USA > New York > New York City > A history of the parish of Trinity Church in the city of New York, pt 1 > Part 33
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John Peters, brother to the Rev. Samuel Peters, D.D., writes from Quebec, July 20, 1778 :
" They seized me, Capt. Peters, and all the judges of Cumberland and Gloucester, the Rev. Mr. Cossit and Mr. Cole, and all the Church people for 200 miles upon this river [Connecticut] and confined us in close gaols, after beating and drawing us through water and mud. Here we lay some time and were to continue in prison until we abjured the King and signed the league and covenant, similar to that in Noll's time, except they fought the King's troops, and we were to fight the ministerial troops. Many falling sick, some died ; one of which was Capt. Peters' son. Cossit and Cole were alive . . but were under confinement, and had undergone more insults than any of the
' Hawkins's Historical Notices, 243. For the trials of his brother, Rev. . Mat- thew Graves. rector of St. James's Church, New London, Conn., see the Annals of that parish by Robert A. Hallam, D.D., 56, 57.
? Hawkins's Historical Notices, 249.
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loyalists, because they had been servants of the Society, which, under pretence (as the rebels say) of propagating religion, had propagated loyalty, in opposition to the liberties of America." 1
The Rev. Samuel Seabury, in a letter dated at New York, December 29, 1776, gives a graphic account of the trials and sufferings of the clergy in Westchester County.2 Among the confessors for conscience' sake may be men- tioned, also, the Rev. John Sayre of Fairfield, Conn., the Rev. Leonard Cutting at Hempstead, L. I., the Rev. Luke Babcock at Philipsburg, the Rev. Messrs. Veits, Leaming, and Beardsley. To dwell on this subject, how- ever, is unnecessary : the story is always the same ; they had "trial of cruel mockings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment, they wandered about, being destitute, afflicted, tormented " ; and all this because they would not break their ordination vows nor submit to an author- ity which they could not recognize as lawful. It is to be remembered that the Revolution had not yet been crowned with success, and that the independence of the colonies was not yet a fixed fact ; the clergy walked by the light which they had, and that light indicated the path of loyalty to their sovereign as the way of duty and honor.3
The embarrassment of the clergy in general was shared by those in New York : to omit the prayers for the King and royal family was against their conscience; the use of the prayers would have drawn upon them inevitable destruction ; to close the churches seemed to them to be
1 Hawkins's Historical Notices, 252. This slur on the work of the Venerable Society was common among the enemies of the Church of England. I possess a copy (A.D. 1730) of Dr. Humphreys's History of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel ; some one has bracketed the last four words, and put in their places " Propagation of Episcopacy."
? See Bolton's Hist. of Westchester Co., 377-3S4, where some of Seabury's letters are given.
3 The Church of England in Nova Scotia and the Tory Clergy of the Revolution, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, chaps. vi. and x.
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the only course to pursue. The sole exception was that of the venerable Mr. Beach, of Newtown, Conn., who, if Mr. Inglis was rightly informed, declared that he would " do his duty, preach and pray for the King, 'till the rebels cut out his tongue." All the churches in the province of New York, except in New York City, Long and Staten Is- lands, were closed ; only where the King's troops were found were the churches open. Upon Howe's departure from Boston, and the concentration of the American forces at New York, the inhabitants removed with their effects into the country. Mr. Inglis states that he had taken his family, consisting of his wife and three small children, seventy miles up the North River, where they still re- mained, that part of the country being in the hands of the rebels. Dr. Auchmuty, the rector, being much indis- posed during the spring and summer and finding himself unable to endure the strain upon him, retired to New Brunswick, with all his family, where he had the protec- tion of the royal forces. The care of the church in the meanwhile devolved upon Mr. Inglis, as the senior assist- ant, a situation which he felt to be very trying, as the other assistants were young and inexperienced, though loyal and worthy.1 He continues that after " Mr. Wash- ington " came to town the rebel committee harassed the loyalists very much, and that when the force was sent to Long Island the members of the Church of England were
1 There can be no doubt of the strength of the feeling of loyalty, up to this time, in New York and the vicinity. Thus, for instance, Dr. Odell writes, January 25, 1777, as follows, referring to his mission at Burlington, N. J. "The people of my Mission [Jersey] in these times of public distraction, have, in general discovered a spirit of moderation, and have been almost unanimous in their aversion to independ- ency ; but the progress of that party in the Country who seem long since to have been determined on that fatal measure has been conducted in such a manner as to pre- clude any effectual opposition. In fact the Independency assumed by the Congress long before they declared it made it both difficult and dangerous to attempt any other opposition than a silent testimony of disapprobation."-Hill's History of the Church in Burlington, 317.
