History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 101

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 101

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" PHILIPSE'S MANOR, Augt. 31, 1776 ;" the Committee of Safety to General Washington, " Angt. 31, 1776."

9 Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Monday morning, Octor. 14th, "1776."

398

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

"ing into the hands of the enemy, be empowered " either to remove it or them, therefrom, or, if that " should not be practicable, to destroy the same; " " that the Commissary or Commissaries hereby ap- " pointed be empowered to appoint Agents under " them, and to call upon any officer commanding any " part of the Militia, for such detachments of the men "under his command as will be necessary to carry " the same into execution ; " " that Mr. Stephen Ward " apply to the Commissary-general for such sums of "money as will, from time to time, be necessary to "carry the above Resolves into execution ; " and " that a copy of the above Resolutions be sent to His "Excellency General Washington and to the Com- " missary-general, requesting their assistance in car- "rying the same into execution."1 In the absence of General Lewis Morris, whose hankerings were evi- dently for something else thau for active service in the field, at the head of his Brigade," Colonel Joseph Drake, of New Rochelle, the senior Colonel, was placed in command of the Westchester-county Militia, with instructions to " call out as many of the Militia, "with five days provisions, as he shall think suffi- " cient to watch the motions of the encmy's ships,3 " now in the Sound, and to prevent all communica- " tion with the disaffected inhabitants in said County ; " and that he send notice, from time to time, to the " Convention, of every remarkable occurrence ; and, " for that purpose, that he is hereby empowered to " press horses, when he shall think it necessary." 4 In faithful compliance with the Order thus sent to him, enough of the Militia were ordered out to guard from Rye-neck to Rodman's-neck, Colonel Graham's Regi- ment being at Throgg's-neck ; and Colonel Budd was to send a hundred men and to guard from the Snuff- mills to Ryc-neck.5 Two days after the disastrous engagement on Long Island, the Convention ad- journed from Harlem to Fiskill; 6 and its Committee

followed, holding sessions, while on it way, at King's Bridge,7 at the house of Mr. Odell on Philipse's Manor,8 at the house of John Blagge, at Croton- river ;9 aud, possibly, elsewhere.1º It constructed fire- ships, for the protection of the Hudson-river from the enemy's vessels ;11 and it continued the support of the State's cruisers, on the ocean.12 It attended to the removal of the military stores which were endangered by the movements of the euemy ; 13 it ordercd all the bells to be taken from the Churches14 and all the brass knockers from the doors of houses,13 "in order that the " fortune of War may not throw the same into the " hands of our enemy and deprive this State, at this "critical period, of that necessary, though unfortu- " nate, resource for supplying our want of cannon ; " it provided Lances for those of the Militia whom it was unable to provide with other arms ; 16 and when General Washington's supply of Gunpowder had be- come unsafely small, it replenished it from its own resources.17 It appointed, on the motion of John Jay, a special "Committee of Safety and Correspondence " for that part of this State which lies below the "Highlands," Colonel Henry Remsen, Major Garret Abeel, and Major Peter Pra Van Zandt, all of them of the City of New York, having been appointed as that Committee ;18 but, notwithstanding James Duane and John Jay and William Duer were also appointed " to draw up Instructions " for that Committec, and notwithstanding the stirring events of which that portion of the State, "below the Highlands," very soon became the scene, nothing more was heard of either the Instructions or the Committee of Safety which was thus erected. It strengthened the works which had been thrown up for the defense of the Highlands; and it added to those defences somc " works on the East side of the river, about three " miles below Fort Montgomery, at a place called " Red Hook, near Peekskill, which are well-calcu-

1 Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Monday morning, Octor. 14th, "1776."

These Resolutions were proposed hy Rohert R. Livington.

