Interview with Hammond, David
Here he took a path which led through the fields about three quarters of a mile and which came out into the White Plains and Tarrytown road at Isaac Reads Tavern which was about one mile and a half from where Andre was taken, and about two miles to Garytown*. I cannot be mistaken in this. Van Wart said Andre gave this account to satisfy their enquiries which were numerous before and after they arrived at Colonel Jamieson's quarters. Goulding, at the time of the capture, was not more than 17 or 18, being younger than Van Wart or Williams. Van Wart said, he would have let him go because he knew he would be executed. My father's name was Staats Hammond. I was about 12 years old in 1780. In the Revolutionary war there was an attack made by about 30 American
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militia upon a large company of Refugee horse who were driving several hundred cattle and sheep which they had taken from the whigs above Pines bridge. Captain Samuel Kipp commanded the Refugees, and Captain Jacob Acker the Americans. The Americans attacked on both sides of the road in squads behind the fences, and regained all the cattle and sheep without loss. The Refugees lost two or three killed and several wounded, besides seventeen horses killed and wounded. This skirmish happened on the Saw Mill river road, about one and a half miles south of the County House. (?) Van Wart used to come to a mill I had charge of, and in the course of our conversations communicated to me the foregoing facts in relation to the route pursued by Andre after crossing Pines Bridge; and which he Van Wart declared to me he received from Andre himself on the day of his capture.
This skirmish happened on the Saw Mill river road, about one and a half miles south of the County House. (?) Van Wart used to come to a mill I had charge of, and in the course of our conversations communicated to me the foregoing facts in relation to the route pursued by Andre after crossing Pines Bridge; and which he Van Wart declared to me he received from Andre himself on the day of his capture.