USA > New York > Rockland County > The history of Rockland County > Part 10
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The forts were commanded by the brothers James and George Clinton, and garrisoned by not more than six hundred militia from Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange counties. On Sunday night, Governor Clinton obtained the information that the British were off Tarrytown, and on Monday morning had dispatched a scouting party of one hundred men, under Major Logan, to the Donderberg, to watch the enemy's movements. This party soon returned with the news that about forty boats filled with troops had landed at Stony Point. Dispatching a messenger named Waterbury to General Putnam for reinforcements, Governor Clinton ordered a small detachment of thirty men to scout down the old king's highway. At Doodletown, two and a half miles below the fort, this party met the advance guard of the approaching British army, and, greeting the demand for their surrender with a spirited volley, they retreated to the fort without loss.
Confining our attention to the fortification within the present Rockland County, Sir Henry Clinton, after a sufficient delay to permit of the left wings reaching the rear of Fort Montgomery, pressed forward with the right wing to the attack of Fort Clinton. After a severe fight at the abatis, the English troops finally forced their way to the fort, and both were invested about four o'clock in the afternoon. A flag, with a summons for the garrisons to surrender as prisoners of war within five minutes or be put to the sword, was received by Lieutenant-Colonel Livingston on the part of the Americans, who replied that it had been determined to defend the forts to the last extremity.
The battle was at once re-begun with great vigor. Commodore Hotham brought his frigates within cannon shot and opened a desultory fire, while the enemy pressed onward, gaining inch by inch. Twilight ended the conflict and in the friendly darkness of a cloudy evening many of the fugitive patriots escaped. General James Clinton, though severely wounded, as well as his brother, the Governor, escaped; the latter by swimming across the river with Surgeon Peter Vander Lynn. Lieutenant- Colonels Livingston, Bruyn, and Claghery ; and Majors Hamilton and Logan were captured. The loss of the Americans in killed, wounded and prisoners was about three hundred, while that of the British was one hun- dred and forty in killed and wounded, among whom were Colonel Camp- bell and Count Grabowski. Putnam did not send reinforcements because
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he did not learn of the danger until too late, the messenger, Waterbury, having treacherously delayed his journey. The following day Waterbury joined the enemy.
In the confusion that followed the battle, and the short time allowed for the destruction of the works and re-embarkation of the troops, little heed was given to the burial of the slain; the bodies of friend and foe were alike tossed into Lake Sinipink, now Highland Lake, which was called from that occurrence, "Bloody Pond," or "Hessian Pond," and under these names is mentioned by Dr. Timothy Dwight-some time President of Yale College-in the following letter :
"Early in May [1778], I went down the river in company with several officers to examine the Forts Montgomery and Clinton, built on a point, six or eight miles below West Point, for the defence of the river. The first object which met our eyes, after we had left our barge and ascended the bank, was the remains of a fire kindled by the cottagers of this soli- tude, for the purpose of consuming the bones of some of the Americans who had fallen at this place and had been left unburied. Some of the bones were lying, partially consumed, round the spot where the fire had been kindled, and some had evidently been converted into ashes. As we went onward we were distressed by the fotor of the decayed human bodies. * *
* As we were attempting to discover the source from which it proceeded, we found, at a small distance from Montgomery, a pond of moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men who had been killed in the assault on the fort. They were thrown into this pond the preceding autumn by the British, when probably the water was sufficiently deep to cover them. Some of them were covered at this time, but at a depthi so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, and a part of the body above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed were still on them, and proved that they were militia, being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous, and their postures were uncouth, distorted, and in the highest degree afflictive. My companions had been accustomed to the horrors of war, and sustained the prospect with some degree of firm- ness. To me, a novice in scenes of this nature, it was overwhelming.
* * * From this combination of painful objects we proceeded to Fort Clinton, built on a rising ground at a small distance further down the river. The ruins of this fortress were a mere counterpart to those of Fort Montgomery. Everything combustible in both had been burned, and what was not was extensively thrown down. Everything which remained was a melancholy picture of destruction."
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Among the many munitions of war captured or destroyed, at the loss of Forts Clinton and Montgomery, was the chain that had been stretched across the river, and an unobstructed passage was now open to the enemy's ships.
