USA > New York > Dutchess County > General history of Duchess County from 1609 to 1876, inclusive > Part 21
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sions, robbed the subscriber of the following articles, viz., 18c silver dollars, 28 guineas, 9 half Johannes, 1 green silk purse, opening with a spring, and large silver hook, and containing between £4 and £5 in small silver, with one guinea; two pairs of silver shoe buckles ; I silver table spoon, marked with the letters R. M., with a T. at top between them ; I small sil- ver snuff-box, marked A. S. ; 1 large paper snuff-box ; one sil- ver thimble ; 2 penknives (one with a mother-of-pearl handle) in cases ; one carved ivory tooth pick case ; I lawn handker- chief ; one red and white linen do .; three cotton stockings, and I pair of white knit garters. One pair of buckles has been found upon a fellow, who went by the name of Williams, who formerly used to profess himself a painter in New York ; was lately taken up on charge of some other felonies, and impris- oned at Kingston, in Ulster County, from whence, on the ap- proach of the British incendiaries, he was removed (with the other prisoners) into the state of Connecticut, where he is now confined. MARY FERRARI.
Quaker Hill, Nov. 5, 1777.
In the field south of the road which branches east near the residence of Peter W. Baldwin, Esq., and east of the main road, buttons, gun locks, bullets, and even a small cannon ball have been plowed up, which would seem to indicate that to have been the location of an encampment .* In this field is a spot of low ground, that used to be a swamp. Tradition says that a quantity of ammunition was thrown into it on one occasion, during an alarm, to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy. A key of very curious workmanship was picked up here. It was shaped like a harp, and plated with gold. On one side was the representation of a rose, and a thistle on the reverse-emblems of the powers of England and Scotland. The key was doubtless the property of some officer, and may have had a history worthy of record.
On a rocky knoll, on lands of Elmer Chase, Esq., was a solitary grave marked with head and foot stones, where tradi-
* When the road was straightened some years sinee, near the residence of Oliver Taber, Esq., a number of human skeletons were exhumed. They came from the sand bank, through which the road now runs, just south of the bridge. The bones, supposed to be those of Revolutionary soldiers. were put into a box and re-interred south of the bridge. near where stands a maple tree, the first in the row on the west side. Its superior thrifti- ness is doubtless owing to its having sent a root down a nong these bones, from whence it is deriving nourishment.
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tion says an Irishman was buried. He was a sort of hanger-on of the army while quartered here. Whether he died of disease, or was killed, is not known. Some years ago, a man was passing near the grave, when he noticed it had been disturbed, and the stones removed. The owner of the land set some men at work, who dug down into the grave, but could find nothing except two or three finger bones. The grave was again filled up ; and in a few weeks the head and foot stones were again put in place as strangely as they were removed. This will probably ever remain a mystery.
One of the most atrocious acts of the Tory clan was the robbery and murder of Nathan Pearce, Jun. One night they made a forcible entry into his house, and before he could take means to defend himself, was knocked down and beaten until he was insensible. After satisfying their vengeance in this manner, they suspended him by the thumbs to the ceiling; in which position he was whipped until his back was cut into shreds, and the blood ran in a stream upon the floor. This done, they searched the house for plunder, took his money and clothing, and whatever articles could be converted into cash, destroying what they could not carry away, and decamped, leaving their victim more dead than alive. He was taken down and resuscitated by his family ; but he never afterward recovered, and died in a few weeks from the effects of his in- juries. He was the third victim that the limits of Pawling had furnished to the greed and cruelty of Vaughn and his robber clan. But the robber chief was soon cut off in the midst of his career. in a manner which we will now relate.
Through the complicity of Peasley, one of Vaughn's adhe- rents, the Whigs were apprised of the presence of the Tory robber in one of his haunts in a cavern in the rocks. This cave was in a piece of woods, on lands of the venerable Daniel Irish ; and thither a patriot band of volunteers was piloted by Peasley .* The latter, it appears, was acting quartermaster of
* One Sarah Merritt, whom many of our readers will recollect, then living at the place now occupied by Mrs. Craft, used to relate the particulars of this affair. She was aware of the intended attack, and heard the shots that were fired into the Tory camp.
