Warwick History & Heritage News

Warwick's "Anonymous" Shakespeare Sleuth

2011-11-27T21:31:00.004-05:00

The recently released film “Anonymous” dramatizes the theory that William Shakespeare was the pseudonym of Edward de Vere and that the Bard’s works were chock full of the political intrigue of Queen Elizabeth’s court.

This idea has been around a long time and is as popular with conspiracy theorists as the Kennedy assassination. Whether or not you are a believer, naysayer,or just think it’s fun to think about, did you realize that one of the key proponents of this notion was a Warwick man?

Charles Wisner Barrell (1885-1974), who was born and raised here, was a major advocate and author on the subject. A biographical sketch of his life and his involvement with the controversial view appears in the Winter 2010 issue of the journal “Shakespeare Matters.”

The article’s author Mike A’dair contacted the local history department of Albert Wisner Public Library and the archive of the historical society to find out more about the man a few years ago. It turns out Barrell was the grandson of none other than E. B. Hornby, who penned the classic collection of local lore “Under Old Rooftrees.” It appears her literary bent was passed on in the family and led her grandson on a wonderful odyssey.

His brother, Donald Barrell, was the celebrated local history researcher and author of Sugar Loaf.

Charles was a connoisseur of all things artistic, an accomplished art critic and film maker as well as a prolific author.

To find out more about him, read A'dair's article at:

http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/Newsletter_Archive/SMwinter010.pdf

As for the truth of the matter, draw your own conclusions— and by all means, have fun!

Among Barrell's other vocations, he was a scriptwriter for some early "talkie" films, under the pseudonym "Erpi" , including the cartoon Finding His Voice, which you can see at:

http://www.archive.org/details/FindingH1929

Warwick's Most Famous Murder Trial

2010-03-18T08:16:00.003-04:00

Way back in 1819, when Sugar Loaf was still a part of the Town of Warwick, the nation was gripped by the murder trial of Richard Jennings. The accused were James Teed, David Dunning, Hannah Teed, David Conklin and Jack Hodges, an African-American. The men were found guilty, and James Teed and David Dunning were were executed on April 16, 1819 for the crime. It was so famous that a pamphlet on the trial was published, and is considered an "early American imprint" today. A copy of the pamphlet is owned by the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick, and also in the collection is a manuscript on the trial by noted Sugar Loaf historian, Don Barrell. The manuscript was purchased many years ago by Elmire Conklin, and recently donated to the society.

You can "read all about it" in a book on famous crimes, published in 1834, on Google Books-- follow the link below:

Excerpt from The Record of Crimes in the United States

According to Don Barrell, in his article "Old Warwick Valley and the Ways of Its People", published in the Warwick Valley Dispatch on July 16, 1975 (full transcription of the article is found in the Warwick Heritage Database),

“When James Teed and David Dunning were hung for the murder of Richard Jennings in 1819, no church, community or private owners would allow the murderers to be buried in their grounds, and the matter became a problem. At last, Mr. James Hallock and wife said the men might be buried at this place, outside the fence of the old cemetery, and they were quickly buried.

In the night a party of men came and drove two long, sharpened locust posts down through the grave and body of each man, to stand unmolested for more than fifty years. It was a sign of the horror, shame and disgust of the community. An old time treatment to horse thieves and murderers."

Scottish Roots in the Black Dirt

2009-10-17T16:54:00.003-04:00

Recently the Drowned Lands Historical Society was donated an 1825 map copied by a member of the Wilcox family, showing lot owner names. The lots were sold by someone named "Alexander McGregor", which was a name unfamiliar to me. The total acreage owned was enormous, around 4,000 acres supposedly, so this was a puzzle.

While looking for information we discovered and were able to contact a 4th great granddaughter of Alexander McGregor, in England: Janella Horne. We've found some interesting information; he apparently never lived in the black dirt area, but had made efforts to drain the land, and had raised hemp on it. Indeed, in the land titles, the land was described as "The Drowned Lands, or Hemp Lands".

Copied below is some of the information we have been able to glean:

1. Excerpt from :"THE CHEECHUNK AND DROWNED LANDS, The Outlet Ditch or Canal Which
Changed the Course of the Wallkill" by Frances E. Borland-Wilcox

"Miss Nettie H. Wilcox, granddaughter, has in her possession an old
map, dated Feb. 31. 1825, which is a copy of the original deed made
in Liverpool, England. The inscription at the top of the map reads,
"Plan of Hemp-lands in Goshen in the State of New York, North
America, distance from the city 60 miles. About 3804-1/2 acres, the
property of A. MacGregor, Esq. of Liverpool."

Portions of this land were sold by A. MacGregor to the following as
marked on this map: Benj. Davis, Caleb Smith, Robert Ferrier, Heirs
of Kortright, J. and N. Wheeler, Wm. Finn, Robert Carr, Heirs of
Armstrong, Wm. Rainer, George D. Wickham, Jonathan Burrell and
daughters, Heirs of James VanHorn, John Fergerson (sic), Hannah
Forgerson, Samuel Kimbers, John Wisner, Israel Owen, Nathaniel Roe,
Samuel Knapp, Peter Bertholf, Wm. Swan, Benj. Sammon, Inman Walling,
Dr. Gillespie, Hez. Lorrings, A. MacGregor."

2. from "Laws of the State of New York":

Chap. 243.

AN ACT for the Relief of Alexander MacGregor.

Passed April 17, 1826.

WHEREAS Alexander MacGregor, late of the city of New
York, merchant, now of Liverpool, in Great Britain, a citizen of the
United States of America, has by his petition represented, that he is
tbe owner of a dwelling-house and certain lots of ground in Riving-
ton-street, in the city of New- York, and also of about four thousand
acres of the Drowned lands or Hemp lands in the county of Orange,
upon which he has recently expended a large sum of money in drain-
ing, ditching and improving the same, and that all his children now
living are natives of Great Britain, and praying that upon his de-
cease his said children may be permitted to take and held the said
real estate as if they were citizens : Therefore,
That from and after the decease of the said Alexander MacGregor, It shall and may be lawful for his
heirs or devisees to take and In^d (the dwelling-house, lots of ground,
lands and premises above mentioned, with the hereditaments and
appurtenances, to them respectively, and to their' heirs and assigns
for ever, and to have and dispose of the same and of the rents,
issues and profits thereof, in like manner, and as fully, to all
intents and purposes, as they might or could do if they were naturally
born citizens of this state : Providently That no alienation of the
said premises shall be good and effectual in law, other than to a
citizen of the United States : And provided also, That nothing here*
in contained shall be taken to bar, preclude, or in any wise to affect
the title which any citizen of the United States may have to
the said premises.

3. Biographical register of Saint Andrew's society of the state of New York .. (1922)

Author: MacBean, William M. (William Munro), 1852-1924
Volume: 2
p. 338

#607 ALEXANDER MacGREGOR.

Alexander MacGregor was one of four brothers who came to this country
from Thornhill, Perthshire. Mr. William Wood, however, in his Autobiography.
states that he believed that MacGregor was a native of Kirkintilloch, Dumbartonshire. Mr. MacGregor engaged in the dry goods business in New York as junior
partner in the firm of Thomson & MacGregor, and this firm dissolved September
1, 1797. In 1798, his brother John and he formed the firm of John & Alexander
MacGregor, at 190 Pearl Street, carrying on there a large wholesale dry goods
business. In December, 1802, he advertised that he was "intending for Europe"
and offered for sale houses in Greenwich and Gold Streets and a country house
within a mile and a half of the Coffee House. His store, then in Pine Street, was
four stories in height and fire-proof. He left New York and went to Liverpool,
where he became a great cotton merchant. He joined the house of J. & A.
Dennistoun, the senior partner, James Dennistoun, of Golfhill, near Glasgow, being
the grandfather of William Wood, our future president. In 1823 Mr. MacGregor
lived in one of the pleasantest villas erected about 1801 on the hill south of St.
George's Street, forming the tongue of land at the junction of St. George's Hill
and Netherfield Road. MacGregor Street commemorates the name of the quondam
proprietor. About 1826 Mr. MacGregor became manager of the branch of the
Bank of England. Mr. Wood states that the word picture of Osbaldistone and
Tresham in Rob Roy might have been drawn from Alexander MacGregor. He
was an overbearing and disagreeable man but a clever merchant. He married
Helen I'lnlay, widow of Major Finlay of the Engineers, military secretary to the
Duke of Richmond. They lived in good style on their estate at Everton, near
Liverpool. Mr. MacGregor died in Manchester, England, December 6, 1828. His
will was probated in New York, December 18, 1828. Alexander MacGregor,
Junior, his nephew, and Andrew Foster, were the New York executors.

