1846.

204,

December 16th Mrs. Benson McGowan: "Randalls Island now owned by the New York Corporation was the property of Captain Montressor before the Revolutionary war. It was confiscated, and after peace passed into the hands of Captain Randall, a native of Harlem, father of David Randall Esq, Captain Randall was a tory, raised a company of Provincials and received a commission which he afterwards sold out, and with the proceeds purchased the Island.

The Benson House at Haerlem where I was born was built by my great Grandfather, and is more than one hundred years old. In Septem =ber 1776, when the British fired across the river at Jacob Walton's (Waldron's) house my father became alarmed for his family, and putting a few valuable and necessaries in a waggon took his

[marg: 1846.] wife and children to the country ex= =pecting to return in a fortnight, but we remained there till after peace was proclaimed. First we settled in Fishkill, and afterwards lived at Salis= =bury in Connecticut.

The Skirmish at Haerlem in which Colonel Knowlton fell, took place near where the De Peysters lived, and so north of there, that is, in the vicinity of the Bloomingdale Asylum.

The Blue Bell was a taver on the Post road near Fort Washington; and which before and during the Revolutionary war, was kept by Blazius Moore, father of Blazey Moore who lives now in the Bowery.

Colonel Roger Morris's house is the same, now owned by Madame Jumel, with but little alteration. It was Washington's and afterwards Kny= =phausen's Head-quarters.