USA > New York > Dutchess County > History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 94
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Soon after, a society was organized and supplied for the next four or five years with the itinerant labors of Revs. Levi Hathaway, Daniel Call and John Hollister. It was toward the close of this time that Mr. Hall was ordained in the New York Eastern Conference. Dividing his labors between the calls of his two-fold profession, he supplied the church as a pastor for three years or more.
October 3, 1834, a general meeting was appoint- ed, and Revs. James Andrew, of Western New York, I. N. Walter, of New York city, and Mrs. Roberts and son,* were in attendance. This meeting resulted in several conversions, and in the removal of much prejudice from the minds of certain professors of religion.
The Rev. Philetus Roberts soon after received from this church and the church in Kingston dis- trict, near Danbury, Conn., a unanimous call, and here entered upon his labors as a christian minis-
ter. Nearly thirty members were added to the Union Vale church during the following winter and spring of 1834-'35. His pastorate lasted until the Ist of April, 1844.
Rev. J. R. Hoag,-now laboring in Nebraska,- was the next one called to the pastorate, remain- ing one year. During the succeeding year, the church being without a pastor, Rev. Mr. Roberts supplied the congregation for a few months. Rev. Burrough S. Fanton next succeeded to the pastorate. Revs. John Showers and Richard Mosher after- wards supplied the pulpit, their labors covering a period of some five years.
In the early fall of 1863, the Rev. Philetus Rob- erts, who had supplied the church with occasional preaching and communion services, introduced to the congregation Stephen Wright Butler, a young man just entering the ministry. The church soon after called for his ordination, and Mr. Butler supplied the church for four and a half years. After Mr. Butler's retirement, Nelson Putnam, an unordained minister, occupied the desk, and his labors were duly appreciated.
Some of the members of the Clove Cemetery Association, whose grounds were some two miles south of the Christian church edifice, were anxious to have a church erected at the entrance to the cemetery. They held out liberal inducements to the church people to take down their chapel * and remove it to the proposed location. Between three and four thousand dollars were raised, and a con- tract entered into with the builder to take the old house and build a larger one, and from a different model. This was done in 1871 and '72. At the completion of the church building it was formally dedicated to the worship of God, Mr. Roberts giv- ing its past history, and Mr. S. W. Butler, of Fall River, Mass., delivering the dedicatory discourse. Until the fall of 1880 the new church has been supplied with short pastorates : Revs. D. J. Putnam, P. Roberts, Miss H. L. Halsy, J. Q. Helfenstein, and E. D. Hainer, having during that time offici- ated as ministers to the congregation. Since the fall of 1880 the Rev. J. L. Hainer has held the pastoral charge. The church is prosperous and self-sustaining.
UNION VALE IN THE REBELLION.
In the war of the Rebellion, Union Vale did creditable work. Early in 1861, the people of the town raised by voluntary subscription a considera-
* Rev. Philetus Roberts, whose ordination to the ministry took place one month later, by a council from the New Jersey Christian Conference, of which he was at that time a member.
* This was a frame building and stood opposite the present store of Reuben L. Coe.
478
HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.
ble amount of money, and applied it in sending to the front some twenty-six men.
In 1862, the people made up a fund of $2,000, which was devoted to filling the quotas to the sat- isfaction of the inhabitants of the town and of the State. In 1863, the matter was assumed by the County. In 1864, the duty came under the juris- diction of David D. Vincent, Supervisor ; Reu- ben L. Coe, Town Clerk, and John U. Abel, a War Committee, appointed by the people of the town, and the transactions of that Commit- tee were as follows: Under the call of July, 1864, they expended in filling the quota, which was mainly of two and three years' men, the sum of $23,246.34, including expenses, which was assessed upon the town, and paid.
On the subsequent call of December 19, 1864, they sent out fifteen three years' men, at an ex- pense of $10,372.23, including the expense of re- cruiting. They also expended for soldiers' relief the sum of $326.65. The total amount of money raised for the expenses of the war was $36,229.39.