Congress at once determined to more strongly fortify the Hudson, and in the early spring of 1778 work was begun at West Point. To add to the forts a new chain was determined on, and Colonel Timothy Pickering, Secretary of War, was ordered to consult Mr. Peter Townshend, of Chester, Orange County, in relation to its construction. Late on a Saturday night, in March, 1778, Colonel Pickering, accompanied by Captain Thomas Machin, the engineer in charge at West Point, arrived at Mr. Townshend's house. That gentleman immediately consented to undertake the task, and the party started that same night in a blinding snow storm for the Sterling Iron Works. At daylight Sunday morning the forges were at work, and for the six weeks following the fires were not extinguished. By the middle of April the last link was finished, and on the Ist of May, 1778, the chain was stretched across the Hudson. The iron used in its construction was of equal parts of Long and Sterling Mine ore, each link was two and a half inches square, about two feet long, and weighed about one hundred and forty pounds; ten links were fastened in the usual man- ner, the eleventh was left open like an ox bow with bolt holes in the end for the purpose of connecting the clevice with another section; the total weight of the chain was one hundred and eighty tons, and it was conveyed to West Point by New England teamsters as rapidly as each section was finished.
In September, 1778, a horrible massacre occurred at Old Tappan. Lord Cornwallis at that time held possession of the castern portion of New Jersey, and his foraging and scouting parties passed in all directions through this section. At the same time General Knyphausen, with a large force, was stationed at Dobb's Ferry on the east side of the river, and Washington suspected that an expedition up the river was intended. To watch the movements of the British, as well as to intercept their scouts and foragers, the Third Regiment of Virginia Light Dragoons, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Baylor, was dispatched to this section and made their quarters at Old Tappan. Here they lay in such an un- soldierly manner that Cornwallis determined to suprise and cut them to pieces together with a body of militia under Wayne that was encamped a little north of the present Orangeburg.
Baylor's troops were scattered in the houses and barns of the Blau- velts, Demarests, Holdrums, Harings, and Bogarts, who resided in the
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neighborhood, while he and his staff were at the house of Cornelius Haring. General Grey, who, from his practice of ordering his men to remove the flints from their muskets that they might be confined to the use of the bayonet, had acquired the name of " No Flint Gendal," or "No Flint Grey," was sent out on the night of September 27th to approach Baylor's detachment from the west, while a corps from Knyphausen's force crossed the river to Sneden's and advanced upon the unsuspecting troops from the east. Some deserters gave Wayne and his militia warning in time to permit their escape, but Baylor's dragoons were left ignorant of their danger.
At midnight, Grey cut off a sergeant's partrol of eleven men-one having made his escape attempted to arouse Baylor but was too late-and in an instant more was upon the main body. The surprise was complete, and the unarmed and scarcely awakened troopers could but beg for quarter. Their plea for mercy was vain. Grey, like Tryon, was merciless in his forays, and on this occasion he had given special orders that no quarter should be granted. In cold blood the helpless cavalrymen were bayoneted or beaten to death, till out of the troop of one hundred and sixteen twenty-eight were killed or mortally wounded, among whom was Major Alexander Clough, and thirty-nine prisoners were taken-eight of whom were severely wounded-among whom were Colonel Baylor and Surgeon Thomas Evans. The prisoners were taken to Tappan and confined in the old Dutch Church. Seventy horses and considerable booty was also ob- tained by the enemy. Among the few who escaped was Major William Washington, who later, in the stirring campaign of the South, fully avenged his comrades' slaughter. On Dec. 29th, 1778, a division under General Putnam crossed the river at Kings Ferry in batteaux and marched twelve miles in a storm of snow and sleet, camping at Kakiat.
With the exception of raids by cowboys and the constantly recurring conflicts between the patriots and Tories, nothing of import transpired in this County till the end of May, 1779. The enemy had transferred the scene of battle to the South and was overrunning Georgia and the Caro- linas. To prevent the concentration of American troops before their armies and to destroy the stores that had been collected, an expedition under Admiral Collier and General Matthews had sailed early in May for Virginia. At the close of that month this expedition returned and was immediately used by Sir Henry Clinton in the attack on the forts at Ver- planck's and Stony Points.
These works, included in the general plan of fortification agreed upon in 1775, had been neglected till after the capture of Forts Montgomery
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and Clinton in 1777. Then two small forts had been built at these points. To obtain possession of these works was Sir Henry Clinton's object, and in its furtherance he sailed from New York on May 30th, 1779, accom- panied by General Vaughan, of Esopus fame, and Admiral Collier, who commanded the fleet.
