USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume III > Part 29
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The story of Arnold's treason, the capture of Major Andre at Tarrytown, in this county (as told in Volume 2, page 175), the flight of Arnold to Europe, is all told in history. After the Revolution Arnold lived in England, where his last years were embittered by remorse. He died in London, June 14, 1801. Mrs. Arnold died in the same city three years later, aged forty-four.
THE BATTLE OF WHITE PLAINS.
The autumn of 1776 has been described as among "the dark days" for the patriot army, as in fact the American heroes had many such days.
On October 28, in that year, occurred the Battle of White Plains, which has been described "as a contest of arms it takes no rank among the great battles of history, but its bearings in the future of the American Nation were of the utmost impor- tance."
The War of the Revolution began with the "Battle of Lex- ington in April, 1775, and a year later the British government found the Americans as defiant and determined. The English Parliament had appropriated £1,000,000 to carry on the war of conquest; skilled Hessian soldiers had been hired from Ger- many to swell the British ranks. The intention was to concen- trate a large British army in New York city, take possession of the Hudson River and thus cut off connection between New England and other Colonies. In August, 1776, the British landed a large army on Staten Island, with intention of mov- ing on New York city. Gen. Washington, with a force num- bering 14,000, was entrenched on Brooklyn Heights, for the protection of the city. A few days later the British landed at Gravesend Bay, south of Brooklyn; then followed the Battle of Long Island, in which the patriot army suffered defeat and great loss. During the night Gen. Washington succeeded in getting his scattered troops together on Harlem Heights. The British under Gen. Howe took possession of New York city, and a large body of troops was sent out, under Gen. Howe, in hopes of intercepting Gen. Washington, exterminating, with one blow, the patriot army and ending the war. Gen. Howe and his forces landed at Throgg's Neck, in this County. Gen. Washington, correctly interpreting Howe's purpose, sent a detachment to Throgg's Neck to check him; this last move had the effect of holding Gen. Howe at latter place for five days, giving Gen. Washington time to move his army in the direction of White Plains, as he, by this time, realized that he would have to leave New York city in possession of the enemy. Leaving Fort Wash-
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ington, on the Hudson River, with a garrison of 3,000 men, Gen. Washington, at the head of the remainder of his army, hurried along over King's Bridge, over Valentine's Hill, Yonkers, through Miles Square, and on to what was afterward known as Mount Vernon, crossed Hunt's Bridge, spanning the Bronx River, and marched along the east bank of the Bronx River to White Plains, where the stores had already been concen- trated; the army arrived on October 21, and camped on high ground north of the village; their lines extending from the Bronx River over Dusenbury's Hill, across Broadway and east- ward to the rocky hills at Horton's Pond, now St. Mary's Lake. Here, within the next two days, breastworks were thrown up. Gen. Lee arrived from the South with troops sufficient to increase Gen. Washington's army to 25,000; but one-half of these were sick or otherwise unfit for service; the remaining number were raw recruits, farmers' boys, undisciplined, mostly un-uniformed, ragged, ill-fed and disheartened, and hundreds, their terms of enlistment having expired, were daily leaving the ranks and going home. The situation must have been extremely painful to Gen. Washington, who in every way possible endeavored to rally his men to renewed efforts and prepare for the battle that was sure at hand.
The British Gen. Howe, realizing that Gen. Washington had out-witted him, withdrew his forces from Throgg's Neck and landed them at Pelham, further up in the County. Here he mustered an army of 15,000 veteran troops, well-disciplined and well fed, and decided to follow Gen. Washington and his army, and carry out his avowed purpose of extermination. The Brit- ishers marched through New Rochelle, up the Post road and into Scarsdale, where the patriot army pickets were met and driven in; the British lines were spread eastward over the Plains from the Bronx to the Mamaroneck River. It is said that a detach- ment of British troops entered White Plains by way of Pur- chase, separating from main force at New Rochelle.
Gen. Washington assigned five regiments with some artillery, under command of Gen. MacDougal, to hold Chatterton Hill (now in village of White Plains and in town of Greenburgh).
