Documents and letters intended to illustrate the revolutionary incidents of Queens county; with connecting narratives, explantory notes, and additions, Part 18

Author: Onderdonk, Henry, 1804-1886
Publication date: 1846
Publisher: New York, Leavitt, Trow
Number of Pages: 280


USA > New York > Queens County > Documents and letters intended to illustrate the revolutionary incidents of Queens county; with connecting narratives, explantory notes, and additions > Part 18


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Two farms on Lloyd's Neck (Henry and James's) had pro- tections from Howe; the rest owned by John, who lived at Stamford, and Joseph,* at Hartford, was confiscated, and the wood cut off for fuel for the King's troops. The wood was ex- ceedingly large, some trees growing 40 or 50 feet before a branch put out. All this wood (say 2000 cords, ) was cut down most wastefully. The wood-cutters were great rogues, and would roll big logs they could not split, into the cords; and when these were left by the wagoners, they would roll them into other cords, and thus make them serve three or four times.


* Joseph had a negro slave, Jupiter Hammon, who was quite a lite- rary character, and published at Hartford, Dec., "79, an essay on the par- able of the Ten Virgins .- Ed.


July 12, 'S1. Count de Barras, being at Newport, detached three frigates and 250 land troops to drive the loyalists from their fort at Lloyd's Neck. The expedition was joined in the Sound by several boats with American volunteers and pilots from Fairfield. They landed on the morning of the 12th, when it was discovered that the place was stronger than had been sup- posed, and not to be carried without cannon, which had not been provided. They were also ignorant [?] of the true point of attack. Two or three men were wounded by a cannon shot from the fort, when the party re-embarked. The British ves-


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sels went up a river [?] beyond the reach of the French fri- gates .- Sparks's Washington, VIII. 115.


Plan of the attack on Lloyd's Neck.


LONG ISLAND SOUND.


N


c


S


Lloyds Neck


1


e


Huntington Harbour,


d


Hog I.


Oyster Bay


o Cold Spring.


a. Position of Wm. Ludlam at work in his harvest field when he saw the attack.


b. Fort Franklin, designed to protect the wood-cutters, and refugees from New England, and used as a forage depot.


c. Probable landing place of the French.


d. A low narrow beach over which Ludlam saw the action between the vessels, at h.


e. Brig of 8 or 10 guns under protection of the fort.


f. A large sloop attacking the fort on the west side, the fort bringing one gun to bear on her.


g. Probable place where the British armed schooner landed her guns, and mounted them in a battery on shore, and so beat off a 40 gun ship that came to the attack.


h. A 40 gun ship attacking the British vessels, which are trying to keep out of her way.


Narrative of the above affair as related to me by Wm. Ludlam, an eye witness, aged 90.


Heathcoat Muirson, of Setauket, had made himself ac- quainted with the fort at Lloyd's Neck. It was a small square


a


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fort and picketed, i. e., had trunks of trees with their branches sharpened set in the sides. It had only two guns mounted, and these on the west side, when Muirson saw it; but on the very evening before the French landed, the British had just fin- ished mounting two guns on the east side. It was this that frus- trated the attempt, and not ignorance of the true point of attack. They supposed they were marching to the side where no guns were mounted. Muirson, the guide, was examining the works with a spy-glass, when a shot from the fort took off his arın, which was left on the ground, and supposed to belong to some high officer. He died of the wound, but described the spot so exactly, that his sister afterwards found the spy-glass in a bunch of briers where he had thrown it.


Lt. Col. Upham, Com'dnt. at Lloyd's Neck, to Wm. Franklin : Fort Franklin, July 13, '81.


Three large ships, five armed brigs, and other vessels ap- peared in Huntington Harbor, July 12, and landed at 8 o'clock 450 men, mostly French, on the back of Lloyd's Neck, two miles from the fort. At 11, they formed in front of the fort, at a distance of 400 yards, in open view. Fearing they would get possession of a height on the right, the fort fired grape shot from two twelve pounders, when the French suddenly retreated. They left on the ground where they halted to dress the wound- ed, a number of surgeon's instruments, a great quantity of lint, bandages, &c., a bayonet, sword, and a very large quantity of port-fire and other materials for burning our houses ; also, some few fragments of coats and shirts; and the grass besmeared with blood.


I called on the Huntington militia, but saw nothing of them, nor was I disappointed. Capt. Youngs' troop, and Capt. Van Wyck's company of foot, came last evening to our assistance. They posted themselves on West Neck, and behaved exceed- ing well. Many refugees in our vicinity came likewise to our assistance.