2On the sixteenth of September, "the Convention was informed "that the Militia of Westchester-county are not so properly arranged "and managed as they onght to he, at this critical juncture, which is "occasioned by the absence of General Morris ; " and it "Therefore, " RESOLVED, That General Morris, now at the General Congress, do im- "mediately return and resume the command of his Brigade ; " and ordered the Resolution to be transmitted to General Morris, " with the "utmost despatch." (Journal, " Die Luna, 4 ho., P.M., Sept. 16, 1776.") The General's reply to that order of the Convention, dated " PHILADEL- " PHIA, Septr. 24, 1776," is one of the most remarkable displays of evi- dent cowardice and military imbecility on record, (ride page 204, ante ;) and if the withering rejoinder, written by Robert R. Livingston, which the Committee of Safety sent to the General, with a peremptory Order to take the command of his Brigade, dated "October the 8th, 1776," did not effect its purpose, it certainly conveyed to the bashful Brigadier an evidence of what others thought of his remarkable conduct, as a soldier.

3 Two ships and a hrig came to anchor, a little ahove Throgg's-neck, on the twenty-seventh of Angust; and made a raid on City-island, (vide page 395, ante.)

4 Journal of the Committee of Safety, "Tuesday morning, August 27, "1776."

5 Colonel Joseph Drake to the Convention, "NEW-ROCHELL, Augt. 28,1776." 6 Journal of the Convention, "Thursday morning, Augt. 29, 1776."

7 Journal of the Committee of Safety, " KING's BRIDGE, Augt. 30, 1776." 8 Journal of the Committee of Safety, "AT THE HOUSE OF MR. ODELL, " PHILIPSE'S MANOR, Angt. 31, 1776,"

9 Journal of the Committee of Safety, "CROTON-RIVER, AT THE HOUSE OF "JNO. BLAGGE, Augt. 31, 1776."

10 There is no record of the doings of the Committee, on Sunday, the first of September, although it evidently continued its journey, from the Croton-river to Fishkill, on that day.

11 Journal of the ('onreution, "Thursday morning, Angt. 29, 1776 ;" the same, "Die Sahhati, 9 ho., A.M., Sept. 21, 1776;" General Washington to the Convention, "HEAD-QUARTERS, HEIGHTS OF HARLEM, Sept. 20, "1776 ; " etc.

12 Journal of the Committee of Safety, "Tuesday afternoon, Septr. 24, "1776;" the same, " Wednesday morning, Septr. 25, 1776 ;" Journal of the l'onveuton, "Saturday morning, September 28, 1776 ; " etc.

18 Journal of the Committee of Safety, " P.M., September 3, 1776 ;" Jour- nul of the Convention, "Die Sahhati, 9 ho., A.M., Sept. 7, 1776 ; " etc.

14 Journal of the Convention, "Die Jovis, 4 ho., P.M., Sept. 5, 1776;" General Washington to the Convention, "HEAD-QUARTERS, NEW-YORK, "Septr. 8, 1776."

15 Journal of the Convention, " Die Sahbati, 9 ho., A.M., Sept. 7, 17 76.' 16 Vide pages 381, 382, ante.

17 Journal of the Committee of Safety, "Friday morning, Sept. 27, 1776;" Journal of the Courention, "Saturday morning, September 28, 1776."

18 Journal of the Convention, "Die Sahhati, 9 ho., A.M., Sept. 7, 1776."

399

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

" lated to prevent the enemy's landing on that side " and beeoming masters of the Highlands, opposite to " Fort Montgomery." " When the evacuation of the City of New York was made at the expense of large quantities of Flour, it appointed Agents, with instruc- tions to purchase all the Flour which could be ob- tained in Duehess, Orange, and Ulster-counties, and to send it to the Commissary-general of the Army, at Spyt den Duivel-creek :2 when the Army needed Pork, Beef, and other Stores, the Convention opened its Storehouses, in Westehester-county, into which it had gathered large quantities of the products of that County, the crops of the preceding year : 3 it purchased material for and provided for the manufac- ture of Clothing, for the Army:' it busied itself about salting Pork, in the County of Westchester, during the approaching season :5 and whatever it supposed would promote the common eause and whatever it was requested to do, for that purpose, by either the Continental Congress or the Commander- in-chief or the General commanding the northern Army, was done, to the full extent of its ability and resonrees, with eheerfulness, promptitude, and thor- oughness, never failing to receive, in return, the un- qualified and entire approval of him whose entire approval was never idly bestowed.

