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 8
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WVm. Lawrence was sick. The loyalists insisted he was playing sick, and had him examined by a Hessian surgeon, who exclaimed, referring to the false charge, "How much people lie in dis country !"
Howe had his quarters at the "Big House," Rennie's, now Britanier's, where he wrote his account of the battle of Long Island. The side hill in the rear was covered with his tents. Vestiges of an encampment are yet visible.
Lord Percy and Gen. Grant were also in camp at New- town, September 4. Clinton was quartered at N. Moore's, now S. Townsend's.
PART II.
SEIZURE OF WHIGS.
108. Newtown. Jona. Coe and Hezekiah Field, two light- horse, with regimentals on, returned to White Pot, August 28. They had been driving off stock. Early next morn- ing, when starting to cross the Sound, they were seized by British light-horse from Jamaica. Lieut. Coe had thrown his epaulett in the bushes. They were carried to Flatbush jail, where Coe died of dysentery, having suffered much for want of food and necessary attendance. His body was re- fused his friends for burial.
Richard Bragaw, Robert Moore, George Brinckerhoff, Abm. Devine, and Ludlum Haire, had been with Woodhull, driving off stock. After they left him, they were surprised at Hinchman's tavern, Jamaica. A British light-horse rode up, when Moore came out and received a sabre cut, which nearly severed his two fingers. The other four were taken to the prison ship, where they were urged to enlist; but, by bribing a friend to government, were released.
The Rev. Simon Horton escaped to Connecticut; D. Law- rence lived seven years at Milford; Major Remsen went to Rockland county ; Col. Remsen* remained in Jersey till Ja- nuary, 1777 ; Richard Lawrence was put in the sugar house. December 12, 1776, we find Col. Blackwell and Major Jona. Lawrence, members from Queens county, offering their at- tendance in the Convention, if desired, although the county is in possession of the enemy. Col. Blackwell returned to New- town, where he died, 1780. (See Lives of the Lawrences in Thompson, ii.)
* Col. Remsen had served with credit in the old French War, and he and Dowe Ditmars, of Jamaica, were at the taking of Havana.
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109. Flushing. About 2 o'clock, on a fine sunny day, on the last of August, a company of light-horse galloped into the town spot of Flushing, and inquired at widow Blood- good's for her sons. On being told they had already fled, in the frenzy of disappointment, one of them seized a fire- brand and threatened to burn the house. He was at length prevailed on to desist.
Thos. Thorne, a blacksmith and innkeeper (now Hover's) was seized, and ended his days on board the prison ship.
James Burling, another committeeman, and John Vander- bilt, were also carried off, but came out of prison alive.
Capt. Tom, (since Redwood's,) and most of the leading whigs, had left their homes, and sought safety across the Sound. Many, however, returned and took British protection. Tom was captain in a new raised regiment at Kingston, in April, 1777. Cornelius Van Wyck, member of Provincial Congress, was kept in the New Gaol till October 25, 1776.
110. Soon after the defeat at Brooklyn, the 71st regiment of Highlanders were seen marching into Flushing, bringing with them fifty or sixty cattle from Kings county. These they drove half a mile east of the village in front of Valk's, when some run among them, cutting their hamstrings, and as they dropped knocking them in the head with their hatchets ; then butchered them in the most wasteful manner, cutting out the best parts and leaving the rest-skin, horns, &c., on the ground; others got ready the cooking apparatus, the rails flew, and a fire was soon kindled under a row of camp kettles along the fence by the roadside .*
* Before the battle of White Plains the 1st, 2d and 6th brigades passed through Flushing to White Stone, and October 12th crossed over to the Main. A part of these forces was lying at Jamaica, and the column, it is said, extended from Dr. Shelton's corner to Flushing village ; others came by way of the Fly from Newtown. The forces were so numerous as to occupy half a day in passing through Flushing.
111. Jamaica. August 28, a detachment of the 17th Light Dragoons entered the village amid thunder, lightning, and
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a violent rain, in pursuit of Gen. Woodhull's party, who were driving off the stock.
They stopped at Mrs. Cebra's, and inquired for Col. Ro- binson. The Colonel had gone off with Gen. Woodhull, but Robert Moore, of Newtown, (who had stopped in the house to keep the women company during the violent thunder shower,) came to the door. Mistaking him for the Colonel, they nearly cut off his hand with a sabre blow. On finding their prey had escaped, they hastened on eastward.
