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Hoag, Hannah

John M. McDonald interview — 1846-10-31

From the Westchester County Historical Society catalog:
Hannah Hoag (b.c.1762) discusses the plundering that was inflicted upon her family by both sides during the war. She also recounts the landing of British troops on Teller’s Point (now Croton Point) in 1779, as well as the use of the North Castle Church as a hospital. Mrs. Hoag also notes that James Totten, a Loyalist who was believed to have been involved in the murder of a French army surgeon in Yorktown, feared reprisal for this crime for the remainder of his life.

Original findings from this interview

Hannah Hoag witnessed the British army landing at Teller's Point, 1779

'I saw the British army when they landed at Tellers Point and marched up [in 1779, probably]. They then encamped one night at on Colberg Hill, a short distance east of the Post road, and marched the next day to Verplank's Point.' A first-person eyewitness account by a 17-year-old woman to a British amphibious landing at the exact spot where the 1780 Vulture cannonade would later drive the British ship downriver and expose André's mission. Hoag's testimony is the earliest-dated primary eyewitness account of British operations at Croton Point.

→ See 01 Cannon Tellers Point

Loyalist James Totten haunted for life by the French surgeon he murdered

'The story of James Totten and the French surgeon was always considered true. Totten, in the latter part of his life, was afraid to be alone in the dark, or at night.' A rare psychological aftermath detail: a named Loyalist soldier guilt-haunted into insomnia by the memory of killing a French army surgeon at Yorktown during the Revolution.

Manuscript page facsimiles

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Transcription

October 31.

Mrs. Hannah Hoag, aged 86: " My father, in the beginning of the war lived at Verplank's Point and afterwards at Tarrytown, and was re-peatedly plundered both by cowboys and skinners.

I saw the British army when they landed at Tellers Point and marched up [in 1779, probably]. They then en-camped one night at on Colberg Hill, a short distance east of the Post road, [and] marched the next day to Verplank's Point.

I very probably told Schuyler Tompkins some years ago that the British cavalry one night or so on the hills near New-castle corner. What I then told him was correct, though I have forgotten all about it. In my opinion there is no high ground south of Croton river from which you can see Ver-plank's or Stoney Point, unless it be very near Sing Sing.

— North Castle Church was a very large, unpainted, shingled building,

which stood by the road side where the Methodist Meeting house now is. It was situated within the inclosure now occupied as the burying ground by the Methodist Church contiguous to Kirby's Mill pond — was occupied as a hospital during the Revolutionary war, and was pulled down about twenty years ago.x [ x A stranger at New C[astle] Corner, as well as Mrs. Hoag, told me this. ]

The story of James Totten and the French surgeon was always considered true. Totten, in the latter part of his life, was afraid to be alone in the dark, or at night.

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