Chapter 7 of 7 · 1771 words · ~9 min read

Part 7

[28] This kindness was repaid a dozen years later (1790) when Mr. Van Arsdale and his wife took Mr. Day's eight year old motherless daughter to nurture as their own, they having been bereft the year previous of their three young children, though seven more were given them afterwards. And Mary Day, (whose father died Oct. 19, 1802, aged 49), remained with them till her marriage to William Hutchings, the father of Mr. John Hutchings, of Norwalk, Ct. Amiable woman, pure and artless as a child, and to sum up her life in a word, filling her humble sphere with perfect fidelity,--among the happier days of the writer's boyhood were those spent in summer recreations at her modest home at Cow Bay, with the mill pond and Squire Mitchell's old red grist mill, and Uncle Billy's cooperage near it, and around the bluff the broad sandy beach, as rambling ground; your pardon, indulgent reader, if thoughts of the past do force a tear.

[29] LIST OF THE AMERICANS who were made prisoners at Forts Montgomery and Clinton, Oct. 6, 1777.

OFFICERS.

Col. William Allison. Lt. Col. James McClaughry. Lt. Col. Jacobus Bruyn. Lt. Col. William Livingston. Major Samuel Logan, 5th Regt. Major Stephen Lush, Brigade Major to Gen. George Clinton. Major Daniel Hamil, Brigade Major to Gen. James Clinton. Major Zachariah Dubois, Woodhull's Regt. Capt. Henry Godwin, 5th Regt. Capt. James Humphrey, McClaughry's Regt. Capt. Lt. Cornelius Swartwout, Lamb's Artillery. Capt. Lt. Ephraim Fenno, Lamb's Artillery. Lieut. Solomon Pendleton, 5th Regt. Lieut. Paton Jackson, 5th Regt. Lieut. John Furman, 5th Regt. Lieut. Henry Pawling, 5th Regt. Lieut. Ebenezer Mott, 5th Regt. *Lieut. Alexander McArthur, 5th Regt. Lieut. Samuel Dodge, 5th Regt. Lieut. John Hunter, McClaughry's Regt. Lieut. Benjamin Halstead, Allison's Regt. Lieut. Henry Brewster, Allison's Regt. Ensign Abraham Leggett, 5th Regt. Ensign John McClaughry, 5th Regt. Ensign Henry Swartwout, 5th Regt. Adj. Dep. Qr. Mr. Gen. Oliver Glean. Qr. Master Nehemiah Carpenter. Capt. James Gilliland, Director of Ordnance.

PRIVATES AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. _5th, or Col. Dubois's Regiment._

David McHollister. Thomas Conklin. Martin Shay. Ephraim Adams. Jacobus Tarbush. Francis Sears. Thaddeus Kennedy. Samuel Garrison. John McDonald. William Willis. John Conklin. Abraham Jorden. James Montanye. John Storm. Henry Ostrander. Thomas McCarty. Jacobus Logier. Thomas Hendricks. David Bovins. John Chamberlin. Vincent Venney. Zebulon Woodruff. Jeremiah Dunn. Paul Keizler. Robert Patrick. George Heck. William Barber. John Miller. Benjamin Wiley. John Allison. Danford Winchester. Samuel Boyd. *William Mullen. William Weaver. Lewis Dixon. William Ivery. John Ivery. John Stanley. Nathaniel Otter. John Brown. Eliakim Brush. George Polton. Robert Gillespie. *Philip Felix. Abraham Wright. Aaron Knapp. Jonathan Hallock. James Mitchell. James Weldon. John Johnston. Thomas Tinn. Nehemiah Sniffen. Samuel Turner. Solomon Shaw. Daniel Dominick. James Montieth. John Witlock. Daniel Lower. Jacobus Terwilliger. John Hunt. James Steel. Michael Johnston. Thomas Crispell. Joseph Reeder. Enos Lent. John Price. Jacobus Lent. Robert Marshall. John Albright. Scott Travers. Alexander Ockey. John Satterly. Thomas Hartwell. James Amerman. Patrick Dorgan. Harman Crum. Samuel Crosby. Samuel Griffin. Moses Shall. Cornelius Acker. John West. Jacob Lawrence. John McIntosh. Francis Gaines. Henry Schoonmaker. Benjamin Griffin. Joseph Morgan. Enos Sniffen. Jonathan Stockham. Joseph Bolton. Abel Randall. James Hannah. Thomas Kent. William Slott. William Banker. Benjamin Chichester. Peter Wells. Francis Drake. Joseph Deneyck. Jasper Smith. John Weston. William Casselton. Michael Burgh. Edward Allen. Thomas Smith. William Bard.

COL. LAMB'S ARTILLERY.

Elisah Petty. Alexander Moffatt. David Clark. David Hanmore. Hull Peck. James Shearer. William Taylor. William Swan. Edward Keen. John Patterson. Hugh Lindsey. John Nelson. David Pembroke. Israel Smith. Thomas Griffith. Samuel Furman. Robert English. Alexander Young. David Stone. John Kelly. John Twitchell. Alexander McCoy. Hugh McCall. John Gardner. Thaddeus Barnes. Timothy Nichols.

COL. ALLISON'S REGIMENT.

Samuel Taylor. Peter Jones. James Bell. Uriah Black. Robert Eaton. Frederick Nochton. Richard Sheridan. David Wheeler. James Koyl. Peter Stage. *James Lewis. Isaac Ketcham. James Thompson. Henry Brewster. Michael Dunning. Frederick Pelliger. James Sawyer. Caleb Ashley. Joseph Moore. Timothy Corwin. Jesse Dunning.

COL. MCCLAUGHRY'S REGIMENT.

