History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 182

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 182

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At this time the Peenpack neighborhood extended from the line between Orange and Ulster to what is now Cuddeback ville, a distance of four miles. Benja- min Depuy, Philip Swartwout, and Thomas Kytte were the first committee for the town. The first two were justices of Mamakating. Harmanus Van In- wegen became a member afterwards. The lower neighborhood, called "Over the River Neighborhood,"

because on the opposite side of the Neversink, ex- tended down to the Delaware, and was in the old county of Orange. Members of the Gumaer family were sent to Mr. James Finch's, who lived at what is now called Finchville. Benjamin Depuy and one or two of his sons sent their wives and small children to Maj. Phillips' for safety. Some women and chil- dren encamped in the woods on the east side of the Neversink for a short time. The forts were each gar- risoned by a few soldiers, called nine months' men, sent for the purpose from different places.

When the war commenced there were about fifty families within the limits of Deerpark, which removed to the forts. Oct. 13, 1778, a party of nearly 100 In- dians and Tories, commanded by Capt. Brant, invaded the settlement. They first fell upon the family of Mr. Westfall, and killed one man. They next attacked the house of Mr. Swartwout, who was at home with his sons, the women having been removed to the fort. They all endeavored to escape, but one of the sons was shot down between the house and barn. Another ran to the river, half a mile off, swam it, and was shot near the opposite shore. The father, an old man, and two of his other sons ran on together for his as- sistance, but finding that they would soon be over- taken, the father told his son James, a very active, strong man, to run and save himself, which he did. The Indians pursued him half a mile over fences and across lots, when he gained the fort, and they gave up the chase. The father and the other son were soon overtaken and dispatched.

When the firing of guns was heard, those who were out on their farms repaired to the forts at Gumaer's and DeWitt's. The other fort was abandoned, as there were no troops to garrison it. As there were but few men in Fort Gumaer, Capt. Cuddeback, who commanded, in order to deceive the enemy, paraded all the women and young people back of the house and fort, collected all the hats and coats about the house, and put them on the women. He also placed the spare guns and sticks in their hands, so that all might appear to be soldiers. When the enemy came in sight of the fort, the captain ordered the drum to beat, and marched them in Indian file from the rear to the front of the fort, and entered it in a distant . but distinet view of the Indians. The women and children were ordered into the cellar. Anna Swart- wont-a large woman, somewhat in years, the widow of Maj. James Swartwout-told the captain that she would take a pitchfork, which had been brought into the fort as a defensive weapon, and remain with the men, and assist in case the enemy should attempt to enter. The captain granted the request, and she took the fork, and in true military bearing walked about, anxiously observing the conduct of the Indians, and . ready to defend her castle.

The fort was a picket-fort with nine men, with the families of the neighborhood in it. It was situated on open land, and could not be approached in daytime by

* See above.

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the Indians without their being seen ; and as the inhab- itants were known to be good marksmen, they did not approach within gunshot. As the enemy passed a few shots were fired from the fort without effect. They passed on to Fort DeWitt, where they took a station on a hill iu the woods, and fired a few shot at the fort and house without any other effect than killing Capt. Newkirk's horse. The fort returned the compliment with the same result, doing no harm, as was known when the enemy retired from the settlement the same day. They burned all the houses and barns in the vicinity, except those houses which were saved by the extinguishment of the fire after being communicated to them. This produced great distress for a time, for the inhabitants were despoiled of their grain, hay, buildings, furniture, etc. The day after the enemy retired, Maj. Phillips, of Phillipsburgh, arrived with a company of militia, but the damage had been done and the spoliators had departed.

Other interesting incidents are related of these stormy years. We give them below as they are re- tained in the time-honored traditions of the various families. They have, however, but little support in early documents, and it is difficult to see how some of them can be consistent with the facts of history.

