USA > New York > New York City > Old New York : a journal relating to the history and antiquities of New York City, Vol. I > Part 27
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
The Middle Dute: Church. afterwar . the Post Office. w .- one of the largest jails, but was not thus occupied for the whole war. The last years it was a riding school for the cavalry. The floor was ripped up, and then tan bark was lail all over the foundation. The glass was taken out of the
311
Prisons of the Revolution.
windows. There was also a bell here, which was stolen, the Ameri- cans supposed, at the beginning of the conflict. This was not true, however, as we learn from a letter of John Oothout to Frederic De Peyster. Mr. Oothout's father, of the same name, obtained per- mission from Lord Howe to take down the bell and put it in a place of safety. He did so, and it there remained until after the evacu- ation. When the church was demolished in 1844, it was hung in the Ninth Street Reformed Dutch Church, but in 1855 it was re- moved to the Church in Lafayette Place. The bell was cast in Amsterdam in 1731, silver coin being mixed with the bell metal by citizens of that city, so tradition says. Colonel Abraham De Peyster, a member of the Church, ordered it to be purchased by his will, and made a present of it to the church then being erected. The inscription on the bell is as follows :
" Me fecerunt De Gravie et N. Muller. Amsterdam, Anno 1731. Abraham De Peyster, geboren den S July, 1637. gestorven den S Augustus, 1728. Een legaat aan de Nederduytsche Kerke Nieuw York."
Among those who were here confined were William Clark and an older brother. Aziriah. He was there four months, having been imprisoned on the 7th of Jane. 1778. When in the church an attempt was made to escape by removing part of the floor. digging under the foundation. and making a passage to the middle of the street. The plan was very similar to some which were success- fully carried out in our civil war. In this case the earth and stones were carried to the gallery and secreted under the seats. There were then three hundred and sixty-eight persons in the pri-on. Something. however, put the authorities on their guard. the night that the escape was to have been put into operation. One of their own number was suspected of having given informa- tion, and it was resolved to make an example of him. A court was organized, a judge selected and a jury empaneled. the accused then being brought to trial. He was found guilty, and sentenced to be Inmy. A rope with a slip noose in it was tied to one of the rafters, a table was brought nader it, and the trembling wretch compelled to mount it and have the rope put around his neck. The table was then pulled away. the man dangling at the end of the noose. A knife had, however, been provided and he was
312
Prisons of the Revolution.
speedily ent down. This must have deterred him or any others from giving information about a second attempt, which was snecess- ful. so far as regards one man, who was John Paulding, one of the captors of André. He got out of the tunnel, but Azariah Clark, the next man, was seen as he was rising from the opening in Liberty street, and brought back. He was beaten numercifully by his cap- tors. and then whipped when he reached the prison, barely escaping with his life. He was in the dungeon seventeen days, with noth- ing to sit on or to sleep on, except a little straw, filled with ver- min. He was afterwards exchanged.
Of the lesser prisons we have very brief narratives. The treat- ment of the North Dutch Church we mentioned in an account of Dr. John H. Livingston in September last. It could contain eight hundred prisoners. This church remained until it was torn down in 1875. The door we show in our engraving was that by which the prisoners entered, and out of the window they have often gazed. The sick were taken to the Quaker Meeting House in Queen street, now Pearl, and to the Brick Meeting House. This was also the principal use of the Presbyterian Church in Wall street. the Scotch Church in Cedar street, in one corner of which was a grog- gery, and Columbia College. The latter was used for a short time only. The French Church in Pine street was a storehouse for ordnance stores. The new Bridewell was a prison. The Rhinelander Sugar House. still standing, is averred by all of our older citizens to have been a prison. and there is no doubt about it, but we have seen no contemporary evidence of the fact.
Perhaps as much complaint was made about the food as any- thing. This was in most of the prisons chiefly pork and hip biscuit. This latter was always damaged, and it was a constant practice, when there was anything to cook with. to break them up in a camp kettle, pour on the water, heat it, skim off the worms. and then put in the pork and boil that. When there was no fuel. the pork was eaten raw and the bread dry. In other prisons ca-
313
Prisons of the Revolution.
nary and flax seed chaff was the material used for bread. The water was always bad.