The following from the record compiled by Reuben L. Coe, agreeable to the law of 1865, is the list of volunteers from this town :-
150th. Regiment .- John D. Appleby, Matthew Bier, Harris Baker, killed in battle ; Theodore Baker,* killed by accident ; Albert Clements, John Evans, John L. Delamater, Thaddeus Emigh, An- drew J. Emigh, Alexander Ferguson, John Gallen- beck, a native of Germany; Robert G. Gunbert, a
native of England ; Casper Gilbert, a native of Germany; David Howard, Silas Howard, George W. Holden, Charles D. Losee, John Lane, a native of Union Vale ; Jeremiah Lane, a native of Union Vale ;; Egbert M. Lee, a native of Dover ; Rensselaer Lane, born in Union Vale; Charles K. Odell, Daniel Ousterhout, died since his discharge; Thomas Rossell, a native of Beekman; John H. Sprague, a native of Union Vale; William R. Smalley, a native of Putnam county, color bearer ; Richard Still, a native of La Grange; Henry Liman, a native of Germany.
128th Regiment-Co. H .- Edmund A. Whit- man, born in New York City, and LaFayette Lester.
Co. I .- David McIntyre, a native of Dover, 7th Corporal; George W. Gray, 8th Corporal; Ben- jamin Kelly, Patrick Manahan, a native of Ireland; Amos Fraganzie, lost an arm at Port Hudson ;
Charles A. Appleby, Benjamin Barrett, Henry L. Benson, died in the service; Uriah Davidson, Jeremiah Lane, John Lake, Henry Mackey, killed at battle of Port Hudson; Charles Roselle, a na- tive of Beekman ; David Ryan, a native of Cana- da ; Theodore Vail, (Slocum?) a native of Union Vale; Oliver Slocum, Charles E. Dennis and James E. Gifford.
Company Unknown .*- George Wentworth, en- listed in September, 1862 ; John Fitzgerald, a na- tive of Ireland, enlisted Sept. 6, 1862; Levi L. Brooks, a native of Beekman; William H. Cash.
98th Regiment .- James F. Clark, George H. Cole, William H. Cole, Michael Cushman, a native of Ireland ; John Clements, Marcus L. Dinge, William H. Lane, a native of Connecticut ; Henry J. Proper.
16th N. Y. Artillery .- Gilbert Emigh, George Robson, a native of Pleasant Valley ; Isaiah Smal- ley, a native of Putnam county ; Stephen Scott, born in Amenia in 1836, enlisted in Co. B in 1861, served twenty-two months and was discharged for disability ; Jacob See, a native of Milan, N. Y.
8th N. Y. Artillery .- Joseph F. Dunham, a na- tive of New Jersey.
6th N. Y. Artillery .-- Horace Totten, born in New York city.
4th Heavy Artillery .- Thomas Lane, a resi- dent of Union Vale, died Dec. 16, 1881, aged 75; Gilbert H. Purdy, enlisted Jan. 4, 1861, re-en- listed in the navy ; Charles Potter, a native of New Milford, Conn.
20th Colored Regiment .- Augustus Freeman ; John J. Freeman, killed ; Perry C. Freeman.
6ist N. Y. Volunteers .- William H. Haight, a native of Sharon, Conn.
8th N. Y. Battalion .- William H. Burch.
48th N. Y. Regiment N. Y. S. Vols .- Charles Lane, a native of Union Vale; died in 1881 ; George Lane, a native of Union Vale, killed in Florida.
3oth Regiment, N. Y. S. Vols .- Brownell Lee, a native of the town of Washington.
6th N. Y. Cavalry .- Aaron Burr Austin, born in Union Vale in 1813, enlisted in 1861, served two years, and was discharged on account of disa- bility, now living at Clove.
Both N. Y. S. Volunteers .- Lewis Stadelman, a native of Germany ; Randolph Schermerhorn, a native of Germany.
30th N. Y. S. Volunteers .-- William H. Wright,
* It is not definitely known that either he or Harris Baker belonged to this regiment.
t Died in June, 1881.
* These names, though given in the town's records as having entered the 128th Regt., are not given in the official record of that regiment.