Capt. Brant with a company of Indians and Tories invaded what we have called the "lower neighbor- hood" in this town. His first assault was upon the fort at Maj. Decker's, which he entered unawares,- the men being out,-and two negro boys were taken prisoners. Then the party proceeded to the dwelling of Anthony Van Etten, Esq., where a few Indians entered a blacksmith's shop, where a black man worked. Mr. James Swartwont happened to be in at the time, and it was agreed that he should get up into the chimney and secrete himself there, and that the negro should stay in the shop, as the Indians probably would not kill or injure him. This was done, and the Indians came in, and on looking around saw no one but the negro. They took up, handled, threw over and tumbled down the various articles in the shop, and then one of them took hold of the han- dle of the bellows and began to blow up the fire at a furious rate. The negro, knowing the effect of the heat and smoke on his friend in the chimney, put his hand on the Indian and told him to " stop or he would spoil that thing." He respected the caution and ceased to blow, when they left the shop. Swartwout came down quite exhausted by breathing the smoke and heated air, and by the great exertion necessary to brace and keep himself from falling down for so long a time. The artifice succeeded and he escaped.

When the Indians were discovered approaching the house of James Van Fleet the inmates fled. Roolif Cuddeback, who was there at the time, ran into the woods pursued by an Indian. When nearly overtaken he turned upon him, upon which the Indian stopped and threw his tomahawk at him, but it struck a bush and missed its mark. Cuddeback closed in with him,

both being without weapons except a knife which the Indian had in his belt. The struggle was severe, for life or death, each endeavoring to possess himself of the fatal instrument. It fell to the ground and was of no use to either. The battle was continued till both were nearly exhausted, when the Indian, freeing himself from the grasp of Cuddeback, left him, while the latter hastened to escape pursuit by the other In- dians. Cuddeback was a strong man, and too power- ful for the Indian, but he afterwards stated that the Indian was very supple, and in the struggle became naked, and his skin was so slippery that it gave him the chance very readily to escape from his holds and grips. It was said that the Indian died a few years after, from the wounds and injuries received in the encounter. The father of this Indian is said to have been shot while crossing the river on horseback by Capt. Cuddeback, the brother of James Cuddeback, during this incursion.

This day there had been a funeral, and Maj. Decker and some others on their return on horseback met the Indians. They shot at and wounded the major, who rode into the woods and escaped. There was some firing at the Van Auken fort, and one man killed. An Indian, attempting to get to a building near the fort to set it on fire, was shot. By this time the smoke of the dwellings was seen ascending in many directions, and it was generally known that the In- dlians, with Brant at their head, were there. The very name of this leader struck the inhabitants with terror. An occurrence took place here which shows that he still contained a spark of humanity. The Indians had visited the school-house and threatened to extermi- nate one generation of the settlement at a blow. Jeremiah Van Auken was the teacher, and they took him from the house, conveyed him about half a mile off, and then killed him. Some of the boys in the school were cleft with the tomahawk ; others fled to the woods for concealment from their bloody assail- ants ; while the little girls stood by the slain body of their teacher, bewildered and horror-struck, not know- ing their own fate, whether death or captivity. While they were standing in this pitiful condition, a strong, muscular Indian suddenly came along, and with a brush dashed some black paint across their aprons, bidding them " hold up the mark when they saw an Indian coming, and it would save them;" and with the yell of a savage he plunged into the woods and disappeared. This was Brant, and the little daugh- ters of the settlers were safe. The Indians, as they passed along and ran from place to place, saw the black mark and left the children undisturbed. The happy thought, like a flash of lightning, entered the minds of these little sisters, and suggested that they could use the mark to save their brothers. The scat- tered boys were quickly assembled, and the girls threw their aprons over the clothes of the boys, and stamped the black impression upon their outer gar- ments. They in turn held up the palladium of safety

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as the Indians passed and repassed, and these chil- dren were thus saved from injury and death .* Mrs. Leah Van Auken escaped by hiding herself in a ditch.

After the war ended the people here had much to do to reinstate themselves in as good condition as they were before the war commenced. Much money was lost by the depreciation of the Continental paper currency, and most of the buildings, together with household goods and furniture, were burnt, horses taken, etc .; and as they could not make money by their farming business to enable them to build, some in the upper neighborhood undertook to raft round timber down the Neversink River for the Philadel- phia market from the forest above the settlement. The stream was rough, and even now is not navigable for rafting, notwithstanding considerable money was expended a few years since to make it so. In this they met with many disasters : one man was drowned, and the experiment was abandoned; after which timber was got out and thrown into the river, which in the freshets floated down, and whatever of it could be found where the river was navigable was collected and rafted by the owners (each one having previously marked his own) down the Neversink and Delaware Rivers to Philadelphia. The navigation of the rivers was then very imperfectly understood.

