History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 37

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 37

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"Know all men by these presents, that we whose names are hereunto written, for and in consideration that Joseph Wood, of Hempstead, in Queens County, shall settle upon a certain tract of land hereinafter described, and then and there uphold the trade of a Blacksmith, as long as he shall be able and capable of working at the said trade, and to work for the persons underwritten according to the custom of a Smith. * * We do hereby grant and release unto him a certain tract of land at a place called Kakiat, bounded west by the rear of the first eastern di- vision of lots, east by a creek or brook called Wood creek, containing 100 acres. July 15th 1720.

" JOHN ALLISON, CALEB HALSTED,

JAMES SEARING, WILLIAM HUTCHINGS,

CHARLES MOTT, ABM. DENTON,

WILLIAM OSBORN, JONATHAN ROSE,

JONATHAN SEAMAN."

The above tract is on the east side of the road running north from New City.

REVOLUTIONARY INCIDENTS.

At the time of the Revolution the area included in the present town of Haverstraw had very few inhabitants, most of whom were living on the lowlands next the river, while the mountains beyond were covered with the primeval forest dotted with a few log houses. One could travel the entire distance on the main road from Stony Point to Suffern, without finding more than eight or nine human habitations. In the low lands of Kakiat, south of the mountains, were the homes of the descendants of the colonists who came from Long Island many years be- fore, and the road that led through the Long Clove to Kiers Landing was their means of communication with the outside world.

In July, 1776, the Provincial Convention, apprehend- ing a movement of the enemy up the Hudson, ordered that one-quarter of the militia of the county of Orange should be drawn out for the defense of the State, and stationed in the Highlands on the west side of the Hud. son to guard the passes in the mountains. The Orange county regiment was commanded by Colonel Isaac Nicolls, with Gilbert Cooper as Lieutenant Colonel, and Samuel Lyon as Major. After the capture of New York, the British pursued Washington into New Jersey and the militia were ordered to join the forces under Gates. They assembled at Chester, and marched to what is now New City, " At the parting of the roads leading from

Tappan to Paramus," under the command of General George Clinton. A letter written at this time by Henry Wisner describes things as he saw them December 24th 1776:

As a part of Clinton's brigade, they were for more than two years practically minute men and were ready to march upon signal to defend the passes and the forts in the Highlands. The signal was to be the firing of two cannon from Fort Montgomery, and two at Fort Lee, which were to be answered by two reports from a brass 24 pounder at New Windsor. At this signal the militia of Orange and Ulster were to march in detachments, to reinforce the garrisons at the forts on the river. From December, 1776 to April, 1778 they were called out twelve times, and spent 292 days in the field. About September 20th 1777, three thousand British troops ar- rived in New York, and went up the Hudson with Sir Henry Clinton. By a feint on Peekskill, General Putnam was misled and the enemy landed at Stony Point, and, marching around the west base of the Dunderberg, sud- denly appeared before the Forts Montgomery and Con- stitution, October 7th. There were about six hundred militia from the surrounding country with the garrison, and after a vigorous defense they made a scattered re- treat at daybreak, leaving three hundred killed and prisoners. Among the list of prisoners were the follow. ing names of persons who were then living in this town and the district adjoining: John Storms, James De La Montagne, John Conkling, Joseph Ten Eyck, Thomas Conkling, Francis Sears, Samuel Garrison, Herman Crom, and Jacob Lent.

