History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 75

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 75

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).

The Doctor rensoned, above, on the ground that the Order of the Con- mittee was an isolated act, disconnected with any other of the class; and he reasoned well, on that premise; but the fact was, another Order had just been made, in secret, to seize the persons und properties of those who were obnoxious to the Committee and its subordinates ; und it was con- sidered necessary, for the safety of the maranders, to deprive the secretly proposed victims of that earlier emnetment, of their means for defence, before it commenced, openly, its work of lawlessness and out- rage, on the persons and properties of those who had been or who should, thenceforth, be designated as its victims.

" Leller from Major William Williams to the Committee of Safety, " JAMAICA, September 25th, 10 o'clock, P.M."

Major Williams appears to have been a resident of Queens-county.

in other connections, that the men of that County, like those of Queens-county, armed themselves, and patroled the County, in large parties, to guard against surprises ; declaring their determination to defend themselves, and saying "that if any body eame to " their houses to take away their Arms, they would "fire upon them."3 Itappears, also, that the declara- tion was fully sustained ; that the united farmers proved more than a match for the local Militia and the other troops which the Chairman of the County Committee had been authorized to call for his sup- port ; and that, for the more effectual accomplish- ment of his purposes, that Chairman had assumed still further authority, by calling on the floating population of the neighboring Towns, in Connecticut, for reinforcements+-as the Chairman of the County Committee was authorized by the Committee of Safety, to call for the entire Militia of the County, already seem to have been sufficient to fill three Regiments,5 and as many of General Wooster's eom- mand of Connecticut troops, then encamped below Harlem,6 and numbering "about 400 men," ī as should be required, that opposition must have been wide-spread and resolutely maintained, in West- chester-county, which had required, in addition to all these, for its suppression, an additional force, drawn from what may be properly ealled the Swiss Guards of Colonial America, mercenaries, who, while they professed to have been ardent friends of Freedom, were, nevertheless, whenever they could see any possible advantage to their individual inter- ests, constantly ready to enlist in any service, out- side of Connecticut, and to become, in their new associations, the most devoted of all supporters of despotism and the most relentless of all persecutors of those, no matter of what country, who dared to question the sanetity of the assumed authority of those who employed them.

3 Testinmy of Colonel Gilbert Budd of Mamaroneck, before the Pruriuciul Congress, Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Veneris, 10 ho. V.M. ". November 3, 1775," (ride page 302, post.)

+ This conflict between those who were executing The Orders of the Committee of Safety, for the disarmament of those who had not signed the . Issociation, and those, in Westchester-county, who were intended to have been the victims of the Committee's aggressive policy, has been studiously concealed by all who have written on the subject of the American Revolution ; but the Provincial Congress, on the twelfth of December, gave the formal thanks of that body " to those of the In- "habitants of the Colony of Connectient, who so cheerfully gave "their aid, at the request of the Committee of Westchester-county. "in the late suppression of the Insurgents in that County, against the "cause of Liberty, " (Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Martis, 3 "ho., P.M., Derr. 12th, 1775,") which is umple authority. for the statement, in the text.

5 See pages 281, 282, 283, anle.

6 General Wooster and his command were encamped on properly belonging to Arent Bussing, near Harlem, from the eighteenth of July. preceding, (Journal of Provincial Congress, " Die Martis, 9 ho., A. M. "July 18th, 1775.")

7 . General Wooster is at Inrlem, with about 400 men, which appear " to us to be unemployed," (Letter from the Committee of Safety to the Con- Quental Congress, " IN COMMITTEE OF SAFETY FOR THE COLONY OF NEW " YORK, DURING THE RECESS OF THE PROVINCIM CONGRESS, NEW-YORY " Sept. 19, 1775.")

300

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

It is proper that notice shall be taken, in this con- nection, of the fact that the Provincial Congress, on the twenty-fourth of October, twenty days after that body had returned to its place and to its work and thirty-eight days after its Committee of Safety had adopted and published the Resolution and Orders, "relating to the impressment of Arms," which have been thus described and denounced, passed a formal Resolution "disapproving " and, therefore, abrogating them ; 1 but the mischief which had necessarily pro- ceeded from the adoption and publication and at- tempts to execute that Resolution and those Orders, could not be undone; the wounds which had been inflicted, were too deep to be healed by such an emol- lient ; and an increased and constantly increasing bitterness of feeling, between the conservative and the revolutionary portions of the inhabitants, was every where seen, scattering its baleful and ruinous influence, from onc extreme of the County to the other.