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the only sufferers, declaring, though no one knows on what ground, that the Dutch loyalists were not molested, notwithstanding they were numerous and persistent in their loyalty. At the present time hundreds from this city were prisoners in New England, among them being the mayor, and several judges and members of his Majesty's Council.
The proceedings of the Society for 1777, based on the correspondence of Mr. Inglis, relate that :
"Soon after the arrival of the revolutionary forces in the city (April, 1776), a message was brought to Mr. Inglis that 'General Washington would be at Church, and would be glad if the violent prayers for the King and royal family were omitted.' The message was disregarded, and the sender-one of the 'rebel generals'-was informed that it was in his power to shut up the churches but not to make 'the clergy de- part from their duty.'" 1
May 17th was appointed by the Continental Congress as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer throughout the country, and the members of the parish unanimously requested Mr. Inglis to observe it. He consented to preach, but simply gave notice on the previous Sunday that there would be a service on Friday. He spoke upon the general subject of repentance, and made no allusion to the day, explicitly claiming to have nothing to do with politics. The Americans now considered New York im- pregnable, and the mortifications of the clergy were in- numerable. They frequently heard themselves called "Tory" and "traitor" as they passed through the streets, while epithets were added that it would not be decent to set down. Finally we come to a matter that has been dressed up in a very dramatic style by nearly every writer who has gone over this period of New York history. Mr. Inglis writes :
1 Digest of S. P. G. Records, 77.
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"Violent threats were thrown out against us, in case the king were any longer prayed for. One Sunday, when I was officiating, and had proceeded some length in the service, a company of about one hundred armed rebels marched into the church, with drums beating and fifes playing, their guns loaded and bayonets fixed, as if going to battle. The congregation was thrown into the utmost terror, and several women fainted, expecting a massacre was intended. I took no notice of them and went on with the service, only exerted my voice, which was in some measure drowned by the noise and tumult. The rebels stood thus in the aisle for near fifteen minutes, till, being asked into pews by the sexton, they complied. Still, however, the people expected that, when the collects for the king and the royal family were read, I should be fired at, as menaces to that purpose had been frequently flung out. The matter, however, passed over without any accident. Nothing of this kind happened before or since, which made it more remarkable. I was afterwards assured, that something violent was intended, but He that stills the raging of the sea and madness of the people, overruled their purpose, whatever it was." 1
There is another side to this story which deserves con- sideration ; because, although there is no reason to doubt the intrepidity of Inglis, the circumstances under which, according to his account, it was displayed reflect on the conduct of the American officers and the men under their command. General Washington was a Churchman and a communicant ; it is most improbable that an interruption of divine service, such as that described by Dr. Inglis, could have taken place under his sanction ; while it is a very probable supposition that the clergyman, being ex- cited and anxious, mistook the intention of the soldiers and ascribed to them motives of which they were innocent. At all events, the account by Dr. Inglis, as published in the Venerable Society's Abstract, was criticised as long ago as 1782 by Ebenezer Hazard, then Postmaster-Gen- eral, who, writing from Philadelphia to Dr. Belknap of New Hampshire, under date of August 7th, denies the
