The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-12-20
Phebe Reynolds.


In the grave yard at Neversink Flats,
IN this county, are two graves, one cOp-
tanning the remains of Henry Reynolds,
who died in 1880, at the age Of 80 years,
and one in which are those of his daugh-
ter, Phebe Drake, who survived her
father % years, dying November y,
1853, age SO. Their memory, always
green with the residents of that part of
the county, where the one great story of
their lives is well known, has been par
ticularly revived by the recent Fublica-
ton in the Times Of the sketch Of Cladius
Smith and the Cow boys. 1t is a singular
fact that the story Of Henry Reynolds
and Els daughter-the most intensely
thrilling and dramatic, as 1t is, Of ali the
recitals that have come down from the
times made peril0us by the sc0urge OF
the Highlands by the Tory marauders--
finds no place Of record in the annals of
Orange county, except the one referred
to in the sketch Of the Times above
mentioned This record is derived en-
tlrely from tradition, and is as follows:
Henry Reynolds was 9 Quaker, and
was native Of Westchester county.
In 1859 he married s. descendant of
Henry Fowler, an original owner of the
township of East Chester. Reynolds
was then in the mercantile business in
Peekskill In l777 he was one of the suf-
ferers by the burning of that place by
the British, all his property being con-
sumed. He escaped with his wife and
five children, and settled in Smiths
Cove, Orange county, not far from the
present village Of Monroe. Although a
Quaker. he was an ardent defender of the
caRse of the colonies, and even SO far
trespassed on the requirements of his
religion AS to Join the Minute Men"
As one of those brave citizen-soldiers, he
participated in he storming of Stony
Point, under Gen. Wayne, in 1873. His
outspoken sentiments and active demon
STATIONS in behalf of the American
cause gained for him the bitter enemity
OF his Tory neighbors, and several at
tempts were made on his life during the
war by Clsudius Smith and his gang.
On one occasion his house was sur
rounded in the middle of the night by q
number Of Tories The doors and win
d0ws were always kept strongly barri-
caded, and the asssilants attempted tC
gained entrance to the house by letting
themselves down the chimney. The
foremostof the gang were half way down
the chimney when Reynolds emptied
the contents of feather bed in the fire
pace, where fire was burning. The
9ense smoke that rolled up the chimney
forced the intruders to retreat to escape
sufiocatlon, and the attack on the
family waS abandoned.
Alter the execution Of Claudius Smith
81 Goshen IN 1873, his followers swore tC
revenge his death by taking the lives OF
large number Of Wings, one Of whom
was Henry Reynolds 1t was not until
itS2, however, that what wss intended tc
be the decisive blow against him was
struck. Late one night in July of that
year Reynolds was awakened by loud
rapplng at his door. He arose from bee
aud asked who WAS there. "A detach
ment Of American troops looking fol
GeseTters, was the reply. Washington
army was enCsmped in the Highlands
few miles from Reynolds house, and i
was well known that number of de
serters were concealed somewhere in tn:
vicinity. Reynolds hastily dressed him
self and opened the door 10 the supposed
American soldiers. They entered, anC
while Reynolds was stopping down b,
the fire place to light candle, one o
the fories struck him with his sword snt
exclaimed: Hurry up, you-ol,
REBEL" Reynolds knew st once that h
had been duped by the Tories. II
turned quickly round with the lighte
cartle il his hand and recognized Ben
!ao'n Kelley, who lived within half
nile Of him, and Edward Robin, AZ
other neighbor, both members Ct la
Clauo!ls Smith gang. They were 81
c9mpahled by several others. Rey