Mullinex, Jesse
John M. McDonald interview — 1844
Jesse Mullineux (1764-1853), whose name is usually spelled Mullinex, resided on City Island in present-day Bronx County during the Revolutionary War. He gives an account of the capture of the British ship Shuldham near the mouth of Eastchester Creek / Hutchinson River. He also describes an encounter with Shubael Merritt after Merritt killed a French officer. Mullinex concludes by describing the death of Shubael Merritt and activity at City Island during the war, including a raid on the island by a force led by American Colonel Thomas Thomas.
Manuscript page facsimiles
High-resolution images served from the Westchester County Historical Society's IIIF endpoint. Click any page to view full size.
Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 027 -
Jesse Mullineux: When the armed vessel in East Chester creek was taken [X] the Americans took possession of a sloop which had gone up the creek for hay. In the sloop they approached the British vessel. Being hailed, they gave a friendly answer, approached near and then boarded. There were but few men on board the British vessel, most of the crew being below. They then took both vessels to Connecticut. The hay boat in which they approached was known to the British and had been allowed to go up the creek
[X] This is a very lame account of the capture of the Shuldham guardship of 10 (one version of the story says 12) guns, by Lockwood and party.— See accounts of this affair in the other Note Books- J.E./
- Hufeland Index Page 028 -
Jesse Mullineux contd.
for a load. The whale boat men frequently came to City Island where I resided during all the war. The principal whale boat men were Fade Donaldson and his sons, Jones, Silleck, and Howe. Shube Merritt was along with Vincent when he shot the French captain. [It must have been the French sutler.] Shube exhibited the Frenchman’s money (the Sutler’s money?) all clotted with blood in my presence. Shube was killed, I think, in 1782 or ’83, at a house occupied by Mrs. Fallon at the New Rochelle landing. The house is now there. Colonel Thomas came down once to City Island with 130 men and took possession, &c. (?) In the hard winter the British guard boats and vessels of war were frozen in and to secure themselves they cut channels in the ice round the ships with leaving zig zag communications of ice, and, using logs &c. to reach the shore.