Mary Sniffen, with a party of friends from near Round Hill or thereabouts, forming a considerable company, was killed at Rye Neck in 1777.(?) The party escorting her were driving cattle below and stopped a moment at Stoneybrook to water when they were fired upon by some militia under John Maynard of Purchase Street near Merritt's corner (that is, below) who were lying in ambush. Her friends escaped but she was thrown from her horse and afterwards killed by a bayonet
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thrust through the temple, (as her friends said and thought). She was engaged to marry Jacob Tier of New York, and was going below to take some money to her father (who was confined in the old Provost) to effect his liberation, and to make some further preparations for her marriage. May- -nards party robbed her of part of her dress, and carried her pockets (at that time worn outside of the dress) on the points of their bayonets as a trophy, saying they belonged to a spy killed by them. The money on her person was saved, being concealed in her hair at that time worn high. Her family was indignant and bent on revenge. [This is the account of N and M Brown of King Street - though it was generally considered an accident, and Maynard
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always protested he didn't kno there was a female in the company.] The escort from Round Hill reached Sniffen's Hill late at night and as the evening advanced Mary was extremely anxious for their arrival in order to proceed on her journey chiding her escort's tardiness and displaying great uneasiness. She had prepared her wedding dress, and for half a century afterwards it was pre- -served and shown by her family.