Before the inhabitants of the upper neighborhood could commence building dwelling-houses, etc., they had to build some mills to manufacture materials for the purpose. Three men became partners to build one saw-mill, and three others to build another, where- with each manufactured materials for his own use, and also for others who were not owners. One of these mills (on Bush Kill) did considerable business for some years afterwards.

Farms having become small before the war com- menced, a large proportion of the inhabitants, a few | years after it ended, became desirous of emigrating into a new country to advance their interests. Moses DeWitt, a young man of this neighborhood, son of Jacob R. DeWitt, who was naturally well talented and in a great measure self-taught, after serving as an under-surveyor in the business of this State to run a line for dividing the States of Pennsylvania and New York, and surveying some State land at and in the vicinity of Tioga Point, became one of the sur- veyors of the military lands; and he, together with Maj. Hardenburgh, were appointed to have the agency of that business. Peter G. Cuddeback, another young man of this town, was employed by them for a time

as an under-surveyor. From them early information was received here of the good quality of those lands, which, together with the influence of De Witt, led to the emigration of a large proportion of the inhabit- ants of the place into that district of country, who were among the first pioneers. This did not only ad- vance the interests of those who removed, but of those who remained, for their farms were much enlarged in consequence of it.

Maj. John Decker was one of the prominent men of the Mamakating Valley at the opening of the Revolution. His commission from the Provincial Congress is in possession of Dr. Solomon Van Etten, of Port Jervis. It bears date Feb. 28, 1776, and com- missions him as " second Major of the Goshen Regi- ment of Militia of Foot in Orange County, of which William Allison, Esq., is colonel." Maj. Decker re- sided on the well-known George Cuddeback place of later years.

One of the objects of the Indian raids in these val- leys, tradition says, was to procure the sealp of Maj. Decker, for which the British had offered a reward. At that time Maj. Decker's house was built of wood, and it was surrounded with wooden fortifications,- logs laid up,-making quite a protection against the savages. This was closed by a heavy gate. It was in the month of July they came. The men were in the field gathering the harvest, and there was no one in the major's residence except his aged mother and a child. His wife and a colored woman were at the spring washing. The older children were at school. The major on that day was attending the funeral of a brother officer at the fort, which stood where Abraham Swartwout now lives. The Indians surrounded the house, and a Tory first entered and told the mother that the Indians were going to burn the house, and proceeded to build a fire with dry wood in the centre of the floor. There were two pails of water in the kitchen, and she boldly poured the water upon the fire and put it out. They told her she must not do that again or they would kill her. Mrs. Decker, wife of the major, attempted to flee across the fields to gain protection at another fort. Brant sent an In- dian after her, who brought her back, and Brant told her he wanted her to see her husband's residence burn down and she should not be harmed. She then asked him if she could save anything. He answered, " Yes, anything you can." She rushed in and saved two beds and bedding, and Brant directed two young Indians to assist her in carrying them off to a safe place.

That night the family of Maj. Decker slept on the banks of the Neversink, with nothing but the canopy of heaven above them. The major on his return from the funeral was met by a party of Indians at a point just below the hill at the bend of the road, where Henry Hoffman now lives, between Abraham Swart- wout's and Solomon Van Fleet's. He was riding very fast, having seen the smoke of his burning resi-

* Mr. R. Hulse, of Deposit, in a series of "Delaware Papers" (1863) relates this story as he received it from one of the children who lived to within the writer's memory. He says Brant caught up two girls and marked their aprons with his sign, the figure of a turtle; that after being released the girls stood in a row with one girl who had a marked apron in front; that the girls placed the boys in the same order, and put the other marked apron upon the boy in front. The statement fails to harmonize with the historic record that the settlement was surprised by the Indians.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

dence in the distance. He dashed through the party of Indiaus, and he said it seemed as if they were frightened, as none fired upon him, and all were look- ing to the rear as if they expected a company to be following him. For some cause he feared there was a larger party of Indians in front of him, and he wheeled his horse and rode back through the same party again, when they fired upon him, wounding him in the thigh and in the abdomen. He rode on and turned down the old road, which was behind the hill back of Iloffman's house. His horse becoming un- manageable, ran into a tree-top which had fallen across the road, and fastened himself there so that the major could not get him loose. He left his horse and went up the rocks and crept into a cave, a spot where now is the track of the Erie Railroad. The Indians pursued to the opening of the rock, but did not find him. That night he traveled on foot across the mountains, and came to a house near Finchville, now owned by a Mr. Green, where he found his son, Benjamin Decker, a youth of sixteen years, who had escaped from the Indians at the school-house, where they came and killed the teacher.

