In the uncertain days of the Revolution it is said to have been used for the purpose of obtaining information of military movements from persons who stopped at the tavern, and in the talk around the hearth chanced to drop some unguarded word, ft was at the Couenhoven Inn, afterwards owned and occupied by the late Martin Smith, that General Washington and Governor George Clinton and their staffs met and sojourned on the night of Nov. 19, 1783, on their way to take formal possession of the city of New York. The sales of the confiscated lands on Philipse Manor also took place at Edward Couenhoven' s.

John Jewell, in his application fora pension, date of Feb. 4, 1833, states that he was at Tarrytown when the Rose and Phoenix appeared on the river there in July, 1776. Was in Capt. Glode Requa's Company. In the summer of 1776 employed for a time in sinki ng the chevauxde frise to prevent the British from sailing up the Hudson ; was then stationed at Fort Independence until the retreat of Gen. Washington and the American Army from New York to White Plains, when he was also ordered to that place ; that he was sent with a detachment to Dobbs Ferry, the object being to fire upon and drive off "the British vessels lying in the river at that place, and having driven them away the detachment then marched north to Sing Sing, and was stationed there for some time. He then returned to his home near Dobbs Ferry ; was soon after driven from the same, and his family during the remainder of the Revolution had a temporary residence in the northern part of Westchester County.