The Cahans Exodus

What was the Cahans Exodus ?

For (my) ease of explanation here I would describe it as the emmigration of a group of 100 families, 'Strict Presbyterians', from Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland seeking a new life in the USA - but a much more detailed explanation can be best see on the website The Cahans Project.

Their arrival in the USA on the 28th of July 1764 was announced in the New York Gazette of August 6th 1764 as follows: 

"Last week in the Ship John, from Newry, Ireland, Luke Kiersted, master, there arrived about three hundred passengers, a hundred and forty of whom, together with the Rev. Clarke, embarked on the 30th ult., with their stores, farming and manufacturing utensils, in two sloops, for Albany, from whence they are to proceed to the lands near Lake George, which were lately surveyed for their accommodation, as their principal view is to carry on the linen and hempen manufacture to which they were all brought up."

(Note from me:- If you look at a NY State map for 1764, Albany County covers half of New York State itself - probably from the top of current Sullivan/Dutchess/Ulster Counties - straight upwards and to the right including part of what is now Vermont State. Washington County itself didnt even exist at that time.)

Other reference books tell us that the remainder, who did not go with Dr. Clark to Stillwater and subsequently to Salem, New York, went on to South Carolina and formed the nucleus of Little Run, Long Cane, and Cedar Creek (later Cedar Springs) churches.

(The Mornon brothers - page 184)
"While immigrants were resting in New York, preparatory to moving up the Hudson to the land that had been reserved for them, it would appear that an agent for land developers in South Carolina prevailed on a number of the Cahans congregation to separate from the main body and transship to the Abbeville area in South Carolina, where they eventually settled at Cedar Springs. It is thought that a number of passengers disembarked at Delaware before reaching New York."

So numerically, 142 of the immigrants went to Salem, Washington County and the majority of the rest went to Abbeville area, South Carolina.
Bearing in mind they didnt go straight to Salem but lived for a few years around Stillwater (their landing point) while the land that Dr Clark had purchased for the families was 'cleared' and made habitable.

I have produced a map below (thanks to Google) that shows:-
Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland - where Rev Clark & the Cahans Exodus started from.
Newry, Ireland - where they set sail from Ireland to USA.
New York - where the party landed, regrouped, and set off again towards Salem.
Stillwater - the final landing point, where they stayed for a few years while the grounds were cleared for their new homes in Salem.
Salem - the final destination point for the Cahans Exodus.
Hebron - I just wanted it on the map to show where the 1st two Flack families were recorded in 1790 in New York State.

The initial map is quite small (the Atlantic Ocean being between Ireland and USA) so you will need to expand it a bit to see the various locations.

View Cahans Exodus in a larger map

So which Flack families went to Salem, Washington County?

This is obviously the $Million dollar question and where folklore (more often than fact) assumes greater prominence.

Depending which history book or reference record you read:-, .

(a) "The 4 Flack brothers who emigrated from BallyBay were James, Richard, John and Joshua. They eventually split up with some going to Pennsylvania; some to Arygle, Washington County, New York; and one to the Carolina's."
(Source:- Seen on numerous websites)

OR

(b) In Essex County Records Office
"A deposition from James Wilson, taken on May 30, 1831, says that the father of the James Flack who stayed in Hebron was actually John Flack, who came to this country in 1763 with Wilson's father, and James Getty (Flack & Getty were Wilson's uncles).
John had 4 sons, Archibald (went to Canada), Robert (went to Ohio), John (went to Northwest Fur. Co.), and James. There was also a sister named Mary."
(Source: - on Flack Journal pages in Washington County Archives - copied to me by Carolyn Agenjo - 11 Mar 2011)

OR

(c) To semi contradict option (b) - Another Flack Journal page says that " John, James & Jacob Flack came with Dr. Clark's party in 1764."
(Source: - on Flack Journal pages in Washington County Archives - copied to me by Carolyn Agenjo - 11 Mar 2011).

OR

(d) (a combination of 2 emails)
"My Mother had a piece of paper given to her by a Great Aunt. It stated that John and wife Hannah Whyt(e) Flack came to Argyle, New York with his family and Dr. Clark from County Monaghan, Balliebay Ireland. Part of the family split and some went to PA, and some moved on from there." ...... " Hannah died about 1775 in Argyll, Washington County, New York and is buried in a cemetery there. She and James (I had John as name) Abt.1700-1766 came from Balliebay, County Monaghan, Ireland. They came to US with Dr. Clark's group first settling in one town in upper New York before moving on to Argyle, Washington County, New York. I know there were several children-somewhere I have some info from a researcher in New York but cannot locate it at present. Names were Archibald, John, James, Robert and Margaret - maybe a Mary.
Son James Flack was said to have married Martha Harsha. One of the sons worked for northwest trading company. James stayed in New York while others moved on to PA. One of those - John, Robert or Archibald was the father of John N. Flack who married a Martha Ramsey. There are many on the Flack List who descend from this John. I am not sure how else I can help. Have had Hannah Whyt/Whytes info for many years as it was handed down on a very old piece of paper."
(Source: Barbara R Basa - May 2005)

I think it is best to finish this article here and leave the more detailed evaluation about which Flack families went to Washington County, to their own family pages/intros on the website.