History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 132

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

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. II > Part 132

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).

" Rivingston's account from the Gazette of July 7, 1779 : Last Thurs- day night [i. e., July Ist] Lieutenant-Col. Tarleton marched with a de- tachment of Cavalry, and early in the morning attacked a party of the Rebels' Nags, commanded by a C'ol. Shellon, in the neighborhood of Bradford, distant about 32 miles from the British advanced post. The enemy's situation was in a wood, with a Morass on each side, which was intersected by a road, along which they, with great precipitaney, re. treated. The Rebel officers and men quitted their Jades and threw themselves over the fences to gain the swamp. By so sudden a flight, in so narrow a road, no great impression could be made, only on the roar, of whom about 22 were killed and wounded. Two corps of Rebel Militia, which had formed on their rear, at the approach of the Legion. qnitted their posts, retreating to the Morass. The colonel finding it int- practicable, with his fatigued horses, to pursue them further, returned to the camp of the Rebels, burned and destroyed their whole baggage, and brought off a standard, abont 100 helmets and 17 prisoners, with the loss of one corporal of the Legion killed and one Light horseman wounded by some skulking militia firing from fences on his return. They were cantioned by the commanding officer to desist from firing on pain of their houses being consumed, but still foolhardily persevering in their hostility, he was constrained to carry his menaces into execution. and several houses were accordingly destroyed. Amongst the prisoners is one of the Van Tassels, from near Tarrytown, of a pedigree partly Indian, partly Batavian. This despicable cuitiff has of late anmsed him- self with cruelly flagellnting umbers of inoffensive women, whom he had suspected of frequenting the New York markets. Four of this handy varlet's brothers also are in safe custody, held as hostages for four men of the Provincial corps, who hnd been made prisoners on the North River, tried and destined to the cords by their new Republican Legislature. We are assured the enemy has been formally apprised that the fate of the Van Tassel fraternity will depend immediately upon that of the Loyal Provincinls. When once the gallows of castigation shall be erected on the side of loyalty, a period Jo the public and wanton murder of the King's friends will most assuredly follow. Our Hunt, formerly of this city, but of late a vender of the confiscated estates of Loyal Refugees, nn orator. a mi-sengor employed by Congress, etc., etc., was at this same time delivered to the eustudy of W. Cunning- hmm, to sympathize nt leisure en Provost with his friend Van Tassel on the disastrous condition of their mmper piasters, the dwindled non- bers of Mr. Washington's sald miserables, nud the chop-fallen counte- nance of each delegato at this time composing the distracted Continental Congress."

Tarleton's Report to Sir Henry Clinton. " Dated CAMP ON THE Inoxy, July 2, 1779. 11 P.M. " Sir :

"I have the honor to inform your excellency that I moved with the detachment you were pleased to entrust me with, consisting

567

POUNDRIDGE.

of seventy of the 17th light dragoons, part of the legion infantry and cavalry, Queens rangers, Hussars and some mounted yagers, in all about two hundred, at half-past 11 o'clock last night. The weather being re- markably bad, prevented my making North Castle church before 4 o'clock next morning, where I received confirmation of my intelli- gence relative to the number and sitnation of Sheldon's regiment and one hundred continental foot, but no tidings of Moyland's regiment of dragoons. I pursued my route through Bedford to Pound Ridge without any material occurrence, in the district of the ridge and within three hundred yards of the enemy, who were not alarmed. My guide in front inistook the road ; another guide informed me of the error, and it was rectified as soon as possible. The enemy's vidette had noticed our pass- ing their front. The whole regiment was mounted and formed behind the meeting-house. An attack was instantly made by the advanced gnard, consisting of the 17th light dragoons, the ground not allowing more than seven or eight in front. The enemy did not stand the charge ; a general ronte ensned. The difficulties of the country, and there being no possibility of obtaining their rear, enabled the greatest part of the regiment to escape. The pursnit continued for four miles on the Stam- ford and Salem roads. The loss of men in Sheldon's dragoons, upon in- quiry and comparison of accounts, I estimate at twenty-six or twenty- seven killed, wounded and prisoners. But their disgrace in the loss of the standard of the regiment and of helmets, arms and accontrements was great. A part of the officers' and regimental baggage fell into our hands. I have hitherto omitted mentioning the militia to the amount of one hundred and twenty, who, together with the Continental foot, broke and dispersed at the appearance of the king's troops. The Militia assembled again on eminences and in swamps, and before wc quitted the ground on which the first charge was made they fired at great distance.

