USA > New York > Westchester County > A history of the county of Westchester, from its first settlement to the present time > Part 35
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" It was at White Plains on the 9th of July, the Provincial Congress received the Declaration of Independence ; there it was read, in front of the court house,"d and there they solemnly in convention promised at the risk of their lives and fortunes to
& American Archives, fourth series, vol. ii. 529.
b Extract from address of J. W. Tompkins, Esq., 1845.
e Journal of N. Y. Provincial Congress, vol. i. 512.
d The declaration was read by John Thomas, Esq., and seconded by Michael
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join with the other colonies in supporting it. The letter of John Hancock, enclosing to them, that declaration, after acknowledg- ing their dependence for success upon the Ruler of the universe, with almost a prophet's vision announced the important conse- quences which would flow from that declaration."a The old court house, honored by this fearless step in the cause of inde- pendence, " and so intimately associated with the wisdom and vir- tue of such men as Jay, Morris, Clinton, Woodhull, Hobart, Van Cortlandt, Livingston, and Rutgers, was burnt on the night of the 5th of November, by a New England major, without orders, together with every dwelling at White Plains."b
" About 12 o'clock, this night, (Nov. 5th, 1776, says General Heath,) a party of Americans wantonly set fire to the court house, and several other private houses, which stood between the two armies. This gave great disgust to the whole American army, and drew from the commander-in-chief the following paragraph, in his orders of the 6th : 'It is with the utmost astonishment and abhorrence, the general is informed, that some base and cowardly wretches have, last night, set fire to the court-house and other buildings which the enemy left. The army may rely upon it, that they shall be brought to justice, and meet with the punish- ment they deserve."c
Pierre van Cortlandt, vice president of the committee of public safety, under date of 28th November, thus feelingly alludes to the event.
" Unhappy am I to add that amidst all our sufferings the army employed for the protection of America have not refrained from embittering the calamities of war, at a time when the utmost resources of this state were laid open to their wants, and the members of Convention personally submitted to the labour and fatigue which were necessary on a sudden emergency, and after frequent losses of provisions and barracks, to supply two numerous armies, augmented by the militia, with every article which they required, the court- house and the remains of the village at the White Plains, which had been spared on the retreat of our forces, were, even after the enemy had in their
Varian and Samuel Crawford, two prominent Whigs of Scarsdale. The latter met a sad and early fate by the hands of British refugees.
& Extract from address of J. W. Tompkins, Esq.
৳ Ibid.
Heath's Mem. 83.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
turn retired, wantonly destroyed, without the orders and to the infinite regret of our worthy general, besides in spite of all his Excellency's efforts, wherever our troops have marched or been stationed they have done infinite damage to the property of the people.
I am directed, sir, to submit it to the Hon'ble Congress, whether some effectual remedy ought not to be provided against such disorderly and dis- graceful proceedings. The soldier who plunders the country he is employed to protect is no better than a robber, and ought to be treated accordingly, and a severe example, in the opinion of the committee, ought to be made of the officer who, without any necessity, or his general's permission, set fire to the court-house and other buildings at the White Plains. He is guilty of the crime of arson, and if he cannot be punished by the articles of war, ought to be given up to the laws of the land. If so glaring a violation of every senti- ment of humanity should be passed over in silence, if the army is not reason- ably restrained from such acts of barbarity, the consequence must be fatal to the cause of a people whose exalted glory it is to be advocates for the rights of mankind, against the tyranny and oppression of lawless power. The reso- lutions which the committee of safety have passed upon the subject are here- with transmitted.
" I have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your most obedient and very humble servant,
" By order
" PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT, Vice President."
" To the Honorable John Hancock, President of the Congress of the United States. "a
At a meeting of the committee of safety held Monday morning, 2d December, 1776. It was resolved, " that the laws of the country are not superseded by the military code in the presence of the army," "and that a letter be written to General Washing- ton, requesting that the officer directing the burning of the court- house and dwelling houses at the White Plains be delivered to this coinmittee or the Convention of the state, in order to his being tried by the laws of this state, and, if guilty, punished thereby."b
The Episcopal Church is very pleasantly situated, a little east of the court-house, and being elevated above the road, commands a fine view of the valley and hills to the north-east. It is built of
& Journal of N. Y. Prov. Congress, vol. i. 723.
b Journal of N. Y. Prov. Con. vol. i. 729. VOL. II.
