A Pelham Resident Rode With General George Washington on Evacuation Day in 1783

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Happy Evacuation Day dear Pelham.  Today is the 233rd anniversary of the original Evacuation Day on November 25, 1783 when British troops departed Manhattan at the close of the Revolutionary War and George Washington, his staff, and troops made a triumphal entry into New York City before cheering throngs of ecstatic Americans.  Among the members of General Washington's staff riding with him that triumphant day was Manor of Pelham resident Philip Pell III (1753 - 1811).  

Philip Pell III (often referenced as Philip Pell Jr. and Col. Philip Pell) is one of the most illustrious citizens ever to have lived in Pelham.  Born July 7, 1753, he was the eldest son of Philip and Gloriana (Treadwell / aka Tredwell) Pell.  He served as Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Continental Army (and, some have claimed, for a time, as Acting Judge Advocate General) during the Revolutionary War.  He served as a Delegate to the Continental Congress, a member of the New York State Assembly, a Regent of the University of the State of New York, and Surrogate of Westchester County.  Pell lived in a home that he built near today's Colonial Avenue (the old Boston Post Road) and today's Cliff Avenue.  The 1750 date stone from his home that no longer stands is embedded in the side of a monument to him standing next to today's Pelham Memorial High School.  Pell was a Trustee of St. Paul's Church in the Town of Eastchester and is buried in the churchyard cemetery there (now in the City of Mount Vernon, New York).

The Homestead of Colonel Philip Pell III that Once

Stood Near Today's Colonial Avenue (the old Boston

Post Road) and Today's Cliff Avenue. Source:

Montgomery, William R. & Montgomery, Frances E.,

Colonel Philip Pell (1753-1811) Abridged from "The Pells

of Pelham," The Pelham Sun, Oct. 21, 1938, pg. 11,

col. 3.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

A host of sources reference Philip Pell's ride with General Washington into New York City on Evacuation Day in 1783.  See, e.g., Robbins, William A., "Descendants of Edward Tre(a)dwell Through His Son John" (Part II) in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. XLIII, No. 2, p. 127 & p. 136 (NY, NY:  Apr. 1912); Scharf, J. Thomas, History of Westchester County New York Including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, Which Have Been Annexed to New York City, Vol. I, p. 538 (Philadelphia, PA:  L. E. Preston & Co., 1886); Bolton, Robert, The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester from its First Settlement to the Present Time Carefully Revised by its Author, Vol. II, pp. 67-68 (NY, NY:  Chas. F. Roper, 1881).

On that famous day, General George Washington's ride into the City of New York was delayed until the afternoon because American troops spied a British flag flying in the City and wanted it removed before Washington rode into Manhattan.  It turned out that upon boarding ships and departing, the British troops had nailed a British flag to the top of a flagpole that, according to tradition, they also greased so it could not be climbed easily.  After a number of unsuccessful attempts to remove the flag, a ladder was used and wooden cleats were nailed to the pole to permit an army veteran, John Van Arsdale, to pull down the British flag and replace it with an American flag before the British fleet had sailed away.  

"WASHINGTON'S ENTRY INTO NEW YORK.  ON THE

EVACUATION OF THE CITY BY THE BRITISH, NOV. 25TH, 1783."

Currier & Ives Print, 1857.  The Library of Congress Prints and

Photographs Division, Digital ID cph.3b51184.

For many years after the Revolutionary War, well into the mid-19th century, New York City celebrated Evacuation Day each November 25th.  The event celebrated that time in 1783 when General George Washington led his staff including Pell and the Continental Army from his former headquarters north of New York City across the Harlem River then southward through Manhattan on the roadway we know today as Broadway to the Battery.  Each year New York City celebrated Evacuation Day with joyous revelry.  According to some accounts, one of the most popular annual traditions involved boys who competed to tear down a British flag from a greased pole in Battery Park.

As the nineteenth century waned, so did the celebration of Evacuation Day.  According to one source:

"The importance of the commemoration was waning in 1844, with the approach of the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848.  

However, the dedication of the monument to William J. Worth, the Mexican-American War general, at Madison Square was consciously held on Evacuation Day 1857.  

The observance of the date was also diminished by the Thanksgiving Day Proclamation by 16th President Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863, that called on Americans "in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving."  That year, Thursday fell on November 26.  In later years, Thanksgiving was celebrated on or near the 25th, making Evacuation Day redundant. . . .

