History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 88

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703

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Count de Barras detached three frigates and 250 land troops to drive the loyalists from Fort Franklin, on Lloyd's Neck. The expedition was joined in the sound by several boats with American volunteers and pilots from Fairfield. They landed on the morning of July 12th, when it was discovered that the place was stronger than was supposed and not to be carried without cannon, which had not been provided. Two or three men were wounded by a cannon shot, when the party re-embarked. The British vessels fell back west, into an arm of Hunt- ington Harbor, under protection of a battery of guns re- cently mounted from a British armed schooner. The

had made himself acquainted with the position of the enemy. Their fort was picketed with trunks of trees set in the sides, with their branches sharpened; there were only two guns mounted when Muirson viewed the fort, and those on the west side, but on the very night before the attack the British finished mounting two more, twelve- pound guns, on the east side. It was this that frustrated the attack. Muirson was examining the works with a glass, when a shot from the fort took off his arm, from which wound he died. He described the place so closely that his sister afterward found his glass in a bunch of briers, where he had thrown it.

The British account of the affair reads thus:

" Three large ships, five armed brigs and other vessels appeared in Huntington Harbor and landed 450 men, mostly French, on the back of Lloyd's Neck, two miles

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HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

from the fort. At II o'clock they formed in front of the fort, at a distance of 400 yards, in open view. The fort fired grape shot from two 12-pounders, when the French suddenly retreated, leaving on the ground a number of surgeons' implements, lint, bandages, etc. The grass was besmeared with blood."

William Ludlam, residing on Hog Island, in the house now occupied by Henry Ludlam, saw the skirmish and gave the foregoing recital of it to Henry Onderdonk jr., who accompanied it in his " Annals of the Revolution " (page 222) with a plan, which he permits us to reproduce herewith.

LONG ISLAND SOUND.

Lloyd Neck

Enr

Huntington Harbour.

Hog l.

Oyster Bay

o Cota Spring

EXPLANATION OF THE MAP AND PLAN.

a. Position of William Ludlam when he saw the attack.

b. Fort Franklin, designed to protect the wood-cutters.

c. Place where the French landed.

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

e. A brig of 8 or 10 guns under protection of the fort.

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

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

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

In July 1782 another call for recruits to the king's American dragoons was made, offering ten guineas to volunteers, five to any one who brought a recruit, and five to the recruit. For convenience of those who might come from the continent via Lloyd's Neck, an officer was to be kept constantly stationed at that post.

Prince William Henry, afterward King William IV., then aged 18, visited Lloyd's Neck. One Sunday night early in October 1782 Lloyd's Neck was left without a garrison. The British demolished their works, and re- moved the stores and garrison to New York.

Onderdonk says a great variety of troops lay at Oyster Bay village during the war. De Lancy's corps was the first. Fanning's corps, in charge of Major Grant, lay here one summer. They were rude and ill-behaved. An old bake-house, now Storrs's store, was used as a guard-house. The streets were garnished with sentry- boxes, to shelter the patrol, who paraded the streets after 9 o'clock at night, when no one was allowed to pass with- out the countersign. One evening a respectable young man, John Weeks, when challenged by the sentinel, in-

stead of giving the countersign left the road and ran off across the fields. He was seized, tried, and sentenced to be whipped. He was accordingly tied to a locust tree in front of Townsend's, but before he received the full measure of his punishment the cries of the youth and the frantic appeals of his mother and sister so wrought on the people that by their interference he was set at liberty. Tarleton's British legion, under Major Cochran, also lay here and at Jericho, and were not distinguished for good conduct. The 3d battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel Hewlett, lay at Oyster Bay village from June to August after the peace. They left one Sunday morning, before day, to escape observation. It seemed quite a fixed custom for the British to move on Sunday.

The soldiers were not billeted on the inhabitants, but took an entire building instead to themselves. They occupied the old Baptist meeting-house, and also the "New Light" meeting-house, which was removed by Simcoe from the back road. The Friends' meeting- house was used as a commissary's store, and had a guard constantly at the door. British troops were stationed in the woods, where the Reformed church now stands, at Locust Valley. The officers boarded at Townsend's, at Matinecock, and when leaving presented Mrs. Letitia Townsend with a castor, candlesticks, and snuffers, which are still in use in Isaac Townsend's residence The Hessian troops lay around Norwich, Jericho, and Cedar Swamp, coming there about the first of December 1778. Walter Franklin, of East Norwich, says he has been told that Letitia Wright, who married his grand- father Walter Franklin, in 1796, used to furnish amuse- ment to the Hessians who were quartered in her father's house by their rolling her down the Bennett hill, on the land now owned by Charles Downing. Onderdonk says: " They lay in Wolver Hollow two or three summers and one winter, and had tents under the hill by Andris Bogart's, and took the sacrament in the Dutch church."

