Odell, Daniel, 1761-1848
John M. McDonald interview — 1845-10-20
Daniel Odell (1761-1848) recounts a skirmish in which Loyalist cavalry commanded by Captain Joshua Barnes and Lieutenant Benjamin Hunt were surprised and captured in Yonkers. He then describes an incident in which a party of Americans who had stopped for dinner at the home of Jacob Vermille in Yonkers on their way north from a raid on Loyalist-held territory in present-day Bronx County were captured. Odell concludes by recounting the assault by a French officer on blacksmith Gilbert Vincent, and the subsequent revenge by Gilbert’s brother Elijah. Unlike other versions of this story, Odell reports that Gilbert Vincent was not killed in the assault.
Manuscript page facsimiles
High-resolution images served from the Westchester County Historical Society's IIIF endpoint. Click any page to view full size.
Transcription
146 213 1845 78. October 20th. Daniel Odell of Yonkers. "Captain Joshua Barnes and Lieut. Benjamin Hunt with a smart party were surprised and taken at Browne's Hill, where the Tuckahoe Church stands, but I don't remember who commanded the Americans or in what year it happened. Barnes upon this occasion was thought not to have acted with courage. Hunt it is said was opposed to surrendering and offered if Barnes would give him the command to bring their party off. They both (Barnes and Hunt) went to Nova Scotia." (Query. As to the affair of December 1777?) "Isaac (or Uck) Odell, the Guide had been below with a party and taken some prisoners of De Lancey's. On their return part of them, contrary to to the wishes of their Commanding
[page break]
214 149 1845 79. officer stopped in the night to take supper at Jacob Vermille's on the Tuckahoe road. The rest of the party with all the prisoners, passed on and arrived safely within the American lines. Those who halted at Vermille's (Vermilles) were surprised at, or soon after supper, by a pursuing party of De Lancey's and all taken except Col. John Odell, Isaac Lent and a boy named Van Nostrand. These made their escape by jumping from the windows of the house. This house of Jacob Vermille is now owned and occupied (?) by Isaac Lent. They always believed that the information which led to their capture was given by William Underhill. The first they knew they were fired upon." (Rivington says Odell and three others, guides, were taken - June 1781.)
[page break]
150 215 1845 80. "Colonel John Odell was with Armand when he took Bearmore and Frederick Underhill. One of Emmerich's captains was named Vanderburg. Emmerich himself was a stout, fierce looking man of not more than forty years of age, and a great favourite of the women whom he courted. He was a great smoker and used a crooked pipe. A detachment of French cavalry stopped at Vincent's Smithy in East Chester and requested him to shoe some horses which he refused, saying he had iron in the fire for other work upon which he was engaged. Some alteration ensued which ended in a quarrel. A French officer (?) drew his sword and cut Vincent down, leaving him for dead, but he at length recovered. His brother
[page break]
216 153 1845 81 Elijah Vincent on being informed of it vowed revenge and waylaid the French horse. The Vincents were born and brought up on the place (at East Chester) of their father which was afterwards owned by Colonel William Smith, son in law of President John Adams.
October 20th. Joseph Levinus of Greenburg (or Yonkers) on the Tuckahoe road: "I lived in the Revolutionary war at Mr. Read's the next place north of the Widow Babcock's. Old Col. Philips at the commencement of the war was taken prisoner, carried above and afterwards discharged on his parole when he returned home. It was said he was governed by his wife.