Home / Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution. Morrisania, NY: (privately printed by the author), 1886. / Passage

Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution

Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution. Morrisania, NY: (privately printed by the author), 1886. 387 words

Captain Hatfield's Tavern stood almost due South from the old Courthouse, and nearly half a mile distant, on the North side of the old stageroad to New York, -- the line of that road has been changed, 6ince 1775-- on property more recently owned by Samuel B. Lyon, Esq., and now by the heirs of the late Alfred Waller, Esq.

The old building has been removed from the place on which it stood, in 1775, to a place, further to the northward, not far from the site of the old Court-house ; and is now occupied as a tenement.

Isaac Oakley's Tavern stood on the East side of the old stage-road

It is evident that neither of the two factions was very punctual in its attendance, at the appointed hour -- a practice which is continued to this day, in Westchester-county, on similar occasions -- and, for a reason which was perfectly obvious, the promoters of the proposed Meeting, very evidently, were not in a hurry to assume the great responsibility of carrying forward the schemes of the revolutionary faction in the City of New York, to which they had been invited, especially in view of the greater number of those who were opposed to those schemes, and who were present and apparently prepared to oppose them ; while those who were opposed to the Morrises and to their schemes and to the proposed election, and whose evidently superior numbers had served to dampen the ardor of their opponents, could do nothing else than to wait, and to watch the progress of events. Notwithstanding the hour of ten had been named in the Notification through which the assembled farmers had thus met, it was nearly noon before any attempt to organize a Meeting was made -- probably, some whose presence was desired and expected, had not arrived ; probably, those leaders of the movement who were present were, meanwhile, " comparing notes," and arranging plans of action, and enjoying that social glass, frequently renewed, of which their Chairman subsequently made mention, unwittingly; most probably, the superior numbers of those who were known to be opposed to them, whose strength of numbers was being constantly increased, warned the ambitious Lord of the Manor of Morrisania and his adherents that "the " better part of Valor is -- Discretion."