411. July 25, '81, Riv. The night the French and rebels left Long Island, some of their followers, who called themselves " skinners," stopped at the house of John Butler, near Oyster


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Bay, and on his denying he had any money, fixed ropes to his and his son's necks, and threw them over the door, and had well nigh strangled both, to extort a confession where their cash was hid, but they continuing inflexible, were released from torture, when the " skinners" fleeced him of plate and goods to the amount of £300. Mr. Farley and Wright have since been robbed of considerable sums of money by the same set of " skin- ners."


412. July 25, '81, Rir. Two whale boats, the Association and Henry Clinton, crossed from Fort Franklin, on Lloyd's Neck, to Norwalk, and landed thirty-eight men, and leaving some boats concealed on the shore, returned to Long Island to escape observation, but were to be back again at a given hour. The party marched five miles from the shore and remained hid in the woods till two o'clock. When the good people of Mid- dlesex [now Darien] were assembled and devoutly praying for their great and good ally, Capt. Frost surrounded the sanctu- ary, and took fifty notorious rebels-their Rev. teacher at their head. Forty horses ready saddled were taken care of at the same time, and all safely brought to Long Island. [They were all ironed, two and two, on the green in front of Wooden's, Oyster Bay, and so marched to the Provost. We subjoin a poetic version of the affair, written by Samuel St. John, school- master, one of the prisoners, which was kindly hunted up for us by E. C. Herrick, librarian of Yale College .- Ed.]


July, the twenty-second day, Where Christians meet to sing and pray, In seventeen hundred eighty-one, A horrid action was begun ; While to the Lord they sing and pray, The Tories, who in ambush lay, Beset the house with brazen face, At Middlesex, it was the place. A guard was placed the house before,


Likewise behind and at each door, Then void of shame, those men of sin


The sacred temple entered in. The Rev. Mather closed his book, How did the congregation look ! Those demons plundered what they could, Either in silver or in gold. The silver buckles which we use Both at the knees and on the shoes,


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These caitiffs took them in their rage- Had no respect to sex or age, And as they all were searching round, They several silver watches found. They who were placed as guards without,


Like raging devils ranged about, Took forty horses to the shore, Not many either less or more,


With bridles, saddles, pillions on, In a few minutes all was done. The men whom hence they took away, Upon this sacred, awful day,


Was forty-eight, besides two more


They chanced to find upon the shore.


On board the shipping they were sent, But greatly feared the sad event. They hoisted sail, the Sound they crossed,


And near Lloyd's Neck they anchored first ;


Then every man must tell his name ;


A list they took, and kept the same.


Now twenty-four of fifty men


Were ordered home again ; The twenty-six who staid behind,


Most cruelly they were confincd ;


On board the brig were ordered quick,


And were confined bencath the deck-


A nasty hole with filth besmeared, But 'twas no more than what we feared :


Sad the confinement, dark the night, But then the Devil thought 'twas right; But to return whence I left off,


They at our misery made a scoff, Like raving devils tore about,


Swearing they'd tear our vitals out,


That they'd no quarter ever give, Nor let a cursed rebel live ; But would their joints in pieces cut,


Then round the deck like devils strut.


July, the four-and-twentieth day,


We all were sent to Oyster Bay.


To increase our pains, and make us worse, They ironed just six pair of us ; But as they wanted just one pair, An iron stirrup lying there, 'Twas took, and on an anvil laid, On which they with a hammer paid ; And as they beat it inch by inch, It bruised their wrists, at which they flinch. Those wretched caitiffs standing by, Would laugh to hear the sufferers cry ;


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Although I call them not by name, From Fairfield county many camc ; They were delighted with the rout, To see us rebels kicked about. Complaint was made by many now, But they were stript and plundered too; The officers heard them complain, Said all should be restored again ; But the complaint they soon repeat, And found their promise was a cheat !


Said they, " Those men are gone ashore ;"' Whereat, we made complaint no more.


A man on board soon after came, I think 'twas Joseph Smith by name ; For silver buckles which we lost, He gave us brass of little cost,


With knives to use whene'er we feed,


Which tools we very seldom need.


Said he, " The presents you may have, And look upon them frecly gave, Instead of what we took from you, 'Tis ten times more than what was due." Next night we travelled in the rain,


We begged for shelter, but in vain;


Dark was the night, the storm was bad, Ne food nor shelter could be had, Of spirits much we stood in need,


But found 'twas but in vain to plead,


Though almost naked to the skin, A dismal pickle we were in.


Then to the Half-way-House we came,


The Half-way-House 'tis called by name ;


The people civilly behave, Made a good fire, some brandy gave,


Of which we greatly stood in need, As we were wet and cold indeed.