Over time, the celebration and its anti-British sentiments became associated with the local Irish American community.  The event was officially celebrated for the last time on November 25, 1916 with a march down Broadway for a flag raising ceremony by sixty members of the Old Guard.  The position of the flagstaff at this time was described as near Battery Park's sculptures of John Ericsson and Giovanni da Verrazzano."

Source:  "Evacuation Day (New York)," Wikipedia -- The Free Encyclopedia (visited Nov. 20, 2016).  

"Evacuation Day" and Washington's Triumphal Entry in

New York City, Nov. 25th, 1783" Lithograph by Lithographer

Edmund P. Restein (1837-1891) (Philadelphia, PA:  1879) from

the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division,

Digital ID pga.02468.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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I have written extensively about Colonel Philip Pell, Jr. in the past.  For a few of the many examples of such postings, see:

Mon., Feb. 15, 2016:  More on Revolutionary War Patriot Philip Pell, Jr. of the Manor of Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 30, 2015:  Stained Glass Window Honoring Philip Pell of the Manor of Pelham in St. Paul's Chapel of Columbia University.

Mon., Jan. 27, 2014:  What is that Memorial Tablet Next to Pelham Memorial High School and Who Was Col. Philip Pell?

Tue. Feb. 9, 2010:  1755 Census of Slaves Older than Fourteen in the "Mannour of Pelham."  

Fri., Jan. 9, 2009:  Another Brief Biography of Philip Pell of the Manor of Pelham.  

Tue., Dec. 4, 2007:  Philip Pell of Pelham Elected to Chair Meeting of Supporters of the New York Gubernatorial Candidacy of George Clinton in 1789.  

Mon., Nov. 5, 2007:  References to Philip Pell in the Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York.  

Fri., Mar. 30, 2007:  Biographical Information for Philip Pell Published in 1895.  

Fri., Mar. 9, 2007:  Abstract of Will of Philip Pell, Sr. of the Manor of Pelham Prepared in 1751 and Proved in 1752.  [This is an abstract of the will of the father of Col. Philip Pell.] 

Wed., Oct. 18, 2006:  18th Century Statutes Appointing Philip Pell, Sr. of Pelham To Collect Taxes on "Strong Liquors Retailed in This Colony."  [This is the father of Col. Philip Pell.]

Thu., Aug. 24, 2006:  Philip Pell of the Manor of Pelham: An Early Victim of the "Spoils System" in New York at the Turn of the 19th Century.  

Mon., Jul. 17, 2006:  1780 Letter to George Clinton from American Patriot Philip Pell of Pelham Manor, Commissary of Prisoners of the State of New York.   

Thu., Apr. 20, 2006:  1788 Campaign Broadside Urging Support for Candidate Opposing Philip Pell of Pelham Manor.  

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Does Pelham Have a Connection to the Painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze?

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Most Pelhamites likely have wandered the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and have admired the massive oil on canvas painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze.  An image of the iconic painting appears immediately below.

,

Washington Crossing the Delaware, Oil on Canvas, 149 Inches

by 255 Inches, Now Hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

in New York City, by Emanuel Leutze (American, Schwäbisch Gmünd

1816–1868 Washington, D.C.).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The painting depicts George Washington standing near the bow of a boat as he is rowed across the Delaware River by a group of soldiers on the night of December 25-26, 1776 to lead the Continental Army in a successful surprise attack on 1,400 Hessian troops holding Trenton, New Jersey.  

Washington's Surprise Attack on the Hessians at Trenton

Beginning about 11:00 p.m. on Christmas night, Washington began moving portions of his army across the half-frozen Delaware River from three locations.  Overnight he moved about 2,400 soldiers across the river, but two more divisions totaling another 3,000 men with artillery pieces failed to rendezvous at the appointed time and were not moved across the river.  

On the morning of December 26, about 1,400 Hessian defenders were sleeping off the effects of a Christmas celebration the evening before.  Washington separated his men into two columns and approached Trenton stealthily.  The Continentals surprised the Hessian troops, quickly overwhelmed their defenses and, by 9:30 a.m., had the entire town surrounded.  Although several hundred Hessians escaped, Washington captured nearly 1,000 prisoners and lost only four Americans in the attack.  

Although historians continue to debate the importance of the battle, it seems to have had little strategic significance.  Instead, it served as a morale-booster and emboldened the Americans after they had suffered a string of defeats at the hands of British and German troops.

