USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester County, New York, from its earliest settlement to the year 1900 > Part 46
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Another spy was executed by Putnam during his Peekskill admin- istration-one Daniel Strang, who, when arrested, had on his person a paper drawn by Colonel Rogers, of the Queen's Rangers, and dated " Valentine's Hill, December 30, 1776," which authorized the bearer to bring recruits for the British service. Strang also was tried by court-martial. condemned, and hanged, the sentence receiving Wash- ington's approval. He suffered on a spot now comprised within the grounds of the Peekskill Academy. His gallows was an oak tree. The locality has ever since been called Oak Hill, in memory of the ocenrrence.
The document found on Strang is of much interest, as showing the inducements given to Tory recruiting officers and volunteers,
1 Bolton's Hist. of Westchester County, rev. ed., i., 153.
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EVENTS OF 1777 AND 1778
so many of whom were contributed by Westchester County to the British cause. After reciting that " his Majesty's service makes it absolutely necessary that recruits should be raised," it continues: " This is to certify that Mr. Daniel Strang, or any other gentleman who may bring in recruits, shall have commissions according to the number he or they shall bring in for the Queen's American Rangers. No more than forty shillings bounty is to be given to any man, which is to be applied toward purchasing necessaries; to serve during the present Rebellion, and no longer. They will have their proportion of all rebel lands, and all privileges equal to any of his Majesty's troops. The officers are to be the best judges in what manner they will get their men in, either by parties, detachments, or otherwise, as may seem most advantageous; which men are to be attested before the first magistrate within the British lines."
While Washington and Howe were contending for the possession of Philadelphia, Burgoyne was coming down from the north, and as he progressed he was getting into difficulties. It was the plan of the British ministry, as Washington at once suspected when he heard of the northern invasion, for a co-operating expedition to ascend the IIndson from New York about the time that Burgoyne should be far enough advanced in his march to descend it, and thus to effect a junction. Combined with Howe's simultancons movement on Phil- adelphia, which drew off Washington's army to the west, the project was a most admirable one; and who can doubt that, with Washing- ton beaten in Pennsylvania, and both New York and Philadelphia in the hands of the British, the success of the startling enterprise would either have ended the Revolution or redneed it to mere insur- rectionary proportions? The plan had two weak points: first, due consideration was not given to the armed strength and varied ro- sources of the Americans in the country which Burgoyne had to traverse; and second. the co-operating force from New York had an undertaking far too serious to be entered upon lightly or with any chance of prematureness. That undertaking was the forcing of a passage up the Hudson River, which could be done only by reducing several forts splendidly situated for defense and supported by a con- siderable body of troops posted below for the protection of the monn- tain passes. No one can inspect the ground at Peekskill and above without a vivid realization of the severity of the task which the ex- pedition from New York had to perform. Yet it was accomplished with perfect ease and slight loss.
This business fell to the part of Sir Henry Clinton, upon whom the command in New York had devolved when Howe sailed for Philadel- phia. It is said that Sir Henry's reason for delaying the movement
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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY
on the Highlands was the necessity of waiting for re-enforcements from England, which were three months on the way. If this is true, the re-enforcements came just in the nick of time-not, it is true, for Burgoyne's salvation, but for a judicious attack in the Highland quarter. When Sir Henry was prepared to move, Burgoyne was already doomed. On the other hand, if Sir Henry had moved a month earlier, when he might have been of real service to Burgoyne, he would have been confronted by a formidable instead of an insignifi- cant force at Peekskill, and probably would have been baffled. His re enforcements could not have been large-could hardly have been worth waiting for, indeed,-since he took with him only 3.000 men. It seems to ns that an important con- tributing reason, if not the chief reason, for his delay was a discreet resolve to wait until Washington, battling against great odds around Philadelphia, should, by his emergent necessities, summon to his own army the better part of Putnam's com- mand at Peekskill, and thus leave the Highlands in as weak a condition as possible. The facts are that he did not move until Washington had been reduced to such straits as to take to himself 2,500 of Putnam's best troops,-but did move shortly after- ward. At the selected moment Put- nam had only 1,100 continentals and GENERAL JAMES CLINTON. 400 militiamen at Peekskill, and the total garrisons of Forts Clinton and Montgomery were not in excess of 600, mostly New York militia hastily gathered by Governor George Clinton and his brother, Gen- eral James Clinton-the former commanding at Fort Montgomery and the latter at Fort Clinton.
