History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 71

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 71

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1 Ebenezer Lockwood was a Justice of the Peace and one of the Quornm, under the Colonial Government ; a member of the Second, Third, and Fourth Provincial Congresses ; and of the Convention of the State of New York. He was a member of the Assembly of the State, representing Westchester-county, 1778-'9, 1784-'5, 1786, 1787, 1788 ; and he was County Judge, 1791-'3 ; and one of the Regents of the Imiver. sity, 1784-17 ; etc. Ile died on the twenty-ninth of July, 1821, aged eighty-four years.

2 Jonathan G. Tompkins was a member of the first County Committee, elected in May, 1775; a member of the Third and Fourth Provincial Congresses, of the Committee of Safety, and of the Council of Safety. He was a member of the Assembly of the State, 1780-'1, 1781-'2, 1786, 1787, 1788, 1791, 1792 ; of the Board of Regents of the University, 1787- 1808 ; and of the Constitutional Convention of 1801. He was the First Judge of the County, 1793-'7, 1798-1802; and died on the twenty-sec- ond of May, 1823.

The distinguished Daniel D. Tompkins, Governor of the State, Vice President of the United States, and one of the greatest men of his period, was a son of Jonathan G. Tompkins.

3 John Thomas, Junior, as the reader knows, was one of the leading men of his party, in Westchester-county ; a member of its County Committee and of the Provincial Congress ; and a brother of the Colonel of the Reg iment. Although it is said, positively, that he was also the Quarter master of this Regiment, it appears incredible that he was the person, and can be accounted for only by the profits which attended such an office and the well known proclivities of that family, in that direction, wherever an opportunity was presented. We prefer to believe that this Quartermaster's place was given to that "John Thomas Minor," the second son of John Thomas, Junior, who had been already elected to the command of tho Company in Harrison's Precinct, at a second Election, after Henry Dusenberry had been elected and accepted the Office, a few weeks previously.

With the exception of the two Companies in the Borough Town of Westchester and at Yonkers, the elections of whose Officers were sepa- rately reported, the list of Officers who were originally elected by the sev- eral Companies, as stated in the text, have been taken, generally withont any change in the spelling of the proper names, even when known to have been erroneons, from the Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Military Re- turus, xxvi., 122-125. In the instances of Yonkers, Eastchester, Tarry- town, Ilarrison, Scarsdale and the White Plains, Salem, etc., where new Elections were held, the statements of those new Elections have been taken from the several Returns of those new Elections, referred to, at the foot of each, respectively.

4 Letter from Samuel Drake und Lewis Graham to the Provincial Congress,

" lat March, 1776 ;" Jonraul af the Provincial Congress, "4 ho., P.M., " March 1, 1876."

The Company of Bedford eleeted Eli Seeley, to be its Captain ; 5 Zephaniah Mills, to be its First Lieuten- ant; Cornelius Clarke, to be its Second Lieutenant ; and Philip Leek, to be its Ensign ; and their Commis- sions were issued by the Provincial Congress, on the twenty-seventh of October, 1775.6

Subsequently, "agreeable to the Demand made by " Colon' Drake to the Sub-Committee of Bedford," another Company of Minute-men was organized, in that Town, with Hezekiah Gray, for its Captain ; 7 Cor- nelius Clark,for its First Lieutenant ; James Miller for its Second Lieutenant; 8 and Isaac Titus, for its Ensign.9

A Company of nineteen men assembled at the White Plains and constituted themselves a Company of Minute-men, electing James Varian, to be their Captain ; 10 Samuel Crawford, to be their First Lieuten- ant ;11 Isaae Oakley, to be their Second Lieutenant ; and Joseph Todd, to be their Ensign.12

Besides these four Companies, such as they were, there does not appear to have been any Minute-men enlisted in the County-why should any have been

In the Journals of the Provincial Congress : Correspondence, ii., 90, Eben- ezer Scofield is called "Ebenezer Scofield, Junior; " and the Commis- sions of the original Officers are said to have been issued on the twenty- seventh of October, 1775.

6 Eli Seeley was originally elected to the command of the Company in the western part of the Town of Bedford, (Page 283, ante.)

6 Journals of the Provincial Congress : Correspondence, ii., 90.

7 Hezekiah Gray was originally the First Lieutenant in the Company in the western part of the Town of Bedford, of which Eli Seeley was the Captain, (Page 283, aute.)

8 James Miller was originally the First Lieutenant in the Company in the eastern part of the Town of Bedford, of which Lewis McDonald, Jun- ior, was the Captain, (Page 283, aute.)