Dr. Solomon Van Etten, from whom these particu- lars are obtained, is a great-grandson of Maj. Decker. Dr. Van Etten's grandmother (Mrs. Carpenter) was Margaret Decker, one of the girls at the school-house. The version of the marked aprons story coming down from Mrs. Carpenter does not differ much from those already given, except that the girls partially con- cealed the boys under their marked aprons. A brother of Margaret Decker, running away from the Indians, dropped his books ; the Indians stopped and he escaped. Hearing a cry, he found a child perhaps a year and a half old, lost by its mother in the confu- sion. Taking the child, he found his father's cow by the well-known bell, procured milk for the child, and carrying it away the child was saved.

The names of men from what is now the territory of Deerpark who served in the armies of the Revolu- tion, who were at Fort Montgomery and elsewhere, will be found, so far as they are now to be obtained, in the lists given elsewhere in this volume.

WAR OF 1861-65.

The firing upon the flag at Fort Sumter provoked an outburst of patriotic feeling in Port Jervis, as well as everywhere else throughout the loyal North. A public meeting was held April 18th, at which Dr. John Conkling presided, assisted by three vice-presi- cents,-Dr. C. M. Lawrence, Dr. S. Van Etten, and John Green. George Brodhead was appointed secre- tary. Speeches were made, and the following resolu- tions adopted :

" Whereas, By the act of South Carolina and other Southern States our country has been plunged into the horrors of civil war; and Whereas, they have proclaimed to the world their intention to dissolve the Ameri- can Union and break up this government, cemented by the blood of the Revolutionary sires; and Whereus, the traitors calling themselves the

government of the Confederate States have proclaimed their intentions to seize the National capital, therefore

" Resolved, That as American citizens, knowing no sections but the Uniou bequeathed to us by our father, we pledge ourselves to the sup- port of our national government in their patriotic efforts to sustain the constitution and enforce the laws.

" Resolved, That the heroic defense of Fort Sumter by Maj. Anderson and his eighty heroic men against eight thousand organized traitors is worthy of the best days of the republic, and reflects imperishable glory upon his name aud lustre upon our flag, and we hail it as a har- binger that the Union must and shall be preserved.

" Resolved, That the people of Port Jervis, desirous of showing their patriotism, will aid and assist in the formation of a volunteer company, for the purpose of tendering their services to the Governor of New York.

" Resolved, That a list be opened forthwith to receive subscriptions to defray expenses in forming such company, and that the funds be placed in the hands of three responsible men for that purpose."

A committee on finance was appointed, consisting of John Conkling, John Green, and Solomon Van Etten.

DONATIONS FOR SOLDIERS AND SOLDIERS' FAM- ILIES.

Feb. 14, 1862, Sparrowbush sent, in clothing, nearly $100 worth.

Aug. 20, 1862, the ladies of Carpenter's Point do- nated a valuable assortment of bandages, lint, and other hospital supplies.

Aug. 22, 1862, ladies of Deerpark raised $20 towards a regimental flag, and presented Capt. Bush a sword worth $45.

At the opening of the struggle the first subscription was carried up to nearly $1000. The wealthy gave of their wealth and the poor of their poverty, the single dollar of the poor laborer representing the sturdy patriotism of the people as well as the $100 of his wealthy neighbor. Soldiers' aid societies were formed, and the women of Deerpark gave their ser- vices in every possible form.

The Ladies' Aid Society, which was organized in September, 1862, Mrs. H. H Farnum, president, sent clothing and supplies to the amount of $843.63, as shown by an itemized report of the president, and the report evidently covers only a portion of the society's work.

OFFICIAL ACTION.

Under date of Aug. 1, 1864, a petition signed by twelve citizens was presented to the town clerk, re- questing a special town-meeting for the purpose of considering the question of paying bounties to volun- teers. The meeting called in pursuance of this peti- tion, and in accordance with law, was held August 10th. It was voted (220 to 16) to raise a tax of $48,600, for the purpose of paying a bounty of $300 to each volunteer required to fill the quota of the town of Deerpark under the call of the President for 500,000 men. The justices presiding at this meeting were L. F. Hough, James N. Penny, and William Westfall. The minutes were recorded by George Brodhead, town clerk.

