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 166
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Harrison Avenue erosses the town in its widest part, connecting it with White Plains on the west and with Rye on the east. This road intersects the Purchase road and Lincoln Avenne. Another road enters the town at Westchester Avenue, on the ex- treme point of connection with White Plains, and, running in a northeasterly direction, crosses the Pur- chase road and enters Connectieut at its point of juuction with Rye. Two cross-roads braneh off from this road ; the one beginning about the centre of the north end of the town, runs northwest to North Cas- tle ; the other, beginning farther west, runs to some distance in a northerly direction, makes a curve and turns westward, entering also North Castle. Harri- son, it will be seen, does not lack the means of con- munication with its bordering sister towns.
Although Harrison was only a precinct of Rye un- til after the Revolution, it has a military history cov- ering that trying period; though presenting few inci- dents of great moment, it is a history not devoid of
1 Eastern State Journal (White Plains), January 21, 1870.
717
HARRISON.
interest. The news of the closing of the port of Bos- ton, after the famous "tea-party," roused publie in- dignation throughout the country; the people of Harrison Precinct were not the last to pronounce themselves. The New York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury of August 15, 1774, contains the following item of news : " We hear from Harrison's Purchase, in Westchester County, that on the 2d instant, the Inhabitants of that Precinet met, enter'd into spirited Resolves, which include a Non-importation Agree- ment, and are similar to those of the other colonies."
When, in the following year, the province of New York was required by the Continental Congress to contribute her quota of four regiments, the call for soldiers was promptly responded to in Rye, and three companies were raised, one of them in "Harrison's Precinct and the upper end of King Street." This company elected Henry Dusinberry, captain ; Lyon Miller, first lieutenant ; Caleb Paulding Horton, sec- ond lieutenant; and Gilbert Dusinberry, ensign.
The three companies were embraced in the "South Battalion of Westchester County," and did good and active serviec.
"The Committee of Satety for Harrison's Precinct, February 20, 1776, report the officers elected in a company of minute-men in Colonel Drake's regiment. They are llezekiah Gray, captain ; Cornelius Clark, first lieutenant ; James Miller, second lieutenant ; Isaac Titus, ensign.
" In the same month, at a meeting of the Troop of Westchester County, held at the house of Wilsey Dusinberry, in Harrison's Precinct, the following gentlemen were elected officers, to wit. : Samuel Tred- well, captain ; Thaddeus Avery, lieutenant, chosen unanimously ; Abra- ham Hatfield was chosen cornet and Uytendall Allaire, quartermaster, each by a majority. Commissions were ordered for these gentlemen." 1
In Harrison's Precinct, the Committee of Safety chosen to serve for one year from May, 1776, was composed of William Miller, (deputy chairman), Lewis M'Donald, Peter Fleming, James Raymond, Marcus Mosenell.
The people of the Purchase had had their full share of trouble and suffering; they were now about to see some hard fighting at their very doors, and to witness one of the most brilliant achievements of the war.
"Upon the 23d of October, 1776, Col. Tyler's, Huntington's and Throop's regiments, of Gen. Parson's brigade, and of Gen. Heath's division, moved and took post at the head of King Street, near Rye Pond.
"On the 4th of December, 1781," says General Ileath, "Captain Sackett, of the New York levies, near llarrison Purchase, bolow tbe lines, having gone a small distance from his detachment on the morn- ing of the 2d, was taken prisoner by a party of the enemy. The enemy afterward attacked Lieutenant Mosher, to whom the command of the detachment fell. Lieutenant Mosher and the detachment behaved with great bravery, repulsed the enemy, killed one of them and two horses, and wounded eight of the enemy, among them a Captain Kipp, said mor- tally. Colonel llolmes and Captain Kipp had their horses killed under tbem. The levies had not a man killed or wounded." 2
Mosher's command consisted of only eighteen men, while the British horse (a party of De Lanecy's loyal refugee cavalry) numbered over seventy. The dis- parity of numbers was great, and the mauner in
which the victory was won presents the most admira- ble example of indomitable courage combined with extraordinary coolness. Mosher had taken a strong position near Merritt's tavern, "where he 'formed his men in a solid Body, with fixed Bayonets.' They were ordered not to fire a shot, but to receive tlie en- emy's charge in silence, until further instructions."