479
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
born in Newburgh, N. Y., enlisted in April, 1861 ; wounded at second battle of Bull Run, and had a leg amputated ; was discharged, and re-enlisted in the Invalid Corps in July, 1863 ; he suffered a second amputation of his leg and was discharged.
Veteran Reserve Corps .- Jacob Mayer, a native of Germany, Jan. 12, 1865 ; James Macay, a na- tive of Ireland ; John Uthane, a native of Ger- many.
Regiments Unknown .- Hiram Acy, John Duffie, died since dis- charge ; William Hartock, a na- tive of Germany ; James Hamil- ton, killed by accidental discharge of a gun ; Edward Lyon, a native of England ; Andrew Potter, Clark Stilwell, a native of Pough- keepsie ; Charles Townsend, Jno. H. Townsend, Thomas Tallady, a native of Dover ; William Tal- lady, a native of Union Vale, died in hospital.
" When the shadow of the approaching Revolu- tion began to darken over the colonies, the exposed situation of Nantucket caused many of the inhabit- ants to emigrate to the main-land. Among them was Abishai Coffin, a descendant of the fourth gen- eration from the patriarch Tristram, who selected a home for his young wife and children in the val- ley of the Hudson. His dread of tide-water, as connected in his mind with the expected British men of war, possibly influenced his choice of location, for he settled far out among windings
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
THE COFFIN FAMILY.
This ancient family, which is numerously represented in Duchess County, is of Norman- French origin, but more direct- ly of English descent. It is ("HEMLOCK FARM"- THE FORMER HOMESTEAD OF ALEXANDER H. COFFIN. ) said that the lineage of its present younger mem- bers can be traced back through eleven genera- tions, with all the names and most of the important dates (of births, deaths and marriages,) ascertained and reliable.
Tristram Coffyn, the pioneer and ancestor of the American branch, came from Devonshire, England, in 1642, and located in Massachusetts. In 1660 he removed to the island of Nantucket, of which he was one of the first owners and settlers and where he died in 1681. In Aug., 1881, two hund- red years after his death, large numbers of his de- scendants, coming from many of our states and territories and from foreign lands, journeyed to Nantucket, and there held a grand memorial re-union, the exercises lasting for three successive days. The following extract from an oration de- livered upon that occasion by Tristram Coffin of Poughkeepsie, contains some interesting informa- tion in regard to the branch of the family trans- planted to this county.
the hills, beyond the reach and almost beyond the sound of their cannon, which soon after awoke the echoes along the river banks. His low, brown house* with long sloping roof, which stood hard by the country road, disappeared long ago, but the lit- tle spring near at hand is still as fresh and pure as when he first took up his abode beside it. Some among those of his grandsons who are with us here to-day remember him well ; his stout walking-staff, broad-brimmed hat and pleasant "thee" and " thou " are among their earliest recollections, and they speak with affectionate respect of his sincere nature, his upright life and excellent standing in the community in which he lived and died. Sixty years have scarcely elapsed since he was laid at rest in the old Nine Partners graveyard, and already his descendants, now living, number two hundred and forty souls. They are scattered far and wide in many States, from New England to
* This house stood on what is now known as the " Tristram Coffin farm " near the village of Little Rest, in the town of Washington.
480
HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.
California, and are represented in this gathering by about one-twelfth of their entire number."
Robert Coffin, the son of Abishai, died in 1842, aged 64 years, and rests with his father and many other deceased members of the family, in the burial ground attached to the Friends' "Old Brick" meeting house in the hamlet of Mechanic. He is said to have been an exceptionally able, active and successful man, constantly employed in public capacities, political and otherwise, and his memory is yet cherished and held in high esteem by many among the older inhabitants throughout the county. His home in Washington, where he lived and died, is now owned and occupied by Robert G. Coffin, his youngest son. He left ten children, nine of whom are still living, the average of their ages being sixty-eight years. Among them are Alexan- der H. Coffin, of Poughkeepsie, (formerly of Union Vale,) an ex-member of the State Legislature ; Hezekiah R. Coffin, of Washington, who has been a Justice of the Peace in his native town for nearly a quarter of a century ; Owen T. Coffin of Peeks- kill, who is now serving his second term as Surro- gate of Westchester County ; Geo. W. Coffin, of California, who is creditably identified with some of the notable public and private undertakings in progress in that distant state, and William H. Coffin of St. Louis, Mo., who has been for many years prominently connected, as President, Director, etc., with railroad building and management upon a large scale, both east and west of the Missis- sippi.