On the twenty-first of September, the American Army, at Kingsbridge and its dependeneies, which ineluded General Heath's eommand, in Westehester- county, consisted, nominally, of four thousand, five hundred, and twenty-eight Commissioned Officers, Staff, and Non-commissioned Offieers, and twenty- seven thousand, three hundred, and seventy-seven rank and file, exclusive of Colonel Knox's Regiment of Artillery, which contained, nominally, five hundred and forty-three men, ineluding all the Commissioned and Non-commissioned Offieers and Staff, and exclus- ive, also, of Colonel Durkee's Regiment and a Compa- ny of Artillery, both of them at Powle's-hook, now Jersey City, from whom no Returns had been received, during that week. But of those nearly twenty-eight thousand men, in the ranks, four thousand, four hun- dred, and fifty-three were present, siek; three thou- sand, four hundred, and thirty-three were absent, siek ;

1 Journal of the Convention, "Die Sabbati, 4 lro., P.M., Septr. 7, 1776." 2 Commissary-general Trumbull to the Convention, "KING'S BRIDGE, IG "Sept., 1776 ; " Journal of the Convention, " Dies Martis, 4 ho., P.M., "Septr. 17, 1776."

We have followed Washington Irving. in his historical writings, in our orthography of the name of that celebrated stream, notwithstanding the usual manner of spelling the words is considerably different.

3 Journal of the Provincial Congress, "Die Merenrii, 9 ho., A.M., Septr. " 18, 1776 ;" the same, " Die Veneris, 9 ho., A.M., Octor. 4, 1776." + Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Dio Jovis, 9 ho., A.M., Octor, 3, " 1776 ; " Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Die Mercurii, 9 ho., A. M., " Octr. 9, 1776; " the same, " Thursluy morning, Octor. 17, 1776." Stephen Ward, Gilbert Strang, and l'hil. Leak were appointed to buy coarse woollen Cloth, Linsey-woolsey, Blankets, woollen Hose, Mittens, coarse Linen, felt IIats, and Shoes, to tlre value of three hundred ponnds-seven hundred and fifty dollars-in Westchester-county; and they were ordered to have the Linen made up into Shirts.

5 Journal of the Committee of Safety, "Thursday, Octor. 10, 1776."

three thousand, eight hundred, and thirty were ath- sent, "on command ;" and ninety-six were ou fur- lough ; leaving only about sixteen thousand men, in- eluding the Artillery and excluding the Officers, who were actually present and fit for duty.6 Of these, thir- teen Regiments were Militia, temporarily serving in the service of the Continent ; 7 and, since the disastrous results on Long Island and in the City of New York, the entire Army was greatly dispirited and inspired no confidence in its Commander-in-chief." On the thirtieth of September, the number of rank and file,

6 General Return of the Army in the service of the I'nited States of .Imerica ut King's Bridge and its dependencies, Sept. 21, 1776. 7 Ibid.

8" The check our detachment sustained on the 27th ultimo has dis- " pirited too great a proportion of our troops, and filled their minds with. "apprehension and despair. The Militia, instead of calling forth their "utmost efforts to a brave and manly opposition, in order to repair our " losses, are dismayed, intractable, and impatient to return. Great num- " bers of them have gone off ; in some instances, almost by whoh. Regi- " ments, by half ones, and by Companies, at a time. This circumstance, "of itself, independent of others, when fronted by a well-appointed "enemy, superior in number to our whole collected force, would be " sufficiently disagreeable ; but, when their example has infected another "part of the Army, when their want of discipline and refusal of almost "every kind of restraint or government have produced a like conduct "but too common to the whole and an entire disregard of that order "and subordination necessary to the well-being of an Army, and which "had been inculcated before, as well as the nature of our military es- " tablishmeut would admit of, our condition becomes still more alarm- "ing; and, with the deepest conceru, I am obliged to confess my want "of confidence in the generality of the troops." (General Washington to the President of the Congress, " NEW-Yoak, September 2, 1776.")

