Lyon, James
John M. McDonald interview — 1847-11-17
James Lyon (1761-1850) served in Captain Marcus Moseman’s company of Westchester County Militia during the Revolutionary War. He recounts a skirmish that took place on December 29, 1780, when a force of militia and a contingent of the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons pursued a party of Loyalist raiders from DeLancey’s Refugees that had taken livestock. The Americans recovered some of the cattle during a skirmish at Clark’s Corners in present-day Pleasantville. Lyon also notes that Armand’s Legion, a unit led by Colonel Charles Armand, a French officer in American service, spent time in Bedford and North Castle. His interview concludes with a negative remark regarding Colonel James Holmes, a former Bedford resident whom Lyon believed was present when British forces burned Bedford on July 11, 1779.
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
Nov. 17th Stephen Moseman: aged 75: "My father was taken prisoner twice, and confined in the Sugar House. His name was Marcus Moseman, and he was a Militia captain. With his company he often pursued the Refugees who took off cattle. The French army encamped in 1781, on the ridge east of this farm.
Nov. 17th James Lyon, of Bedford, aged 87: "I belonged to Captain Moseman's company of militia, and was out with him a number of times in pursuit of Refugees and Cowboys who had taken off our cows and sheep. Once, while Captain Pritchard was with us, we pursued them to the vicinity of Clark's Corners, (Pleasantville?), had several skirmishes, and recovered part of the cattle. On one of these occasions, [marg: * see origl. p. 191. see also p. 103 of origl. & 153 of Copy.] Andrew Irving the Irish [hatter] joined the Refugees and left them when they were hard pressed. I remember the story well. Yaup Vermilyea
was the captain and Abijah Harris was the Lieutenant of a militia company in Bedford, to which my neighbor James Sutton belonged. Colonel Armand with his legion was sometime in North castle and Bedford. Col. Holmes was with the party that took Bedford. Holmes was a bad man.
[marg: see origl p. 101.] Nov. 17th James Sutton, of Bedford aged 88: "I was in Capt. Vermille's company of militia of which Abijah Harris was Lieut. A man was here trying to get a pension for [his] the widow. Both Harris and [his men] the man were from Bedford. I do not know where Vermille was from originally. Probably from below?"
Nov. 18th James Lyon and James Sutton: "Lieut. Abijah Harris was a good and skilful soldier - So was Captain Yaup Vermilyea, but he was somewhat