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the Tory camp. He would get provisions cooked at the farm houses of the neighborhood, and, under cover of the darkness, convey them to the rendezvous. The Tories, unmindful of danger, were playing cards on a flat rock. Their money was staked ; and one of them was dealing out the cards when the attacking party came within gun-shot. The volunteers poured a volley into the robber band. The latter fled precipitately, with the exception of Vaughn, who was mortally wounded .* He seemed appalled at the fierce looks cast upon him by his captors ; and, writhing with agony, with his bowels protruding from the wound, he begged piteously for mercy. He appeared conscious that his life was fast ebbing away, and plead to be granted the few moments that it was possible for him to live.
There was one in that band of volunteers whose heart was untouched by the appeal. That man was Capt. Pearce. He saw before him an outlaw, whose deeds of violence had made his name a terror to the country ; and who at that moment was clad in the garments of his brother Nathan, whom he had murdered. The blood of the martyr to his country's honor cried out for vengeance. Taking a gun from the hands of a soldier, he thrust the bayonet into the quivering flesh of the robber, the instrument passing entirely through the body, striking the rock against which he reclined with such force as to break the point. t
Vaughn's remains were brought down and laid under an apple-tree (still standing we believe) near the residence of Mr. Irish. Here the body was placed in a wagon and conveyed to Toffeys Corners, on Quaker Hill, and his mother notified of her son's death. She came, bringing with her a physician, probably under the vain hope that her son might only have been wounded. She said she was in hopes it might not be her son, but on being shown to the room containing the corpse, and turning down the sheet from his face, disfigured as it was, with clotted blood adhering to his clothing, and presenting a
* It was afterward ascertained that another named Drinkwater had a finger shot off at the same time.
t Another version is to the effect that Pearce thrust the bayonet into the robber's head, and pried it open.
PAWLING INSTITUTE.
1
OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH, PAWLING, BURNED 1872.
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ghastly spectacle, she at once recognized the lineaments of her son's features. She gave a piercing shriek, and fell into a swoon.
The people of the neighborhood rendered her all the con- solation it was in their power to give, and accorded the body a Christian burial. The grave may yet be seen in the Toffey burial ground-a little rural enclosure, on a rising knoll in the valley, northeast of Toffeys Corners. His grave is to the right of the bars leading into the ground. No stone marks the spot ; only a little mound indicates to the passer-by the resting-place of the noted Tory chieftain. His mother remarked at his grave that in his death she had one consolation-" he died in a good cause."
During the year 1778 a considerable detachment of Ameri- can troops were stationed in Pawling, and for a time General Washington had his head quarters here. Our authority for this assertion is the evidence of those living at that interesting period, who often went to camp and saw the Commander-in- Chief, and whose testimony has come down to us by tradition. The artillery were posted on the eastern hills of Purgatory ; the infantry were scattered along the valley adjacent; and the cavalry were located on the rolling lands north of Stedwell's. Of course all this "pomp and circumstance of war" would make but a sorry show in this day of ample means. The time was, however, when the man that had seen the big guns, and General Washington beside, had beheld about all that was worth seeing.
As to the precise location of General Washington's head- quarters when in this town, there seems to be some question. Some locate it at the "Slocum Place," and others at the " Kirby House," at the foot of Quaker Hill. There seems to be good authority for each opinion, and we are inclined to divide the honor between both localities. A writer in the Pawling Pioneer, who adheres to the latter view, says :
" The old Kirby House was built by Reed Ferris in 1771, and at the time Washington was in Pawling was a new house.
