Colonel Henry Ludington: A Memoir

by Willis Fletcher Johnson

The Com. then wished decl. to undertake a secret service over the river. He was furnished with a secret pass which was accordingly signed by the Com., which is now lost, and directed to go to the house of Nicholas Brauns, near the mouth of the Wappinger’s Creek, who would take him across the river, and there to proceed to the house of John Russell, about ten miles from the river, and make such inquiries and discoveries as he could. He proceeded according to directions to said Brauns and from thence to John Russell, and there hired himself to said Russell to work for him, but for no definite time. This was a neighborhood of Loyalists and it was expected that a company was there raising but was not completed. Before decl. left Russell on this service a time was fixed for him to recross the river and give information to some one of the Com. who was to meet him. This time having arrived and the Co. not being completed the decl. recrossed the river and met Zephaniah Platt, one of the Com., and gave him all the information he had obtained. Decl. was directed to recross the river to the neighborhood of Russell and on a time fixed again to meet the Com. on the east side of the river. Decl. returned to Russell’s neighborhood, soon became intimate with the Loyalists, was introduced to Capt. Robinson, said to be an English officer and who was to command the Co. then raising. Capt. Robinson occupied a cave in the mountains, and decl. having agreed to go with the Co. was invited and accepted of the invitation to lodge with Robinson in the cave. They slept together nearly a week in the cave, and the time for the Co. to start having been fixed and the route designated to pass Severn’s to Bush Carrick’s, where they were to stop the first night. The time for starting having arrived before the appointed time to meet the Com. on the east side of the river, the decl. in order to get an opportunity to convey information to Fishkill recommended that each man should the night before they started sleep where he chose, and that each should be by himself, for if they should be discovered that night together all would be taken, which would be avoided if they were separated. The proposition was acceded to, and when they separated decl. not having time to go to Fishkill, and as the only and as it appeared the best means of giving information was to go to Mr. Purdy, who was a stranger to decl. and all he knew of him was that the Tories called him a wicked rebel and said he ought to die. Decl. went and found said Purdy and informed him of the situation of affairs, of the time the Co. was to start, and the place which they were to stop the first night, and requested him to go to Fishkill and give the information to the Com. Purdy assured the decl. that the information should be given. Decl. returned to Russell’s and lodged in his house. The following evening the Co. assembled, consisting about 30 men, and started from Russell’s house, which was in the town of Marlborough, County of Ulster, for N. Y., and in the course of the night arrived at Bush Carrick’s, and went into the barn to lodge after taking refreshments. Before morning the barn was surrounded by American troops, and the whole company, including Capt. Robinson, were made prisoners. The troops who took the company prisoners were commanded by Capt. Melancthon Smith, who commanded a company of Rangers at Fishkill. His Co. crossed the river to perform this service. Col. Duer was with Capt. Smith’s Co. on this expedition. The prisoners including decl. were marched to Fishkill & confined in the stone church, in which there was near two hundred prisoners. After remaining one night in the church the Com. sent for decl. and told him it was unsafe for him to remain with the prisoners as the least suspicion of the course he had pursued would be fatal to him, and advised him to leave the village of Fishkill and to remain where they could call on him if his services should be wanted. Decl. went to the house of a Dutchman, a farmer, whose name is forgotten, about five miles from the village of Fishkill, and there went to work making shoes. After decl. had made arrangements for working at shoes, he informed Mr. Sackett, one of the Com., where he could be found if he should be wanted. In about a week decl. recd. a letter from the Com., requesting him to meet one of the Com. at the house of Dr. Osborn, about one mile from Fishkill. Decl. according to the request went to the house of Dr. Osborn, and soon after John Jay came there, enquired for the Dr., who was absent, enquired for medicine, but found none he wanted. He came out of the house and went to his horse, near which decl. stood, and as he passed he said in a low voice “It won’t do, there are too many around. Return to your work.” Decl. went back and went to work at shoes, but within a day or two was again notified and a