History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 17

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > New York > Rockland County > History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 17

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GENERAL HISTORY.

New York had been the objective point of the allies, but circumstances rendered a change of plan advisable, and about the middle of August the Yorktown campaign was determined on.

On the 18th of August a regiment crossed by Dobbs Ferry, and on the same day preparations were made for the crossing of troops by Kings Ferry. A portion of the troops crossed this ferry during the night of the 19tli. At this time General Washington made his quarters near Haverstraw while the troops were crossing. By the end of the 21st the American army, with their baggage, stores, etc., had crossed.

The French army marched by way of White Plains, North Castle, Pine's Bridge and Crom Pond. They commenced crossing on the 22d, but from that to the 26th was consumed before their rear guard was over. 'While waiting for the crossing to be completed portions of the army encamped at Haverstraw. A brigade of the French had their camp in front of the Smith house where Arnold and André had met.

After crossing, the armies marched by different routes to Trenton, a portion passing over the old military road from Stony Point through Ramapo Pass, and a portion passing by way of Paramus to Springfield, where they maneuvered for the purpose of deceiving the enemy with regard to their true purpose.

This march of the allied army across Rockland county was the last important military movement of which it was the theater during the Revolutionary war. Although no important battles were fought within its limits, its position made it an important military highway between the East- ern and the Middle and Southern States. The soil was several times pressed by the feet of armies marching across it, of which the last was this allied force of Ameri- cans and French that went south on their successful ex- pedition against Lord Cornwallis.

CHAPTER XIV.

REMOVAL OF ANDRE'S REMAINS.

BY HENRY WRITTEMORE.

F ORTY YEARS had passed, and the bones of An- dré remained undisturbed beneath the spot where he so bravely met his death; but his memory was kept Three years after these events General de Lafayette visited this country as the nation's guest. His voyage up the Hudson on the steamer James Kent is thus de- scribed by Thurlow Weed, one of the two representatives of the press who accompanied the distinguished party: green in the hearts of his sisters and loving friends, who, believing that sufficient time had elapsed to cause the na- tional wounds to heal, and national prejudice to cease, applied to the American government, through their rep- resentatives, for permission to remove the remains of Andre to the mausoleum already prepared in his native clime. This was freely granted, and, on the 15th of August, 1821, a British man-of-war, having on board His Royal Highness the Duke of York, entered the Hudson River, and, being joined by Mr. Buchanan, the British | deep emotion. I can see him now, as he stood on the consul at New York, and Mr. Moore, His Majesty's agent for packets, proceeded up the river and anchored

off Sneden's Landing, directly opposite Dobbs Ferry. Accompanied by Captain Paul, the party landed and took a carriage to 'Tappan, some two miles distant. They proceeded first to the old Mabie tavern, the former place of Andre's confinement, which was kept at that time by a man named Dupuys; from there they went to the house of Rev. Mr. Demarest, the owner of the property where lay buried the remains of Andre. There they were re- ceived with generous hospitality, and afforded every fa- cility for the prosecution of their sacred mission. There was no difficulty in finding the place. The two cedars which had been planted at the foot of the grave, forty years previous, had grown to a height of ten feet. These, together with a pile of stones, marked the foot of the grave, while a peach tree (planted by the loving hands of an unknown woman) then in full blossom, marked the head of the grave. On removing the earth it was found that the roots of the peach tree had worked their way through the decayed coffin, and completely surrounded the skull of Andre, like net work. The bones were care- fully removed, and placed in an elegant Egyptian sar- cophagus, covered with royal purple. Nothing of a me- tallic substance was found to show that he was buried in his regimentals, but the leather string that bound his cue was found in a perfect state of preservation. The sar- cophagus containing the remains was taken to the house of Mr. Demarest, where it remained for two or three days, when it was removed to His Majesty's packet. The remains were then conveyed to London, where they were interred in Westminster Abbey on the 28th of November following.

The British consul, Mr. Buchanan, said: "The peach tree, which had been planted at the grave of André, was removed with the greatest care, and brought to my gar- den in New York, where my daughters attended it with almost pious solicitude, in hope of preserving it to send to England. Had it reached his sisters they would, no doubt, have regarded it as another Minerva; for though it did not spring out of, it was nourislied by, their belov- ed brother's head."

