Family Stories as recorded by Phebe Maria Jervis Van Buren

I was recently contacted by a Jervis line distant cousin, Eric, who had found me through this blog. He is a direct descendant of Phebe's and has many of her papers. He has scanned them and was generous enough to share the scans with me, and I have been transcribing them. Some are family stories, some are histories of places and settlers, some are genealogies, and some are poems written by Phebe herself. It's all so amazing and fascinating.

Phebe Maria Jervis Van Buren is my 2nd great-grand aunt, sister to my 2nd great-grandfather, Scudder Carll Jervis. I have written about her before as we are missing information on her husband. 

https://turningourhearts-beth.blogspot.com/2011/10/thomas-van-buren-married-phebe-marie.html

https://turningourhearts-beth.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-on-jervis-line.html

We are hoping the unread pages will shed further light on Thomas William Van Buren, but for now, I will post the stories I've transcribed...noting that they might still need some proofreading by a different set of eyes other than mine.

Noting, too, that decisions still need to be made as to how to represent it all. I want to keep the flavor of the writings, but very little punctuation was used and sometimes there were unique spellings and capitalizations. I have added some punctuation for clarity, but pretty much I have left the writings as is.

The main story on today's post was Edna Carll's recollections of the British occupation of Long Island and the homestead. She is my 4th great grand-aunt and Phebe's great aunt.

from scanned Images 6790-6795 [Ananias Carll the 2nd is my 5th great-grandfather]

Ananias Carll the 2nd settled along the Old county road about a mile to the west of the Old Carll place/homestead. 

He lived in the days that tried men’s souls. Brought up with love for freedom Hatred for all corrupt and Tyranical government. Their fathers left their own homes, came to the Wilderness of America to escape the persecutions of a profligate and Tyranous Court now to have it forced upon them.

As Ananias had a large family of small children (our unborn) the Brothers decided that he and his Brother Platt should stay at home, take care of their families and assist those who joined the Continental Army. To his Oldest son of 18 years [Scudder Carll 1758-1842], his youngest brother [John Carll 1741-1822], his sisters Husband, his daughters affianced with numerous other relatives joined.

A daughter of his [Edna Carll 1769-1853] related these facts.

I was 8 years old. There was 5 children older than myself, 2 younger. When we saw/had the glimpse of a Red Coat, we ran and hid in the bushes like wild Rabbits untill they passed.

The Hessians were notorious for their evil deeds. They were a terror and a bye-word “As bad as a Hessian.” 

When Long Island was given up, a Party of British Officers were billeted upon us. Great was the excitement of clearing out rooms, hiding our valuables, Our silver spoons, Tankerds, Money all we possibly could do without was taken to the Orchard Where was an Apple tree which had a knot-hole in it about 5 feet from the ground large enough to put your hand in. This was cleaned out, our silver dropped into it, then stopped to resemble a knot. The tree was in sight of the door it was standing in 1850. I have looked into it many a time. 

It was a grand old farm house. 5 large rooms on the first floor. The chimney stack being in the centre the 3 fireplaces forming a triangle but uniting in one chimney at the top; fire place large oven?arm? enough to put a good sized bedstead? in. 

One of the triangles formed the side of the Hall about 9 feet long 3 wide large folding doors opened outwardly onto a large Porch which formed quite a room in summer. 

At each end of this Hall was a door opening into 2 large rooms at the farther end of these rooms were 2 doors one opened into a large sleeping room the others both opened into the same room used for the familys dining or eating room. A door from this room opened into the Orchard fronting a large Kitchen detached from the house like all those houses where they owned slave help. 

Two stories in front 1 ½ in rear called the Leinter? 2 large rooms front the other occupied as storage in the winter where they kept their loom spinning wheels ? And spun and made Cloth in summer. After the Revolution the Road was changed. They built a kitchen and da?ing on the East End closing those Hall doors bringing the gable end of the house to front on the new road. 

Now it is a wreck of the past (Having past out of the family). None could believe in its former beauty. Richly cultivated fields, fruitful Orchards, Locust groves, Barns, Carriage House, granaries ? Where I was born in 1816 [Phebe is the one who was born in 1816, not Edna].

So this dining room had egress without interfering with the family. It was given to the British Officers who proved to be gentlemen and a protection; as their men were not allowed to plunder or take anything which belonged to us. When they made their first fire in the evening the chestnuts began dropping (which we children had forgotten to down) one said Halloo here comes the Old mans Goes another his guineas as they began scrambling for them having a real jollification over them.

Those men who staid [sic] at home had to take the Oath of Allegiance. As 30 or 40 would take the oath at the same time you could hardly tell what they said. (I sometimes think the Officers did not much care though their names were registered) “I swear to be true to the King.” Those forced by necessity to take the Oath took advantage of the confusion. My father [Ananias Carll the 2nd], for one. “I swear to kill a fat Buck if I can”--undiscovered–They sent money, provision to their friends and in many ways assisted the Continentals.

There was an outside door opening into our sleeping room. When any of our friends were on the Island, they had a marked penny which they slipped under the door. We looked every morning for it. I remember one morning one of our slaves was hanging around the kitchen. He said, “young masser is dead. I saw his spook. When I woke up in der night there stood young massa pale as a ghost looking in the window. I clare I was so scared I could not stir. When I looked again he was gone.”

Here Old James the Cook said, “Clare out of here you silly Loon and keep your mouth shut or you will see more dan one spook. Clare out I tell ye or I’ll scald you” seizing a dipper of hot water. 