horse sent to him, requiring him to go to Bennington in Vt. and from there westerly to a place called Maloonscock, and there call on Hazard Wilcox, a Tory of much notoriety, and ascertain if anything was going on there injurious to the common cause. Decl. followed his instructions, found Wilcox, but could not learn that any secret measure was then projected against the interest of the country. At that place learned from Wilcox a list of persons friendly to the British cause, who could be safely trusted, from that place quite down to the south part of Dutchess County. Decl. followed directions of said Wilcox and called on different individuals by him mentioned, but could discover nothing of importance, until he reached the town of Pawlings in Dutchess County, where he called upon a Dr. whose name he thinks was Prosser, and informed him that he wished to go below but was fearful of some trouble. The Dr. informed him there was a Co. raising in that vicinity to go to N. Y. to join the British army, that the Captain’s name was Sheldon, that he had been down and got a commission, that he, Prosser, was doctoring the Lieut., whose name was Chase, that if decl. would wait a few days he could safely go down with that Co., that he could stay about the neighborhood and should be informed when the Co. was ready, that decl. remained in that vicinity, became acquainted with several of the persons who were going with that Co., was acquainted with Lieut. Chase, but never saw the Capt. to form any acquaintance with him. The season had got so far advanced that the Co. was about to start to join the enemy to be ready for an early campaign in 1777. It was about the last of Feb. of that year when a plan was fixed and also a time for meeting. It was situated half a mile from the road and about 3 miles from a house then occupied by Col. Morehouse, a militia Col. After the time was fixed for the meeting of Capt. Sheldon’s Co., the deponent went in the night to Col. Morehouse & informed him of the situation, of the Co., of the time appointed for meeting, of the place, etc., and Morehouse informed decl. that they should be attended to. The decl. remained almost one month in this neighborhood, and once in the time met Mr. Sackett, one of the Com., at Col. Ludington’s, and apprised him what was going on, and was to have given the Com. intelligence when the Co. was to march, but the shortness of the time between the final arrangement and the time of starting was such that decl. was obliged to give the information to Col. Morehouse. The Co., consisting of about 30, met at the time and place appointed, and after they had been there an hour or two two young men of the Co. came in & said there was a gathering under arms at Old Morehouse’s. The inquiry became general, What could it mean? Was there any traitor in the Company? The Captain soon called one or two of the Company out of the door for the purpose of private conversation about the situation, & very soon decl. heard the cry “Stand! Stand!” Those out the door ran, but were soon met by a Co. coming from a different direction, they were taken, the house surrounded & the Co. all made prisoners. The Col. then ordered them to be tied together two by two. They came to decl. and he urged to be excused from going as he was lame and could not travel. The Col. replied “You shall go, dead or alive, & if no other way you shall be carried on the horse with me.” The rest were marched off & decl. put onto the horse with Col. Morehouse and when the prisoners were marched into the house the decl. with the permission of Morehouse left them and made the best of his way to Col. Ludington’s and there informed him about daylight in the morning. From thence he went to Fishkill to the house of Dr. Van Wyck where John Jay boarded, and there informed him of all the occurrences on that northern expedition. Said Jay requested decl. to come before the Com. the next night, when they would be ready to receive him. He accordingly went before the Com., where he declared under oath all that had occurred since he had seen them. The Com. then directed him to go to the house of Col. Van Ness in Albany County, and there take directions from him. He went to Van Ness’s house and was directed by him to go north, but decl. cannot tell the place. The duty was performed, but nothing material discovered further than that the confiscation of the personal property of the Tories and leasing of their lands had a great tendency to discourage them from joining the British army. Decl. then returned to Po’keepsie, where Egbert Benson and Melancthon Smith entered in the room of the Fishkill Com. There was no more business in that town in which they wished to employ decl., and he being apprehensive that a longer continuance in that employment would be dangerous & the time for which he enlisted in Col. Swartwout’s regiment having expired, he came home with the approbation of the Com.

