Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-12-18
PhebeReyno|ds.
From the New York Times,

y
in this county, are two graves, one COD.
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 70 years, dying November 2l,
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 we'll known, has been par
ticularly revived By the recent rublica-
ton in the Times OF thesketch of C]adius
Smith and the Cow boys. 1t is singular
fact that the story Of Henry Reynolds
and his daughter-the most intensely
thrilling and dramatic, as is, Of ali the
recitals that have come down from the
times made perilous by the scourge Of
the Highlands by the Tory maraude-s-
finds no place of rec: I'd in the annals of
Orange county, except the one referred
to in the sketch of the inns above
mentioned. This record is derived en-
tirely from tradition, and is as follows:
Henry Reynolds was Quaker, and
was native of Westchester county.
In 1869 he married 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
cause Of the colonies, and even so far
trespassed on the requirements of his
religion az to join the Minute Men"
As one of those brave citizen soldiers, he
participated in he storming of Stony
Point, under Gen. Wayne, in 1779. 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 Claudius 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.
dows were always kept strongly barri-
caded, and the assai]ants attempted to
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 a feather bed in the fire.
place, where a fire was burning. The
dense smoke that rolled up the chimney
forced the intruders to retreat to ESCAPE
suftocation, and the attack on the
family was abandoned.
After the execution of Claudius Smith
at Goshen in 1879, his followers swore to
revenge his death by taking the lives of
large number OF Wings, one of whom
was Henry Reynolds. It was not until
1882, however, that what was intended to
be the decisive blow against him was
struck. Late one NIGHT in July of that
year Reynolds was awakened by loud
rapping at his door. He arose from bed
and asked who was there. "A detach-
ment of American troops looking for
ceserters," was the reply. Washington's
army was encamped in the Highlands,
a few miles from Reynolds house, and it
was we'll known that a number of de.
serters were concealed somewhere in the
Vicinity. Reynolds hastily dressed him.
self and opened the door to the supposed
American soldiers. They entered, and
while Reynolds was STOPPING down by
the fireplace to light a candle. one of
the Tories struck him with his sword and
exclaimed: "Hurry up, you-old
rebel" Reynolds knew at once that he
had been duped by the Tories. He
turned quickly round with the lighted
candle in his hand, and recognized Ben.
jamin Kelley, who lived within half a
mile of him, and Edward Robin, an.
other neighbor, both members Of the
Claudius Smith gang. They were &C.
companied by several others. Rey.
nolds dashed past them and
got out of doors, but stumbled and fell.
He was seized by the Tories and dragged
back into the house. He called loudly
to bound boy who lived in his family
to run for assistance. As the boy was
hurrying out of the house, Edward
Robin seized him and stood him against
the wall, and told him that if he turned
his head one way or the other he would
cut it from his body. By this time Mrs.
Reynolds and the oldest child, Phebe,
entered the room. Mn. Reynolds was
poon 70 bsooms again . mother. Her
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