The free battalion of Hesse Hannau, raised in Janu- ary 1781, Colonel N. Von Janecke, lay at Oyster Bay one winter. Major Scheele died while here. They left May 28th 1783. They were an ill-favored set of little men; the gleanings of German recruits. They ripped the boards off the Episcopal church, to make berths and barracks. On one occasion a noisy crowd had gathered in the street, when the Hessians wantonly shot and killed Stephen Lobden, who came to the door to know what was the matter. A petition for redress was sent to New York, and an officer was sent to hear the complaint; but, fearing to incur the hatred of the Hessians, no one came forward. So nothing was done. During the day officers in groups were seen talking in an excited manner, and that night the glass in the windows of S. Wooden, one of the petitioners, was broken. On one occasion the Hes- sians were reported shooting among the sheep of John Kirk. Jonathan Haire loaded his gun and hastened to the field. Six sheep lay dead. He fired on the Hes- sians, when they left their booty. Haire was taken be- fore Colonel Wurmb to answer for the offense; but he would make no excuse or apology, and not even agree

483

WHALEBOAT RAIDS UPON OYSTER BAY.

not to repeat his conduct. He was dismissed with a slight reprimand. Wurmb's headquarters were for time at Wheatley.

Onderdonk says: "Jacobus Monfort, hearing a noise in his cow-yard, fired in the dark, and wounded a Hes- sian baker in the neck. He was seized and carried be- fore an officer, who at once dismissed him, saying, ' If you had killed him I'd have given you a guinea.'"

Silas Downing's store, at B. Rushmore's, Cedar Swamp, was forcibly entered by five soldiers from Jericho, with their faces painted. Fortunately he had recently carried all his money to New York, so they went off with very little of value.

Governor Tryon was not willing to use British troops to protect inhabitants from depredations from the main shore, and directed, through Major Kissam, on March 9th 1779, that the inhabitants bear their share of the expense, and muster all their militia for the purpose of protection.

An order to muster all the militia the first week in April following, for a general review, was directed-to Captain Israel Youngs, Cold Spring; Jarvis Coles, Mos- quito Cove; Daniel Youngs, Oyster Bay; Thomas Van Wyck, East Woods, and Abraham Van Wyck, Wolver Hollow. These companies of militia did quite efficient service, protecting the communities from whaleboatmen; yet the people suffered many robberies from the Hes- sians and British soldiers in disguise.

To some hearts there were bright sides to the British occupation: Miss Sarah Townsend received a soul-stir- ring poetical valentine on Valentine day 1779, written and delivered by Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. Simcoe. Han- nah Townsend, Sarah Luyster, Patty Remsen and widow Vashti Carr, or Kerr, all acquired husbands among the invaders.

THE WHALEBOAT WARFARE

forms an interesting portion of the Revolutionary history of this town. The design of the United States in com- missioning these boats was honorable. They were to cruise on the sound and along the shores of the island to capture small craft plying to and from New York, thus cutting off a considerable source of supply to the British there; to harass and capture those persons actually en- gaged in the service of the enemy, and to carry off im- portant men from the island, who were to be exchanged for Americans who had been taken prisoners. Washing- ton's strict orders were that no kind of property should be taken from any person under pretense of its belonging to tories; but, through the greed of gain of the crews, this warfare degenerated in many cases to plundering expeditions against both friend and foe. Yet it must be conceded that these brave men rendered their country most valuable aid in the service for which they were commissioned. The accounts of their captures are nu- merous and fragmentary, but are necessary in order to furnish a full history of this town's connection with that branch of warfare.

One of the first reports of the capture of a boat plying between the ports of this town and New York was pub-

lished in New Haven, December 14th 1778 :- " ' Peggy ' and cargo, Darby Doyle master, navigated with forty men, under a commission of Val. Jones, to supply New York with fuel, forage, and provisions, was taken by Peter Griffing, captain of a company of rangers."