But ere the house we did obtain,


We trembled so with cold and rain,


Our irons jingled-well they might --


We shivered so that stormy night. In half an hour, or thereabout,


The orders were, " Come, all turn out,


Ye rebel prisoners, shabbed crew, To leiter thus will never do."


'Twas now about the break of day, We all were forced to march away ; With what they ordered we comply, Though cold, nor yet one quarter dry ; We made a halt one half mile short Of what is termed Brucklyn's Fort ;


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Where we were hurried through the street : Some overtook us, some we meet. We, now traversing the parade, The awful figure which we made Caus'd laughter, mirth, and merriment, And some would curse us as they went. Their grandest fort was now hard by us, They showed us that to terrify us ; They showed us all their bulwarks there, To let us know how strong they were ; Supposing we must thence conclude That Britain ne'er could be subdued, Then to the guard-house we were led, Where each received a crumh of bread ; Not quite one mouthful, I believe, For every man, we did receive. We to the ferry came at last, Viewed by spectators, as we past, The gazing rabble, tory throng, Would curse us as we passed along. In boats the ferry soon we passed, And at New-York arrived at last. As through the streets we passed along, Ten thousand curses round us rung ; But some would laugh, and some would sneer, And some would grin, and some would leer ; A mixed mob, a medley crew, I guess, as e'er the devil knew. To the Provost we then were hauled, Though we, of war, were prisoners called ; Our irons now were ordered off,


The standers-by would swear and scoff. But O ! what company we found ; With great surprise we looked around ! I must conclude that in this place, We found the worst of Adam's race: Thieves, murderers, and pickpockets too. And every thing that's bad they'd do, One of our men found to his cost ; Three pounds, York money, he had lost. His pocket picked, I guess, before We had been there one single hour. We then found out, but thought it strange, We never were to be exchanged By a cartel, but for some men Whom they desired to have again- A pack with whom they well agree, Who are called the loyal company Or " Loyalists Associated," As by themselves incorporated.


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Our food was called two-thirds in weight Of what a soldier has to eat ; We had no blankets in our need, Till a kind friend did intercede : Said he, " The prisoners snffer se, 'Tis quite unkind and cruel too ; I'm sure it makes my heart to bleed, So great their hardship and their need." And well to us was the event, Five blankets soon to us were sent ; Small the allowance, very small, But better far than none at all. An oaken plank, it was onr bed, And very scanty we were fed. In seven days, or thereabout, One Jonas Weed was taken out,


And to his friends he was resigned, But many still were kept behind ; Soon after which some were paroled, Tee tedious wholly to be told ; But the small-pox to some they gave, Nor tried at all their lives to save ; But rather songht their desolation, As they denied inoculation.


To the small-pox there did succeed A putrid fever, bad indeed.


As they belere were weak and low, Seen from the stage of life they go. Fer wood we greatly stood in need, For which we earnestly did plead : But one-tenth part of what we wanted Of wood, to us was granted : The boiling kettles which we had, They had no cover good or bad ; The worst of rum that could be bought, For a great price to us was brought ; For bread, the milk and sugar too, We had to pay four times their due. The cash and clothing which were sent, These wretched creatures did prevent, About a month, I do believe, Before we either did receive:


But in New-York some friends did try To show their generosity : They very friendly were inclined, But knowing they must be confined If what they gave was ever known, (So wicked are the tories grown,) Some time it was, in the month November, But just the day I can't remember,


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Full forty of us were confined,


(So cruelly they were inclined,)


In a small room, six days complete, With very little food to eat,


Because there had been two or three, Who were not ot our company, Who did attempt the other day, The tories said, to get away.


Full eighteen days, or something more,


We fairly were exchanged, hefore


Of the exchange they let us know, Or from that place of bondage go, That of the number twenty-five, But just nineteen were left alive,


Four days before December's gone, In seventeen hundred eighty-one.


413. Lt. J. Hull, of Col. Fitch's corps, crossed the Sound on the evening of November 24, '81, in a whale boat navigated by eight men, and landed near Hempstead Bay, where he left his boat with two men, and with the others marched to Musquito Cove, which makes in Hempstead Bay, (the entrance of which was guarded by an armed vessel,) where they found a canoe, on board of which they embarked and boarded nine vessels which lay in the cove, and made prisoners of sixteen men ; and finding it impracticable to bring off the vessels, or any part of them, he ransomed them, paroled his prisoners, and returned without loss .- Con. Gaz. Dec. 14.