Gen. Woodhull had been left at Jamaica with only ninety men. These he ordered to move on eastward, and expecting every moment an order from Congress at Harlem, he lin- gered at Jamaica till the latest moment-too late, alas ! He then slowly moved on and halted at Carpenter's inn, two miles east of Jamaica. It was in the afternoon, and he is supposed to have sought a shelter there from the rain. He had already sent off his only attendant, Col. Robinson, who went on to Huntington, crossed to Old Milford, and continued in Connecticut during the war.
As the General came out of the house, took his horse from under the shed, and laid his hands on the reins, the light-horse (guided, it is said, by one Smith, John Livinsgton's ostler) galloped up, their swords gleaming in the lightning's red glare. The first salutation was, "Surrender, you d-d rebel." The General delivered his sword. "Say God save the King," they cried. His only reply was, "God save all honest men." "God save the King," they again shouted, and showered their sabre blows on his devoted head, and arm as it was uplifted to ward off the strokes .*
After they had sufficiently hacked their defenceless but undaunted prisoner, he was mounted, the blood streaming from his wounds, behind one of the troopers, who instantly hurried back to Jamaica, for fear of being intercepted. That night he was placed in Hinchman's tavern, (still stand- ing,) where Dr. Ogden and Minema, his pupil, were refused
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permission to dress his wounds. A British surgeon was called in.
While in Hinchman's tavern, and suffering with pain, he sent for a Miss Cebra, and said to her, "Madam, I understand you are Mrs. Robinson's sister." Then drawing a silver spoon from his pocket, he said, " Take this, madam, and hand it back to Mrs. Robinson. She gave it to me some time ago when I was about to take the field, 'for,' she said, ' she sup- posed I might not always have conveniences for eating when in camp.'"
His shirt sleeve, cut with seven gashes, and also his hat slashed in many places, were preserved by Miss Cebra, and remained in the General's family some years, till his man- sion was burnt.
The next day he was taken westward and put on board an old vessel at New Utrecht, used for transporting live stock, where he had none of the conveniences his wretched condition required. He was next removed to the house of Wilhelmus Van Brunt, (still standing near the church at New Utrecht,) which was used as a hospital.
His arm mortified, and it was decided to take it off. He thereupon sent express to his wife that he had no hopes of life, and requested her to gather up what provisions she could, (for he had a large farm,) and hasten to his bedside. She accordingly loaded a wagon with bread, crackers, hams, butter, and the like, and barely reached her husband in time to see him alive. With his dying breath he requested her to distribute the provisions she had brought among the suf- fering, starving American prisoners. His body was em- balmed by the British surgeons, and taken by his wife to Mastic, and interred on his farm about September 23.+
* Wm.Warne, who left Long Island, September 5, reports to Congress that a light-horse told him he had taken Gen. Woodhull in a barn in the dark, and before he would answer, when spoken to, the General had received a cut on the head and both arms.
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The Hartford Courant, September 9, '76, says: " Woodhull refused to give up his sidearms, and was wounded on his head, and had a bayonet thrust through his arm."
t The following inscription is taken from his tombstone.
In Memory of
GEN'L NATHANIEL WOODHULL,
Who, wounded and a prisoner, Died on the 20th of September, 1776, In the 54th year of his age, Regretted by all who knew how to value his many private virtues, and that pure zeal for the rights of his country, to which he per- ished a victim.
112. As there have been many different accounts of Gen. Woodhull's capture, we will here insert what may be termed his death-bed confession to a fellow prisoner.
* * Robert Troup says, " that while he was confined on board a transport, Brigadier General Woodhull was also brought on board in a shocking mangled condition ; that he asked the General the particulars of his capture, and was told that he had been taken by a party of light- horse under command of Capt. Oliver Delancey ; that he was asked by said Captain if he would surrender ; that he answered in the affirmative, provided he would treat him like a gentleman, which Capt. Delancey as- sured him he would ; whereupon the General delivered his sword, and that immediately after the said Oliver Delancey, Jr., struck him ; and others of his party, imitating his example, did cruelly cut and hack him in the manner he then was ; that althoughi he was in such a mangled and horrid situation, he had nevertheless been obliged to sleep on the filthy deck or bare floor of said transport, had not a lieutenant lent him a mat- tress ; that Gen. Woodhull' was afterwards carried to the hospital in the church of New Utrecht, where he perished, as the deponent was on good authority informed, through want of care and other necessaries."
