Windsor, and removed to New York, taking command of the "Democrat" for
Col. Henry Rutgers, and where, with the exception of brief residences on
Long Island and in Westchester County, before his final return to the
City in 1811, he made his home for the rest of his life. He was granted
the freedom of the City, April 1st, 1789; and shortly after engaged in a
different calling, but five years later resumed the old one, and
successively sailed (sometimes as part owner), the Deborah--named for
his mother--the Packet, Neptune, Rising-Sun, Ambition, Venus and Hunter.
It was while sailing the Hunter, during the last war with England, that
in coming out of Mamaroneck Harbor (September 17th, 1813), he narrowly
escaped capture by one of the enemy's vessels; a market boat which they
had seized and manned, to more easily entrap ours. The Captain thought
they acted strangely, but discovered their real character only when they
bore down and rounded to, with intent to board him. But the Captain was
too quick for them. Ordering the passengers below, he instantly tacked
about, the bullets now flying thick around him, and shouting to the foe
to _fire away, it was not the first time they had wasted powder on him_,
he was soon beyond their reach, and got in safely, with no other damage
than sails riddled, and a few holes in the hull. The people ashore,
having heard the firing and alarmed for the Captain's safety, were
overjoyed, and came out in small boats to help him in. There were
several little incidents connected with this adventure. A brave woman on
board, a Mrs. Wallace, insisted upon rowing with a sweep, till fairly
forced to desist and go below. The cabin-boy when told to go down,
demurred, saying, "Captain, when your head is off, I'll take the helm."
A few days before, the Captain going into the country to buy produce,
had told his son David to keel up the vessel and give it a coat of
tallow, which preserved the timbers, kept her tight and helped her
sailing. David obeyed orders, but so thoroughly and well, that he ran up
a big score for tallow at the store, to the astonishment of his father
when he came to see the bill, and who gave David a round reprimand for
his extravagance. But after the trial of speed with the enemy, "David,"
said the Captain, patting his son on the shoulder, "we hadn't a bit too
much tallow on to-day!"
Speaking of David, he was in one respect "a chip of the old block," he
relished a joke next the best. And so it happened on an occasion, that
the schooner lay at Cow Harbor, loading with wood, when a Montauk Indian
came aboard, asking a passage to New York. Now the Captain had a kind
heart; but had sworn eternal enmity to the whole race of aborigines. His
ears filled with recitals of Indian outrages, when scouting on the
frontiers; an eye-witness of the cruelties inflicted on peaceable
communities by the firebrand and the tomahawk; yes, his soul harrowed at
the sight of innocent victims, as they lay in their gore, murdered and
scalped; if there was on earth an object at sight of which his very
blood boiled, it was an _Indian_! David knew it well, yet the young
rogue sent the Indian into the cabin to see the Captain. "What do you
want?" asked the latter gruffly. "To go to New York, Captain," said the
poor native. "Get out of this, you Indian dog," was his only answer,
while the Captain's cudgel at his heels, as he scrambled up the
companionway, sent the applicant off at a much livelier gait than "an
Indian trot." But then it was that the joke turned on David, when he had
to meet the scathing question,--How he _dared_ to send an _Indian_ into
the cabin to him!
But we said the Captain himself enjoyed a joke. In 1821, he and Squire
Daniel Riker took a friendly tour, in the latter's gig, as far as Orange
County; Mr. V. to see his kindred and acquaintances, and one of his
daughters being also there on a visit. Concluding to go as far as
Monticello, they set out from Bloomingburgh, the Squire and Deborah in
the gig, and the Captain on horseback. Shortly before reaching the
Neversink River, the latter stopped to have a shoe set, but told the
Squire to drive on and he would soon follow. Now the Squire was a spruce
widower of fifty, but Deborah just out of her teens. So on they went
reaching the toll-gate in high glee and at a lively pace. The
inquisitive gate-keeper had noticed the speed at which they rode, and
overheard a tell-tale remark let fall by the Squire, that by driving
fast they might reach the Neversink bridge _before the Captain could
catch them_! Soon the Captain arrived in seeming haste, and reigning
his horse at the gate, inquired of the keeper if he had seen a runaway
couple that way; an old man eloping with his daughter. "Yes, yes," said
the man, "they just passed, and were hurrying, to reach the bridge
before you could catch them; but you'll do it if you're only smart."
