USA > New York > Westchester County > Tarrytown > Souvenir of the revolutionary soldiers' monument dedication, at Tarrytown, N.Y. October 19th, 1894; > Part 5
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said were about eight in number ; That the next day, after said Ham- man had rec'd the said four bbls. of pork from the Deponent, he told the said deponent, it having been repacked, that he had made three bbls. of prime pork of the four bbls. aforesaid, and that he did allow the deponent but four pounds for the remaining barrel ; That the deponent heard others call the said repacker by the name of Thomas Hunt, and that he heard him say that he was authorized by the Congress to that employment. The deponent further saith that he was present when the said repacker was repacking the pork of James Requaw, and that he saw several pieces of the said pork rejected by the said packer; and that afterwards, he, the deponent, saw the said Requaw carrying back several of the said rejected pieces in his cart ; and the deponent saith that he heard the said Col. Hamman say to the said Requaw that he would as soon see his pork repacked as any of his neighbors, if the repacker thought it would do.
" The deponent further saith that he saw several prime pieces of pork taken by Joseph Legett while the said Hunt was repacking pork which he said the said Legett had sold the said Hamman, and that the deponent did not hear the said Legett or any other person desire the said packer to put in any pieces into the bbls, but what he thought proper, nor did he know that any pieces were taken out of any of the said bar- rels after having been repacked.
"Jonathan G. Tomkins, Esq., being sworn, deposeth and saith -- that near nine o'clock on the evening of the 12th inst., he called at Col. Hammands, and found a man advising him to warn his men to muster, for the Enemy's ships were coming up the river. The said Col. asked ye deponent whether the report was a matter-of-fact. The depo- lent told him it was, and desired said Col. to warn his officers imme- diately-that the Col. turned to a certain Justice Dean and borrowed his horse and mounted him and set off directly with the deponent without so much as going into his own house first, to warn Capt. Vermilier, and he, the said Col., also desired the aforesaid man to warn all they came across and that they should influence others to do the same; that the said Col. informed the deponent that he was under the necessity of order- ing the people to meet at his house, as he had the amunition there ; that Capt. Requaw was sufficiently warned, being in a field from which he could see the vessels as they came up. That the deponent parted with the said Colonel about two miles from the river, where the road strikes off to Capt. Vermilier's. That the said Col. went toward the said Cap- tain's and the deponent to the River at Tarrytown. That about 10
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o'clock the deponent returned to the said Colonel's and was told that lic had not returned since he set out with the said deponent and that the deponent believes that the said Colonel was active in collecting his men, and further saith not. Captain Benjamin Vermilier, being sworn, deposetli and saith that on the evening of the 12th inst. Col. Hamman came to his house early in the evening and gave him orders to warn the men as fast as he could. After the said depon't had warned his Cor- poral to acquaint the Sergeant to come down to Tarry town the deponent went to Mr. VanTassel's and found the Col. there. That scarcely an hour after the deponent with the Col. went down to the River, but the hour of the night he could not tell, as he had no watch. Peter Allair, clerk to Col. Haminan's regiment, being sworn, deposeth and saith : 'That Col. Haminan's son-in-law about 9 o'clock warned him to turn out on the alarm. That he went to alarm some men, then returned to the Col. and charged all the guns there. That afterwards went to Van- Tassel's and that the Col. was there before him, and the deponent believes that the said Col. made no unnecessary delay in going down to Tarrytown ; the time of night he knew not.
"Lieut. Cornelius Vantassel, being sworn, deposeth and saith that on the aforesaid evening he went to the house of Lieut. Marlin, where he found Col. Hanman about one or two o'clock, and found him doing his best to prepare and forward the men to the shore. That he and the Col. got the depon't a hat full of cartridges for his men, who had before but 3 or 4 rounds a man, and that the said Col. was busie in furnishing other with Cartridges also.
"Joseph Youngs, being sworn, deposeth and saith that William Paulding, Esq., told the Committee of this place, Westchester, that Col. Hammon had been warned at 10 o'clock on the evening the enemy ap- peared off Tarrytown, and did not go to Tarrytown till Io o'clock the next day. But the depon't going down to the said town found by the information of credible persons that Col. Hamman had been down at about one in the morning, and further saith not as to that matter. That he was pres't when Jos. Drake asked Hamman if he could purchase him sonic pork. The Col. replied that he could. That Hamman bought some by Drake's orders, who told him he allowed him to give £4 and £4 5s pr barrel for prime pork. After he bought it Drake told Ham- man the Congress would not allow so much, and asked him whether he could not return it to the people again. Hamman told him he could not, for that he would rather lose the 5 shillings. Youngs then advised Hammon to keep ye pork, for that he would not lose by it.
