform party in the 1830's, his business ventures in Whitby and then Scugog Village (now Port Perry). Perry died in 1851 while visiting his old friend and political compatriot, Marshall Spring Bidwell in Saratoga Springs, New York. His body was then carried by rail to Whitby where he was given a state funeral. Bidwell had moved to the United States, set- tlingin New York City after the two had been defeated in the infamous elections of 1836. With his legal training, Bidwell had become a success- ful lawyer and judge in his newly adopted city. Perry had been in declining health since his return to the political arena in 1841. Perry had written to Bidwell about his health problems and the two decided to meet in Saratoga Springs to "take the waters". Today Saratoga is an up-market town in Albany County in Central New York State. It began its fashionable traditions over three centuries ago when mineral springs were shown to the first white men by the Iroquois who hunted there. By 1791, Saratoga had its first hotel to accommodate the increasing numbers of visitors in search of cures for their ailments and diseases. The springs became a magnet for the wealthy, giving rise to elaborate hotels and summer homes. This in turn created a need for further leisure activities. One of the great leisure activities was horse racing. Saratoga's long and important history in horse racing and the breeding of race horses began in 1863. Peter Perry 1792 - 1851 Over the years millions of people have visited Saratoga for the same reason that Peter Perry and Marshall Spring Bidwell did in 1851. Ironically it was at Saratoga on October 17, 1777 that British General John Burgoyne surrendered his entire army to the American General Horatio Gates. Under the Agreement of Saratoga, Burgoyne's British troops were allowed to return to Boston and then home to England and Europe on the condition that they would not fight in North America again. Burgoyne's soldiers had come from __ Britain, Holland and what is now . Germany. In addition, a num- ber of regiments were established from the thousands of residents of the Thirteen Colonies who wished to support the British cause. This included a number of First Nations. A regiment called the "Loyal Rangers," was organized from loyal citizens of New England. They were sometimes referred to as Jessup's Rangers after their ~ leader, Major Edward Jessup. Jessup was a justice of the Peace in Albany County and owned a huge estate there. One of his captains was John Peters, a justice of the Peace from Gloucester County New York. In his Company was Corporal Robert Perry, a farmer from an area of Vermont which later became part of New York State. Robert Perry was the father of Peter Perry. In a report to the British government, issued in 1779, it was pointed out that Colonel John Peters had personally raised 673 volunteers from the New England Colonies. Most of these men were residents of New York State. They were used primarily as scouts for Burgoyne's army in their successful capture of Ticonderoga. In August 1777 they were sent out to capture Fort Bennington where scouts had determined that there was an abundance of supplies and the fort was not well defended. On the last item the scouts were wrong. The fort was well defended and Burgoyne's troops suffered a humiliating defeat. Over 1200 of his men were killed. Peters lost over 300 of his men. Hundreds were wounded. Among the latter was Robert Perry. Perry served in Jessup's Rangers for 5 years but for the last 122 days of his service as a wounded soldier he was paid L4 Is 4d. Once the British soldiers and admin- istrators left the Colonies, unscrupulous individuals or unruly mobs assumed control in many of the communities in the new republic. The newly formed government of the United States in its early years, was incapable of controlling them. This state of affairs continued until well after the Treaty of Paris of 1783 which officially ended the conflict. Along with Perry, tens of thousands of people who had supported Britain in any way were mercilessly persecut- ed. Some were tortured, some were murdered. They all lost their homes and property. Perry returned to Vermont only to find that his farm and all his property had been confiscated. Jessup and Peters suffered the same fate. Perry fled north with his family along with tens of thousands of others. More than 50,000 Loyalists settled in what became Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Most of Jessup"s men were among the 5,000 Loyalists who settled west of the Ottawa River along the shores of the Saint Lawrence and the Bay of Quinte. Officers were given 5000 acres, a captain 3000 acres and a private 200. Perry had risen to the rank of Captain and claimed 3000 acres, parcels of 200 acres around Ernestown. Perry began his new life with many former Saratoga area residents as his neighbours. Today Saratoga is an inviting and bustling city. Its wide main street is alive with dozens of pleasant sidewalk restaurants. Its numerous parks and an obvious pride in its historical and architectural traditions are plain to see. The secondary highway from Saratoga to nearby Bennington winds its way through the rolling countryside. Pleasant farms and stately homes, some over two hundred years old, reflect a quite and comfortable lifestyle. The life and times of Peter Perry rd Marshall Spring Bidwell - 1799-1872 Closer to the Bennington battlefield, the farms give way to dense forest. The hills are completely covered with deciduous forest. The Bennington battlefield is one of those hills. Only a few grass covered earthworks give a gentle hint of the horrible battle which took place here over two hundred years ago. The numerous ironies which are reflected in the history of this part of the New York State are only known to a few. Peter Perry, such an ardent and determined loyalist, died in Saratoga, the site of one Britain's most humiliat- ing defeats in North America. When he took his last breath, he was only a few miles from Bennington where his father had undergone one of his most painful experiences - being wounded by an enemy's bullet. And, that enemy could well have been a neighbour, one who joined in the humiliation of Robert Perry and others in taking away all their earthly possessions. Robert Perry came with his family penniless to Canada. We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to those who, like Perry, were willing to make such painful sacrifices for what they believed. He joined with others in laying the foundations for pride in our nation and its heritage. Steamboats Local historian Paul Arculus has just released his new book "Steamboats on Scugog", which provides a glimpse of the magical era of steam on Lake Scugog and the Trent Severn waterways. Get one today at The Port Perry Star, Books Galore and More or Settlement House Shops. GOOG | Coming Soon Scugog: The Early Years j will take the reader on dl a historic journey from 1821, when Reuben Crandell marched out of the bush at Lake Scugog, through to the turn of the century. Tentative Date: Oct. 5, 2000