The two cedar trees were taken up and carried to England, where they were made into snuff boxes and other devices. The Duke of York, desiring to show his appreciation of the generous conduct of Rev. Mr. Dema- rest, ordered a snuff box to be made from one of these cedars and presented to him.

" As we sailed up the river Lafayette recognized every spot which had become familiar to him in the war of the Revolution. As we approached Tarrytown he was very much moved at the recollection of the fate of Andre, about which he conversed with great freedom, and with deck of the steamer amid a group of Revolutionary offi - cers, speaking of the great events that transpired nearly

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

half a century before. He said that the sympathies of inscription." Mr. Field afterward decided to purchase Washington were greatly excited for the young officer some thirteen acres and lay out a beautiful park there. who had fallen into his hands, and he tried every device The monument was completed and placed in position during the latter part of September, 1879. The cere- mony of unveiling took place on the 2d of October, 1879, being the ninety-ninth anniversary of Andre's execution. At twelve o'clock precisely (the hour at which Andre was executed) the covering was removed from the mon- ument. to escape the terrible necessity of his execution. In his eagerness he at first snatched at the idea of exchanging André for Arnold, and such a proposal was made to Sir Henry Clinton. But a second thought told him that such a surrender of Arnold could not be permitted by military honor. Even then, although a court-martial had unanimously adjudged André a spy, and condemned him The shaft of the monument is of Maine granite, three to death, Washington still shrank from it; 'and,' said La- and a half feet square, and five feet in height. This rested on two granite stones as bases, the whole being supported by a heavy stone foundation several feet under ground. There was no ornamentation, the smooth and glistening surface being relieved only by the inscriptions cut in plain gothic letters.

fayette, 'had it not been for the similar fate, early in the war, of Nathan Hale, Washington would not have executed André.' This declaration I heard from Lafayette's own . lips."

MARKING THE SPOT.

The property owned by Rev. John Demarest passed into other hands, and was finally purchased by Dr. Mor- ris Bartow. The excavation, partly filled with stones, was all that remained for many years to indicate the spot whence the bones of Andre had been removed. The place was frequented during the summer season by vis- itors from New York and elsewhere, and among them, Mr. Lee, a merchant from New York, who caused to be erected a boulder with a suitable inscription.

This boulder remained undisturbed for many years, but Dr. Bartow, becoming annoyed by visitors, who trampled down his fields and stole his fruit, caused it to be removed to the lane beyond, and ploughed up his fields, thus destroying all traces of the original spot. Relic hunters took the boulder, piece by piece, until nothing reinained, and none of the neighbors were able to point out the spot where the remains of Andre once rested.

On the 2d of October, 1878, this being the ninety- eighth anniversary of Andre's execution, Mr. Henry Whittemore, the secretary of the Rockland County His- torical Society, met at Tappan a number of persons whom he had previously invited to assist him in locating the place of Andre's burial. Among these were three persons who had witnessed the removal of Andre's remains in [821; viz., John J. Griffiths, aged 72, David D. Brower aged 83, and John H. Outwater, aged 75 years (the two last named have since died). Col. James S. Haring, county surveyor, was also present, and with his assist- ance these several parties decided on what they believed to be the location of Andre's burial. A stake was driven and a new map made of the property.

A few days subsequently Mr. Cyrus W. Field, accom- panied by Dean Stanley (who was then on a visit to this country) visited the several places of interest in and around Tappan. In company with Rev. George M. S. Blauvelt, the pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church, they drove to the place of Andre's execution and burial. Dean Stanley expressed some surprise that there was not even a stone to mark the spot of such an important his- torical event. Mr. Field at once said: " I will put up a stone here if you (turning to Dean Stanley) will write the

On the front of the West face is the following: Here died, October 2, 1780, Major John Andre of the British Army, Who, entering the American lines on a secret mission to Benedict Arnold, for the surrender of West Point, was taken prisoner, tried and condemned as

a spy. His death,

though according to the stern code of war, moved even his enemies to pity; and both armies mourned the fate of one so young and so brave. In 1821 his remains were removed to Westminster Abbey.