Sometimes prisoners escaped, but this was rare. t was much more common for them to be sent over to the prison ships in the Wallabout. It was nearly always the case when they did escape that their feet were in a very bad condition, and we have several accounts where tender hearted women took these escaped
BILL POR
-
-
-
3
THE RHINELANDER SUGAR HOUSE, FROM DUANE STREET.
prisoners and bound soft rags upon their feet. Several ladies and gentlemen in New York distinguished themselves by their kindness to those in prison. their names being still preserved. They are Mrs. Deborah Franklin, Mrs. Ann Mott. Mrs. Whitten. Miss Margaret Lent, and Mrs. Penelope Hull, and Messrs. John Fillis and Jacob Watson. Some of these were driven away by the
314
Prisons of the Revolution.
military authorities. Frequent attempts were made to induce the prisoners to enlist in British regiments, but to their honor be it said they refused to enter, although their condition of misery would at once end, and they would be in the open air.
Systematic efforts were made by Congress to diminish this suffer- ing, but they were unfortunately not able to do much. The theory of British prisons then was that nothing was provided that could possibly be got along without. There is a faithful picture of life in these receptacles of vice and filth in Fielding's various novels, and such was practically the condition everywhere the English language was spoken. Prisoners who desired comforts must have them supplied by their friends. Washington was the friend of the imprisoned colonists, and he therefore should have supplied clothing, food, medicine, and everything else that was needed. Such was the argument of Gaine and Rivington, and they wrote many articles in which they spoke of the sufferings of the prisoners, and asked why Washington and Congress did not re- lieve them. Lewis Pintard, a merchant of this city, was the agent for the prisoners. He labored very diligently on their behalf. but the funds furnished him by Congress were small. and he eked them out with his own means. He did this so largely that he at length became embarrassed. and was forced to resign. HIis son John Pintard. afterward- very noteworthy in this city. who had been his clerk, succeeded him. To him we owe a more exact knowledge of the condition of affairs at the close of the war than can be obtained from any other source.
The British commis-ary in charge of prisoners was David Sproat. He was a Seotehman, and had onee been a merchant in Philadelphia. He was made commissary in October, 1779. He died twenty years after in his native land, aged sixty-four. Robert Lenox, the father of the late James Lenox. the philan- thropist, was his clerk. Lewis Pintard died about 1817, at Princeton, and was buried in Amity street, as was John Pintard.
The war at length came to a close. General Carleton evacua- ted New York at a considerably later date than he had origini- ally proposed, but military prisoners had been set free a long time before. The evacuation was a foregone conclusion, and every prisoner kept added -o much to the expenses of His Majesty's
i
315
Prisons of the Revolution.
treasury. Cunningham, however, was tyrannical to the last. He attempted to pull down an American flag which had been raised early on the morning of Evacuation Day, but was glad to make a retreat. An irate woman with a kettle of hot water was too much for him. The main guard at the City Hall and the Provost guard were the last to go. There were prisoners in custody, although not because they were rebels. As Cunningham was about to depart, one of these men, it is related, said to him : "Sergeant, what is to become of us?" " You may all go to the devil together," was his prompt reply. "Thank you, sergeant, we have had too much of your company in this world to be anxious to follow you in the next," was the telling rejoinder. When peace arrived, no Presbyterian Church was fit to preach in. and Dr. Rodgers delivered his Thanksgiving
DEMOLITION OF THE NORTH DUTCH CHURCIL.
sermon in St. Paul's. The Garden Street Church, which had been interfered with very little, was the only one of the Dutch churches that was available.
1
316
Diary of Philip Hone.
We had until within the last thirty-five years a number of survivors of those who had suffered in these prisons. The last were William Clark, of Westfield, Essex County, New Jersey, who was ninety-five in 1852; Solomon Moulton, Floyd, Oneida County, New York, ninety-four; Levi Hanford, Walton, Dela- ware County, New York, ninety-three ; and Jonathan Gillett, North Canaan, Connecticut, ninety. Some patriotic merchant had canes made of the timbers of the old Sugar House, and sent one to each of these survivors of the Revolution, who had attained old age, honors, and the grateful praises of their country.
THE DIARY OF PHILIP HONE.