Blogging Warwick History

2009-05-07T11:12:00.005-04:00

Who found this 1773 English halfpenny long ago in Lewis Park? You'll have to catch up on Warwick blogs to find out!

Once upon a time learning about Warwick history was confined to perusing the standard dusty tomes – fun in itself, but sometimes hard to get the resources. Now a new generation of Warwickians is turning to the web to share memories and do research.

Recently Bob Schmick began his “Hometown Warwick NY” blog (http://hometownwarwick.blogspot.com/) to share information about the Miller farm of his boyhood, which has now been demolished for a shopping center. The blog has grown into a wonderful treasure trove of reminiscences of daily life in our town during the 1940’s and beyond, with interesting side trips down the dirt roads of history. You can see photos of the long-gone rickety bridge over the railroad tracks on Sanfordville Road, see the only existing photos of the John Blain family headstones near Shoprite (some of which have since disappeared), learn what it was like to shop before the mega malls at Middletown and Woodbury, and much more.

Another new blog is Terry Hann’s “Warwick New York Local History” (http://www.warwicknewyorklocalhistory.blogspot.com/ ), which is a continuation of his volunteering for many years transcribing hundreds significant articles on our history from microfilm of our local newspapers, and his research on historic homes in the area. Recent features are the history of the Oakland Theater and the memoirs of the late Roy Vail of New Milford, one of our most treasured historians.

There are a number of other local history blogs and websites, started over the years— Ed Winchester has “Warwick Town Scrapbook” ( http://www.townscrapbook.com/ ),
dedicated to Warwick in the 1940’s and 1950’s – great shots and memories of classmates and the community – and Femi Roecker created “Bellvale School Homepage” (http://www.bellvale.net/ ). Marty Felder’s page on the history of the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (http://lhr.railfan.net/ ) is also a popular resource.

The Albert Wisner Library hosts “Warwick Valley History” and the “Warwick Heritage Database”, which include historic maps of the town and hundreds of articles on significant events and people—just go to http://www.albertwisnerlibrary.org/ and click on “Local History”. They also have the “Warwick History & Heritage” blog at http://warwickhistory.blogspot.com/ .

There simply isn’t any excuse any more not to know more about the history of your local community— just point and click!

If you know about other local history websites, let us know! Email Sue Gardner at sgardner@rcls.org.

Militia Men and Mountain Railways

2009-03-05T18:45:00.003-05:00

Unless you are a member of the Orange County Historical Society, you may have missed the fact that two articles of interest appeared in the November, 2008 issue of the Orange County Historical Society Journal (Vol. 37):

Orange County Militia During the American Revolutionary War
by Alan Aimone reviews the movements and activities of the local units, with extensive notes and bibliography.

Construction of the Sterling Mountain Railway
by Rodney P. Johnson gives the history of the railroad that served the Sterline mines.

You can also see some of the Sterling Railway collection, which has been scanned by the Tuxedo Public Library, by going to www.hrvh.org (Hudson River Valley Heritage) and searching for keywords sterling railway.

Copies of the journal are in the local history collection of the AWPL, and individual issues may be purchased from the Orange County Historical Society.

Aerial Views of Warwick Village

2008-07-14T19:50:00.008-04:00

The Historical Society owns two aerial view maps of the Village of Warwick which show the tremendous growth of the village between 1887 and 1923:

Section of the 1887 Map

Showing the area of Lewis Park and the Old School Baptist Meeting House:

The 1923 Aerial View map of the Village on the Warwick Valley History Website:
http://www.albertwisnerlibrary.org/Factsandhistory/History/1923WarwickAerialSmallerGrayscale.jpg

is fun to compare to the 1875 map recently distributed by one of our local realtors, which is also online on the Library of Congress Website:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/gmd380/g3804/g3804w/pm006510.sid&itemLink=r?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g3804w+pm006510))&title=Warwick,+N.Y.+1887.+&style=gmd&legend =

...And to the present day, which you can view if you download Google Earth (free)http://earth.google.com/(once you've downloaded, just type in Warwick New York)

If you'd rather look at it on Google Maps, here is a link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.258822,-74.357035&z=17&t=h&hl=en

.....HOW MANY BUILDINGS CAN YOU FIND WHICH ARE NO LONGER THERE?

New! Revolutionary War Pension Files & Map

2008-03-13T08:23:00.003-04:00

We recently asked for volunteers to help transcribe the newly found pension files, and nine people offered to help! We will post some of them here. You can view new ones as well as the complete transcriptions and images of the original documents on the Warwick Heritage Database (click on the link below, and click "view" on the far right of the screen next to the entry, to see the whole record):

http://www.refworks.com/refshare/?site=01002978336000000/1264529/_82,101,118,111,108,117,116,105,111,110,97,114,121,32,87,97,114,32,80,101,110,115,105,111,110,32,38,32,83,101,114,118,105,99,101,32,82,101,99,111,114,100,115&enc=y
You can see a map of the area drawn during the war, which helps you identify the places talked about, (which was discovered in the files of the Hessian State Archives in Marburg, Germany), thanks to Rick Mourek and the West Jersey History Project:

http://www.westjerseyhistory.org/maps/revwarmaps/hessianmaps/index3.shtml

Revolutionary War Pension File
Name: Burt, James
Pension Number S 12,388
National Archives Record Group M804
Transcription by Peggy Johnson, 2008
(excerpt from file- initial deposition)

State of New York
Orange County

On this fourth day of September one thousand and eight hundred and thirty two- personally appeared in open court before the jurors of the common please in and for said County (being in County of Record), now sitting James Burt a resident of Warwick in said county and state, aged seventy two years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth, on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. Deponent saith that he was born in the year 1760 as he believes and, as appears by his fathers family record in deponents possession. That he was living in said town of Warwick when he first enlisted in November 1776, as a sergeant in the Battalion of Major Henry Wisner in Colonel William Allisons Regiment of militia for and served nearly three months. In this service deponent was mustered and marched to Chloster in New Jersey, near the British Lines – to Hackensack, English Neighborhood, Hoboken, Fort Lee + other places near the Hudson River and in the month of January was in a skirmish with the enemy at Bergen Woods where deponent with his companions in arms took six of the enemy prisoner of war. Deponent saith that he was orally discharged from this campaign in the month of February. Deponent further saith that in the month of March following (1777) he volunteered as sergeant under Captain John Minthorn and under Major Henry Wisner aforesaid and marched in pursuit of a gang of Tories who were going to the British; overtook and captured seventeen of this hostile band near Newfoundland in New Jersey and committed them to gaol- on his return home he immediately volunteered in said town of Warwick as sergeant under Captain William Blain, as one of the corps called Rangers. This service consisted as deponent saith, in patroling the mountains and ferreting out Tories and small parties of British who committed robberies and murder among the whig inhabitants- was thus engaged for two—months including a march to Ramapo, Nyack and the Hudson River, which latter place was then their headquarters + from whence his corps would frequently visit Chloster and other places in its vicinity checking, and occasionally capturing marauding parties of the enemy. Deponent saith that he was discharged from this command about first of June following. Saith about first of July of this year(1777) he volunteered as sergeant in Captain John Minthorn’s company-was marched to headquarters at Ramapo, was engaged in the like service as last aforesaid, in that and the vicinity of Tappan for one month. On the following last of August or first of September on a requisition of troops from Col. John Hathorns Regiment by order of Gen. George Clinton, deponents father, then aged sixty years, went as deponents substitute to Fort Montgomery + Clinton and served one month. On the approach of the British fleet up the Hudson and previous to the capture and fall of said Forts, by order of Gen George Clinton, the whole of deponent’s regiment marched to Ramapo where information reached them of the fall of said fortress. From Ramapo, deponent marched with the Warwick and Goshen Regiments to New Windsor to prevent the enemy’s landing at that place-saith that he was
….at this time the enemies fleet sailed up said river and burnt the town of Kingston. From New Windsor deponent was detached by order of Gen Clinton, to guard a Brigade of Waggons conveying French Muskets from Boston to Washington’s Army in Pennsylvania- This campaign as deponent saith lasted two months. Early in the spring of 1778 deponent marched under Captain Andrew Miller of Col. John Hathorns Regiment from among the Troops to form a force to escort General Wayne’s prisoners to Easton in Pennsylvania from which latter place deponent returned to Warwick aforesaid and immediately marched for the Minisink frontier to repel the hostile invasions of the Indians under Brant, but before his Battalions reached the Delaware River, met our retreating troops returning from the Battle field on the Lacawaxen where this enemy’s superior force had obtained the victory. Deponent saith that he was in the service at this place two months. Deponent saith that early in September following deponent was one constituting a quota of troops called to Fishkill on the eastside the Hudson river under the command of Colonel Hathorn and Gen George Clinton and served three months as sergeant aforesaid- was discharged in December following- Immediately on deponents return home a requisition was made for teams to transport clothing which had been forwarded from Boston to the continental troops then laying back of Watney Plains re as Morristown in New Jersey, saith that he went with his team taking two hogsheads of clothing which he conveyed to our army, saith that he spent two or more weeks in this service in which time he endured the greatest sufferings in his life from the immense quantities of snow through which he traveled and from the severity of the frost. In the spring of 1780 deponent served under Captain John Minthorn in the vicinity of Ramapo one month and in the summer of the same year one month under Captain Miller aforesaid, and in the same quarter. In this year (1780) deponent saith he served as sergeant under Captain Richard Baily and ….? John Kenedy at least two months on and along to Ramapo thence to Pompton in New Jersey, thence to Paramus, to Tappan, thence to headquarters at Ramapo, was out in this service one month. In the first of June following was ordered under Captain John Minthorn in said Hathorns Regiment and again marched to Ramapo in which vicinity+ on the lines, deponent ….? and …?. In this year (1778) by order of the Commander in Chief a requisition of men and teams were made early in September from his neighborhood to build Fort Putnam and deponent ….? And with a double team and wrought in the action of that fortress one and a half months and on the completion of which he returned home in the latter part of October. In the early part of November following deponent again marched to the Minisink frontier under Captain Andrew Miller and served half a month. Deponent saith that in the same autumn he served under Captain John Minthorn one month in and about Ramapo, Hackensack and other places near the lines. Deponent further saith that about the last of March or first of April 1779 he was again marched to Ramapo under Captain Andrew Miller as he believes and served one month. The first of June following was again at Ramapo under Captain John Minthorn and under Colonel John Hathorn and marched there to Stony Point on the Hudson river and where deponent’s Regiment lay until a short time before the taking of that Fortress by Gen. Wayne. After the same was taken deponent was
selected the Minisink frontier, being stationed apart of this time at the stockade at Martinus Decker’s settlement.