For about thirty years past the members of this branch of the family, old and young, have annually assembled in joyous reunion at the home of some one of their number in their ancestral county ; thus keeping fresh and warm the affection for each other natural between those of kindred blood. Did our space permit, this article could easily be extended by giving additional particulars relating to this in- telligent and well known family, and further ap- propriate personal mention of others among its individual members of the younger, as well as the older generation, now living, who have done honor to the name and to their native soil in their vari- ous walks in life.
CHAPTER XLII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DOVER.
T HE town of Dover lies on the southeastern border of the county. It is bounded on the north by Amenia and Washington ; on the south by Pawling ; on the east by Connecticut; and on the west by Union Vale and Beekman. The town abounds in wild and beautiful scenery. On the eastern and western borders are ranges of hills almost mountainous in their dimensions, while the center forms a valley, some four hundred feet
above tide water, containing thrifty farms and pleasant villages. The principal streams are Ten Mile River and Swamp River.
Dover was formed as a town from Pawling, Feb- ruary 20, 1807. It is not definitely known by whom the town was first settled, but it is supposed that the first settlements were made by the Dutch who came here from the vicinity of Hudson River. Among the early home makers in this region we find the old Dutch names of Ousterhout, Van Du- sen, Dutcher and Knickerbocker. It is said that the first named-the Ousterhouts-and the Wil- cox's, Dutchers and Bensons were the first settlers, and that they located under the East Mountain ; but there are no dates accessible to define the time of their incoming.
In the cemetery at Dover Plains are a consider- able number of moss covered tombstones, fast hastening to decay, on which are inscribed the names of those who were undoubtedly among the earliest to seek a home in this pleasing valley. As much to preserve from oblivion these names and epitaphs, which will soon pass from the knowl- edge of the living, as to give the names of the pioneers who laid the foundations of the town, we give here some of the oldest of the inscriptions.
Around a large tree, near the eastern side of this burial ground, are three stones which have been removed from the resting place of those whom they commemorate, and which stand there like hoary sentinels guarding the dead. The first of these is to the memory of an Ousterhout, said, as before stated, to have been one of the first families in this town. The inscriptions, nearly obliterated, read :--
"In memory of Mr. John Ousterhout, who died Jan'ry. 29, 1759. A. 55 years."
"In memory of Denton Woolfey, who died May 20, 1777, in the 36th year of his age."
"In memory of Deborah, wife to Nathaniel Gray, died June 13, 1770, A. 31.
" Here in this tomb interred lies A friend that was moft dear, Although Pale Death has closed her eyes Her memory still is here."
In this same section of the cemetery are other ancient slabs, some of them bearing quaint in- scriptions. One of them commemorative of a centennarian, reads thus :-
"In memory of Ephraim Wheeler, who departed this life May 10, 1808, in the 100th year of his age.
" Beneath this monument I lie. Intombed in silent dust.
When Christ shall raise the dead may I Be found among the just."
481
TOWN OF DOVER.
Another is to
"Capt. Valentine Wheeler, died Aug. 11, 1782. Æ 42 years."
And one to
" MatthewVan Dusen, died Sept. 5, 1806. Æ 65." Other inscriptions are as follows :-
" Jemima Burllinggame, wife of Benjamin Burl- linggame, died June 8, 1790, in the 41st year of her age."
" Hannah, wife of William Taber, died June 9th, 1792. Æ 81"
" Hannah, wife of Job Tabor,* died May I, A 57.'
1800.
"Silas Belding, died April 6, 1786. Æ 69."
" Elizabeth, wife of Gabriel Dutcher, died April 23, 1793. Æ 73."
"H. F.
"In memory of Mrs. Hannah French, wife of Mr. Jeremiah French, who departed this life Oct. 29, 1776. Æ 61.'