The condition of the militia previous to this may be judged from a letter written by Colonel A. Hawkes Hay to the President of the Convention, October roth 1776: "Dear Sir: Yesterday three of the enemy's ships of war and some other vessels passed our forts at Kings Bridge, and are now anchored off Nyack. My regiment consists of only three hundred men, and very near one. half of them without arms. I should be glad to hear what I am to do, and where I must apply for a reinforcement in case they should attempt a landing on the west side of Hudson's River. We are destitute of provisions for the guards I now have out, and must therefore request that the convention will be so kind as to send me by the bearer a sum of money to purchase the provisions." On the 15th he again wrote: " I am to acknowledge the re- ceipt of yours of the 12th with the sum of $500, and the Resolve of the Committee of Safety ordering a reinforce- ment of .one hundred men, from the north side of the county to protect the south side of the mountains as

164

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

soon as levied. The ships attempted a landing at Nyack on Sunday last, but were prevented. Some damage was done to the house of Philip Servent. I cannot command a force sufficient to prevent their penetrating the coun- try. Have exerted myself to muster the militia, but have not been able to muster a guard of more than thir- ty eight men, and have at present only eleven men to guard the shore between Verdrietig Hook and Stony Point. I am obliged to send this by my own negro as I cannot spare a white man to send express."

The following curious bill is of interest as showing the prices of articles at that time.

But the most astonishing bill, according to modern ideas, is the following, which is suggestive of the Fall- staffian proportion of bread and sack:

"Captain Kiers to John Stevens Dr. on account of Con- gress. £ d. S.

"2 Hogsheads of rum, 222 gallons at 9s. 4d. 103 1 2 0

6712 gals. spirits at 125 40 13 O 514 Gin at 13s. 3 14 3

712 " of John Waldron at 9s. 4d. 3

IC 0

I case Gin

4 IO 0

155 19 9"

" Dr. The Convention of the State of New York to to the Precinct of Haverstraw for sundries supplied to The burning of the De Noyelles's house, at Haver- straw, on the night of June 20th 1781, was one of the the guards while the ships of war lay in the bay of Haver- straw and Nyack, from the 12th of July to the 21st of later events of the war. A number of the enemy's ships August 1776:

€

S. d

To Samuel Yeomans for 2 sheep at 18s. .. I O 16

John Vandervoort 4 19S. 3 16

I Benjamin Remsen 2 18s .. 1 6

Joseph Clark "

I 18s. 18 O

John Coe 12 Ton Hay 2

00 0

Michael Vandervoort 12 ton hay. 2

To Widow De Noyelles 72 ton hay I 16

2 o

To 11 44 pounds of butter at I shilling. O

II 19 bushels and i peck Indian corn at 4S. 3

6 Oats at 2s. 6d. 0

3 bran Is. 4d . 0 4

3 salt of widow De Noyelles at IOS. I To Ab'm Fear for 16212 lbs. mutton at 372d. 2

Theodorus Snedikcr 81 12 II 6

10 15

€

Leonard Knapp for 40 meals victuals at 9d. I

12 lbs. bread at 2d .... O

Boarding 5 light horsemen 3 days I

I 3 9

1 36 meals for Colonel Hay's party 5

2 James De Clark 294 lbs. beef hide and tal. low 472d.

Jeremiah Williams 179 lbs. becf at 3d. 2

Widow De Noyelles 10 lbs. candles 0

31 lbs. Bacon at 7d. 18

14 lead " 6d. 3 IO 0

39 “ powder“ 10

8 IO

6 bushels lime at 2S O

4 3 boards for a bread tray

IC 1,000 bricks for ovcn I John Vanderbilt 719 lbs. wheat bread at 212d. 6 John Vanderbilt 173 lbs. Rye bread at 2d .. I

I 2

had come up the river and encountered some opposition, and a party landing laid the old mansion in ruins. John De Noyelles, the builder of the house and owner of the large estate, died in 1775, and his widow married Colonel John Roberts, who was living there at the time of its de- It is from this fact that it is mentioned in Moore's " Diary of the Revolution " as the house of Col- onel Roberts.