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"Joseph Leggett doth affirm that he was present when Requaw's pork was repacked by the aforesaid Hunt, and told the Company, of which Col. Hamman and the repacker were two, that the pork was very much moulded, and that he saw the said repacker put several picces to his nose and throw them aside, but did not see or learn that Col. Ham- man gave the repacker any orders or instructions about the said Pork. The affirmant farther saith that in his opinion the said Pork was not merchantable.
" That he, the affirmant, saw Col. Hamman cull one Barrel of Pork out of four or five, but that the remaining three were good and mer- chantable. Martinus Van Wart, being sworn, deposcth and saith that he sold Col. Hamman five bbls. of Pork; that he was present at repack- ing the same ; that the said Col. Hamman, upon a door which he had laid down, took and laid the prime pieces of said five bbls .; that four bbls. were filled by there packer, Hunt, and that a bbl. was filled witht part of the prime pork and marked by the repacker, the remainder of the said printe pieces of Pork the deponent took back ; and also that he, the deponent, heard the repacker commend the whole of the said pork as he was repacking it, and that he does not know whether Hamman took the said bbl. prime pork to himself or not. From the foregoing Evidences it appears to this Committee that the charges exhibited against Colonel Hamman, both in regard to the affair of the Pork and neglect of duty as an officer, are entirely groundless, and that therefor the said Colonel ouglit to be acquitted from all further trouble on these accounts, and returned to his regiment immediately. July 24th, 1776. "(Indorsed.) Report of a Committee that Col. Hamman is an honest man & a fighting Colonel. Confirmed."
Col. Hammond came off with flying colors, and like many an- other had occasion to thank his envious enemies for filling the sails of fortune which bore him successfully forward. But for this trial com- paratively little would have been known of his zeal and activity and good figliting qualities. No wonder the British vessels had sailed away up the river before he hardly had time to bring his guns to bear upon theni.
We next find him presiding at a Court Martial held at Peekskill, Dec. 6, 1776, at which a number of marauders were brought to justice.
The Colonel used his pen as well as his sword, and dashed off a letter to the N. V. Convention, or to Gov. Clinton, or General Wash- ington, whenever he felt like it and he thought the public service de- manded it. But so conspicuous and active an officer could not cscapc
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the attention of the enemy, and his daring manner finally put him in the way of being captured. As will be seen there are different accounts and dates named of that affair.
His son William, known as Gen. Win. Hammond, states in an account of the Westchester Guides, that after the appointment of his father as Lieut .- Col., their house was resorted to repeatedly by all who took an active part in the common cause, and that in the summer of
THE COL. HAMMOND HOUSE.
1781, his father was taken prisoner, &c., while the following account is also given by another :
Col. Hammond lived in the first house on the right-hand side of the road leading from Tarrytown to White Plains, just beyond the brick school house, directly west of Mr. Robert Bonner's farm, and . adjoining it. The house used to have tall pine trees and very old box borders in front ; it is now owned by Mr. Kingsland. A part of the American army had been laying in front on the fine plateau. General
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Washington came one day to consult with him, and stayed quite late in the evening, after which he returned to his headquarters near White Plains. The army had also been withdrawn, and the Colonel was left alone for the night. Just before daybreak the Colonel's wife was awakened by a heavy, rumbling noise, and she awoke her husband ; but he thought it was only distant thunder. Soon it became louder and louder, and then stopped directly opposite their door. This was followed by loud rapping at the door, and demands to open. The Colonel dressed as quickly as possible ; and, as he opened the door, several Englishı soldiers demanded his surrender and all within. The Colonel replied, "I do surrender, and all with me." They then demanded : "Where is General Washington?" The Colonel replied, "He left yesterday evening." Upon looking out of the door, he saw two field pieces planted direetly opposite. They were very much dis- appointed, but took him prisoner to Brooklyn, and there he remained for a whole year. The truth was, a loyalist women living in the neighborhood had seen General Washington go there, and immediately started on foot for the English line, and came back with the company.
I asked who she was. With a toss of the head and considerable contempt, Mrs. See said, "One Anna Brity --- good-for-nothing old thing!"' Whilst the Colonel was a prisoner in Brooklyn, there was also a Dutch- man coufined with him. One day he came to the Colonel and asked him to write a letter to the officer in command. The Colonel asked, "What do you want me to say?" "Tell him I ain't no hog. I ain't no liog!" "What do you mean by that?" . "Why, they give ns nothing but corn to eat -- I ain't no hog, I tell you !"