Gen. Howe, the British commander, sent a strong force, con- sisting of English and Hessian troops, to dislodge the patriots on Chatterton Hill ; these troops crossed the Bronx at the ford, sup- posed to be near where the village disposal works are now located, and marched along Mill Lane, covered by the fire of the British
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cannon located on the plateau on the east side of the Bronx ; sud- denly facing to the left, in a long line, they rushed up the steep and rugged hill in the face of a fierce and deadly fire from the summit. The trained British soldiers pushed on in their charge regardless of results, that their comrades were falling fast under the raking fire of the patriots; it appeared as if the latter had won the day, when two regiments of Hessian troops appeared over the brow of the hill from the west and opened a merciless cross-fire on the American defenders of the hill. The tide was turned by overwhelming numbers of the enemy; the Americans, to prevent a further loss of men, beat a hasty, though orderly, retreat down the hill, across the bridge and up to Gen. Wash- ington's camp on Dusenbury's Hill, leaving Chatterton Hill in possession of the enemy. The battle was short, but decisive. The loss of the Americans was not over one hundred; the British loss was three times that number.
Had the British General followed up his advantage, and car- ried out his purpose of annihilation, history might have a dif- ferent story to tell to-day relative to the result of the American war for Independence.
Instead of continuing the attack, Gen. Howe rested in camp three days waiting for troops he had ordered from New Rochelle and New York.
Gen. Washington retreated with his troops to the heights of North Castle,* a few miles north of White Plains; here breast- works were thrown up, and the soldiers settled down as if in- tending to remain there all winter.
Gen. Howe decided not to molest Gen. Washington and his army in their impregnable position on the North Castle high hills, believing success doubtful even after a long winter siege; therefore Howe moved his army to Dobbs Ferry and thence by the river road towards New York city. On his way Howe was able to capture Fort Washington, owing to the treach- ery of an officer of the garrison, and make prisoners of the 3,000 officers and men Gen. Washington had left there on his way to White Plains.
On November 9, 1776, Gen. Washington and the main body of his army broke camp in North Castle and marched across the County and into New Jersey. Gen. Lee, with a detachment of several thousand troops, remained in North Castle for two weeks, to look after Howe in case he should decide to come back.
*See account under title "Town of North Castle."'
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The night following the departure of the British army from White Plains a number of Massachusetts Militia became hilarious and to celebrate the departure of the British, set fire to the County Court House, the Presbyterian Church and many pri- vate dwellings and stores in the village of White Plains. (See page 33, volume 1.)
The flag carried by the patriot army during the Battle of White Plains was that known as "the battle flag of White Plains," and bore the "Liberty Cap," together with the sword and staff and the words of Patrick Henry, "Liberty or Death."
The stars and stripes as the national flag was not adopted until June 14, 1777.
The Battle of White Plains taught the cautious Washington the advantages his enemy possessed in organization, arms and discipline. These were difficulties to be mastered by his own vigilance and care. Drawing off his troops to the heights, in and around North Castle, he had bidden defiance to the attacks of the royal army, and Sir William Howe fell back to the enjoy- ment of his barren conquest-a deserted city. Never afterward did the opposing armies make the trial of strength within the limits of Westchester County.
The 135th anniversary of the Battle of White Plains was observed on October 28 (known as Battle Day), 1911, with a patriotic celebration, during which an American flag was un- furled from a tall pole at the top of Chatterton Hill. Arrange- ments perfected by the White Plains Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution provided for a parade of the militia, war veterans, civic societies, school children, etc., ad- dresses and vocal and instrumental music. It was estimated that fully five thousand people attended the ceremonies.
Mrs. Joseph S. Wood, of Mount Vernon, State Regent, Daugh- ters of the American Revolution, made the address of greeting to the assembled people.
Former Village President Frederick S. Barnum, of White Plains, delivered the oration.
COMMITTEE OF SAFETY AND ENOCH CROSBY.