Throughout the war, the exposed position of the west- ern shore of the river, and the facility with which armed vessels could pass up and make a landing at any point, rendered the position of the inhabitants of the precinct of Haverstraw one of peculiar danger. In addition to this some of the more prominent among them were more than suspected of sympathy with the enemy. After the war many of them had their property confiscated, and large tracts in this county thus passed into other hands. Among the many who thus fell under the ban of public opinion was Captain James Lamb, who was the owner of all the land between Florus Falls and Stony Point, and whose negro, Pompey, was the guide for Wayne's troops when on the march to storm the enemy's works on that famous promontory. Captain Lamb, with others, was at tainted for treason, but his estate was saved by the fact that his daughters were married to men who had taken an active part in defense of the country, and that it would be working injury to them to confiscate and sell the estate of their father, who was far advanced in years .. . As his case has excited some controversy, a copy of the scction of the act, which relates to him, passed at the roth session of the Legislature, is here given.

"And whereas the cstate of James Lamb, late of Haverstraw, by the conviction of the said James Lamb, became forfeited to the people of this State, and whereas Jacob Waldron and Catharine his wife, and John Wal- dron and Elizabeth his wife, the said Catharine and Elizabeth being daughters of James Lamb, have by their petition to the Legislature set forth that the said Jacob Waldron and John Waldron being zealously attached to the freedom and independence of America, upon the ap- proach of the enemy during the late war left their habi- tations, and exerted themselves in the public service and their estate became a prey to the ravages of the enemy;

Paulus Vandervoort for load of baggage to Nyack 0

. 0

s. d. 9

0 struction.

165

HAVERSTRAW-REVOLUTION-STATE MILITIA.

and praying that such parts of the estate of James Lamb as remain unsold may be restored to the heirs of the said James Lamb; and whereas this Legislature is satisfied of the truth of the representation:

"Therefore Be it enacted, that so much of the estate of James Lamb as remains unsold is hereby restored to such persons, as, who, if the said James Lamb were now dead, would be lawful heirs as tenants in common."

The tradition that Captain Lamb was enticed away to New York by members of the Brewster family, who took advantage of his absence to accuse him of treason, and thus have a portion of his estate sold to them, rests upon no documentary evidence, and it is believed to be wholly untrue. It will be noticed that the act of the Legislature, is based, not on any assumption of his loyalty, but on the well known loyalty of his sons-in-law to the Federal cause.

" Letter from Daniel Coe, Chairman of Cakiate Com mittee.

"Cakiate, December 6th, 1776.

" Sir: We thought it our indispensable duty to inform the Convention that last evening we received the en- closed requisition from General Sullivan. It is not in our power, consistent with the safety of the inhabitants or the public service, to comply with his request; and we flatter ourselves that had the General been properly ac- quainted with the true state of the country, he would not have issued this order. The whole militia of our pre- cincts consists of but two hundred and eighty men, one third of which are disaffected to the cause. Most of the militia are unarmed and now employed in the service of the public, either as guards for the shore, or wagoners or laborers on the public roads. Besides this we are in great distress from the exposed state of the country, which now lies open to the ravages of the enemy from Hackensack and Fort Lee. Therefore, we are so far from being able to afford General Lee any assistance that we must earnestly request the convention to send us as- sistance from the upper parts of the county, or we must, from our weak and exposed state, in all probability, now fall a sacrifice to the eneiny. We beg you would lay this request before the Honourable convention and entreat their immediate advice and aid. An answer by the bearer will much oblige your humble servant

" DANIEL COE, Chairman.

"To Pierre Van Cortlandt, Esqr., President of the Convention of the State of New York."

The following document is one of the very few Revo- lutionary relics which relate to the personal experience of those who took part in the war for independence.

"Peter Gross, of Haverstraw, being duly sworn, saith that he served, during the late war, in Colonel John Lamb's regiment of the New York Artillery, that he knew Abram Rickhow to be a soldier in the said regi- ment, also in Captain Fanning's company, and that he and the said Abram Rickhow were present at the taking of Cornwallis in October, 1781, and the said Abrain was then and there killed by the British. This deponent further saith that he was acquainted with said Abrain

Rickhow and that he saw him after he was dead and as- sisted in burying him after the battle of Yorktown in the State of Virginia."