A hundred years after the execution this stone was placed above the spot where he lay, by a citizen of the United States, against which he fought: not to perpetuate the record of strife, but in token of those better feelings which have since united two nations, one in race, one in language, and one in religion, with the hope that this friendly union will never be broken. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Dean of Westminster.

On the North face:

*" He was more unfortunate than criminal; An accomplished man and gallant officer." George Washington.

On the South face:

"Sunt lacrymae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt." Virgil ÆEneid, 1, 462.

The East face of the monument was left blank. It was the original intention of Mr. Field, after completing the park, to present it to the Rockland County Historical Society, on the one hundredth anniversary of Andre's execution, and on this occasion to have an appropriate

*The first line of this sentence is an abstract from a letter written to Count de Rochambean three days before Andre's execution; the second is froin a letter written to Colonel John Laurens, October 13th, 1720, just eleven days after the execution.

GENERAL HISTORY

inscription cut, commemorative of the event; but his fail- ing health requiring him to seek recreation abroad, he had no opportunity of making suitable arrangements with the Society, which was then in its infancy. He therefore concluded to present the property to the New York Historical Society, of which he was an active mem- ber. On the eve of his departure for Europe, he sent a communication to the Society offering to donate the property. The matter was referred to the Executive Committee, but the members having no opportunity of conferring with Mr. Field before his departure, and find- ing obstacles which they were unprepared to meet, were compelled to decline his generous offer. They heartily approved of the enterprise of Mr. Field, and said: " The memorial stone of André's execution is a monument to Washington."

On Mr. Field's return from Europe, after an absence of several months, he determined if possible to carry out his original plan on a more enlarged and extensive scale, involving an outlay of several thousand dollars. A beautiful iron railing was placed around the monument, the old trees and other obstructions were removed, the property staked out in beautiful winding avenues, arrangements made for importing trees from Europe, and full working plans and elevations made for a fire-proof building to be used as a public museum, as well as for the archives of the Historical Society.

While these preparations were being made, a New York crank, ambitious for a little cheap notoriety, tried to de- face the monument, and placed some doggerel lines on it, which eventually found their way into the New York papers, and led others to imitate his example. The re- sult was, that after two or three ineffectual attempts to blow up the monument, the vandal was successful. A portion of the base was blown out, and after a few days the shaft toppled to the ground, where it still remains.

Through ignorance of the facts, and a mis apprehension of Mr. Field's motives, a portion of the press severely criticised his action in this matter. The following ex- "tract, however, from one of the leading dailics, shows the prevailing sentiment of the more intelligent and better class of people.

" Mr. Field's motive in erecting a monument was a perfectly proper one. It was not put up to glorify André. Its inscription speaks of him as 'the spy,' and its pur- pose was simply to mark one of the most memorable in- cidents of our Revolutionary history. It was placed upon the spot where André was hanged, just as a stone might be set up to designate the spot where Lee sur- rendered, or a beacon be moored where the Alabama was sunk. It is as much a monument to Washington's un- swerving obedience to a dreadful military necessity as it is to the victim of his own rash enterprise, that cost André his life. It is easy to recognize the sentiment that prompts these repeated attempts to destroy the Andre monument. But a consideration of the meaning of the monument itself shows that the motive of Mr. Field and his friend, the late Dean Stanley, at whose suggestion it was erected, is not very clearly understood."

CHAPTER XV. KINGS FERRY.

T `HIS CROSSING of the Hudson, between Stony Point and the opposite side of the river, first ac- quired its importance when the old road across the county became a military thoroughfare. After the Brit- ish army under Sir William Howe, was checked at White Plains, and withdrew to New York, in the autumn of 1776, Washington with his army crossed the Hudson at this ferry. The captures and recaptures of Stony Point by the opposing forces, and the frequent crossing at this ferry during the Revolution by the contending armies are elsewhere mentioned.