"Before I conclude, 1 must take the liberty of mentioning to Congress "the great distress we are in for want of money. Two months' pay (and " more to some Battalions) is uow due to the troops, here, without auy- " thing in the Military chest to satisfy it. This occasions much dissatis- "faction and almost a general uneasiness. Not a day passes without " complaints and the most importunate and urgent demunds, on this "head. As it may injure the service greatly, and tho want of a reg- " ular supply of Cash produces consequences of the most fatal tendency, " I entreat the attention of Congress to this subject, aud that we may "be provided, as soon as can be, with a sun equal to every present "claim." (General Washington to the President of the Congress, "NEW- "YORK, 6 September, 1776.")

In his letter to the Congress, on the eighth of September, the Gen- eral said, "On every side, there is a choice of ditliculties ; and every "measure, on our part, however painful the reflection is, from experi- "ence, is to be formed with some upprehension that all our troops " will not do their anty." After the experience of the General had been made more complete, by the cowardice of the troops ut Kip's- bay, he thus wrote, also to the Congress, " We are now encamiped, with " the main body of the Army, ou the lleights of llaerlem, where I shonkl " hope the enemy would meet with a defeat, in case of an attack, if the "generality of our troops would behave with tolerable bravery. But "experience, to my extreme allliction, has convinced me that this is "rather' to be wished for than expected. However, I trust that there "are many who will act like men, and show themselves worthy of the " blessings of freedom." (Letter to the Congress, "HEAD-QUARTERS, AT " COLONEL MORIS'S HOUSE, 16 September, 1776.") On the day atter tho date of the Returus of the .brmy which are referred to in the text, the General wrote to his brother, "thro dependence which the Congress have "placed upon the Militia has already greatly injured and, I fear, will " totally ruin our cause. Being subject to no control, themselves, they "introduce disorder among the troops whom we have attempted to dis- "cipline ; while the change in their living brings on sickness ; and this " cuntses un impatience to get home, which spreads, universally, and in- " troduces abominable desertions. In short, it is not in the power of " words to describe the task I have to perform. Fifty thousand pounds " would not induce me again to undergo what I have done." (General Washington to Johu Augustine Washington, "HEIGHTS OF HIAENIEM, 22 "September, 1776.")

400

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY

present and fit for duty, including Colonel Knox's Regiment of Artillery, was reduced to fifteen thou- sand, one hundred, and four;1 and on the fifth of October, the same rank and file, present and fit for duty, including the Artillery, numbered only fonrteen thousand, four hundred, and eighty-six, exclusive of seven skeleton Regiments of Connecticut and Rhode Island, forming two nominal Brigades, each with its full complements of Officers and Staff, in which there were nominally twelve hundred and seventy-five men, present and fit for dnty. There was, also, a body of Massachusetts Militia, " computed at four thousand, "so scattered and ignorant of the forms of Returns "that none can be got; " and a Regiment of New Hampshire Militia was posted at the White Plains and another at the Fishkills, " under the like circum- "stances." 2

While the American Army was thus made weaker, day by day, by the disaffection or the despair of the sickly, despondent, home-sick, and ill-provided-for men who composed it-men who, in multitudes of instances, had enlisted either from necessity, occas- ioned by the prevailing prostration of every kind of business, or because they had been enforced to do so, by drafts, or because it had afforded oppor- tunities for speculation and plunder, withont, in either class, the slightest pretence to a care for "the " canse of America " or to even a love of country- the Royal Army, well-appointed and well-officered, numbered npwards of thirty thousand effective men, exclusive of those who were left for the protection of Staten Island and of those who werc sick.3 Indeed,

1 Return of Brigudes under the immediate command of His Excellency George Washington, " HARLEM HEIGHTS, ILEAD-QUARTERS, September 30, "1776."