Peter Gross went into the army when a mere boy, sur- vived the war, and lived in the town of Stony Point for many years afterward. A plain tombstone in the old Waldron burying ground tells that he died April 28th 184t, aged 76. His wife, Rebecca, died April 18th 1840, aged 75. Though none of the name are now left, his descendants may be found in the Rose family, in Stony Point.

MILITIA.

Muster roll of a company of detached militia under the command of Captain John Snedeker, in the 93d regi- ment of the N. Y. S. Militia commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Benjamin F. Gurnee, from the 3d day of Sep- tember 1814, when last mustered to the 10th day of No- vember 1814; in the service of the United States.

John Snedeker, Abraham Storms, Dowah A. Blauvelt, James Swartwout, Adrian Onderdonk, John, Stevens, Gar- ret G. Snedeker, Abraham Snedeker, Charles Ferlwood, Shobal Hall, Samuel Lawrence, George Smith, William Gilchrest, Garret F. Snedeker, Thomas Gilchrest, Har- man Tremper, C. Abbott, Daniel Allison, Thomas Baker, David Brady, Paul Brewer, Nathaniel Barmore, John A. Blauvelt, Christian Brinkerhoff, -- Bennet, Joseph Ba- ker, Alexander Cassick, Isaac Corby, Christian De Baun, Harman Felter, Edward Felter, David Felter, John Fel- ter, Henry Finch, John P. Felter, Jacob Felter, George Felter, Benjamin Felter, Budd Gilchrist, Isaac Gerow, John Hoffman, Matthew Harrison, Timothy Jaycocks, Samuel G. Johnson, David Knapp, Jacob Knapp, John Lum, John Lydecker jr., Robert Minford, Theodorus Polhemus, Theordorus Reinsen, Hercules Ryder, Law- rence Richards, James Rose, John Remsen, John Storms, William Short, Hendrick Snyder, William Thew, John F. Tremper, Abraham A Tallman, John Van Orden, Ja- coh Van Orden, Elias Williams, William Wiley, Stephen Myers, Abraham Myers, Marcus Mullen, Garret Onder- donk, Silas Pierson, Paul James, Uriah Paul, John Perry, Jesse Rogery, Arthur Paul, William Smith, Lewis Slott, Garret Springsteen, Tunis Snedeker, Richard Smith, Joseph Dowah D. Tallman, Harman Tallman, Jacob Vanderbilt, Jacob Van Houten, John Van Houten jr., Jeremiah Williamson.

GARNERVILLE.

The village which has been built up around the Rock- land Print Works was named Garnerville, from the family owning the manufactory, which is the largest establish- ment of the kind in this county, if not in the State. As early as 1760 a small grist mill had been built by Corne- lius Osborn on the Minisceongo Creek, a short distance above the present main road which crosses the stream. The water power practically ran to waste, waiting for the hour, and the man who could utilize it.

John Glass was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and in that city he carried on a large business in calico printing.