The radical changes in the characters and conduct of the previously quiet and orderly and industrious and prosperous inhabitants of Westchester-county, which were produced by the succession of aggressive enactments, made and published by the Provincial Congress and by its Committee of Safety, may be seen in the following letter and in what followed it, while that Provincial Congress was in session :

"WHITE PLAINS, November 1st, 1775."

'SIR :

" The Committee of Westchester-county, having " been called together upon a request of some of their " body, upon suspicion of a plot being contrived to " carry off several of the members and some others " who had shewed themselves zealously attached to " the Liberties of this country, Mr. Philip Pinkney,2 " (who had given very full information, to some of the " Committee, of the plot, and had offered to swear to " it, provided he was brought by the Commitice by " an appearance of force, and had engaged not to be " out of the way,) upon being sent for, by some of the " guard attending the Committee, was not to be " found ; whereupon some of the Committee, by order " of the whole, waited upon Mr. Pinkney, who, after " refusing to come before the Committee, and after a " great deal of equivocation, made the enclosed affi- " davit, before a Magistrate, which we have reason to " think is not the whole truth ; for which reasons we

1 Journal of the Provincial Congress, "Dic Martis, 9 ho., A.M., October 24th, 1775."

2 There is not the slightest mention of this evidently tricky Philip, in any of the contemporary records with which we have any acquaintance, except in this instance ; and we suspect he was that loyalist, l'hilip, who fed to Nova Scotia, at the close of the War, of whom Bolton made inention. He was evidently well-fitted for a "Cow-boy ;" and, very probably, he was one.

Bolton, in his History of Westchester county, (original edition, i., 155, 156 ; the same, second edition, i., 248, 249,) gave a sketch and pedigree of the family.

" refer you to Colonel Budd3 and Mr. Gill. Budd " Horton,4 with whom Mr. Pinkney has conversed.

" As we are only a Sub-committee appointed to take " the examination of Mr. Pinkney and such other " persons as might be necessary, and to make a Re- port of our Proceedings to the Honourable the Pro- " vincial Congress, we beg leave to request that Mr. " Pinkney may be sent for and critically examined, " by the Congress, respecting the above matter, and " with relation to Oars being made by the request of " Captain Vandeput ; 5 and, also, that William Davis, " (who was employed in making the Oars,) and Sarah " Williams, the wife of Isaac Williams, of Westchester, " may also be sent for and examined as witnesses, " respecting them.

" We also request that Mr. William Lounsberry,6 " Isaac Gedney, Junior, and three hired men who " work at Justice Sutton's,7 may be sent for, on account " of what Mr. Pinckney has related, though not sworn " to, that they, among others, were Minute-men, as he " called them; that they were to be ready, at a " moment's warning, to take off some persons who " were the most obnoxious.

" We would also request, when the others are sent " for, that the before-mentioned Isaac Gedney, Junior, " and William Nelson, Joshua Boyea, Joshua Ferris, " Bartholomew Hains, Elijah Hains, William Hains, " and John Hains, be also taken and brought before " the Honourable Congress, for taking up arms to " rescue Elijah Weeks, who was brought before the " Committee upon a charge against him. Upon the " charge, we would mention the Widow Margaret " Gedney, of the White Plains, (where they left their " Arıns), Job Haddon, of Harrison Precinct, Benjamin " Morrell, of New-York, and Isaac Sniffen, of Rye- " Neck, as witnesses. 8

" For evidence to the other charges, we beg leave to

3 Gilbert Budd of Mamaroneck, was Lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regiment of Westchester-connty Militia, (Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Military Returns, xxvi., 13-pages 283, 284, ante.)

Bolton, in his History of Westchester-county, (original edition, ii., 80, 81, 509 ; the same, second edition, 197, 715, 716,) gave an account of his family.

4 Gil. Budd Horton, of Mamaroneck, was the only representative of that Town, in the County Committee of 1776-'7, (Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Miscellaneous Papers, xxxviii., 309.) Ile was captured and carried away, by the Royal troops or by the local loyalists, in 1777, (Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Petitions, xxxiii., 710.)

6 Captain Vandeput commanded the Asia, man-of-war, then at New York. Concerning the making of these Oars, vide page 295, ante. 6 See page 302, post.

7 " Justice Sutton " was the "William Sutton, Esq." who was one of the signers of the call for the Meeting at the White l'lains, in April, 1775, as well as one who signed the Declaration and Protest, at the same place, against the proceedings of that Meeting, (vide pages 246, 248, ante.) Ile was one of the King's Justices of the Peace ; and one of those who were reported to the Committee on Conspiracies, in June, 177G, and ordered to be arrested, ( fiistorical Manuscripts, etc. : Miscellaneous Papers, xxx., 156.) He was summoned to appear before the Committee, (Ibid, xxxV., 485 ;) and his examination, before the County Committee, ou the twenty-third of July, 1776, indicated the temper of that body against the De Lanceys, and all who were connected with that family, either by kinship or in politics, ( Ibid, xxxiv., 531, 605, 537, 535.) 8 See page 296, ante.