9 Isaac Titus had served in Captain Mills's Company, under Colonel Holmes, in the Campaign of 1775, (Page 277, ante.)

The anthority for the statement concerning the second Company may be seen in a Letter from the Sub-committee at Bedford to the Chairman of the County Committee, " BEDFORD 15 February 1776,"-(Historical Manu- scripts, etc. : Military Returus, xxvii., 196.)

See, also, Journal of the Proriucial Congress, " Die Martis, 3 ho., P. M. "Feb. 20th, 1776," where the Secretary erroneously recorded the Sub- Committee and the Company as of Harrison's Precinct instead as of Bed- ford.

10 Captain James Varian was a member of the first County Committee, appointed in May, 1775, (l'age 259, ante ;) and First Lientenant of the Scarsdale, White Plains, and Brown's Point Company of Militia, of which Joshna Hatfield was the Captain, ( Page 283, ante.)

11 Lientenant Samuel Crawford was a member of the first County Com- mittee, appointed in May, 1775, (Puge 259, aute ;) and the only representa- tive of the Manor of Scarsdale, in the County Committee, 1776-'7.

12 The authority for this statement is a Letter from Jonathan G. Tomp- kins and Nicolas Fisher to the Provincial Cougress, " WHITE PLAINS, Febru- "ery 14th, 1776"-(Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Military Returns, xxvii., 84.)

From the same mannscript, the following list of the names of the nine- teen who thus organized themselves into a Company of Minute-men, has been carefully copied, without changing the spelling of the names :

" Benjamin Lyon, Joseph Todd,

" Olliver Killick, John Drake,

"John Beeks,

Ezekiel Duten,

"Stephen Shelley,

James Farrel,

" Philip Huestis,

Andrew Fach,

" Micah Townsend, Esq., James Brundage,

" James Verryan, Gilbert Horton,

" Samnel Crawford, David Johnston,

" Isaac Oakley, Robert Graham.

" William Tompson."

285

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

expected from a community in which the revolu- tionary party had scarcely " a Corporal's Gnard," ex- cept of those who were office-holders or office-seekers ? -but as soon as two Companies had been organized, the County Committee "took the liberty, with all " submission, to recommend Samuel Drake, to be " Colonel; 1 Lewis Graham, to be Lientenant-Colonel; 2 " Abraham Storm, to be First Major; 3 Samuel Lyon, " of Northcastle, to be Second Major; Elijah Miller, to " be Adjutant ; ' and Josiah Mills, to be Quarter-mas- " ter5 ;" and thus the re-organization of the Militia of Westchester-county and the organization of her fight- ing population were completed.

There was one feature in the Provincial Congress's enactment for the reorganization of the Militia which was oppressive on the great body of the working classes, who were unable to bear the burden it im- posed; and it was made the subject of serious com- plaint to those of the well-born whom, in many in- stances, they had, unwittingly, placed in authority- revolutionary authority-over themselves. Reference is made to the requirement that every one, between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, should furnish himself with a good musket and bayonet, a sword or tomahawk, a cartridge-box and belts, twenty-three rounds of cartridges, twelve flints, and a knapsack ; in addition to which he was to keep, in reserve, a pound of gunpowder and three pounds of bullets, of proper size for his musket. These he was required to have and to keep, continually ; and he was required, also, to parade, for drill, ou the first Monday of each month. Heavy penalties were imposed on those who should fail to discharge all these requirements; with levies on the properties of the delinquents, if they possessed property, or, in the absence of property, they were to be imprisoned " until such fine, together " with the charges, should be paid," which meant, at that time, an imprisonment in a cold Jail, without any other food than that which the prisoners' friends or the charitable could provide; without the slightest opportunity to earn anything, from which to support themselves or pay the fines; and the starvation of

1 Samuel Drake was a member of the Provincial Convention, 1775 ; a member of the first County Committee, 1775; and of that of 1776-'7. lle represented Westchester-conuty in the Assembly of the State, 1777- '8, 1779-180, 1780-'81, 1786 and 1788 ; etc. Ilo was a resident of the Manor of Cortlandt.

2 Lewis Graham was connected with tho Morrises, of Morrisania, by marriage ; and he was a member of all tho Provincial Congresses and of the Convention of the State, 1775-'78. lle was made Judge of the Court of Admiralty, in February, 1778,

3 Abraham Storm had been originally elected to the command of the Tarrytown Company of Militia, ( Page 282, ante ;) and he ropresented The Manor of Philipsborough in the County Committee of 1776-'7. He lived at Tarrytown.