However, we must take the Colonel's own account, rendered to the State, as to when lie was captured, as correct, fortified as it is by the following letter, written while he was a prisoner, and which in part at least corroborates it :
Flat Lands, L. I., December 13, 1780.
DEAR SIR :- I would beg leave to present your Excellency with the following facts, and request your attention for a moment. I have lately rec'd a most melancholly account of the distresses of my wife and family by a letter from my daughter. *
There is a Capt. Ogden. Lieut. Fowler, and Ensign Hyatt, prisoners to our State. They
* * * belonged to Col. James Delancey's Corps, and an Ensign Vincent of Co. C. Robbinson's Corps. These have been indulged with a parole to return to New York, while a number of our prisoners are detained here, and not one indulged with a parole to return home. Altho' many have applied, particularly Lieut. Jacob Van Tassel, whose house has been burned, and whose wife and children to my knowledge, reduced to beggary and himself in poor state of health for a long time. There is said Lieut. Van Tassel, and ors, whom I beg you would use your influence to have exchanged for some of the aforementioned, &c., JAMES HAMMAN.
To His Excellency, Gov. GEO. CLINTON.
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The State Controller's office shows the following account rendered and audited :
To Lieut .- Col. Jas. Hammond, to pay from May 27, 1779, to May 25, 1780, £ 250.S
on different alarms,
To time in Captivity, from May 25, 1780, to 26th Nov. 17SI, 432.0
Allowed for Rations, . . 142.3
£824.1I
The following is the inscription upon Col. Hammond's modest tombstone in the old Dutch Churchyard :
COL. HAMMOND, died July 26, 1810, in the S3d year of his age. 'Tis finished, 'Tis done, The spirit is fled, The Prisoner is gone, The Warrior is dead.
Col. Jas. Hammond was certainly a typical character of the Revolutionary period, and the fact that from first to last lie was the acknowledged leader of the Patriot soldiers of this Manor evinces him to have been a man of more than common ability as a leader ; for the people having just come into their enfranchisement very naturally each was inclined to set up his own individual sovereignty, and not easily controlled. He unquestionably must have been a man of resources as well as of courage, tactful as well as masterful, of the people and yet a leader of them ; strongly supporting the Congresses and Conventions and Commanders-in-Chief, responding to every call to duty, and yet shrewdly looking out for the personal welfare and safety of the people of this Manor and of the men under his command, and everywhere asserting himself in their interest and giving voice to their desires. And it was such tactful leadership that gave coherency to the patriotic sentiment of this Manor and helped mightily to keep it in line with the cause of the Colonies.
Col. Hammond had all the fire and zeal of a veritable son of Mars and in shrewdness, well, we can pay him no higher compliment in that direction than to say that he would have been a good match for his kinsman of a later day, the veteran Capt. Jacob Storin. He had an abundance of self-confidence, and would as soon dash off a line to "Gen. Geo. Washington, Esquire," as to anybody else. Hc had no fear of the enemy in front, and if there were foes in his camp, he rode over them in such a way that he carried everything before him. His trial by Court Martial and triumphant vindication from the charges made against him, showed his invulnerable record and his adroit manipulation of the things and men that were arrayed against him.
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Others might hesitate or be discouraged, but he never faltered. and the neigh of his fiery charger, and the clanking of his scabbard were enough to put courage into the timid and make each man feel himself a hero until the next hour of danger. His thoughtfulness of others is strikingly apparent in the letter of his written when a prisoner at Flatlands, in which he more urgently asked for the exchange of others than he did for himself. He was evidently the man for the times on this Manor, and labored with unflinching zeal and courage for the success of the Patriot causc. General Pierre Van Cortlandt is au- thority for the statement that in 1775, Col. Hammond, by order of the Provincial Congress, went up to Coitlaudt's Manor to disarm the Tories who were numerous there --- more numerous there, as appears, than on Philipse Manor.
Col. Hammond was chosen one of the Trustees of the old Dutch Church at its re-organization after the Revolution, in 1787. He was also one of the civil officers of the Manor elected in 1778-9. Prior to the war he had been for a time an Inn-Keeper.
He left quite an estate. The home farmi comprised 242 acres, bounded east by Joseph Youngs, north by Thaddeus Avery, south by highway, and west by Joseph Paulding. He had also conjointly with his brother-in-law, Capt. Geo. Combs, purchased the farm which had belonged to their father-in-law, Thos. Wildey, who is said to have been killed at the battle of White Plains, being the present Benedict-Cobb estate, which then comprised 272 acres.