414. Dec. 3, '81, Rir. Some wltale boats came to Oyster Bay harbor from Connecticut last Monday night, and unrigged Mr. Sheddan's boat [at Ship Point,] and carried off another, which was ransomed for £200. [Previous to this, Capt. S. had a vessel run ashore at Oak N. and set on fire by American pri- vateers. It was extinguished .- Ed.]


415. April 20, '82, Riv. Two guineas reward, and no ques- tions asked. Stolen, April 5, from the stable of Natlı. Coles, near Oyster Bay, a fast trotting horse, supposed to have erossed White Stone Ferry.


416.


King's American Dragoons.


Any likely and spirited young lads who are desirous of dis- tinguishing themselves by serving their King and country, and who prefer riding on horseback to going on foot, have an oppor- tunity of gratifying their inclinations : 10 guineas to volunteers


11


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or 5 to any one who brings a recruit, and 5 to the recruit. For the convenience of those who may come from the continent by the way of Lloyd's Neck, an officer will constantly remain at that Post .- Rir., July 24, '82. (See 203.)


417. Sep. 18, '82, Riv. As Capt. Thomas, of the Associ- ation, carrying ten 4 pounders and 30 men, was convoying a fleet of wood boats down the Sound, they were attacked off Tinnicock by 2 gun boats and 11 whale boats, manned with 200 men, the largest boat having a brass 6 pounder in her bow. Capt. T. hid his men, housed his guns, and thus decoyed the boats within musket shot, when his men suddenly discharged their muskets, and canister shot from the 4 pounders. A num- ber fell, but they did not desist from their attack, but towed off detached vessels as it was a calm. They were, however, all retaken after a combat of six hours. These pickaroon gentry greatly infest our coast.


418. Oct. 10, '82, New Haven. Sunday sen'night, the ene- my evacuated their post at Lloyd's Neck, demolished their works and removed the stores and garrison to New-York.


419. The schooner Peggy, John Envidito, master, and her cargo of broadcloths, coating, linen and other goods, was taken Dec. 21, '82.


420. Mar. 29,'83, Riv. All persons having demands against Major Scheele, of the Hessian Hanau Volunteers, lately de- ceased, will bring their accounts before April 5, to Vonden Helden, paymaster, Oyster Bay.


N. JANECKE, Col. Com'dt.


421. Aug. 20, '83, Riv. A party of armed men attacked the house of Capt. Israel Youngs, of Cold Spring, last Thurs- day night, and after using him with great cruelty, carried off 1100 guineas and 43 half Johanneses. Two hundred guineas reward for thieves and cash.


422. A great variety of troops lay at Oyster Bay village during the war. Delancy's corps was the first.


Fanning's corps, in charge of Major Grant, lay here one summer. They were rude and ill-behaved. An old bake- house, now Storr's store, was used as a Guard House. The streets were garnished with sentry boxes to protect the patrol


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from the weather. These paraded the streets after 9 o'clock at night, when no one was allowed to pass without the coun- tersign. One evening a respectable young man, John Weeks, when challenged by the sentinel, instead of giving the counter- sign, left the road and ran off across the fields. He was seized. tried, and sentenced to be whipped. He was accordingly tied up to a locust tree, in front of Townsend's, but before he re- ceived the full measure of his punishment, the cries of the youth and the frantic appeals of his mother and sister so wrought on the people, that by their interference he was set at liberty.


The Queen's Rangers* were here in the winter of '78 and '79, when the Forage Fleet was suddenly frozen in during the Holidays ;t but the weather soon moderated so that peaches were in blossom early in March.


Simcoe had his quarters at S. Townsend's. He cut down an orchard of excellent fruit, and formed an abattis of the trees for his fort on Fort Hill. The colonel was of a large frame, heavy built, and fine-looking, but of feeble health.


'Lt. Murray, of the " Rangers," pressed a wagon at Cedar Swamp, and then loaded it with provisions for his table, stealing pigs, geese, &c.


t The intense cold weather within these two days has occasioned the quicksilver in the weather-glass to fall four degrees lower than for the last seven years. Several ships and many lives have been lost by the monstrous bodies of ice floating in our bay .- New- York paper, Dec. 28, '78.


423. The British Legion (Tarlton's) under Major Cochran, also lay here, and at Jericho, but was not distinguished for good conduct.


The Hesse Hanaus, Col. Janecke, lay here one winter, and left May 28, 1783. They were an ill-favored set of little men ; the gleanings of the German recruits. They ripped boards out of the Episcopal Church to make berths, barracks, &c. Others, following their example, took away piece after piece for firewood, till it blew down, and was sold at auction in 1804.


