Hammond, David, c.1768-1854
John M. McDonald interview — 1848-11-29
David Hammond (c.1768-1854) was a son of Staats Hammond and Elizabeth Martling Hammond. British Major John André stopped at the Hammond house before his capture on September 23, 1780. Much of Hammond’s interview is spent discussing André, and he notes that he learned a great deal from speaking with Isaac Van Wart, one of the three captors of André. Hammond also describes a skirmish that took place between a group of Loyalist cavalry commanded by Captain Samuel Kipp and a force of American cavalry under Captain Jacob Acker.
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Transcription
[margin: Van Wart used to come to my mill where he told me all.] November 29th David Hammond aged 80. "Major Andre called at my father's house on the 23d of September 1780, asked for a drink of water. My sister brought water from the spring, and he asked me to hold his horse, whilst he drank, which I did. He then asked how far it was to White Plains. My mother told him eight miles. "My God!" said he, holding up his hands "am I so far off yet." going to White Plains Instead of turning off however, at Russell's corner, he turned off on the Tarrytown road. Isaac Van Wart told me Andre pursued after leaving Pinesbridge which was as follows (and which I have told him, as he had to answer on being questioned): He went from Pines bridge on the road to White Plains about six miles as far as Russell's corner when he took the Tarrytown road on which he went about two miles and a half to where
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[margin: * From Read's he went to the place of capture. The road he took at Russell's corner would have brought Andre out on the Post road at Reeds store on the hill side, had he not taken the path across the fields.] James Rogue lived. Here he took a path which led through the fields about three quarters of a mile and which came out into the White Plains and Tarrytown road at Isaac Reads Tavern which was about one mile and a half from where Andre was taken, and about two miles to Garytown*. I cannot be mistaken in this. Van Wart said Andre gave this account to satisfy their enquiries which were numerous before and after they arrived at Colonel Jamieson's quarters. Goulding, at the time of the capture, was not more than 17 or 18, being younger than Van Wart or Williams. Van Wart said, he would have let him go because he knew he would be executed. My father's name was Staats Hammond. I was about 12 years old in 1780. In the Revolutionary war there was an attack made by about 30 American
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militia upon a large company of Refugee horse who were driving several hundred cattle and sheep which they had taken from the whigs above Pines bridge. Captain Samuel Kipp commanded the Refugees, and Captain Jacob Acker the Americans. The Americans attacked on both sides of the road in squads behind the fences, and regained all the cattle and sheep without loss. The Refugees lost two or three killed and several wounded, besides seventeen horses killed and wounded. This skirmish happened on the Saw Mill river road, about one and a half miles south of the County House. (?) Van Wart used to come to a mill I had charge of, and in the course of our conversations communicated to me the foregoing facts in relation to the route pursued by Andre after crossing Pines Bridge; and which he Van Wart declared to me he received from Andre himself on the day of his capture.