In the year 1781 deponent saith he was in the service as usual under the aforesaid commanders at Paramus, Hackensack and along the lines in various other places, with his fellow soldiers in army against the common enemy- in all, at least two months or more.

Deponent further saith that in the spring of 1782 he was marched under the command of Major David Mc Camly again to the Minisink border, on occasion of an expected attack by the Indians, of the exposed inhabitants in that region and remained with his Battallion in this + position about half a month, when the said Battallion was discharged- deponent further saith that he, at no times received a written discharge from service from any officer.

Revolutionary War Pension File
Name: Bennett, Gershom
Pension No. R 756
National Archives Record Group M804
Transcribed by Paul Greiner, 2008
(excerpt from file- initial deposition)

Declarations
In order to obtain the benefit of the acts of Congress passed
June 7th 1832
State of New York
County of Steuben ?[obscured]? october 1832 personally appeared in open court before the judge of the Court of Common Please of said County of Steuben. Gershom Bennett a residentof the town of Tyrone in the County of Steuben aforesaid and State of New York aged Sixty Seven Years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his own make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein Stated. That he was born in the town of Warwick, County of Orange and State of New York on the 20th day of November 1765.
That he has no record of his Age knows his age from what his parents told him. That when first called into service he was living at the ?...place of his birth. That when he first entered the service (which was ?when? in his 14th year of age) he took the place of his brother MitchellBennett who was hurt by a fall from a waggon the wheels running over him. This was in the spring of the year 1779 as deponent thinks and the Company was
commanded by Capt. Westfall of Naversink in Orange County aforesaid and by Lieutenant John English of the same place. cannot recollect the names of his field
officers, but his [1]Col. resided a little ?word obscured? Peen Pack Orange County. Marched on to this Frontier where the Naversink empties into the Delaware River. Was
quartered at Chamber's Fort at the forks of the Naversink. Was out at this time nine months and lay at this place during the whole of said tour. was discharged when his time was out and went home. remained there till spring of 1780 early in April went as a substitute for one Isreal Rickey of Sussex County New Jersey in Capt. Pattersons Company & Lieutenant Benjamin Morse of same County. Cant remember the names of his field officers?then? marched on to the Delaware River opposite Milford. and was there stationed and built a block house while there and remained there to the end of the tour for which they were called which deponent is sure was as long as three
months & thinks longer. Capt. Harbus Company of ?nine? Months were there from? Sussex County New Jersey was stationed there at same time. deponent was dismissed and went home. And in a few days was ordered out and marched to Chambers Fort near the junction of the Naversink & Delaware in Capt. David McCamlys Company and stayed there some time. Thinks three months. was dismissed and went home. a few days after
he was again called out. on an ?alarm given perhaps to??...? Capt. McCamly. Col. Wisners regiment Genl. Hawthorns Brigade. went home and was soon after drafted and sent again to Warwick and served out his tour the length of which he does not recollect, but thatit was long enough to get his class certificate for 25 Acres of Land. At this time was attached to Capt. John English’s Company. from this time up to the close of the Revolutionary War. deponent was almost continually engaged in the service (except in the heart of Winter) on scouts, alarms etc. that he was in active service as ?much? [crossed out] twenty seven months. that ?...? discharges. That he never received a commission. That in 1783 he removed to Northumberland, Pennsylvania resided there till 1790 or 91. Then removed to Chemung Tioga County, New York and remained there till 1803 or 1804. then removed to the then Town of ?Frederickstown? now Tyrone in Steuben County New York where he has continued to and still does reside. That he is well acquainted with ?Hank? Williams knows Abraham ?Flut? and Silvanus Arnold in his present neighborhood and with ?[title?]? David Bartly Coryell of
Urbana in said county Steuben who can also testify to his ?character? ?[obscured]? and their belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolution. That he has no documents nor evidence of his ?services? and knows of no ?person in? the county who can testify to his Services except Benjamin Sutton of Romulus, Seneca County New York. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or Annuity except the present and declares that his name is not of the Pension Rolls of the Agency of any State. Sworn and subscribed the day & year aforesaid before.

Revolutionary War Pension File
Name: Burt, Thomas
Pension No. S 2,314
National Archives Record Group M804
Transcription by Penny Steyer, 2008
(excerpt from file- initial deposition)

At a special court held pursuant to the Regulations of the War Department in such case made and provided before the Hon. Grant B. Baldwin, first Judge of Tioga County in the State of New York, at the dwelling house of Thomas Burt in the Town of Chemung in the said County and by adjournment at the House of John G. McDowell, Esquire in the same Town on the second day of October, 1832.

State of New York §
Tioga County §
On this 2nd day of October, 1832 personally appeared before the Judge before named, who is the first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Tioga and State aforesaid which is a court of record because made so by the Laws and Constitution of the State having by Law a clerk and Seal, Thomas Burt, a resident of the Town of Chemung, County and State aforesaid, aged eighty years the twenty-sixth day of May last who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. About the first of April, 1776 he enlisted in the company of Captain William Blain in the Orange County Militia in the State of New York in the Regiment of Col. Beardslee of Warwick in the same County for the term of nine months and was marched on to Long Island where he remained till after the battle and the retreat of the American forces which he thinks took place in August in all which he took an active part. He was then at the Harlem Heights, Kingsbridge and White Plains and in the engagements at those places; he was then stationed at New Windsor on the North River where he remained till the expiration of the term and for two months longer; he was then dismissed and returned home about the first of March, 1777. In May following he had to turn out voluntarily or stand a draft; he chose to volunteer in the company of Captain John Wood of Goshen, Orange County aforesaid, and in the same Regiment of Col. Beardslee as this time he volunteered for no definite period but with an understanding that he should continue as long as the exigencies of the service should require. On these conditions he continued thence forward in the service for upwards of five years with the exception of a short recess each winter to go home for a month or two. At different times during this service he was under the command of Col. Hathorn who was commissioned a Brigadier General towards the close of the war. His service was divided between the North River and the frontier of Orange County and the Delaware River; he was stationed at Fort Montgomery, at Newburgh, New Windsor, Stony Point, Haverstraw and West Point on the North River at different times; while at Haverstraw he was under the command of Col. Odell; he was stationed at West Point about the time the Treason of Arnold was discovered, which he thinks was in the year 1780. He was honorably dismissed [from] the service in the fall of 1782 by General Hathorn. He has no documentary evidence of his said services neither does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to them.

And in answer to the several interrogatories put to him by the Judge aforesaid he says that he was born in the Town of Warwick, County of Orange and State of New York on the twenty-sixth day of May, 1752; that he had a record of his age in his Bible till within a few years and that he believes some of his children have taken it out to copy into theirs and is not positive where it now is, but he has no shadow of doubt that his age is as above stated. That when he first entered the service as before stated in the year of 1776 he lived in the place of his nativity, Warwick aforesaid, that after the close of the Revolutionary War he continued to live in the same place till he settled at his present residence in Chemung, where he has lived upwards of forty –three years, that in all his services aforesaid he was a volunteer. That the names of some of the regular officers who were with the Troops where he served are Gov. George Clinton, Gen. James Clinton, Gen. Sullivan, Gen. Wayne, Gen. Hathorn, Col. Beardslee, Col. Dubois and Col. Livingston and Col. Odell and their respective regiments though his recollection in relation to the Troops is very indistinct at this late day; but the officers he paid more attention to at the time and are yet fresh in his remembrance.

