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November 15th Daniel Lockwood, of Stamford aged 81, born January 1769: “General Waterbury was not enterprising. He built Fort Nonsense about the middle of the war (1780 or ’81). It was square with bastions at the angles, and enclosed rather more than an acre. The barracks which were of wood formed the sides. Two of the bastions were of stone, and two of the fascines filled with earth. It formed a good residence for the soldiers, and was never attacked. It also relieved the inhabitants very much who previously had the soldiers quartered upon them. When the Refugees came up in June 1781 (1/85) they did not attack the guard at Titus’s Bridge who retreated to Fort Nonsense without loss. The inhabitants and militia turned out under Captain Ebenezer Jones and Capt. Lockwood, and pursued, I think, as far as Rye, recovering most of the cattle and horses taken. Lieut Wilson, of Waterbury, went down to Titus’s Bridge, reconnoitered

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on horseback and returned to General Waterbury for troops who would not suffer any to go. Wilson then pushed on and joined the volunteers and militia in their pursuit. General Waterbury was blamed. Many thought he might have overtaken the enemy. He said the key of the ammunition magazine was lost and he couldn’t get powder &c. A song in ridicule was written. These are two lines: “’Do you See’ [X] has lost his key, And sav’d both stores and men!” &c. General Waterbury didnt come (command) in the line till towards the end of the war. His Head Quarters were here at my father’s house. Once he was informed that the Refugees were coming up to surprise him when he retreated to an island in a swamp near here. This was while they were building Fort Nonsense. Toward the end of the war a scout of Waterbury’s went down to Morrisania and took some cattle and prisoners. (?) They were pursued to Hogpenridge and forced

[X] A favorite phrase with Gen. Waterbury

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to abandon the cattle. They then took to the woods. Refugees surrounded the wood which was a small one, and then offered quarters which were accepted. Lieut. Smith, I believe, commanded the American party The Refugees were double manned a foot man behind a horseman. After surrender many of the Americans were wounded with their own weapons. Serjeant Whiting of Waterbury’s was killed. He was a brave soldier and putting up a fence which had been let down to drive the cattle through when he was killed by a musket ball shot. Lieut. Josiah Smith was wounded on the hand. A Refugee presented his gun at his breast which he put aside with his hand at the muzzle. It was discharged and shot his thumb off. Ensign Joseph Cutler (afterwards of Tarrytown) was wounded in the leg, and Quarter master Campbell was wounded in the knee. The scout consisted of about twenty, and every one was wounded except Whiting who was

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killed. The scout were all taken and the officers paroled. This (I think) took place at Hogpenridge near Rye. Capt. Ebenezer Jones was born about the year 1750, and died about 15 or 20 years ago at Troy to which place he removed some years (ten years or so) after the war. Troy at the time was just founded. My brother in law Samuel Hutton of Stamford owned the horse which was shot from under Colonel Humphreys at Greenwich Point in the year . This was a very fine mare, and Col. Humphreys trained her to leap over walls, &c. Once when the Refugees came up to Horseneck the cannon was drawn into a field of grain, concealed and saved. I think Major Fitch commanded at Horseneck at this time. One of Mosiers men was from the town of Stamford. His name was Moses Schofield. Capt. Fowler’s affair?

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Seth Palmer of Palmer’s Hill was a militia captain during the Revolutionary war My father Daniel Lockwood was under Major Davenport when they pursued Capt Frost’s party at Darien. If the men had had their own way, Frost would have been taken by Major Davenport who thought that there was danger. The men were raving to attack. The tide was down and the British vessels aground so that they couldn’t bring their guns to bear. [X] The Refugees frequently came up as high as this within half a mile of the fort. Once they took two horses and a pair of oxen from my father who got one of the horses back at the end of several years.

[X] Major Davenport would not consent to attack the enemy on their retreat to their shipping. He said it would be too hazardous, and he would not expose his men. He was too prudent, or too timorous for an officer. (Daniel Lockwood.)

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There was a Colonel Hobby who lived at Horseneck. Fort Nonsense was short of half a mile to the east of Mahanus river about one mile and a half north of ^the old Mah[anus] old Post road, two and a half miles north of the Turnpike road, and about three miles north west from Stamford Village. The officers had their Marqueés, and the ammunition was kept within the fort. The two redoubts or Bastions in the West were of stone, and the two on the east of fascines filled in with earth.” [I went to see Fort Nonsense in company with Deacon Daniel Lockwood and David Miller, and viewed from the road such traces of the remains as exist. It was situated on the east side of the Mahanus river and the west side of the road and contained within its bounds more than an acre of land. – J. M. M. Novr. 15 1849.]

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There were several able officers at different times under General Waterbury at Fort Nonsense. One, I think, was Colonel Meigs. In the times of the Revolutionary war there was a greater number of Farm houses than there are now, and the open country was more thickly populated, although at present the villages are larger and much more numerous.