"Quick, quick, hand me my change," said the Captain, and spurring his
horse, on he went, almost bursting before he could give vent to his
laughter; while the gate-keeper ran in to tell about the wonderful
elopement. But on their return, there was a hearty laugh all round, as
the gate-keeper took in the situation, and the Captain, with a smirk,
remarked, "You see, I caught the runaways." The joke spread, to the
merriment of all, but none enjoyed telling it more than the Captain.
In 1816, having quit his old occupation the previous year, and being now
sixty years of age, Capt. Van Arsdale was appointed Wood Inspector in
the First Ward, a post he held for twenty years; and which he had
previously enjoyed for a short time, in 1812, under a commission from De
Witt Clinton, then Mayor. Daily at Peck Slip, he was seen, with his
measuring rod in hand, busy at his avocation; till "Uncle John" became
one of the fixed features of the locality. He continued here, indeed,
till the use of coal had so far supplanted that of wood, that business
dwindled to nothing, and he resigned his office in disgust. He was made
a member of the "Independent Veteran Corps of Heavy Artillery," Oct.
6th, 1813. This Corps was organized for the special defense of the City
of New York, and for the whole period Mr. Van Arsdale was connected with
it (except a short interval), was commanded by Capt. George W. Chapman.
Their uniform was a navy blue coat and pantaloons, white vest, black
stock, a black feather surmounted red, black hat, and cockade, bootees
and side arms yellow mounted. Capt. Van Arsdale took great interest in
the corps, rarely if ever missed a parade, and in 1814, for over three
months, ending December 4th, was in active service guarding the Arsenal
in Elm street, a plot being suspected to blow up the building with its
14,000 stand of arms. On Nov. 25th, 1835, he was promoted to the next
position to the commandant, that of First Captain-Lieutenant.
Capt. Van Arsdale had now reached his eighty-first year, he had survived
his companion four years, his mental faculties were still good, but his
strength was failing; yet he attended to business till near the last.
But borne down by the weight of years, a short illness closed the scene,
and the veteran gently passed away, August 14th, 1836, at his residence
134 Delancey street. He was interred the next day in the cemetery in
First street, with the honors of war, by the corps in which he had held
command; the Napoleon Cadets, Capt. Charles, acting as a guard of honor,
and a concourse of citizens paying their last respects. His remains now
rest in Cypress Hills Cemetery.[33]
In person Mr. Van Arsdale was of medium height, stoutly built, erect,
and elastic of foot even till old age. Always neat in his person and
dress; we recall his good-natured chiding, when, an urchin, running in
to see Grandpa, heated from our play, and collar, boylike, well sweated
down;--"Go home, you little rascal," he would say, "You've no collar to
your shirt." A democrat of the old school, he was pronounced in his
opinions, and no way sparing of opponents. It was in the autumn of 1834,
that a friend asked him how the party which that year took the name of
_Whig_, got it. "Got it," said the old man, his face kindling with
honest indignation, "Smiley, they got it as their fathers, the Cowboys
of the Revolution, got their beef,--_they stole it!_" The Captain was
then visiting friends in Sullivan County, and was riding out to see his
old war-chum Sears. They met on the road, when Mr. V. springing from the
wagon, Sears instantly recognized him, and overcome with emotion, threw
his arms around him and burst into tears! How flushed up the faded
memories of camp and battle scenes, and dismal prison life; verily a
picture for the limner. At this time also, the Captain had the pleasure
of visiting Mr. Hugh Lindsey, who was captured with him at Fort
Montgomery; he died shortly after Van Arsdale's return. But we have
done. The kind father,--filial affection still cherishes his memory; the
true friend,--alas, but few survive to embalm the friendship so long
sundered; the worthy citizen, whose heart was ever open to the poor and
suffering around him,--let it suffice that the savor of good deeds is
immortal! But more fitting to close this imperfect tribute to his worth
are the apt words of the burial orders, recalling the salient fact in
Capt. Van Arsdale's life,--"A tried Soldier of the Revolution!"
FOOTNOTES:
[11] ARSDALE was formerly pronounced as if written _aurs-daul_; hence
the various modes of spelling it to express the Dutch pronunciation by
English letters, as _Osdoll_, etc. But the growing disposition to
correct such departures by resuming the original form of surnames, leads
us to hope for a reformation in this case also, especially as a large
part of the family have held to the form which early obtained.