The home farm was evidently divided between the sons, William, afterwards known as Gen. William Hammond, taking the easterly part, and building a house thereon now known as the Bonner house; was a man of considerable note in his day. He married Esther Miller, but left no descendants. The late Capt. Jonathan S. Odell was the cxecu- tor of his will by which he left $500 cach to his (Capt. Odell's) son, William Hammond Odell, and to the late Major William Hammond See. He was an officer in the war of 1812, and afterward a Militia General. At the dedication of the Monument to Isaac Van Wart, at prescut Elinsford, in June, 1829, Gen. Win. Hammond and suite occupied a conspicuous post of honor. Gen. Hammond died January 1, 1832, and his remains rest in the old churchyard of the Greenburgh Church, of which, as his tombstone states, he was a member.
Joseph, the other son of Col. James Hammond, married Jenny Brewer and lived at the old homestead. His daughter Nancy married Abram Brown, of the firm of Kip & Brown, the celebrated stage
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proprietors, who lived on the old Isaac Van Wart place near the site of the Youngs' house, and died there a few years sinee. J. Romaine Brown, Esq., of New York, is their son, and consequently a great-grandson of Col. Hammond. Joseph Hammond also had a daughter Esther and sous James and William.
Col. Hammond's will, proved August 10, 1810, inentions his sons Joseph and William, daughter Lovina, wife of Solomon Hawes, granddaughters Ann Davids, Elizabeth Doty, Pamelia Van Wart, and grandson James Vail.
Capt. Solomon Hawes, son of Pelatiah, who resided at Peekskill, married Lovina Hammond, daughter of Col. Jas. Hammond, by whom he had twelve children. Joseph Hawes, eldest son of Captain Soloinon, born Dee. 5, 1783, married Elizabeth Travis, of Peekskill, by whom he had three children : Cornelia Ann, Susan Eliza, William. Cornelia Ann married Philip J. Bonesteel, but left no issue. Susan Eliza never married. William married Sarah Felter, of New York, by whom he had six children: James Bonesteel Hawes, Edward West Hawes, Katherine Elizabeth, wife of Charles G. Stephens, William Augustus Hawes, Charles Felter Hawes, and Annie Stephens Hawes. John Davids, a grandson of Win. Davids the Ist, and probably son of Wm. Davids, 2d, married Anne, the sister of Col. James Hammond, and their daughter Sarah married the late J. R. Stephens, by whoin were Charles G., and Abram D. Stephens, and Annie Stephens, wife of James Bonesteel Hawes, of this place.
Lieut. Wmn. Vail, married Sarah, daughter of Col. James Hammond and had a son James, b. Aug. 4, 1779, who married Marie Van Wart and had a son James Hammond Vail, b. Aug. 4, 1812, who married Jane Brown, daughter of Peter, and had James Vail, late of Harlem, and Joseph H., aud Minnie Vail, of Tarrytown. Lieut. Vail also had a daughter Tamer, who married Wm. Jones, and lived in New York, and afterward lived in Sleepy Hollow on what was formerly known as the Mead-Requa farm. They had Lovina who married Benjamin Lovett, the father of Mr. Isaae B. Lovett, who is so a great- great-grandson of Col. Hammond.
A daughter of David Hammond and Esther his wife, and sister of Mahala, married David Coxe, of Unionville, father of David H. Coxe of that place.
Isaae, son of Capt. Win. Hammond, married Catherina Acker- man, Sept. 25, 1742, and had William born, June 22d, 1745 ; David, 11 1748 ; Jacobus (James) June 9, 1750 ; Jan, Oet. 24, 1752 ; Mar-
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etje, Sept. 9, 1755 ; Hester, 1760, and Abraham, born Sept. 1757. This Abraham married Mary Hall and had sons Stephen, Staats, Geo. Washington, and Clark Hammond, who married Cornelia Beekman, and had a daughter who married the late Alfred Lester, and a son, Dr. Gerrard Hammond, late of Spring Valley. Dr. Hammond, for a time, lived on the farm now occupied by the "Sheltering Arms," near Elins- ford, and had a large practice hercabouts.
Geo. Washington Hammond, son of Abraham, married Louisa Van Wart, daughter of Daniel Van Wart, who was a former owner of the Lowery place. They had only one child, Susan Louisa, the wife of Mr. Thomas Rawcliffe, of Tarrytown.
Staats Hammond, whose parentage does not appear, was a Sergt. in Capt. Requa's Company ; was shot through the left leg, near Sing Sing, June 17, 1779 ; a State Pensioner by the act of April 22, 1786. From the Commissioners of Forfeiture he took title to 110 acres, north by Jacob Van Wart and Moses Miller, and west by Abraham Storms, as formerly possessed by Win. Vail. Also 38 1-2 acres, east and south by Isaac Hammond, and north by Win. Underhill.