2 Weekly Return of the Regiments of Horse and Foot, under the immediate command of His Excellency George Washington, "IlARLEM HEIGHTS, Oc- "tober 5, 1776."

General Lincolu's command can scarcely be regarded, with any pro- priety, as a portion of the main Army nor as a part of the fighting force of any Army, since it was sent for, to perform police duty, to quict the apprcheusions of the Convention of New York on account of the disaf- fected, in that State-those whom the Cougresses and the Committees had forced iuto disaffectiou, by tho outrages which had been inflicted on them, in tho vain attempt to secure an entire conformity of political opinions with the official opinions of the dominant faction.

3 General Ilowe's Returns show that, when he occupied Staten Island, after the arrival of the reiuforcements brought by Lord Ilowe, say on the ninth of August, his command numbered, including his Officers, twenty- niue thousand, three huudred, and eight, of whom twenty four thousand, two hundred, and twenty-seven were rank and file, fit for duty. (Reply to the Observations of Lieut. Gen. Sir William HIowe, ou a pamphlet, en- titled Letters to a Nobleman, Second Edition, 37.) Three days after the dato of that Return, [August 12,] tho two fleets, convoyed, respectively, by Commodore Hotham and the Repulse, came into the harbor of New York, with the Guards and the First Division of the Hessiaus, (Compare Lord George Germaine's despatch to General Howe, dated, "WHITEHALL, 21 "June, 1776," with General Hour's despatch to Lord George Germaine, duted " STATEN-ISLAND, 15 August, 1776; ") and, two days subsequently, [ August 14,] Sir Peter Parker and Lord Dunmore also arrived, (General Howe to Lord George Germaine, " STATEN-ISLAND, 15 August, 1776,") the former, with what remained of the forces which had been sent to Vir- ginia and the Carolinas, " as well as with some Regiments from Florida "and the West Indies," (Annual Register for 1776 : History of Europe, *169,) numbering, "at least, five thousand men," (Jones's History of New

in the graphie langnage of one of the most able writ- ers of that period, at the time now under considera- tion an intimate friend of the master-spirits of the Convention of New York, "The British Army was " commanded by able and experienced Officers; the "rebel by men destitnte of military skill or experience "and, for the most part, taken from mechanic arts or "the plongh. The first were possessed of the best "appointments, and of more than they could use ; "and the other of the worst, and of less than they " wanted. The one were attended by the ablest Snr- "geons and Physicians, healthy, and high-spirited ; "the other were neglected in their health, clothing, "and pay, were sickly, and constantly mnrmuring " and dissatisfied. And the one were veteran troops, " carrying victory and conquest whercsoever they were "led ; the other were new-raised and undisciplined, " a panic-strnek and defeated enemy, whenever at- " tacked-snch is the true comparative difference "between the force sent to suppress, and that which "supported, the Rebellion." 4

York during the Revolutionary War, i., 110:) the latter, " with the refu- "gees and blackamores from Virginia," (the same, i., 103,) "about a "thousand more " (the same, i., 110.) The Second Division of the Iles- sians, the Sixteenth Regiment of Light Dragoons, the horses for remount- ing the Seventeenth Regimeut of Dragoons, the draught-horses for the Artillery and baggage, four hundred aud two German and not far from five hundred British recruits, and the Prince of Waldeck's Regiment of German troops, all of whom joined General Howe, while he was in Westchester-county, as we shall see, hereafter-were on their way to America, at the time of which we write. (Lord George Germaine to Gen- eral Howe, " WHITEHALL, 21 June, 1776.") There were, also, somue Pro- vincial "Corps, already raised," of whom we have seen no Returns, (General Howe to Lord George Germaine, "STATEN-ISLAND, 16 August, " 1776,") probably not strong iu numbers, but, nevertheless, entitled to notice, in this connection.