" Death is a Debt by Nature due, Which I have paid, and fo must you. Our time on earth is fhort we fee, O ! then prepare to follow me "
Other early settlers were: Hans Hufcut, f Mar- tin Preston, the Gilletts,¿ the Bensons, David Rose, and the Schermerhorns. Hans Hufcut and Martin Preston settled on what is known as Pres- ton Mountain, and the latter is said to have been the first settler on the " Equivalent Land," or the Oblong.
Thomas and Alice Casey, from Rhode Island, emigrated here about 1750, and located on what is now known as Chestnut Ridge. Their daugh- ter was grandmother to the wife of Benson J. Lossing, the historian. Derrick Dutcher and Jacob VanCamp came here previous to 1731, and located near Plymouth Hill.
One of the first mills in this section of the coun- try was that known as the Preston Mill, which in early days had an extensive reputation. The orig- inal structure has long since passed away, and the building which now occupies its site was built about a hundred years ago.
Ebenezer Preston built three grist mills on Ten Mile River. The present one is now owned by William A. Sheldon, at South Dover.
One of the eccentric characters of the earlier days was John Preston, who kept a tavern in the town somewhere about the year 1810. His place was a great resort, and he, with his fund of humor, was widely known.
Previous to the erection of the town the annual meetings were held in the tavern of Jackson Wing,
* Job Tabor died July 23, 1803. JE 65.
t Great-grandfather to Horace Hufcut.
# The Gilletts came here from Rhode Island about 1742.
a place of considerable repute in those days. The first town meeting after the erection of the town was held in 1807. The first pages of the book of records, containing the names of the officers elected, have been destroyed. The first Supervisor of the town was George Crary, and James Ketch- am was the first town clerk. The succession of Supervisors and Clerks from that date to 1881 has been as follows :- Clerks. Supervisors.
1807. George Crary,
James Ketcham.
1808.
Andrew Pray, do do
1809-'10. do do John Wing.
18II. James Ketcham,
Archibald Ross.
1812-'15. do do Andrew Pray.
1816. James Grant, do
John T. Hotchkiss.
1817-'20. do
William Hooker.
1821. William Hooker,
Leonard Vincent.
1822.
James Grant,
do do
1823. Absalom Vincent, Zebulon Ross,
1824-'25. do do Benjamin K.Delavan.
1826-'28. do do
Henry Ward.
1829.
William Hooker, John M. Ketcham.
1830. John M. Ketcham, Hiram K. Whitely.
1831. do do
Joseph Ross.
1832. do do
John M. Ketcham, Thos. H. Stevens.
1834.
William Hooker,
do do
1835.
Joel Hoag,
do clo
1836-'37. John M. Ketcham,
do do
1838. Absalom Vincent, Jackson W. Bowdish.
1839
Egbert Shelden, Simeon M. Collier .*
1840. John M. Ketcham, Jackson W. Bowdish.
1841.
Egbert Shelden,
David D. Vincent.
1842.
William Hooker,
David Tilton.
1843.
J. W. Bowdish,
Richard Chapman.
1844.
David Vincent, do do
1845.
do do
George T. Ross.
1846. Edgar Vincent, do do
1847.
do do Shandanette Wheeler.
1848.
Ebn'zer A. Preston, Preston Wing.
1849.
S. Wheeler, A. G. Hungerford.
1850.
Edward B. Somers, George T. Ross. do do
1852.
John M. Tabor,
Baldwin Stevens.
1853.
George Hufcut, Jr., J. VanNess Benson.
1854-'55. John H. Ketcham, George T. Ross. 1856. William Hufcut, John B. Dutcher,
1857.
T. Hammond, Jr., Allen H. Dutcher.
1859.
WVm. S. Ketcham, do do
1860. Allen H. Dutcher, Wm. A. Sheldon.
1861.
Obed Wing, do do
B. F. Chapman.
1863. Baldwin Stevens,
Hiram W. Dutcher.
1864.
Edwin Vincent,
Wm. N. Belding.
1865. do clo Horace D. Hufcut.
1866-'67. Wm. S. Ketcham, Theo. Buckingham.
1868. Cyrus Stark,
Andrew J. Ketcham.