Sworn, January 17, 1777, before Gov. Morris.
Troup was Lieutenant in Lieut. Col. Lasher's battalion of New-York militia, and was taken prisoner at 3 o'clock A. M., August 27.
[A ballad on the death of Woodhull, with introductory re- marks, may be found in the London Mirror for 1823, but is here omitted for its want of historic truth.]-Ed.
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113. The day after Woodhull's capture, Elias Baylis, chairman of the Jamaica committee, was walking over to Nathaniel Smith's, at the one mile Mill, to hearthe news, when he was arrested by a neighbor, who wished to do something to ingratiate himself with the British.
When the venerable man, blind as he was, was brought before the British officer at Jamaica, he exclaimed, in sur- prise, " Why do you bring this man here ? He's blind : he can do no harm." The unfeeling wretch who had informed against him, replied : " He's blind, but he can talk." Baylis did not attempt to conciliate the officer, but unfor- tunately dropped a few words in vindication of the American cause. This was enough. He was shut up in the Presby- terian church that night, and next day carried to the prison at New Utrecht .* He was subsequently removed to the Provost in New-York.
Elias Baylis was an elder of the Presbyterian church, and stood high in the community for uprightness and ability. He had a sweet voice, and could sing whole psalms and hymns from memory: it will not be surprising then to find him beguil- ing his dreary imprisonment in singing, among others, the 142d Psalm :
Lord, I am brought exceeding low, Now let thine ear attend, And make mny foes, who vex me, know I've an Almighty Friend.
From my sad prison set me free, Then shall I praise thy name ; And holy men shall join with me Thy kindness to proclaim.
The aged man was visited in prison by his wife and daughter. After a confinement of about two months, at the intercession of his friends, he was released, barely in time to breathe his last without a prison's walls. He died in crossing the ferry with his daughter, and his mortal remains now re- pose without a stone to mark the spot or commemorate his worth.
The heartless wretch who arrested him, fled on the return of peace to Nova Scotia, dreading the vengeance of his fellow-
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citizens ; but after a two years' exile, he ventured to return, ; but looked so poor and forlorn that he was never molested.
* Daniel Duryee, (afterwards Assemblyman,) Wm. Furman, Wm. Creed, and two others, were put in one pew in New Utrecht church. Baylis wanted them to get the Bible out of the pulpit and read to him. They feared to do it, but led the blind man to the pulpit steps. As he returned with it a British guard met him, beat him violently, and took away the book. They were three weeks at New Utrecht, and then marched down to the prison ship.
114. As fast as the whigs were seized, they were put in the Presbyterian church till a sufficient number was collected to send under guard to the prison ship. It is said, that when these unfortunate prisoners, embracing, as they did, some of our worthiest and most aged citizens, were drawn up and ready to march, a crowd of spectators assembled to witness their departure, attracted, some by the novelty of the sight, some by sympathy, others gazing with a fiendish smile on the whigs in this their hour of retribution. One aged whig, named Smith, appealed to a loyalist to intercede for him. The cold reply was, "Ah, John, you've been a great rebel." Directly the old man's searching eye detected a more be- nevolent look in the face of another loyalist : "McEvers, this is hard for an old man like me to go to prison ; can't you do something for me ?" " What have you been doing, John ?" " Why, I've had opinions of my own." "Well, I'll see what I can do for you." McEvers then went to the officer, and made such a representation that Smith was immediately released .*- " Teach me to feel another's woe."
* John Thurston was put in prison and had his health ruined. Abr. Ditmars, Robert Hinchman, David Lamberson, (and who can tell how many more ?) were carried off to prison.
Rev. Abm. Keteltas crossed to the Main ; J. J. Skidmore went up the North River, and returned at the peace, his wife dying in the mean time. Increase Carpenter was commissary to the army.
115. North Hempstead. It is not known when the British first came here ; but probably immediately after Washington
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left the Island, their light-horse hunted out the leading Whigs and impressed wagons .*
* A. Onderdonk, Peter Dodge, (and who can tell how many more ?) were impressed with teams and attended the army at Newtown, White Plains and Fort Washington. They returned home sick with camp fever, and were buried in December. Hendrick Onderdonk's wagon, driven by Cha's Hubbs, was taken to the Jerseys and recovered after 8 months' absence. It had served two six pounders at White Plains. Great num- bers of impressed teams were lost and never paid for.