That he never received any formal discharge from the service and that he would refer to the Hon. John. G. McDowell, Asahel Buck, Esq, Isaac Shepherd, Jacob Lowman and Jacob ??, Esquires, all of Chemung aforesaid and who are well acquainted with his reputation for truth and veracity and who can testify to their belief in the truth of the foregoing declaration.

He hereby relinquishes every claim, whatsoever to an annuity or pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn to and subscribed
the day and year aforesaid§
G.B. Baldwin
First Judge
Tioga County
(Signed) Thomas Burt

2008-01-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

The "Mormon War"

A few days ago one of our volunteers, Ivy Tulin, was going through some letters that had been given, and discovered a few by James Monroe Burt (1816-1884). He was a Warwick man who followed the call to "go West", stopping first in Illinois and later founding the city of Oroville, California during the gold rush.

Astonishingly he was in Illinois earlier than had been realized, and this letter puts him on the inside circle of the controversies over the Mormon movement. Joseph Smith and his followers had established at Nauvoo, Illinois. The letter was written just before Smith and a few other followers were murdered by a mob at the jail. They had given themselves up to answer allegations about the destruction of a printing press that opposed the Mormons.

This document is significant because there are few who would've known about the governor's plans; perhaps Burt was involved because he had done legal work on the case (he was a lawyer).

*********************
Letter from James Monroe Burt in Quincy, Illinois to his brother Thomas in Warwick NY
Donated to the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick by Burt Carroll in 1973

June 24th 1844

Dear Tom,
Your last was duly received a few days since, for which I am much obliged. If you had not taken sure much censure upon yourself for your neglect I should have felt disposed to give you a damn right lashing-- But as you plead guilty, and throw yourself upon my mercy, I do hereby most freely pardon and forgive you—that is on condition that you keep your promises in future—you ought certainly write three times to my once—because you have everything to write about that interests me, while I can say nothing of much interest to you.

I shall write this note in much haste—its object will be to give a correct account of the Mormon War which I presume you have some little curiosity to be informed of. I sent papers to you by last weeks mail which contained all the facts up to that time—since then much excitement has prevailed in Hancock and surrounding counties—Governor Ford is now upon the ground, and been endeavoring to settle the difficulties by an attempt to persuade Jos. Smith and others engaged in the destruction of the Press to give themselves up and abide the due course of the law—this has failed. On Saturday last the Governor ordered out the militia in Hancock, McDonough, Schuyler & Brown counties and the Indipendant (sic) companies of this city—So great is the excitement that the people are high, as 5000—these will fight desperately for their Prophet.

We have information this morning from the seat of the disturbances, that an attack will be made upon Nauvoo—if an attack is made the loss will be very great, and dreadful slaughter will follow. The anti Mormons in my opinion will have the worst of it on the first attack. Altho’ the general opinion is, that war and extermination will be the result, I think differently. Smith has too much sagacity to encounter the militia of the state—He will make some show of fight—but when the militia march into Nauvoo the will find that the Mormons have laid down their arms, and that those for whom writs have been issued will have made their escape or secreted themselves so that they cannot be found—of course the militia would not shoot down defenceless men and woman—I shall not close this until tomorrow and if anything transpires worthy of note I will inform you.

June 25—6 o’clock.
A messenger from Carthage in Hancock County has this moment arrived, bringing the information that Js. Smith and all others named in the writs issued against them have delivered themselves up and are now in Carthage undergoing an examination before the magistrates—the arms of the Mormons on the demand of the Governor were also surrendered.

Smith and his brother Hyram, and the 12 counsellors of the city—are those who are undergoing the examination, the court is mearly a court of enquiry—have power only to recognize to the circuit Court of the County for trial—they will all be held to bail I suppose—and this is all the information of importance up to this time.

(two paragraphs about family finances omitted)

We have had a very wet and rainy spring, until within a week past it has rained almost constantly. The Mississippi is “booming high” as is also the Missouri. And very great damage has been done the corn crops here in consequence of the rainy season will be cut off almost entirely.
I conclude this hasty scrawl wishing you every blessing,
Your affectionate Brother, J.M. Burt

Revolutionary Trials

2007-11-23T06:24:00.000-05:00

During and after the Revolutionary War, Congress made several categories of pension available to those who served. There were invalid, widow, and service pensions based on need. As with all government entitlement programs, a certain amount of red tape, backpeddling, and confusing rules ensued. Sometimes many, many pages of handwritten statements and depositions were filed for just one case.

Recently, some of these records (previously available on microfilm) were scanned and made available on the service Footnote. com; we are in the process of finding and retrieving these records on Warwick's men (who mostly served with Col. Hathorn's regiment), because they give details on the individuals, their families, and acquantences, that were otherwise unrecorded. They also give details on what exactly Hathorn's men were up to during the war. Hardcopy of these will be made available at the library.

In the meantime, here is one transcribed example. Azariah Ketchum's house on Church St. is now a museum of the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick. He was the master carpenter for the Old School Baptist Meeting house.

Deposition for Revolutionary War Pension of Azariah Ketchum
National Archives Publication No. M804 Pension No. 16,316
Transcribed by S. Gardner, 2007

State of New York
Orange County

On this fourth day of December 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the said County (being a Court of ?) now sitting Azariah Ketchum of Warwick Orange county and said State aged seventy seven years, who being fist duly sworn according to law, doth on his Oath, make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, and serviced as herein stated.

Deponent saith that he was born in Bedford in West Chester County, in said State, on the 18th day of February in the year 1755, as he believes, and as he has often read the same in his father’s family Record. That deponent was living in said town of Warwick where he first entered the services of the United States. Saith that in the month of April as he believes, in the year 1776, he volunteered in the company of Militia commanded by Captain John Wisner, Asa? Wisner being Ensign and belonging to Colonel John Hathorn’s Regiment, and as a corporal in the said company, was mustered for one month; was marched to fort Constitution on the side the Hudson River, where his company was attached to or commanded by Colonel Newkirk; at this place deponent was employed with his company in building said Fort, up to the end of the month, Deponent further saith that he volunteered and served two months at Fort Montgomery, in the same summer (1776) under Captain John Minthorn, Lieutenant Nathaniel Ketchum & George Vance—his Regiment commanded by Colonel John Hathorn. Deponent further saith that in the same Year he was a volunteer in the company of Captain William Blain in Colonel Nicoll’s regiment and served one month at White Plains—saith that he was in the Battle and fought the Brittish Troops on the 28th day of October of that Year, was personally acquainted with and was there under he Orders at several times, of Generals Putnam and George Clinton. Deponent saith that in the winter of 1777 he served as corporal three months under Captain John Minthorn, laying or being stationed at Chloster near the Hudson River. During the same year deponent saith that he served as a corporal under Captain Daniel Gore at the Susquehannah out along the Indian frontier for the space of five months. Was a volunteer under the command of Captain Minthorn four months at West Point in the year 1778, and also one month at Ramapo. Was marched to and lay one month at New Windsor and Fishkill in the year 1779, being as deponent saith in the month of November. Deponent further saith that in the Year 1777 he was ordered under Lieutenant Nathaniel Ketchum and marched to New Windsor, thence to Esopus or Kingston and from thence went as an escort to continental Waggons from Boston to Easton in Pennsylvania. This service deponent believes lasted about two months. Saith that he was stationed one month at Goshen to guard the prisoners there, at the time the Notorious Claudius Smith and his band were executed. Deponent further saith the he served as Corporal aforesaid under Captain John Minthorn two months at different times on the Minisink frontier. Also under the same Captain and in Colonel John Hathorn’s Regiment deponent served three months at other periods at Haverstraw and West Point. Beside frequent excursions which he performed with his fellow soldiers in arms in ?illegible word? the depredations of the Tories who haunted and robbed the Wig inhabitations along the River towns. Deponent declares that the whole time which he faithfully served his country in the Revolutionary War and in the capacity of corporal in the Militia, amounted to more than two Years. Saith he, deponent, never received any written discharge from the service. Deponent further saith that he is acquainted with John C. Murphy, a clergyman who resided in his neighborhood and who will testify as to his belief of his having been a solder of the Revolution ?known? from general reputation as to his credibility. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

(signed) Azariah Ketchum.