By the following account it will be seen that Major Andre passed that way on the fateful morning of Sept. 23d, 1780 :
"From Pinc's Bridge, the adjutant general of the British army followed the Crum Pond road, which passed the house of Mr. Staats Hammond. The son of this gentleman, David Hammond, of Nortli Castle was living in (1847), at an advanced age. He related, that on the day Andre was taken, he was standing at the door of his father's residence, upon the Crin Pond road, when he observed a person ap- proaching on horseback, leisurely walking his horse. As he rode up, he observed the stranger to be closely enveloped in a light blue swan's down cloak, with high military boots, and a low-crowned and broad brimmed hat on his head. The animal he bestrode was a beautiful bay, bitted with a handsome double snaffle bridle ; the mane, particularly about the head, being thickly matted with burs. The stranger imme- diately asked for a drink of water. It deserves to be noticed, in con- nection with this incident, that Mr. Hammond's father -who was lying at the time badly wounded on the floor-caughta glimpse of the stranger, whom he pronounced to be a spy, from the fact of his being enveloped in the manner described. David Hannond, having procured a drink- ing vessel, accompanied by his sister, led the way to the adjoining well. Here the girl drew the water, which was offered to the stranger, who re- quested David to hold the bridle whilst he drank. After satisfying his
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thirst, he turned toward Mrs. Hammond, and asked the distance to Tarrytown ; she replied, 'Four miles.' 'I did not think it was so far,' said he."
Staats Hammond was married to Elizabeth Martling Nov. 8, 1768, and had David, Jannettie, James, Thomas, and Abraham. Janette or Jane, married Jacob Buekhout, who was a Revolutionary soldier, and had Isaae who married Mary Elizabeth Tompkins, daughter of Gabriel, who was a grandson of Hon. Jonathan G. Tompkins, and had Edward Buekhout of Tarrytown.
John Hammond, Sr., died 1788, aged 76, and John Hammond, Jr., died 1817, aged 72. Isaae Hammond, Sr., Isaae Hammond, Jr, and a James Hammond were all privates in Capt. Requa's Company of Minute Men.
John Hammond, Jr., had a farin of 255 acres, bounded north by James Requa and east by Saw Mill River.
Jan Hannnon, who was very likely an older son of William, not recorded, married Catharine Van Tassel, May 15, 1731, and had Wil- liam, Weyentie, and Jan, Jr.
A David Hammon, who was also probably an elder son of Capt. William, was married to Maritje Storms, Oct. 7, 1738, and had David, Jr., Hendrick, Maritje and Isaac, who was born 1756. David Jr., mar- ried Brechie Eeker or Aeker, May 5, 1765, and had Bregia, and prob- ably other ehildren.
Ann Wildey, wife of Col. Hammond, died Oet. 3, 1814, aged 74 years 10 inos. and 15 days.
It is said that the Hammonds were from Bermuda ; that Col. Hammond's father, Capt. Wm. Hammond, came from there.
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Sergeant John Dean and the Dean Family.
Sergt. JOHN DEAN, -- the subject of the accompanying sketch, was born in Philipsburg, 1755. His grandfather; Isaac, (b. 1698, d. 1784,) of the family of the Deans of Stonington, Conn., had come to Philips- burg about 1740. He was one of the large lcase-holders of the Manor, was Justice of the Peace, and appears to have been under Sheriff of the County about 1750. His wife died about 1752. She was Mary Gardi- ner and at the time of her marriage she appears to have been living at Cohasset on Long Island. His Will, dated 1782, mentions sons Samuel, Isaac, John, Thomas and Gilbert. The inale line of the descent of his son Gilbert is supposed to be extinct. Descendants of Thomas, Jr., are residing in Oneida Co., N. V. Descendants of Isaac Dean are residing in New York City. Among these was the late General Abraham Duryea. Under Gilbert Dean, Captain in Hammond's Regiment during the Revo- Intion, his nephew, John, served for over two years as Sergeant. Thomas Dean, (b. 1722, d. 1810), was a private soldier in both French and Indian Wars and the Revolution. He held on the Manor a farm on the east side of Buttermilk Hill, bordering the Neperhan; his name often occurs during Revolutionary times as Justice of the Peacc. By his first wife, Mary Verks, he had three sons, William, Stephen and John. Wiliam died in Canada in the Campaign of 1775. He was buried on the Plains of Abraham in a deep drift of snow. His watch, fob, and quaintly cut silver sleeve-buttons, were brought home by his brother Jolin, -- sad mementoes which are still preserved in the family. John had accompanied William on this most disastrous mareh upon Quebec, and had returned ill and suffering, distressed beyond measure
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