" We were successful in killing, wounding and taking fifteen of them; the rest hovered almost ont of our sight. The inveteracy of the inhabit- ants of l'onnd Ridge and near Bedford, in firing from honses and out-honses, obliged (us) to burn some of their meeting and some of their dwelling-honses, with stores. I proposed to the militia terms, that if they would not fire shots trom buildings I would not burn. They interpreted my mild proposal wrong, imputing it to fear. They persisted in firing till the torch stopped their progress, after which not a shot was fired. With pleasure I relate to your excellency that the loss sustained by his majesties troops is trifling, one hussar of the legion killed, one wounded, one horse of the 17th Dragoons killed. The whole of the detachment except the above being returned to camp. The infantry of the legion mounted on horses, were extremly fatigued by a march of Sixty-four miles in twenty-three hours.

" I have the honor to be etc. (Signed,) " BANASTRE TARLETON, " Lt .- Col. British Legion."

Extract from a letter of an Officer of Sheldon's Regiment, dated " Salem, July 3, 1779."

" Yesterday morning about snurise, a detachment of the second regi ment of light dragoons consisting of ninety men, commanded by Col. Sheldon, posted near Pound Ridge meeting-house, was notified of the advance of the enemy by our vidlettes. Our horses being previously saddled and bridled, the men were ordered in.mediately to mount. Ax soon as we were paraded, the enemy's horse were discovered rapidly advancing, abont thrac or four hundred in number. The enemy hav- ing driven in our advanced parties, they began the charge on the de- tachment which, from the great superiority of the enemy, was obliged to move off. The enemy pushed hard on our rear for more than two miles. in the course of which a scattering fire was kept np between their advance and our rear, and a constant charge with the sword. The country through which we passed being very mountainous and rocky, caused many of onr horses to blunder and fall, which occa- sioned some to fall into the hands of the enemy. We immediately collected some of the Militia and began to pursue the enemy, following them below North Castle Church. They moved off with such great pre- cipitation that we could not come up with them. Before the enemy moved off, they burnt the meeting-house at Pound Ridge and the dwelling- house of Benjamin Hays, at Bedford. They (as nsnal) plundered most of the houses they came to and set fire to several houses, which they for- tunately extinguished. Our loss on this occasion was ten wounded and eight missing and twelve horses missing. The enemy's loss, one killed, wounded uncertain, four prisoners, four horses taken and one ditto killed."

Captain Nathan Lockwood was a Revolutionary soldier of great bravery and eccentric character. He had the misfortune to be taken prisoner by the British during the war, and was confined in one of the prison- pens of New York. While in confinement he was visited by one Hays, a fellow-townsman and a Tory. Hays tried to induce him to join the Tories and en- list in a loyalist legion then forming. Lockwood bluntly refused, whereupon Hays began to abuse him, taunting him with his condition as a prisoner, and setting before him the gallows and other miseries to which he and the other rebels would come as a pun- ishment for rebellion. Captain Lockwood promptly told him that as soon as he was released from prison his first business would be to search him out and give him a thrashing. It came to pass in process of time that Captain Lockwood was set free and wended his way homeward, reaching Poundridge late cne even- ing. He passed his own house without stopping and went to the house of Hays, which was several miles farther on, providing himself on the way with a good hickory switch. It was the dead of night and all were in bed. He rapped at the door, and Hays ap- pearing, partly dressed, he made himself known, and, after reminding him of his promise, fell upon him with the switch and gave him a thorough castigation, laying it on with all the energy of an insulted man. Hle then went to greet his home and family. Time passed on, and about 1822 Captain Lockwood was still living, old and in very moderate circumstances. A petition was drawn up by his fellow-townsmen, and sent to Congress through General Aaron Ward, then their Representative, asking Congress to grant Cap- tain Lockwood a pension. General Ward presented the petition, at the same time relating the incident above narrated. Congress at once suspended the rules, and unanimously passed a resolution giving Captain Lockwood a pension of eight dollars per month. This is said to have been the first Revolu- tionary pension granted by Congress. Among those who afterwards obtained pensions were Amos Dixon, Asahel Scofield, Nathan Slauson, Reuben Ayres, Timothy Reynolds, Deacon Thomas Peck and Holmes Austin.