1869. Horace D. Hufcut, Hiram Whitely.
1870. Geo, W. Ketcham, John M. Tabor.
. Elected by the Justices of the Peace.
Allen H. Dutcher.
Henry W. Preston.
1858.
Abel C. Benedict.
1862.
Hiram W. Chapman.
1851.
Luther Dutcher.
1833.
482
HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.
1871. Edwin Vincent,
Chas. H. Hermans.
1872. Obed Wing,
John H. Baker.
1873. M. Edmonds, Andrew J. Ketcham.
1874. Cyrus Stark,
Perry Edmonds.
1875-'76. Myron Edmonds,
Theo. Buckingham.
1877. Andris Brant, do do
1878. William H. Boyce, Geo. E. Sherman.
1879.
Geo. T. Belding, John Chamberlin.
1880.
Edwin Vincent,
Theo. Buckingham.
1881. Andris Brant,
Calvin W. Hall.
DOVER PLAINS.
The village of Dover Plains lies in the northern part of the town on the line of the New York & Harlem R. R. This is the most important settle- ment in the town and contains a population of 721 .* It is situated in the midst of charming scenery and has in its immediate vicinity natural curiosities which have attracted thousands of visit- ors. One of these, a rocky ravine, worn deep in the mountain west of the village, whose arched opening resembles the entrance to some cathedral of medieval times is known as the " Dover Stone Church." Within this entrance is a somewhat spacious cavern, roofed and walled by massive rocks, while beyond, pierced deep in the mountain, stretches a mile or two of picturesque ravine. The vicinity looks as though there had been at some time a great convulsion of nature which had lifted the rocks and hurled them into their present fan- tastic and suggestive shapes. It is claimed, how- ever, that the conformation is due wholly to the action of water, which, even now, in a goodly stream courses down the gully.
The "church " t is reached from the main street of the village by a pleasant lane that crosses the stream and expands into an acre or two of grassy meadow, well shaded, and affording an admirable place for picnics. From this place a short and easy pathway, cut at the foot of a rocky declivity and along the margin of the brook, leads to the door of the church. At a little distance the inte- rior appears black, but it is found to be illuminated by a sky-light formed by a fissure in the rocks above. This light is pleasantly reflected upon the rocky sides of the church from a pool formed by the brook on the floor, and reveals a fallen mass of rock which the imaginative observer calls the "pulpit." Out of the arched door the brook,- the patient architect of the church,-flows gently, and then leaps in cascades and rapids to the plain
below. From the apex of the roof, many feet above the floor, the cavern gradually widens, until at the base the span of the arch is about twenty- five feet. Altogether, this natural excavation is so wrought as to give the beholder the idea of a temple of worship; and the stillness that reigns within, broken only by the music of gently falling water, and the subdued gloom which there continu- ally abides, is calculated to inspire the contemplative mind with devotional feelings. This "cleft in the rocks" is a fair model of some of the places of de- votion when the world was young, and mankind was in its infancy-in that far off time known as the " pre-historic ages."
This spot, like many other weird places in our country, has its traditionary legend. History tells us that Sassacus, the haughty Sachem of the Pe- quods, and Emperor over many tribes between the Thames and Housatonic rivers, where, more than two hundred years ago that nation made war upon the white and dusky people of Connecticut,* was compelled by the destruction of his army, to fly for his life. Captain Mason, with New England soldiers and Indian allies from Rhode Island and its vicinity, had suddenly invaded the dominions of Sassacus. The proud Sassacus was seated upon a hill overlooking the site of New London, when news of the terrrible disaster reached him. He and his warriors seeing no chance for success in a battle with the invaders, fled across the Thames and westward, hotly pursued by the English and their allies, and sought refuge in Sasco Swamp, near Fairfield. The beautiful Pequod country, stretching along the shores of Long Island Sound, was desolated. Wigwams and gardens disappeared before the despoiling English, and women and chil- dren were not spared. Sassacus made a stand at the swamp, but at the close of a sharp battle, nearly all of his followers became captives. He escaped with less than a dozen followers, and con- tinued his flight westward. His nation had per- ished in a day, and only the small captive remnant survived to transmit to their posterity the traditions of their national woes.
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