December 22nd 1777 Gaine says: " Sunday night, 14th, the rebels landed at Cold Spring, and carried off two market boats loaded with flaxseed, wood, cider, &c., &c." About the same time the sloop " Dove," with cargo, was taken in Cold Spring Harbor by Thomas Sellew, in the armed sloop "Lucy." The "Flying Fish," of Rye, captured the "Industry," Captain Abraham Selleck, from Oyster Bay to New York, loaded with fifteen cords of wood, seventeen half-barrels of cider and vinegar, seven or eight bags of meal, and rigging and sails for another vessel.

About 12 o'clock March 3d 1778 seven men, with arms, were discovered crossing Lloyd's Neck, bending their course for the narrow beach that leads off the Neck. They were pursued and taken by a party of loyal refugees. They were the noted William S. Scud- der and his gang, as appears from his confession. He says he quit Long Island in September of 1776. After going with several expeditions he went to Hog Island with a party to take Squire Smith, but misssed of him and took a Quaker, and plundered the house of con- siderable value. He had been with all the expeditions which had come to the island, and was the man who took Mr. Ireland. He had been on the east end of the island in the interest of General Parsons, and some time afterward was of the party who took two sloops out of Cold Spring Harbor. He was of the party that had lately come over to Long Island and burnt the three vessels cast away while coming from Rhode Island, and it was his design in coming over at present to collect what he could from the wrecks then burnt. They robbed Samuel Skidmore's cider- mill-house, and then attempted to go over to the other shore; but, the wind being contrary, and the day becoming extremely cold, freezing their fingers and feet, they had to make for the first land, which proved to be Lloyd's Neck. The confession is dated March 3d 1778, and signed by William Smith Scudder, with Tyler Dibble, a refugee, and William Quarme, captain of the guard ship " Halifax," in Oyster Bay, as witnesses. The prisoners on Saturday afternoon March 7th were brought to New York in the boat of the " Halifax," and secured.

General Putnam on the 22nd of December following wrote a letter to Governor Clinton concerning Seudder, in which he mentions that Scudder had a commission from Governor Clinton to cruise the sound in an armed boat against the enemies of the United States; but com- plained that he had violated the orders of the commander- in-chief, by seizing private property on Long Island. General Putnam adds that he knows nothing, personally, against Scudder, but has heard that he is a brave man, has suffered much, and done considerable service in the cause of his country.

484

HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

On a Monday evening in the latter part of April a party of refugees, led by Captain Bonnel, with Captain party of loyal refugees were cutting wood on Lloyd's Glover and Lieutenant Hubbell, furnished with arms, Neck when they were attacked by two row galleys and an armed vessel, and carried prisoners, 18 in number, to Connecticut. A little later in the same month Tyler Dibble and 15 wood-cutters were carried from Lloyd's Neck by a galley carrying a 12-pounder, and four whale- boats. The alarm reaching the man of-war on that station, the boats were pursued, but without success. On the 5th of May a small boat, commanded by Captain Adamson, with six men and ten swivels, went into Oyster Bay and fell in with the tender of the British ship "Raven," which mounted eight swivels and had nine men armed. The boat, after discharging her swivels and small arms, boarded the tender, and carried her the next morning into Stamford. She had on board three hogsheads of rum, several casks of bread, beef and other articles for the ship, and some dry goods. agreeable to orders from headquarters went from Oyster Bay to take the generals Parsons and Silliman from the opposite shore. They did not risk an attack on General Parsons, but brought Brigadier-General Silliman to Oys- ter Bay. He was sent next day to New York. About the first of September following. Captain Glover, who headed this party, was himself, with twelve others, with some plunder, carried off from Lloyd's Neck by a whale- boat from Connecticut. On the rith of the next month a continental armed schooner, commanded by T. White, captured the "Charming Sally " and cargo in Oyster Bay. Justice llewlett and Captain Israel Youngs were carried off in June by a party from Connecticut. A num- ber of refugees soon after went over to Connecticut and returned with thirteen prisoners, four horses, and forty- eight cattle.