On the 4th of October the expedition up the Hudson got under way. Its advance consisted of two ships-of-war, three fenders, and a large number of flatboats, and a second division followed com- prising one large man-of-war, five lopsail vessels, and numerous small craft. A stop was made at Tarrytown, where troops were landed and marched several miles into the country. But this maneuver, says Irving, was only a feint to distract attention. At night the men were re-embarked, and the next morning the whole force of some-
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EVENTS OF 1777 AND 1778
thing more than 3,000 was set ashore at Verplanck's Point. This was the morning of the 5th of October-one year, lacking seven days, from the date of the first British enterprise in Westchester County at Throgg's Point.
General Putnam, with his weak command at Peekskill, of course could not advance to engage such a body. His ingennous sont could not surmise any guile in the foe who thus in broad daylight had landed under his eye, and his valorons instincts rejected all doubt that the knightly Sir Henry would come straight on and fight him. He fell back to the passes, posted himself there, sent to Governor Clinton af Fort Montgomery for all the soldiers he could spare, and awaited the convenience of the enemy, who meantime showed a sur- prisingly leisurely disposition. There was no attack that day, night fell, and Putnam looked for the morrow with hopeful expectancy. But before daybreak Sir Henry transported 2,000 of his force from Verplanck's Point to the wholly unprotected west shore, leaving 1,000 behind to keep up the appearance of a meditated movement on Putnam. Then, with his main body, he made the circuit of the Dunderberg, marched without experiencing the least detention through those mountain passes which Washington's board of gen- erals in May had reported were so exceedingly difficult that they would never be attempted, easily overcame the small corps sent to check him, and, in two divisions of a thousand men each, fell upon Foris Clinton and Montgomery from the rear. He stormed them with the bayonet, and though the forts were heroically defended, the Americans prolonging their resistance until twilight, the overpower- ing numbers of the British carried the day. The American killed, wounded, and missing were 250. The two commanders, with the remnants of the garrisons, escaped across the river. In the action Colonel Campbell, heading one of the attacking parties, was killed, and his command fell to Colonel Beverly Robinson, the Loyalist son-in-law of the third Frederick Philipse. Fort Independence, on the Westchester side above Peekskill, did not prove strong enough to prevent the passage of the warships belonging to the expedition. Two or three of these vessels ran by its batteries and co-operated with the land force. Governor Clinton was informed somewhat in advance of the coming of the enemy through the passes, and sent to Putnam for help, but his messenger never reached the doughty gen- oral. Irving says he turned traitor and deserted to the enemy.
Putnam had been completely ontmaneuvered. Although the cross- ing of a British force to the west side had been reported to him, he supposed this was only a detachment, and thought the main body was still at Verplanck's Point, and would come npon him in dne
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time.1 He not only did not re-enforce the garrisons, but appre- hended nothing of the truth until the guns of the forts boomed upon his astounded ears. Added to his confusion as a duped general was the mortification of a true soldier, ardent for battle but denied that privilege by a specious antagonist; for his own position was not assailed. Putnam, when in splenetie humor, was not over nice in the choice of words; and it can be imagined but not printed with what dreadful language he must have remarked upon the eventuality.
There was a display of fireworks that night in the romantic fast- nesses of the Highlands never equaled before or since. Two American ships and two armed galleys were stationed above the chain, and when the fate of the forts was decided they were set on fire to save them from the enemy. When the magazines were reached they blew up with terrific explosions, which long reverberated among the mountains.
