Romer, John, 1764-1855
John M. McDonald interview — 1845-09-15
John Romer (1764-1855) recalls that an American force under Captain John Pray was lying in ambush near present-day Sleepy Hollow on May 26, 1779, when a British force commanded by Benjamin Ogden surprised the American guard at the home of Glode Requa in Tarrytown. (A note added to the interview indicates that both John Romer and Jackson Odell stated that en route to participate in the Battle of Youngs’ House, the British force under Chapple Norton left its artillery at or near the home of James Sniffen, and that a man named Falconer was executed at White Plains.) John Romer notes that he married Leah Van Tassel, daughter of Cornelius Van Tassel. He describes the British raid on Greenburgh on the night of November 17-18, 1777, which resulted in the capture of Cornelius and his cousin Peter Van Tassel. The houses of both men, which were being used as American outposts, were burned during the raid. A soldier took Leah Van Tassel, then an infant, from Cornelius’s burning house, set her in a safe place, and informed her mother of her rescue.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
17 142 1845 7. of Refugees as well as Yager Cavalry.
Sept. 15th Captain John Romer Captain Pray was in ambuscade with a party a little above Mr. Beekman's when Ogden surprised Reguas. At Tarrytown they killed Israel Martling. John Van Tassel was posted as Sentinel near the house and challenged the enemy who charged. He fired, defended himself with his bayonet, but was surrounded and cut to pieces by the dragoons. The men then jumped out of the windows &c. [ At Norton's attack he left his cannon at or near James Sniffen's two miles from Youngs. The man named Falconer executed at White Plains – Jackson, Odell and John Romer. ] Capt. John Romer: “I married the daughter of Cornelius Van Tassel and I and my family are his sole representatives.
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18 143 1845. 8. On the night of the 17th and 18th of November 1777, Cornelius and his cousin Peter Van Tassel were taken prisoners by Colonel Emmerick who put ropes about their necks and took them off in their shirts and breeches on a bitter cold night. They at the same time took off the horses, cattle and flocks of the place and burnt the houses.– After they had fired the houses, a soldier took an infant out in a blanket and deposited it in a safe place and then in- =formed the mother who was seeking it in the flames. An American Out Guard had been for some time missed at these houses which occasioned their destruction! The Commanding Officer had heard they were intending to strike somewhere, and, being few in number at Van Tassels (?), he withdrew the Guard. Pray and Bohannan commanded the water Guard.