Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-06-13
York and General Sir Frederick Haldimand

York and General Sir Frederick Haldimand
of Canada.
The munifcent rewards that were secret.
~ offered by the British for the seizure Of
promlnene persons, and the promise oi
giunoer' mad excited the cupidity of the
Iories IN the vicinity of Albany. Several
seizures had been attempted, and same had
been accomplished by them. Among the
boldest of the leading Tories in active
service was John Walter Meyer, a colleague
of the notorious marauder Joe Bettys. He
was employed to abduct General Schuyler.
Accompanied by gang of Tories, Canadi.
ans and Indians, he repaired to the neigh.
borhood of Albany, but, uncertain how
well General Schuyler might be guarded, he
lurked among the pine shrubberry in the
vicinity for eight or ten days. He seized a
Dutch laborer, and learned from him the
exact position of affairs at Schuyler's house,
and extorting an oath of secrecy from the
man he let him go. The Dutchman ap-
pears to have made mental reservation,
for he gave Schuyler information of his ex-
perience. A Loyalist, who was the Gen.
erals personal friend and was cognizant OF
Walter Meyers designs also gave him
warning. Thus forewarned, the General
and his family were constantly vigilant,
and the guards were kept continually on
duty, three at time.
At the close of a sultry day in August
General Schuyler and his family were sit
ting in the front hall of the mansion. The
servants were dispersed about the premises.
The three guards, retired for the night,
were asleep in the basement room of the
house, and the three who were on duty,
oppressed by the heat, were lying on the
cool grass in the garden. A servant an
nounced to the General that a stranger de-
sired to speak to him at the back gate.
The strangers errand was at once compre-
hended. The doors of the house were i'm
mediately shut and closebarred. The
family were hastily collected in an upper
room and the General ran to his bedcham-
ber for his arms. From the window he saw
the house surrounded by armed men. For
the purpose of arousing the guards on the
grass and perchance to alarm the town, he
fired pistol from the window.
The assailants burst open the doors. At
the same moment Mrs. Schuyler perceived
that in the confusion and retreat from the
hall, her infant child, only few months
old, had been left in the cradle in the nurs-
cry below. Parental care subdued all fear,
and the mother was flying to the rescue of
her babe when her husband interfered and
prevented her. Her life was of more conse-
quence than that of the infant. Their third
daughter rushed down the two flights of
stairs, snatched the still sleeping infant
from the cradle, and flew with it toward
the great tower staircase. One of the lu
dians hurled sharp tomahawk at the fly
ing girl, but it effected no other harm than
q slight cut in her dress few inches from
the head of the babe, and wound in the
mahogany rail of the staircase. On the
stairs she met Walter Meyer, who, suppos-
ing her to be servant, exclaimed,
"Wench, wench Where is your master?"
With great presence OF mind the coura-
geous sister answered,
"Gone to alarm the town."
The Tory leaders followers were in the
stealing the silver plate and
other valuables. He called them together
for consultation. At that moment the Gen.
eral threw up window, and, as if speaking
to numbers, called out in loud voice:
''Come on, my brave fellows Surround
the house and secure the Williams who are
plundering n'
The assailants made precipitate retreat,
carrying with them the three guards who
were in the house and large quantity of
silver plate.
The bursting open of the doors of the
house had aroused the sleeping guards in
the basement room, who rushed up to the
back hall where they had left their arms,
but their weapons were gone. Mrs. Church,
a married daughter of General Schuyler,
who was there at the time, without sus-
picion that they might be wanted, had re-
moved the arms just before the attack, ON
account of apprehended injury to her little
boy whom she had found playing with
them. The guards had no other weapons
but their brawny fists, and these they used
until they were overpowered.-
They were taken to Canada and when
they were exchanged and had returned
General Schuyler gave each of them farm
in Saratoga. Their names were John
Tubbs, John Corlies and John Ward. The
fled with their booty to Canada.
In the summer of 1S4S l visited friends
1T Oswego then pleasant village on the
southern shore of Lake Ontario, at the
mouth of the Oswego River. 1 was in
formed that daughter of General Schuy-
er, his youngest child, and wife of Major
James Cochran, a nephew OF the General,
was living in the village. My friends
spoke of her as most charming old lady,
almost seventy years of age, who was
beloved by everybody who knew her
because of the sweetness of her disposition,
The blamelessness of her life, her abound
ng kindness toward the needy and afflicted,
ner social graces, and her intellectual gifts.
At suitable hour l called on the venera-
Die couple. Major Cochran was almost four
score years old, feeble in bodily health, but
mentally vigorous. He was a son of DR..
John Cochran, Surgeon-General of the Mid
die Department of the Continental Army,
who married sister of Genersl Schuyler
The Major himself was member Of Con-
yress during the administration of the elder
President Adams. His family relationship
and his position gave him opportunities to
become acquainted with most of the gen.
eral officers of the Revolution, and the ut
terances of his "reminiscences of persons and
events of the long g-buried past gave me great
pleasure and edifcation during our brief
interview.
Major Cochran related the amusing Cir
cumstances of his nomination and election
rs a member of Congress. A vessel was to
be launched on Seneca Lake at Geneva. 1t
being an unusual event, the people gather
ed there from far and near to witness it.
The young people determined to have a
dance at night. A fiddle was found, but a
fiddler was lacking. Young Cochran, who
was present, was an amateur performer on
the violin, and his services were demanded
on that occasion. He gratified the joyous
and at the supper-table gentle
man remarked, in commendstion of his
achievement, "He is fit for Congress" The
hint. was favorably received by the compa-
ny. The matter was talked up" and he
was nominated for and elected to a seat in
Congress from the district which then in
,luded the whole of New York west of
$50 you see," said Major Cochran, with
l pleasant smile, as he finished the story, 81
added my way into Congress-
The Major died few months after my
risit.
Mrs. Cochran was ten years the Junior of
her husband. She was tall and slender,
graceful in figure, with rather deep-set and
exceedingly expressive eyes, and good hu-
NOR and benevolence pervading her whole
she told me of much of her
home-life at Albany, of the eminent persons
she had met there in her childhood and
young womanhood, of the domestic charac-
ter of her father, and of the sweet face and
abounding goodness of her mother "toward
whose maiden name in full
Catharine Van Rensselaer, Cochran-she
bore. These seemed to constitute her hap
piest memories. She spoke with enthusiasm
of the broad Christian charity and kindly