Continental Village, with its barracks, storehouses, and a number of loaded wagons, was burned on the 9th by a detachment under Major-General Tryon. Westchester County below Peekskill was not included in this visitation, and before the end of October Putnam was back in Peekskill with a force of 6,000. The whole Hudson being open, the British ascended it and ravaged the country. To this period belongs the burning of Kingston. Soon, however, came the wonder- ful tidings of the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga (October 20). and the invaders from below, finding their errand a profitless one and unable to maintain their position in the Highlands, returned to New York. Putnam, at Peekskill, resumed his sway over the entire posi. No further attempt was made against Peekskill or its important jurisdiction until the summer of 1779, when Verplanck's Point, and Stony Point opposite, were seized-to no other substantial end, how- ever, than to give the name of Anthony Wayne to immortality.
The very large body with which Putnam resumed his station at Peekskill was obtained from the Northern Army, which, after Bur. goyne's surrender, had been disintegrated. These troops and many more, no longer needed at the North, should have been sent to Wash- ington, who, after the evacuation of Philadelphia, continned the un- equal struggle with Howe; but the jealousy of Gates deprived Wash- ington of them, as a year previously the ambition of Lee had pro-
1 After landing on Verplanck's Point, Sir Henry re-embarked a portion of his force and moved the fleet up to Peekskill Neck. This was one of his schemes to mask the proceedings of the main body at King's Ferry. All writers agree that Putnam was informed betimes of the transportation of a part of the British army from Verplanck's Point to the west side
of the river, but the state of the atmosphere was such that no estimate could be made of the number. From all the circumstances, l'ut- nam firmly believed that It was only a small detachment to burn the American storehouses on that side, and the appearance of a large fire near Stony Point shortly afterward con- firmed him in this opinion.
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THE ATTACK ON THE HIGHLAND FORTS.
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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY
vented his needful re-enforcement in New Jersey. Thus at two criti- cal emergencies in two successive years Westchester County was made the scene of a large and idle military establishment to gratify the personal spite of Washington's rivals. General Putnam, whose nature was noble and who was entirely loyal to his commander, was not a party to this petty and wicked meanness; but he had de- signs of his own for the good of the canse. It was his dearly cherished object to capture New York, and he felt that now was the appointed time. At this juneture Alexander Hamilton arrived at Peekskill on a mission from Washington to Gates, and in the name of his chief or- dered Putnam to send on two continental brigades. He then went to Albany and interviewed Gates. Getting little satisfaction, however, from that egotist and schemer, he sent an express to Putnam to for- ward another thousand men to Washington. But upon his return to Peekskill he found with astonishment and indignation that Putnam had not obeyed either of his orders, but instead was beginning active operations against New York, and to that end had marched a force to Tarrytown and had formally reconnoitered the enemy almost as far down as Kingsbridge. Hamilton, under the advice of Governor Clinton, now peremptorily commanded Putnam to dispatch to Wash- ington all his continental regiments, retaining only his militia forces. This order was obeyed. Hamilton was greatly enraged against Put- nam, and advised Washington to make an example of him, saying: " Ilis blunders and caprices are endless." But Washington was un- willing to too deeply wound the sensibilities of the old general, and contented himself with a mild reprimand. " I can not but say," he wrote, " there has been more delay in the march of the troops than I think necessary, and t conld wish that in future my orders may be immediately complied with, withont argning upon the propriety of them. If any accident ensues from obeying them, the fault will be upon me, not upon you."
During the winter of 1777-78 General Putnam and the two Clin- tons, with Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Van Cortlandt, John Jay, and others, reconnoitered the Highlands with a view to their refortifica- tion, and selected West Point as the most eligible place for the prin- cipal works. A beginning was made there before Putnam's retirement from the Peekskill post, which occurred on the 16th of March, 1778. He was succeeded by MeDougall-his immediate predecessor,-now become a major-general.