Under this title Dodd, Mead & Co. have lately published two volumes of extracts from the diary of Philip Hone. one of the leaders of fashion in New York for half a century, a warm friend of Daniel Webster, a patron of the fine arts, and Mayor of New York in 1825. He entertained as many strangers as Dr. Francis : he gave as many parties as Dr. Hosack, and his purse and abilities were always at the disposal of any meritorious enterprise. While Mayor he began writing a brief journal, which expanded into a full diary as soon as he was relieved from the cares of office. He kept on writing until a few days before his death, the diary filling twenty-eight large volumes, which have been very skill- fully digested by Mr. Bayard Tuckerman, and the more noticea- able portions printed. They comprise about a quarter of this Vast mass of material.
Philip Hone was born in Dutch street, New York, of German parentage, on the 25th of October, 1780, and died on the 4th of May, 1851, being then nearly seventy-one years of age. He was trained to mercantile pursuits. beginning life as clerk for his elder brother John. In 1799, when nineteen years of age. he was made a partner. The business was that of auctioneers. and the title of the firm was for a long time IJones & Town, the third partner being Charles Town; after he retired it was J. & P.
317
The Diary of Philip Hone.
Hone & Co. Their place was first in Maiden lane, but afterwards in Pearl street. They were extremely prosperous, and in 1820. although then only forty years of age, he withdrew from the cares of business, and made a trip to Europe. From that time until the death of his wife, who was Miss Catherine Dunscomb, and to whom he was married in 1801, his house witnessed a continual round of festivities. He himself was always in request at dinner parties, as he told a good story, made a pleasant after-dinner speech. and never was a bore. For nearly all the years of his adult life lie .was a manager at balls and social parties, and was also an active politician.
He was an ingrained and earnest Whig. Then, as now, the Democratic party was in the majority in this city, and it was only rarely that the Whigs were successful. On one of these occasions. in 1525, he was elected Mayor, and while he held that office he dispensed the most lavish hospitality. His house was then at No. 235 Broadway, opposite the northern end of the present Post Office, but afterwards at the corner of Broadway and Great Jones street. lle was followed as well as preceded in this office by William Paulding. In the last years of his life he was appointed Naval Officer by General Taylor, and he was once an Assistant Alderman. But his claims for distinction among New Yorkers rest upon other things than publie office. He was a trustee of the first bank for savings, and was the founder of the Mercantile Library. Ile was a governor of the New York Hospital and of the Bloomingdale Asyhun. a vestryman of Trinity Church and was an officer in many other societies. The town of IIonesdale. Pennsylvania. was named after him.
The extracts from these great volumes of manuscript have been well made. They show him as an affectionate husband and father. a faithful Christian, a lover of his kind. In politics he adhered to that side of his party which was known as the " Silver Grav Whigs." those who believed in the compromises of the Constitution and in the patched up compromises since. His re- ligion was of a broader type than many Episcopalians now believe in. There are many eurions things revealed in these volumes, such a- riots, personal encounters and duels, which we have not space to reproduce. Only one mistake needs to be noted which might
318
The Diary of Philip Hone.
mislead some future writer. The editor has done his work well, but in this instance he has fallen into error. Mr. Hone complains of the high price of commodities, and instances butter. That, the printed Diary says, was worth $2.14 a ponnd. If the editor will look at his manuscript he will find it 2/4 a pound, or two shillings and four pence, equal to twenty-nine cents. All money was counted by shillings and pence at that day.
Friday, November 14th, 1828 .- Visited the Asylum this morn- ing, accompanied by Mr. Richards; dined with Mr. D. S. Jones. On my return home, the Bishop, who had made an appointment with me at Mr. Jones's, called at my house and proposed in con- fidence the plan of a cathedral to be erected on Washington Square. The idea of a magnificent diocesan church is a very imposing one, and strikes my mind favorably, and it is certain that the location suggested by the Bishop is the best in the city. and can be obtained at a moderate price. Independently of the advantages which our church would derive from such an establish- ment, the erection of such an edifice would improve the property in its vicinity and render the square the most desirable residence in the city. But where is the money, where the public spirit. where the liberality, to carry such a noble plan into execution ! Above all, who will take a lead in it ? I cannot ; I am already engaged in more business of this kind than I can do justice to. and it has been my fate to be so often repulsed by the cold. cal- culating objections of that portion of my fellow-citizens who have the ability to promote objects of publie improvements, that I am discouraged from attempting again to encounter them. I note in this place the conference above mentioned, as it is possible that this glorious project may, one of these days, be carried into effect. and I believe this is the first time it has ever been mentioned.
