River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-09
PHEBE REYNOLDS PLUCK


The following moving incident of the
war of the Revolution, descriptive of a
Quaker's daughter during night of
terror, that has thus far been honored
by only the barest chronicle, is now
first truly told. There is no fairer or
richer portion of Orange County, New
York, says the historian, than that ~
ing in the picturesque vale known as
Smiths Glove. 1t is properly the head
of the Ramapo valley. When the To-
cality was still wilderness, and the
western escarpment of the Hudson
Highlands was an unknown and un-
discovered region, IA family made their
way from Brookhaven, Long Island,
through the tracklcss area that lay be-
tween the Hudson and the Ramapo,
and became the first settlers in that
part of Orange county. Their name
was Smith, and they gave the name to
the Glove. which it still bears. The
date of this family's coming into the
county is unknown. but when the Rev
dictionary war began the head of the
family was an old man, with number
of grown-up sons. The elder Smith
was a man of unsayory reputation, and
his eldest son, Claudius, inherited his
fathers ignoble traits. The Smiths
were rank Tories, Claudius Smith be-
came the leader of a gang of desperate
and bloodthirsty outlaws, and his name
was a terror to the patriot families who
were scattered about the then frontier
in Orange and Sussex counties. Clau-
dius Smiths cowboys and their deeds
of blood were shudderingly recounted
by the survivors of those troublou,
times and their descendants for many
years after the war was over. and still
afford subjects for many dramatic
tale. Claudius Smith became known
as the Scourge of the Highlands, Ht
was finally captured by band of pa
triot scouts, and was hanged in Cos.
hen the public square on the 22d OF
January, 1879. He was buried at the
foot of the scaf1old, and his remain,
have never been disturbed.
In the ancient and lonely burying
ground at Neversink Flats, one of the
isolated mountain villages of Sullivan
county, are two graves, long ago over
grown and now almost forgotten. One
contains the remains of Henry Rey-
nolds, who died in 1880, aged 80 years.
The other is the grave of his daughter,
Phebe Drake, who died in 1858, aged
sc. 1t is a singular fact that the story
of Henry Reynolds and his heroic
daughter, the most intensely thrilling
and dramatic, as it is, Of all the recital,
that have come down from the time.
made perilous by Claudius Smith and
his murdefous band of marauders. finds
| no place OF record in the annals of Or
ange county except brief Legendary
chronicle in which IA "Mr. Runnells' i
mentioned rs having been made a vic
tim of the cowboys. The one great
story of the lives of Henry Reynolds
and his daughter is related as follow,
by an old resident of Neversink Flats,
who is spending his declining days with
daughter in this city. He heard il
many a time from the lips of the partie,
themselves sixty years and more ago.
Henry Reynolds was a Quaker. He
was a native of Westchester county
In 1869 he married descendant o.
Henry Fowler, an original owner o.
the township of East Chester. Rcy
nolds was then in the mercantile bust
ness in Peekskill. In 1777 he was on,
of the sufferers by the burning of thai
place by the British. all his property
being consumed. He escaped with hi
wife and five children, and settled ii
ISmith : Glove, Orange county, not fal
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 re
quirements of his religion as to JOIN
| the ..minute men." As one of these
brave citizen soldiers he participated il
the storming Of Stony Point. under
Gen. Wayne, In 1879. His outspoker
sentiments and active demonstration:
in behalf of the American cause gained
for him the bitter enmity of his tory
ueighbors, and several attempts were
made on his life during the war by
Claudius Smith and his gang.
After the execution of Smith Al
Goshen his followers swOre to aveng,
his death bv taking the lives of larg,
number of leading Wings, one of whom
was Henry Reynolds. 1t was not unit
1882. however. that what was intended
to be the decisive blow againsthim wa
STRUCK, Late one night in July OF thai
year Reynolds was awakened by LOUD
rapping at his door. He arose from
bed. and asked who was there.
"A detachment of American troops
looking for deserters, was the reply.
Washington army was encampet
in the Highlands. a few miles from
REYNOLDS house. and it was well known
that a number of deserters were con
cealed somewherein the vicinity. Rev
nolds hastily dressed himself. ans
opened the door to the supposed Ameri
can soldiers. They entered and while
Reynolds was STOPPING down by the
fireplace to light candle, one of the
Tories struck him with his sword. anC
exclaimedi
Hurry up, you-old rebeil'
Reynold knew at once that he haC
been duped by the Tories. He turned
quickly around with the lighted can
die in his hand. and recognized Ben
iamin Kelly, who lived within half ;
mile of him. and Edward Robin
another neighbor. both members of tbs
| Claudius Smith gang. They were &C
companied by seyeralothers. Reynolds
dashed past chem and got out of doors
but stumbled and fell. He was seize'
by the Tories and dragged back int
the house. He calledloudly to bounC
boy who lived in his family to run TO
assistance. A. the boy was hurryins
out of the house Edward Robin seizeC
him and stood him against the wall
and told him that if he turned his heaC
one way or the other he would cut i
from his BODY. BY this time Mrs. Rey
nolds and the oldest child, Phebe, en-
tered the room. Mrs. Reynolds was
soon to become again mother. Hel
husband was PROSTATE on the floor
bleeding from wounds inflicted by th'