On the morning of May 31st, the division intended for the capture of Stony Point, under the command of General Patterson, accompanied by Sir Henry Clinton, landed at Grassy Point, and began their march toward the fort. The garrison of that fort, consisting of only forty men, aban- doned the Point and withdrew to the Highlands, upon the approach of the enemy, and the works fell into the hands of the British without resistance. On the following morning, June Ist, 1779, the guns of the captured fort reinforced by some cannon and mortars dragged up during the night, opened a heavy fire against Fort Fayette, on Verplanck's Point, and on the following day that fortress was surrendered.
Meantime Washington was encamped at Middlebrook, in New Jersey, awaiting the enemy's movements. As soon as he learned that an expe- dition had started up the Hudson, he put his army in motion toward the Highlands, and by rapid marches, reached Sidman's Pass on June 7th, 1779, with five brigades and two Carolina regiments, and so disposed his troops as to be able to reinforce a threatened point at once. At this time the fortifications and earthworks erected in the Pass were greatly strength- ened.
Meantime Clinton had ordered the enlarging and strengthening of the captured forts, and supplied them with strong garrisons and necessary stores. The force at Stony Point, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson, consisted of the 17th Regiment of foot, the grenadier compan- ies of the 71st Regiment, and some artillery, in all amounting to a little over six hundred men. As a further support, the British had several small war vessels at anchor in the river within cannon shot of the forts.
Among the dispositions of his army, Washington had stationed Wayne with the Light Infantry at a point not far from the Forest of Dean Mine, now in Orange County, but little north of the old Haverstraw and Monroe Turnpike, a position he occupied on July Ist.
From the results of his own and the observations of Major Lee, of the Light Dragoons, Washington determined upon expeditions to surprise and recapture both Stony Point and Fort Fayette. July 15th was fixed upon as the day for the assault, and the hour of midnight as the time. Wayne was appointed to the command of the detachment that was to storm the Point, while that against Fayette was commanded by General
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Howe. It is only necessary here to say that, through the error of a mes- senger, the attack on Fort Fayette miscarried. On the morning of July 15th, all the troops under Wayne's command, consisting of Massachusetts men, were ordered to divest themselves of unnecessary accoutrements and prepare for their march of twelve or fourteen miles. So necessary was absolute secrecy and so numerous the watchful Tories, that it was deemed unwise to send Wayne reinforcements. A brigade of troops in- tended as a cover for the attacking force, should any accident befall it, was started for the scene early in the morning, and at noon the march of the main body began.
The day was intensely sultry, and the route of the troops through the mountain defiles was such as to prevent the light air that was stirring from reaching them. Without complaint they continued their march through that long, hot afternoon, now scrambling over broken rocks, anon threading their way single file across a morass, until at 8 o'clock in the evening they had arrived at Springsteen's, a mile and a half from the fort. Here a halt was called to allow a reconnoiter and rest the men. Each soldier had a piece of white paper fastened to his hat to distinguish him in the darkness, and the watchword of the night, that of the enemy : "The fort's our own," was passed along the line. The muskets of all were un- loaded so as to compel the use of the bayonet only. To still further secure silence, all the dogs in the neighborhood had been killed lest their barking might alarm the enemy, and a negro guide named Pompey, the slave of James Lamb, was obtained to lead the troops.
As strengthened by the British, several breastworks and strong bat- teries were advanced in front of the fort, and about half way down the hill were two rows of abattis ; the guns were ranged so as to command the beach and the only crossing place in the marsh that connects the Point with the main land, and to infilade an advancing column.
Wayne intended to attack the works on the right and left flanks at the same time, and made the following dispositions for that purpose : The regiments of Febiger and Meigs with a detachment under Major Hull formed the right ; and Butler's regiment, with two companies under Major Murfree, formed the left column. One hundred and fifty volunteers under Lieutenant Colonel Fleury and Major Posey composed the van of the right ; and one hundred volunteers under Major Stewart, the van of the left ; while each column was preceded by a forlorn hope of twenty men, one under command of Lieutenent Gibbon, the other under that of Lieu- tenant Knox, whose duty it was to remove the abattis and other obstruc- tions.