Tuesday, Feb. 17. 1829 .- Died this morning. Sinon, the cele- brated cook. He was a respectable man, who has for many years been the fashionable cook in New York, and his loss will be felt on all occasions of large dinners and evening parties unless it should be found that some suitable shoulders should be ready to receive the mantle of this distinguished cuisinier.
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1830 .- I rented the shop and cellar of Clinton Hotel for five years from May next at $700 for the first two and
319
The Diary of Philip Hone.
$800 for the last three years, to Joshua Leavitt, bookseller, for Mr. Appleton.
Saturday, Dec. 18, 1830 .- Moore, Giraud, and I went yesterday to dine at Delmonico's, a French restaurateur, in William street, which I had heard was upon the Parisian plan, and very good. We satisfied our curiosity, but not our appetites; and I think are prepared, when our opinions are asked. to say with the Irishman who used lamp oil with his salad instead of olive-oil, that if it were not for the name of the thing he had as lief eat butter.
Wednesday, April 20, 1831 .- While I was shaving this morning at eight o'clock. I witnessed from the front window an encounter in the street nearly opposite, between William C. Bryant and William L. Stone ; the former one of the editors of the " Even- ing Post." and the latter editor of the " Commercial Advertiser." The former commenced by striking Stone over the head with a cowskin : after a few blows the men closed, and the whip was wrested from Bryant and carried off by Stone. When I saw them first two younger persons were engaged, but soon discon- tinued their fight. A crowd soon closed in and separated the combatants.
Thursday, Oct. 27. 1831 .- The corner-stone of a hospital for sailors, on the foundation of charity created by Robert Richard Randall, was laid yesterday at Staten Island, by Chancellor Wal- worth. The property left by Captain Randall has increased greatly in value within the last year, and must be ample now for the objects of his munificent bequest.
July 10. 1534 .- There has been of late great excitement in consequence of the proceedings of a set of fanatics who are determined to emancipate all the slaves by a coup de main, and have held meetings in which black men and women have been introduced. The meetings have been attended with tumult and violence, especially one which was held Friday evening at the Chatham Street Chapel. Arthur Tappan and his brother Lewis have been conspicuous in these proceedings, and the mob last night. after exhausting their rage at the Bowery Theatre, went down in a body to the latter gentleman in Rose street, broke into the house, destroyed the windows, and made a bonfire of the furniture in the street. The police at length interfered. rather
320
The Diary of Philip Hone.
tardily, I should think ; but the diabolical spirit which prompted this outrage is not quenched, and I apprehended we shall see more of it.
Feb. 14, 1835 .- I attended this evening a meeting at Washing- ton Hall of a number of New Yorkers, with a design to form a regular Knickerbocker society as a sort of a set-off against St. Patrick's, St. George's and more particularly the New England. The meeting was large and exceedingly respectable; there were the Irvings, Moores, Me Viekars, Renwicks, Rapeljes, Stuyvesant, Laight, Fish, Wilkins, the Sehermerhorns, Brinckerhoffs, Costers, Colden, etc .-- a goodly show of fellows who will not disgrace their ancestors. Bloodgood was chairman and Washington Irving was secretary. A committee was appointed, consisting of Peter Schermerhorn, Judge Irving, Alexander Wyckoff, Hamilton Fish. Dr. Manley, and the president and a secretary, to report a consti- tution and by-laws to a future meeting. I suppose we shall have a few annual dinners, which will be pretty much all that will grow out of this project.
August 3, 1835 .- The prices of property in and about this city and Brooklyn keep up astonishingly ; unimproved lots on this island are higher than ever. Several great sales have been made at auction during my absence. but I think the greatest is the prop- erty of the late Mrs. Ann Rogers, which goes principally, I be- lieve. to her grandchildren, the children of her daughter. Mrs. Hayward. It consisted of her portion of the Rose Hill estate left by her first husband, Nicholas Cruger, and the country-seat at Bloomingdale, about six miles from the city, ou the banks of the Ilud-on River. The amount of the sales of these two pieces of property was $6 5.310. Fifteen years ago they would not have brought 840.000. The money goes into good hands.