A Little More About the Painting

The painting by Emanuel Leutze has become an American icon.  The one hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is not, however, the original painting.  The original hung in the Kunsthalle in Bremen, Germany, but was destroyed in a British air raid in 1942.  Leutze painted two additional versions of the scene, one of which once hung in the West Wing of the White House but now is part of the collections of The Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minnesota.  The other, of course, is a full-sized replica by Leutze of the original destroyed in 1942.  It is that replica that hangs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan.

There are a host of fascinating stories involving the Leutze painting that hangs in the Met.  For example, in 2007, researchers located a photograph of the painting taken by the studio of Matthew Brady in 1864 and discovered that the simple frame in which the painting was displayed was not the original frame.  The photograph established that the original frame was a massive 12 feet by 21 feet hand-carved frame topped with a massive eagle atop a crest that is fourteen inches wide.  The painting is now displayed in a replica frame hand-carved by artisans of Eli Wilner & Company to match the Brady photograph.  

In the painting, the man standing behind General Washington holding the American flag is Lieutenant James Monroe who, of course, later became the fifth President of the United States of America.  He is, however, holding an American flag that did not exist at the time Washington crossed the Delaware.  It is the "Stars and Stripes" whose design was not specified by the Continental Congress until June 14, 1777 and reputedly flew for the first time on September 3, 1777, nearly nine months after Washington and his army captured Trenton.  

Is There a Pelham Connection?

Washington and his men crossed the Delaware only nine weeks or so after the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.  Pelhamites long have recounted that the painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" depicts Marblehead Mariners who fought in the Battle of Pelham rowing the boat.   

It turns out that among the forces that rowed Washington's troops across the Delaware that fateful night were the Marblehead Mariners led by Colonel John Glover who headed the American forces during the Battle of Pelham.  But, Is the tale that the Marblehead Mariners who fought in the Battle of Pelham are depicted rowing Washington across the Delaware a true tale?

First we can dispatch a part of the tale.  Colonel Glover's Marblehead Mariners did not actually fight in the Battle of Pelham.  Colonel Glover left his men at his orginal encampment to serve as a reserve force to slow the British and German troops if, at the close of the Battle of Pelham, the British and Germans had chased Colonel Glover and the remaining troops he led during the Battle of Pelham across the Hutchinson River toward Washington's army as it moved from northern Manhattan toward White Plains.  The British and German troops, however, did not chase Glover and the men he led across the Hutchinson River.  Rather, they ended the chase at the river, losing an opportunity to attack Washington's main army.

The question remains, however.  Though Glover's Marblehead Mariners did not fight in the Battle of Pelham, are they depicted rowing Washington and Monroe across the Delaware?  The most likely answer seems to be that although the Marblehead Mariners were among those who moved Washington and his troops across the River, they were not the only ones. Indeed, many watermen from the Philadelphia area joined the cause and helped move Washington's men that night.  Moreover, many believe -- but have not established with certainty -- that the soldiers rowing the boat in the painting are not intended to depict specific individuals or members of particular units but, rather, are intended to depict a symbolic cross-section of the young American States.  According to one popular account:

"The people in the boat represent a cross-section of the American colonies, including a man in a Scottish bonnet and a man of African descent facing backward next to each other in the front, western riflemen at the bow and stern, two farmers in broad-brimmed hats near the back (one with bandaged head), and an androgynous rower in a red shirt, possibly meant to be a woman in man's clothing.  There is also a man at the back of the boat wearing what appears to be Native American garb, possibly representing colonial appropriation of previously indigenous holdings, but also possibly to represent the idea that all people in the new United States of America were represented as present in the boat along with Washington on his way to victory and success."

Source:  "Washington Crossing the Delaware" in WIKIPEDIA:  The Free Encyclopedia (visited Mar. 5, 2016).  

Moreover, Colonel Glover's Marblehead Mariners had distinctive uniforms that do not appear to be depicted among any of those on board the boat in the Leutze painting.  The Marblehead Mariners of Marblehead, Massachusetts were seamen whose uniform consisted of a short blue seaman's jacket, tarred pants, and woolen caps.  None of the soldiers in the boat appear to be in such a uniform.

In short, though Pelhamites long have told the story that the famed Marblehead Mariners of Colonel John Glover, who led American troops in the Battle of Pelham are depicted rowing Washington and James Monroe in the painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware," the story seems apocryphal.  It is another fascinating legend that provides insight into our Town's magnificent history, but it seems to be just that -- a legend.