4 Elijah Miller was a resident and one of the Sub-committee of Northi- castle.

G This statement is made on the authority of a Letter from Gilbert Drake, Chairman of the County Committee, to the Provincial Congress, " WHITE PLAINS, October 24th, 1775." The Journal of the Provincial Congress, (" Die Mercurii, 10 ho., A.M., October, 1775,") shows the re- ceipt of the letter, by that body, and the issue of the Commissions to the several gentlemen named.

those who were dependent on the unfortunate vic- tims.6

While these provisions of that enactment were peenliarly oppressive on that class of poverty-stricken working-men and boys, in the Cities, then largely un- employed, who had been the ever-ready, ever-noisy, and ever-destructive auxiliaries of the revolutionary faction, in all the riotous demonstrations of the pre- ceding ten years, and while these enactments, there- fore, in those instances, appeared to be somewhat rc- tribntive in their character and operations, they were, also, very oppressive on many a farmer in Westchester- county, who had been more peaceful in his inclina- tions and conduct than those working-men, in the Cities, had been. Indeed, the required equipment, in specified form, of themselves, and their boys, and their hired help-their well-tried fowling-pieces hav- ing been unavailable for that purpose-and the stated withdrawal of all of them from their farms, for drill, on frequent, specified days, no matter how necessary their presence, at home, might have been, were un- duly burdensome on all those farmers, to say nothing of the opportunity which was thereby afforded, very soon afterwards, for still greater acts of lawless op- pression, in the seizure of those very equipments,

G As an illustration of the effect of the Rebellion on the great body of the lowly working-men, in this particular feature, as early as in the Autumn of 1775, and as an evidence of the nueasiness of those work- ing-men, because of this oppressive enactment, the following homely Petition has been copied from the original manuscript, in the Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Petitions, xxxi., 52 :

" NEW YORK, Sept. ye 9, 1775.

" TO THE GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS IN NEW YORK.

" We your humble Pertisners Gentlemen are now warned To bear "arms In Defence of our Country Iruly It is the Native place of some of "ns wich Now Gentlemen may it please your onners To take it in Con . " sideration we are Controld more by poverty than By our own will we "must Now beg of your houners To take it in Consideration were you "In our State of Poverty yon wold not lay on ns more than we can " Bare Some of this poor Cyty Now who you have you have Command. "To bare Arms In Defence of ours Liberty and Rites Not our Rite Int "such gentlemen as has got lands and Estates But some of us Now has "Skarsely got Victuals from ono Day to another Neyther fire Nor Can- "dles our Wifes and poor Children Suffering for Bread and your honners " have pleased To lay on ns or some of ns such things as we Cant supply "ourselves with gun Bagnet Belts Cartridge Box Powder and Hall as " for l'owder It must Please your honuers some of yon To open u Store "of it for I have Tryd in this City To get a Small Quantity but Conkl " Not and our Officers says It will be a fine to neglect having any of "them so therefore we your humble pertisoners Earnestly Beg That It " may Please your honners To lend us such thing as you have laid out " for ns poor And Destressed men to get Gentlemen we beg It may be "laken in no nfence we aro willing to beare with with any thing It "may please you to put on ns if In our power some cant withont Run- "ning in Deat for For them the Next go to gail for it will any one pay "The Det Consider it would Now for you to loose All your time with " you sit Now making laws for ns is one of us or some of ns to by a gun "Consider our poverty and assist the poor or mako some of those will " Ruffles Turu ont as well as we or supply ns with aentrements I Im- "magine some of those Rich wich have lands and thousands In Estates " will not get fud if neglect appearing we Beg you will think of us ns " you are our hed and parliament who Ever gets This is Desired to " Covay it to the Congress In New York.

"September 9, 1775."

With this menacing paper before ono, It is not difficult to make one's self believe that the "poor reptiles" hud really some thoughts of " biting," as Gouverneur Morris had foreseen a few months previously.

286

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

sometimes with warrants of "impressment," nomin- ally for the equipment of Regiments, in garrison or elsewhere; sometimes with arbitrary orders for seiz- ing them, on ex parte assumptions of the disaffection to the Rebellion, of those who owned them; and sometimes, not unfrequently, by inroads of organized bodies of thieves, from Connecticut or elscwhere, who, without even a shadow of legal or local author- ity and only on the shallow pretext of superior "pa- "triotism," overpowered the isolated and peaceful farmers, and retired with well-supplied stocks of law- lessly acquired plunder.

