Merritt, David
John M. McDonald interview — 1846-10-12
David Merritt gives his impressions of captains Samuel Kipp and Gilbert Totten of DeLancey’s Refugees. He then describes the winter skirmish in Ossining in January 1783 when a party of Refugees surprised a group of Westchester Guides and militia cavalry led by Daniel Williams. Westchester Guide John Odell was able to escape capture by using the frozen Hudson River. Merritt concludes by noting that there was no bridge between the mouth of the Croton River and Pines Bridge in Yorktown during the Revolutionary War.
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Transcription
taken till the Spring after he captured DeLancey's horse.
From Barrett I have always heard was afterwards hanged to retaliate for Tim Knapp's death. (?)
[marg: + when Bedford was burnt.)] The Refugees at this time were not in uniform. The word with them was "Fire the houses, boys! and be off!" It was early in the morning when they came to our house. We had not been up long.
Octr. 12th David Merritt, of Courtland, Captain Kipp was a remarkably fine, fresh complexioned, portly, stout man, and made a very military appearance in regimentals. Kipp had the reputa -tion of being a brave active soldier, but severe. Captain Totten on the other
hand, was kind to prisoners and of very pleasing manners. I remember when he returned from Nova Scotia. He seemed to have as many friends as though he had been a whig. Every body spoke well of him.
When the Refugees surprised Williams's party at Orsers, a party of them went north and cut off their retreat; driving Colonel [John] Odell, Post the guide, and others upon the ice where Odell fought with two & escaped.
In the Revolutionary war there was no bridge between the mouth of the Croton and Pines Bridge until the Continental or New Bridge was built, which was situa -ted about a mile from (that is, above) the present bridge at the wire factory.