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October 23 [and 20th] William Barker, of Eastchester, aged : “John and Isaac as well as their brother Cornelius [Barker] were guides for the American and French armies. Isaac was the father of Mr. Stephen Barker. Gilbert, brother of Elijah Vincent, went above and joined the Whigs. He was taken soon after at Croton by a party of Refugees from below and conducted to Morris-

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-ania where the loyalty of his brother and father succeeded in procuring his enlargement By their request he was paroled to his father’s farm. He, as well as his father was blacksmith and each bore the name of Gilbert. Shortly afterwards a party of Sheldon’s men [This is a mistake. It was a party of French cavalry, and Mr. Barker admitted that it probably was so] who were down upon an excursion called at the father’s place, in or near East Chester to get a horse shod. Gilbert Vincent, Junr, was the only smith in the shop at the time, and he declined shoeing the horse on the ground that they were out of coal, or for some reason of that kind. This was considered an insufficient excuse, and some of the West Chester guides were along with the horsemen and knew that the father and Elijah were strong tories. The whole of the American and French party, therefore, considered that the want of coal was a mere pretext to avoid doing a service to the upper party and they endea-

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=voured to compel the younger Vincent to do the work by force. Resistance was offered – a scuffle ensued, and at length one of the dragoons drew a pistol and shot the young man dead. When Elijah, who belonged to Delancey’s corps, heard of this, he vowed revenge, and having several nights waylaid the French scouting parties, he at length attacked one of the Lauzun’s patrols, and killed on of his captains of hussars at Scarsdale. Elijah Vincent was rather small, but a well made man and of uncommon courage. He returned from Nova Scotia soon after the war, and lived in West Chester County for several years. His daring character was well known, and secured him from insult, and he finally settled in Canada where he died. He had a quarrel once after the war with Cornelius Oakley at White Plains and offered combat upon the spot. “I’ll fight you,” said he, “with any weapon you may make choice of, from

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a six pounder down to a pop-gun, and from a dragoon’s sword to a cambric needle!” Capt. Solomon Fowler lived nearly opposite to where Major Theodosius Fowler afterwards built. His place was in (the) East near the borders of West Chester. He was a handsome man of a showy figure, dressed punctiliously well and always wore spurs. In fact he always appeared to act to act the cavalier, and was considered a proud man. He kept a handsome pleasure boat with which he sometimes attended the New York markets. I once went down with him in company with some other boys, and we all took our turns at the oar. In the afternoon, when about to return, he said to us, “Now boys, we’ve got a good boat, let’s buckle to and get back soon.” I was saucy and answered, “Yes, Sir, we’ll give her the spurs!” My answer was much laughed at at the time and considered a good one. Captain Fowler

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upon this occasion wore a large pair of silver spurs. Capt. Fowler had been out once previously to the Horseneck excursion – I think it was to Croton, and ‘twas said he took too much care of himself. This report was the cause of his acting so rashly at Horseneck where he lost his life.