THE SMITH FAMILY AFFAIR
Some actions of the Tories struck closer to home than
others. John Smith, ancestry unknown, but possibly the
John Smith in Capt. Isaac Ter Bush's company which
mustered 1762 for the French War. This John Smith was
born New England, age 54 [b. ca. 1708] a carpenter, in
Lt. Conklin's Co. 5" 8'. [NYMR 450]. Our John Smith was
living on a 201 acre farm in lot 19, at the intersection
of Waterbury Hill and Parliman Roads in present day
Union Vale, at the time of the Revolution. His rent was
20 bushels of wheat, 2 fowls and 1 days riding per
year. He was most likely the man taxed as John Smith
"on Ketcham's farm" June 1765-69 and then as 'John
Smith' through 1778. He was appointed 1st Lieut. in
Captain Israel Vail's company of Militia under Col.
James Vanderburgh 10 March 1778. When changes were next
made in this company, 20 Oct. 1779, the records show,
"Samuel Curtis, 1st Lieut, Vail's Company, vice John
Smith, deceased." Our story is about Lieut. John Smith,
deceased, and his sons. [Our sources are affidavits
from pension applications, newspaper accounts of the
time, Clinton Papers manuscripts, and data we have
gathered for the genealogies of the several families
involved.] We begin with a newspaper account of the
final chapter of the story:
New-York Journal and General Advertiser of 11 Oct
1779.
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"We hear from Oswego, in Dutchess County, that Lieut.
John Smith, lately died there of the small-pox, a few
days after his return from New-York where he and his two
sons had been prisoners, and where, when he came out by
exchange, he left them confined. They were all, about
three months ago, feloniously made prisoners (by the
notorious Charles Vincent jun. and Gabriel Wright, now
prisoners for felony, in Poughkeepsie goal) and carried
to New-York, where among other instances of barbarous
usage, persons infected with the small pox, were brought
into the room where they were confined, on purpose, it
appeared, to give them the infection. Mr. Smith, at the
time remonstrated, tho' in vain, against the cruel
treatment, telling them that they might as well murder
him at once."
The pension application of John Smith Jr. provides
more detail of the events: [Rev. Pens. W-19061]. [John
Smith Jr. was born at Beekman 27 Feb. 1759, and died at
Clinton, Dutchess County 14 Nov. 1836.]
Affidavit of John Smith Jr. On 26 Sept. 1832 he test-
ified for a pension and gave some details about his cap-
ture and that of his father and brother. "He enlisted
in Captain Israel Vail's Company .... in 1779 ....
returned to Fishkill, was guard to a court martial and
was then between the 4th and 8th of July taken prisoner
by a party [of] the enemy, Cowboys &c. Was carried to
headquarters of the enemy at Philips near Kingsbridge,
was there put on board a vessel and two days after sent
to New York, was put in prison in the sugar house[;]
there were about 500 other prisoners there at the time,
deponant remained in the sugar house a prisoner about
seven months, was then removed to the jail in New York
(late the debtors jail in the Park), staid there two
months a prisoner & was exchanged the latter part of May
1780, and went home to Beekman. Deponant served six
weeks before he was taken and was a prisoner ten months.
His father's Bible is in the possession of his brother
Moses in Albany."
Affidavit of Moses Smith, son of John Smith Sr:
"Deponant also well remembers that the said John
Smith afterwards went out with the regiment in 1779, and
was taken prisoner and remained a prisoner until the
next summer[;] deponants father John Smith and brother
Alexander Smith were taken prisoner by the enemy at the
same time and said Alexander was exchanged and came home
together with the said John Smith."


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Affidavit of Daniel S. Dean:

"Deponant was well aquainted with the family of John
Smith the elder, this affirmant well remembers that the
said John Smith the elder and the younger were in the
service of the United States in the army. Remembers the
report that the said John Smith, Alexander Smith and
John Smith the younger were taken prisoners by the enemy
and carried to New York. He visited and saw them soon
after their return. John Smith the elder died soon
after of the small pox and Alexander Smith was deranged
in mind. This affirmant is also well acquainted with
Moses Smith here present and has known him from his
youth."