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Genealogical Information Regarding Benjamin Palmer, an 18th Century Owner of City Island in the Town of Pelham

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Benjamin Palmer was a son-in-law of Thomas Pell (referenced by members of the Pell Family as Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham).  In 1761, Palmer purchased from his brother, Joseph, the island then known as Minneford's Island (today's City Island).  Benjamin Palmer had grand plans to build a large port City on the Island (hence, "City Island") to rival the port of New York City as an international shipping hub.  In 1763, Palmer announced that City Island lots had been laid out and were being offered for sale.  On May 10, 1763, the first ferry was established between City Island and Rodman’s Neck.  Throughout the 1760's many of those lots were bought and resold by land speculators. 

Shortly before the onset of the Revolutionary War, Samuel Rodman Sr. and Benjamin Palmer successfully lobbied the New York Lieutenant Governor, the Council and the General Assembly to enact a statute authorizing them to build a free draw bridge between Rodman's Neck on the mainland and Minneford's Island (known today as City Island).  The plans were part of Palmer's grand scheme to develop Minneford's Island into a major city seaport. 

The onset of the Revolutionary War dashed these plans.  The statute required that the bridge be built within seven years of its date of passage on April 3, 1775.  The War raged for the next eight years.  Thus, the bridge was never built and Palmer's grand plans for City Island were relegated to the trash bin of history.

I have written about Benjamin Palmer of City Island and the early history of City Island on many occasions. At the end of this posting are links to numerous such postings.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of a brief genealogy of the Palmer family with information about the ancestry and descendants of Benjamin Palmer of City Island.

"ADDRESS

TO THE PALMERS OF WESTCHESTER CO., N. Y., BY PROFESSOR JOSEPH H. PALMER, OF YONKERS, N. Y.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Palmer Re-Union:

Westchester County is a small part of the great territory of the Palmer family.  It was so closely allied to the State of Connecticut that for many years it was impossible to determine a boundary line of separation; but now Westchester County contents herself, lying between the Hudson River and Long Island Sound,, and having for its southern boundary the great city of New York.

In population Westchester ranks as the ninth county in the State of New York.  It contains the city of Yonkers and numerous villages, among them White Plains, Peekskill, Tarrytown and New Rochelle.  From its proximity to New England and New York, and its beauty of situation, it is not surprising that the Palmers were among its first settlers.

The first settlement was made at the present village of Westchester in 1642, by John Throckmorton with thirty-five English families from New England, with the consent of the Dutch who had acquired title from the Indians.  These, and others immediately following them, were refugees from New England persecution, and among them was William Palmer, who died in Westchester about 1670.

The Palmers were not only among the early settlers, but they were among the most active participants in the affairs both of Church and of State.  As early as 1673 Joseph Palmer and Edward Waters were appointed the first magistrates of Westchester; and in 1692 John, Joseph and Samuel Palmer were appointed as commissioners for the repurchase of the land from the Indians.  John Palmer was a vestryman of St. Peter's Church, Westchester; other Palmers were Baptists, Methodists, Independents and Quakers.  Some shared the independent spirit of Ann Hutchinson, and deeply lamented her untimely [Page 105 / Page 106] and cruel death, which occurred near the creek which bears her name.  

As the population increased and the settlements extended, we find the Palmers in the adjoining towns -- Pelham, New Rochelle and Mamaroneck, and in other parts of the county, and finally in other counties and other States.

City Island, originally called New City Island, in the town of Pelham, takes its name from an organized effort to make it a great trading port -- a great commercial city.  The waters are deep and the tides from both extremities of the sound meet there.  

Benjamin Palmer owned the island, consisting of 230 acres, and with his consent and co-operation it was granted to a company or corporation consisting of thirty persons, and laid out and mapped into city lots.  The plans of the company were interrupted by the Revolutionary War.  Benjamin Palmer, in the beginning of the war, at once took an active part in favor of independence.  He was driven from the island, where he had retained an interest, and was a great sufferer during the entire war, losing almost everything for his attachment to the American cause.

In 1789 he set forth his grievances in a petition to Gen. Washington for redress, Aaron Burr being his advisor.  The petition, among other things, stated 'That himself and his family were taken prisoners by the British who used us very ill, and then ordered us off my plantation, which I then had on said island, to New York, where I have continued with my family ever since.'