The Provincial Congress, like similar Congresses in other Colonics, and as was foretold of this, by those who had opposed the creation of it, was not long in existence and in possession of its usurped authority, when, as has been already stated, it commenced to arrest those, strangers and residents, who ventured to differ from it and to speak and to act in accordance with existing Laws and with their own convictions of duty ;1 and it did not hesitate to throw into prison 2 or to send into cxile,3 those whom it had arrested. It waited for no verified complaint : it made no pretence that a breach of any written Law or of any other en- actment was necessary, to warrant an arrest: it re- ceived secret, er parte "information " as all which was needed to authorize the arrest, the confinement, and the infliction of punishment on its victims, not unfrequently without a hearing or an examination : and it held those who were accused, and tried them in secret Sessions, and passed judgments on them, not unfrequently without permitting them to confront their accusers or to sec and read the papers on which they had been arrested, and held, and tried-in one notable instance, the accused was not permitted to see the fifteen affidavits, which had been trumped up against him, after he had been arrested and thrown into a jail, nor to know their contents nor the nature. of the accusation, until he was brought out for trial when they were only read to him ; and copies of those affidavits were withheld from him, by a formal vote of the Congress, when they were asked for and when the cost of copying them was tendercd, only because the publication of those several papers would have ex- posed the fifteen partisan tools and the eminently genteel hand who had guided them in a shameless

1 See, in the Journals and Correspondence of the Congress and in the Historical Manuscripts relating to the War of the Revolution, preserved in the office of the Secretary of State, at Albany, the records and papers in the several cases, among others, of Angus McDonakl, Captain Pat- rick Sinclair, Captain Johan Christian Drewidz, John Morrell, Adam Patrick, Isaiah Purdy, Captain Melancton Lawrence, Joseph Allicock, Captain Charles De Kay, and John Candell. A simple reference to the several papers, in detail, would require more room than can be given to it, in this place.

2 The instances of Angus McDonald, Captain Dre widz, John Morrell, Adam Patrick, and Isaiah Purdy, already referred to, among others.

3 Angus McDonald was sent to General Wooster, then in command of a body of Connecticut troops ; and, by him, he was sent to Fairfield, and imprisoned, with aggravated severity, of which even his jailer com- plaincd.

and unfounded persecution of an innocent man, to the contempt of the country and of the world.4 It sat in secret judgment over those whom it had arrested, in instances wherein it was, also, the only accuser ; 5 and it recognized the existence, in merely local self- constituted "Committees," in the several Counties, of the same authority to arrest and to imprison those who were obnoxious to them, either with or without accusers or accusations, which it claimed for itself and exercised.6 In short, it very promptly sct aside the government of the written Law, and established, in its stead, that of the unrestrained will of an oligarchy, seated within every Town, against which there was no other security, for either persons or properties, than the personal favor of the stronger local power, no matter how obtained-all that, too, was donc in the name of Freedom and the Rights of Man, by those who assumed to be honorable men, and, most of all, by those who insisted that their allegiance to their Prince and their attachment to " the illustrions House " of Hanover " were ranked, by themselves, as among their most singular blessings;7 by those, indced, who, nearly at the same time, declared they were "deeply "impressed with the importance, the utility, and the "necessity of an accommodation with their Parent "State;" and who were, also, they said, " conscious "that the best service we can render to the present " and all future generations must consist in promoting "it." 8

4 Reference is here mado to the case of Timothy Doughty, of Duchess- county, in which the victim, because he declined to sign the General A8- sociation-there was no evidence which the Congress considered respecta- ble, showing any other offence-was seized by Egbert llenson, whose methods at an Election have been noticed ; and sent to New York, without any evidence of wrong-doing; and thrown into a jail, without any provision for his support. At the request of Benson, he was kept in jail, for several weeks, without knowing for what he had been arrested; and that, only to enable his unseen and malignant ac- enser to mannfacture evidence against him. Fifteen worthless affidavits were subsequently sent to the Congress, and READ to the victim, when he was given a hearing ; but their worthlessness was so evident that the Congress discharged Doughty, although, as stated, it would not permit him to have copies of the papers, nor even to read them, (Journals of the Committee of Safety, September 4th ; the same, September 28th, 1775; Journals of the Provincial Congress, " Die Jovis, 9 ho., A.M., October "19, 1775; " the same, " Die Martis, 9 ho., A.M., October 24, 1775 ; " Pe- titious of Timothy Doughty and others, September 22, 25, October 4, 11, 1775, (Historical Maunscripts, etc. : Petitions, xxxi., 96, 88, 70, 36.)

G Among other instances, those of Angus McDonald, Melancton Law. rence, and Captain Drewitz, may be referred to.

6 The local anthorities arrested and confined, without any trustworthy evidence, John Morrell, Adam Patrick, and Isaiah Purdy, in Orange- county ; the Berghs, Timothy Doughty, and Mordecai Lester, in Duch- ess.county ; John Connor, in Tryon-county ; Abraham Lawrence, in Queens county ; etc.