Affidavit of Peter Lake:
".... the said John Smith was taken prisoner by some
tories commanded or controlled by a man by the name of
Wright-- thinks his name was Gabe Wright-- that at the
same time that John Smith was taken two of the brothers
of the said John Smith and his father were also taken
prisoners and carried to New York, and as this deponant
was afterwards informed they were put into or confined
in what was called the sugar house, that this deponant
thinks, he the said John Smith and his brothers were
confined about six months and released by being
exchanged-- that this deponant remembers that they took
the Small Pox while they were confined and the Father
and one of the Brothers died with it."
Affidavit of Phebe Drake:
"John Smith Sr. lived about 1 1/2 miles distant from
the residence of the father of this deponant, that this
deponant remembers distinctly that the said John Smith
was engaged in the Military Service after he was married
to Jane and was taken prisoner together with the father
of the said John and one of his brothers and was carried
to New York when the City was in possession of the
British. That she this deponant distinctly remembers
that the said John Smith was a prisoner in New York when
the said Jane had her first child; ... and the child was
several months old when the husband of the said Jane
returned and first saw his first child, that this
deponant remembers that when John Smith and his brother
and his father were released & returned from New York;
the father of the said John Smith was immediately
afterward seized with the Small Pox and died[,] when all
the family, together with John Smith and Jane moved out
and left the house for fear of catching the disease."
There were at least three men from Beekman involved
in the capture of the Smiths; Charles Vincent Jr.,
Gabriel Wright Jr. and William (Gulielmus) Moore. The
N-YHS collections, Misc. Mss "D", includes a petition to
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the Dutchess County judge hearing the trial of 6 April
1780 that includes the following names, presumably all
involved in the Smith affair: "Charles Vincent, Jacob
Storm, ?John McKeel, Gabriel Wright, John Marston [sic
for Mastin], William Moore, Damon ?Deyo, James Wilson
and Winant Williams."
CHARLES VINCENT was probably the son of Charles and
Hester (Guion) Vincent of Eastchester and Fishkill. He
was referred to as Charles Jr. in the records and was
most likely the man taxed in Beekman from 1772-78. He
m. twice, the second wife being Hannah, probably the
daughter of E.S. Burling of North Castle and
Fredericksburgh, NY, and sister to his first wife. He
had children Nancy, Burling, John, Zethia, Isaac and
Hannah. He was listed in a muster for Captain Jonathan
Haight's Co. for 1 June 1761. He was age 19, born DC a
laborer, in Haight's Co., 5" 9' tall. [NYMR 390].
A month or so after the capture of the Smiths we find
the following in the New-York Journal of 30 Aug.
1779: "Last night was brought to the Poughkeepsie
goal--- The notorius Tory Charles Vincent, taken
yesterday in the woods near Oswego. He attempted to
escape, and would not stop till he was shot in the hip,
which brought him to the ground, but his wound is not
thought to be mortal. There was found in his pocket a
letter from Fulmore, now confined in the Poughkeepsie
goal, dated the day before, informing, that he expected
to be with him on Monday (this day)-- by which it would
seem he intended to attempt an escape."
[Jasper] Fulmore had been a Sergeant in Capt. Israel
Vail's Minute Man Company in August 1776, the same comp-
any that Gabriel Wright was in. We don't know whether
Fulmore managed to escape, but the records show that
Vincent did:
The New-York Journal and General Advertiser of 6
Dec. 1779 carried this notice: "Broke Goal last night,
the following prisoners, viz. ... Charles Vincent, about
5 feet 10 inches high, well made, brown hair, ...
Shubael Worden, about 5 feet 10 inches high, reddish
hair. A reward of fifty pounds will be given for appre-
hending each and every of the above named prisoners."
Dated Poughkeepsie 29 Nov. 1779.
It was almost impossible to hold prisoners in the
jail and the following gives a little more detail.
[NYP of 10 Feb. 1780; The NYJ of 7 Feb. reported
about one-half the men's names, but no detail].
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"Poughkeepsie, Feb. 7, 1780. On Thursday evening,
between eight and nine o'clock a number of prisoners in
Poughkeepsie goal, having, it is supposed, been assisted
by some of their accomplices from without, sawed off the
irons, with which they were hand cuffed and fettered;
and having provided themselves with clubs when the
goaler, attended with a guard of four men, went to
examine the rooms, and see that all was safe; on opening
one of the doors, they knocked him down, and 11 of them
rushed out, knocked down and wounded the rest of the
guard (by whom, however, one of them received a wound
with a bayonet) and all escaped; one of them, Moses
Aken, being much frost bitten, has been since taken.