In open court the day and year aforesaid
Asa Deming, clerk

Yikes! UFOs in Warwick!

2007-11-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

Recently, the classified documents of "Project Blue Book" were made available through the commercial database, Footnote.com. The records and case files relating to investigations, were collected by the Office of Special Investigations, of sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Here is are partial transcriptions of what a search for Warwick turned up!

OSI Report of UFO Sighting--Greenwood Lake, NY
1956/07/14

Report of a UFO at Greenwood Lake.Report made by Robert S. Hermann, S/A (special agent?)Report made at: DO #2, 111 East 16th St., NY NY18 July 1956Investigation predicated upon receipt of a telephone call from (name blanked out), civilian, that he had sighted an unidentified glying object both in the afternoon and in the evening of 14 July 1956 at Greenwood Lake, NY. Such details which WHITE (name not blanked out) could remember, based upon his observation and description of what he had observed, were obtained....White reported that on 14 July 1956 he had twice objserved a flying object in the sky. The observations took place for short periods at about 1630 hours and 2200 hours. The periods of observation were brief. White could not tell whether he had seen the same object in both instances of observation. He descrbed the object seen at 1630 hours as the size of a dime, silver colored, disc shape, and motionless; then it tilted, appeared to have a dome on the top, and disappeared. The object seen at night was also the size of a dime, red in color, of disc shape, and was traveling at high speed; it curved sharply across the sky, and disappeared. Weather condiitons were good for observation, no instruments were used. (name blanked out) advised that his wife (name blanked out, address blanked out), both of Greenwood Lake, New York, could corroborate his observation, in part. When asked if he could be interviewed, replied that a personal interview would take too much of his time.Details, further in text, difficult to read: Identifying information of all observers:1. (name blanked out), civilian, age 32, residing in NY City, portrait painter.2. (name blanked out), civilian, wife of (name blanked out)3. (name blanked out), Greenwood Lake, NY, oil explorer4. (name blanked out), Greenwood Lake, NY, (occupation illegible).

UFO Sighting (Project Blue Book)
1966/11/21

Source--Civilian
Number of Objects--Two
Length of Observation--One hour
Type of Observation--Ground Visual
Course: NE
No photos
No physical Evidence
Location: Warwick, one witness
Conclusion: Astro(S/P) (astronomical body)
Summary & analysis: Observer noted two different similar objects which were like a star. The two objects were pulsating different colors as they moved. Colors observed changed from green to yellow to red. The objects wer ein a slow flight path and no erratic movements. Investigating official commented that the witness was somewhat vague about the diretion of sighting and flight path. The rate manner of movement suggests tha tthe sighting was of astronomical bodies.

A. Description1. Shape: Undefinite at distance2. Size compared to a known object: Size of a star.3. Colors: Pulsating green,yellow, red, etc. on perimeter and red on bottom.4. Number: 25. Formation, if more than one: Appeared to change physical relationship with each other but moved in generally synchornized manner from NW to NE.6. Discernible features: none7. Tail, Trail, or exhaust: none8. Sound: none9. Other features: none

B. Description of Course1. What first called attention of observer to the object: Two odd pulsating lights different than a star.2. Angle or elevation and azimuth when first observed: NW quadrant 30 degrees above horizon.3. Angle or elevation and azimuth upon disappearance: NE quadrant 25 degrees from horizon.4. Desciption of flight path and maneuvers: Slow flight, no erratic movement.5. How did object disapper: Appeared to speed up just prior to disappearance.6. Now long were objects visible: At least 1 hour.

C. Manner of observation1. Ground--Visual2. Optical Aids: Binoculars

D. Time and Date of Signting:1. Zulu time-date group of sighting: 0200Z/22 Nov 662. Light conditions: Clear with full moon.

E. Location of observation: 42 degrees 15' N 74 degrees 22'W

F. Identifying Information on observer: Civilian, Age 30, (name and address blacked out), Warwick NY.An attorney, estimate of reliability: Reliable account of sighting with three other witnesses.

G. Weather and Winds: Clear, and 15 plus vsby, winds calm. No ceiling, vertical temperature gradient: 0 degrees/1000' (Sfc-8000') -2 degrees/1000' (Abv. 8000').

H. Other Unusual Activity: None

I. Interception or identification action taken: none

J. Location of any air traffic: V489 runs from SW to NE almost directly over area of the sighting.

K. Position, title, and comments of the preparing officer: Slow rate of movement and observaer's own comparison to aircraft passing overhead during the period of sighting would make an aircraft unlikely as a stimulus. Rate and manner of movement suggest that sigting was a planet although reported slight path does not coincide. Unusual appearance could stem from sighting through an inversion/ Apparent rapid movement just prior to disappearance of signting and flight path of object.Henry L. Pierce, Capt., USAF, Investigating Officer.

A Bellvale Mountain Ghost Story

2007-10-21T18:19:00.000-04:00

Here is a recently discovered story, from the Warwick Advertiser, January 17, 1889:

A Mysterious Treasure Bed

Treasure Seekers at Greenwood Lake Succumb to Fright when the Wealth is almost at Hand—

A Tale of Local Mystery

To persons of imaginative minds and skeptical tendencies the mysterious tales of treasure hunters and the difficulties encountered on their ghostly expeditions are utterly unworthy of belief, and the creations of a weak mind. In fact, in this age of materialism, we are prone to look with pity and contempt on persons who prate of a belief in the mysterious, and point with triumph to the success of the Thirteen Club of New York in dispelling some of our fondest illusions and iconoclastically eradicating even our familiar household sayings, handed down from mother to daughter. The dropping of a fork meant in my boyhood a male visitor to the house; a fallen knife denoted a female. There were many other signs and tokens, but to break a mirror signified dire calamity. Filled with these impressions when young it is a continual combat with many to explain on a purely reasonable basis the many mysterious occurrences brought up by believers in the supernatural in support of their belief, and many a time have most of us wished fo an opportunity to destroy, at one fell swoop, the hydra-headed demon, superstition, and settle the questions so far as we, individually were concerned.

A few nights since we were regaled with stories of revolutionary times in the Warwick Valley. The settlers were, of course, arrayed on both sides, and some maintained an appearance of neutrality but were really helping the Continentals or Tories to the full extent of their means and ability. There were some, too, who secretly gave information to headquarters, acting as spies, so that the commanding officers of both armies were ekpt pretty well supplied with all the information they needed. In this valley the site of a house long since gone to decay, which was occupied by a Mr. Smith, is pointed out to the lover of the historical, and he is told how said Smith was watched by his loyal neighbors, tracked through miles of forests, over mountains and across swamps, till, the evidence being sufficiently clear, was taken from his bed at the dead of night by a mob of disguised men, and on being threatened with death, confessed all his perfidy to the patriot cause. His captors decided to send him within British lines, and ordered Smith back to his house to dress himself, for he had been shivering in the damp air in his night clothes. As he turned to enter his house he was shot in the back by some of the mob and died without a groan.

While scouting parties in the Revolutionary days were despoiling house after house under the cover of darkness, the people found it necessary to secrete money and valuables in the most inaccessible places, often in the rocks, down the wells, up the chimneys, etc. Valuable articles and money are recovered year after year and much is undoubtedly still hidden. Many years since an old man came to Greenwood Lake and told a table of treasures hidden at a certain triangular place near the foot of Mount Peter, near the ruins of the house where the aforesaid Smith resided, and from a rude diagram located the spot on Mr. John Hunt’s farm. All the necessary identification marks were there except a certain chestnut tree with a plug in the trunk pointing to the spot. But the stump of a chestnut tree being close by the place located by the ancient stranger seemed to give evidence sufficient to warrant a digging party to attempt the recovery of the treasure. In order to keep the affair secret they agreed to go at nightfall to the spot, and at the time set a half dozen sturdy men assembled.

They had not dug long before their picks struck a huge rock, and while endeavoring to remove it the whole party distinctly heard groans and cries, the clanking of chains and a rumbling as of an impending thunder shower. At firs they were dumbfounded and stopped their work. As they ceased the noise died away. Gathering courage after a short rest they renewed their efforts to dislodge the huge stone. Again the noises, apparently proceeding from under the boulder at one time and then from the air overhead, were heard, and, with one impulse, they dropped their picks, shovels, and crowbars and rushed homeward as on the wings of the wind.

The story of the mysterious occurrences, magnified, of course, by each relator, soon became the popular gossip, but the earnestness and sincerity of the digging party was never questioned, and for years the treasure lay undisturbed, although occasionally in the last thirty or forty years small parties have gathered to dig a little deeper than the preceding party had done, and then when the unearthly sounds grew too weird for mortal ears, rush away pell mell, well provided with a never-ending theme for speculation in their night’s adventures.

