Home / Macdonald, John. Interview with Chichester, Henry, c.1762-1849; (1847-11-04). John M. McDonald Interviews, 1844-1851, WCHS item 1392. Westchester County Historical Society. Transcribed by history.croton.news April 2026. / Passage

Interview with Chichester, Henry

Macdonald, John. Interview with Chichester, Henry, c.1762-1849; (1847-11-04). John M. McDonald Interviews, 1844-1851, WCHS item 1392. Westchester County Historical Society. Transcribed by history.croton.news April 2026. 314 words

We then surrendered and were taken to Loyds Neck and to New York, and put on board the old Jersey Prison Ship, from which I afterwards escaped. It was the Sugar House in Liberty St. adjacent to the Mid. Dutch Church where Paulding and I were confined in 1780. He escaped with my assistance. I at his request attracted the attention of the sentry pointing with my father down the street while Paulding climbed up on a pile of boards which just enabled him to reach the fence between the Sugar House and the Church. The Guard House was on the front of the yard on Liberty Street. We were allowed the liberty of this yard. The sentries - two - one on each side - paced the yard from north to south. Paulding [page break] jumped into the Street, or the Dutch church yard and so escaped. Brewsters fight with the Hoyt was off the Norwalk Islands, in the middle of the Sound. Brewsters was an eight oared boat and Ryders a ten oared. Hoyts was eight oared and his partners a five oared. They carried two in addition to the oarsmen - vizt: one at the helm, and one at the bow. Ryder carried a swivel in the bow. I don't know whether the others carried swivels. Ryder engaged the five oared boat, took her, took out her sails and oars, and bore down to Brewster's assistance who was about equally matched with Hoyt. They had boarded each other several times and been beaten off. Brewster was wounded and probably would not have taken Hoyt but for Ryder's help. They clenched each other and fought with the breach of their muskets, bayonets, swords. &c Brewster and Hoyt were bitterly hostile. Ryder came down and fired his swivel at [page break] Hoyt's boat which killed two of his men and decided the engagement.