46
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HISTORY OF THE
wood, with a handsome tower and vestry room in the rear, The former contains a bell weighing 1135 pounds. This parish was first organized by the exertions of the Rev. Lewis P. Bayard, in 1824, who occasionally performed services here. Upon the 22d of March, 1824, the church was incorporated by the title of "Grace (Protestant Episcopal) Church, White Plains," in re- membrance of Grace Church, Rye, whose ministers had officiated here at intervals from 1762 to 1816,a Richard Jarvis and Alan McDonald, wardens ; William Purdy, John Horton, Gilbert Hat- field, James Dick, Alexander Fowler, Joshua Horton, William Bulkley, and James Merritt, vestrymen." The present church edifice was consecrated on the 26th of June, 1826, by the Right Rev. J. H. Hobart. In 1833 Trinity Church, New York, appro- priated to this parish the sum of $750.
LIST OF RECTORS AND MINISTERS.
Inst. or call. Incumbents. Vacated by
1824. William C. Mead, Presb. resignation.
1826. Alexander H. Crosby, A. M., Presb. ditto.
1829. Rev. John W. Curtis, Presb. ditto. 1831. Rev. Robert W. Harris, A. M., Presb. pres't incumb.
Present number of communicants, eir. 50.
The church-yard contains memorials to the families of Du Bois, Thomas, Popham, and others.
Adjoining the church is the residence of Samuel E. Lyon, Esq., a beautiful specimen of the rural Gothic style ; the grounds surrounding it are in harmonious keeping with the scenery.
In the immediate vicinity lies the parsonage and glebe, at pre- sent occupied by the Rev. R. W. Harris, rector of the parish, who has for fourteen years past conducted a select boy's school, for English, classical, and religious education ; his chief object being to serve the church, by training a few of its youth in the old paths of filial obedience, patient industry, and Christian devotion.
· As early as 1760, White Plains constituted one of the precincts of Rye parish, and paid a small sum annually towards the support of the Rector and poor. Her connection with Rye was dissolved in 1816.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
The spacious mansion of Minott Mitchell, Esq., occupies a commanding position on the west side of the village. This gen- tleman is the son of the Rev. Justus Mitchell, who graduated at Yale College in 1776, and married Martha Sherman, daughter of the Rev. Josiah Shermana and Martha Minott.b
The residence of J. W. Tompkins, Esq., nephew of the late Hon. Daniel D. Tompkins, forms a prominent object on the op- posite side of the village.
In the main street are situated the female seminary of Mrs. Searles, and the White Plains Academy, of which Mr. J. M. Swin- burn is principal.
"The Presbyterian Church, surrounded by locust trees, pre- sents a pretty appearance upon entering White Plains from the north. It is a plain edifice of wood, with a tower of the same material, erected A. D. 1824.
The first notice of this church occurs in a deed from Moses Owen to Caleb Hyatt, John Turner, and Peter Hatfield,e bearing date the 15th of June, 1751 : " For one acre and three roods of land, with Presbyterian Church thereon, for the sum of ten pounds. The land is the north-east corner of land formerly be- longing to Abraham Smith, now in possession of Moses Owen, and bounded on the northerly side by the road leading to Bronx river," &c. The title is in fee simple, and without any conditions. Signed before Jacob Griffen and Caleb Griffen, and acknowledged before Samuel Purdy, January 9th, 1752.ª
There is also a release (supposed to be much older than the preceding,) from the proprietors of an undivided piece of land, to be annexed to the burying ground, as follows:
" The undersigners, being such as have proprietors' rights in the White Plains, in the township of Rye, &c. whereas there is a small piece of undivided land lying on the north side of burying yard near the Presbyterian meeting
* Mr. Sherman was a graduate of Yale College in 1765, and brother of the diss tinguished Roger Sherman.
b Daughter of the Hon. James Minott by his second wife Elizabeth Merrick, For account of the Minott family see Lemuel Shattuck's Hist. of Concord, 379.
e These persons appear to have been trustees of the Presbyterian church.
d From the original in the possession of the trustees, communicated by the Rev, Elias S. Schenck.
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HISTORY OF THE
house, being willing that the said piece of undivided land, &c., we are willing that the same should be fenced in to with the burying yard, to be appropriated for the use of a burying yard, to be under the entire government and manage- ment of the said congregation.
Pefore Jonathan G. Tompkins,
JONATHAN PURDY, DAVID HORTON, GABRIEL LYNCH, CALEB HYATT, SAMUEL HUNT."
