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Towns of Bloominggrove, Cornwall and Monroe

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“Claudius Smith was leader of the gang, a man of large stature and powerful nerve; of keen penetration; a man upon whom nature had bestowed abilities worthy to be exerted in a better cause. He conducted his expeditions with such cautiousness, as scarcely ever to be suspected until in the very execution of them; and if a sudden descent was made upon them, by some bold stroke or wily maneuver he would successfully evade his pursuers and make his escape. The aged people of Orange county tell many a surprising tale of this noted man, some of which are doubtless true.”

Smith was a tory of the most desperate character, and his felonies, on every favorable opportunity, were committed as well on the property of the government as upon that of individuals. The active and influential whigs of the county were the especial objects of his hatred and vengeance and for some particular cause, now not known, be threatened the lives of Nathaniel Strong, Col. Jesse Woodhull, Samuel Strong and Cole Curtis. These gentlemen lived within four miles of each other. For some personal kindness afterwards done him by Col. Woodhull, (for not shooting him when the Colonel had, it in his power,) he took back the threat in relation to taking his life; but most fatally carried it into execution against Major Strong. Lest this threat should be fulfilled, Col. Wood hull did not sleep in his own house for months, before the threat was revoked.

Council of Safety, July 18, 1777.

“Ordered that Sheriff Dumont cause to be removed from the jail in Kingston to the jail in Orange County. Claudius Smith and John Brown charged with stealing oxen belonging to the continent.”

We believe he broke jail and escaped.

Col. Woodhull had a favorite and elegant mare, which Claudius gave out he intended to steal. Knowing the desperate character of the man and his ability to accomplish what he purposed, Woodhull had her brought from the barn and put into his cellar, where she was kept for some weeks. Claudius, knowing the place of secretion, one evening hid himself in a barrack near the house, and watching his opportunity, when the family went up stairs to tea, slipped in and took out the mare. He had not left the yard of the house, before he was seen carrying off the animal in triumph, when a gentleman at the table sprang up, seized his gun, and was about to shoot, but was prevented by Woodhull saying-“If you shoot and miss him, he will kill me”-and he escaped.

In the execution of their nefarious plans of blood and murder, Claudius, with four of his party, some of whom were his sons, in October, 1778, late at night, came to the house of Capt. Woodhull at Oxford; intending to rob the house and murder him; but fortunately he was absent on duty. The object of their larceny was a set of silver. The door being fastened and not opened by Mrs. Woodhull, they broke it in. She, suspecting who they were, and true to her nature, ever full of quick expedients, and anticipating the intentions of the robbers, while they were breaking in, she hid her valuable articles of silver, etc. in the cradle, and then placed her child upon them. During the time the rogues were searching the house, Mrs. W. made herself very busy around the cradle, endeavoring to quiet and still her child. The artifice succeeded to admiration, and they left without much spoils.- This child was Miss Fanny Woodhull, afterwards the wife of Samuel Marvin of Oxford. At that time the child could talk, and she asked her mother, if they would steal her calico frock.

On retiring, the rogues stole the horse of Luther Conklin, who was a relative, and staying with Woodhull, but absent that night, which they found hoppled, in a meadow near the house. They threw the hopples away, and several years after, when ploughing up the meadow, they were found.

Col. McClaughry was taken prisoner at the reduction of Fort Montgomery in October, 1777, and while he remained so in New York, was deprived of many of the comforts he previously enjoyed, and he wrote home to his wife to send him some money. She applied to Abimal Youngs for the loan of some hard money; but he declined, saying “he had none.” Youngs was notoriously a man of means, but of a miserly disposition, and did not like to lend his hard money to a woman, whose husband was a prisoner. It was soon noised about that Youngs had refused to loan the money; and under all the circumstances of the case, his conduct was universally condemned by all who heard of it, Mrs. McClaughry like, a true whig and a lady who loved her lord, sold or pawned her shoe buckles and other female ornaments in New York, raised the money and gave it to the Colonel. It is said, that this story came to, the ears of Claudius Smith, who determined to punish him, and through the instrumentality of his willing gang, forcibly abstract the funds which he had refused to loan.

The tradition is, that they attacked his house one night, entered it and demanded his money, which he refused to give up or tell where it was secreted. Knowing that he had it some where about the premises, they took him out and tied him to the well-pole, and then swung him up. After he had hung a moment they let him down, and again demanded his money, threatening to bang him outright if he did not tell. He still refused and clung to his money rather than to life. They hung him in this manner three times, and still he would not and did not tell. They then let him go, went into the house and among other things, carried off some of his Deeds, Bonds, Mortgages, and other valuable papers.