At this stage of the war American hopes mounted high. The French alliance was signed in Paris on the 6th of February. Wash- ington, still at Valley Forge (Pa.), was in position to attack the British in Philadelphia, and the arrival of a French fleet to co-operate
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EVENTS OF 1777 AND 1778
with him against that city was expected monthly. It became im- practicable for the enemy to continue there, and the evacuation of the place was decided on. Just previously to the event Howe re- signed the chief command and was succeeded by Sir Henry Clinton. The British army moved out of Philadelphia on the 18th of June to make its way by land back to New York. It was pursned by Wash- ington. On the 28th was fought the battle of Monmonth Court House, where General Lee (who had been exchanged) so comported himself that he was court-martialed and retired to private life. The British effected their escape to New York. and Washington encamped in Now Jersey to hide the progress of events.
Here, on the 13th of July, he received the welcome intelligence of the arrival off the coast of Virginia of a French feet under the Count d'Estaing, consisting of twelve ships of the line and six frigates, and bearing a land force of 4,000. In the resulting correspondence between the two commanders it was resolved to begin at once joint operations against New York, and Washington forthwith broke up his New Jersey camp, crossed King's Ferry into our county, and de- scended to White Plains, where he spread his tents about the 20th day of July. From this place, whither he had retired from New York island under such perilous circumstances in the fall of 1776, he wrote to a friend in Virginia: " After two years' maneuvering and the strangest vicissitudes, both armies are brought back to the very point they set out from, and the offending party at the beginning is now redneed to the use of the spade and pickax for defense. The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked that has not gratitude to acknowledge his obligations."
The army remained at White Plains for about two months. In September, Washington, as shown by an entry in his accounts with the United States, reconnoitered " the country about the [White] Plains between the North and East Rivers," disbursing for that pur- pose out of his private purse the sum of $133.
But it was not ordered that the arrangement for the taking of New York, whose successful execution would doubtless have tor- minated the war, should be carried ont. The French Heet sailed up to Sandy Hook. The British naval force in New York Bay at that time comprised only six ships of the line. four 50-gun ships, and a number of frigates and smaller vessels. D'Estaing, however, was informed by pilots that the depth of water on the Sandy Hook bar was not sufficient to permit the passage of his largest vessels. one of which carried eighty and another ninety guns. He therefore abandoned the enterprise and proceeded to Newport to capture, in
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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY
conjunction with an expedition headed by General Sullivan, the British force of 6,000 which was stationed there. This plan also petered out. The British fleet came up the Sound to engage the French, which weut to meet it, but an inopportune storm dispersed the ships, and the French commander afterward went to Boston to refit, leaving General Sullivan in a dangerous situation, from which he had much difficulty in extricating himself. The behavior of the French in this first test of the practical value of the alliance excited great disgust throughout the country.
The departure of the French to Boston was followed in September by a great stir of British preparations in New York for some un- known object. Washington, at White Plains, feared an attack on the Highlands, which, in the elementary condition of the West Point defenses, were ill prepared for resistance; but he cqnally feared an expedition against Boston. In this uncertainty he proceeded as he had done the year before while waiting for Howe to unfold his projects. He largely re-enforced the troops at Peekskill and above, and stationed Putnam with two brigades near West Point, mean- while removing his own camp from Westchester County to a posi- tion farther north on the Connecticut border, from where he could move either to Boston or to the Hudson River, as the result should require. But the new enterprise of Sir Henry Clinton proved to have only local purposes. He sent an expedition to Little Egg Harbor (N. J., which had been used by the Americans as an important base for privateering operations, and, to cover it, threw 5,000 men under Cornwallis into northern New Jersey and 3,000 under Knyphausen into Westchester County. " The detachment on the east side of the Hudson ( we quote from Irving's Life of Washington) made a predatory and disgraceful foray from their lines at Kingsbridge toward the Americans at White Plains, plundering the inhabitants without dis- crimination, not only of their provisions and forage, but of the very clothing on their backs. None were more efficient in this ravage than a party of about a hundred of Captain Donop's Hessian yagers, and they were in full marand between Tarrytown and Dobbs Ferry when a detachment of infantry under Colonel Richard Butler, and of cavalry under Major Henry Lee, came upon them by surprise, killed ton of them on the spot, captured a lieutenant and eighteen privates, and would have taken or distroyed the whole had not the extreme roughness of the country impeded the action of the cavalry and enabled the yagers to escape by scrambling up hillsides or plung- ing into ravines."