1 Hawkins's Historical Notices, 334.
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truth of the story, and goes so far as to say that it was an invention made up in the interests of the Church. In ex- planation of the incident as he understood it, he thus proceeds :
"When our army lay at New York it was usual for such parts of it as were not engaged in necessary military duty to go to some place of public worship on the Sabbath ; and, as the enemy were at the Hook, they took their guns with them, and their bayonets were fixed. This, I suppose, was considered a necessary precaution to prevent a surprise. They marched in regular order and had their military music with them. Some went to one church, and some to another, just as their inclina- tions or those of their officers led them. This information will enable you to understand Mr. Inglis' story. It is very probable that '150 rebels marched' to 'Church with drums beating and fifes playing,' etc., but not 'into' it, because the music always ceased when the troops came to the Church door ; and I recollect perfectly that my minister, finding the congregation were disturbed by the music's con- tinuing so long, mentioned it to the commanding officer, and after that it was stopped at some distance from the Church, so as to be no way inconvenient. At the time Mr. Inglis refers to, the sight of so many troops coming armed to Church might have been a novelty and fright_ ened some of the 'women.' This is very probable, and the noise of so many feet moving at once may have increased their terrors ; but it does not appear, even from his own story, that any mischief was really intended. 'The rebels stood in the aile near fifteen minutes.' From the tenour of his tale, one would suppose he thought it was that they might be ready to ' fire at him when the collects for the king and royal family were read.' But it was evidently because they had no seats, for ' being asked into pews by the sexton they complied and the matter passed over without any accident.' In short, I believe the truth of the matter to have been nothing more than that a number of soldiers went to church to hear a sermon, behaved themselves very decently there, and after service very peaceably retired ; but that Mr. Inglis thought he should recommend himself to his employers, by exhibiting an in- stance of fortitude and perseverance in the midst of surrounding dan- gers, and therefore made the dreadful tale. The story as he tells it might very sensibly affect the Society, who doubtless considered him as a person of integrity, and from their distance must necessarily be ignorant of circumstances ; but Americans must see improbability in prima facie more especially when it is recollected that General Wash-
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ington, who had the supreme command of the troops, and was then upon the spot, is a member of the Church of England, and most cer- tainly would not suffer any indignity to be offered to her, while others were encouraged by him." 1
It is not hard to harmonize these differing accounts. That given by Hazard is certainly the more probable, though he had no ground for imputing to Mr. Inglis the intention to tell a falsehood for a purpose. Inglis no doubt related the matter as it appeared to him at a time when he was in a high state of anxiety, and thought him- self in imminent personal peril. His behavior under the circumstances was that of a fearless man ; though we must hold the American troops guiltless of the intention to commit an outrage in the house of God.
As a matter of interest it may be stated here that on July Ist the brother of Dr. Auchmuty was taken with other prisoners on a sloop coming from Halifax with supplies for the English troops .?
After the Declaration of Independence, acting in ac- cordance with a long-cherished conviction, and knowing that Lord Howe had completed his preparations to take possession of the city, Mr. Inglis decided to close the churches. In this course he had the approval of such of the Vestry and members of the congregation as were in town, who shared his fear that the continued use of the prayers for the king might result in a " demolition of the churches and the destruction of all who frequented them," as " all the King's arms, even those on signs of taverns,
1 Belknap Papers, Coll. of the Mass. Hist. Society, vol. ii., fifth series, 1877, P. 144.
? "On Sunday last one of our Cruisers, on the south side of Long-Island, took a large Bermudian built sloop from Halifax, laden with entrenching tools, &c., bound for this place ; in which a number of the Boston Refugees are on board, among whom it is said, Robert Auchmuty, Esq., late judge of the Admiralty at Boston, and brother to the Rev. Dr. Auchmuty (of this city) is among them."- The Constitutional Gazette, July 3, 1776. 25
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were destroyed." Things being thus situated, he says, " I shut up the churches." But he represents that this was attended with great hazard, "for it was declaring, in the strongest manner, our disapprobation of independence, and that under the eye of Washington and his army."
At this period, he says, "the other assistants now went . to their respective friends in the country." For himself, he writes :
" My family were at such a distance and in such a part of the country, that I could not with any degree of safety visit them. I therefore re- mained in the city, to visit the sick, baptise children, bury the dead, and afford what support I could to the remains of our poor flock, who were much dispirited ; for several, especially of the poorer sort, had it not in their power to leave the city."