7 Letter from the Provincial Congress to the Gentlemen Merchants of the Province of Quebec. " In Provincial Congress, New-York, June 12th, 1775,' 8 Letter from the Provincial Congress to the Delegates for the Colony of New York, in the Continental Congress, " IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, NEW- " YORK, June 28th, 1775."

See, also, the Plan of Accommodation, adopted in advance and kept in constant readiness for immediate nse, hy the same Provincial Congress, "4 ho., P.M., Die Martis, June 27th, 1775," (see pages 273, 274, ante ;) Letter from the Provincial Congress to the Committee of Richmond county, " NEw- "YORK, 2d December, 1775 ;" etc.

287

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

In the earlier days of its existence, the Provincial Congress made those arbitrary arrests without any en- actment, its own or that of any other body, which could have afforded even a shadow of even revolu- tionary law, if the enaetments of a body in acknowl- edged rebellion may be regarded as Laws, for such a radical violation of what were said to have been, and of what were, the fundamental principles of the Duties of those in anthority and of the Rights of Person and of Property which belonged to those who were gov- erned ; but there appear to have been some, among the supporters of the Rebellion, who continued to have doubts concerning the unauthorized and unre- strained right of arrest, even where an opposition to the measures of the Rebellion was openly and unre- servedly expressed.

On the eleventh of Angust, a letter was received by the Provincial Congress, from the local Committee at Brookhaven, on Long Island, stating that certain persons, named therein, were " counteracting every " measure recommended for redress and grievances, ' " and opposing the measures of Congresses and Com- " mittees ; and that they declared they would furnish, " and that it is suspected they have furnished, the "men-of-war and cutters with provisions," 2 in the same manner that the Afsig and other men-of-war were supplied, with the approval of the Provincial Congress, at that time and subsequently, by those who were more in favor with that body; and, at the same time, " requesting the Congress to direct such "measures as they shall think proper, to suppress " such conduct." That letter was referred to a Com- mittee of which Benjamin Kissam, of the City of New York, was Chairman.3 A Report from that Com- mittee was laid before the Congress, on the twenty- sixth of Angust; + and, after consideration of the sub- jeet, and apparently without dissent, the following enactment was made on the general subject of the Brookhaven Committee's inquiry :

" WHEREAS attempts may be made to promote dis- " cord among the Inhabitants of this Colony, and to "assist and aid the Ministerial Army and Navy, in " their endeavours to carry into execution the cruel and "oppressive Acts of Parliament, against the Rights " and Liberties of the Inhabitants of this Continent : " And as the immutable laws of self-defence and

" preservation justify every reasonable measure en- " tered into, to counteract or frustrate such attempts : " Therefore,

" RESOLVED, That if any person or persons shall be " found guilty, before the Committee of any City "or County, of attempting, (after the date of this " Resolution,) to furnish the Ministerial Army or " Navy with Provisions or other necessaries, contrary " to the Resolutions of the Continental or of this "Congress ; 5 or of holding a correspondence, by letter "or otherwise, for the purpose of giving information "to the said Army or Navy, of the measures pursued " by the United Colonies or any of them ; " or of ad- "vising expedients which the said Army or Navy "might or ought to pursue, against the said Colonies

5 The Provincial Congress not only had passed no Resolutions prohibiting the supply of " the Ministerial Army and Navy with provisions or other " necessaries," thereby, even from the revolutionary standpoint, leaving that business open to whomsoever might embark in it; but, on the morning of the day on which this enactment was made, it gave its offi- cial sanction to the supply of the . tsie, man-of-war, with its necessary supplies, from the City of New York, and with water and beer, from Brooklyn, all of them by Abraham Lott, lhe othicial " Agenl-victualler " for Ilis Majesty's Ships in this l'ort," (Jonrant of the Provincial Cougrrxs, "Die Veneris, " ho., A. M., September Ist, 1775.") Four days afterwards, Doctor McLean was authorized to supply the same ship, with Drugs and Medicines, as he had previously done, (Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Die Martis, 9 ho., A.31., September 51h, 1775.") On the twenty-ninth of Jannary, 1776, William Allen had permission to go on board the Asia, to measure lhe men for shoes, and to make and deliver a hundred pairs, if so many should be needed. (Journal of the Committee of Safety, " Die Luna, 10 ho., A.M., January 29th, 1776.") On The sixteenth of February, 1776, Henry White was permitted to supply the Isia and the Phirmir with fresh provisions and vegetables. (Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Veneris, 10 ho .. A. M., February 16th, 1776.")

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 71

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