In order to give the original lines of the Palmers of Westchester, we must go still farther back, and begin with:  

William Palmer, accompanied by his son William, a lad of nine years, came from Nottinghamshire, England, in the ship Fortune, in 1621 -- the second ship after the Mayflower -- landed at Plymouth, Mass., and settled at Duxbury, Mass., and thence to Scituate.  It is supposed he died in 1637.  His will was probated March 5, 1638.  His wife, Frances, followed her husband to America in the vessel Anne, in 1623.*  [Footnote * reads:  '*  See Palmer Records, Vol. I, p. 114.']  His son William it [Page 106 / Page 107] is supposed migrated into Westchester Country [sic], and died there in 1670.  Children,, William, Joseph, Benjamin, Samuel, Obadiah and Thomas.  Samuel settled in Mamaroneck, and became the propritor [sic] of Mangopson Neck.  Children, Obadiah, Nehemiah, Sylvanus and Solomon.  Obadiah died in 1747.  Children, William, Samuel, Benjamin, David, Obadiah, Caleb and Mary Anne.  Nehemiah died in 1760, leaving a son and a daughter.  The son died, leaving Harrison, Drake, Aaron, Nathan, Benjamin, Nehemiah and Elihue.  Sylvanus died in 1741.  Children, Robert, Sylvanus, John, Marmaduke, Edward, Anne, Susannah, Charity and Mary.

John, son of Sylvanus, grandson of Samuel and great grandson of William, of Westchester, married Rebecca.  Children, Joseph, Philip, Marcus, Lewis, Benjamin.  The brothers Joseph and Benjamin became proprietors of City Island.  

John Palmer of Rockland Coounty, N. Y., was probably a son of Josepoh and nephew of Benjamin, of City Island.  He lived in Rockland County as early as 1750, and called his little settlement New City, from New City Island where his father had lived.  The Palmer homestead is about one mile north of New City, which has long been the county-seat of Rockland County.  I have been unable to trace with certainty the relation between Benjamin Palmer, of City Island, and John Palmer, of New City, but there are old deeds and other papers in possession of John Palmer's descendants which establish a connection between him and the City Island property; and the dates indicate that he was the son of Joseph.  He married Martha Brown.  Children, John, Joseph and Jonathan.  Joseph never married.  The descendants of John and Jonathan, with dates, are more fully given in 'Family Sketches,' by Rev. David Cole, D. D., Yonkers, N. Yl  In these remarks I can only trace the Westchester branch from Rockland County back to Westchester.

Jonathan Palmer, born at New City, date unknown; married Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Sheriff Ebenezer Wood, born at Tappan, July 4, 1762, and died at Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y., December 10, 1832.  Children, Elizabeth, Jonathan [Page 107 / Page 108] Mary, John, Sarah, Benjamin, Jacob, Hannah, Ebenezer, Joseph and Daniel.

Benjamin Palmer, born at New City, April 1, 1793; married, December 8, 1814.  Clarinda Frink, daughter of Isaac Frink and Phebe Pendleton; born at Cherry Valley, Otsego county, N. Y., July 28, 1795.  The husband died July 20, 1857, and his wife, December 12, 1872.  There were seven children, all born at Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y., Phebe, Hannah Etta, Jane, Joseph H., George W., Warren W., and A. Judson.

Joseph Howard Palmer (myself), born at Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y.,, September 16, 1824; married first, December 25, 1851, Hannah maria Van Cott, daughter of John G. Van Cott and Sarah Wyckoff; born at Bushwick, L. I., April 18, 1830, died at Yonkers,, N. Y., March 17, 1859.  Married second, July 19, 1866, Frances A. Bingham, daughter of Horace B. Bingham and Emeline Jones; born at Coventay, Conn., March 31, 1835.  Children of the first marriage:

Sarah Clarinda Palmer has the professorship of mathematics since September, 1876, in Wells' College, Aurora, Cayuga Lake, N. Y.

John Garrison Palmer is a partner in the Pure Gold Manufacturing Company, Fairport, Monroe County, N. Y.

Anna Maria Palmer has charge of a kindergarten in Allegheny, Pa.

Phebe Etta Palmer is a teacher in the Park Heights Seminary, Ocean Grove, N. J.

Children of the second marriage, Horace Bingham Palmer, Frank Howard Palmer, and Maria Whitney Palmer.  

But few of this numerous race remained in Westchester.  The enterprises of New York City and the surrounding country became inviting; and as westward the star of empire takes her course, thitherward from every eastern county and State went many of the Palmers to act their part among the first in peaceable possession, among the first in places of honor and trust, among the first in war, in peace, and in the hearts of their countrymen.  In the wide stretch across the continent their dwell- [Page 108 / Page 109] ings ere found in almost every county, from Plymouth Rock to the Golden Gate.  From every point of the compass on land and sea the Palmers rejoice over this Palmer Re-Union -- this reuniting of heart and home.  The home in all ages has been the center of love and affection.  Its surroundings and associations engage our earliest attention, and the words father and mother are the last of all things forgotten.  The pictures of our old homes awaken commingled emotions of joy and sorrow, reminding us of the sunshine and shadows of the past.