Thrice did the British cavalry dash at the compact little body of patriots, and thrice they were received at the point of the bristling row of bayonets held by unflinching hands. As they fell back for the third time the word "Fire!" was given by the heroic Mosher. This single discharge of musketry was ter- ribly effective, as we have seen ; it threw the troopers into dire confusion, and the cool-headed lieutenant availed himself of this to withdraw his men and seek safety in a neighboring piece of woods. A veteran general, consummate in the art of war, could not have shown greater judgment or better strategy. Washington, himself, often alluded to this affair in terms of praise and admiration.
The scenes of wretchedness and woe which pre- vailed in this section have been described in another chapter ; we need not dwell upon them here. Trial, danger and suffering all were borne in common with the other towns of the county. The few facts quoted in the preceding pages show that the men of Harri- son did their duty nobly in the Revolutionary War. Less than a century later another erisis was to come, as momentous as the first, for the existence of that Union-the offspring of the Revolution-born in the glorious days of 1776, was threatened. The Southern States had sceeded and they must be coerced into re- turning to the Union. In this contingency, as in the troubled days of old, the people of H rison did their duty.
The calls of President Lincoln, on April 15, 1861, for seventy-five thousand militia, and on July 22, 1861, for five hundred thousand volunteers, met with so ready a response that it was not found necessary to apportion quotas to be filled by the different towns.
The records of the town of Harrison are therefore silent as to the number of men that went out from its boundaries to the war in that year. Judging, however, by the number of soldiers furnished by the town under subsequent ealls, about thirty-five resi- dents of Harrison must have gone forth in 1861 to fight for the preservation of the Union.
From the town records it would appear that the town of Harrison filled its quotas under the various calls for troops at considerably less expense, propor- tionately to its population, than most of its sister towns. Under the call of July, 1862, for three hun- dred thousand volunteers to serve for three years, and of August, 1862, for three hundred thousand volun- teers toserve for nine months, the quota of the town of Harrison was forty- four men. On the 14th of August, 1862, a meeting of the citizens of the town was held at Purchase, to consider the means to be employed to
1 "American Archives," fourth series, vol. v. pp. 290, 295.
: Heath's Mem., 75, 76, quoted by Bolton, " Hist. of Westchester." 53
718
HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
fill the quota. It was resolved that a committee of five should be appointed " to raise money by sub- seription for the purpose of raising volunteers from the town, and that the said committee aet as a Union Defense Committee." Samuel Hopper, Samuel G. Purdy, John Palmer, David A. Haviland and Daniel W. Gray were appointed the committee. At a sub - sequent meeting Thomas Park was put on the eom inittee in place of Daniel W. Gray, who was unable to serve, and Elwood Birdsall was also added to it. The committee found that they could not raise sufficient money by voluntary subscription to fill the quota, and at a meeting of the citizens held August 20th, it was resolved that five thousand dollars should be borrowed on the eredit of the town, and that one hundred dol- lars should be given to each volunteer, or to each drafted person desiring to proeure a substitute. The town furnished under this call fifty-five men (an equivalent in money, however, being accepted in a few eases instead of a man), or eleven more than its quota-a cireumstanee which redounded to its profit subsequently.
Under the call in the latter part of 1863 for three hundred thousand men, the quota of Harrison was twenty men, and under the eall of February 1, 1864, for two hundred thousand, its quota was eleven inen. The twenty men required under the former eall were furnished at an expense to the town of six thousand six hundred dollars, but owing to the fact that the town was credited with a surplus of eleven men under the calls of 1862, it was released from furnishing any soldiers under the eall of February, 1864. As the bounties paid to volunteers were considerably higher at the latter date than at the former, the town was thus cnabled to save a good deal of money.