After the church was closed, he continues, " rebel of- ficers sent to me for the keys of the Churches, that their Chaplains might preach in them," which requests he "peremptorily refused," letting them know that " if they would use the Churches they must break the gates and doors to get in." He then took the keys into his own keeping lest the sextons should " be tampered with," for "I could not bear the thought that their seditious and rebellious effusions should be poured out in our Churches." When these requisitions were repeated with threats, he an- swered that " I did what I knew to be my duty, and that I would adhere to it, be the consequences what they would." Whereupon they desisted, though if they had been at all urgent or inclined to make trouble they could easily have opened the doors. The fact that the three spacious build- ings stood unmolested all this while shows that the fears of Mr. Inglis were exaggerated. There was evidently a power in the city which respected the Corporation of Trinity and would not allow interference with the recog- nized administration. When Mr. Inglis withdrew to
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Flushing, the committee debated the propriety of seizing him, and concluded not to do so. Notwithstanding his own impression, there seems to have been a decided dispo- sition averse to personal assault on him. We may take this as evidence of the respect and favor in which the Church was held in the city, and the common belief in the worth and sincerity of its ministers.
Upon the evacuation of Boston by the British, Wash- ington at once turned his thoughts to securing the safety of New York. Addressing himself seriously to the de- fence of the place, he ordered 13,800 militia for that pur- pose, with a flying camp of ten thousand more. The city, however, swarmed with loyalists, who, also, were very demonstrative on Long Island ; while Tryon, as we have seen, watched all his movements from Sandy Hook. A part of the British army, long expected, reached the Hook June 28th, and the commander, Lord Howe, established his quarters upon Staten Island. When Washington received the Declaration of Independence, the troops were paraded and that immortal instrument was read. The orders of the day said :
" The General hopes that this important event will serve as a fresh in- centive to every officer and soldier to act with fidelity and courage, as knowing that now the peace and safety of his country depend, under God, solely on the success of our arms, and that he is now in the service of a State possessed of sufficient power to reward his merit and to advance him to the highest honors of a free country."
The same evening the statue of George III., in Bowling Green, was torn down. By the middle of August all the British forces had arrived, numbering about twenty-four thousand men, to meet which Washington had about twenty thousand, though only about eleven thousand were fit for duty.
The circumstances of the attack by the British, August
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27th, the defeat of the Americans in the battle of Long Island, and the withdrawal of the troops, are too well known to need repetition in this place. The loss of the Americans in killed, wounded, and prisoners, was upwards of 2000, but the retreat was a masterly manœuvre, ex- ecuted with success.
When it became apparent that Lord Howe intended to surround and capture New York, preparations were made for its evacuation. Sparks says :
" All agreed that the town would not be tenable if it should be bom- barded ; and it was manifest, that this might be done at any moment. Some were for destroying the city at once and leaving it a waste, from which the enemy could derive no benefit. As an argument for this procedure, it was said two thirds of the property belonged to Tories."1
A middle course, however, was pursued, and nine thou- sand men were stationed at King's Bridge. But the British ships took position in the East River above the city and ascended the Hudson to the heights of Bloomingdale. September 15th, Howe, moving from Staten Island, landed a division led by General Clinton at Kip's Bay, under the fire of forty-two gun-ships and frigates. Washington was at Harlem, and, hearing the cannonade, he hastened to the scene only to find the troops retreating without firing a shot. At the risk of his own life he sought to rally the men, but all his efforts failed, and his regiments retreated to Harlem Plains. Putnam, who commanded in the city, retreated with difficulty, and nearly all the heavy guns, baggage, provisions, and stores were left behind. Wash- ington went into camp that night on Harlem Heights and New York was in the hands of the British, who held it until its evacuation at the close of the war in 1783. It was an important but somewhat bloodless victory for the Eng-
1 Sparks's Writings of George Washington, i., 197.
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British Capture New York 389
lish, costing less than a hundred men in killed and wounded, while the Americans lost only about sixty. Gen- eral Howe was knighted for his performance, but for the time prudently contented himself with eyeing the position of Washington, which was then too strong to be attacked.
Lieutenant-Governor Cadwallader Colden lived to hear of the capture of New York, but died September 28, 1776, at Flushing, at the ripe age of eighty-nine years.1 Much of his rule was nominal, especially during the absence of Tryon, in 1775. He was true to his convictions and con- sistently did what he deemed his duty in connection with both Church and State. By his death Trinity Parish lost a valuable advocate and friend.