Early in June the schooner "Wild Cat," of 14 swivels and 40 men, came from Connecticut to Oyster Bay and landed 14 of the crew, who shot some sheep at Oak Neck. This vessel is described as having a large number of oars, which enabled it at every calm to cross over and pillage the inhabitants of the island. A few days after this the "Wild Cat" and the "Raven's" tender, with four whaleboats well manned, came to Lloyd's Neck to harass Rivington's Gazette tells us that on Monday night July 3d a party of rebels, supposed to be from Horse Neck, headed by one Benjamin Kirby, attacked the house of Abraham Walton, at Pembroke, Mosquito Cove, and took him, together with his silver plate, and Mrs. Wal- ton's money. They then proceeded to the neighbors, and took Dr. Brooks, Albert Coles and eight more loyal- ists, and carried all to Connecticut. In the latter part of the wood-cutters, when a number of boats from the July, at 2 o'clock on a Tuesday morning, John Town- send of Oyster Bay was carried off by a company of

British ship pursued them, capturing the " Wild Cat," and recapturing the " Raven's " tender and a wood boat rebels, led by one Jonas Youngs. They also carried which had been taken when coming out of the harbor, to- away most of the valuable articles in his house, besides gether with some of the whaleboats, and thirty prisoners, partly demolishing the house itself. Arnold Fleet, a killing two men, with no loss to the pursuers.

millwright, was carried off at the same time. The men, fearing the militia, several companies of whom were sta-

About the first of September the scale of success was changed again, and Major Grey, of Colonel Meigs's reg- tioned near, hastened away, carrying their boats over the iment, killed three tories on Lloyd's Neck, and carried beach, and left their sentinel, a young man, on Mill Neck. off fifteen. A privateer also carried off a sloop loaded He wandered about the neck until compelled by starva- with wood and provisions. A party consisting of James tion to give himself up. Ferris, a refugee from the island, Benjamin Howell.

On a Monday in October five vessels came into Oyster Nathaniel Sacket, of Bedford, Obadiah Valentine,. and Bay and captured a guard brig pierced for 14 guns, with Patrick Stout, came over from Connecticut on Thursday 10 mounted; also a sloop of six guns, commanded by evening, a week after this, and plundered the house of Samuel Rogers, who had been taken and carried to Con- William Cock of goods to the amount of £140, obliging necticut three times since the first of March preceding. him and his family to carry the goods nearly two miles Three other sloops, also a schooner from under the bat- tery at Lloyd's Neck, were taken and all safely conveyed into port on the Connecticut shore.

to the whaleboats. On Saturday following another party came over, in two boats, to Red Springs, near Mos- quito Cove, and robbed the houses of Jacob Carpenter Hon. Thomas Jones, justice of the supreme court of and John Weeks of a quanity of valuable effects, and New York, a noted and active loyalist previously no- then made off, but returned that evening and robbed ticed in this article, was much coveted by the Americans as an offset for General Silliman, whose capture has al- two unfortunate weavers at Oak Neck. On the 9th of

June following, Clark Cock, at Oyster Bay, was robbed of ready been mentioned. An attempt was made for his considerable cash, and goods to the value of over $400, capture and conveyance to Connecticut; the mode and results are recorded as follows:

by another band from over the sound. The "True Blue," Captain Elderkin, captured the "Five Brothers," a schooner of 24 tons, with Abraham Cock master, nine miles west of Huntington Harbor, on the 3d of February 1779. A sloop of 45 tons, going to New York, the prop- erty of one Youngs, was captured on the 15th, four miles west of Oyster Bay, on the high seas.

Simcoe's Journal dated April 18th 1779 relates that a

"Fishkill, December 9th '79 .- On the evening of No- vember 4th about 25 volunteers, under Captains Hawley, Lockwood and Jones, and Lieutenants Jackson and Bishop, crossed the sound from Newfield [since Bridge- port] to Stony Brook, near Smithtown, and marched to the house of the Hon. Thomas Jones, justice of the su- preme court of New York, at Fort Neck, where they ar- rived about 9 o'clock on the evening of the 6th, hiding

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REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS IN OYSTER BAY.

