Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-01

along the front and is reached by broad
steps. On the opposite side Of the creek
was The Zabriskie House. This was
tavern. The British encampeda at Hack
ensaok heard that Ilopperstown was a
stronghold Of patriots and came up to
destroy it. Word Of their coming was
received. There was young Ameri-
can officer sick in the Xabriskie House.
Three young ladies, who were bellies in
the neiehborheod, undertook to save
him. When the British were coming
up the road they bore with their
own hands a feather-bed from the
Zabriskie House to the Hopper
House across the creek. Behind
it was the American officer, who
in that way was conducted to place
OF safety. The Zabriskic House, being
n tavern and public place, was burn
ed, but the rest of the place was spared.
Colonel Burr was informed Of the inya-
sion. Down from the Glove he clat-
tered at the head of a troop, anxious to
display his yalor before the Widow Pre-
yost. The British had started back
from Hackensack. lie pursued them.
but no engagement took place, although
when almost in their stronghold few
shots were exchanged.
The year 1919 found Colonel Burr
in command Of the Westchester lines,
with headquarters at White Plains,
eight miles east Of the Hudson river.
One dark night he detailed six trusty
troopers to have ready at Sunnyside
(afterward the home of Washington
Irving a large barge, full of blankets
and skins. At : o'clock he left his
camp and galloped to the river. He
led his horse into the barge, threw il.
and bound it. The barge was pulled
to the west shore, where Colonel Burr
released his horse, threw himself on its
back, and spurrcd it thirteen miles
through the darkness to the home Of
the fair widow. lie reached the Her
miiage at midnight, remaining until .
IN the morning. when he started back
as he came. The entire distance was
beset with danger, but Colonel Burr
made the trip once, if not twice, more.
July 2, l7S2, Colonel Burr took the
Widow Provost to be his wife. The
nuptials were celebrated il the Paramus
(it was then spelled Pyramusl church,
two miles from Ilopperstown, in the
valley. The charch was a stone affair,
octagonal in form. The steeple ran up
from the centre Of the roof. and the
pulpit was in the centre Of the church.
There were no pews in the meeting
house. The people had chairs, the
ownership Of which they determined
by having their names written on them.
When there was preaching the congre-
CATION all pulled up close around the
pulpit and listened to what the domi-
ME had to say. There was preaching
in Pyramus in 1925, but the church in
which Colonel Burr was married was
not built until 1875. For a time the
church was used by the British as a
prison in which to keep colonial cap
tiyes. The present edifce-a square
stone Structure-was built in 1900 and
remodelled in 1872. In the church
yard arc graves 50 old that no idea OF
the time of burial can be obtained by
any records or signs in existence. For
the first burials there where no in scrip.
tons to tell who reposed in the yard
! Flat stones picked W in the fields were
used to mark the graves. Subsequcnt-
! ly the names an ages were carved OF
the stones.
when Colonel Burr went to Albany
to practice law he took his wife, the
vhllom Widow Provost, with him.
When his political fame was increasing
it was recalled that he had married tht
widow Of British officer. The feeling
against the British was so intense thai
this fact alone destroyed his politica
! chances.