Upon the occupation of the city by the royal forces, Mr. Inglis returned and resumed his duties. He found the church and chapels safe, though the town presented a melancholy appearance, being deserted and pillaged. His house had been plundered and his losses amounted to {100 sterling. On Wednesday, he opened "one of the Churches " and "solemnized divine service," when "all the inhabitants gladly attended, and joy was lighted up in every countenance on the restoration of public worship ; for very few remained but such as were members of our Church. Each "-but how unfounded was the hope-" con-
1 The son of the Rev. Alexander Colden, minister of Dunse, Scotland, he was nevertheless born in Ireland, February 7, 1687, being educated at the University of Glasgow with reference to the Church. He afterwards studied medicine and found his way to Philadelphia, in 1710. He married Alice Christy at Kelso, on November II, 1713, and came to New York in 1718, where, being favored by Governor Hunter, he concluded to remain. He became a member of Burnet's Council and had a large farm in Ulster County and studied botany, maintaining considerable correspondence with learned men abroad. He wrote The History of the Five Indian Nations, published by Bradford in 1727, and later some philosophical theses, full of original ideas and profound thought. He was Lieutenant-Governor from 1761 to his death, and was the first New Yorker to achieve a European reputation. He was a devout Christian and as early as 1724 a communicant of Trinity Church. See The Colden Family, by Dr. Purple.
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gratulated himself and others on the prospect of returning peace and security."
Indeed, Mr. Inglis took a very cheerful view of the situation at this time, making the assertion that
"the Church of England has lost none of its members by the rebellion as yet-none, I mean, whose departure from it can be deemed a loss ; on the contrary, its own members are more attached to it than ever. And even the sober and more rational among dissenters-for they are not all equally violent and frantic-look with reverence and esteem on the part which church people here have acted. I have not a doubt but, with the blessing of Providence, his Majesty's arms will be suc- cessful, and finally crush this unnatural rebellion."
Mr. Inglis does not complain of the treatment of the church beyond the particular things specified, but a writer on Long Island not only says that the churches are shut, but the prayer-books burned.1 Of this matter there seems to be no further account, and the burning of books was perhaps a rhetorical embellishment. Under Washington, it would appear, all places of worship were duly respected, though when the British army again took possession the Dutch church was used for barracks and a stable.
The situation regarded as so hopeful by Mr. Inglis suddenly changed. Upon the capture of New York by the British forces, that terrible conflagration occurred, with the details of which we are familiar to this day.
The conflagration justified the most glowing descrip- tions composed at the time. It began in a Whitehall grog- shop, and a strong gale blowing from the south, soon gave indication that the better portion of the town was doomed. The troops, the sailors from the fleet, and citizens of all
1 Extract of a letter dated Staten Island, August 17, 1776 : "The episcopal churches in New-York are all shut up, the prayer books burned, and the Ministers scattered abroad, in this and neighboring provinces. It is now the Puritans' high holiday season and they enjoy it with rapture all over the Continent."-Upcott Col- lection of Newspaper Cuttings, New York Ilistorical Society, iv., 383.
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degrees gave battle to the flames, which continued to rage until they had swept away nearly all the buildings between Broad Street and the North River almost as high as the City Hall, and from thence all the houses between Broad- way and the North River as far as King's College. Cin- ders were carried in advance high in the heavens by the powerful breeze, and we read that long before the main fire reached Trinity Church, that large, ancient, and vener- able edifice was in flames, which baffled every effort to suppress them. The steeple, which was 140 feet high, the upper part wood, and placed on an elevated situation, resembled a vast pyramid of fire, exhibiting a grand and awful spectacle. Several women and children per- ished in the fire ; their shrieks, joined to the roaring of the flames, the crash of falling houses, and the wide-spread ruin which everywhere appeared, formed a scene of horror great beyond description, which was heightened by the darkness of the night. Besides Trinity Church, the rector's house, the Charity School, the old Lutheran church, and many other fine buildings were consumed. St. Paul's Church and King's College were directly in the line of fire, but saved with very great difficulty. After raging about ten hours, the fire was extinguished between ten and eleven o'clock A. M.
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