Under the eall of March 14, 1864, for two hundred thousand men, the quota of the town of Harrison was thirteen men. The town procured this number of volunteers at the expense of three hundred dollars for each man, or three thousand nine hundred dollars altogether. As it then appeared likely that a further call for troops would soon follow, the Union Defense Committee, seeing that the price of volun- teers was advancing, obtained fifteen men in addition to those just mentioned, at three hundred and seventy- five dollars apiece, or for a total of five thousand six hundred and twenty-five dollars.
The wisdom of this action was soon apparent. A call for five hundred thousand soldiers was issued on July 18, 1864, and to Harrison was assigned the duty of raising thirty men. It was necessary, therefore, for the town to procure fifteen men, in addition to those already obtained, and this was done at an ex- pense of $12,499.75.
Under the call of Decentber 19, 1864, for three hun- dred thousand mon, the quota of Harrison was seven- teen, and was filled at an expense of $7917.98. This was the last call for troops made by the gov- ernment.
A list of the soldiers eredited to the town of Harri- son during the Civil War, and of residents of the town who enlisted and were eredited elsewhere, was pre- pared in 1865 by John Field, the town clerk, for the State Bureau of Military Statistics. The list contains the names of one hundred and sixty-eight sokliers, fifteen of whom were men belonging to Harrison who enlisted outside of New York. Of the remainder, thirty-one are set down as being residents of the town. Doubtless the list omits quite a number of inhabitants of Harrison who became soldiers, but it is more nearly complete than anything that could now be obtained, and accordingly the names and records of the resi- dents of the town that appear in it are appended. It is a remarkable fact that but one man from Harrison is ehronicled as having met his death from a bullet wound. This person was John Lea Brown, a colored man belonging to the Twenty-ninth Connectieut In- fantry, who was killed by a minie ball, at Deep Bot- tom, Va., in 1864. Quite a number of others, how- ever, were discharged from service on aeeount of disability.
RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF HARRISON WHO WERE SOLDIERS DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND THEIR RECORDS.
Josephi Brooks, farmer, enlisted Angust 30, 1862, for three years in Coni . pany E, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth New York Infantry, after- wards Sixth New York Heavy Artillery ; rank, private.
Stephen D. Burger, carpenter, enlisted Angust 30, 1862, for three years in Company E, Sixth New York Heavy Artillery; mustered out June 28, 1865, at Petersburg ; rank, sergeant.
Francls M. Burger, farmer, enlisted September 17, 1862, for three years in First M. Rifles ; mustered out .Inne 12, 1865, at Richmond, Va .; vunk, private.
George Burger, farmer, enlisted September 22, 1862, for three years in Company K, First M. Rifles; innstered ont June 12, 1865, at Rich. mond, Va .; rank, private.
Joseph E. Bird, carpenter, enlisted October, 1863, for three years in Fifth New Jersey Battery ; mustered out June, 1865; rank, pri- vate.
John Banker, clerk, enlisted September 1, 1861, for three years in Con- pany C, Forty ninth New York Infantry ; mustered out October 8. 1864, in New York ; rank, private.
David Barker, Inborer, enlisted September 27, 1863, for three years in Company E, Eleventh New York llenvy Artillery ; mustered out October 2, 1865, nt New Orleans, La .; rank, private.
William Combs, laborer, enlisted for three years in Company L, Ira Ilarris Cavalry ; mustered ont November 25, 1863, by reason of such: un injury on the skull as to produce epilepsy ; rank, private.
Samuel B. Farrington, laborer, enlisted Angust 30, 1862, in Company E, Sixth New York Heavy Artillery ; discharged June 27, 1865; wa wounded in the foot at Travilion's Station ; rank, private.
Robert Farrington, laborer, enlisted Angust 30, 1862, for three years in Sixth New York Heavy Artillery ; discharged May 26, 1865, at For- tress Monroe, by reason of disability : rank, private.
Joseph Flanagan, laborer, enlisted September 6, 1862, for three yours in Company B, Sixth New York Heavy Artillery ; rank, private.
David G. Fisher, laborer, enlisted July 10, 18Gl, for two years in Com pany A, Twenty seventh New York Infantry ; discharged July 12, 1862, on account of physical disability ; rank, private.