301

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

" refer you to Colonel Budd and Mr. Gill. Budd " Horton.

" We would not have troubled the Congress about " apprehending the above-named persons, but that " we look upon ourselves, at present, too weak to do " it, without great danger ; 1 and we beg leave to sub- " mit it, whether it be not necessary, for the security " of many amongst us, as well as to prevent Provisions " being conveyed to the Ministerial Army, that a " Guard be placed along the Sound, in this County. " We are, Sir,

" Your most Inimble servants,

" JONATHAN G. TOMPKINS, 2

" THOMAS THOMAS, 3

" JESSE HUNT, 4

MICAH TOWNSEND, 5 -

" ANTHONY MILLER, 6

"To NATHANIEL WOODHULL, President

" of the Provincial Congress in New York."

The Affidavit referred to in this letter was as follows : " WESTCHESTER COUNTY, SS.

" Personally appeared before me, James Horton, "Junior, one of His Majesty's Justiees of the Peaee " in and for said County, ? Philip Pinkney, of full age, " who deposeth and saith, that on Wednesday, the "twenty-fifth day instant, 8 being in company, he " heard one say that Godfrey Haines was determined " to have satisfaction on some particular persons,9 and " that there was a tender expected, to take them off, "instantly ; and that this Deponent was asked if he "would assist in taking off Judge Thomas,10 private- "ly ; and that they were determined to have him, if " possible"; and that there was a person to be in a

1 The puny faction which, with the aid of the military power, was ex- ercising such a terrible authority, in Westchester-county, here confessed its weakness, when unsupported by that power.

See page 284, ante.

3 See page 283, ante.

4 Jesse llunt was Sheriff of Westchester-county, 1781-1785.

5 Mical Townsend was a member of the County Committee of 1775-'6, and its Secretary ; he was one of the Minute-men, at White Plains, in February, 1776 ; and he was in command of a Company, in the follow- ing Summer. Ile evidently left Westchester-county, soon afterwards, as he was in the Assembly of the State, in 1779-'80, representing Cumber- land.county.

6 Anthony Miller was Second Lieutenant of the Scarsdale and White Plains Company of Militia, In 1775, and Captain of the same Company, in 1776.

James llorton, Junior, was proscribed as a Tory, and ordered to be arrested in June, 1776, ( Historical Manuscript ;, etc. : Miscellaneous Papers, xxx., 156.)

8 This date was, evidently, a clerical error. It was, nundoubtedly, in- tended for " the twenty-fifth ultimo," October 25, 1776.

9 Of Godfrey Haines, bis grievances, and his threats, see pages 291-296, undte.

10 " Judge Thomas " was HIon. John Thomas, County Judge of West- chester-county, 1755-1777, and Member of the General Assembly of the Colony, representing the county of Westchester, 1743-'75, in which latter capacity the reader has already been made nequainted with him.

Il Although the project of carrying Judge Thomas a way from his home, in 1775, if such a project was really entertained, was not carried ont ; a similar project, in 1777, was successful ; and he was carried to New York, ay Haiues had beeu, and thrown iuto prisou, iu that City, as Haines had been, (vide pages 292, 293, ante, ) aud died there.

" particular place, to receive him from those that took " him.

" PHILIP PINCKNEY.

"Taken and sworn before me this

"first day of November, 1775, " JAMES HORTON, JUNR. " 12

The Provincial Congress received the letter and the affidavit, and placed them on file, without taking any other action which was recorded on its Journal, than the making of an Order that Colonel Budd and Gil. Budd Horton, who had evidently taken those papers to the Congress, should attend that body, at five o'elock, on the same afternoon,13 At the appointed hour, those gentlemen made their appearance before the door of the Assembly Chamber, in the City Hall, in which the Congress was assembled in secret Ses- sion ; and when they were admitted into the Chan- ber, they were duly examined-the testimony of Gil. Budd Horton, however, was evidently so entirely use- less that it was not reduced to writing, and, conse- quently, no portion of it was entered on the Journal of the Provincial Congress. The testimony of Colonel Gilbert Bndd, as it appears on that Journal," is in these words :

"Col. Gilbert Budd and Gilbudd Horton, from "Westehester County, attending according to order, " were called in, and examined; and the examination "of Gilbert Budd was taken in writing, and filed, and " is as follows, to wit :