From these documents it would appear that there was a Pres- byterian church standing here sometime prior to 1751. The pastor at this period was the Rev. John Smith, D. D., who served the Presbyterian churches of Rye and White Plains, and died in the year 1776, leaving flourishing congregations and commo- dious houses of worship in both places. His remains repose in the burying ground, near those of his wife and daughter, in the rear of the church. A plain head-stone marks the spot, and bears the following inscription under a rudely carved similitude of a cherub.
Here lie the remains of the Rev. JOHN SMITH, the first ordained ministera of the Presbyterian persuasion in Rye and the White Plains, who was born in England, May 5, 1702, wore out with various labours, and fell asleep in Jesus. Deceased Feb'y 26, 1771, aged 68 years, 9 months, and 22 days.
By faith he lived, in faith he died, and faith foresees a rising day when Jesus comes, while hope assumes and boasts his joy among the tombs. Oh death ! Oh grave! where is thy victory. " Thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
His brother was the Hon. William Smith. Lorenzo Sabine,
& Mr. Smith's name appears in the record of the Synod in 1753 as minister of Rye.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
Esq., in his very valuable work on American loyalists, says of this individual, " That he was chief justice and a member of the council of the colony, and considered to be in office in 1782. His father, the Honorable William Smith, an eminent lawyer and judge of the supreme court, died in 1769. William Smith, the subject of this notice, graduated at Yale College in 1745. It appears, that he was at a loss as to the side which he should espouse in the controversy which preceded the Revolution, and that he made no choice until late in the war. It seems, also, that a number of other gentlemen of wealth and influence, who had wavered like himself, joined the royal cause about the same time, in 1778. It is believed that, at first, he opposed the claims of the ministry. However this may be, his final decision excited the remark of both the Whigs and the Loyalists. The former indulging their wit in verse, and calling him the ' weathercock,' that 'could hardly tell which way to turn ;' and the latter no- ticing his adhesion in their correspondence. He settled in Can- ada, after the war, and was chief justice of that colony. He published a history of New York, which was continued by his son William."a
In 1776, the Rev. Ichabod Lewis, twin brother of the venera-
& " This eloquent man," alluding to Judge Smith, " having been an adherent to the royal cause in the Revolution, left the city of New York in 1783, with the British troops, and was afterwards rewarded by his sovereign with a high judiciary office at Quebec. Judge Smith, although thus removed from the place of his ori- gin, always contemplated the politics of his native country with peculiar solicitude. One evening, in the year 1789, when Dr. Mitchell was in Quebec, and passing the evening at the chief justice's house, the leading subject of conversation was the new Federal constitution, then under the consideration of the states, on the recom- mendation of the Convention which sat at Philadelphia, in 1787. Mr. Smith, who had been somewhat indisposed for several days, retired to his chamber with Mr. Grant, one of the members of the legislative council, at an early hour. In a short time Mr. Grant invited Dr. Mitchell, in Mr. Smith's name, to walk from the parlor into Mr. Smith's study, and sit with them. Mr. Mitchell was con- ducted to a sofa, and seated beside the chief justice, before whom on a table, was a large bundle of papers. Mr. Smith resumed the subject of American politics, and noticed his papers. After searching among them awhile, he un- folded a certain one, which he said was written about the time the colonial com- motions grew violent, in 1775, and contained a plan, or system of government, sketched out by himself then, and which nearly resembled the constitution after-
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HISTORY OF THE
ble Isaac Lewis, of Horseneck, was ordained pastor of the united churches of White Plains and New Rochelle, by the Presbytery of Dutchess county. About 12 o'clock at night, on the 5th of November, 1776, the Presbyterian church, together with a quantity of timber designed for its enlargement, besides a number of other buildings, were set on fire by Major Osborne, of the Massachusetts line, (under General Glover,) for the purpose of preventing them from being used by the British troops, then in the neighborhood, during the ensuing winter. These facts are fully proved by affidavits of witnesses now in possession of the trustees. After the burning of the church, the congregation gradually declined ; for the members, being mostly staunch Whigs, were obliged to retire north to avoid the depredations and assaults of British troops from New York. The Rev. Ichabod Lewis removed to Bedford, but similar circumstances constrained him to leave that place also for Salem, where he spent the re- mainder of his days, and lies interred. He left a legacy to the church at South Salem of one thousand dollars, the interest of which at present assists in supporting the pastor of that church.a From 1784 to 1821, the congregation enjoyed the privilege of occasional preaching. Upon the 13th of February, 17SS, the church was incorporated under the title of the " Presbyterian Church in the White Plains," Jonathan G. Tompkins, Richard Hatfield, Daniel Horton, Jacob Purdy, Nicholas Fisher and Rob- ert Hart, trustees. b
During the years 1821 and 1822, the church was regularly supplied by the Rev. Thomas G. Smith, of the Reformed Dutch
wards proposed by the Federal Convention of the United States. He then read the contents. The piece was long and elaborate, and written with much beauty and spirit. ' This, sir,' added he, after finishing it, ' is a copy of a letter, which I sent to a member of Congress in 1775, who was an intimate friend of General Washington. You may trace to this source the sentiments in favor of a more ener- getic government for your country, contained in the commander-in-chief's circular letters, and from this, there can be no doubt, that the citizens of all the states de- rive their leading traits for your new form of government.' "-Lorenzo Sabine's Biographical Sketches of American Loyalists.
