Interview with Edwards, Amelia
Powell, just previously to her death spoke to me about the fallen fortunes of the De Lancey family in a very lamenting strain. "Formerly," she said, "the De Lanceys were numerous and looked to by all - but now they were almost extinct in West Chester, and held in reverence by none". About two years before the blockhouses at West Farms were burnt, there was a battle between the British and Americans across the Bronx. [Mrs. Edwards says they fought across the Bronx
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when the British first landed in 1775. She is, probably, mistaken, and confounds the Bronx with the West Chester Creek, across which latter there was much fighting. - J. M. M.] De Lancey's quarters were for long at Squire (or Alderman) Leggett's about one mile below West Farms. The old jail at West Chester stood between the Church and the Quaker Meeting House, and was burnt in 1781 by Colonel Hull. The Court House, a wooden building, stood directly across the road from the jail. The Church was the same that now stands there. James Huested, an American, was a lieutenant under Emmerich. Huested's wife was a sister of the celebrated John Paulding, one of André's captors. I always suspected that Paulding might have received information from his brother
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- in law which led to the capture). Captain Althouse also was an officer under Emmerich. I don't know whether he was an American or a German. When Tim Knapp was taken Colonel De Lancey came into West Farms from his quarters below, about 9, a.m. He paced the Guard room awhile in silence without deigning to cast a glance at the prisoner, but at length suddenly stopped before him, and looking him full in the face, thus addressed him, his whole frame trembling, and the tone of his voice deep and quivering with passion: "Tim Knapp, prepare to die!