Well, during the summer of ’88 (1888) the foregoing was narrated, with numerous embellishments and interspersed with many ejaculations to a few hardy and intelligent young men who were temporarily sojourning with Hon. James Hall at Greenwood Lake. After due consideration a party was formed in no spirit of bravado, with an honest intention of unearthing the mystery surrounding the buried treasure (if treasure and mystery, there were), resolved to go the next night to the spot indicated. The place was not readily found in the inky darkness, and the party fought with the thorns and brambles step by step till, well nigh out of patience, the site of the curried treasure was reached.

The party was then divided. One was to keep watch, one attend the fire to give light to the workers, and two plied the pick and shovel. The accumulated leaves and debris of a score of years was soon dug from the hold, and the excavation proceeded without interruption until a huge rock was laid bare. With crowbars the two study men endeavored to dislodge the rock when suddenly a long drawn and unearthly groan was heard, apparently proceeding from under the earth a short distance away. The men paused in their work, the sentinel went to the spot from whence groans came and the groans died away. After a few moments the party became convinced that as they had seen nothing to frighten them they wouldn’t be frightened, so they built a roaring, crackling fire, and by the light of its flickering flames resumed their work. So long as they were quite no noises were heard, but as soon as the digging was resumed the moans and groans were awful. Flashes of sulpherous light were seen, jumping from bush to bush, stones fell in showers all around them, and the guard, albeit a man of iron nerve, chased the sounds with pistol bullets, only to be rewarded after each shot with a mocking peal of hoarse laughter.

Then again midnight stillness ensued as the entire quartet left their work and formed a searching party. Not a sound of life could be heard save the “nancy-dids,” and after ten minutes’ conference they loaded their pistols and resolved to remove the bowlder from the excavation. Soon as the work began the noises were resumed, only more so. It seems as though a dozen demons had united their energies in clanking chains, flashing lights in the half circle round the working party and groaning in a hoarse, moaning, droning manner, like the wail of a lost soul, or the yowling and crying of some of our well-bred city cats practicing for a concert in a back yard. But, of course, cats can’t throw huge bowlders, rattle chains and produce noises which language fairs to describe. The moans ceased when the workmen halted and began as soon as they resumed.

Finally, the stones and dirt thrown out of the hole began to roll back into it again, and the shovelers saw their work was being undone faster than they could dig and delve. The guard, meanwhile, had formed a cordon, with two loaded revolvers, round the party and pursued the noises from spot to spot, till, thoroughly mystified, and finding their work useless, they resolved to retire in good order and leave the treasure in possession of the owner or owners of the cries, groans, moans, chains and flash lights. Now, if anybody of men of venturesome turn of mind, able to handl pick and shovel, and with a desire to participate in the mysterious, wishes to go through our experience while digging for treasure on Mr. Hunt’s premises, they have our heariest wishes for their ultimate success. So far as we are concerned it would have to be a much greater sum of money than tradition has recorded to attempt it again.

Lenape Connections

2007-09-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

The tribe that populated the Warwick area at the time of European colonization were the Minsi, or Munsee, northernmost branch of the Lenapes. Two of the main villages in our town were Mistucky, (eastern side of Rt. 94 and according to early maps, slightly south of the Welling homestead, somewhat towards the mountain) and Quampium, which was at the northern end of Greenwood Lake (now flooded, as the lake was enlarged). There are oral traditions of other sites and exhanges between the colonists and the natives.

Recently we had occasion to try to hunt up the home of the original Wawayanda Indian Deed, given March 5, 1702/3, in order to get the signature of the local chief, Chuckhass. On a microfilm reel at the Goshen Public Library is what appears to be a contemporary copy of the deed, with what appears to be the traced signatures (possibly original). Subsequently the Tate Collection yielded a photocopy of what must be the original document, but alas no note was made of its location-- the signature for Chuckhass is a near match:

In this (copy) document the name appears to be spelled "Cheeckhass", but on the photocopy from the Tate collection, it appears more like the traditional rendering via oral tradition, "Chuckhass". Likely the name's sound was in between, and so rendered differently.

The entire deed can be seen at:
http://www.albertwisnerlibrary.org/~wisner/Factsandhistory/History/Curriculum%20Powerpoint/WawayandaPatentIndianDeed.jpg

On Sept. 23 there will be a great celebration of the opening of the Black Creek historic site in Vernon which has become one of the most significant Lenape heritage site. It is off Maple Grange Rd.. A wonderful website has been done by the Vernon Historical Society:

http://www.vernonhistoricalsociety.com/Black%20Creek%20Site.html

It will be a rare chance for guided tours and nearby celebrations by the Nanticoke Lenape tribe.

Warwick Hosts Big Wigs & Rowdy Soldiers

2007-07-21T17:47:00.000-04:00

During the Revolutionary era, Warwick really was on the main road; travellers, troops, officials, and mail that needed to skirt safely by British-held New York City trotted, trundled, plodded, and marched through with regularity. This included George Washington (who stopped...everywhere, apparently), and other troops and officials. Much has been made of Gen. Washington's visit(s) here, and one explanation of his frequently finding Warwick a convenient place to stop is that a member of his Life Guard, Uzal Knapp, had a brother here.

Next week the Historical Society will hold its annual Washington Day Picnic. In honor of that event, we offer these tales of soldiers & travellers, gleaned from the Notebook of W.B. Sayer, recently donated as part of the Florence Tate Collection:

May 20, 1779 Third New Hampshire Regiment under Col Henry Dearborn stopped here for breakfast (This regiment saved the day in the battle with the Indians near Elmira NY under Gen Sullivan.)

Oct. 20 1779 After the Battle at Elmira NY Capt. Phillip Du Bois Beiver? Bevier? & Lieut. Frees of the 3rd Regiment Continental Line under Col. Van Courtland stayed all night here.
Rev. James Manning a Baptist Minister from Providence, RI took dinner here Sept. 12, 1779 with Francis Baird.

In 1777 Col. Daniel Morgan’s men after the Battle of Saratoga NY stopped here (note: documentation not yet confirmed)

The journal of Captain Daniel Livermore says Thursday May 20, 1779:
“This morning the weather still continued rainy necessity obliged us to continue the march, the traveling is extremely bad, and 9 o’clock made a halt at a small village called Warwick, NY, six miles. Here we took breakfast at Baird’s Tavern, from whence we proceeded on the march to Hardiston, NJ 7 miles .”These troops were on the march to join Gen. Sullivan’s expedition against the Indians.

Diary of Ensign Daniel Gorkin2nd New Hampshire Regiment of Gen. Sullivan’s Expedition 1779.May 20, 1779—To Warwick NY from Chester NY 14 miles.May 21-Rainy day did not march. This place Warwick NY is 4 miles from the New Jersey line.May 22- Did not march.May 23—To Sussex Court House NJ, here are 4 or 5 very good houses.The houses from the North River (at Newburgh NY to this place) are small having large crops of wheat and rye. The men do but little work. The women great shots, marched 22 miles. (The 2d New Hampshire Regiment spent 3 nights and 2 days at Warwick NY—WBS?)

Capt. Daniel Livermore says on Saturday Oct. 3, 1779: The troops leave Sussex NJ at 9 o’clock and march toward Warwick NY about 14 miles and camp. Sunday Oct. 3, 1779 today the troops proceed on the march and encamp near Warwick Church (now 1927 corner of Galloway & Forester Aves. On land that 1927 belongs to Clarence Forshee). Monday Nov. 1, 1779 this day for want of wagons the march is deferred until 12 o’clock. Proceed over the mountains to Pompton. Roads very bad…

Diary of Ensign Daniel Gorkin
2nd New Hampshire Regiment of Gen. Sullivan’s Expedition 1779.
May 20, 1779—To Warwick NY from Chester NY 14 miles.
May 21-Rainy day did not march. This place Warwick NY is 4 miles from the New Jersey line.
May 22- Did not march.
May 23—To Sussex Court House NJ, here are 4 or 5 very good houses.
The houses from the North River (at Newburgh NY to this place) are small having large crops of wheat and rye. The men do but little work. The women great shots, marched 22 miles.
(The 2d New Hampshire Regiment spent 3 nights and 2 days at Warwick NY)

Journal of Major Grant
Journal of Sergant Major George Grand of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment Sullivan’s Expedition of 1779. He writes as follows of the return of the expedition:
Oct. 30, 1779. To Sussex Court House NJ.
Oct 31 To Wallins Tavern
Nov. 1 To Warwick NY.
Nov. 2 Parted with the Western Army
Nov. 3 Marched to Sterling Works.
From this journal it seems the whole Western army was at Warwick NY on Nov. 1, 1779. Oct 17,1779 it was at Easton PA and Gen. George Washington visited it. Oct. 27, 1779 it crossed the Delaware River at Easton, PA.