Daniel Farrington, shoemaker, enlisted Inly, Ist], for three years In Company E, Twenty-seventh New York Infantry ; rank, private.
Solomon Gilchrist, farmer, enlisted December 2, 1863, for three years in Company A, One HInudred and Twentieth New York Infantry; must- ered ont October 7, 1865, at New Orleans ; rank, corporal. Joseph Haviland, enlisted Angust, 1862.
Nehemiah Harris, farmer, enlisted August 30, 1862, for three years In Company E, Sixth New York Hvavy Artillery ; rank, private.
William Illeks, blacksmith, enlisted Angust 30, 1862, for three years in Sixth New York Heavy Artillery ; rank, private.
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Ellwood Bunusoll
719
HARRISON.
Hezekiah Ilarris, farmer, culisted September 17, 1862, for three years in Company A, First M. Rifles ; rank, corporal.
James IIenry Hopper, farmer, enlisted September I, 1861, for three years in Company C, Forty. ninth Infantry ; discharged February 15, 1863, at White Oaks, Va., by reason of disability ; rank, privatc.
John J. Ilorton, farmer, enlisted September 2, 1861, for three years in Company C. Forty-uinth Infantry ; discharged January 6, 1863, by reason of disability ; rank, private.
William Purdy, laborer, eulisted September 24, 1863, for three years in Company E, Twentieth Regiment ; discharged October 7, 1865, at New Orleans, La .; rank, private.
Ge rge Washington Platt, farmer, enlisted September 2, 1861, for three years in Company C, Forty ninth New York Infantry ; discharged February 11, 1862, at Camp Griffin, on account of disability ; rank, corporal.
William Peppard, laborer, enlisted in One IInudred and Second New York Infantry ; rank, private.
Robert Allen Robertson, laborer, enlisted for three years in the Twentiethi New York Infantry ; rauk, private.
Thomas G. Sutton, farmer, enlisted May 4, 1864, for three years, as pri- vate, in One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Infantry ; mustered out Juue 21, 1865 ; attained the rank of corporal.
Philip Spencer, enlisted September 23, 1863, for three years in Second Battery ; rank, private.
James Sterry, mechanic, eulisted September 1, 1861, for three years in Company C, Forty- ninth Regiment ; rank attained, sergeant.
William M. Shelley, laborer, enlisted September 2, 1861, for three years in Company C, Forty-ninth Regiment ; mustered out June 27, 1865, at Washington ; rank, corporal.
Jerome Weeks, farmer, enlisted Angust 8, 1862, for three years in Company B, Sixth New York Heavy Artillery ; rank, private.
George Weeks, laborer, enlisted in August, 1862, for three years in Con- pany G, First New York Cavalry; died October 3, 1862, at Suffolk, Va., of typhoid fever ; rauk, private.
Matthew Wallace, farmer, entered Company L, Ira Ilarris Cavalry, for three years.
Henry T. Wesley, laborer, mustered December 10, 1861, iuto Ninety-fifth New York Infantry, Company K ; mustered out July 16, 1865, and fell overboard from a ferry-boat on his way home and was drowned.
Residents of Harrison who enlisted outside of New York and were not credited to the town of Harrison in the filling of its quotas. All were colored men,-
Benjamin Barker, laborer, enlisted September 27, 1863, for three years in Company E, Fourteenthi Rhode Island Heavy Artillery ; mus- tered out October 2, 1865; rauk, corporal.
Thomas L. Brown, enlisted December 27, 1863, for three years in Com- pauy G, Twenty-ninth Connecticut Infantry ; mustered out June 21, 1865, at Fortress Mouroe, Va .; rank, private.
John Lea Brown, enlisted December 27, 1863, for three years in Com- pany G, Twenty ninth Counectieut Infantry ; killed by minie bul- let at Deep Bottom, Va., October 26, 1864 ; rank, private.
.loseph Griffen, laborer, enlisted September 27, 1863, for three years in Company E, Fourteenth Rhode Island lufantry ; mustered out Oc- tober 2, 1865, at New Orleans ; rank, private.
