Jesse Ryder
John M. McDonald interview
Jesse Ryder (1812-1889) was a grandson of Jacob Ryder and Susannah Bishop Ryder. He states that a French officer whom he believes to be Colonel Charles Armand spent “the whole or part of one winter” at his grandfather’s home. During this time, Susanne Bishop Ryder successfully pleaded with Colonel Armand to spare the life of a man who was to be hanged. Jesse Ryder also notes that an American guide, Eden Hunt, was wounded on the road to Pines Bridge. He concludes by stating that his story regarding the “Westchester Tea Party” in which a group of women secured a supply of tea was correct and not embellished, and that the owner of the tea was John Arthur, who later owned Tabor Farm in Dutchess County.
Original findings from this interview
Manuscript page facsimiles
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Transcription
October 20th Jesse Ryder of Ossining : "My Grand =father, Jacob Ryder, during the Revolu= =tionary war lived in the next house below on the road to and not far from Sing Sing. A French officer (Colonel Armand I suppose) staid with him the whole or part of one winter. His men were not all French. He was about putting one of them to death for desertion or some crime, when my grand mother begged his life of the commander and saved him.
Eden Hunt, an American guide, was shot by a party of Refugees, a little north of my house on the road to Pines Bridge.
The account I gave you of the West Chester Tea Party is correct in its facts throughout without any embellishment. It was John Arthur, afterwards proprietor of the Tabor Farm (as it was called) in Dutchess County, who owned the tea.
If I learn anything authentic that can aid your enterprise, I will not fail to communicate it to you.
October 25th Josiah Quinby, of New Castle, aged 85 : "I was born in this house in 1763. Once towards the latter part of the war, thirty or forty Refugees horse came up and staid all night at Dark Hollow or Valley, near here, at the head of the Bronx and of the Kisco, where they fed their horses with the meadow grass and went on next morning to Middle Patent, where they killed, wounded and took several. Samuel Miller, I think, at this time, was wounded, and a man was killed. This party were all horsemen. They returned by