r
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Mr. Ferris was a substantial farmer, and his house was, like his means, large and ample. It was then considered the "biggest thing" for miles around, and toward which Washington naturally turned his steps. Mrs. Akin, mother of the late Judge Akin, and another lady, both of them daughters of Mr. Ferris, used to tell the story of its occupation in this way : " One day two aides-de-camp rode up to the door, and inquir- ing for Mr. Ferris informed him that General Washington would like to make his home there for a time. Mr. Ferris consented ; and to notify all intruders that this was the home of the Commander-in-Chief, the officers fastened a paper to the front door reading thus : 'Headquarters of Gen. Washington.' Mrs. Ferris and the girls at once set themselves at preparing the best chamber for the General, and the second best for his staff officers, and soon their illustrious guest arrived, and was shown to the south chamber, evermore to be known as Washington's Room .* Often have I, though born and brought up in this house, felt a mysterious awe come over me
The Kirby house.
when entering this room in which so great and good a man once dwelt. Here, probably, Washington lived during most of his residence in Pawling. His soldiers were encamped on Purgatory, hard by ; and twenty years ago [1872] the remains of three stone huts could then be plainly seen ; and my father picked up a ramrod on this spot, which, probably, had once belonged to some Revolutionary hero."
This house has connected with it other events of great historic interest. Within it was held the trial of General
*The chamber window nearest the tree in the cut opened into the room. The design is from the Historical Record.
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Schuyler in October of 1778. We append the following, rela- tive to this officer, condensed from an article by Lossing :
The ambition of General Gates was such as to lead him to seek honor and preferment by means not always honorable. By it he was led to plot for the position of General Schuyler, and afterward of General Washington ; in which schemes he was upheld by friends both in and out of Congress. Doubtless some of these friends were sincere; but there is reason to" believe that most of them were actuated by other feelings than pure patrotism.
The failure of the campaign of the northern army, of which Gen. Schuyler was the chief, in the year 1776, at which time it was driven out of Canada with serious loss, was made the occa- sion of bitter calumny by Gates and his friends. Much as the lat- ter desired to succeed Schuyler in office, he had not yet dared to make specific charges against him, for no foundation for such could be found. Interference and complaints had already made Schuyler anxious to leave his position. He had tendered his resignation, but it was not accepted. There remained no other way than to so increase his discontent as to cause him to leave the service. .
Schuyler was particularly sensitive to acts that savored of injustice toward himself or others. His letters to Congress was always vigorous and outspoken. He called the attention of Congress to the injustice done to the head of the hospitals in his department. His letter on the subject was made the pretext for insulting him most grievously. The offensive paragraphs in that letter were as follows: " As Doctor Stringer had my recommendation to the office he has sustained, perhaps it was a compliment due to me that I should have been advised of the reason of his dismission, * *
* I confi- dently expected that Congress would have done me that justice which was in their power to give, and which I humbly conceive they ought to have done."
Gen. Gates, instead of attending to the duties assigned him by Washington, was in Philadelphia, urging his friends in Congress to stir up the popular feeling against Schuyler, who they said had been guilty of impertinence in his demeanor toward that body. They procured the passage of a resolution of censure as follows :
" Resolved :- That the suggestion in Schuyler's letter to Congress, that it was a compliment due to him to advise him of the reasons for Doctor Stringer's dismission is highly deroga- tory to the honor of Congress; and that the President be
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desired to acquaint Gen. Schuyler that it is expected his letters for the future be written in a style more suitable to the dignity of that representative body, of these free and independent States, and to his own character as their officer.
" Resolved :- That it is altogether improper and inconsis- tent with the dignity of this Congress to interfere in disputes subsisting among the officers of the army; and that the expression in Gen. Schuyler's letter of the 4th of February [1777] that he confidently expected Congress would have done him that justice which it was in their power to give, and which he humbly conceived they ought to have done, were, to say the 'e ist, ill-advised and indecent."
At that time grave perils were impending and Schuyler could not be moved by any provocation to resign at that critical juncture. But he resolved on an effort to obtain justice. He laid his case before the Provincial Convention of New York, then in session at Kingston, and on the 8th of March, 1777, he set out to take his seat in Congress, then in Philadelphia, to which he had been elected, and to demand of that body an investigation into his character while in their service.
The plot now seemed to be working favorably for Gates. Congress ordered him to repair to Ticonderoga, and take command there. It was such a virtual superseding of Schuyler in the command of the Northern Department, that the ambitious Gates believed that almost immediately he would be invested with that command. He hastened to Albany, while Schuyler was placed in command of troops in Philadelphia.