The remembrances of kindred and friends are precious endearments.  Art has been taxed to its uttermost to present in photography, in painting and in sculpture the forms so dear to us.  These remembrances are sacred -- our penates, our household gods.  And when these, like all earthly things, shall perish from the earth, the memory they faintly embodied, the story of virtue or valor and of useful lives, will be told to children's children.  Yes, when all who now live, and their children's children, have been carried to their last resting-place, their successors throughout all time will read the story of Plymouth Rock and Stonington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga, Valley Forge and Yorktown.  

If memory is so enduring, and the story of one's life so indestructible, then let our lives be lives of virtue and honor; let us be exemplary parents and citizens, known and blessed by doing good amoung our fellow-men."

Source:  Palmer, Joseph H., Address to the Palmers of Westchester Co., N. Y., by Professor Joseph H. Palmer, of Yonkers, N. Y. in Supplement to Volume No. 1 of Palmer Records.  Addresses + Poems + Proceedings of the Second Palmer Family Re-Union, Held at Stonington, Conn., August 10, 11 & 12, 1882, The Ancestral Home of Walter Palmer, the Pilgrim of 1629, Under the Auspices of the Palmer Re-Union Association, pp. 105-09 (Edited by Noyes F. Palmer, Recording Secretary, Jamaica, Long Island, NY:  Privately Printed, 1882).

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity,

p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

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Below are examples of many prior postings that touch on Benjamin Palmer, Members of the Palmer Family and the early history of City Island.

Tue., Oct. 07, 2014:  Legislative History of the 1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

Fri., Oct. 03, 2014:  1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

Tue., Dec. 01, 2009:  Brief History of City Island Published in 1901.

Tue., Dec. 26, 2006:  1775 Statute Authorizing Samuel Rodman and Benjamin Palmer to Build City Island Drawbridge.  

Tue., May 02, 2006:  Benjamin Palmer's Advertisement in 1756 To Raise Subscriptions To Fund a Free Bridge From Manhattan.

Wed., May 17, 2006:  More About Benjamin Palmer's Involvement With Raising Funds for a Free Bridge from Manhattan. 

Fri., May 05, 2006:  1763 Announcement That City Island in the Manor of Pelham Has Been Laid Out in Lots for Sale.

Mon., May 15, 2006:  Resales of Lots in the 1760s on the Island Known Today as City Island.

Thu., Apr. 19, 2007:  An Account of How Soldiers Were "Recruited" in Pelham in 1758 for the French and Indian War.  

Wed., Mar. 21, 2007:  Abstract of Will of Rebecca Palmer, Owner of Land on City Island in Pelham, Prepared in 1771 and Proved April 10, 1773.

Mon., Jan. 29, 2007:  Palmer Family Offers One Thirtieth of City Island for Sale in 1785.

Thu., Jan. 25, 2007:  A Brief Account of the Early History of City Island, Published in 1909.

Thu., May 11, 2006:  Thomas Pell Offers City Island, Then Known as Minneford Island, for Sale in the Mid-18th Century.

Thu., Sep. 01, 2005:  Probate Court Decision Involving the Estate of Pelham Resident Joseph Palmer in 1797.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

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Benjamin Palmer's 1789 Petition to President George Washington Seeking Redress for Damages Sustained During the American Revolution

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The Manor of Pelham, including today's City Island, suffered grievously as part of the Neutral Ground during the American Revolution.  The Neutral Ground was an extensive area that included southern Westchester County.  It sat between the warring armies and was prowled by American Patriots and British Loyalists throughout the War. 

The plight of Benjamin Palmer of City Island perhaps best illustrates the sufferings of the local population during the American Revolution. Records indicate that on August 27, 1776, British troops raided City Island, killing some of Palmer's livestock and plundering Palmer's farm on the island.  Within months, Palmer bravely (though perhaps injudiciously) sent to the Commander-in-Chief of the invading British forces, General William Howe, a letter in which Palmer set forth “the just Case of the people of this Country had to oppose the King’s orders."