There was a noisy crowd in front of a store where the young people had passed the evening in conversation, when Stephen Lobden came out to see what was the matter. The


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guard fired and killed him. Such an outrage excited the peo- ple, and petitions were circulated praying for redress. The British Commandant at New-York sent up an officer to hear complaints. But no one dared to come forward, fearing the resentment of the Hessians, So nothing was done. During the day the officers were seen talking in groups in great excite- ment, and at night all the glass in the windows of S. Wooden, one of the petitioners, was broken.


The 3d Battalion under Lieut. Col. Hewlett, lay here from June to August, after the peace. They left one Sunday morn- ing before day to escape observation. The British almost al- ways moved on a " first day."


The soldiers were not billeted, but took an entire building to themselves. They also occupied the Baptist Meeting House (since removed and used as a barn) and the New Light Meet- ing House, which was removed by Simcoe from the back road, now Sampson's to Cock's Lot. The Friends' Meeting House was used as a Commissary's Store, and had a guard at the door constantly.


There was a long stack of hay north of Townsend's. Capt. Wickham, of the Queen's Rangers, was Forage Master.


424. On one occasion, the Hessians were reported to be shooting among the sheep of John Kirk. Jonathan Haire loaded his gun and hastened to the field. Six sheep lay dead. He fired on the Hessians, when they left their booty. The bold fellow was taken before Col. Wurmb to answer for his offence. "You are Mr. Haire, I suppose ?" " I am, please your honor." "Did you fire on these men ?" " I did. I found them killing and stealing my neighbor's sheep." "I hope you will not do so again." "Indeed, I will," replied Haire. After a slight reprimand, he was allowed to depart .*


* Jacobus Monfort, hearing a noise in his cow-yard, fired in the dark and wounded a Hessian baker in the neck. He was seized and carried before an officer, who at once dismissed him, saying, " If you had killed himn, I'd have given you a guinea."


425. The door of Jost Hegeman, Cedar Swamp, was forced open by a rail. The robbers could find no money, but carried off silk handkerchiefs and some trifling articles. They dropped


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a cap as they left the house, by which it was discovered that they belonged to a company of soldiers billeted in Cedar Swamp. James H., a lad, escaped and alarmed the neighbors, but the darkness favored the escape of the robbers.


426. Amos Underhill's house was robbed. Fortunately £300 had been hid in the clock bottom; and although they rummaged the house. the clock escaped their scrutiny. Squire John Wright was not so fortunate. While the robbers passed into the back room the old lady slipped a bag containing £250 into her lap. This was observed by the robbers, who instantly relieved her of her charge and left.


To stop these robberies guards were set in Cedar Swamp, Wheatly, and elsewhere.


427. Silas Downing's store, at B. Rushmore's, Cedar Swamp, was forcibly entered by five soldiers from Jericho, their faces painted. Luckily he had a few days before taken all his money to New-York to buy goods, whereby the robbers were frustrated in this part of their plan. They then demanded I. Rushmore's watch. He handed them a dumb watch of his son's, hanging near the mantel, which they pocketed without discovering the trick. After gathering up some trifling articles and about $10 in cash they went off.


428. On one occasion the whale boatmen found a vessel aground at Cold Spring. When they could not get her off, they threatened to burn her, unless the owners would ransom her, which they readily did.


" . 429. The whale boatmeu robbed the store of - Youngs, at East Woods, hid the plunder in bushes near the shore, so as to remove it at a more suitable time. Meanwhile some per- son passing by the thicket discovered the goods and suspected what was going on. The militia agreed to watch and inter- cept the whale boatmen. At sundown a boat was descried nearing the shore. The crew landed. The main body of mi- litia kept out of sight, but some stragglers hailed the maraud- ers, who took the alarm and fled.


430. Nicholas Wright's store was robbed; Justice Smith, of Hog Island. was robbed of silks, &c., and Wm. Ludlam, a tailor, who lived with him was robbed of a great many suits of


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clothes he was making up for his customers. Sarah Wright, at Cove Neck, was robbed among other things of a silver milk pot, which was carried to Stamford. Selah Wood's store, at East Woods, was also robbed. The house of John Willets, Cedar Swamp, was broken open. his hands tied, and every threat used-even his house set on fire to make him disclose his money-but in vain.


BRITISH PROCLAMATIONS RELATING TO QUEENS COUNTY.


431. For an encouragement to his Majesty's liege subjects to raise a plentiful supply of fresh provisions and vegetables, hay and other forage, for his Majesty's service, all persons are for- bid trespassing or breaking down and destroying fences, or car- rying away produce from the owners. March 20, '77.




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