February 23. 1836 .- Twenty lots in the " burned district." the property of Joel Post. deceased. were sold at auction this day, by James Bleecker and Son, at most enormous prices, greater than they would have brought before the fire, when covered with val- nable buildings.
This, at least, is the opinion of the best judges of the value of the down-town property. The settlement of the French ques- tion has had much to do in producing this result, aided by the
321
The Diary of Philip Hone.
spirit of speculation and the sanguine hopes of merchants of a great business this year. The lots were formed principally out of the property bought by Mr. Post from the guardians of Mr. Coster's children, for which he gave $93,000. They fronted on Wall, William and Merchant streets and Exchange Place, in the immediate vicinity of the site of the old Merchants' Exchange, and where a new one is to be built, on a larger and more magnifi- cent plan. The whole brought $765,100.
December 30. 1836 .- I went this evening to a party at Mrs. Charles H. Russell's given in honor of the bride, Mrs. William Il. Russell. The splendid apartments of this fine honse are well adapted to an evening party, and everything was very handsome on this occasion. The house is lighted by gas, and the quantity consumed being greater than common it gave out suddenly in the midst of a cotillon. This accident occasioned great inerri- ment to the company, and some embarrassment to the host and hostess, but a fresh supply of gas was obtained, and in a short time the fair dancers were again " tripping on the light and fantastic toe." Gas is a handsome light in a large room like Mr. Russell's. on an occasion of this kind. but liable (I should think) at all times to give the company the slip, and illy calculated for the ordinary use of the family.
November 21. 1838 .- The house at the corner of Wall and Hanover streets has been sold to the North American Trust and Banking Company, by Thomas E. Davis. for the enormous sum of 8223.000: higher than anything which has yet been heard of. This building is somewhat notorious from its having been erected upon the site of one built by J. L. and S. Joseph. which, about the time it was completed. fell to the ground one night with a crash which shook Wall street ; and its fall was the precursor of a much more tremendous crash in that celebrated street, commencing with the failure of the firm that erected it, and ending with the suspension of specie payments, and the bankruptcy of one half of the merchants and traders of New York.
December 10th. 1839 .- On removing the foundation of the tower of Trinity Church a vaulted grave was opened, which con- tained the coffin and bones of Lady Cornbury, wife of the Governor of the colony. who died in this city in the year 1.06.
322
The Diary of Philip Hone.
and was buried under the original church, which was burned in the time of the Revolutionary War. A large plate and frag- ments of the eoffin were found, which are now seen in the office of the architeet ; the former is perfectly legible and nearly un- injured by its inlmmation of one hundred and thirty years. The arms of this noble lady, who was sister to the Earl of Riell- mond and a Viscountess in her own right, are engraved on the plate, with her pedigree, age, and time of her death, etc., dis- tinetly, but very rudely, written below. She died at the age of thirty-four. This relic is interesting and valuable, as it marks the period of Lord Cornbury's government, one of the early English Governors, whose name is affixed to the charter of the Trinity Church. How many generations of men have passed away, and what changes have occurred since this plate of silver, emblazoned by the hands of an unskillful artist with the pompons display of heraldic pride and the unerring record of death's doings, was placed in its dark, cold repository, to be brought forth again to the light of day to undergo the serntiny of a generation of men who were not thought of in those days, and who care no more about the remains of this branch of the Richmond family than those of the Indian chief who was driven from the spot before her Imsband came to it as a representative of the Majesty of England. The place where these remains were interred was. at the time. the northern boundary of the City of New York. The charter of Trinity Church (a copy of which I have in my pos- session) provides for the erection of a church in that spot. near to the City of New York. It has now become in fact the southern boundary. The solitary tomb of this young and noble lady has echoed for more than a century to the footsteps of Unsy men. ardently engaged in the cares of business and the pursuit of wealth; for it was close to Broadway, opposite Wall street. I proposed last evening in the vestry that these relics should be presented to the Historical Society, but it was not granted. They determined to have a new tomb provided. in which they are to be reinterred.
March 7, 1540 .- The ancient mansion of the late Mrs. E. White. No. 11 Broadway, opposite the Bowling Green, was sold at auction one day this week by order of her exeentors. and
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.