The Committee of Safety for the State had its headquarters in White Plains, this County, at the commencement of the American Revolution. John Jay, of Bedford, who later held many official positions, Pierre Van Cortlandt, of Croton Landing, who later was the first Lieutenant-Governor of the State, in 1777, and other residents of Westchester County, who became prominent by other evidences of patriotism during the trying times of the Revolution, were members of this Committee on whose heads the British Government had placed a price. This Committee held sessions in White Plains as long as it was deemed advisable; later meetings were held at Fishkill Landing and at other points along the Hudson River and the Committee was ever active until the closing hours of the struggle for American Independence. The country was full of Tories operating secretly against the loyal Americans, and the Committee of Safety found it desirable to get the fullest information regarding Tory movements. The question as to how best to get this information proved difficult of solution. A secret agent who could mingle with Tory settlements, become a part of same, and become possessed of secrets as to contem- plated action in support of the King's army by said Tories, and later contrive to escape and bring the valuable news to the Com- mittee of Safety, was the sort of man much needed at this time.
In the fall of 1776 such a person presented himself, as if in answer to the sincere prayers of members of the Committee. This was Enoch Crosby, a young man twenty-six years of age, six feet in height, slender in build. He was a shoemaker who had recently finished his time as a shoemaker's apprentice. While working at the cobbler's bench he heard his Country's call for volunteers to join the American Army then in the field ; inspired even then by particularly strong patriotism that char- acterized and influenced him all through his career, he laid down his implements of trade and hastened to tender his ser- vices as an American soldier. He had served in Canada under Generals Schuyler and Montgomery. In September, 1776, Crosby
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decided that he wanted to lead the strenuous life of a soldier, that he desired to be engaged in the thickest of the fray, where he could make a record that would prove everlasting and long remembered. With this intention he started on a journey of many miles; from Connecticut, where he was temporarily resid- ing, through Westchester County to Peekskill, near which place he learned the American Army lay. As his youth had been spent in the vicinity of Peekskill, he was familiar with the country in the neighborhood, as he was with the upper part of the County generally. In his travels, as night overtook him, he was compelled to seek lodging at farm houses en route; at such times, in conversation with farmers and members of their families, he became acquainted with the prevailing sentiment relative, to the war; many of the families with whom he lodged manifested strong Tory affiliation, and many were the invitations he received to tarry and attend secret Tory gather- ings for the formation of military companies to enlist in aid of the King. At first his determination to push on and join the American Army up the river influenced him to leave these Tory localities, but his meeting on all sides what his patriotic nature condemned as rank disloyalty on the part of certain of his countrymen had the effect of changing his entire course as to his duty in the desire to aid his struggling countrymen. He believed he saw a way by which information, forced upon him by Tories he met along the roadside, might be made valuable if turned to account in benefiting the cause for which he was will- ing to give his life. He considered the risks he would encounter, and realized that the penalty for failure would be the loss of his life; yet he did not falter in his determination to act when his duty was made plain. From this time on he accepted readily requests extended to attend meetings held by Tories to devise ways and means for the enlistment and equipment of soldiers to fight for the King and against their more patriotic neighbors.
Soon Crosby learned that, though single handed in an extra hazardous undertaking, he could accomplish more to encourage and aid his fellow-patriots than he would have done had he persisted in his first intention of joining the American Army located up the river.
The Committee of Safety, in session at White Plains, was not long left in ignorance as to Crosby and the value he might prove if his services could be secured and directed by the Com- mittee. Accordingly, Crosby was asked to meet with the Com-
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mittee in White Plains. After thanking him for services ren- dered, the Committee assured him that he had not only won their confidence but also the high regard of every true Ameri- can familiar with loyal aid rendered in his honest and sincere manner. It was explained to Crosby that more drastic measures had to be employed to defeat attempts of Tories in their move- ments to prevent enlistments in the American Army and in devious ways to contribute to the success of the King.
Crosby explained to the Committee his intention of going into the army. It was at the Committee's earnest urging that Crosby consented to adopt the rôle of spy, instead of going into the army. It was not necessary to explain to him that his choice was an extremely dangerous service. Crosby fully realized it; he was full of patriotic valor and he did not hesitate to accept the proposition of the Committee; in return for services he might render in his country's behalf he merely stipulated that if he fell doing his duty, full justice should be done his memory. This the Committee gladly promised.
