PROFILES of DAR CHAPTERS, Part 4

Dam, West Winfield, N.Y.

Source: History of New York State Conference Daughters of the American Revolution, Its Officers and Chapters with National Officers from New York and Roster of Real Daughters. Compiled by (Mrs. Frederick) Florence Skidmore Brown Menges, State Historian, and Mrs. Charles White Nash, State Regent. 1923.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a society of women who can document their lineage back to an ancestor who contributed to the creation of the United States as a nation. Chapters across the U.S. work on projects that preserve and maintain historical locations, buildings, and other cultural resources, and keep the memories alive of events before and since the Revolution. Many local cemeteries and documents have been transcribed by members of area DAR chapters. Some of them no longer exist except for DAR documentation. Transcribing early resources throughout the region is just one of many success stories of the Mohawk Valley chapters, and a legacy from the Gen. Winfield Scott Chapter in particular.

General Winfield Scott was born in Petersburg, Va., June 13, 1786. He died May 29,1866 at Winfield, N.Y. He was admitted to the bar in 1806, and present at the trial of Aaron Burr, in 1807. In 1808 he was appointed Captain of Light Artillery. At the outbreak of the war of 1812 he was commissioned a Lieut. Colonel, and promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 1814. In that year he won fame as the hero of the Battle of Lundy's Lane, where he was severely wounded, and when he was made Major General. In 1841 he was appointed Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army. He was the Whig candidate for the presidency in 1852, but was defeated. The office of Lieut. General was created for him in 1855. The town of Winfield, Herkimer County, was incorporated in 1816, the year of General Scott's return from Europe. It was first proposed to call the new town "Scott," but as other towns bore that name, the General's given name "Winfield" was chosen. The "General Winfield Scott Chapter" was so named by its first Regent, Mrs. Leila Burgess.

This chapter had its origin in the mind of Mrs. Leila Chapman Burgess, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Returning to her early home, she found no chapter, though there were many residing in the vicinity who had Revolutionary ancestors.

Mrs. Burgess was appointed Organizing Regent by the National Society and the chapter was formally reorganized October 18, 1919. There were twenty-six charter members and two associate members. The first officers were:

The chapter was very fortunate in the gift of one of the oldest houses in town as a Chapter House, and is planning to make it a worthy monument of Colonial days.

Though situated a few miles from Herkimer and the battlefield of Oriskany not far away, there are no historical points of interest in Winfield.

FLORENCE BRACE SPICER,
Historian

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