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Novr. 4th. Martha, wife of James Lyon before mentioned, and daughter of John Banks of Middle Patent: “I am 88, one year only older than my husband. Once towards the close of the war, early about daylight of a Sunday morning in the Fall, I think, Colonel Holmes at the head of a party of Refugees came to my father’s house in the Middle Patent. Father had been guarding the cattle all night. They were for safety kept in the yard, where they could be seen. The first we knew they broke and cut the windows with their swords. My father was abed with the curtains drawn. They surrounded the house and forced the doors, and demanded all our money. My father gave them his pocket book which containd

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only one dollar. They demanded more. Father said that was all he had &c. A gentleman now spoke: “How d’e do, Mr. Banks?” “I don’t know who you are,” said father, much frightened and trembling like a leaf. “What! don’t you know an old neighbor?” “No,” said my father, “I don’t recollect you.” “I am Colonel Holmes (?)” replied the stranger. My father then reasoned with and shamed Colonel Holmes for allowing an old acquaintance to be robbed. He replied “That is the usage of war.” Just before this I heard them say, “Give up your money, or you are a dead man!” I ran into the room in my night dress, and knocked up the muzzle of a gun pointed at my father’s breast They took off all our bed clothes and most of our other clothes which we never got again. They enquired

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for my brothers and took one of them a prisoner. Then they enquired for the other bothers. I told them the others had gone to Bedford for a force to take them. They then left my fathers in a hurry and retreated. A few plunderers remained behind to take off what remained of our clothes My brother Samuel (a Lieutenant) was concealed between two beds and suffocated almost. He at last got his gun &c went out and fired at them. This alarmed them, and an officer came back, struck the plunderers with the flat of his sword and made them give up the plunder. They took off all our cattle but when my brother fired at them they abandoned the cattle. They then took the road towards Stanwich. This occurred in the last of the Revolutionary war.

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Peace was declared the very next year. Our cattle were taken three different times and every time retaken. They spared the tories when the Refugees came up, but plundered the whigs.” [Does not the foregoing account of the plundering excursion to Middle Patent towards the close of the war relate to Colonel Hatfield’s foray of July 1st 1780? J. M. M.] “Colonel Holmes insisted upon taking my father prisoner notwithstanding all he could say, and sat down and wrote and gave him a parole requiring him to go down to Morrisania in ten days, but it being towards the end of the war he did go. My brother, Samuel, was so bold

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in advancing and firing upon them that they supposed there was a large force supporting him and following them, and they consequently retreated in haste. After the Refugees had left the room where he was concealed, Samuel said: “I’ll follow them!” We tried to stop him but he insisted upon our helping him out of the second story window to the ground. We then followed his directions. Took his hands and held on till he was ready to jum to the ground, then handed out his musket and cartridge box. When we endeavoured to dissuade him from the rash attempt, Samuel said: “I haven’t the least fear of them and I’ll have our cattle back.”