William Glasco, laborer, enlisted December 26, 1864, for three years in the Twenty-ninth Connecticut Infantry ; rank, private.
Thomas Gregory, laborer, enlisted December 24, 1863, for three years in Company C, Twenty-ninth Conuecticut Infautry ; mustered out at Brownsville, Tex., September 8, 1865; rank, private.
William Henry Halstead, laborer, enlisted December, 1863, for three years iu Company B, Twcuty-niuth Connecticut Infantry ; mustered out November, 1865 ; rank, private.
Edward Hall, entered Twenty-ninth Connecticut Infantry ; rank, pri- vate.
Robert Mitchell, entered Company B, Twenty-niuth Connecticut Infan- try ; rank, private.
John Purdy, farmer, enlisted December :6, 1863, in Company D, Twenty-nintb Counecticut Infantry ; discharged February 26, 1865, near Chapin's Farm. Va., by reason of disability ; rank, private,
Horace Seymour, farmer, enlisted December 8, 1863, for three years in Company B, Twenty-ninth Connecticut Infantry ; mustered out Oc- tober 24, 1865, at Brownsville, Tex .; rank, private.
Solomon Tierce, mason, enlisted December 8, 1863, for three years in Company B, Twenty-ninth Connecticut Infautry ; mustered ont in November, 1865 ; rank, private.
Simeon Anderson Tierce, laborer, enlisted September 26, 1863, for three years in Fourteenth Rhode Island lleavy Artillery ; died July 7, 1864, in service, of typhoid fever ; rank, sergeant.
Jacob Williams, farmer, enlisted April 7, 1863, for three years in Cont. pany F, Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry ; mustered out August 20, 1865, at Bostou, Mass .; rank, private.
OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF HARRISON .- The first election ot officers for the town of Harrison was held April 5, 1774, and resulted as follows :
"Major Thomas Thomas, supervisor; Wm. Miller, clerk ; Wilsey Dusinberry, constable and collector; Stephen Fields and Job Hadden Jr., assessors; Samuel Haviland, William Andersou, Thoms Vail, Alex- ander Ilains, Job Hadden and Samuel Purdy, highway masters ; Thomas l'ark, pounder ; Sammel Haviland and Thomas Park, fence and damage viewers. 1
Samuel Haviland was elected supervisor in 1775 and 1776, and William Miller town clerk at the same time. There were no further elections until 1783. Since that time the supervisors and town clerks have been as follows :
Supervisors.
1783. Isaiah Maynard.
1847. James D. Merritt.
1784. William Miller. 1850. David P. Ilalsted.
1791. Joseph Carpenter. 1852. John l'almer.
1793. William Vail. 1853. Daniel W. Gray.
1801. Thomas Carpenter.
1857. Edward Willets.
1802. William Vail. 1858. Samuel llopper.
1805. Thomas Halstead.
1863. Daniel W. Gray.
1808. Simeon Tyler. 1864. Edward Willets.
1810. Thomas Halsted. 1875. Daniel W. Gray.
1828. Jeremiah Anderson. 1876. Edward Willets.
1836. William M. Cromwell.1
1878. George T. Burling.
1837. William H. Purdy.
1883. Daniel W. Gray.
1840. Joseph II. Anderson.
1884. George T. Burling.
1841. Thomas C. Fields.
Town Clerks.
1783. Stephen Field.
1847. William A. Cromwell.
1788. William Miller.
1856. Jonathan Purdy.
1791. William Vail.
1860. William 11. Dusinberry.
1793. Thomas Carpenter.
1863. William Cross.
1801. Simeon Tyler.
1864. Jolin Fit d.
1802. Thomas Carpenter.
1866. Albert Sutton.
1818. Jolın Carpenter.
1868. Charles C. Havilaud.
1836. James D. Merritt.
1869. Albert Sutton.
1×39. Seymour Bouton.
1872. Charles C. Haviland.
1×41. Caleb Sauds.
Charles w. Baird
BIOGRAPHY.
ELLWOOD BURDSALL.
