Civil War
The Civil War's "Most Famous Scout"
Colonel Lewis S. Payne, who later became a Civil War hero, described by some as "the War's most famous scout," moved from Tonawanda to an old farm on the northeast corner of Wheatfield Street and Payne Avenue. In 1841 Payne and Huntley contracted with various individuals to cut timber for use in making barrel staves and other wood products. In 1849 he built a steam saw mill with a huge brick smokestack that could be seen for miles. The initials “ZT” were inlaid on the stack, for Zachary Taylor, then president of the United States. Payne owned large parcels of land north and east of Wheatfield Street also. The road from his farm, which opened in 1854, stopped near Goundry because of the dense woods. Colonel Payne was elected Niagara County Clerk in 1854 and 1865. He became a member of the New York State Assembly in 1869 and later was elected a New York State Senator.
Credit & Photo: Courtesy of the Tonawanda News - Flashback Column by William C. Wittkowsky
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A Civil War recruitment poster pre-1865, courtesy of A. Daniel Bille, North Tonawanda City Historian. |
The Ironclad Ship
North Tonawanda had its own ironclad ship, built for the Union Army, and named the Tonawanda. It never saw duty because the War ended before it was commissioned.
Credit: 1997 NT Centennial booklet
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This cap (kepi) is believed to have belonged to H. Jason Knapp during the Civil War. We thank Ralph Lindsay of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, and his daughter Pam Stafford, for sharing these photos with us. The kepi was part of the collection of items auctioned off by Yorktown Auction in 2003, all from the Antietam Battlefield Civil War Museum Collection, described at the time as "a 50-year collection of firearms and a 30-year collection of Civil War era images." Mr. Lindsay collects Civil War items. |
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Above: The interior of the kepi. It is a Union cap, which the present owner believes is from the 5th Regiment, Company C. Below: "H. Jason Knapp. Tonawanda, NY" is visible. We have had a team of Museum researchers working on verifying its authenticity. The present owner has put extensive time into researching it as well. Knapp is not listed in "New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865" compiled in 1912. The National Archives in Washington and the New York State Archives have no record of Knapp's connection to the Civil War. We are surmising that Knapp may have served in the local militia rather than at the Federal level. Jason H. Knapp was in business with Alexander G. Kent and operated Knapp Hardware in Kent's building at 20-26 Webster Street in the late 1800's. We're surmising that this Jason may have been the son of the owner of the cap. We believe our hardware store owner was born H. Jason Knapp in February 1863 in Niagara County. He was listed in the 1900 census as being a lumberman. He was 43 years younger than Alexander G. Kent but it does appear that he, rather than his father, was the hardware store owner. In the 1860 census, however, an Albert N. Knapp, a wagonmaker from Pennsylvania lived in Seneca, NY. In 1880, this Albert was a farmer, still living in Seneca Castle, NY, and one of his five children was 17-year old Jason H., a farm laborer. Jason was 7 years old in 1870. It is presently thought that perhaps Albert had served in the Civil War--having been born in 1827--and may have given the cap to his son Jason at some later date. The present owner of the cap--and the North Tonawanda History Museum will be most grateful for any additional information anyone out there in cyberspace may be able to offer to help us put together the "story" of this cap and its connection to our local history. |
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Letters & Notes From Museum Visitors
From: Ralph Lindsay - Jonestown, PA - June 19, 2006
Our daughter, Pam Stafford, says your web page is beautifully done. Thank you for your trouble! Your group really takes its mission seriously. I'll keep you up to date as to my findings.