" Gilbert Budd, of Mamaroneck, says that the tories "are getting the upper hand of and threaten them, "daily, and have injured their private property, by " throwing down stone fences and cropping his horses' "tails and manes ; that Philip Pinckney told him, " last Sunday, that he was in company, on the twenty- " fifth of October last, with a man who told him that " there would be bad times in Mamaroneck, before "long; and said that some of the people of "the place would be taken off; that he, Pinek- " ney, asked the man that told him, how they were to " be taken off; he answered, that they expected a ten- "der, in the harbour, in a few days; and that she " would send barges on shore, in order to carry the "people off; that he, Pinckney, further asked the "man, where they were to be carried to, and he an- "swered, 'To Gage,' Mr. Budd told Pinckney that "Gage was not there; he answered, 'To Gage's "'Army ;' that Pinckney said he asked the man, who " the men were that were to be taken off; that the

12 The entire prostration of the Colonial Government, in New York, and its entire helplessness to protect the Colonists from the ontrages to which they were subjected by the promoters of the Rebellion, is now here more clearly seen than in this appearance of one of those who were in rebellion, before one of the King's Justices of the Peace, to make an offi- cial affidavit concerning a plot to carry away from his home, one of the leaders in that Rebellion, by those who were uot in rebellion.

13 Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Veneris, 10 ho, A M., No- " vember 3d, 1775."

14 Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Veneris, 5 ho., P. M., Novem- " ber 3, 1775."

302

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

" man intimated to him that Mr. Gilbert Budd" [the witness] "and Mr. Samuel Townsend1 were the men " that were to be taken off; and that there was another " that they would have, at all events; that Pinckney " told Budd that he asked the man, who the other " man was that was to be taken off; that the man an- " swered him that Judge Thomas was the man, who " they would have if it cost them the lives of fifty " men ; that Pinckney told the said Mr. Budd that " there was a number of his, Budd's, neighbours, who " stood ready to assist the tender, in order to take " them; that Mr. Budd asked Pinckney if he knew " who those neighbours were; he answered that one " of them was William Lounsberry 2 and one, Isaac "Gedney, Junr., and all Sutton's men, alluding to "some hired servants of Sutton's; 3 that Pinckney " said he came as a friend, and advised Mr. Budd to " keep out of the way, for that he did not think it safe " for him to sleep in his house, one night. Mr. Budd " further says that he heard that Godfrey Haines said " that he was going to get a parcel of Oars made for " the man of war; that Haines came to Mamaroneck, "and that the next day, Isane Gedney set about mak- " ing Oars; that they were making (as Budd imder- " stood) by Haines's order, for Capt. Vandeput. Mr. " Budd says the tories are equipped, and constantly "in arms, walking about, at uight, 6, 8, and 10 at a "time. Mr. Budd further says that it is reported that "those tories say they are determined to defend them- " selves ; and that if any body came to their houses to "take away their Arms, they would fire upon them."

The Congress appears to have been in one of its temperate moods when that delegation from the chivalry of Colonial Westchester-county, bearing the missive from the Committee of that County and its kindred Affidavit, approached its doors ; and for that reason, unless it was because of the shallowness of the several accusations and requests which were in the papers or of the poltroonery of those who bore them the Congress did no more than to order the letter and affidavit and examination to be filed; to charge all who knew of "this matter," "to keep the whole of it " a secret;" and to transmit a letter to the Committee of Westchester-county-the latter, the most noteworthy

I Samnel Townsend represented the Town of Rye, in the County Com- mittee of 1776-'7.

2 On the twenty-ninth of August, 1776, "one Lounsberry of Westchester " County who had headed a party of about 14 Tories was killed by a Per- 4 This remarkable suggestion, that those, in Westchester-county, who were in rebellion, and who were threatened with arrest by those of their neighbors who were not in rebellion, should go before the King's Justices of the Peace, and ask that those loyal inhabitants who were inclined to support the Home and Colonial Governments and the Laws " son named Flood on his refusal to surrender himself Prisoner ; That in "his Pocket book was found a Commission signed by Geul. How to " Major Rogers empowering him to raise a Battalion of Rangers with the " Rank of Lieut Col Commandant. That annexed to this was a Warrant " to this Lonusberry signed by Major Rogers appointing him Captain in + and to arrest those who were in rebellion, should be put under bonds to

" one of these Companies & a Muster Roll ot the men already enlisted," (Letter from the Committee of Safety to General Washington, " IN COMMIT- " FEE OF SAFETY, HARLEM, Augt 30th, 1776.")

Very probably, the William Lounsberry who is mentioned in the text was the same Lounsberry who had accepted a Commission from Major Rogers, and was killed, in August, 1776, as stated in the letter.

