Williams, John
John M. McDonald interview — 1850-10-17
John Williams (b.c.1758) was a resident of the Westchester County Almshouse when he was interviewed by John Macdonald. In an earlier interview, Williams indicated that at the time of the Revolutionary War he lived in present-day Mount Vernon about one mile from Saint Paul’s Church. He recalls the destruction of Ward’s House in Eastchester by the British on November 13, 1778. Prior to burning the house, the British stripped it for material to build barracks. Williams also comments on the killing of Gilbert Vincent by French soldiers, and the revenge killing of a French officer by Gilbert’s brother Elijah.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
- Hufeland Index Page 1023 -
October 17th John Williams, of the County House aged 93: “I remember when Colonel Simcoe went up with a party and burnt Ward’s House. They took off all the siding of the house, together with the doors, window shutters, &c. and transported the same to Kingsbridge to build barracks for the troops. After this they set fire to the (Wards) house and burnt it down. The blacksmith, Elijah Vincent’s brother, told the truth when he said to the French horseman that he was out of coal, but they didn’t believe him because his brother was an officer under Colonel Delancey, and he and his relations were considered tories. After his brother’s death, Elijah Vincent vowed revenge, and waylaid the Duke’s patrols until he killed the captain of Hussars.