[12]
[Illustration]
SIMON JANSEN VAN ARSDALEN, the grandfather of Stoffel, (in English,
Christopher,) was the common ancestor of all in this country bearing the
name of _Van Arsdale_, or its modification, _Van Osdoll_, which latter
preserves the Dutch pronunciation. He was born in Holland in 1629, of an
ancient Helvetian family, emigrated to this country in 1653, and settled
in Flatlands, L.I., where he married Peternelle, daughter of Claes (or
Nicholas) Wyckoff. He acquired property, was a magistrate and repeatedly
chosen an elder of the church, and lived to be over four score years of
age. He had, besides daughters, two sons, Cornelius and John, both of
whom inherited their father's virtues and were prominent in civil and
church affairs. Each of these had six sons (Cornelius had _Derick_,
_John_, _Simon_, _Philip_, _Abraham_ and _Jacobus_ or _James_; and John
had _Simon_, _Stoffel_, _Nicholas_, _Jurian_, or _Uriah_, _John_ and
_Cornelius_), most of whom (except Nicholas who lived in Jamaica, L.
I.,) settled about the Raritan in New Jersey, whence some removed into
Pennsylvania; they were as a family, remarkably attached to the church
and to the elder Frelinghuysens. John, first named, married, 1695,
Lammetie, daughter of Stoffel Probasko, lived for some years in
Gravesend, but died in the town of Jamaica, about 1756, and as will be
seen was the father of Stoffel, named in the text. The family has been
very prolific, and has furnished to society many capable business men,
besides physicians, clergymen, bankers, etc. Of these was the late Dr.
Peter Van Arsdale, of this city.
[13] ARENT TEUNISSEN, great grandfather of Magdalena Van Hengelen, came
out to this country from Hengelen (now Hengelo), in the County of
Zutphen, in 1653, the same year in which Simon Van Arsdale arrived. He
was under engagement to Baron Vander Capelle, to cultivate his lands on
Staten Island, but was slain in the Indian massacre of 1655. His son
Reynier, was the father of Okie Van Hengelen, named in the text, who
left descendants in New Jersey, called _Van Anglen_, of whom was Capt.
John Van Anglen, of the Revolution.
[14] Opposite the jail stood, in those days, a public whipping post,
stocks, etc., the terror of law-breakers, and by which lesser crimes
were expiated. The late Abraham Van Arsdale, born the year of the
Soldiers' Riot (and old enough to fly his kite, as he did, from the roof
of the prison, while his father kept it), well remembered these
instruments of justice, and informed me that he had seen gallows erected
and persons executed, in front of the jail. They then hung for
_stealing_!
[15] To avoid confusion, we speak here and elsewhere of Orange County as
now organized. Previous to 1798, it embraced the present Rockland
County, while the town of New Windsor, and all those towns lying to the
north of a line running west from the southern boundary of New Windsor
belonged to Ulster County. Of course, Little Britain, and the Precinct
of Hanover were then in Ulster.
[16] JAMES CLINTON had been colonel of this regiment, till appointed a
brigadier general.
[17] Believed to have been James Thompson, whose brother John was killed
at Fort Montgomery. Others slain in McClaughry's regiment were _Capts._
James Milliken and Jacobus Roosa, _Lieut._ Nathaniel Milliken, and
_Privates_ Theophilus Corwin, David Benson, James Gage, David Halliday,
etc.
[18] The WEARS, respectable Protestants from the north of Ireland, were
noted for longevity. William Wear, their ancestor, dying, his widow with
two children, William and Jennie, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1749, and
thence in 1760 to the town of Montgomery. Mrs. Wear died at her
daughter's house December 3, 1803, aged 92 years. Her son William, named
in the text, resided near Orange Lake, had a numerous family, and
attained the age of 97 years. He died November 7, 1828, and was ancestor
of William Wear, Esq. Mrs. Van Arsdale was born March 31, 1746, as
maintained by her brother, who was much the oldest, and hence was in her
100th year at her decease, September 17, 1845. Her husband, Tunis, died
April 9, 1813, aged 67 years. This worthy pair united with the Walkill
Church in 1782. Mrs. V. was a woman of remarkable energy, and retained
her faculties till the last, almost perfectly. Her memory extended back
to the closing events in the life of Steffel Van Arsdale, her husband's
grandfather, and she lived to see his descendants of the sixth
generation.
