Romer, John
John M. McDonald interview — 1851-10-17
John Romer (1764-1855) was the son of Jacob Romer and Frena Haerlager. The family resided near the present site of the Tarrytown Reservoir during the Revolutionary War. The first portion of this interview discusses Charles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouërie, who was usually referred to simply as Colonel Armand. A former officer in the French army who held a commission in the Continental Army, Colonel Armand and his command, Armand’s Legion, did much service in Westchester County. Romer also references the 29th milestone on the Albany Post Road south of Tarrytown, and recalls Mrs. Day, who operated Day’s Tavern in Manhattan. He concludes by discussing the burning of the homes of Peter Van Tassel, Cornelius Van Tassel, and Israel Honeywell in Greenburgh by a British force on November 17-18, 1777.
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Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 1061 -
October 17th – Captain John Romer, of Rebel Hollow, aged 86: (?) “Abraham Odell was often called Armand by his friends because he resembled the French Legionary commander. Colonel Armand was above the middle size, of dark complexion
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and black hair and wore large moustaches and whiskers. I think he was not quite so large as Abraham Odell. He enlisted many of his men from along the North River shore in Philipse manor. ….. Martling, a young man, cousin of Abraham Martling of Tammany Hall and a cousin of mine was one of them. Martling belonged to Armand’s dragoons who were mounted upon large horses from the South. – Armand was extremely popular with his men and with the inhabitants. His troop carried a wall piece and when they used it they dismounted and stuck into the ground a stick attached to it and shod with brass or iron. They then could elevate, depress, or move it sideways at pleasure and take exact aim. It carried large balls to a great distance. Sometimes it was filled with buck shot or small balls.” “The old 29 milestone, [X] during the Revolutionary
[X] 26th milestone
- Hufeland Index Page 1063 -
war, stood about a mile south of Tarrytown. I knew Mrs. Day well. Her house stood near Peter Myers at the head of Haerlem Lane. Peter Van Tassel was a cousin of my father in law Cornelius Van Tassel. Peter’s house stood on the hill southwest of my father in law’s house, being the first dwelling below it as the old road then ran. The picket guard in ’77 was kept at Peter’s, and the main guard and Head quarters were kept at Cornelius’s house. Both these houses were burnt on the night of the 17th and 18th of November 1777, together with the farmhouse of Israel Honeywell (where Isaac Odell afterwards lived) in consequence of Honeywell being an active whig. [Apprehensive of an attack &c. the guard was withdrawn from the Van Tassel houses a day or two before the 17th – see Bl. Pockt. N.B. 2/4.] Peter Van Tassel was a lieutenant.