From these facts, it appears that the entire force, present and comu- manded by Generał IIowe, hefore he opened the Campaign on Loug Is- land, was upwards of forty thousand men, exclusive of the Marincs on the several Fleets, which could have been called ashore, had there heen any necessity for thoir services. Only one Brigade of Hessians, a detach- ment of the Fourteenth Regimeut, some convalescents, and those re- cruits which had already arrived, were left on Staten Island ; and the Sick-list was very small ; there were no detachments on special duties ; and there could have been none absent on furlough : it is very clear, thereforo, that when the Royal Army was moved from Staten Island, it numbered very little, if any, less than thirty-eight thousand effective men, including its Officers. In the Battle of Long Island, it was said to have lost only three hundred and sixty-seven of all classes, (General Howe to Lord George Germaine, "NEWTOWN, LONG ISLAND, 3 Sept., 1776;") only "about " ninety-two were said to have been killed or wounded at Harlem. (General Howe to Lord George Germaine, " HEAD-QUARTERS, " Yoak ISLAND, 21 September, 1776 ;") the occupation of Powle's-hook, Long Island, and the City of New York required detachments, of course ; but there can be little doubt that the Army which General Howe nuoved from Throgg's-neck numherod very littlo, if any, less than thirty thous- and, Officers and mcu, fit for active service.

In confirmation of this estimate of the strength of General Howe's command, in Westchester-county, we may be permitted to state that, after the arrival of the Second Division of the Hessians aud of those other reinforcements to which Lord George Germaine made reference, already noticed, but with the losses which it had sustained in Westches- ter county and at Fort Washington deducted, on the twenty-second of November, 1776, "the force under General Howe's immediate conmand," is said to have been thirty-one thousand, seven hundred, and fifty-five, Officers and men, fit for active service. (Reply to the Observations of Lieut. Gen. Sir William Howe, on a pamphlet entitled Letters to a No- Uleman, 37.)

4 [Joseph Galloway's] Letters to a Nobleman, 34, 35.

401

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

As we have said, the two Armies were occupied, during several weeks after the Royal Army had taken the City of New York, in throwing up defensive works-the American Army, on the Heights of Har- lem, to the northward and eastward of the present village of Manhattanville, back, to Kingsbridge, and in the more exposed portions of Westchester-county : the Royal Army, on the Heights of Harlem and on Vandewater's Heights, southward from the village of Manhattan ville, and thence to McGowan's-pass, where the postroad to the northward and eastward descended from the high grounds, forming the northernmost portion of the present great City's Central Park, to the Harlem-plains, below 1-and some time was, also, necessarily employed by General Howc, in obtaining information concerning the face of the country, in the rear of the positions occupied by the American Army, "upon a supposition that the enemy " [the American Army] " should remove from King's- " Bridge," which information, thus sought in ad- vance of any movement of the Army, was become more necessary since he had found the Americans not so well-disposed to join and to serve the Royal Army, in the field, as he had been taught to expect ; 2 and because the country referred to, the County of Westchester, "was so covered with wood, swamps, "and creeks, that it was not open, in the least de- " gree, to be known, but from post to post or from

1 Vide page 397, ante.

Sec, also, General Home to Lord George Germaine, "NEW YORK "ISLAND, 25 September, 1776;" the same to the same, "NEW-YORK, 30 " November, 1776 ;" Speech of Sir William Howe before a Committee of the House of Commons, April 29, 1779,-Almon's Parliamentary Register, xii. 323 ; Testimony of the Earl of Cornwallis before a Committee of the House of Commons, May 6, 1779 .- Almon's Parliamentary Register, xiii., 3; etc. 2 V'ide page 386, ante.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 101

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354