[19] The 52d and 27th Regiments, the Royal American Regiment, Col.
Beverly Robinson, the New York Volunteers, Major Grant, and Emerick's
Provincial Chasseurs.
[20] Grenadiers and Light Infantry, the 26th and 63d Regiments, one
company of the 71st Highlanders, one troop of dismounted dragoons, and
Hessian Chasseurs.
[21] The Royal Fusileers and Hessian Regiment of Trumback.
[22] This refers only to the final assault; the enemy fired upon our
people both in the preliminary skirmishes and after they were masters of
the forts. J. R.
[23] JUDGE BODLE was born only a stone's throw from the Clinton
homestead, in Little Britain (being a second cousin to the Clintons);
but at the time of the battle was a farmer on the Walkill. The distance
made him late, and he reached the vicinity of the forts only to learn
that the enemy had possession. Next morning, going home, he suddenly met
Claudius Smith, the noted Tory robber. They knew each other. Bodle was
perplexed, but putting on a bold front, approached Claudius, who seemed
very friendly. After inquiring the news from the river, Smith said he
had to go away, but added: "Mr. Bodle, you are weary, go to my house
yonder and ask my wife for some breakfast, and say that I sent you."
Seeming to accept his offer, but suspecting a trick, Bodle steered for
home, nor felt quite safe till he reached Chester. Smith was a bold,
accomplished villain, a terror to the people of Orange, and whose career
of brigandage has all the air of romance. He was finally hung at Goshen,
January 22, 1779. Mr. Bodle was one of the citizens who guarded him
while in jail. Smith asked him if he would really shoot him, if a rescue
were attempted. Bodle said his duty would compel him to it. "Ah! Bodle,
I don't believe you," said Smith. See _Eager's Orange County_, for an
account of Smith and his gang, made up in part from an article we wrote
many years ago for the "True Sun." But not a fact in that article (save
the incident above related), came from Judge Bodle, as Mr. Eager
assumes.
[24] JEPTHA LEE, of Lamb's Artillery, was one of those who escaped out
of the fort with General James Clinton. He served with John Van Arsdale,
under Capt. Faulkner, in 1779, and died in 1855, at Ulysses, N. Y.
[25] COL. MCCLAUGHRY, though a prisoner and sorely wounded, showed the
same indomitable spirit as before. Left to suffer three days before his
wounds were dressed, in the belief that he could not live, his captors
tried to extort information from him, as to our strength. He replied
curtly that Washington had a powerful army, and would yet whip them, and
he should live to see it! He was soon exchanged, resumed his command and
survived the war. He was made an honorary member of the Cincinnati, and
lived most respectably upon his farm at Little Britain, till his death
in 1790, aged 67 years. He left no children.
GEN. ALLISON, as later styled, was exchanged during the ensuing winter,
and took home with him to Gov. Clinton $2,000 in gold, loaned by a good
whig on Long Island, to aid the American cause. He died in 1804, at the
Drowned Lands, where he resided; leaving a very respectable family and
an ample estate. His daughter Sarah married William W. Thompson, and
daughter Mary married Dr. William Elmer.
[26] The exceptions were Col. McClaughry, Capt. Humphrey, Lieut. Solomon
Pendleton and Ensign John McClaughry, both of Dubois's regiment, and
Lieut. John Hunter, of McClaughry's; who were still there Nov. 5th.
[27] They were, besides Wells, Robert Huston, Francis McBride, and
William Humphrey, of McClaughry's regiment, and John Brooks, of
Woodhull's. Abel Wells sickened and died in the Provost, Dec. 13, 1777.
Benjamin Goldsmith and Garret Miller, worthy residents of Smith's Clove
in Orange County, deserve notice in this connection. Goldsmith had a
valuable horse stolen by Claudius Smith's gang, and some of his
neighbors sustained similar losses. Finally a party went out in pursuit
of the robbers, but some, including Goldsmith and Miller, fell into the
hands of the British, and were sent to the Provost, where both died of
smallpox, Miller on the memorable 6th of October, and Goldsmith on the
20th of October, 1777. Goldsmith was the father of Daniel, who was the
father of the present Mr. Daniel Goldsmith, of Bloomingrove, and of the
late David Goldsmith, of Schuyler Co., N. Y.