In the War of 1812 the militia of the town were ordered out for short periods of service when New York City and the adjacent coast-line was threatened with attack, but they were not called upon to do any fighting. Quite a number enlisted and served on the northern frontier, but there are no definite statistics at hand in relation to them. Since the passage of the law giving pensions to the surviving soldiers of the War of 1812 about twenty-five soldiers, or their repre- sentatives, have enjoyed its benefits.

Soon after the close of the Revolutionary War a uniformed artillery company was organized. It was supported with considerable spirit, and its members were mainly residents of the town. During the War of 1812 it was ordered to New York City. At the

568

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

close of the war it was disbanded, but soon after (1816 or 1817) it was reorganized, and Job Hoyt, who was the first lieutenant at the close of the war, was its first captain. It was attached to the Thirty-eighth New York State Militia Regiment, Colonel Andrew Warner, and kept up its organization until 1848. Its numbers varied from fifty to eighty men, and it was supplied with one piece of artillery, a six or eight- pounder, for which a small house was erected in the village. Among its captains were Joseph Miller, William L. Smith, Benjamin Lines, Benjamin Brown, Eleazar Slauson and Asahel Hoyt.

An amusing incident in connection with the his- tory of this company occurred during the anti-rent troubles in New York State. It appearing probable at one time that the services of the militia would be required, the members of the company were one day notified to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's notice. Two of the company, struck with panic at the idea which took hold of them of being dragged from their homes and "drafted into the army," immediately " broke for the woods" on the Connectieut line, being resolved to eamp out until the "cruel war was over." One of them, in crossing " Mud Mill Pond," broke through the ice, and, after extricating himself, wandered about during the night, and nearly perished with eold and exposure. It was some time before [their fears were allayed and they returned home.

The election of Polk I was followed by the Mexican War, for which the town furnished no volunteers, but the discoveries of gold in California excited far. greater interest. Many had an eager desire to go and seek their fortunes in this new field, and some who could not go themselves were willing to " fit out" others to go, with the hope of sharing the profits. Ac- cordingly, on the 22d of March, 1849, Horace Rey- nolds, David Potts and Edgar Murray sailed in the ship "Samoset " for San Francisco ria Cape Horn. On the 10th of September Francis N. Murray and James Thayer left home for San Francisco ria the Isthmus of Panama. They all reached their destina- tion safely, except Murray, who was taken sick and died on the passage up from Panama to San Francisco. He was buried at sea, opposite St. Nicolas Island. None of the others seem to have realized their expec- tation of getting rich, and bnt two (Thayer and Potts) ever eame back to Poundridge.

The breaking out of the Civil War, in 1861, called forth a nearly unanimous response from the citizens

of the town in favor of maintaining the Union at all hazards, and the records show that there was no back- wardness in contributing both men and money. At this time the town contained about three hundred and forty men of voting age.

