Enough has been said already to indicate the intimate relations which existed between Crosby and Colonel Ludington. While the spy was on service in Dutchess County, in connection with Prosser and his company, he was a frequent visitor at Ludington’s house, and often lay hidden securely there while Tories were searching for him. (Between Prosser and Colonel Ludington, by the way, as we shall presently see, a peculiarly bitter personal feud existed.) Colonel Ludington’s daughters, Sibyl and Rebecca, were also privy to Crosby’s doings, and had a code of signals, by means of which they frequently admitted him in secrecy and safety to the house, where he was fed and lodged. In addition to Crosby and to Benajah Tubbs, who was mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, Colonel Ludington furnished numerous other members of the Secret Service from the ranks of his own regiment, and was himself the recipient of their clandestine reports, some of which were transmitted by him to the Committee of Safety and some to the headquarters of General Washington.
Home of the late George Ludington, on site of Colonel Ludington’s house
CHAPTER VI
BETWEEN THE LINES
“Between the lines” is always a place of peculiar difficulty and danger. The Border States in our Civil War were the deadliest battle-grounds, not only the meeting-places of the contending armies but also the scene of innumerable local feuds and conflicts between the inhabitants, half of whom inclined to one side and half to the other. A similar position was held in the Revolution by Westchester and Dutchess counties, lying between the British at the south and the Americans at the north. As this was the most fertile and productive agricultural region easily accessible from New York, it was frequently invaded by British foraging parties, seeking the supplies which were needed by the army in the city and which were not easily to be got elsewhere. Nor did the region altogether escape similar attentions from the American Army. More than once, indeed, organized raids were made by the latter southward into the part of the debatable ground lying nearest to the British lines, not only to secure forage and other supplies for American use but also to prevent them from falling into the hands of the British. Himself a resident of that region, Colonel Ludington was well fitted to deal with such local conditions, and accordingly a large third part of his public services were thus rendered. Entries in his ledger indicate that he was a member of the Dutchess County Committee of Safety on June 11, 1776, and for some time thereafter. This was the committee which was constituted for the purpose of “inquiring into, detecting and defeating all conspiracies formed in this State against the liberties of America.” When he was no longer a member of the committee he was one of its most efficient executive agents, and much of the services of himself and his regiment were given in pursuance of the plans of that committee.
Home of the late Frederick Ludington, son of Colonel Ludington, at Kent
In the records of the Committee of Safety under date of October 14, 1776, we find that “Col. Ludington informed a member that he has 20 or more Arms, taken from disaffected persons, now in his possession, and requests to know how they shall be disposed of. Ordered, That Col. Ludington send all arms in his possession, taken from disaffected persons, to this Committee without delay, and that he sends his account for repairing to the Auditor-General.” The “account for repairing” refers to the work done by Colonel Ludington on the captured weapons to make them serviceable for use in the American Army; many of the Tories deliberately breaking their muskets or depriving them of essential parts, before surrendering them. A little later William Duer, one of the foremost members of the Committee, reported that “large quantities of hay and corn were purchased by the Quarter Master General for use of the Continental Army in the eastern part of this (Dutchess) County and the western part of Connecticut, that it would be hardly practicable to convey the same to the army unless the roads leading from the Oblong and Fredericksburgh towards Pine’s Bridge and North Castle were better repaired. He therefore in behalf of General Mifflin, Quarter Master General of the Continental Army, prayed that this House would devise ways and means of facilitating the above mentioned communication, not doubting but so necessary an expenditure would be cheerfully reimbursed from the Continental Treasury. On taking the application of Mr. Duer into consideration, Resolved, That it will be necessary to repair the following Roads in order to facilitate the cartage of forage to the Continental Army, from the house of Col. Henry Ludington thence to Samuel Washburn’s, being 8 miles; the road which runs east from Col. Harry Ludington’s to the Store of Malcolm Morrison’s and thence south to the Mills of Samuel Washburn, being 12 miles. Resolved That Col. Ludington detach from his Regiment 100 men for the purpose of repairing that part of the road which is first mentioned, being in distance 8 Miles.… Ordered, that copies of these Resolutions be immediately transmitted to the Supts. above mentioned, who are directed to communicate them without loss of time to Cols. Fields and Luddington.” For this road-mending work the Committee fixed the price of labor at ten shillings a day, exclusive of subsistence, for the superintendents, and four shillings a day for the men, the latter to provide their own sustenance. They had power to impress teams and carts, and to pay for each ox-cart and two yoke of cattle sixteen shillings, and for each wagon twelve shillings. Those who remember the common condition of roads in that part of the State a score of years ago, will appreciate what need there must have been a century before of repairs and improvements.