Tragedy at Dimmock Hollow - August 1888

Tragedy at Dimmick Hollow

The Otsego Farmer, September 1, 1888

A fearful loss of life occurred at Dimmick Hollow in the town of Morris [Otsego Co., NY] on Tuesday.  The Republicans had a pole raising, and were celebrating the event by firing of cannon.  The cannon burst and killed three young men instantly.  They were J. Fred Sage of South New Berlin (who had recently been engaged as principal of the school at Edmeston), Albert H. Sergent of Dimmick Hollow and John Dixon, son of S.R. Dixon of Morris.  The crowd numbered about 400 persons, and the wonder is that more were not killed, but no one was injured except the three killed.  They stood about 20 feet apart when the explosion took place at the hour of noon.  The iron cannon burst into three pieces, one of which [struck] Dixon and .... Sergent, and another hit Sage in the head, inflicting a dreadful wound; and all were instantly killed.  It was a sad ending of what had been planned for a gala day.  Coroner Stebbins held an inquest Thursday.

 

Eye Witness Account
South New Berlin Bee, September 2, 1949

 

We are indebted to Charles S. Gibson, a former resident of South New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY], for the following article.

 

Some time ago Scott Brownson who is working on a project on the Genesee River near Mount Morris sent me several clippings dealing with the project and among them one purporting to tell the story of the tragedy at Dimmock Hollow, August 28, 1888.  The writer of the account must have a wonderful imagination for it has led him so far from the essential facts that in a moment of weakness I promised Mr. Wilbur Hall, the publisher of the South New Berlin Bee to write for him the story as I saw it, for I was there.

 

Dimmock Hollow is east of South New Berlin, about half way to Morris [Otsego Co., NY].  It is in a narrow valley and at the cross roads there was a school house.  At the time of the event democrats had erected a fine Liberty Pole, so called, near the school house.  It was tipped out with tree branches, a democratic custom of the time.  It was a tribute to the memory of Andrew Jackson, the political patron saint of the party, whose nick name was "Old Hickory."

 

The republicans decided to erect a pole at Dimmock Hollow also, but to make their pole higher, selected for a site a height of land to the west of the cross roads near the  highway, and to add zest to the occasion planned a somewhat elaborate program.  It was arranged to have a picnic with campaign oratory in a grove at some distance from the site of the pole raising after the pole was up.

 

As a special attraction, an old six-pound cannon, a reputed relic of the Mexican War was brought to the scene and placed about fifty feet from the pole which was lying on blocking in preparation for the raising.  This piece of ancient artillery belonged to Addison Hill who inherited it from his father, and Addison himself was there to superintend the loading and firing of the gun.  Powder and dry sand were wrapped in measured packages and each load consisted of two packages of powder and two of sand.

 

The old cannon had a vicious recoil and it didn't take many shots for the brute to kick itself loose from its carriage which necessitated laying it on the ground and loading and firing from that position.  But the young men who were servicing the piece didn't mind that for they were busy firing the proper salutes.  Gathered about the pole was a crowd of men and boys, a 100 or more waiting for the final ceremony, and in the crowd at different places stood the young men who were soon to die.  That was the scene when the old field piece delivered it valedictory and ended their lives.

 

I was standing some three or four feet from the pole when the cannon exploded, and in addition to the roar, I had a feeling that someone or something had pressed my shoulder and turned me about.  Before me on the ground lay a young man with a terrible wound in the top of his head.  I realized at once that something dire had occurred and that there might be others wounded and possibly needing help, so I tied a knot in my handkerchief for possible use as a tourniquet and made a hasty but thorough survey of the situation.  Two other bodies lay prone, both further from the cannon than the one near me, and from their position and the position of the cannon it was evident that three separate pieces of iron had been thrown into the crowd.

 

It was soon reported that the raising was to be postponed and the farther planned outings of the day abandoned, so I caught a ride with Mr. Henry Coy and returned to South New Berlin.

 

The young man who was killed near me was John Dixon of Gilbertsville.  Fred Sage and his cousin Albert Sargent were the other two.  Fred Sage lived in South New Berlin and I believe Albert Sargent lived near Dimmock Hollow.  No one else was injured, even the young men firing the gun escaped injury, but I heard afterward that one man had a close call, losing a part of his hat.

 

Whether the old cannon was accidentally overloaded by the excited young men who were serving the piece, or whether it had finally lost the power to withstand the shock of  firing will never be known.  I had a long talk with Mr.  Hill afterward and he could give no satisfactory explanation.  I am sure it was no fault of his.

 

A few days later a double funeral service was held in the Baptist Church for Albert and Fred.  Rev. Linn Wheeler officiated taking for his text a line from the 35th chapter of Job, "Where is God, my maker, who giveth songs in the night?"

The Monument
Oneonta Star, July 17, 1956

A motorist travelling along Route 23 in the Dimmock Hollow region might never see the monument, a hallmark of the days when men were men and political campaigns aroused a fervor of patriotism, enthusiasm and a series of social gatherings.

It is just a little monument, standing back from the road perhaps 75 feet.  It's only about six feet tall, and the casual motorist, if he noticed the marker at all, probably wouldn't bother to stop and take a look.

If he did, he would read the following inscription:

"In remembrance of:

Fred S. Sage

Albert H. Sergeant

John J. Dixson

Who were killed on this place

August 28, 1888 by the

bursting of a cannon at the raising

of a Republican flagpole. 

This monument is respectfully erected by the public."

The events of that late summer day 68 years ago make one stop and realize how much a part of rural America the presidential campaigns of that day really were.

Your history book will tell you that Benjamin Harrison and his running mate Levi P. Merton were campaigning for the presidency and vice presidency against the Democratic incumbent Grover Cleveland and his vice president.

Republicans of the South New Berlin, New Berlin, Morris area arranged a gathering at Dimmock Hollow at which a Harrison-Morton flagpole would be raised.  Some of the more athletic Republicans decided that a cannon would be appropriate for the occasion, commandeered an old artillery piece and lugged it in from South New Berlin.

The entire affair was doomed from that start.  Let's turn back to the Oneonta Daily News of August 29, 1888, and read the description of what took place:  "At Dimmick Hollow this afternoon, a most unfortunate accident occurred that has cast a gloom over the entire community.  Shortly after noon today, three young lives were sacrificed to the cause of Republicanism."  (In the colorful description of that day, the reporter goes on to tell how about the ancient cannon being rolled into place.  Now the intrepid runners are ready to fire).  "The first shot fired tore away the carriage, and the muzzle of the piece was placed upon a log.  It was decided to fire another salute at 12 noon.  Near this hour it was touched off and exploded, the pieces flying in all directions."  The description goes on to tell how two of the men killed were struck by a huge chunk of metal weighing 64 pounds and the third was hit by a piece weighing 28 pounds.  All died instantly.  Oddly enough, none of the cannoneers were killed.  The three deceased were spectators at the flag pole raising.

The article ends on this note:  "The gathering soon dispersed burdened with sorrow at the sad termination."