Schuyler demanded and obtained from Congress a com- mittee of investigation. He laid before that committee a clear statement of the whole matter, early in May. His dignified and unanswerable statements made a deep impression upon Congress, and silenced every cavil. The report of the committee placed the character of the patriot higher than ever before. He was ordered to resume command of the Northern Department immediately. Gates refused to serve under Schuyler. Hastening to Philadelphia, he was allowed, on the floor of Congress, to pour out his feelings in far more indecorous language than any which Schuyler had made use of. Yet Congress, under the manipulation of Gates' friends, endured the scolding with great meekness, and uttered not a word about the "dignity of that body."
The loss of Ticonderoga in the summer of 1777 caused a great hue and cry against Gen Schuyler. He was accused of
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cowardice, treason, and even of the use of the public money for his own private benefit. Congress was induced, by a force of outside pressure, to appoint Gates to the command of the Northern Department at the moment when Schuyler, by the most skillful manouvering, had placed Burgoyne in a position of the greatest peril. He was prepared to strike the invaders a crushing blow, when Gates arrived and took command.
The generous and patriotic Schuyler, though appreciating most keenly the indignity and injustice, laid aside his personal. feelings in his effort to do his country service ; he even went so far as to offer his service to Gates in the capacity of a private gentleman, believing himself to be better acquainted with the condition of the army at this critical period, and ready to give his advice without any prospect of reaping any of the honors of victory. Gates, however, treated him with contempt. Schuyler demanded a court-martial, and after repeated delays, the request was granted.
On the first day of October, 1778, the court martial assembled to try him at the " Kirby House," then occupied by Reed Ferris. At the time of the trial it was the head- quarters of General Lincoln, who was President of the Court. The tribunal was composed of the following officers :
Major General Benjamin Lincoln, President ; Brigadier Generals John Nixon, George Clinton, Anthony Wayne, and J. P. G. Muhlenberg ; Colonels John Greation, Francis John- son, Rufus Putnam, Mordecai Gist, William Russell. William Grayson, Walter Stewart, and R. J. Meigs; John Lawrens, Judge Advocate.
The general charge made against the accused was Neglect of Duty in not being present at Ticonderoga to discharge the functions of his command. It was specified that the Northern Department included Albany; Ticonderoga, Fort Stanwix, and their dependencies, and that the act of Congress on the 22nd of May, 1777, released him from all restraint respecting the place of his headquarters :
That by letters to him by St. Clair, under various dates from the 13th of June to the first of July, 1777, he was made acquainted with the probable designs of the enemy, and of the great danger to the fort :
That in consequence of the first three letters from St. Clair, he went to Ticonderoga on the 20th of June and there had a council of war ; and though that council determined the army to be inadequate to the defense of Ticonderoga and Mt. Inde- pendence, yet nevertheless both forts ought to be maintained
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as long as possible, and the repairs and additions to the fortifi- cations ought to claim immediate attention ; yet Gen. Schuyler made no stay at Ticonderoga to expedite the work, or to con- duct a retreat when it became no longer possible to maintain the forts, consistent with the safety of the troops and stores :
That Ticonderoga and Mt. Independence being the posts of the greatest defense against the advance of the British forces in Canada, and the main army being stationed at these posts, it was Gen. Schuyler's duty to have been at the head of the army, and to have removed the troops when he knew the enemy were actually advancing against the forts :
That his forces were greatly inadequate to the defense of these posts, and that they were to be abandoned when it should become no longer possible to maintain them consistent with the safety of the troops and stores-a moment of which it was necessary the first officer in the department should judge ; that in the absence of Schuyler this critical moment passed unim- proved, with the loss of the sick, ammunition, cannon, provi- sions, and clothing of the army, and the loss of many lives in the retreat.