It was during the summer of 1778, and while Washington was still in camp at White Plains, that the tragical event referred to in our
AMBUSCADE of the INDIANS at KINGSBRIDGE August 31 st 1778.
A. Queens Ranger's & Legion in Ambuf-
B. Emmericks Corps.
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PLAN OF THE AMBUSCADE OF THE STOCKBRIDGE INDIANS (FROM SIMCOE'S JOURNAL). LITH OF INDICOTE NEW YORK
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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY
chapter on the Indians transpired. A band of about sixty so-called Stockbridge Indians (descendants of the Mohican tribe which orig- inally possessed what is now Westchester County), under the com- mand of the Chief Nimham, was detached to the south from Wash- ington's army. On the 20th of August the Indians attacked and drove down to Kingsbridge a force of the enemy under Lientenant- Colonel Emmerick. During the next few days they continued in the lower part of the Town of Yonkers. Here, on August 31, they were surrounded and surprised by the Queen's Rangers under Simcoe, the Chasseurs under Emmerick, de Lancey's 2d battalion, and the Legion Dragoons under Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton. Forty of their num- ber, including their chief and his son, were killed or desperately wounded. This slaughter was one of the most considerable result- ing from any single encounter on Westchester soil during the Revo- lution. An extended account of the affair, from which the various notices in Bolton's and Scharf's Histories are mainly drawn, may be found in Simcoe's Journal.
Not many other events of local importance happened in West- chester County during the year 1778. The principal ones were the burning of Ward's house at Tuckahoe, and the " Babcock's House Affair " in Yonkers.
Ward's house, which stood on the site of the residence of the late Judge Gifford, was the property of Judge Stephen Ward, a very prominent and respected citizen of the Town of Eastchester. He was one of the leaders of the patriot party in our county before the war, sat in the assembly in 1778 and in the State senate from 1780 to 1783, and was appointed county judge in 1784. His home, on the Tuckahoe Road, was the post for a detachment of Revolutionary troops dependent mpon the " lines " above, and as such it was attacked several times. Upon one occasion the American force stationed in and around it was attacked by a strong British expedition under Captain Campbell. The American commander was ready to surrender, when an unlucky shot was fired from one of the windows, and Captain Campbell fell dead. Many Americans were slaughtered in revenge, and twenty- seven were taken away prisoners. But the place was again gar- risoned, and it was then decided by the enemy to burn the house. This was done in November, 1778, the sidings, doors, windows, and shutters being first removed. They were transported to Kingsbridge and used in building barracks for the British troops.
The " Babcock's House Affair " is one of the most interesting Revo- Intionary episodes connected with the history of Yonkers. A strong and pleasing element of romance attaches to it. " Babcock's House " was none other than the parsonage of Saint John's (Episcopalian)
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Church, and the Rev. Luke Babcock, from whom it took its name, was the same clergyman who signed the Tory manifesto of April, 1775, and whom Colonel Lewis Morris scornfully characterized as " the Reverend Mr. Luke Babcock, who preaches and prays for Colonel Philips and his tenants at Philipsburg." Like his compatriots, the Reverends Samuel Seabury, of Westchester; Epenetus Townsend, of Salem; and Ephraim Avery, of Rye, the Yonkers parson was per- severing in his devotion to the British cause, and suffered accordingly. Soon after the removal of the lord of the manor, Mr. Babcock was apprehended by a Revolutionary committee, his papers were ex- amined, and the interrogatory was propounded to him, " Whether he considered himself bound by his oath of allegiance to the King? " lle replied affirmatively, and thereupon was sent to New Haven under guard, where he languished until February, 1777. During his confinement his health declined. Being released on parole, he re- turned to the Yonkers parsonage, and presently died there, leaving a youthful widow, who continued to reside in the parsonage, where Miss Williams, a sister of Mrs. Frederick Philipse, bore hor com- pany.
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