Lydia
John M. McDonald interview — 1844-10-24
John Macdonald conducted only one interview with an African American woman. Lydia, who had been enslaved by Andrew Lyon of King Street in Rye, recounts the killing of a French army sutler by the Loyalist Shubael Merritt in 1781. Lydia notes that the sutler was purchasing cider from Andrew Lyon when he was slain, and that a detachment from the French army came to investigate the matter the following day.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 053 -
Oct 24th Lydia (a colored woman):
In 1781, a French sutler and three men came to my master’s (Andrew Lyon of King Street), and made a purchase of some cider for the French army at White Plains. Mr. Lyon and his men were in the cellar getting out the cider and the sutler on the fence by the door when Shube Merritt [Neh. ^Neb. Merritt and Tim Saxton [X]] came upon them. Shube shot the Frenchman dead, and, searching him, found a belt around his body filled with gold – one hundred Louis d’ors tis said. This was divided among three of them. (?) The next day a detachment of French came over from White Plains to enquire into the matter. They (Merritt and party?) took one Frenchman prisoner and the rest got off.
[X] (Neb. Merritt?)
See p.68 (copy)