This was about the last of May, 1777, and in the course of the fall, after decl. saw Col. Swartwout at his house in Fishkill & then talked over the subject of this employment of the decl. by the Com. & the Col. told decl. that he had drawn his pay the same as if he had been with the Reg’t, that the Paymaster of the Reg’t lived in the town of Hurley in Ulster Co. Decl. went to the Paymaster and rec’d his pay for nine months’ service or for the term for which the regiment was raised. The decl. was employed in the secret service for a period of full 9 months.

This decl. further says that in the year 1779 in the month of May he enlisted in a company commanded by Captain Jonah Hallett for six months. Decl. enlisted as a Sergeant in said Hallett’s Co. The term of enlistment was performed on the lines in the Co. of Westchester, moving from place to place to guard the country and to detect Tories; that the Co. continued in this service until after Stony Point was taken by Genl. Wayne & abandoned & also reoccupied & abandoned by the English troops, when the Co. was ordered over the river & joined the regiment at Stony Point and continued there in making preparations for building a block house until the time of the expiration of the service, when the Co. was ordered to march to Po’keepsie to be discharged by the Governor. When they arrived the Governor was absent, the Co. was billetted out & decl. was billetted upon the family of Dr. Tappen. After remaining a day or two and the Governor not arriving they were discharged. During this service in Westchester Co. the following occurrence took place: A British vessel lay at anchor near Tiller’s Point & a party of sailors & marines came on shore & marched a short distance from the water, where a party of our men got between them & the water & made them prisoners. They were marched to the place where the Co. lay a little east of Tiller’s Point. The number of prisoners decl. thinks was 12 and the captors 6. The prisoners were afterward sent to Po’keepsie.

The decl. further says that in the month of May in the year 1780 he again enlisted for 6 months in a Co. commanded by Capt. Ludington in Col. Benschoten’s Regt. He entered as a Sergeant in the town of Fredericksburgh, now the town of Kent, Putnam Co. The Regt. assembled at Fishkill & marched to West Point & remained there a few days, some 10 or 15. A call was made for troops to fill up the Brigade or Brigades under the command of General De La Fayette and they were to be raised by drafts or volunteers. A call was made for volunteers and decl. with others volunteered & made a Co. which was put under Capt. Daniel Delavan. The decl. continued to be a Sergeant in Delavan’s Co. Col. Philip Van Courtland commanded the Regt. to which Capt. Delavan’s Co. was attached. Soon after the Co. was formed they crossed the river from West Point and marched to Peekskill, where they remained one night, the next day marched to Verplanck’s Point and crossed over to Stony Point, & from thence made the best of their way to New Jersey where they remained until late in the fall, when the time of enlistment having expired they were discharged, after having fully and faithfully performed the service of 6 months for which he enlisted. During the campaign in New Jersey Major André was arrested, condemned & executed. Several of the soldiers of Capt. Delavan’s Co. went to see him executed. The decl. was Sergeant of the guard that day & could not go to see the execution.

The decl. further says that he has no documentary evidence of his service and that he knows of no person who can testify to his services other than those whose depositions are hereto annexed. The decl. hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll agency of any State. The decl. was born in a place called Harwich in the County of Barnstable and State of Mass. in the year 1750. The decl. has a record of his age. The decl. was living in the town of Danbury in the State of Conn when he enlisted in the service, that service the Revolutionary War. The decl. has resided in the State of New York in what is now the Co. of Putnam, formerly Co. of Dutchess, & now lives in the same Co. & on the same farm where he has lived for the last 50 years. The decl. always volunteered in every enlistment & to perform all the service which he performed as detailed in this declaration. That the decl. was acquainted with the following officers who were with the troops where he served: Genl. Schuyler, Gen. Montgomery, Gen. Wooster, Col. Waterbury, Col. Holmes, Gen. De La Fayette, Gen. Poor, Col. Van Courtland, Col. Benschoten, Col. Ludington. The decl. never rec’d. any written discharge & if he ever received a Sergeant’s warrant it is through time or accident lost or destroyed. This decl. is known to Samuel Washburn, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the Co. of Putnam; Beneah Y. Morse, a clergyman in his neighborhood and who he believes can testify to his character for veracity & good behavior & thus belief of his services as a Soldier of the Revolution.

Enoch Crosby.

Sworn to & Subscribed this day and year aforesaid;

I. Morehouse, Clerk of said Court.

Appended to this declaration were affidavits of Judge Washburn and the Rev. Mr. Morse, confirming so far as their knowledge extended the statements of Enoch Crosby. There were also similar affidavits of Timothy Wood, Jabez Berry, and Daniel Crawford, who had been fellow soldiers with Crosby in the war.