How well Enoch Crosby proved himself worthy of the con- fidence reposed in him, history tells us. How he mingled with Tories, became possessed of their secrets unfolded at midnight, out-of-the-way places of meeting, how he led bands of Conti- nental soldiers to such places and captured whole companies of Tories; how he was mainly instrumental in driving from locali- ties along the Hudson River, through Westchester and Putnam Counties, residents known to be Tories and others secretly in sympathy with the British Army. His life in these trouble- some days was certainly an eventful one. His mission was a secret one; that he was the trusted agent of the Committee of Safety was supposed to be known only to members of the Com- mittee. He had many narrow escapes, and frequently he had a realizing impression that his life was at stake. When he fell into the hands of the Continental forces and believed to be a British spy to pay the sentence by death, the Committee had to secretly exert influence to have his life spared and secure his liberty ; when arrested by the British as an American spy, and judged to die, as on one occasion or more, he contrived to escape and return to his chosen work of attendance on Tories in the interest of the American cause. Owing to the fact that he had to represent himself as being in sympathy with the invading British to curry favor with Tories, and the necessity of his being seen frequently in close intimacy with Tories, naturally
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led the uninformed to believe that he was himself a Tory, there- fore his arrest by Continental troops is not surprising. His getting mixed up with the " lower party," as the British troops in New York city and vicinity were known to be, might also be expected.
Enoch Crosby did not fail in what he undertook to do for his country; though he did not fall, the Committee of Safety endeavored, with all its power, that full justice be done his memory. Fellow-patriots were made to know him and love him, for what he did, when and where his services were most needed.
After the Revolution Enoch Crosby, and his brother Benja- min, purchased from the Commissioners of Forfeiture a farm of 256 acres in the village of Southeast, where he resided during the remainder of his life. He was happily married to a widow, resident of Somers in this County. For many years he was a Justice of the Peace, was one of the Associate Judges of Common Pleas in 1812-13, and Supervisor of Southeast during these years. He died June 26, 1835, at the age of 85 years, 5 months and 21 days.
Enoch Crosby was born in Harwich, Mass., a son of Thomas and Elizabeth Crosby, on January 4, 1750. When Crosby was three years old his parents removed to Putnam County and settled in a locality not far from the Westchester County line. When sixteen years of age Enoch left home to depend upon his own ability ; his parents' limited means prohibited their giving him much assistance to help him on his way. That determina- tion and grit, that stood him well in after years, were his prin- cipal resources now. He became an apprentice to a shoemaker in Peekskill and completed this service when he became 21 years of age; shortly after this he left the bench for the life of a soldier.
His remains are interred in the local cemetery in Southeast township, over which has been erected a tombstone suitably inscribed.
Enoch Crosby is generally believed to have been the original of " Harvey Birch," the hero of James Fenimore Cooper's famous novel, " The Spy;" the scenes of that story being laid in Westchester County.
Cooper tells how his hero, Harvey Birch, "near the close of the year 1780, as a solitary traveler, was seen pursuing his way through one of the numerous little valleys of Westchester." The County of Westchester, at that period, after the British had
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obtained possession of New York, became common ground, in which both parties continued to act for the remainder of the war of the Revolution. As Cooper truthfully asserts, " a large proportion of its inhabitants, either restrained by their attach- ments or influenced by their fears, affected a neutrality they did not feel. The lower towns of the county were, of course, more particularly under the dominion of the crown, while the upper towns, finding a security from the vicinity of the Con- tinental troops, were bold in asserting their revolutionary opin- ions and their right to govern themselves. Great numbers, how- ever, wore masks, which even to this day (in 1822 the year in which Cooper wrote his book) had not been thrown aside; and many an individual has gone to the tomb, stigmatized as a foe to the rights of his countrymen, while, in secret, he has been the useful agent of the leaders of the Revolution; and, on the other hand, could the hidden repositories of divers flaming patriots have been opened to the light of day, royal protections would have been discovered concealed under piles of British gold." Both Washington and Sir Henry Clinton had an unusual number of secret agents scattered throughout West- chester County; during the war that partook so much of a domestic character, and in which the contending parties were people of the same blood and language, it could scarcely be otherwise.
