Colonel Henry Ludington: A Memoir

by Willis Fletcher Johnson

The man Holmes mentioned was Colonel John Holmes, one of the most wary and energetic Tories in that part of the country. He was famed as a breeder and racer of horses, and had a stock farm near Colonel Ludington’s. Indeed, he and Ludington were neighbors and friends before the outbreak of the war, but in the animosities engendered by that conflict they were involved as bitter foes. Holmes had a commission from the British authorizing him to enlist men for their service, and for this purpose he had a recruiting station on Fishkill Plains in an out-of-the-way place—a field covered with scrub oak. There he gathered Tories and drilled them for the British service. He often boasted privately that his friend Ludington would one day accompany him on a visit to General Howe at New York—meaning, of course, as a prisoner. Colonel Ludington, however, completely turned the tables upon his old neighbor and would-be captor. Learning from his secret agents that Holmes was collecting a company of Tories on the Fishkill Plains, he quietly gathered his own regiment for what he warned them was to be an undertaking of much activity and danger. After several days of preparation, he led his men at night to the Tory rendezvous. Dividing them into companies, he caused them completely to encircle the scrub oak field and close in upon it from all sides. So quietly and effectively was the work done that Holmes and every one of his followers were captured, without the loss of a life or the firing of a single shot. There were, however, several severe hand-to-hand struggles, in one of which Colonel Ludington himself had a brand new suit of clothes almost entirely torn from his back. Holmes was furious at being thus trapped, and the more so when he found that Ludington was his captor. He was compelled to give up as spoils of war his watch and purse, and a large sum of British money which had been given to him for the conduct of his recruiting operations. Colonel Ludington then marched the whole party off to Poughkeepsie and deposited them in jail. He appears to have had no personal grudge against Holmes, however, and on a subsequent occasion saved his life at much danger to himself.

The ardent patriots of the border counties were not content with merely these acts of forcible suppression of traitorous conduct, but desired to strike still more strongly and effectively at the foes of their own neighborhood. An act of the Convention had already authorized the occupation and leasing at moderate rentals of all lands owned by those who had entered the British service. At first there was little disposition to enforce the measure, but as the Revolution proceeded, and the “pernicious activity” of the Tories became more marked, the people of Dutchess County moved for the execution of the law. The following letter was accordingly addressed to Governor Clinton by the Board of Sequestration of that county:

To his Excellency George Clinton, Esq.
Governor of the State of New York, General of the Militia, and Admiral of the Navy of the same.

The Memorial of Theodorus Van Wyck and Henry Livingston Jun. Commissioners of Sequestration for the County of Dutchess.

Sheweth, That, whereas, on the 13th day of May, 1777, The honorable the Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York came to the following resolution “Resolved that the Commissioners of sequestration be directed & impowered to lease out the lands & Tenements of all such persons as already have gone, or hereafter shall go, unto & Join the Enemies of this State, under Moderate rent, from year to year, to persons friendly to the cause of America & who will Covenant to keep the same in repair & to suffer no waste to be done thereon”—And again “Resolved, that in all such leases the Inhabitants of this State who have been driven from their Habitations by the Enemy should be preferred by the Commissioners to others who have not that claim to the favor of the public.”

Agreeable to the above resolutions your Memorialists have put numbers of well affected Refugees Inhabitants of this State into the possession of lands and tenements deserted by the former disaffected proprietors. As yet your Memorialists have stipulated with but very few of the Refugees aforesaid, what rent they shall pay for the lands & tenements they Occupy. Your Memorialists wish to have pointed out to them, what proportion of the highest rent they could obtain from others, for lands and tenements above described, the said Refugees should pay.

Your Memorialists would also beg leave to represent to your Excellency, that numbers of persons now with our Enemies own large tracts of land in this County; Many of the tenants on which are desirous of discharging their rents, and have in many instances applyed to your Memorialists for direction. By virtue of any Resolutions made by the Legislature your Memorialists do not think themselves authorized to receive the Same.

If the Legislature see fit to direct to have the above rents collected your Memorialists wish the Estates may be particularized.

Your Memorialists would also inform your Excellency that they have in their possession a quantity of plate late the property of Mess. John Livingston, Peter Stuyvesant and Stephen Crossfield, and be given direction in the disposition of it.

And your Memorialists will &c.