Griffen, William
John M. McDonald interview — 1846-11-05
William Griffen of Mamaroneck notes that the men led by William Lounsbury, who was killed in Mamaroneck in August 1776 while recruiting Loyalist soldiers, were not armed. He describes the location of a British encampment in 1779, and states that the force that went north to burn Bedford left from near his family’s house. Griffen notes that Colonel Robert Rogers was surprised at Nelson’s Hill (now Heathcote Hill) at the Battle of Heathcote Hill in 1776, and that Aaron Burr visited his family’s house with his guide, whom he believes was Cornelius Oakley. Griffen recalls the Duke of Lauzun, who commanded Lauzun’s Legion of the French army and repaid his father after some of his soldiers stole barrels of his cider.
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Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 402 -
Stephen Hall ½ a mile from Delancey’s Mrs. Mary Ward, of Ward’s Island, lives with Oliver Ward.
November 5th William Griffen, of Mamaroneck: “William Lounsberry was enlisting for the King and lay in the Great Lots about one mile and a half from Mamaroneck village when he was attacked and killed. His men were not armed. In 1779, the British army lay near the road where Nathaniel Brown afterwards lived, about two miles north of Mamaroneck village on the west side of the White Plains road. – The party that burnt Bedford went from near our house. (They started in the night and we did not hear of them or know of their excursion until their return.) I think, but am not certain, they were the Queen’s Rangers under Simcoe. Colonel Rogers was surprised at Nelson’s Hill back of Jno. Pr. [X] Delancey’s. Colonel Burr used to come to our house with Cornelius Oakley, who was his guide, or one of them.
[X] (John Peter Delancy)
- Hufeland Index Page 403 -
Lauzun said: “The women of this country don’t like my whiskers. – I can’t get along with them – but I can’t cut them off.” His men took cider – three or four barrels from us without paying [X], and my father then went to the Plains and complained to the Duke who immediately sent an officer to us and paid liberally. The officer was angry because my father complained to the Duke. My father was a neutral in politics, and for that reason was suspected of being a tory. My father invited the Dukes officers (?), who paid us, to dinner – treated them to some “Cider Royal”, when they forgot their pique about his complaint to the Duke, and got very merry. I think some of the Duke’s legion – officers and men – were Dutch or German.
[X] They brought a cart with them from White Plains, and threatened to kill my father if he hindered them.