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1844

Mr. Patty Holmes. Nov 25th. Mrs. Patty Holmes of Bedford: Poundridge was burnt on Friday, and Bedford a week from the next Sunday, that is nine days after. On the retiring of the British from Poundridge through Bedford they burnt the church, that is, the Meeting House and Colonel Holmes’ house, and a week from the next Sunday they burnt all the houses, except one. A woman begged them to spare her house and they consented. She then interceded for the opposite house where the brothers of Colonel Holmes lived. Here they found a pair of pistols, and would not then consent, &c. The British were part Refugees and part regular troops. When the British retreated from Poundridge Capt. Gilbert Dean’s first wife attacked and took a Refugee soldier who lagged behind. Armed with her husband’s gun she made him prisoner. Colonel Holmes was disappointed at a Colonel in the American service till the latter part of the war. He was disappointed, and

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Mrs Patty Holmes contd.

considered himself ill treated – He advanced his own money to pay the troops when the authorities, could not command it and was not refunded afterwards. Mrs. Ronalds of Fishkill, a daughter of Colonel Holmes. Mrs. Elizabeth Trowbridge lives at Sing Sing where with Mrs. Coyler her son in law. Mr. Samuel Lawrence, near Cross river. Mr. Samuel Barrett lives 2 ½ miles from Bedford.

Mr. Jeremy Reynolds lives near Mr. Barrett’s one and a half miles from Bedford.

When the British burnt Bedford they advanced no further East than where the School house stands about a quarter of a mile from Bedford village. Here they posted a guard while they burnt

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Mrs Patty Holmes contd.

the village. There were no troops but militia at Bedford when it was burnt. No men in the village when it was burnt. All in the militia. Blatchford preached about a year at Bedford when he first came over. Captain Richard Sackett was from Bedford. Tarleton advanced and retreated by the West road through North Castle. When they burnt Bedford they advanced by the west road and retreated by the Post road.

[The following “Memory” is, with few exceptions, substantially the same as the foregoing one (of Mrs. Holmes). J.E.]

Nov. 25. 1844. Mrs. Patty Holmes: I was born in Bedford, and lived in the Revolutionary war a short distance out of the village [of Bedford?] – east of it. I am now almost ninety. I was a grown up girl in the war. Poundridge was burnt on Friday, and Bedford a week from the next Sunday – that is, nine

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Mrs Patty Holmes contd.

days after. When the British retreated after burning Poundridge, Captain Gilbert Deane’s first wife armed with her husband’s musket attacked and made prisoner of a Refugee soldier who lagged behind. When the British retreated through Bedford after burning Poundridge they burnt the Meeting House and Colonel Holmes’s house, and nine days afterwards, on Sunday they burnt the parsonage and all the rest of Bedford, except one house. A woman of the village begged them so hard to spare her house that they consented. She then interceded for the opposite house occupied by a brother of Colonel Holmes. They hesitated, but on searching the rooms found a pair of pistols when they refused to hear any further request and fired the house. They searched for arms, and never spared a house where they found any. The British force that burnt Bedford was, I think, part Refugees and part Regulars.

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Mrs. Patty Holmes contd.

Holmes was a Colonel in the American service until the middle or latter part of the war. He was a disappointed man and considered himself ill treated. He advanced moneys to pay the troops when the authorities had none, and was not afterwards refunded when it was in their power. When the British burnt Bedford they advanced no further east than the District School House which stands about a quarter of a mile from the Village on the Poundridge road. Here they posted a guard while they set fire to the village. There were no troops at or near Bedford at the time but the militia. The village was entirely deserted by the men all of whom had turned out in the militia. Capt. Richard Sackett was from Bedford. In the attack on Poundridge, Tarleton advanced and retreated by the west road through North castle. – When they burnt Bedford they advanced by the west road, and retreated by the Post road. The Revd. Mr. Blatchford, when he first arrived from England preached about a year at Bedford, and then settled near Albany. He was much liked in Bedford.