Near Belleville in Jefferson County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Carrying Cable Route
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2015
1. Carrying Cable Route Marker
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 1930 by New York State Society N.S.U.S., Daughters of 1812, and the State of New York.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the United States Daughters of 1812, National Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1814.
Location. 43° 50.199′ N, 76° 6.822′ W. Marker is near Belleville, New York, in Jefferson County. It is on Butterville Road (County Route 75) north of John's Lane, on the left when traveling north. Located at least 100 feet off the road at the edge of a clearing. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Belleville NY 13611, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Adirondacks & North Country. It is also in the American Northeast, on the Great Lakes, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Patriot Burials (approx. 4.3 miles away); Camp de L'Observation (approx. 4.4 miles away); War Memorial (approx. 4.4 miles away); 1820 Oliver Bates Home (approx. 4½ miles away); Samuel de Champlain (approx. 5 miles away); a
this page online
More about this marker. There are three identical markers. Each marker is far from the road and easy to miss.
It seems this marker is supposed to be located near Smithville.
Regarding Carrying Cable Route. According to a Jefferson County website, there are several markers that commemorate "the Battle of Big Sandy" and/or the "Carrying of the Cable." The website indicates, "There are a number of monuments for the battle as well as the carrying of the Great Cable, as it came to be known. One is right outside Sackets Harbor behind Pennocks Ice Cream Store, another is between Ellisburg and Belleville on Route 289 at the intersection of Lee/Machold Roads, and another in Smithville. These memorials consist of a large piece of granite weighing six tons, seven and a half feet tall and six feet wide, with a plaque. There is also a monument at the site of battle - a large boulder with an inscription, and a marker a short distance away at the McKee Hospital site."
Please note, that the one marker is no longer
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2015
2. Route Map
Close-up of the marker.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Also see . . .
1. War of 1812: The Carry of the Great Rope. 2010 article by Lawrence P. Gooley in the Adirondack Almanack. Excerpt: “This wasnt just any length of rope. It was intended as the anchor line and/or rigging for the USS Superior, the huge new frigate that could alter the balance of power on the lake. That meant this was a BIG rope. Most descriptions portrayed it as 6 inches thick and 600 feet long, weighing in at just under 5 tons!
“No cart was big enough to handle its tremendous size and weight, but if it wasnt delivered, the Superior would remain port-bound, and the Brits would own the lake. Ingenuity often yields solutions at such critical moments, but sometimes good ol elbow grease is the answer. In this case, it was a combination of the two, but the emphasis was clearly on the physical.
“A section of the rope (referred to as a cable) was piled on a cart, and the remaining cable was strung out along the
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2015
3. Carrying Cable Route Marker
“There are various accounts of the trip, and claims as to the number of cable-carriers range from 84 to more than 200. Some say that discouraged men skipped out of the nasty job after a few hours, and that locals stepped in to literally shoulder the burden. None of the stories differ on one count, though: participants were left badly bruised from the incredibly difficult ordeal.” (Submitted on July 26, 2015.)
2. U.S.S. Superior (1814). Wikipedia entry (Submitted on May 7, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2015
4. Carrying Cable Route Marker
A distant view of the marker as it appears when looking at it from the roadway.
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2015
5. Carrying Cable Route Marker
View of the marker looking northeast toward the roadway.
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2015
6. Carrying Cable Route Marker
View of the marker looking southeast toward the roadway.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2015, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,545 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 26, 2015, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.