Mr. Burdsall was born at New Brunswick, N. J., July 18, 1814. His ancestors were among the early English settlers of this country. Those on his father's side were members of the Society of Friends, while those of the mother were Presbyterians. His mater- nal grandfather served in the army during the Revo-
! Jeremiah Anderson was elected supervisor in 1836, but refused to serve, and Cromwell was elected at a special meeting in his stead
1
720
HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
lutionary War, and was engaged in the battles of Trenton and Monmouth. For three years he was confined by the British as a prisoner of war in the ''Old Sugar House " and the different prison-ships.
After receiving a common-school education, such as the neighborhood in which he lived afforded, Mr. Burdsall, whose father had died in 1823, when he was but nine years of age, left his native place and learned the earpenter's trade at Philadelphia in 1829. In 1835 he journeyed to Appalachicola, Fla., on the Gulf of Mexico, where he erceted a number of dwellings and warehouses. In 1837 he was elected a member of the City Council of Appalachicola. Shortly after- wards the yellow fever broke out, and prevailed for some time with unusual fatality. Many of the iu- habitants became panic-stricken and fled from the city, among the fugitives being all the members of the government except the city treasurer, a Mr. Boot, and Mr. Burdsall. The latter organized a hos- pital outside the town, and, with the aid of other courageous men, gathered the sick together and placed them in the wards, where he attended them more or less frequently daily. For nearly two months the fever continued to rage, little business being trans- aeted during the time, and the dead being buried without funerals.
Mr. Burdsall remained in Florida till 1844, when he left that State for New York. He then associated himself with William E. Ward, and they founded the bolt manufacturing business at Port Chester, N. Y. The original name of the firm was Burdsall & Ward, which was changed to Russell, Burdsall & Ward upon the addition to it of Isaac D. Russell. The firin retains the latter name at the present time and has been successfully managed under it for the past forty years.
In 1851 Mr. Burdsall married Miss Hannah G. Haviland, a daughter of John Haviland, a member of one of the oldest families in Harrison. In 1854 he built his present residence in Harrison.
At the organization of the First National Bank of Port Chester, Mr. Burdsall was elected president and has been re-elected annually. The bank has never passed a dividend.
Mr. Burdsall was elected in 1863 a manager of Swarthmore College, an institution under the care of the Society of Friends, near Philadelphia, which position he resigned ten years later. Since 1867 he has been a manager of Chappaqua Mountain Insti- tute, near Chappaqua, Westchester County, N. Y., which is also under the care of the Society of Friends. lle is interested in a number of other enterprises, some of which are in the neighborhood of his home, and others located elsewhere. His influence is widely felt in social and business cireles throughout the county, and especially among the "Friends," of which Society he is a prominent member.
CHAPTER XVI.
EAST CHESTER.
BY REV. WILLIAM S. COFFEY, M.A.
SITUATION .- The township of East Chester, at first styled " Hutchinson's," is divided on its eastern bor- der from the towns of Pelham and New Rochelle by Hutchinson River and East Chester Creek, and on its western border from the town of Yonkers by the Bronx River. It is bounded on the north by the town of Searsdale, and on the south by the town of Westchester and Black Dog Brook. It is about seven miles long. At its northern extremity it is some four and one-half miles from White Plains, the county- seat of Westchester County, and at its southern limit about fifteen miles from the City Hall, New York City. The town varies in width from one mile to two and three-sixteenths. The surface is undulating, with ridges and valleys extending north and south. The soil is varied, a marked feature being the large quantities of stone which abound in it. President Washington, passing through East Chester in 1790, describes it as " very rough and stoney,"-"immensely stoney." The streams already mentioned and some smaller ones, as Rattlesnake Brook and Ann Hook Brook, contribute much to the natural beauty of this town. At the southeast corner the bay, into which the creek empties, bears also the name East Ches- ter. Goose Island, the very small island which pro - jects, as it were, out of the water, and which adds so much to the attractive scenery of the locality known often as Pelham Bridge, is part of this towu There appears to be a reference to this island in the town minutes of March 1, 1679.
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