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At half-past eleven the silent march was begun. The first sentinel on the high ground west of the morass, deceived by the negro whom he knew and who had the countersign, was seized and gagged without giving an alarm; the silence of the sentinel on the road across the morass was gained in the same way, and Wayne's party succeeded in crossing the marsh to the base of the rocks without discovery. General Muhlenburg with three hundred men was left as a reserve on the main land.
At twelve-twenty o'clock the assault was begun. In an instant more the advancing columns were discovered by the pickets, and, though the surprise was complete, a frightful fire was opened by the British upon the advancing troops. Undeterred, the Americans rushed on, passed the breastworks, cleared the chevaux de frise at the sally-ports, mounted the parapet, and entered the fort at the point of the bayonet, never ceasing in the headlong charge till the van of each column met at the centre of the works at the same instant. Colonel Fleury was the first to enter the fort and strike the British flag, while at the same instant Major l'osey mounted the works, shouting the prophetic watchword: "The fort's our own." The garrison surrendered at discretion, and not a life was taken after the plea for quarter.
In this assault the Americans lost fifteen killed and eighty-three wounded, among whom were General Wayne, who was slightly injured, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hay. The forlorn hope of twenty men under Lieutenant Gibbon lost seventeen killed or wounded. The British loss was sixty-three killed, and Johnston, the commander, with five hundred and forty-three officers and men together with the stores and munitions of war, were captured. At two o'clock on the morning of July 16th, 1779, General Wayne sent to Washington the following dispatch :
" Dear Gen'l-The fort and garrison with Col. Johnston are ours. Our officers and men behaved like men who are determined to be free."
I have already said that the attempt on Verplanck's Point miscarried. But a short distance down the river lay the British vessels, that had slipped their cables and dropped out of gunshot during the attack on Stony Point. Sir Henry Clinton was already marching to the relief of Fort Fayette, with a large land force, and any attempt to capture it by siege would evi- dently fail. Under these circumstances, combined with a belief that a garrison of fully fifteen hundred men would be necessary to hold the place, Washington ordered the stores removed from Stony Point and the works destroyed. This was successfully accomplished, but in the moving a galley, loaded with the heavy ordnance, was struck by a shot from the British vessel Vulture and sunk off Caldwell's Point. On July 20th, 1779,
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the British repossessed themselves of Stony Point, but only held it till the middle of the following month, when Clinton ordered the evacuation of all posts along the Hudson and concentrated his forces at New York.
In recognition of the bravery displayed in this brilliant enterprise, Congress ordered a medal of gold struck and presented to Gen. Wayne, and, with the thanks of that body, presented silver medals to De Fleury and Stewart ; while Lieutenants Gibbon and Knox were breveted captains. At the recommendation of Washington, Congress further resolved, "that the value of the military stores taken at Stony Point be ascertained and divided among the gallant troops, by whom it was reduced, in such man- ner and proportion as the Commander-in-Chief shall prescribe." That proportion was scaled as follows: To the first man who entered the fort, $500; to the second, $400; to the third, $300; to the fourth, $200, and to the fifth, $100. The total value of the munitions captured amounted to $158,640, which amount was to be divided among the troops.
The final abandonment of the river posts by the British, and the urgent necessity of sending re-enforcements to Lincoln in the South, led to the camp at Ramapo being broken up in the autumn of 1779. The main body of the army sought a winter cantonment about Morristown, strong detach- ments being stationed at various points in the Highlands.
The year 1780 was pregnant with stirring events for this County. Early in the season General Knyphausen crossed to New Jersey, led by the reports of disaffection among the American troops, and at Springfield sustained a battle which checked his further advance. But his continua- tion at that place led Washington to suspect some ulterior design, and, when information was conveyed to him that on June 18th Sir Henry Clinton had returned from the conquest of South Carolina, believing the fortifications in the Highlands to be his next object, Washington slowly marched his army to Tappan and encamped at that place. Learning, to- ward the close of July, that Clinton was about to attack the French allies ere they could land and fortify themselves at Newport, Washington hastily broke camp and, marching by the old Kings Highway through Haver- straw to Stony Point, crossed Kings Ferry with the intention of attacking New York. It was while waiting on this side of the ferry, on July 31st, 1780, that Benedict Arnold appeared and held the interview with the Commander-in-Chief that led to his assignment to the command of West Point.