[28] This kindness was repaid a dozen years later (1790) when Mr. Van
Arsdale and his wife took Mr. Day's eight year old motherless daughter
to nurture as their own, they having been bereft the year previous of
their three young children, though seven more were given them
afterwards. And Mary Day, (whose father died Oct. 19, 1802, aged 49),
remained with them till her marriage to William Hutchings, the father of
Mr. John Hutchings, of Norwalk, Ct. Amiable woman, pure and artless as a
child, and to sum up her life in a word, filling her humble sphere with
perfect fidelity,--among the happier days of the writer's boyhood were
those spent in summer recreations at her modest home at Cow Bay, with
the mill pond and Squire Mitchell's old red grist mill, and Uncle
Billy's cooperage near it, and around the bluff the broad sandy beach,
as rambling ground; your pardon, indulgent reader, if thoughts of the
past do force a tear.
[29] LIST OF THE AMERICANS who were made prisoners at Forts Montgomery
and Clinton, Oct. 6, 1777.
OFFICERS.
Col. William Allison.
Lt. Col. James McClaughry.
Lt. Col. Jacobus Bruyn.
Lt. Col. William Livingston.
Major Samuel Logan, 5th Regt.
Major Stephen Lush, Brigade Major to Gen. George Clinton.
Major Daniel Hamil, Brigade Major to Gen. James Clinton.
Major Zachariah Dubois, Woodhull's Regt.
Capt. Henry Godwin, 5th Regt.
Capt. James Humphrey, McClaughry's Regt.
Capt. Lt. Cornelius Swartwout, Lamb's Artillery.
Capt. Lt. Ephraim Fenno, Lamb's Artillery.
Lieut. Solomon Pendleton, 5th Regt.
Lieut. Paton Jackson, 5th Regt.
Lieut. John Furman, 5th Regt.
Lieut. Henry Pawling, 5th Regt.
Lieut. Ebenezer Mott, 5th Regt.
*Lieut. Alexander McArthur, 5th Regt.
Lieut. Samuel Dodge, 5th Regt.
Lieut. John Hunter, McClaughry's Regt.
Lieut. Benjamin Halstead, Allison's Regt.
Lieut. Henry Brewster, Allison's Regt.
Ensign Abraham Leggett, 5th Regt.
Ensign John McClaughry, 5th Regt.
Ensign Henry Swartwout, 5th Regt.
Adj. Dep. Qr. Mr. Gen. Oliver Glean.
Qr. Master Nehemiah Carpenter.
Capt. James Gilliland, Director of Ordnance.
PRIVATES AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. _5th, or Col. Dubois's
Regiment._
David McHollister. Thomas Conklin.
Martin Shay. Ephraim Adams.
Jacobus Tarbush. Francis Sears.
Thaddeus Kennedy. Samuel Garrison.
John McDonald. William Willis.
John Conklin. Abraham Jorden.
James Montanye. John Storm.
Henry Ostrander. Thomas McCarty.
Jacobus Logier. Thomas Hendricks.
David Bovins. John Chamberlin.
Vincent Venney. Zebulon Woodruff.
Jeremiah Dunn. Paul Keizler.
Robert Patrick. George Heck.
William Barber. John Miller.
Benjamin Wiley. John Allison.
Danford Winchester. Samuel Boyd.
*William Mullen. William Weaver.
Lewis Dixon. William Ivery.
John Ivery. John Stanley.
Nathaniel Otter. John Brown.
Eliakim Brush. George Polton.
Robert Gillespie. *Philip Felix.
Abraham Wright. Aaron Knapp.
Jonathan Hallock. James Mitchell.
James Weldon. John Johnston.
Thomas Tinn. Nehemiah Sniffen.
Samuel Turner. Solomon Shaw.
Daniel Dominick. James Montieth.
John Witlock. Daniel Lower.
Jacobus Terwilliger. John Hunt.
James Steel. Michael Johnston.
Thomas Crispell. Joseph Reeder.
Enos Lent. John Price.
Jacobus Lent. Robert Marshall.
John Albright. Scott Travers.
Alexander Ockey. John Satterly.