In 1852 Lossing wrote: "This was the old King's Ferry of the Revolution, where the good Washington so often crossed, and where battalion after battalion of troops, royal, French, and American, at various times spanned the Hudson with their long lines of flat boats, for it was the main crossing place of armies moving be- tween the Eastern and Middle States. It was here, too, that a portion of the forces of Burgoyne crossed the Hudson when on their march from Massachusetts to Virginia. The landing place on the Stony Point side, in former times, was in the cove at the opening of the marsh, on the north of the promontory. Now the west- ern terminus of the ferry is a little above, at the cottage of Mr. Ten Eyck, the jolly old ferryman, who has plied the oar there, almost without intermission, ever since 1784. He was sitting upon his door stone when his son moored the boat at its rock fastening. As we ascended the bank, the old man held up a bottle of whiskey and proffered a draught as a pledge of welcome to the ‘mil- lionth ' man that had crossed his ferry. Preferring milk to whiskey, I sat down under the rich leaved branches of a maple, and regaled myself with that healthful beverage."

There had been three different landings at the western terminus of this ferry. The oldest was at the foot of the eminence at Stony Point, the second, the one at which Lossing landed, was about a quarter of a mile north from the first, and the third and last was still further north, at the mouth of a small creek which empties into the Hudson there. Near the place of the original land- ing is Ten Eyck's Beach, so called from some of the Ten Eycks, who were ferrymen there from the earliest times. The remains of an old causeway, now covered with grass, can be traced from this landing to the main road, half a mile distant.

CHAPTER XVI. OLD MILITARY HIGHWAY.

F THE old military highway that led from King's Ferry across the county to Suffern, John A. Stevens wrote :*

" From the high table land under the shadow of Mount Thor, one of the boldest peaks of the western Hudson Highlands, the country drops in gradual descent to the

*Magazine of American History, July, 1850.

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

flat and fertile plains of the Jerseys. The road still re- bricks indicate a much older camp ground than that of tains many of its ancient landmarks, to which there is a [ 1781. Suffern takes its name from an old innkeeper. thoroughly accurate guide in the map which Erskine drew from the surveys which he made in 1779, as Geog- rapher to the Continental army. His charts are to-day the best possible guide for the traveler. Every house which was standing in the last century is laid down, the taverns marked with their keeper's names, and even the smallest streams, traced in their winding courses, cross- ing and recrossing the road. The first of the taverns, though a short distance to the eastward of the turnpike, was Benson's. Though now deserted, it has been used as a public house until a quite recent period. Its situa- tion is delightful, on a plateau which commands an ex- tensive view to the southward and eastward. Down the river are seen the sharp angles of Grassy and Teller's Points, which jut out far into the broad bosom of the river. John Suffern, who emigrated from Antrim, Ireland, in 1763. He landed at Philadelphia, but first settled at Haverstraw. He established himself in the Ramapo val- ley in 1773, where his descendants still reside. The old, stone house was a famous resort of the patriots. Wash- ington made his headquarters here, and here also was the scene of Burr's dashing exploits. Not far beyond, on the northern side of the old post road, was Wannemaker's tavern, still standing, a deserted ruin. Near by also is the house where Andrew Hopper resided. Washington was a constant visitor at this house. Hopper maintained his relations with New York and it is said kept Washing- ton constantly informed of the movements of the enemy. It is impossible to conceive of a road of more changing and picturesque beauty, lined with magnificent trees oaks, elms, chestnuts, hemlocks, and larches in endless variety, broad green pastures, threaded by bright crystal streams, and a perpetual winding way around the hillsides and deep down in the heart of the dales, some of which, like the Dark Road, or Tinker's Gap have their tale of horror to enhance the interest of nature with super- natural charms."

