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Towns of Bloominggrove, Cornwall and Monroe

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After the execution of Claudius Smith, the gang, headed by his son Richard, seemed to be infuriated by the loss of their leader, and the imprisonment of several of their fellows in wickedness; and to be revenged, in cool blood, under the guise of friendship, within a few months, shot down a poor man, but honest whig, living in the mountains. They took him from his house and led him off a short distance, threatening what they would do with him; then stripped off his Outer garments and told him to go home. This was within sight of his house and while he was returning, with his hack to the gang, they shot him dead. This statement we had from an elderly gentleman of the county who was among the first at the scene of blood, and saw poor Clark as he laid dead, stretched upon a rock. The following is what was published about it at the time, with the copy of a paper fastened to Clark's coat.

Extract from a newspaper printed April 23, 1779, in Goshen:-“We hear from Goshen that a horrible murder was committed near the Sterling Ironworks on the night of Saturday the 26th of March, by a party of villains, five or six in number, the principal of whom was Richard Smith, eldest surviving son of the late Claudius Smith, of infamous memory, his eldest son having been shot last fall at Smith's Clove, in company with several other villains, by one of our scouting parties sent out in search of them.- These bloody miscreants it seems that night intended to murder two men who had shown some activity and resolution in apprehending these robbers and murderers who infested there neighborhood.

They first went to the house of John Clark, near the Ironworks, whom they dragged from his house and then shot him; and observing some remains of life in him, one of them saying, “ he is not dead enough yet,” shot him through the arm again and left him. He lived some hours after, arid gave an account of their names and behavior. They then went to the house of ------, who hearing some noise they made in approaching, got up and stood on his defence, with his gun and bayonet fixed, in a corner of his little log-cabin. They burst open the door, but seeing him stand with his gun, were afraid to enter, and thought proper to march off. The following was pinned to Clark's coat.”

“A Warning to the Rebels -You are hereby warned at your peril to desist from hanging any more friends to government as you did Claudius Smith. You are warned likewise to use James Smith, James Fluelling and William Cole well, and ease them of their irons, for we are determined to hang six for one, for the blood of the innocent cries aloud for vengeance. Your noted friend Capt. Williams and his crew of robbers and murderers, we have got in our power, and the blood of Claudius Smith shall he repaid. There are particular companies of us who belong to Col. Butler's army, Indians as well as white men, and particularly numbers from New York that are resolved to be avenged on you for your cruelty and murder. We are to remind you, that you are the beginners and aggressors, for by your cruel oppressions and bloody actions, you drive us to it. This is the first, and we are determined to pursue it on your heads and leaders to the last--till the whole of you are murdered.”

Claudius had three sons, though not as accomplished and capable, yet as desperate in wickedness as himself; James, Richard and William. The statements are conflicting in relation to the fate of these men. We have been told that Richard and James were hung, but where, when and for what, we could not learn, while all accounts agree that William, the oldest, was shot in the mountains in the fall of 1778, by whig scouts sent in pursuit of the gang.

The story of his death as we have gathered it is this: He was shot as before stated in Schunemunk mountain, but made his escape and came down from the mountain, and hid himself in the barn of a Mr. Horton, who lived on what was called the Island Lot. While there, a small lad, the son of Mr. Horton, came in, and Smith told him to go and tell his father to come there, he wanted to see him; but instantly recollecting, that would insure his capture, withdrew the request, left the barn, went down into a swamp and crawled into a hollow log, where his pursuers found him. He was then taken before a Justice, and while there, or on the way to Goshen jail, died of exhaustion, from the wound received on the previous day.

Benjamin Kelly, one of this gang, was shot in the mountains by a man of the name of June. There were three or four of them secreted in the mountains, and the guards were watching for them. Some person told June they were at a certain spot playing cards. June started to find them, and when he came in sight they were lying down, but hearing his approach rose up, and as they did so, June shot Kelly. They escaped and Kelly wandered down near a certain large sulphur spring, where he was found dead by Mr. John Hemley and his dog, partially covered up with leaves and brush. Near him, tied up in a bundle with a bark string, was the wedding coat of Mr. Runnels, which Kelly had stolen a short time before. When they went to Runnels' house the family was absent, and when they were inquired of who they were, they answered friends. The door was opened by Runnels, and on entering they immediately attacked him. There were three to one, and in the fight Runnels received a cut on the arm which partially disabled him during life. A fellow by the name of Miller was one of the three. When the neighbors came in, the rascals had plundered the house and fled; and Runnels was found; as was supposed, in a dying condition.