in the woods by day. The whole distance was 52 miles. shore, and remained hidden in the woods till 2 o'clock. There was a ball in the house, and the noise of music Captain Frost surrounded the sanctuary where the people of Middlesex (now Darien) had assembled for prayer, and took fifty " notorious rebels, their reverend teacher at their head. Forty horses ready saddled were taken care of at the same time, and all safely brought to Long Island." Onderdonk adds: "They were all ironed, two and two, on the green in front of Wooden's, Oyster Bay, and so marched to the provost." and dancing prevented the approach of the adventurers being heard. Captain Hawley knocked at the door, and, receiving no answer, forced it, and found Judge Jones standing in the entry. He told him he was his prisoner, and immediately conducted him off, and a young man named Hewlett. A guard of soldiers was posted at a small distance from the road. When they came near the spot the judge hemmed very loud, but was forbidden to repeat it. He did, however, but on being further threatened desisted. An alarm arose, which obliged the men to retreat rapidly, traveling 30 miles the same even- ing, and to secrete themselves the next day, by which time the British light horse were near. The next even- ing they reached their boats, having taken two prisoners more, and arrived safe at Black Rock, Fairfield county, on the 8th, except six men in the rear, who were overtaken and captured by the light horse. Judge Jones was taken to Middletown, and in May 1780 was exchanged for Gene- ral Sullivan, a prisoner at Flatbush. Mr. Hewlett was exchanged for the general's son, one Washburn being thrown in as a make-weight. After the exchange the judge and general dined together."

Judge Jones had been paroled in Connecticut as a prisoner of the United States just three years, to a day, before the date of the above article.

" New Haven, Nov. 24 '79 .- Monday sen'nit two small privateers, of 4 guns each, commanded by Captains Lockwood and Johnson, ran into Oyster Bay under British colors, where were four wood vessels under pro- tection of a large 8-gun brig, who asked the. privateers, 'Where from?' and on being answered, 'From New York,' they were permitted to run alongside the brig un- suspected, and, boarding her, the crew were surprised into immediate surrender, without firing a gun, though manned with 20 stout fellows; on which the other vessels also submitted, and were brought out of port, destined for Norwalk or Stamford; but, on being pursued by some armed vessels from Huntington Harbor, the brig un- luckily ran on a reef of rocks near Norwalk Harbor, and fell again into the enemy's hands, who got her off and took her away. The other prizes got safe into port."

This brig was a guardship in the mouth of Oyster Bay. The first ship, the " Halifax," under Captain Quarme, was after two years condemned; when he was succeeded by Captain Ryley, who became superannuated. Then came Captain Townsend, who had been for some time ashore sick at William Ludlam's, in the house now occu- pied by Henry Ludlam on Hog Island. One day after he had begun to be able to walk about he invited Mr. Ludlam to walk to the other side of the island to look at his vessel, when, to their surprise and chagrin, they saw the privateers run alongside and capture the craft, which was the above mentioned brig. The British had been expecting their own fleet of privateers, so did not suspect the trick. Mr. Ludlam was always sorry for his friend.

The "Lively," of 70 tons, was taken in Oyster Bay December 7th, with a cargo of salt. Rivington's Gasette, July 25th, says that two whaleboats, the " Association " and "Henry Clinton," crossed from Fort Franklin, on Lloyd's Neck, to Norwalk, landed 38 men, and returned to the island to escape observation, but were to be back at a given hour. The party marched five miles from the in vain.

On the evening of November 24th 1781 Lieutenant J. Hull, of Colonel Fitch's corps, came over the sound in a whaleboat, navigated by eight men, and landed near Hempstead Harbor, the entrance to which was guarded by an armed vessel. He left his boat with two men, and with the others marched to Mosquito Cove. Finding a canoe, and embarking, they boarded nine vessels which lay in the cove and made prisoners of sixteen men; not deeming it safe to try to take the vessels away, they were ransomed and the prisoners paroled. The whole party returned without the loss of a man. About the first of December a number of whaleboats came into Oyster Bay and unrigged Captain Sheddan's boat at Ship Point, and carried off another, which was ransomed for £200.

Rivington's Gazette, under date of September 1Sth 1782, says:

"As Captain Thomas, of the 'Association,' carrying ten 4-pounders and 30 men, was convoying a fleet of wood boats down the sound, they were attacked off Tinnicock by two gunboats and II whaleboats manned with 200 men, the largest boat having a brass six-pounder in her bow. Captain T. hid his men, housed his guns, and thus decoyed the boats within musket shot, when his men suddenly discharged their muskets, and canister shot from the four-pounders. A number fell, but they did not desist from their attack, but towed off detached ves- sels, as it was a calm. They were, however, all retaken after a combat of six hours. These pickaroon gentry greatly infest our coast."

In the latter part of December the schooner " Peggy," John Envidito master, and her cargo of broadcloths, coat- ing, linen and other goods were taken.

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 88

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co. Number of Pages: 703

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703