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History of Orange County
Town of Newburgh
Page 42
At Bladensburgh, on the banks of the Patapsco, is the monument of General Ross, the English General who attacked that place in the war of 1812. On the morning of the attack, two boys, the elder 16 years of age, took muskets, and marched off to the British advance, declaring their intention to shoot some of the British. They secreted themselves in the brush along the road and laid there for some time. Unfortunately Gen. Ros. and staff came along that way, and the boy. saw and distinguished him as their mark: both fired and both shots took effect upon his person. This circumstance caused the failure of the attack.
We mention this Revolutionary incident more particularly to show the general character of the Belknap family, now very numerous in this town, and found in all callings, professions, and walks of life. They are a strong, muscular race, enterprising and industrious; and while self—willed, quick in temper and easily offended, of great arid indomitable courage. Col. Wm. G. Belknap of the regular army, who recently in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, on the 8th and 9th of May last, so highly distinguished him— self, under Gen. Taylor, is a branch of this family tree, and a pretty fair specimen of its character and capabilities. This gentleman is well trained in such matters, having passed through the war of 1812, and partook of the dangers and hand to hand frays along the Niagara, so common at that day.
JACOB POWELL.—We claim the privilege of making a remark or two in relation to this individual.
The father of this gentleman was Henry Powell of Hempstead, Long Island, born there 1741. The family were originally from Wales, and immigrated to this country at an early period, and while the Dutch were in possession of the colony. Henry Powell, the ancestor, was an industrious and thriving man, and soon accumulated a handsome fortune. In religious belief he was a Quaker, and though disposed to peace and I quiet, yet the true love of his country burned fierce and bright in his bosom, and when the war came, his sentiments, feelings and public conduct were all on the side of his country. This subjected him to the rapacity, persecution, and ill-treatment of the English in possession of the Island, which ended in the spoliation of his estate, on the one hand, and being incarcerated in the Jersey Prison Skip and old Sugar House on the other. This was next to death, and while 10,000 perished by starvation, sickness, and ill-treatment in a hundred ways, it is remarkable that any survived. Thousands more would have perished if the hand of charity had not Secretly supplied their wants. Men were found in the old sugar house dead, with pieces of brickbats in their mouths, which they had been chewing, picked from the walls of the building. There was a secret object on the part of the English in treating their prisoners with such starvation and cruelty, which was, to drive and force them to enlist in the English service, in addition to that of treating them as rebels and outlaw. We have been told by one who was a prisoner in the old sugar house, that many times during the day, the English officers would come to the small windows of the building, shake the gold pieces in their hands, and nay “Come, my good fellows, if you wish to get out of this place take these and sign the roll of enlistment.” Some to escape death, and the horrors of the infernal pit, did so, and in a few days deserted, and were found enrolled again in the ranks of their old companies. No circumstance of war could justify this mode of treating prisoners, and it remains an indelible stain upon the English character.
This old Sugar House was broken through once by two Jersey Blues, by the names of Schureman and Lawrence.— They were taken prisoners near New Brunswick, and confined in the guard house, and their wants supplied by a lady—Mrs. Van Deusen. They were removed to New York and confined in the Sugar House. Here they were in great distress for the necessaries of life, and a tory by the name of Kissock took pity upon them and gave them money. With this they bought food and bribed the guard to give them the privilege of the yard, and one night they drugged some liquor with laudanum and gave it to the guard to drink.— They dug through the wall and escaped, and finding a fishing boat in the upper part of the city with one oar, paddled it across the river, proceeded to Morristown and joined the army.
Schureman afterwards was in Congress and Senate of the United States, and Mayor of New Brunswick.
Mr. Henry Powell was drowned in 1781, in an attempt to rescue his son, who was with him on board of a ferry boat which upset in a squall, passing from Shelter Island to the city of New York. Thus father and son found a common grave.