- Hufeland Index Page 142 -
Sept. 15th. Captain John Romer
Captain Pray was in ambuscade with a party a little above Mr. Beckman's when Ogden surprised Requas. At Tarrytown they killed Israel Isaac Martling. John VanTassel was posted as sentinel near the house and challenged the enemy who charged. He fired, defended himself with his bayo- -net, but was surrounded and cut to pieces by the dragoons. The men then jumped out of the windows &c. [At Norton's attack he left his cannon at or near James Sniffen's - two miles from Young's. The man named Falconer executed at White Plains - Jackson, Odell and John Romer.] Capt. John Romer: "I married the daughter of Cornelius Van Tassel and I and my family are his sole representatives.
- Hufeland Index Page 143 -
On the nights of the 17th and 18th of Novem- -ber 1777, Cornelius and his cousin Peter Van Tassel were taken prisoners by Colonel Emmerick who put ropes about their necks and took them off in their shirts and breeches on a bitter cold night. They at the same time took off the horses, cattle and flock of the place and burnt the houses. - After they had fired the houses, a soldier took an infant out in a blanket and de- -posited it in a safe place and then in- -formed the mother who was seeking it in the flames. An American Out Guard had been for some time missed at these houses, which, occasioned their destruction. The Commanding Officer had heard they were intending to strike somewhere, and, being few in number at Van Tassel's, he withdrew the Guard. Pray and Bohannan (?) commanded the water guard.