166

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

Owing to some difficulty with the Government he re- solved to go to America, and start the business there. He came to this country in 1828 and one day, while walking the streets of New York, he saw the notice of an excursion to a camp meeting at Haverstraw. Prompted by curiosity he resolved to attend. The camp ground was on the bank of the Minisceongo Creek, not far from the First Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Glass saw that this was just the place for his business. His first pur- chase of 45 acres on the south side of the creek was made March 12th 182S. Mr. Glass erected suitable build- ings, and began the business of calico printing. The great improvements which have been introduced in that busi- ness in modern times were then unknown, and the work was done by the slow process of printing from blocks by hand. When the business was fairly started Mr. Glass went with his first load of goods to the steamboat dock at Grassy Point. There were then two rival boats run- ning to New York, the Waterwitch and General Jackson. The former had just started, the latter was detained for a few minutes to load the goods. At that instant the boiler exploded and Mr. Glass and thirteen others were killed. He was buried in the old churchyard on " Calico Hill," where his tombstone may be seen with the following in- scription: "Sacred to the memory of John Glass, who departed this life 7 Junc 1831, aged 47 .* After this the premises were leased for a time, and were sold to Wil- liam Cowdroy, October Ist 1835. He kept them a short time, and sold to James Garner, Thomas Garner, and Charles Wells, " Merchants of the City of New York," May Ist 1838. Since that time it has been in the posses- sion of the Garner family. The father of this family was a respectable traveling merchant in the city, and left three sons, James, Thomas, and Henry. The first was a wealthy banker and left his property to his brothers and sisters, having no children of his own. Henry sold his share of the manufactory to his brother Thomas, accord- ing to his own statement, for $80,000. He died very suddenly, in Haverstraw, a few years afterward. Thomas left a son who was well known in New York as commo- dore of the yacht club and who was drowned in Staten Island Bay by the capsizing of his yacht Mohawk in the summer of 1876. The Rockland Print Works are now managed by the executors of his estate, for the benefit of infant heirs. The company was incorporated in 1853 with a capital of $100,000, for the purpose of manufac- turing " Printing and Dyeing Woolen, Cotton, or Linen goods." Five trustees were elected: Thomas Garner, William Thorn, D. R. Mangam, Leonard M. Thorn, and Alexander Davidson. The works have been enlarged from time to time, and they now give constant employ- ment to several hundred hands. Goods to the value of a million dollars are said to be manufactured here annu- ally.

At the east end of the premises of the print works is the site of the Presbyterian church, which was built in

1790. The old burial place around it is in a state of sad neglect. Here were buried many of those who were prominent inhabitants at the beginning of the present century, and a few of the dates on their tombstones are here given: Joseph Demarest died September 5th 1849, aged 65; Joseph B. Allison died December 20th 1848, aged 88; Mary, wife of Joseph B. Allison, died March 24th 1829, aged 69; John Curtis, died June 8th 1836, aged 57; Maria Van Dyke, wife of William E. Smith, died November 14th 1841, aged 42; Thomas Hay, Esq., died October 12th 1828, aged 55; Lawrence Higgins, died May 24th 1845, aged 73.

VILLAGE OF WEST HAVERSTRAW.

This village was incorporated in 1883, and a notice was issued on February roth of that year, stating that a map of the proposed village had been made, and a cen- sus taken. The general description was as follows:

" Bounded on the southeast by the village of Haver- straw, on the southwest by a line which includes both sides of the Ramapo road to its junction with a road leading to John Springstien's; on the west by a line run- ning from said junction northerly to the Stony Point line near the New Jersey and New York Railroad; on the north from the Stony Point boundary from the above point eastwardly to the road leading north from Benson's corner, and by a line which continues the course of the said boundary to a point on the Minisceongo Creek north of the Farley house on the lands of the Haverstraw Clay | and Brick Company; and on the east by a line running southerly from the above point to l'eck's Railroad."

The resident population was found to be 1,602, and at a meeting held March 29th, the vote for the incorporation was 189 yeas, -3 nays. The following officers were elected: President, Adam Lilburn; trustees, John Taylor, Theodore G. Peck, James G. Scott; treasurer, Henry M. Peck; clerk, Charles W. Gordon. The area of the land within the limits of the corporation is 1 24-100 square miles.

CHURCHES OF HAVERSTRAW.

First Presbyterian Church .- Previous to 1785, the few inhabitants that were living in what is now the village of Haverstraw and its environs were attendants upon the Dutch Reformed and the English churches of Kaki- ate or New Hempstead. The first attempt to establish a church within the present limits of the town was in the above year, when a subscription paper was circulated to obtain means to employ the services of the minister of the English Church to preach occasionally in the neigh- borhood. The original document has lately been discov- ered, and it is of interest as the first attempt to establish a church in Haverstraw.