Two hundred dollars reward will be given, for
securing and returning Henry Rush to Poughkeepsie goal;
and one hundred for each of the rest. Their names are as
follows: Henry Rush, alias David Spoer, jun. Gabriel
Right, Joseph Wood, David Mosher, Daniel Simpkins, Noah
Ames, Joseph Nickerson, John Marks, John Hodge, and
Reuben Smith."
The same paper reported Monday 3 July 1780: "Two Tory
enemies made their escape from Poughkeepsie goal, on
Saturday night, and several others were yesterday
committed to the same goal."
A week later the paper reported:
"The two prisoners, Vincent and Holmes, who made
their escape from Poughkeepsie goal, as mentioned in our
last, have been since retaken, and returned to goal,
with several others of like characters."
Charles Vincent Jr. evidently did manage to escape
and made his way to Canada with many other Loyalists.
Charles Vincent's estate in Beekman was confiscated 14
July 1783. He lived in lot 17 in present day Union Vale
on a farm first settled by Abraham Dolson ca. 1736.
This farm was on the line of lot 16 and was just west of
Hoxie Corners. Tompkins Road runs through the farm on
the eastern side. The Livingston Rent Book, page 93,
describes the transfer of the lease from Ambrose Vincent
to Charles Vincent Jr. It appears that Charles may have
been on this farm as early as 1774, but signed a bond 1
May 1778 for £65/11/4 when the lease was assigned. He
made a claim 25 Feb. 1786 for his losses as a result of
his Loyalism. His affidavit and that of a witness, made
in an attempt to receive compensation from the British
Crown, follow:
"Lived in Dutchess County. Joined the British soon
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after the Battle of White Plains. He was so persecuted
he could not stay. He continued within the Lines. Now
and then went home privately. Served occasionally under
Col. Delancey & Col. Emerick. Brought men in for them.
Conducted some of Burgoyn's Prisoners to New York.
"Had 200 acres in Dutchess County. It was a tenant
farm of Mr. Robt. Gibb. Livingston. Had a lease for
three Lives. Bought about 10 years ago, just before the
war. One of the 3 persons was dead when he bought the
Lease. Gave £230 for it. Paid it all before he came
away. Some York Paper Money, some Jersey Paper Money;
all before ye war. Values it at near £500.
"Had a house & 6 lots in New York. Produces lease
from Geo. Stanton, Attorney, from Jas. DeLancey to
claimt, of 6 lots for 21 years, paying £9 annually. 24
July 1782.
"Had a Negro Wench & Boy in Dutchess Co. His Father
gave them to him. She would not come away & therefore
his Wife was forced to leave her behind. Lost Wagon,
Cart, yoake of oxen.
Taken for the use of the Rebel Army."
John Mastin, [prob. the son of Cornelius and Arientje
(Elsworth) Masten of Oswego and a Loyalist himself], was
a witness:
"Knew Claiment. He was always a Loyalist. Suffered
greatly. He joined the British very soon. He piloted
Loyalists frequently within the Lines. Piloted
Burgoyne's men within ye Lines.
He had a Leased farm in Dutchess Co. Thinks he bought
it of one Vincent long before the war. He was reckoned a
Considerable Farmer.
He had a black girl & child.
Says the Landlord would add a new life in the Lease
for £5. He had cattle.
Capt. Vanderburgh speaks highly of Claimt.'s Loyalty.
He was serviceable in getting intelligence from the
Country. The officers used to place great confidence in
him. He was very useful. Col. Emerick often employed
him." [Public Archives Canada.]
Charles Vincent Jr. arrived in St. John in June 1783
on the Brig THETIS with others in his regiment, and took
up land with them. He received a land grant of 200
acres on the Kennebecasis River at St. John which he did
not take up. He then received a grant of 500 acres at
Cobequid, on the Cobequid Road (now Westchester, Nova
Scotia) where he settled in 1785. He d. ca. 1810.
WILLIAM MOORE was the son of Allen and Abigail
(Collins) Moore and was born 1755 in Beekman and d.
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