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October 7th Mrs. Daniel Edwards of West Farms: “By the old roads of the Revolutionary war, it was about four miles from West Farms to Morrisania, and about three from West Farms to West Chester. Graham’s Neck was the first neck east of Morrisania, and the old road from West Farms to Morrisania, after running along or near the Bronx turned to the right of Graham’s place, and so crossed Mill Brook near where the present bridge is, a little north of Morrisania Church. After the British took Fort Washington in 1776, it became necessary for them to build barracks and huts for the troops, for which purpose they took all the boards from the outbuildings of the farmers in the lower part of West Chester County, both whigs and tories. The barns and out-houses of nearly all the farmers in the neighborhood of West Farms were stripped in

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this manner. These barracks and huts for the most part were erected in the vicinity of Fort Washington and Kingsbridge. Madam DeLancey was the only person in our neighborhood that kept a four wheeled pleasure carriage before the Revolutionary war. Her grand-daughter, Mrs. Powell, just previously to her death spoke to me about the fallen fortunes of the DeLancey family in a very lamenting strain. ‘Formerly,’ she said, ‘the DeLancey’s were numerous and looked to by all – but now they were almost extinct in West Chester, and held in reverence by none.’ About two years before the blockhouses at West Farms were burnt, there was a battle between the British and Americans across the Bronx. [Mrs. Edwards says they fought across the Bronx

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when the British first landed in 1776. She is, probably, mistaken, and confounds the Bronx with the West Chester Creek, across which latter there was much fighting. – J. M. M.] DeLancey’s quarters were for long at Squire (or Alderman) Leggetts about one mile below West Farms. The old Jail at West Chester stood between the Church and the Quaker Meeting House, and was burnt in 1781 by Colonel Hull. The Court House, a wooden building, stood directly across the road from the Jail. The Church was the same that now stands there. James Huested, an American, was a lieutenant under Emmerick. Huested’s wife was a sister of the celebrated John Paulding, one of André’s captors. I always suspected that Paulding might have received information from his brother

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-in-law which led to the capture. Captain Althouse who also was an officer under Emmerick. I don’t know whether he was an American or a German. When Tim Knapp was taken Colonel DeLancey came into West Farms from his quarters below, about 9. a.m. He paced the guard room awhile in silence without deigning to cast a glance at the prisoner, but at length suddenly stopped before him, and looking him full in the face thus addressed him, his whole frame trembling, and the tone of his voice deep and quivering with passion: “Tim Knapp, prepare to die! You shall be hung before 12 o’clock this day, by the living God!’ Knapp did not appear terrified. On the contrary, he at first looked gay and smiling, but as the hour approached he became more sober. He said that from the first moment of his discovering Colonel DeLancey’s countenance he had no longer any hope of preserving

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his life. The only observation he was heard to make at the place of execution was the following: Looking first around him, and then at his old commander he said: ‘Colonel DeLancey! if your men were to be hanged for every horse they had stolen (taken or plundered) where would they all be?’ &c. &c. Major Bearmore’s sister, Hellitje, married Robert Emery. The West Chester people must be able to tell if any of the Bearmore’s family be living, where they are to be found. [Part of this I got from Mr. Berrian. J. M. M.] It was in 1778, I think, that my aunt, Mrs. Pheobe Turner (Daniel Turner’s widow) was robbed and afterwards murdered From the wounds in her hands and arms and the place where her body lay, it was supposed they were on the point of finding her money, and that she then resisted,

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upon which they wounded her severely cutting some of the large veins or arteries, and that she then bled to death. They fought some across the Bronx, I think, when the Block House was taken. Major Bearmore, I think, was never under DeLancey, but commanded a separate corps that wore a green uniform. The company (companies?) under Barnes and Althouse also wore green, or scarlet trimmed with green. In the Revolutionary war there was no road from White Plans to Williams’ Bridge, except on the east side of the Bronx or by the Kings Bridge road. We used to go to Williams’ Bridge through Bear Swamp, a little east of the Bronx which was the shortest road. In the Revolution there was a road from Deveau’s Point and Fort No 8. through the fields of Fordham nearly straight to West Farms.

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Thomas Leggett’s barn was south or rather south east of Theophilus Hunts.