It is generally accepted as a fact that Enoch Crosby was the man referred to by the member of the Committee of Safety who related to Mr. Cooper the story used as the foundation of the latter's novel and the creation of the character " Harvey Birch." Though Mr. Cooper distinctly states that his inform- ant did not mention the name of his agent, from more recent information is gained the knowledge identifying Harvey Birch as Enoch Crosby, and John Jay as the member of the Com- mittee of Safety who related Crosby's story to Mr. Cooper. At the date of Mr. Jay's death, Mr. Crosby was still alive, residing not many miles distant from the residence of Mr. Jay in Westchester County. Had Mr. Jay, in his latter days, thought it advisable, he could have brought the author Cooper and ex-Secret Agent Crosby together.
It is understood that Mr. Cooper refers to John Jay in the introduction of his book, " The Spy," when he says: " Many years since, the writer of this volume was at the residence of an illustrious man, who had been employed in various situa-
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tions of high trust during the darkest days of the American Revolution." It is known that both Jay and Cooper were residents of Westchester County at the time " The Spy " was written (in 1822), and for several years after.
It is quite evident that it was Mr. Jay who gave Mr. Cooper the facts relative to the employment of Crosby as a secret agent, of a secret committee named by Congress, to counteract the influence of Tories in endeavors to "raise various corps of provincial troops, to be banded with those from Europe, to reduce the young republic to subjection." "Of this Com- mittee," says Mr. Cooper, "Mr. --- , the narrator of the anecdote, was chairman." As Mr. Jay was chairman of that committee, it proves, quite conclusively, that Mr. Cooper secured facts for his story from the distinguished Mr. Jay. Again, Mr. Cooper refers to his informant in this wise: "In the year --- Mr. --- was named to high and honorable employment at a European Court. (In 1794 Mr. Jay was appointed Minister to England.) Before vacating his seat in Congress (Mr. Jay was member of the first Congress and con- tinued in Congress until there was a demand for his patriotic services in other fields) he reported to that body an outline of the circumstances related, necessarily suppressing the name of his agent, and demanding an appropriation in behalf of a man who had been of so much use, at so great risk. A suitable sum was voted, and its delivery was confided to the chairman (Mr. Jay) of the Secret Committee. Mr. --- took the necessary means to summon his agent to a personal interview. (It is understood that Crosby was at that time located on a farm not far distant.) They met in a wood at midnight. Here Mr. - - complimented his companion on his fidelity and adroit- ness; explained the necessity of their communications being closed; and finally tendered the money. The other drew back and declined receiving it. 'The country has need of all its means,' he said; ' as for myself, I can work, or gain a liveli- hood in various ways.' Persuasion was useless, for patriotism was uppermost in the heart of this remarkable individual; and Mr. --- departed, bearing with him the gold he had brought and a deep respect for the man who had so long hazarded his life, unrequited, for the cause they served in common. The writer is under an impression that at a later day the agent of Mr. : --- consented to receive a remuneration for what he
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had done; but it was not until his country was entirely in a condition to bestow it."
In fact, Mr. Crosby was on several occasions questioned as to his being the origin of Mr. Cooper's story, and as to he being the " spy " alluded to, and Mr. Crosby never made denial.
Mr. Crosby's son, Dr. Edward Crosby, resided in Somertown Plain many years, removed to Mount Kisco in 1876, where he died in 1886.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Mrs. Flora Adams Darling, founder of the Daughters of the Revolution and also the Daughters of the American Revolution, who died recently, was the widow of the Confederate gen- eral, Edward Irving Darling, and a sister of John Quincy Adams, of New York. In 1864, when her husband was dying in the South, she started to him under a safe conduct issued by General Banks. She was arrested by the Federal military authorities, regardless of her credentials, and her personal prop- erty confiscated. Congress later awarded her $5,682 for her claim.
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