Palmer subsequently claimed that Howe vengefully retailiated for the cheekish letter.  Palmer and his entire family were taken prisoner by the British.  According to Palmer, after he and his family were captured and imprisoned, they were released, but were ordered to abandon their "plantation" on City Island and to move to New York, which they did.  After the War, Palmer submitted a petition addressed to George Washington in September, 1789.  Washingtonwas then serving the first months of his first term as first President of the United States.   Palmer claimed in the petition that he and his family had been unduly persecuted and imprisoned by the British at the outset of the War in retaliation for the letter that he wrote to Howe.  One author has described the events of that time as follows:

"On August 27, 1776, as British ground forces swarmed across Brooklyn, three Royal Navy vessels with one hundred armed men raided City Island.  The British troops killed Palmer's livestock and 'plundered many things, all of which they carried off and never paid for,' Palmer later wrote.  Two months later, Palmer sent a letter to British general William Howe, justifying the Revolution.  This letter, Palmer would later claim, prompted Howe to seek revenge:  In 1779, the British warship Scorpion captured Palmer, taking him and his family to New York against their will.  Although he found a neighbor to farm his land, Palmer never again lived on City Island."

Source:  Seitz, Sharon & Miller, Stuart, The Other Islands of New York City:  A History and Guide, p. 108 (3rd Edition, Woodstock, VT:  The Countryman Press, 2011).

Palmer's petition to President Washington seeking redress for the injuries he suffered at the hands of the British was part of a larger effort by Palmer during which he also later wrote to New York Governor John Jay seeking reimbursement for his losses during the War.  After losing his land in a "war-related lawsuit," Palmer was left destitute.  Aaron Burr, who had many family and real estate connections to the Manor of Pelham, eventually "raised enough money to support Palmer through his old age."  See id.

Benjamin Palmer’s brief petition to President Washington seeking unspecified redress for the damages he suffered at the hands of the British during the American Revolution is worthy of being reproduced here in its entirety because it sheds important light on the sufferings of local residents during the War:

“[29 September 1789] 

The Petition of Benjamin Palmer Most humbly Sheweth. 

That your Petitioner lived on Minefords Island commonly called City Island in the State of new York in the beginning of the War between Great Brotain and those States and your Petitioner with all his Family were taken Prisoners by the British who used us very Ill. And then ordered us off my plantation which I then had on said Island down to New York where I have continued with my Family ever since – The case of their using me so ill was on Account of sending a Letter to General How the Commander of the British Army in Vindication of and setting forth the just Case of the people of this Country had to oppose the King’s orders – A copy of said Letter I wish to lay before your Excellency with the proceedings our people made to take away my Lands from me after they had got quiet possession of those States with several other copies of Letters of consequence, which your Petitioner has a great desire that your Excellency will take some suitable time to peruse them. And your Petitioner as in duty Bound will ever pray &c. 

Benjn Palmer” 

Source:  Letter from Benjamin Palmer to George Washington, Sep. 29, 1789 in Benjamin Palmer Papers, 1669-1817, New-York Historical Society Library, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024.  Neither the original letter to British Commander-In-Chief Howe from Palmer, nor the copy of the letter submitted by Palmer to President Washington in 1789 has ever been located.  The text of Palmer's petition to President Washington is also available online.  See National Archives and Records Administration and University of Virginia Press, Founders Online:  To George Washington From Benjamin Palmer, 29 September 1789 (visited Oct. 12, 2014).

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity,

p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

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Below are examples of many prior postings that touch on Benjamin Palmer, Members of the Palmer Family and the early history of City Island.

Tue., Oct. 07, 2014:  Legislative History of the 1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

Fri., Oct. 03, 2014:  1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

Tue., Dec. 01, 2009:  Brief History of City Island Published in 1901.

Tue., Dec. 26, 2006:  1775 Statute Authorizing Samuel Rodman and Benjamin Palmer to Build City Island Drawbridge.  

Tue., May 02, 2006:  Benjamin Palmer's Advertisement in 1756 To Raise Subscriptions To Fund a Free Bridge From Manhattan.

Wed., May 17, 2006:  More About Benjamin Palmer's Involvement With Raising Funds for a Free Bridge from Manhattan. 

Fri., May 05, 2006:  1763 Announcement That City Island in the Manor of Pelham Has Been Laid Out in Lots for Sale.

Mon., May 15, 2006:  Resales of Lots in the 1760s on the Island Known Today as City Island.

Thu., Apr. 19, 2007:  An Account of How Soldiers Were "Recruited" in Pelham in 1758 for the French and Indian War.  

