The Carry of the Great Rope - Butterville Rd, Sackets Harbor, New York - War of 1812 on Waymarking.com

This bronze plaque is mounted on one of three memorials located along the route taken in 1812 by 200 local men from the Sandy Creek area, hauling a four ton ships cable to Lake Ontario at Sacketts Harbor.

According Charlene Cole (historian, Sandy Creek/Lacona), "at Sackets Harbor the Americans were building a new warship called The Superior that could carry 500 men. This area was thriving due to wartime activities, but the British controlled the waters. In an attempt to transport supplies from Oswego to Sackets Harbor via Lake Ontario, the Americans were forced inland by the threat of British attack. This meant that the Superior’s anchor chain, a huge cable eight inches in diameter, six hundred feet long and weighing over four tons, had to be carried in some other way. This presented a major problem since it was too heavy to be carried by carts alone. It was decided that 200 of the strongest men would carry the rope on their shoulders. They lined up according to height and marched behind the oxen-drawn cart. Even though they carried in relays, many dropped along the way from exhaustion. And although the rope was made from hemp, many men bore scars on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. This procession must have looked like a slow-moving centipede. In the three days it took to travel the twenty miles to Sackets Harbor, the men’s luck held out when they were able to avoid a British contingent, led by Sir James Yeo, which had come ashore. On their arrival at Sackets Harbor the brave volunteers were greeted by waving flags, fife and drum corps, townspeople and militiamen grateful for the supplies to carry on their battle".

"The Cable Trail is marked by special monuments erected in 1932 by the New York State Chapter of the Daughters of 1812 and the State of New York. Each of the three large granite monuments with a special bronze plaque was placed near the site where the men camped each night".

The plaque at these coordinates reads as follows:

ROUTE TRAVELED BY THE MEN
WHO CARRIED THE FOUR-TON CABLE
FOR THE SHIP "SUPERIOR" TWENTY MILES
FROM SANDY CREEK BATTLEFIELD
TO SACKETS HARBOR IN JUNE 1814.

ERECTED BY NEW YORK STATE SOCIETY N.S.U.S.
THE DAUGHTERS OF 1812
AND THE STATE OF NEW YORK 1930

Source: Internet & so on.

Date Erected/Dedicated: 1930 Who put it there? Private/Government?: NYS NSUS, Daughters of 1812, and New York State Location/Address: Butterville Road Sackets Harbor, New York USA County/Province: Jefferson, New York Website (related) if available: [Web Link] Rate the Site: Photos Will Be Uploaded: yes Hours or Restrictions if Appropiate: Not listed

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