& Communicated to the author by the Rev. S. Schenck; since the completion of Lewisborough or South Salem. See vol. i. 268.
b Co. Rec. Religious Soc. Lib. A. 15.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
congregations of Tarrytown and Unionville, every second or third Sunday, for which he received a small pecuniary compen- sation. In the spring of 1823, the Rev. Marcus Harrison per- formed services, for a short period, as a domestic missionary, and was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Ely, who officiated here and at Lower Greenburgh (Dobb's Ferry) about four months, under the direction of the Domestic Missionary Society of the city of New York. For the successors of Mr. Ely, see the subjoined list of pastors.
On the 25th of April, 1824, the church was re-organized, and consisted of six communicants, viz. Isaac Hunt, David Palmer, Isaiah P. Palmer, Samuel Dixon, Mary Hart, (wife of Monmouth Hart,) and Elizabeth Mead, wife of Cyrus Mead. Isaac Hunt and David Palmer were ordained ruling elders.
The present house of worship was dedicated to the worship of God in June, 1825, on which occasion the dedication sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Rowan, of New York.
A LIST OF PASTORS AND SUPPLIES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF WHITE PLAINS.
Install. or Call. Pastors.
Vacated by.
A. D. 1753, Rev. John Smith, D. D.,
death.
1776,
Ichabod Lewis, resig.
1821, Thomas G. Smith, supply, do.
1823, 66 Marcus Harrison, do.
do.
1823,
Mr. Ely, do. do.
Oct'r, 1823,
Samnel Robertson, pastor,
do.
A. D. 1825,
Chester Long, do.
do.
1S34.
John White, do. do.
1835,
Edward Wright, do. do.
J'ne 9, 1844,
Elias S. Schenck, present pastor.
Church Memoranda.
1825, Communicants
6
1836, do. 34
1847, do. 35
This church is in connection with the Bedford Presbytery. The following inscriptions are taken from monuments in the graveyard : "Here lie the remains of Caleb Horton, who died
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HISTORY OF THE
Aug. 24, 1770, aged 72 years." " Mary, wife of Michael Chad- derton, born June 25, 1706, mar. 1727, and lived in that state 45 years ; ob. 1772." There are also numerous memorials to the families of Miller, Fisher, Varian, Purdy and Tompkins, and the vault of William and Isabella Pirnie. The remains of a British officer, who fell at the battle of White Plains, were interred in the southwest corner of this yard.
The Methodist Episcopal church occupies a beautiful position at the north end of the village. This society was first incor- porated upon the 12th of August, 1795,-" Elijah Crawford, John Lynch, Nicholas Fisher, Abraham Miller, Azariah Horton and Abraham Davids, trustees."a
West White Plains, immediately contiguous to the village, is situated on the line of the Westchester and Haarlem Railroad. It contains a depôt, a store, and a few dwellings.
The Orawapum hotel, adjoining the depot, is a handsome Elizabethian structure, under the superintendence of Mr. Isaac Smith, who has admirable accommodations, and provides excel- lent entertainments at fifteen minutes notice. Strangers visiting the town may enjoy every comfort here, and fishing parties to Rye pond, will find it their most convenient stopping place. Gentlemen fond of the amusement of angling, can also wet their lines in the Bronx, hard by, where good trout are frequently taken. Directly in front of the hotel, rises " Old Chatterton," the battle field of 1776.
