Williams, John
John M. McDonald interview — 1848-11-18
John Williams (b.c.1758) was a resident of the Westchester County Almshouse when he was interviewed by John Macdonald. Williams indicates that at the time of the Revolutionary War, he lived in present-day Mount Vernon about one mile from East Chester Church. He begins his interview by discussing Garrineau, a Frenchman who resided at Mile Square in present-day Yonkers; Colonel Andreas Emmerich, a German officer who commanded Emmerich’s Chasseurs, a Loyalist unit; and Major Mansfield Bearmore, who commanded a Loyalist unit. Williams also describes the Battle of Pell’s Point and the burning of Ward’s House in Eastchester. He then recounts the murder of Gilbert Vincent by a party of cavalry and the subsequent revenge killing of a French officer by Elijah Vincent. Williams also notes that he visited Chatterton Hill the day after the Battle of White Plains, and references the Native American soldiers of the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe led by Daniel Nimham who fought at the Battle of Van Cortlandt’s Woods in 1778.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 836 -
November 18th. John Williams late of Peekskill, now of the County House, aged ninety: “I lived in the Revolutionary war in East Chester about one mile from the church on the road towards mile square. Garrineau the Frenchman lived on Philipse Manor about one mile west of Hunt’s bridge. He kept a store before the war, and had a son named Lewis. Colonel Emmerick was a fleshy, dark, military looking man, who took great quantities of snuff keeping it loose in his pocket which was of leather. He was considered the best rifle shot then known. I remember the Queens Rangers and Legion which lay at different times near Valentine’s Hill. Bearmore was near six feet high. The battle of Pelham (Glover)
- Hufeland Index Page 837 -
commenced on the hill and ended down at Hutchinson’s river at what we called Phil. Pell’s bridge. I helped to bury the dead. Wards House was called “Winter Hill.” When the British stormed it they came up secretly along the Bronx and through a corn field. Were challenged by the sentry whom they shot, and then advanced quickly and took the house. The house was afterwards burnt after it had been entirely dismantled of doors, windows, roof &c. which we carted off, amounting to as many as fifty loads. This I saw. Gilbert Vincent was a blacksmith and his shop was within a quarter of a mile of East Chester Church. A party of horse (I believe French) asked him to shoe a horse that had lost his shoe. Vincent replied he had no coal (which I know was a fact). They, however, thought this was untrue. Vincent said, “I haven’t a handful
- Hufeland Index Page 838 -
of coal in the world.” Words ensued and one of the Frenchmen shot him dead through the breast. When Elijah Vincent heard this, he swore he would have revenge, and waylaid and shot a French officer (I think a General officer) at Scarsdale, despoiling him of all his arms which he afterwards showed me, and which I saw, consisting of a sword, dagger, pistols, epaulettes, scarf, belt, &c. – all extremely elegant. I was on the field of battle at Chatterton’s Hill the day after the action. Most of the killed and wounded was where the Hessians crossed the Bronx, some also over the hill. I was up at Greenburg then on a visit.” The Stockbridge Indians were all killed with Nimham.