Before the close of the war ninety-four residents of the town had enlisted in the army and three in the navy ; there were also ten re-enlistments. Of these, forty-one enlisted in New York State regiments and fifty-three in Connecticut regiments. Seven were killed in battle, while seven were wounded and seven- teen others were discharged on account of disability caused by wounds or sickness. Thirteen died of dis- ease while in the army, and three fell the victims of inhuman treatment at Andersonville Prison, It is interesting to note that the loss occasioned by disease and disability was more than six per cent. greater among those in New York regiments than among those in Connecticut regiments. Six men deserted after enlistment, but, with one or two exceptions, they were men who were tempted to enlist by the large bounties given in the last year of the war. As to oc- cupation, sixty-one werc shoemakers and twenty-eight were farmers. These figures relate entirely to resi- dents of the town and do not include about thirty-six men (non-residents) who were procured by the super- visor to fill the quota of the town under the last two ealls of the President, in 1864. These men were paid bounties varying from three to five hundred dollars each. Nothing is known of their subsequent history, as no statisties were ever furnished concerning them, except that the names of sixteen were ascertained and placed upon the town records. The result of the call in 1863, under which the first draft was made, was that the quota of the town was not filled and thir- teen men were drafted. In the spring of 1864, when, upon another eall of the President for three hundred thousand men, it appearing evident that the quota of the town could not be filled by volunteers without ex- tra inducement, a special town-meeting was held March 23, 1864, at which it was resolved "that each of the 13 men previously drafted should receive $150. That each Person in the Town liable to draft who should, within a certain time, pay ten dollars to the Supervisor, should, if drafted and held, receive $300 to help him if he chose to procure a substitute." l'n- der this resolution twelve hundred dollars was paid to the supervisor by those subject to draft .?

The quota of the town (sixteen men) was filled, a bounty of three hundred dollars being paid to each man. Seven thousand dollars was at this time bor- rowed from the county, known as the "first issue of county bonds." Another call for men soon followed, and another draft was impending. A special town- meeting was held August 5, 1864, to provide for the quota of the town under this call for five hundred

[]n celebrating the election of James K. Polk, on The 9th of Novem- ber, 1>4), an accident happened which maimed for life Iwo young men of The town, Ed. A. Slauson und Selh Justin. The fiehl-piece belong- ing lo the artillery company was brought to the Meeting-House Hill, and while living u salute, the gun was prematurely discharged while Shuson and Justin were ramming home the cartridge. Shuson was Imdly burned uboul the face and body, both his arms were broken above the elbows and his right arm so shattered al The wrist that ampa- tation was necessary. Vustin was ulso badly burned and the fingers of his right hand nearly lorn from their sockets.

" There was no person In the town subject lo military duty who, at this or any other time, found it convenient to visit a foreign country in order to dodge his obligations as a citizen of the United States.

569

POUNDRIDGE.

thousand men. A resolution, somewhat similar to the one passed at the previous March meeting, was adopted-" that each person liable to draft who should at once pay $10 to the supervisor, should, if drafted and held, have a substitute provided at the expense of the Town ; or any such persons choosing to go themselves should receive a sum equal to that paid for substitutes, and those furnishing substitutes for themselves, a like sum." The board of town officers were authorized to issue town bonds for this purpose. The total quota of the town under the last two calls was forty-thrce. For the first of these, sixteen en- listed men received three hundred dollars apiece; in filling the second, twenty meu received five hundred dollars apiece, and seven received no bounty from the town, but were hired by individuals as substitutes. To meet these expenses, town bonds were issued to the amount of seventeen thousand five hundred dollars. This money was mainly borrowed from citizens of the town. Ten thousand two hundred dollars was also borrowed from the county, known as the "second issue of county bonds." Under the second assessment of ten dollars upon those liable to draft, nine hun- dred dollars was paid in, making the total realized from both twenty-one hundred dollars.

The close of the war left the town with a heavy burden of debt ; that is to say, it was large in propor- tion to the value of the property that must be as- sessed to pay it. The amount of debt, stated briefly, was town bonds, $17,500; first issue county bonds, $7100; second issue county bonds, $10,200; county bond relief soldiers' families, $480-total, $35,280.

