Cregier, Augustus, b.c.1769
John M. McDonald interview — 1846-11-17
Augustus Cregier (b.c.1769) states that Loyalist Captain Benjamin Ogden was residing with his children when he was taken prisoner during an American raid into present-day Bronx County, and that his father had care of Ogden after he was wounded. He notes that Joshua Barnes was a captain in Emmerich’s Chasseurs, that George Washington dined at the Van Cortlandt Mansion in 1781, and that the American army was encamped at Paparinimen (spelled here as Paparinimo) in 1776 before marching north to White Plains. Cregier describes the location of an encampment of Hessian troops under Colonel Ludwig von Wurmb, and describes an engagement between Wurmb’s men and Armand’s Legion. He also states that some deserters from the Hessian Jagers joined Armand’s Legion. After discussing the site of the headquarters of Loyalist Colonel James DeLancey, Cregier recounts a skirmish north of King’s Bridge in July 1781 (likely the skirmish of July 3). He then gives the names of two men who participated in the spiking of American cannons at King’s Bridge in January 1776, and indicates the location of the house of General Oliver DeLancey in Manhattan. Cregier states that Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Hatfield commanded the force of Refugee cavalry that pursued that an American raiding party led by Captain Daniel Williams in January 1783 and fought a skirmish along the Hudson River at the Orser farm in present-day Ossining. Cregier then discusses the imprisonment of Frederick Philipse, Lord of Philipsburg Manor, and identifies the location of Hessian Colonel Wurmb’s headquarters. He recounts several details regarding the Battle of Van Cortlandt’s Woods, including an individual combat between British Colonel Banastre Tarleton and a Native American soldier of the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe. Cregier also discusses the activities of Colonel Wurmb’s Jagers, including a patrol led by Captain Carl von Rau. He recounts the mortal wounding of Rau during one of these patrols in 1781. Rau, who was engaged to Anna Fowler, was taken on the horse and carriage of Grace Isaacs Babcock to the Van Cortlandt house, where he died.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
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November 17th Augustus Cregier: Capt. Ogden with his children at Vermille’s under the hill. When taken his son had a broken arm. My father took surgical care of him (the Captain) when he had a severe wound in the arm. (Ogden took very good care of his children.) Joshua Barnes was a Captain of foot in Emmerick’s. (?) General Washington on the 3rd of July 1781, dined on camp fare at Van Courtland’s big house – that is Bibby’s. [X] Part of the American army encamped at Paparinimo in 1776, and when they moved north towards White Plains burnt their barracks.
[X] Note x Dr. Beebe lived in the Van Cortland house at Yonkers. V.
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Col. Wormb encamped inside Spitend. Creek [X1] part of the time (that is, when the Americans appeared in force near, and opposite to where Dyckman’s house now stands. Captain [X2] Armand surprised (in 1779 (?) a Picket Guard of Colonel Wormb’s Yager’s at Frederick [Van Courtland’s] on Tippett’s Hill, and killed and cut to pieces a good many, but took no prisoners. When the Yagers horse deserted they formed Armand’s corps. DeLancey’s Headquarters during part of the war were at Madam Morris’s house where Gouverneur Morris’s house now stands. In July 1781, General Lincoln, or rather Captain Jonathan Lawrence, landed on the farm of Isaac (Lawrence?) about two miles north of Kingsbridge where Thomas Ludlow now lives, and marched to Tetard’s hill where a severe skirmish ensured. Scannell’s brigade
[X1] Spuyten Duyvel Creek? [X2] Colonel. ?
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was piloted by William Green from Hoghill down to General Lincoln, and his (Green’s) horse was shot on Hoghill by Emmerick’s party who were there that night. Emmerick gained the bank of the river at Phillips’s house, where he probably had staid all night, and retreated to Spitend [Spuyten Duyvel?] Creek. John Cook, tavern keeper, at Paparinimo, and John Corbie of the city of New York spiked the cannon at or near Fort Independence. (Probably the second party mentioned by the prisoner Haines &c.) General Oliver de Lancey’s house which was burnt stood, I think, near the French Tanneries and a little south of them, and near the White Fort being on the banks of the river. Colonel Hatfield commanded he party that pursued Captain Daniel Williams to Croton in ’83. – Seven or eight prisoners taken at the
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time. Colonel Philipse was taken up the country as a royalist, but broke his parole at the instigation of his wife, and left, I think, in the winter or Fall of 1776 or 1777. It was the Fall of 1776, I think. Colonel Wormb’s headquarters were at Frederick Van Courtland’s, after moving on the hill, about three years. His regiment was encamped on the same hill called (generally) Tippett’s Hill. Frederick Van Courtland left and went up to the big house, when Wormb took his house. The island of Paparinimo before the war belonged to Colonel Philipse, and was part of the manor. Tarleton charged an Indian at Deveau’s who fell flat down on the ground and tripped his horse, and then seized and was about to kill Tarleton when a Legion soldier (named Murphy) came up and rescued him.
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Daniel Deveau lived by the road, and Frederick Deveau in the fields. Three Indians were killed at Tippett’s brook. The battle was between Mile Square road and Tippett brook across Courtland’s ridge which was east of Tippett’s brook. There are two ridges called Courtland’s, one east of and the other west of Tippett’s brook. Fort Independence was on General Montgomery’s farm which was north of and adjacent to Tetard’s. The Yager dragoons were formed out of Colonel de Wormb’s infantry and were only one company, mounted on American horses. Capt. Ronw ^Rouw belonged to Wormbs, and [X] a patrol was made every day by order of Wormb who lay in front of Dyckman’s at Kingsbridge leaving at day --light – eighty or a hundred in number – marching from Kingsbridge up to Mile Square road, then across Valentines hill and so on over the Saw Mill river
[X]see origl. p. 67
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and Hoghill where three of Pray’s men were who had been left behind from some mistake by Pray who was over the day before. (This took place sometime in the summer or fall of 1781, and before Cornwallis surrender.) Rouw marched with a band of his men, and the three [X1] fired and mortally wounded him in the body. He was taken in Mrs. Babcock’s horse and chair as far as Van Courtland’s big house where he died. Mrs. Day and Miss Fowler [X2], her granddaughter, the daughter of one Pescel Fowler, came and were with Rouw till he died.
[X1] Pray’s 3 men. [X2] She remained inconsolable for many years, and at last married Abraham King – was very handsome.