The following account of themilitary quarters in this town and its vicinity, in October, 1776, is from the address of J. W. Tomp- kins, Esq., delivered at White Plains on the 28th of Oct., 1845.
" The county of Westchester, at the commencement of the Revolution, contained a multitude of hardy yeomen inured to toil, whose ancestry had fled from oppression abroad, and in the enjoyment of greater freedom in the colony, had imbibed an ardent love of liberty. When the star of Independence arose in the east, they were ready to follow its lead; and when New York, in 1776, was threatened with invasion, they flocked with alacrity to its defence. When the battle of Long Island turned the tide of war against us, they still adhered to the American army, contending every inch of ground
a Co. Rec. Religious Soc Lib. A. 50. See Lib. B. 23, 25, 26, 53.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
to Harlem, thence to King's bridge, and through the southern part of West- chester to White Plains, where Gen. Washington again determined to en- trench himself and make another stand against an overwhelming force of the choicest British troops, flushed with victory and confident of success. A brief account of the movements of the two armies to this place, and of their operations here, it is my purpose to give."
" The city of New York was selected by the English as the centre of their military operations, with the view of commanding the North river and acting in conjunction with a force from Canada, descending through Lake Cham- plain, thus securing the Colonies. Their march into Westchester county was designed to obtain command of the two principal routes leading to New En- gland, one through Rye and the other by the way of Bedford, and thereby cut off the American army from its supplies, principally derived from the East, and obtain the rear of General Washington's army, and force him to a general battle, or to a precipitate retreat. But Washington penetrated their inten- tions, and conducted his forces northward from King's bridge with great skill, moving in a line parallel with the British, a little in advance of them, facing them constantly, with the Bronx in his front, which was fortified at every assailable point.
On the 12th of October, '76, a portion of the British army, consisting of the Guard, Light Infantry reserve, and Count Dunop's Corps landed at Throg's Neck, and on the night of that day, Col. William Smith (then a Lieutenant) with a Corporal's guard, broke down the bridge connecting the neck with Westchester town, and left Sir William Howe upon an Island. On the 16th and 17th of October, the English forces at Throg's Neck were augmented by the 1st, 2nd and 6th Brigades crossing from Long Island, and by the 3d Hes- sian battalion from New York. On the 18th, the whole British army crossed to Pelham Point, and marching northerly, encamped the same night on the high ground between Hutchinson's river and New Rochelle village, where it remained till the 21st. On the 21st, the British removed and encamped on New Rochelle heights, north of the Village, and on both sides of the road leading to Scarsdale. This camp was broken up on the 25th, and the Army moved forward to a position upon the high grounds in Scarsdale, in the vicinity of the late John Bennett's farm, and there remained till the morning of the 28th of Oc- tober.
General Washington during that time had not remained inactive-as early as the 11th of October, a part of his army crossed from Harlem heights, reached White Plains on the 12th, and commenced erecting fortifications, and on the 22d General Washington, leaving his head-quarters at Fort Wash- ington, established them at Valentine's hill, whence they were removed to White Plains on the 23d.
" The entrenchments at White Plains were erected under the directions of a French engineer, and consisted of a square fort of sods in the main street with breastworks on each side running westerly over the south side of Purdy's VOL. II. 47
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HISTORY OF THE
hill to the Bronx. and easterly across the hills to Horton's pond. When the English attacked Chatterton's hill on the 28th, they were unfinished, but dur- ing the night of the 28th and 29th of October they were raised and strength- ened, being only intended for temporary use until the position above Abraham Miller's in Northcastle could be fortified, which was done, and to which the American army afterwards retired.
" General Howe committed a great mistake in not attacking General Wash- ington's fortifications in White Plains on the 28th instead of Chatterton's hill. He gained nothing in taking that hill. After the works at White Plains were completed, great loss to Howe's army must have attended their capture, and Washington's new position (above Mr. Miller's) appears to have been regarded as impregnable. Washington's policy at this time was, as he expressed it, ' to entrer.ch and fight with the spade and mattock.' The experience at Bun- ker's hill had made the English cautious in attacking Americans behind en- trenchments.a
" During the march of the two armies to White Plains frequent skirmishes occurred. On the 18th, the vanguard of the British army were attacked by a detachment under General Sullivan, and the fight which ensued (near the road reaching from New Rochelle) has been always represented as very cre- ditable to the Americans."
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