116. Eight light-horse surrounded the house of Col. Sands, but finding him not at home, went off quietly. Some pow- der and ball stored there had been sent off to the Main in the morning, as I. R. and W. H., with fixed bayonets, marched in the house to seize it in the afternoon. Colonel Sands had retreated with the army, and was now at New Rochelle .* He sent for his wife, who was to return the same afternoon, but was absent six weeks, no one daring to convey her back. R. M. at last landed her at the beach. She disguised herself at E. Hegeman's, and so reached home undetected. The Col. returned home at the instance of his wife to save his property from destruction, and was arrested and carried to Oyster Bay [to Gen. Delancey ?] He obtained a pardon from Howe Dec. 23, '76. Col. S. suffered much in common with the Whigs during the war, had his wood cut off, and his hay and cattle taken.
B. Sands, Chairman of the Committee, and now member of Congress, not owning any land to be confiscated, retired to Nine Partners, where he staid during the war.
* He was at Fishkill, Nov. 8, as appears by the following resolution of the Congress :
Nov. 8. Resolved, That this committee will pay the wages and value of rations due such officers and men of Col. Smith's regiment as are not in the British lines; and that Col. Sands procure Muster Rolls of the Inen." (See 103.)
117. On Saturday, Sept. 21, '76, the day after the great fire in New-York. a detachment of Col. Birch's 17th light dragoons
6
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visited Great Neck, Cow Neck, &e. In the afternoon they reached the house of Adrian Onderdonk, which they instantly surrounded, when an officer went in and searched every part, up and down stairs, thrusting his sword into every se- cret place. The object of their pursuit happened to be at home, and on being arrested, he asked the reason of it. The reply was, " Your neighbors complain of you." He then mounted his horse and rode off with the troopers; perhaps in quest of other Whigs on Cow Neck. He was taken as far as Flushing, and shut up in the Friends' meet- ing house that night. The next day he was taken to New- York.
On his arrival at the city, he, with other prisoners, was paraded through the streets to the Provost, with a gang of loose women marching before them, to add insult to suffer- ing .*
After a while the rigor of the prison rules was somewhat abated. He was allowed to write home (which he did in Duteh) for provisions, such as smoked beef, butter, &c. Un- fortunately they were not sent, as the neighbors amused his wife with the vain hope that her husband would be home in a short time, in a day or so. His friends procured a woman to do his washing, prepare food and convey it to him, &e.t
The horrors of imprisonment were aggravated by the uncalled for brutality of Capt. Cunningham, keeper of the Provost, who seems to have hung great numbers on his own responsibility without trial, as appears by his dying confes . sion when hung in London, August 10, 1791, for forgery .¿
One day as he was walking through the rooms, followed by his constant attendant, a negro,§ with eoils of rope on his neck, he asked A. O. what he was imprisoned for ? "I've been a committee man." " Well," (with an oath and a deal of abuse) " you shall be hung to-morrow."
After he had been confined nearly four weeks, his mind daily harassed with the dreadful forebodings of death, with-
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out a hearing, whenever it might suit the whim of his cruel jailer, Elbert Hegeman, afterwards Judge, went to Col. - and asked him " if he had any new complaint against A. O. ; for if he had not, he should avail himself of Howe's proclamation and get him released, as his family were suf- fering severely from sickness, two of his children having died in one day." The Col. replied : " For his suffering family he felt sorry ; but as for the d-d rebel, he did not care what be- came of him." He added, however, that he " had no fresh complaint." E. Hegeman, thereupon, went to New-York, called on Lambert Moore, (nephew of the prisoner and Comptroller of the Customs) to learn how to proceed. They first went to Sheriff Roberts, a friend of Hend'k O., who gave them a line to Gen. Robertson ; who thereupon issued an order for the liberation of the prisoner. They then re- paired to the Provost (now the Hall of Records). As they approached, the guards made way, and they entered the prison door. The prisoner at first did not recognize his deliverers. They soon made themselves known, and informed him that he might now take the benefit of the Proclamation and be restored to his family. Such tidings were too strange. He could not realize it. He was confused and bewildered. As his senses became collected, they conversed with him on his family affairs. He was brought home in a wagon by E. Hegeman in the night, pale, thin and feeble from bodily suf- ferings and mental anxiety.
His shattered constitution never recovered its former strength. He told Col. - -- , the first time he saw him af- ter his release, that his sufferings had deprived him of the hearing of one ear. " 'Then, d-n you, look out for the other, also," was the brutal reply.