From the thirty million dollars appropriated by the State to reimburse counties and towns for money raised to procure volunteers, the town received nine thousand six hundred dollars; but this was mostly applied toward paying the taxes of the town from 1865 to 1868, instead of using it in paying off the debt. The principal of the debt was reduced every year by two thousand dollars, which was raised by direct tax, until, in 1881, the whole was paid and taxes were re- duced more than one-half.

Following is a list of names of residents of Pound- ridge who enlisted in the War of the Rebellion :

David F. Avery.1

John W. Brown.

Win. H. Ambler.2

llenry C. Brown.

James Allstream.

Adam Billings.1

Ed. M. Abbott.3

Samuel Bouton.

Francis B. Avery.3 Squire S. Birdsal.

Jonathan Austin.

Isaac B. Brown.

Lewis Cass . 71

Abram Ackerly.3

Chas. F. Benger.5

Martin Van Buren 37

Samuel Bouton. Chas. H. Corban.

Alpheus Birdsal.3

Geo. E. Dixon.6

Theo. Birdsal.

Alanson C. Dixon.

Franklin Pierce. 118

Theodoric Barclougli.4

Stephen Dixon.

Winfield Scott. 131

John I'. Hale (Free-Soil).

Chas. H. Brush.1

Thomas Driscol.1

Francis Bonton.

Douglas Fancher.

1 Disabled.

2 Killed at Gettysburg.

Francis Bouton.

Geo. W. Finch.7

3 Died of disease

4 Killed at Petersburg.

Geo. W. Brown.3

David Finch.

5 Killed at Fort Fisher.

G Wounded.

7 Killed.

8 Died at Andersonville.

Ezra B. Bonton. 4

Jacob Grant.

Alanson Peatt.8

Stephen Ganun.

Daniel Randall.I

Joseph llartord.

Seth Remington.

Thomas F. Harford.s

Samuel T. Ready.

Wm. Geo. Ilallet. 3

Chauncey Raymond.

Chas. Hamilton.º

Benj. Selleck.

John Ilull. 1 Wilson L. Hull.

Edward Sarles.

Geo. E. Hoyt.

Geo. 1' Sarles.I

Levi Jones.

Win. D. sunw

Miles O. Jones.

Geo. B. Selleck.o

Alva Jones.

Stephen Keeler.

Geo. P. Lawrence.4

James M. Sarles.

John B. Lawrence.3

James B. Slauson.3

Timothy Murhan.

Reub. F. Sylvester.

Leander Marshall.S

Nath'l Van W. Sylvester.I

Barlow Marshall.8

Benedict A. Stephens.1

Cyrus Marshall.

Andrew J. Scofield.

Elijah Marshall.

Levi Sutton.

Cyrus Miller.

Geo. W. Saunders.9

Isaac W. Miller.

James D. Surles.

Greenly Marshall.1

W'm. S. Taylor.

Mich. L. Murphy.

Linus Wood, 1

Charles Nichols.

Samuel A. Wood.

Patrick Osborne.

Israel Wood.1

Henry Peatt. 1

Sylvester Wood.

Jas. A. Potts. 8

Israel Wood.

Geo. Il. Potts.

Iliran Williams.

John Peatt.

Chauncey Wandell.6

Ilorace Peatt.3

In politics the town has usually been nearly equally divided between the two great political parties of the day. As between Whigs and Democrats, the latter had a slight preponderance in their favor. The Lockwood family, as was natural from its position and influence, has figured conspicuously in the politics of the town, and at no time has political excitement run higher than when the brothers, Horatio and Ezra, were the leaders respectively of the Democrats and Whigs. The Republicans first obtained a major- ity in 1856. The following is the elec oral vote as far as can be ascertained :

1836. Vote.

Martin Van Buren.

118

William Henry Harrison. 68

1840.

Martin Van Buren .. 140

William H. Harrison 149

James G. Birney (anti-slavery) . 5

1844.

Hlenry Clay. 144

James K. Polk 153

James G. Birney

1848.