Wed., Mar. 21, 2007:  Abstract of Will of Rebecca Palmer, Owner of Land on City Island in Pelham, Prepared in 1771 and Proved April 10, 1773.

Mon., Jan. 29, 2007:  Palmer Family Offers One Thirtieth of City Island for Sale in 1785.

Thu., Jan. 25, 2007:  A Brief Account of the Early History of City Island, Published in 1909.

Thu., May 11, 2006:  Thomas Pell Offers City Island, Then Known as Minneford Island, for Sale in the Mid-18th Century.

Thu., Sep. 01, 2005:  Probate Court Decision Involving the Estate of Pelham Resident Joseph Palmer in 1797.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

Brief Letter Dated June 13, 1776 from Samuel Tredwell Pell of Pelham Manor and Others to General George Washington

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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The letter that is the subject of today's Historic Pelham Blog posting may be brief, but what a powerful story it tells about the valor and dedication of our forefathers as they struggled to gain independence from Great Britain during revolutionary times.

On June 13, 1776, Samuel Tredwell Pell of the Manor of Pelham joined with four other junior commissioned officers and wrote to the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington, and asked to be deployed on behalf of the Patriots' "cause."

Samuel Tredwell Pell was a resident of the Manor of Pelham.  I have written about this noted Patriot, who is buried nearby in the cemetery of St. Paul's Church National Historic Site, on several occasions.  For example, see:  Thu., Oct. 12, 2006:  Biographical and Genealogical Information Regarding Revolutionary War Officer Samuel Tredwell Pell of the Manor of Pelham.   

Samuel T. Pell was born in the Manor of Pelham on July 26, 1755.  He enlisted in the Continental Army in the Spring of 1775.  He served as an officer in the Fourth Regiment of New-York troops during the unsuccessful campaign to capture Canada and convert it to the 14th colony.  After that campaign, the Fourth Regiment was disbanded, but the officers retained their commissions which remained in effect unless revoked by the Continental Congress.  Early in the Revolutionary War, Pell and several other officers of the disbanded Fourth Regiment wanted to serve the Patriots' cause.  Less than a month before the Declaration of Independence was approved, Pell and his colleagues wrote the following letter to General Washington, seeking deployment in support of the cause.

Grave Stone and Foot Marker of Samuel Tredwell Pell,

Cemetery of St. Paul's Church National Historic Site.



"New-York, June 13, 1776.

SIR: Permit us, the officers of the Fourth Regiment of the New-York troops that have served in Canada, to address you at this time. Our regiment is disbanded — our commissions are in force until revoked by Congress. We have applied to the Congress of this Province, and they refer us to your Excellency for orders in what manner to proceed. We are still willing to exert ourselves in the service of our country, and think the unparalleled hardships that we have undergone in Canada must be a convincing proof that we are disposed to exert ourselves to the utmost in the cause we are engaged in.

Your directions will be acknowledged by your Excellency' s most obedient, humble servants,

SAMUEL SACKETT, Captain.
SAMUEL T. PELL, Lieut.
ISAAC VAN WART, Lieut.
WM. MATTHEWSMAN, Lieut.
JAMES Dow, Lieut.

To His Excellency George Washington, Esq.,Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army."

Source:  "Letter from Captain Sackett and Other Officers of the Fourth New-York Regiment to General Washington" in American Archives, Series 4, Vol. 6, p. 840.

Although it took time, the requests of most of these officers were honored.  According to one source:

"All of these officers had served in Canada during the previous fall and winter with Col. James Holmes's 4th New York Regiment.  Three of them received appointments when the New York line was reorganized in November 1776.  Samuel Sacket (1724-1780) of Westchester County became a captain in Col. Henry Beekman Livingston's 4th New York Regiment.  Samuel Tredwell Pell (d. 1786) was made a captain in col. Philip Van Cortlandt's 2d New York Regiment, and Isaac Van Wart (Van Woert, Van Wert; 1750-1840) of Westchester County joined Van Cortlandt's regiment as a first lieutenant.  Sacket remained a captain in the 4th New York until his death in April 1780 (see Sacket to the New York council of safety, 28 June 177, N. Y. Prov. Congress Journals, 1:982).  Pell served as a captain in the 2d New York Regiment until June 1783.  Van Wart was promoted to captain in the 2d New York Regiment in October 1778 and resigned his commission as lieutenant in April 1779 after he became lame."

Source:  National Archives, Founders Online:  To George Washington From Officers Of The 4th New York Regiment, 13 June 1776 <http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-04-02-0404>  (visited June 15, 2014).

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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