On the 18th of the same month, at another special town-meeting, an additional tax was voted for the

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DEERPARK.

same purpose of $105,300. This proposition passed by a vote of 80 to 3.

Jan. 30, 1865, at a special town-meeting, duly called to consider the propriety of paying bounties for vol- unteers under the December call of the President for troops, no vote was reached on the subject.

At a subsequent meeting, Feb. 7, 1865, a tax of $50,000 was authorized by a vote of 254 to 29.

There is no soldiers' list preserved in the office of the town clerk, as intended by the law of 1865, and it has been necessary to compile the list given below from various miscellaneous sources. It may therefore include a few names from places beyond the borders of the town of Deerpark, while it may not be com- plete for the town itself. It has been arranged mainly from the printed muster-in rolls of the State, and from various memoranda in the hands of Mr. William H. Nearpass. The publishers of this vol- ume, as well as the citizens of Deerpark, are under obligations to Mr. Nearpass for the diligence which he has shown in the collection and preservation of papers relating to the civil war, as well as other his- torical matters, and for the cordial assistance he has given in the preparation of this chapter upon the town of Deerpark.

ARMY LIST, WAR OF 1861-65.

George W. Adams, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862; disch. for disability ; wounded at Chancellorsville.

llenry B. Applemao, Co. F, 124th ; eal. Aug. 12, 1862 ; died in the ser- vice.

Clement B. Anderson, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862; wounded at Chancellorsville; takeo prisoner and kept eleven days.

Louis D. Adams, Co. F, 124th ; eal. Aug. 13, 1862.

Thomas R. Alington, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 12, 1862.

Judson P. Adams, Co. F, 124th ; eal. Aug. 12, 1862.

William Ayres, Ist N . J. Cavalry.

Thomas Adams, Co. F, 70th ; enl. April 20, 1861; pro. to corp .; taken prisoner at battle of Williamsburg.

Theron Depuy Abers, Co. F, 70th ; enl. April 8, 1861.

Samuel Angel, Ist N. J. Cavalry.

George Akins, Co. F, 70th.

Curtis Ackerman, Co. F, 124th.

Albert Adams, Co. F, 1st, Excelsior.

- Aldridge, Co. F, Ist, Excelsior.

Joshua Ackerman, 5th, Anthon's Battalion.

George Althizer, Co. K, 3d, Excelsior.

Benjamin Abers, Co. D, 18th ; enl. April 20, 1861.

William W. Allen, 62d ; wounded at Malvern Heights. Cornelius D. Abers.

Theodore Aumick. Drake Aumick.

Caleb Baldwin, Co. L, 15th Cavalry ; enl. Jan. 5, 1864.

Joseph Bargus, Co. L, 15th Cavalry; eol. Dec. 31, 1863.

Harry R. Brodhead, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 15, 1862; wounded at Chan- cellorsville ; killed at Boydton Road.

Wm. Bellmos, Co. G, 124th ; enl. Aug. 9, 1862.

James J. Baker, Co. F, 124th ; en]. Ang. 11, 1862.

William Boyst, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 13, 1862; dischi. from Conv, Camp Feb. 14, 1863.

Thomas E. Baird, Co. G, 124th ; enl. Aug. 15, 1862.

Alfred S. Barkley, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 15, 1862; died May 12, 1863, of wounds received at Chancellorsville ; buried near Potomac Creek ; he had been pro. from sergt. to lieut. for efficient command of lis company at Fair Oaks.

Ira S. Bush, capt., Co. F, 124thi ; en]. Aug. 7, 1862.

Coorad Bender, fifer, Co. D, 56th ; ent. Sept. 10, 1861.

Robert Blything, 2d lieut., Co. F, 70th; resigned.

James T. Barkley, 2d sergt., Co. F, 70th ; pro. to 2d lieut.

David Brnce, 3d corp., Co. F, 70th ; injured by a fall in the service. F. A. Blauvelt, Co. F, 70th.

Joseph Benson, lieut., Co. B, 61st ; wounded at Williamsburg.

E. G. Belknap, Co. F, 70th ; killed at the battle of Williamsburg.

Abraham Babcock, Co. F, 70th.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 182

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1336

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336