The abandonment by Clinton of his design against Newport led to the American army retracing its steps. It again crossed at Kings Ferry and marched back to Tappan, where it went into camp for the next few weeks.
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General Greene commanded the right and Lord Sterling the left wing, while six battalions of light infantry were stationed in advance of the main body under the command of La Fayette.
I am now to take up the treason of Arnold and the trial and execu- tion of John Andre. So much has been said and written on the whole subject of that event that the story must be fresh in every mind, and my duty is to only touch on such portions of the transaction as relate to this County.
When Benedict Arnold took command at West Point he became intimate with Joshua Hett Smith.
Lot No. 7 of the Cheesecocks Patent, through sale, became the pro- perty of a William Smith, a lawyer and judge. At his death in 1769 he left six sons, William, Thomas, John W., James, Samuel, and Joshua Hett ; and several daughters. Lot 7 was left to Thomas by his father and was occupied by his brother Joshua. The house on it, now known as the " Treason House," was built probably about 1770. After the death of Thomas Smith in 1795, this property came into the hands of his son Thomas, who died in 1815. His heirs sold the place, containing 90 acres, to William Nicolls for $5,500 on July 9th, 1832. Nicolls sold the place to William C. Houseman in 1836 for $8,600, and he sold it to James A. Houseman, of Alabama, in 1846. After Mr. Houseman's death the property was sold to David Munn in 1864, and he conveyed it to his son- in-law, Adam Lilburn, in 1871. It remained in Mr. Lilburn's possession till 1883, when he sold it to Brewster J. Allison, the present owner.
Of the Smith family-Thomas was a lawyer in New York ; William became one of the Tory Justices of that city during the Revolution; and of Joshua Hett, we are to learn more fully in these pages.
Owners of large landed property in Haverstraw, the Smiths were land- lords with many tenants, and were thoroughly disliked by those tenants for their proud carriage. In the exercise of the franchise it was a not un- common thing to hear the holders of land under them say that they waited to see how the Smiths voted, and then they voted just the other way, and were then sure they were right.
With Joshua Hett Smith Arnold passed many hours during his com- mand of West Point, either visiting at his house or receiving him as a guest at his headquarters in the Robinson House. In the cool calculation that Arnold was making, Smith was to play an important part, and the officer not only associated with the civilian because of social and intellec- tual affinity but also because of another affinity, in which he must gain or lose all. In another chapter we are to review Smith's actions in the
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attempted treason, and will then be better able to determine his guilt or in- nocence than now.
By Sept. 10th, 1780, Arnold had so far perfected his treasonable plans as to render a meeting with Andre necessary, and for this purpose he started to meet that officer by appointment at Dobbs Ferry. Passing the night of the 10th, at Smith's house, he left Haverstraw early the next morning for the rendezvous. It is a matter of history that that meeting was prevented. Seven days later, when Washington was on his way to Hartford, to confer with the French officers, Arnold met him with his barge and conveyed him across the river at Kings Ferry. On September 19th, Arnold visited Smith, and by various representations, obtained his consent to go off in a row boat to the sloop-of-war Vulture, and bring a man ashore whom Arnold wished to see on important public business. While at Smith's house, Arnold was joined by his wife and child, who had come on from Philadelphia, and returned with them in his barge to his headquarters. Among the other arrangements with Smith in regard to the proposed interview was one to the effect, that if their business could not be completed by dawn, the remainder of the interview, after that hour should occur in Smith's house, and to prepare for that event, Smith re- moved his family to Fishkill. On his return from this trip, he stopped at, Arnold's quarters and obtained from that officer a pass for a flag of truce, and an order to Major Kiers, commanding at Stony Point, to supply Smith with a boat whenever he should want one. Arnold further directed Smith to visit the Vulture on the night of the 20th. Unable to obtain boatmen, Smith failed to obey his orders, and word having been sent to Arnold notifying him of the fact, that officer arrived at Smith's on the fol- lowing day determined to see his wish obeyed. At his command a skiff was moored in Minisceongo Creek, and under threat of punishment if they refused to acquiesce, he obtained the services of two brothers- Samuel and Joseph Colquhon, to man the oars. Close on the hour of midnight Smith and these two men set off for the Vulture, which was at anchor off Croton Point.
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