*John McMullen. Robert Barkley. Henry Neely. James Wood. Robert Henry. David Thompson. William Scott. Elias Wool. Matthew Dubois. *Robert Wool. Francis McBride. *Samuel Hodge. Robert Huston. William McMullen. Andrew Wilson. Isaac Denton. Christopher Sypher. Moses Cantine. John Darkis. George Brown. William Stinson. Elnathan Sears. William Humphrey. Philip Millspaugh. George Humphrey. John Van Arsdale. James Humphrey. George Coleman. John Carmichel. Abel Wells. John Skinner. Hezekiah Kune. Gerardus Vineger. John Manny. Baltus Van Kleek. Isaac Kinbrick. Cornelius Slott. Samuel Falls. William Howell. James Miller. John Hanan.

COL. HASBROUCK'S REGIMENT.

George Wilkin. Benjamin Lawrence. Cornelius Roosa. Cornelius Stevens. Simon Ostrander. John Bingham. Zachariah Terwilliger. John Snyder. John Stevenson. Robert Cooper. William Warren.

COL. WOODHULL'S REGIMENT.

John Brooks. James Mitchell. John Lamerey. John Armstrong. Henry Cunningham. Peter Gillen. John Crooks. Edward Tomkins. William Penoyer. Randle House. Simon Currens. *Christian House. Israel Cushman. Isaac Hoffman. Asa Ramsey. *Joel Curtiss. Thomas Harten. _Col. Hammon's_, Zachariah Taylor. Jesse Carpenter. _Col. Drake's_, John Vantassel. Benjamin Simmons. _Col. Holme's_, Cornelius Cornelius, Isaac Cooly. William Randle. Joshua Currey. _Col. Ogden's_, Thomas Cook. James Thompson. _Col. Antill's_, Jonathan Nichols. Stephen Clark.

CORPS UNKNOWN.

John Donalds. Tobias Lent. Joseph Mead. George Depew. George Peck. Auris Verplank. Jesse Lockwood. Albert Vantass.

WAGONERS.

John Randle. *Jacob Morris. Elias Vanvolver. *John Tallow. Samuel Anderson.

N. B.--The ten with a star are named in a list preserved by Col. Wm. Faulkner, but are not in that furnished Gov. Clinton, by Joseph Loring, British Commissary of Prisoners. McArthur returned to his regiment, the other nine are not found again.

[30] GEN. LAFAYETTE, upon his last visit to this country, arrived at Staten Island, on Sunday, August 15, 1824. Capt. Van Arsdale had a grandson born on the same day. The next morning on landing at the Battery, the General was received by the Veteran Corps, and passing along the line, took each member cordially by the hand. Coming to Capt. Van Arsdale, he looked him intently in the face, as if he knew him, yet was not quite sure. But the instant the Captain alluded to his service in the Light Infantry Corps, the General's countenance lightened up, and there was a full recognition. "Van Arsdale," said he with emotion, as if the glorious past was flushing his memory, "Van Arsdale, I remember you well!" Going home, pleased beyond measure, that the General should recollect him, after a lapse of forty-four years, Capt. Van Arsdale went to see his little grandson, and being desired to give him a name, called him _John Lafayette_. This was the late Col. J. Lafayette Riker, of the 62d New York Volunteers, who in defense of the flag for which his grandsire sacrificed so much, nobly laid down his life at the battle of Fair Oaks, May 31, 1862.

[31] Soon after Anderson's escape, the Indians, in retaliation, as was believed, burnt a house and several barns near Pinebush (in Mombackus), murdered two men, and carried off a third, named Baker, who was never heard of again, and was probably reserved for the worst tortures. Two or three hundred troops then lay at a fort on Honk Hill, under Lt. Col. Newkerk, of McClaughry's regiment, and volunteers being called for, to go out and intercept the Indians who were supposed to be few in number, Lieut. John Graham offered himself, and set out with twenty man. At the Chestnut Woods (now Grahamsville, Sullivan Co.,) they lay in wait for the wiley foe, but were themselves drawn into an ambush, and only two escaped to tell the sad tragedy. Lieut. Graham fell at the first fire. This happened on September 6th, 1778. Three hundred men went out and buried the dead where they fell. They had all been scalped. Graham was an uncle to the lady whom Van Arsdale afterwards married, and a half-brother to Wm. Bodle, Esq., before mentioned.

[32] He was entitled to a "Soldier's Right," (500 acres), in the unappropriated lands of the State, which was promised each recruit joining the Levies in 1781, to be given him as soon after his term of service closed, as the survey could be safely made; but it is traditionary in the family, that thinking it of little value, he neglected to secure it within the time prescribed by law, three years after the war should close. Rights sold for only $50, after the war.

[33] CAPT. VAN ARSDALE had five children who reached adult years; three of whom, his only son before named, and two daughters, yet survive. His eldest daughter, married to the late Alderman James Riker, and long since deceased, was the mother of the writer of this sketch, also of Col. J. Lafayette Riker, named in a preceding note; another daughter yet survives her husband, the late estimable John Phillips; another is the widow of Jacob G. Theall, and mother of Mrs. Dr. Jared G. Baldwin, of New York, and a fourth daughter married the late, much respected, Capt. Andrew Dorgan, of Mobile, whose sons Augustus P. and Lyman Dorgan, are well known merchants at that place. (_See Annals of Newtown_, p. 307.)

MR. DAVID VAN ARSDALE.

This venerable citizen, son of Capt. John Van Arsdale, and to whom some humorous references have been made in these pages, has suddenly ended his pilgrimage, as our last sheet was passing from the press. He died yesterday, (November 14th,) at the age of 87 years. His decease on the very eve of the Centennial, in the observance of which he was expected to take a special part causes the deeper regret; but we forbear remark, while the City Press is teeming with obituaries expressive of respect for his memory.