A little later as I was standing north of the house looking toward the edge of the wooded hills when there was a large rock. It formerly was our playground. Wishing I could go there, I saw a man’s hat come up slowly behind the Rock then disappear, then a man’s hand that also disappeared. I was frightened and ran and told my father. Soon I saw mother [Jerusha Scudder] putting up a basket of provisions which father took skulking along the Bosky Fence toward the place. This man said our Uncle was sick from want and fatigue about a mile from us in the woods. We dared not bring him to the house. They went and told a neighbor who lives ¼ of a mile from him/he was. A brave, true-hearted woman whose Husband was in the Continentals. She carried him Blankets, Medicine, food, and at midnight and took care of him untill he could leave. 

She dared not go by day as she was mist__?  of sending news so was watched by the British. They called her the Rebel’s Jessebel. One day as she emerged from the woods about sunset, 2 British Officers saw her; rode up and said “How now fair dame. Have you been to meet some CowBoy with his smock frock on or a Blacksmith with his leather apron? I am a better man at anytime and more money.” “Pshaw,” said the other. “You’re wrong. She’s only been in the woods to lay an Egg. Say Old Hen, when you laid your Egg, why didn’t you Cackle?” “Well sirs,” she said, “No hen would be silly enough to Cackle when the weasels were sneaking around ready to suck it.” They rode off one laughing the other swearing. My uncle was there 6 weeks in all that time she tended him. Her name was Jerusha Sammis [maiden name Place married to Nehemiah Sammis-he is my 2nd cousin 8 times removed]. She was a fine looking woman.

My Uncle Platt [Platt Carll--my 5th great-grand uncle] lived a mile from us on the Old Homestead. He had one son and 2 daughters. The Capt of the Light Horse who was billeted upon us was a fine young man. We all liked him. He was very intimate with Uncle Platt’s family almost every evening he would ride over, spend the evening there, staying until 11 oclock. It was well known in the place.

My uncle remonstrated with him telling him it was dangerous. There was so many Tories about the place.  But youth is presumptuous. (Tories in those days were Men to Go Cowardly to fight But would steal, plunder, and rob their own people as well as the British. It was a lonely road to pass a steep hill, dense woods on either side for ½ a mile before you came to cleared ground. This night Lige Col [meaning Colored] brought him his horse as usual then stood to listen to his horse, hoof clattering over the stony ground untill he reached the foot of the hill. Then he was considered safe. As Lige turned to go in, he heard 2 shots. He rushed in told his master. With 2 more men, they went to the foot of the hill.

There he lay, still holding the bridle in his hand, his horse standing guard over him and would not let the men touch him untill my uncle came up, then he neighed or winnowed and put his head down to his master. The Capt was shot through the heart, robbed of his gold watch chain and all his money. Strong suspicion fell on a neighbor not far from them. No proof. 

For many and many a year at that hour and season, the apparition of a young Light horseman would be seen, The horse standing over him. As late as 1812, a young man returning from a  party after 12 o'clock pm nearing the place his horse shied and balked at something he could not see definitely. As the moon emerged from a cloud sure enough, there was the man lying on the ground with the bridle in his hand, a horse standing over him.   

For a moment a feeling of terror crept over him.  He had to pass the spot to get home.  Urging  his horse onward the other horse winnowed his horse answered which reassured him.  Coming close he found it to be a young man from the neighborhood, so intoxicated he had fallen from his horse the faithful animal was keeping guard over him recognizing the other horse winowed [sic] for assistance.

Not long after this my uncle [Platt Carll] was hanged and left for dead to make him tell where his money was hid.  His faithful Lige was shot through the head and crawled behind some barrels; after they left he crept out, cut his master down brought him to and both lived to be old.

Another neighbor of ours, Robert Jarvis [might be the Robert that is my 5th great-grandfather], was robbed, beaten and cut about the head and face disfigured for life to make him tell where they could find more.

These are only a few of the Horrors of war we were subject to  (More than a 100 years afterwards when the house had passed out of the Jarvis family they were repairing it and found many valuable old English coins.)

He insisted he could ride home if helped up know the sagacity of the horse this young man Joel Jarvis did so. As he could not sit upright he clasped his arms around her neck Shouting, “I am a rich man's son married a poor mans daughter, shin bones sharp enough to shoot Christians Hurrah for King George.  She shot off like an arrow carried him safely home over 2 miles farther. [I'm not sure is Joel is the intoxicated man or the one who stumbled upon him]

And one more story dealing with the British occupation of Long Island:

Image 6851 [Major Israel Carll and I are 2nd cousins 6 times removed]

Major Israel Carll owned large tracts of land in the centre and on the south side of the island, yet his political career, his public-spirited liberality, and private charity used up the most of it. He never married. His widowed sister [Bathsheba Carll May?] kept house for him in his later years.

Many amusing anecdotes are told of him during the war. The Carlls were noted for the number of find spirited horses they kept. Whilst the British were on the island, he taught his horses to feign lameness if in harness if they saw a red coat and never to let themselves be caught by one if loose. 

Sometimes coming home with a load of hay from the South Side, they would become so lame as to go on three legs and stop every few steps. When loose on the Meadows, sometimes they would try to catch one after a fruitless effort they would order him to catch them. He would attempt, get almost to them, then take off his hat, scale it along the ground (then came a general stampede they knew the signal). They snorted their in_? their heads and heels rushed off over the Meadows perhaps a half a mile off. If caught they would suddenly become so lame as to be useless.