Carpenter, Joshua
John M. McDonald interview — 1845-11-01
In 1845 Joshua Carpenter (1787-1873) was the owner of the Davenport House, which featured prominently in the Battle of Pines Bridge. The house, which was owned by Carpenter’s grandfather Richardson Davenport, was the headquarters of Colonel Christopher Greene and Major Ebenezer Flagg of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. Carpenter vividly describes the fighting that took place at the house, including an encounter between Greene and Gilbert Totten of DeLancey’s Refugees. He also recounts a visit made to the Davenport House in 1844 by a relative of Colonel Greene. A memorandum at the end of the interview indicates that Mr. Chadeayne, presumably Samuel Chadeayne, indicates that the French army encamped on high ground north and west of the Davenport House.
Original findings from this interview
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Transcription
1845
November 1st Joshua Carpenter, of Yorktown: "This house where I now lived belonged to my grand=father Richardson Davenport (not Danforth) and was the Head quarters of Colonel Greene and Major Flagg in the Spring of 1781. Colonel Greene was not here accidentally on the morning of his surprise, but his per=manent Head quarters and residence were at this house. The road which passes to the house leeds from the Crum pond and Pines Bridge road down to the Croton and there stops There are several houses now on this road, but in the Revolutionary war it was probably a farm road. The Davenport House where I live is about one mile from Blenis's ford, about two and a half miles from Pines Bridge by the road
[marg: 1845] .and about three quarters of a mile from the Crompond and Pines Bridge road. The present Pines Bridge stands exactly where the old bridge stood in the Revolution. On the hill north of the Croton and of the bridge and just over it are the remains of old works thrown up by Washington to command the bridge and which he mounted with several cannon.
The following are the particulars of Greene's disaster, as I have heard them from my ancestors at various times, and particularly from my grandfather who lived here at the time. A party of DeLancey's Refugees (under Kipp I believe) crossed the Croton at Blenis's ford and got to the house unperceived. —
They came up on the West side of the house where only a single sentinel
was posted and who did not see them till they were near him, but who then fired. Some soldiers lying down and sleeping on the stoop (South side of the house) also fired. Greene and Flagg both sprang up. The former encouraged the soldiers to defend themselves, saying: "They are only a few cow boys.— Fire away, boys, fire!" Flagg advanced at the same time to the west window with a pistol in each hand and fired out upon the enemy. He was answered by a volley and fell dead pierced by several balls. The Refugees at the same time burst open the north door and fired in, thus making a cross fire, You see five or six bullet holes yet remaining in the doors and pannel work.
Greene, a large powerful
man, met the enemy at the north door and attempted to defend it sword in hand. He struck at Totten, who was foremost, with all his might and would have killed him on the spot had not the blow been parried by, one of the Refugees. As it was Totten was stunned and wounded, Greene in the conflict received several shots and was lamentably cut and hacked with the sabre. He then asked for quarter and it was granted — then for his parole which was refused. They told him he must go with them to Morrisania, and mounted him behind a dragoon for about a mile and a half or more, and then fell off where you descend a hill a little north west of the Widow Griffen's. Finding that he was dying they did not attempt a farther removal, but left him by the road side
[marg: 1845] [marg: (3)] with his head upon a bank of earth.
The Davenport House was built by my grandfather in 1773, and painted in 1776 — on the last year it was by mistake dated. In some respects its interior has been altered. It is a double house standing upon a slight declivity, two stories high, a hall through the centre of the first story and the rear of the second storey opening upon the ground through a door which now remains. Greene and Flagg occupied the north-west bed room of the second storey (which now is partitioned into two bed rooms) sleeping in the same bed.
The Refugees fired into their bed room through the west window which is now closed up, and through the north door which remains as it was.
Blenis's ford were, probably, a mile
1845.
and an half below Pines Bridge. (?)
On the 14th of May last year, a Mr Ward (fifty or sixty years old) of Newyork, called upon me saying that he was a nephew or had married a niece of Colonel Greene — that it was the anniversary of the Colonel's death — that (as I understood him) he belonged to the Firm of Prime, Ward, King & Co. and wished to examine the house.
I showed him through — told him all I knew of the Colonel's fate, and pressed him to stay all night and sleep in the room where Greene and Flagg were surprised, but he declined, because he was expected back by company waiting his return at Pines Bridge,
He had previously called upon Thomas Strang of Cram pond to ascertain where the remains of Greene and Flagg were deposited.
[symbol] This probably was Richard Ward, Esq.
[marg: 1845]
Mem. Mr. Chadcayne says that in 1781 or 1782, or both, part of the French army encamped on some high ground a little north or north west of Davenport's house.