Zachary Taylor. 128

1852.

Clas. W. Bishop.3

Levi Dixon.6

Win. L. Brown.1

David Finch.

William Fagan.

Wash. Irving Finch.

9 Killed at Fort St. Philip.

O. Scott Brown.

John E. Sarles.1

Geo. J. Stevens. Reuben F. sylvestre. 1

570

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

1851.

John (. Fremont. 163

James Ituchanan 55

Millard Fillmore

1860.

Abraham Lincoln. 185

Stephen A. Douglass. 143

1864.

Abraham Lincoln. 154

George B. Mel'lellan 146

1868.

U. S. Grant. 157

Iloratio Seymour

145

1872.

llorace Greeley. 131

U. S. Grant. 127

1876.

Samuel J. Tilden 166

R. B. Ilayes. 150

Peter Cooper

1880.

James A. Garfield. 137

W. S. Hancock 144

J. B. Weaver

1884.

Grover Cleveland 145

James G. Blaine 119

B. F. Butler 0

J. P. St. John.

SUPERVISOR> OF THE TOWN.

Names.

Term of Office.

Ebenezer Lock wood. 1772-1779

William Fancber .. 1780-1781

Ebenezer Lockwood. 1782-1786

William Fancher 17×8-1801

Ebenezer Lockwood.

1802-1806

Ezra Lockwood.

1807-1819

lloratio Lockwood

1820-1823

John G. Ferris

1824

Horatio Lockwood

1825-1839

William Lock wood

1840-1843

Alsop 11. Lock wood

1844-1853

William L. Smith.

1854-1855

Alsop H. Lockwood.

1856-1868

David W. Miller

1869-1871

Stephen Taylor 1872

Daniel B. Rockwell

1873

Miles Adams

1874-1877

D. N. Chlehester

1878-1881

Miles Adams

1882-1885

RELIGIONS DENOMINATIONS.

The churches of the town are all modest frame buiklings, put up in the simplest style, and but one, the Presbyterian, is furnished with a bell.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH .- The original settlers of Poundridge were English, descendants of the English Puritans, of New England ; consequently the meet- ing-house soon followed the dwelling-house. The oldest record extant with regard to a house of wor- ship is one which begins as follows :

"OLD POUNDRIDGE, Jannary 7, 1760.

" A society's meeting legally warned and accordingly met-of which " Ist, Ebenezer Scofield chose moderator by maj. vote.

" 2d. And the same meeting William Jarvis, clerk by maj. vote.

" 3dl. By tunj. vote concholed to bulld u meeting-house in this place, on condition we can get u subscription sufficient to tmild such a house us shall be convenient, etc."

There were fourteen resolutions in all, the sub- stance of which was, that the meeting-house should be built on the " Burying Hill," 1 so called (three- fourths of a mile south of the village); that it should be thirty-six feet long and thirty wide ; that the head carpenter should receive four shillings per day, the hewers three shillings and scorers two shillings six pence ;- that a man with four good cattle for drawing timber should get eight shillings.

The results of this meeting do not appear to have been satisfactory, for a subsequent meeting was held, of which the following is a copy of the proceedings :

"OLD POUNDRIDGE, Feb. 15. 1700.

"A Societies Meeting legally warned necordingly meet.

" 1st. By a Maj. Vote, Capt. Reuben Lockwood, chose Moderator.

" 24. Win. Jarvis, Clerk by Maj. Vote.

"3d. By Maj. Vote it is concluded to build a Meeting. Ilonse in this place.

" 4th. By Maj. Vote it is concluded to build a Meeting-Ilonse on the Ilill betwixt Joseph Lockwood's House and Ebenezer Lockwood's Itaru. "5th. By Maj. Vote, Lient. Fancher, Ebenezer Scofield, Ebenezer Lockwood, Nathaniel Bouton and John Crawford is uppointed to pitch the spot on the Hill nforesaid, and lay a heap of stones where the Meet- ing-llonse should set.

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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. II, Part 132

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286