3 The Sutton referred to was William Sutton, Esq., living on De Lan- cey's Neck, of which he was the tenant, (vide page 290, unte.)

of all that it did, in "this matter "-of which the fol- lowing is a copy :

" IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, " AT NEW-YORK, November 3rd, 1775. " GENTLEMEN :

" We received a letter of the 1st inst., from the "Sub-committee of your County, relative to the " conduct of the people of Rye; aud the Congress "have directed me to recommend to your Com- " mittee to make an immediate and strict inquiry "into the matters to which the letter refers, and "to take the examinations on oath of the wit- "nesses ; and if you find satisfactory reasons to sup- " pose the persons threatened to be in danger, that " you take the proper means to protect theur ; perhaps " the binding over to the peace such persons as may " be strongly suspected of a design to injure the per- " sons or estates of those gentlemen, may be a useful "expedient.4 If anything afterwards shall be thought " necessary to be done, for their further protection, "the Committee will attend to it. If you should "find the County unable to give the necessary pro- " tection, yon will transmit the examinations to us, " that the Congress may take such order therein, as " may be proper. The Committee may rest assured "that this Congress will support the friends of " Liberty, to the utmost of their power.

" We are, Gentlemen, your humble servants, " By order of the Provincial Congress, " ABRAHAM YATES, JR., Pres't. " To GILBERT DRAKE, Esq., Chairman "of the Committee of Westchester-county." 5

The suggestion which was made in this letter, that those of the revolutionary faction, in Westchester- county, whose safety was imperiled by the threats of their conservative and law-abiding neighbors, should go before the King's Magistrates and ask that the latter should be put under bonds to keep the peace towards the former, was received with disfavor by Isaac Sears, of New York, and Melancton Smith, of Duchess-county, and Doctor Lewis Graham and John Thomas, Junior-the latter a son of one of those who had been threatened with removal from the County -- and an attempt was made by them to strike out from the letter that portion "which refers them " [the Committee of Westchester county] "to the Civil Magis- "trate;" but the Congress declined to make the

preserve the peace toward the lutter, will be duly appreciated by the reader. Whatever the County Committee of Westchester-county may have thought of it, it will be evident to the reader that the l'rovincial Con- gress, when it wrote to that Committee and made that suggestion, was not inclined to regard the men of Westchester-county who were in rebellion as entitled to very much of its respect and sympathy.

5 Journal of the Provincial Congress, "Die Veneris, 5 ho., P.M., Novem- " ber 3, 1775."

303

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

solieited change, only the four gentlemen already mentioned having arisen in favor of it. The letter was transmitted to the Westchester-county Committee; and nothing more was heard on the subjects referred to; and the Committee itself, thenceforth, gradually disappeared from the notice of the world.

The Provincial Congress had continued in session, closely withdrawn from the sight of its constituents, until the eighth of July,' when it had taken a fort- night's rest, during which period a "Committee of "Safety " was left on duty, with large authority, to ad- minister the affairs of the new organization.2 On the twenty-sixth of July, it had resumed its work, con- tinuing it without interruption, until the second of September, when it had adjourned for a month, during which period, a "Committee of Safety " had again administered the affairs of the new organization. ' On the fourth of October, it had re-assembled, and re- sumed its work, continuing it until the fourth of No- vember, when it adjourned, or was dissolved, without day.5

The dissolution of the first Provincial Congress, which occurred at about the close of the first half- year of the entire and, as far as the Colonial and Home Governments were concerned, of the undisputed, domination of the revolutionary faction of the purely aristoeratie portion of the Colonial party of the Op- position and its plebean auxiliaries, over the vastly greater body of those who were its fellow-men and fellow-subjects of the Crown and fellow-colonists, within the Colony of New York,-without, however, having interfered with the administration of the public affairs of the Colony, by the Royal Colonial Government, which was continued in all else than in the protection of the Colonists and in the suppression of the revolt, which that Colonial Government had not the means for doing-affords a favorable oppor- tunity for the careful student of the history of that eventful period to rest, and to review the progress of events, in New York, during the preceding six months; to ascertain, by comparison of its earlier professions with its later practises, how much of sincerity and how much of deceit and of frand there had been, in the apparent devotion of that controlling faction to "the Rights of man and of Englishmen," of which it had said so much, in its earlier movements toward political supremacy ; to learn its matured views con- eerning the arrogantly assumed prerogatives of the well-born and the contemptuously assigned mission of the lowly, the latter to nothing else than to submission, to obedience, and to labor; and to ascertain and to examine those systems of government and those

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 75

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