Gen. Washington passed thro Warwick NY in 1779—The Sussex Independent of Nov. 15, 1912, gives an account of the placing of a boulder on the field near Hamburgh, NJ upon which Gen. George Washington’s troops camped for a night curing their march from Newburg NY to Morristown NJ in the year 1779. John Kays was with Gen. Washington and he stated that they came by way of Warwick NY and Vernon NJ, crossed the Mts. At Sparta, thence to Morristown NJ where they joined G.en Lafayette.

In the fall of 1780 Lady Martha Washington stayed all night here on her way from Newburgh, NY to Mount Vernon (note: documentation not yet confirmed)

July 17, 1782 Gen. George Washington and his two aides Col. Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. and Major Benjamin Walker stopped here and bought 2 shillings worth of grog.

Dec. 6, 1782 Marquis de Chastellux stayed here all night with his aides and said of Warwick:
From his “Travels in North America in the years 1780-82”. The Marquis De Chastellux was one of the 40 members of the French Academy and Major General in the French army service under Count Rochambeau.
Vol. 2, p. 302 (Dec. 6, 1782?) Traveling from West Point NY to Philadelphia Penn. Via Easton he says:
“I still kept skirting this ridge of mountains which separate this country from the Clove—
Warwick NY where I slept a pretty large place for so wild a country, is 12 miles from Chester NY and 28 miles from Newburgh NY. I lodged here in a very good stone inn, kepty by Mr. Smith, the same whose house I had slept 2 years before at Cheat, which was much interior to this (Baird’s Tavern—Sue G.). The American Army having for 2 years past had their winter quarters near West Point NY, Mr. Smith imagined with reason that this road would be more frequented than that of Paramus and he had taken the inn of Mr. Francis Baird at whose house we stopped next day for breakfast. The house had been given up to him with some furniture and he had upwards of 150 acres of land belonging to it, for the whole of which he paid Seventy pounds currency making 100 pistoles. I had every reason to be content with my old acquaintances and the new establishment.
The next morning Dec. 7, 1782 we set out before breakfast and the snow began to fall as soon as we got on horse back which did not cease till we got to Baird’s Tavern. This house was not near so good as the other, but the workmen were busy augmenting it. On enquiring of Mr. Francis Baird, who is a Scotchman (note by Tate: De Chastellux said “Irishman”; WBS said Scotsman was correct.—“Cheat” = Kakiat. Kaceat?), the reason of his quoting his good house at Warwick NY to keep this inn, he informed me that it was a settlement he was forming for his son-in-law and that as son as he had put it in order he should return to his house in Warwick NY. This Mr. Francis Baird had long lived as a merchant at New York City and even sold books, which I learnt from observing some good ones at his house, amongst others “Human Prudence”, which I purchased of him. It ceased snowing at noon and the weather moderated.”

Stories Told Over the Years

After passing through Warwick just east of what is now 1927 Forester apartments (Wawayanda House, nearly opposite intersection of Forester Ave. with Colonial Ave.—Sue G.) near where Ms. Thomas Nesbit now 1927 lives, Gen. George Washington passed an old negro who raised his hat and bowed very low, Gen. Washington returned the salute and when asked by his aides why he did so said he "would not be outdone in courtesy by an old negro slave."

During the Revolutionary War while New York City was in possession of the British communication between the Hudson & Delaware Rivers was kept thro Warwick.While Gen. George Washington with his army was lying a new Windsor in 1780, as was his custom at the close of a campaign he send his aid-de-Camp to Mount Vernon VA to escort Lady Washington to the camp. She usually traveled in a plain chariot, accompanied by postillions in White and Scarlet liveries. On her return to Mt. Vernon she passed thro Warwick Ny stopping over night in the fall of 1780 at the tavern. David Christie, then a boy living some 2 miles north of Warwick NY and who afterwards represented us in the Legislature, in after years told the story how he came to the village to get a plow share mended and learning that Lady Washington was about to proceed on her journey, stationed himself in the bushes on the bank of Longhouse Creek near where the First National Bank building stands and saw the grand equipage as it passed bearing the good Martha Washington toward Mt. Vernon.

Payday for Hathorn

2007-06-23T06:16:00.000-04:00

John Hathorn was Warwick's leader of the militia during the Revolutionary War, and his home still stands on Hathorn Rd; information about him is available in several sources, yet he remains a sketchy figure because his personal papers were destroyed by the family sometime after his death.

However, he was a literate man and in his roles as community leader, and a New York and U.S. Congressman, he would have written many letters and papers to others. These are slowly being sought out, and this week the Warwick Historical Society was fortunate to obtain one of these manuscripts -- his request for pay for attendance at the New York Legislature in 1783, as the war was winding to a close.

The Society also owns a few of his books-- as Independance was declared and he took on his role as military leader, he purchased a British military manual, printed in 1776:

Other Hathorn manuscripts, including a scan of his report on the Battle of Minisink, and be seen on the Warwick Valley History website.

Home of Inventions

2007-06-01T07:27:00.000-04:00

Recently I became aware that Google had made the old U. S. Patents database searcheable by keyword. One of the problems with searching for local patents is that you had to have a patent number for any of the older patents, in order to find it. I don't know how Google's going to sustain developing valuable information like this at a substantial cost and then giving it away for free, but for now, what a great tool: http://www.google.com/patents

I did a search for Warwick and her hamlets and villages, and came up with an amazing number of patents and downloaded them; one day I'll make an index to them, but in the meantime, here's a sampling:

The "most inventingist" Warwickian was James Gillespie, the owner of the Fabric Fire Hose Company, with 16 patents related to fire hoses and equipment. Here's one of them (click on the image to go to the patent page)

There are lots of practical items like:

Shutter closers by W. W. VanDuzer, no. 697297
http://www.google.com/patents?id=jrVMAAAAEBAJ&dq=697297

Knife design by R. L. Shepard, no. 943174 http://www.google.com/patents?id=tgR-AAAAEBAJ&dq=969303

A wrench by J. L. Finch, no. 378299
http://www.google.com/patents?id=_fNZAAAAEBAJ&dq=378299

And lots, lots more! The more recent patents, after 1960, tend to be very high-tech, on behalf of major corporations like Georgia Pacific, International Paper, etc. Don't go crazy trying to find them all, unless you are having fun-- I can make a CD of them on for any Warwick researcher that would like it, just leave a message for me at the library.

Archives Lost & Archives Found

2007-05-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday the main house of Borderland Farm on Rt. 94 burned, with tragic results. This house was about 150 years old, and in addition to the terrible loss of a life, and a home, owner Virginia Martin has lost the archival records of her family & the historic homestead, which she had intended to share with the Historical Society. Our condolences to Virginia and the family; the community sorrows with you.

The same week we were notified that the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway Veteran's Association had gotten a call from Orange County Community College. They needed to clean out an old garage, and discovered 150 boxes of archives of Warwick's Lehigh & Hudson River Railway. Years ago when the railroad office closed, the valuable archive was transferred to OCCC. It was transfered eventually to the railway museum in Strasburg, PA-- or so it was thought. Apparently only some of the records were transferred, and everyone had forgotten this huge lot of records! Many people don't realize that without the L & HRR, and the commerce, jobs, and wealth it gave rise to, Warwick as we know it would not exist.

For more on the railroad, check out Marty Feldner's web site: http://lhr.railfan.net

Over the next week or so the railroad club will rescue the records and store them temporarily, with the finacial help of the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick and the Carriage House Storage owners, Jack and Janice Hubert. There they'll be sorted and an inventory created, so that a new, secure home that is accessible to researchers can be found.

Troublesome Youth

2007-05-13T17:34:00.000-04:00

A true sign of spring, when the weather warms up all of the teenagers climb up out of cyberspace and begin to wander around, dazed in the sunlight. This can be very annoying for those who are not teenagers any more: loud music, rude observations, and just generally disrupting anything they feel like. In days gone by, some of the worst youth offenders from New York ended up here in Warwick, at the NYS Training School for Boys-- a reform school, now the site of the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility. One of the success stories to come out of the school is that of Conrad E. Mauge' Jr., or "Frenchy" as he was nicknamed then. A few years back we helped a professor from Boston University figure out who the pseudonymous "Frenchy" really was. I've copied the article I did then below, and this photo shows him in 1951.

“Frenchy” is Found

Thanks to the teamwork of several local residents and researchers, the search for “Frenchy” of WVHS in 1950 has been successful. Boston College professor Carlo Rotella was trying to find him for a project involving the book that was written about the boy, “Out of the Burning” by Ira H. Freeman, published in 1960. A pseudonym had been used, and all trace of Frenchy’s real identity had disappeared when Ira Freeman died. Frenchy’s real name was Conrad E. Mauge′, Jr.