"We whose names are hereunto Subscribed being in some measure (as we hope) sensible of the Reality and importance of Divine things, and of the awful Contempt and neglect of the Religion of Jesus Christ amongst nIs, and Reflecting that it is our duty immediately to repent and believe the Gospel, and turn unto the Lord with all

*Mr. Glass had a wife, Barbara, and children, John (who had children, John and Ant); Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Thomas Bonsall: Ann, wife of James Suffern; and Barbara, wife of Henry M. Peck.

HAVERSTRAW-FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

167

our hearts, and that it is our indispensable duty to train up our growing offspring in the fear, nurture, and admo- nition of the Lord. Considering at the same time those weighty and important expressions of the Apostle Paul, viz .: ' How shall they believe him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a Preacher, and how shall they preach except they be sent.' Having, therefore, by the gracious interposition of Divine Provi- dence, an opportunity put into our hands of planting the preached Gospel among us every third or fourth Sabbath, according to the proportion of Salary we can and shall subscribe.

"We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, do freely and voluntarily promise and bind ourselves our heirs ex- ecutors &c., to pay the respective sums opposite our names, yearly and every year, for the purposes above mentioned, if the Gospel shall be so dispensed among us, and as long as it shall so continue, and we remain in the Congregation of Haverstraw. Said money to be paid as above unto any person or persons the majority of the Subscribers or the Congregation shall appoint for said purpose, and when it shall be called for and demanded by said persons, whether in quarterly or yearly pay- ments.

"Witness our hands the 19th May 1781.

" Peter Parker, 6s .; Ebenezer Bishop, 16s .; William Allison, Tos .; Phebe Osborne, 6s .; Hannah Conkling, wid., 6s .; Richard Deklins, 8s .; Lebbeus Knapp, 4s .; Ja- cob Parker, 8s .; Jacob Thiell, £1; Matthew Allison, 8s .; Benjamin Furman, 4s .; Joseph Allison, 16s .; Isaac Fur- man, 4s .; Richard Crum, 4s .; George Marks, 8s .; Daniel Wheeler, 6s .; John Johnson jr., 16s .; Thomas Ellison, 4s .; John Johnston, Ios .; Abraham Cooper, Ios .; Benjamin Coe, £1, 4s .; Jacob Waldron, £1, 4s .; Wm. Colley sen., ros .; Tobias Derunder, :6s .; Joseph Coley, £1, 45 .; William Derunder, Ios .; James Garner, 16s .; Cornelius Cooper, 4s .; William Wiggins, Ios .; Abraham Storms, 6s .; Cornelius Bulson, £1; Isaac Youmans, 8s .; Gilbert Hunt, £1; Nathaniel Brooks, 8s .; Thomas Titt, Ios .; David Springsted, 8s .; Samuel Allison, tos .; Resolvert Spring sted, 4s .; John Phillips, 8s .; David Springsted, 3s .; Der- rick Acker, 8s .; Edward Waldron, 12s .; Henry Ten Eyck, 8s .; Florus Crom, 4s .; Jonas Knapp, 8s .; Alexander Bul- son, 6s .; Henry Halsted, Ios .; John Ten Eyck, 8s .; Dan- iel Phillips jr., 4s .; Anthony Bulson, tos .; Eli Phillips, 4s .; John Waldron, 12s .; Gilbert Phillips, 4s .; Job Bab- cock, 4s .; Conrate Ryder, 8s .; Thomas Dykins, 16s .; Amos Hutchings, £1, 4s .; Barent Van de Voort, 16s .; Isaac Parker, {1; Charles Mott, £1, 4s .; Jared Knapp, 4s .; Gilbert Williams, 4s .; Jacob Kniffen, 4s .; Benjamin Allison, Ios .; Aaron Brower, 4s .; Peter Allison, 16s .; John Briggs, 4s .; Mathew Benson, £1; John Roberts, 16s .; Noah Moot, 8s .; John Conckling, 8s."

The names subscribed were those of residents, not only in Haverstraw, but Stony Point and Clarkstown. It will be noticed that the list is inostly composed of the English speaking part of the inhabitants. The descendants of the to the inhabitants:

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 37

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