E. Hegeman also recovered from Michael Burns, of Searing Town, (who acted as informer and guide to the light-horse,) the young sorrel that A. O. rode to Brooklyn. He paid him a few dollars for his alledged expenses. " Mind," says Burns, " I do not sell the creature to you."
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A. O. had been Deputy Chairman|| of the Committee for Cow Neck, Great Neck, &c., and it became his duty to grant passes to those wishing to leave the county, and preside at meetings where resolutions, offensive to the Loyalists, were of- ten passed ; hence, though a mild and moderate man, "[ he na- turally from his position incurred their resentment. After the defeat at Brooklyn, he left his home and was concealed for two or three weeks at Jacob Vanderbelt's, Huntington. He then came in on the faith of the British Proclamation, and gave up to Sir Wm. Erskine, on Long Island ; in violation of which he was cast into prison.
One Sunday before his imprisonment, as he was returning from Flower Hill, I. R., with Mike Burns and one Osborn, met him, used abusive language, and finally seized the reins of his bridle, and for lack of rope, said he had "a great mind to peel bark and hang him."
While A. O. was yet in Provost, Capt. Stephen Thorne rode up to his house, and as he sat on his horse, said, in the course of conversation with A. O.'s wife, that " the Declaration of Independence was a wrong thing." She replied, (perhaps to conciliate his good will,) that " her husband did not approve of it either, and thought it was going too far ; but as it was the will of the majority, he fell in with it." **
During the armed occupation of Queens county, the Loyal- ists had frequent opportunities of insulting the Whigs. Im- mense quantities of cord-wood were carted to A. O.'s landing, (now C. Pearsall's.) The gates were often left open, and if his son, tired of driving out stray cattle, should request a carter to shut the gate, " Your father is not Chairman of the Committee now," would be the ready taunt. And if the father should venture a like request, he would be greeted witlı " You d-d Dutch rebel, I'll go on board the man of war (meaning the guard ship in Cow Bay,) and complain of you for hindering me from carting the King's wood."
* Col. Graydon says a like insult was offered the American prison- ers taken at Fort Washington.
t Women often brought food for the prisoners in little baskets, which after examination, were handed in. Now and then, the guard might in-
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tercept what was sent, or Cunningham (if the humor took him) as he passed through the hall, might kick over vessels of soup placed there by the charitable for the poor and friendless prisoners.
# " I was appointed provost marshal to the Royal army, which placed me in a situation to wreak my vengeance on the Americans. I shudder to think of the murders I have been accessory to, both with and without orders from government, especially while in New-York, during which time there were more than 2000 prisoners starved in the different churches, by stopping their rations, which I sold. There were also 275 American prisoners and obnoxious persons executed ; out of all which number there were only about one dozen public executions, which chiefly consisted of British and Hessian deserters. The mode for private execu- tions was thus conducted : A guard was despatched from the Provost about half-past twelve at night, to the Barrack street, (now Chambers,) and the neighborhood of the upper barracks, to order the people to shut their window-shutters and put out their lights, forbidding them at the same time to presume to look out of their windows and doors, on pain of death ; after which the unfortunate prisoners were conducted gagged, just behind the upper barracks, and hung without ceremony, and there buried by the black pioneer of the Provost."-Dying Confession.
§ One Guinea Reward .- Ran away, a black man, named Richmond, being the common hangman, formerly the property of the rebel Col. Pat- terson, of Pennsylvania. Aug. 4, 1781.
WM. CUNNINGHAM.
|| Gov. Tryon said, " I should, were I in more authority, burn every committee-man's house within my reach, as I deem those agents the wicked instruments of the continued calamities of this country ; and in order sooner to purge the country of them, I am willing to give 25 silver dollars for every acting committee-man, who shall be delivered up to the King's troops." Nov. 23, 1777.
T Benj. Sands, Chairman of the Committee, was for going ahead. He was especially severe on the New-Yorkers who moved into the district. (See 43.) When A. O. recommended gentler measures, he replied, " Then you think we ought to do nothing, eh ?"
** " The Declaration of Independence," says Graydon, " was not re- ceived with the enthusiasm since supposed. Many who had supported the Whig cause fell back."
118. Major Thorne, of Great Neck, was taken by Col. Birch, Sept. 27, 1776, at his house, and carried to Flushing
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