Joanne Cheney, librarian at Warwick High School, was able to find his name. It was also verified by several local residents who remembered him. From there his life was traced by the Local History Dept. of Albert Wisner Library.

Conrad arrived at the New York State Training School for Boys here in Warwick in 1949, after a long and hard road as leader of a Brooklyn gang before he was 14.

His arrival at Warwick brought him into a completely alien environment. He had never been in the country, and recalls that he had never had an intelligent conversation until he talked with the State School librarian one day.

Having an I.Q. of 160 and with good behavior at the school, he was sent in a test program to the regular High School with another boy, William Barron. At the public High School he was initially shunned. He says there were only two other African Americans at Warwick High at that time, and even they wouldn’t talk to him because he was from the State School. After a few weeks however, a “Polish girl with an unpronounceable name” invited him to listen to records with her friends. We don’t know who she was, but her invitation was important to his adjustment to a new life and his acceptance at the school.

He excelled in Track, which was his ticket to higher education. From there he went on to finish high school in Brooklyn at the age of 16, and attended Brooklyn College and St. John’s University. He eventually achieved a Ph D.

He ran a recovery center for AIDS and substance abuse victims on his home turf of Bedford Stuyvesant in the 1980’s, and later turned to the study of African religions, publishing several books and articles. One of his hobbies was Calypso music, part of his parents’ heritage from their native Trinidad. His song “Zombie Jamboree” was recorded by the Kingston Trio. He passed away in 1998.

The book "Out of the Burning" is written in first person from extensive interviews with Conrad, and is such a gripping tale of life in Bedford Stuyvesant in the 1940’s and Conrad’s complete change of direction that it reads like a fast paced thriller. The last quarter of the book takes place in Warwick, with vivid descriptions of what daily life was like for the boys at the reform school, and local names popping up from time to time. The Albert Wisner Library has a copy of the book available for checkout--but don’t skip ahead to the Warwick part, or you will miss the true impact of his successes.

Slavery-- A Household Word

2007-05-06T10:41:00.004-04:00

Last February we published an article about how scarce information is about the history of minorities in Warwick. Since then some new things have come to light:

As old newspapers are scanned and made available, it becomes possible to recover some of this lost information. This image is from the Orange County Patriot, March 11, 1817. This Garret Post appears to be the same man who owned what is now the Shingle House Museum on Forester Ave.

The most significant find in the last few months is that in the collection of Florence Tate, we found a transcription she did of the old slave births and manumissions register kept by the town. It lists over 100 names of slaves and their owners, and is now posted on the Warwick Heritage Database (go to www.albertwisnerlibrary.org, click on "Local History", and then on the database button, search for "slavery"). These records were kept as a result of the act to gradually eliminate slavery passed by New York State in 1799. It specified that after a certain number of years of service, the slave had to be freed.

War in Springtime

2007-05-02T06:04:00.000-04:00

The poet T. S. Eliot says, “April is the cruelest month”, and a generation living though a major war in springtime knows well what he is speaking of. The painful tension between hope at the rebirth of nature, and anguish for our troops and the civilians caught in the storm of battle is something that is difficult to cope with. We are not alone in that struggle. Looking back to another Civil War and the young Warwick men who fought through three springtimes far from home in the most horrific conditions possible, we find that this prior generation came to terms with its experiences.

The “Warwick Boys”, Company D of the 124th Regiment, were mostly young men in their teens and early twenties when they enlisted to fight. A history of the regiment, also known as “The Orange Blossoms”, was later written by Charles Weygant, In recent years Charles LaRocca has authored books and articles on the 124th, as well. But recently a more local view was made available to the Historical Society of Warwick by Tom and Joan Frangos-- a speech given by Capt. James W. Benedict, of Warwick, the leader of Company D. The stone home he grew up in still stands on Colonial Avenue, near the Village line.

Benedict titled his speech “Sherman’s Deffinition of War”(sic) , after the General’s famous rejoinder to a request for a short summary of his experiences: “War is Hell.” It is not written in the restrained, formal language one would expect from an official of his time, but is the impassioned cry of a man wounded in body, mind, and soul, who in later years has come to a kind of balance, if not peace, with the experiences he endured.

We offer here a few excerpts of it, and warn that even though we see graphic images of war in our homes each day, the descriptions are disturbing.

“I followed Burnside across the Rappahanock, on that Pontoon Bridge in front of Fredericksburg on that fateful afternoon of Decr. 12th 1862.

“On yonder frowning heights, the bloody heights of bloody Mayrie; a hundred and fifty black mouthed cannon are vomiting forth through their fiery throats, solid shot and shells, and great chunks of Rail Road Iron into our midst in the vain endeavor to destroy the bridge, thereby severing our Army, and capturing us in detail. From behind the chimneys on yonder housetops, scarce a stone’s throw away, three hundred and fifty Rebel sharpshooters are pouring a deadly fire of leaden hail into our ranks, and at every click of a trigger, at every puff of smoke, at every report of a musket, at every crack, crack, crack of a rifle, some poor fellow down there on the bridge would throw up his hands and with a shriek he would plunge head formost into the icy waters of the murkey Rappahanock, and as his life blood mingled with those cold, dark waters and his spirit rose in great bubbles to the surface and bursting, soared up through cloudland into the presence of Him who gave it, His body floated down the crimson colored waters of the icy Rappahanock. ‘Food for the Fishes.’ ….Burnside, are you crazy? Burnside, are you drunk? Burnside; are you a fool? If you charge those men up against those impregnable works again, the blood of 15,000 of our brave boys in blue will be upon your skirts. But Burnside says Forward, and again those now depleted ranks move forward.

“What about Getteysburg (sic)? Getteysburg, O Getteysburg; Thy hills, and thy valleys, and thy plains are enriched by the blood of nearly 24,000 loved ones. Gettysburg; O Getteysburg! I close mine eyes, What do I behold? A vision comes to me today as plain as was the reality on those awful days of carnage in July 63. Gettysburg; O Getteysburg! I see thy brooks, thy rivulets, thy rills run red with the very best Gore of the Nation.

“I prayed then, and there, that mine eyes might never gaze on such a field of slaughter and carnage again. But God in His Infinite Wisdom, deemed best not to answer that prayer, for in the Wilderness Campaign a scene met my gaze that (if possible) seemed to outdo even Getteysburg.

“On a piece of ground some 3 miles in length and a mile in width, where the contending armies fought for two long terrible days and nights, Neither side giving the other the time or opportunity to care for their wounded, or bury their dead, in places three deep. After the battle I went over a portion of that field, and I believe I could have traversed the entire length and breadth of that ground, and not touched foot to Mother Earth, Just walked on Corpses and dying men, and O, the awfulness of that battle field. Could you have been there and listened to the cries and the groans, the curses and the prayers that fell upon my ears, you would have said, Surely Sherman knows what War is. From all quarters of that battlefield came those piteous cries:

“Water, Water, For Gods sake, give me some water. Others begged of one to hand them a loaded musket that they might put an end to their suffering by their own hand. And the poor fellows died there, and the Wilderness was enriched by the Blood of 20,000 boys who wore the Blue…”

Captain Benedict in this lengthy speech gives descriptions of several of the other major battles in which he participated, and his humanity is found in every anguished sentence and misspelled word as he rushes along in the grip of memory. He concludes,

“Now, I hear someone Ask, did it pay? Yes, I answer, it paid… It struck the shackles from off 4,000,000 Slaves and made them free men and free women… What was the Cost? In money, billions of dollars…What else did it cost this Nation, the North? It cost us 400,000 lives… It made for us 200,000 Widows… It gave to us 500,000 orphans… War is Hell, and I was an Orange Blossom.”

Tate Collection Photos

2007-04-30T07:17:00.000-04:00

Long Speech at the Meeting House

This week I've been working on some negatives from the Florence Tate Collection.

This speech on the steps of the Old School Baptist Meeting House appears to have been delivered after a parade. Everyone seems tired and bored, and you can imagine them thinking, "Is he ever going to stop??"

Judging from the other negatives in the group, this appears to be from around 1940.

Boston Tea Party Comes to Warwick

This shot shows the corner of Main St. and Colonial Ave. Baird's Tavern at center, two houses to left of the Tavern is the old Wheeler Mansion which was torn down.

The house on the right of the Tavern is the old Cowdry House, standing where the current Key Bank Parking Lot is. John Cowdry, Sr., moved to Warwick and John Jr. was born here. The family owned the Key Bank/Hoyt home at one time, and had a store just about where this house was built, but the original building was torn down after 1865. (there's a photo of it in the photo book "Days Gone By")

John Sr. as a youth helped dump tea into the harbor during the Boston Tea Party,(his obituary, from 1835, clearly documents this, see below) This shot is from around 1940.

Obituary of John Cowdrey

(as it appeared in the Southern Patriot, Feb. 04, 1835)