Gen. Schuyler having caused the verity of his letter book to be established, he caused several letters to be read therefrom, and then proceeded to conduct his defense in person. He gave a brief history of his acts while in command of the North- ern Department ; to these he added an outline narrative of events during his last occupancy of office, St. Clair's appoint- ment to the command of the lake fortresses, and their evacua- tion. He next spoke directly to the specific charge of being absent from the post ; admitted his absence, but was prepared to prove he was not guilty of any neglect thereby ; proposed to show his incessant attention to duty, and the reasons of his absence from Ticonderoga ; and that although superseded and calumniated, he continued his exertions in behalf of the com- mon cause, and received frequent marks of the confidence of Congress. At this point Gen. Schuyler cited letters that had passed between himself and the committee of Congress, show- ing his entire devotion and attention to the business of the Department.
The trial lasted three days. Only three witnesses were called viz. :- General St. Clair, Lieutenant-Colonel Varick, and Ma- jor Lansing. After Schuyler closed his defense, the following verdict was given :-
" The Court having considered the charges against Major- General Schuyler, the evidence, and his defense, they are
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unanimously of the opinion that he is not guilty of any Neg- lect of Duty in not being at Ticonderoga, as charged, and the Court do therefore acquit him with the highest honor." Congress confirmed the proceedings on the third of December following, directed them to be published, and a copy thereof transmitted to the Commander-in-Chief.
This verdict was expected by all. Congress continued to refuse to accept the resignation of Gen. Schuyler, until the Spring of 1779, when they allowed him to retire to private life, in which he continued to serve his country zealously and gratuitously.
A writer in the New York Standard thus speaks of Quaker Hill: " East of Pa vling Station, up fearfully long and steep hills, bordering the State of Connecticut, a famous range of hills are located, and from their early settlement by the Quakers derived the name of Quaker Hill. From their summits can be seen miles upon miles of first-class farms, located in the States of New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. When the air is clear the Catskill Mountain House, distant sixty miles in the northwest, can be seen without a glass. The hotels of fashion at Lake Mahopac, miles away in a southerly direction, are distinctly visible ; while at your very feet, Pawling and Patterson are nestling in the valley.
" Without the tediousness of a long journey (only three hours from the city ), you are located nearly fifteen hundred feet above tide water,-over two-thirds as high as the Catskill Mountain House, with a view nearly equal, and a society far surpassing that famous resort. The house now used by the Hicksite branch of Friends, was built in 1764. During the War for Independence it was used as a hospital, and many a noble soldier was carried through its solemn portals and buried in what LaFayette's Headquarters. is now the finest yard on Quaker Hill. Gen. LaFayette, in the year 1778, had his headquarters near the meeting house or hospital, not far distant from the fountain spring of the Croton. On Purga-
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tory Hill the American army was encamped, Washington having his headquarters near by in a beautiful glen, where the infantile Croton gurgles and leaps onward, gathering strength to supply the thirsty millions." The " headquarters of LaFayette " referred to above was the old house standing on or near the site of the present spacious residence of Mr. Richard T. Osborne. It was built partly of brick and partly of wood, and was removed about the year 1858. Whether the Marquis ever actually established his headquarters there, we are unable to say ; though traditionary evidence strongly favors the assump- tion. It is a fact, however recorded in history, that LaFayette stopped in this house for a day or two. This was on the occasion of his coming across the country from Rhode Island to consult Washington on military matters in general, and also in relation to a duel he had arranged with Lord Carlisle, Chairman of the British Commissioners, for his disrespectful language toward the French. We presume the cool, self- possessed commander had no difficulty in curbing the impetu- osity of the gallant young Frenchman. When LaFayette visited this country in 1824, as the nation's guest, it is said he inquired after the old house on Quaker Hill, and expressed a strong desire to see it.
The Oblong Meeting was authorized by the Meeting at the Purchase in 1744. From this date until 1757 the records were kept on loose paper, and were lost. From that time (1757) the complete records of the society have been pre- served through a period of nearly a century and a quarter. Everything connected with the affairs of the church, and much pertaining to the life of individual members, is recorded with much minuteness of detail, and fills several large manu- script volumes. Here is a repository of family history and reminiscences of the dim past, worthy the research of the antiquarian. Visitors yearly come from far and near to consult them.
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