" Just below Benson's Corners is a once romantic dale swept by a dark wild stream, the roar of whose waters is now mingled with the thousand wheels of extensive fac- tories. Here is one of the finest groves of elms in Rock- land county. Leaving old North Haverstraw high perched on the hillside to the eastward, the old Revolu- tionary road takes a more southwesterly direction, pass- ing through the hamlet of Kakeat, where John Coe kept a tavern, a familiar halting place of the troopers. It was here that Major Tallmadge halted with his dragoons when taking Andre down from West Point to Tappan. Be- yond Kakeat the road passes the Hollowway, which lies between the ridge upon which it runs and the eastern base of the Ramapo Hills, which it gradually approaches, and finally reaches, a short distance above Suffern, at the head of Anthony's Lake. Here stands the oldest house in the valley, built by Ludowick Carlow, in 1756. Suffern is in the State of New York, just to the north- ward of the New Jersey line. It was an important strat- egic point, situated at the end of the Ramapo Range, where the valley passing to the mountain ranges con- verges.

"On the maps of the old Indian war it is marked as as the site of a fort, Fort George, but there are now no remains of such a fort, and no tradition of it remains in the neighborhood. The formation of the land has been greatly altered to lay the base of the railroad track. A high flat plain to the eastward of the fort still retains the name of the American Camp Ground. It lies at the foot of a hill, whose impassable rocky sides rise almost per- At the northern extremity of this broad field there are visible remains of earthworks, probably a tete de chemin 10 cover the old northern turnpike which passed directly through the camp. On the west runs the Ramapo stream. There is a tradition that this was only a quarantine or invalid camp. But the better opinion is that it was an expedient to prevent the British movements up the valley. Beyond the river also, at what is now entitled Woodburn, are the remains of an encampment, where Harlem bricks and traces of fire places have been found. The Harlem

CHAPTER XVII.

WAR OF 1812.

BY F. B. GREEN, M. D.

T WO BRANCHES of military service existed in this county at the outbreak of the war of 1812- the light-horse and the militia-and a third was organ- ized in the form of an artillery company. When the call for troops came, permission was given to the commanding officers in the different counties to exercise their judg- ments in making drafts from the county militia. Gen- eral Peter Van Orden of this county declined the per- mission, saying that all his men could go. As a conse- quence, every able bodied in the county, not a member of the light-horse, was ordered to the front. The em- barkation took place from the head of Tappan Slote, and the inilitia were carried to Harlem Heights. Here they remained in camp for some time, being drilled and disci- plined for service.

As summer advanced word began to reach camp that pendicularly and afford a perfect protection to the rear. while the other counties were gathering their harvests, that of Rockland was rotting from lack of laborers to at- tend to it. Appeal after appeal was made to General Van Orden by his men for furloughs to go home and har- vest their crops, but in vain. So one night one or two companies marched out of camp and came home. - After getting in their grain, and arranging as best they could for the future, they quietly met, re-formed, and marched back to camp. For such a breach of discipline, what punishment could be devised? It would hardly do to march two companies of men out and shoot them for desertion.

GENERAL HISTORY.

Nor could any leader be found among them. The ac- tion had been spontaneous on the part of all, and each and all were guilty alike. It was finally concluded to give them extra duty. So they were marched up and down the country roads for four hours at a time, then given a rest, and then marched again. The news of this colossal desertion coming to the ear of the Government, an investigation was ordered, and when the cause of the desertion was understood, all the Rockland county militia were given a leave of ab- sence, on condition that, if called on, they would immediately hasten to the front. They were never re- called. As already stated an artillery company of 30 or 40 men was organized at Nyack. It was put under command of Major Harman Tallman. The bat- tery consisted of one brass six pounder. This company was also conveyed to Harlem Heights. A severe storm was raging at the time of its disembarkation, and the ma- jor, ordering them to make camnp, immediately took ref- uge in a neighboring house. Great dissatisfaction per- vaded the company at this action, and the rank and file immediately proceeded to elect a new commander. The result of their choice was Major Dibble.

After they had remained in camp a short time Mr. Purley, who was a prominent quarry man, represented to the government that it would be impossible to get out stone for the forts unless men could be found for the quarries. So these men obtained leave of absence to work the quarries, on condition that if wanted they would return. They were never wanted. In the case of the light-horse, a draft of seven men was made at Nyack. Five of these men immediately disqualified. The two who answered the call were Isaac Lydecker and James De Clark. When they arrived at Montgomery, they, with the rest of the light-horse, amounting to 70 or 80 men, passed through a general review. Then they were dis- missed and never recalled.

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 17

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993