Thomas Hartwell. James Amerman.
Patrick Dorgan. Harman Crum.
Samuel Crosby. Samuel Griffin.
Moses Shall. Cornelius Acker.
John West. Jacob Lawrence.
John McIntosh. Francis Gaines.
Henry Schoonmaker. Benjamin Griffin.
Joseph Morgan. Enos Sniffen.
Jonathan Stockham. Joseph Bolton.
Abel Randall. James Hannah.
Thomas Kent. William Slott.
William Banker. Benjamin Chichester.
Peter Wells. Francis Drake.
Joseph Deneyck. Jasper Smith.
John Weston. William Casselton.
Michael Burgh. Edward Allen.
Thomas Smith. William Bard.
COL. LAMB'S ARTILLERY.
Elisah Petty. Alexander Moffatt.
David Clark. David Hanmore.
Hull Peck. James Shearer.
William Taylor. William Swan.
Edward Keen. John Patterson.
Hugh Lindsey. John Nelson.
David Pembroke. Israel Smith.
Thomas Griffith. Samuel Furman.
Robert English. Alexander Young.
David Stone. John Kelly.
John Twitchell. Alexander McCoy.
Hugh McCall. John Gardner.
Thaddeus Barnes. Timothy Nichols.
COL. ALLISON'S REGIMENT.
Samuel Taylor. Peter Jones.
James Bell. Uriah Black.
Robert Eaton. Frederick Nochton.
Richard Sheridan. David Wheeler.
James Koyl. Peter Stage.
*James Lewis. Isaac Ketcham.
James Thompson. Henry Brewster.
Michael Dunning. Frederick Pelliger.
James Sawyer. Caleb Ashley.
Joseph Moore. Timothy Corwin.
Jesse Dunning.
COL. MCCLAUGHRY'S REGIMENT.
*John McMullen. Robert Barkley.
Henry Neely. James Wood.
Robert Henry. David Thompson.
William Scott. Elias Wool.
Matthew Dubois. *Robert Wool.
Francis McBride. *Samuel Hodge.
Robert Huston. William McMullen.
Andrew Wilson. Isaac Denton.
Christopher Sypher. Moses Cantine.
John Darkis. George Brown.
William Stinson. Elnathan Sears.
William Humphrey. Philip Millspaugh.
George Humphrey. John Van Arsdale.
James Humphrey. George Coleman.
John Carmichel. Abel Wells.
John Skinner. Hezekiah Kune.
Gerardus Vineger. John Manny.
Baltus Van Kleek. Isaac Kinbrick.
Cornelius Slott. Samuel Falls.
William Howell. James Miller.
John Hanan.
COL. HASBROUCK'S REGIMENT.
George Wilkin. Benjamin Lawrence.
Cornelius Roosa. Cornelius Stevens.
Simon Ostrander. John Bingham.
Zachariah Terwilliger. John Snyder.
John Stevenson. Robert Cooper.
William Warren.
COL. WOODHULL'S REGIMENT.
John Brooks. James Mitchell.
John Lamerey. John Armstrong.
Henry Cunningham. Peter Gillen.
John Crooks. Edward Tomkins.
William Penoyer. Randle House.
Simon Currens. *Christian House.
Israel Cushman. Isaac Hoffman.
Asa Ramsey.
*Joel Curtiss.
Thomas Harten. _Col. Hammon's_, Zachariah Taylor.
Jesse Carpenter. _Col. Drake's_, John Vantassel.
Benjamin Simmons. _Col. Holme's_, Cornelius Cornelius,
Isaac Cooly. William Randle.
Joshua Currey. _Col. Ogden's_, Thomas Cook.
James Thompson. _Col. Antill's_, Jonathan Nichols.
Stephen Clark.
CORPS UNKNOWN.
John Donalds. Tobias Lent.
Joseph Mead. George Depew.
George Peck. Auris Verplank.
Jesse Lockwood. Albert Vantass.
WAGONERS.
John Randle. *Jacob Morris.
Elias Vanvolver. *John Tallow.
Samuel Anderson.
N. B.--The ten with a star are named in a list preserved by Col. Wm.
Faulkner, but are not in that furnished Gov. Clinton, by Joseph Loring,
British Commissary of Prisoners. McArthur returned to his regiment, the
other nine are not found again.