Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-08-12
BRAVE RYMEIcKA DE NYsE.
How n New Utrecht Girl Saved the
American Army.

BRAVE RYMElCNA LIE MOE.
How New Utrecht Girl Saved the
American Army.
Here is good story that was enacted
in 1776, but just discovered by the
writer who, in his researches among
the manuscripts of the Long Island His
torical library and the New Utrecht
library found in the daily reports of
Col. Jaqus Cropsey, reference to the
following historic facts:
1t was hard times in the colonies in
August, 1776. Disaster had followed
the fortunes of the American armies
and this fact was well known to the
English generals. Orders had been is
sued to give a decisive blow, which it
was expected would annihilate the pa
triots.
Gen. Washington was called hurried
" to New York and calls were issued
for recruits from all parts of the col
onies, as it was expected determined
battle would be fought on the westerly
end of Long Island. For weeks each
side was gathering their cohorts for
what was believed would be the final
struggle. The English, under Lord
Howe, brought their troops in vessels,
which were anchored in Gravesend bay,
and the arrival of additions to the fleet
were of almost daily occurrence.
Gen. Washington was preparing for
meeting the enemy and had in pursu-
ance of we'll arranged plan erected
defenses extending from Wallabout to
Bay Ridge.
During this time four farmers, Gerrit
De Nyse, of Kings Highway, Tunis
Cropsey, Abram Bennett and Cornelius
Lott, of Bay Ridge, owned fishing net
and boats and had a small building or
hut on the Van Brunt farm, just where
Avoca Villa now stands, in which they
kept their nets and oars and had beds
for use when they occasionally stayed
over night. They fished nearly every
day; they were patriots and with the
arrival of the English fleet saw their
opportunities gone for fishing, but not
for long, because the English fleet
needed fish and n squad of marines had
soon found the owners and they were
pressed into service to furnish fis' 4or
the fleet. They met at the hut and de-
cided to be willing workers, but with
the secret intent of making daily re-
port Of what they might see and hear
to the officers in command Of the pa
triot forces; and thus they fished, re-
ceived the British gold, made them
selves friendly to the English and each
evening the result of their observa-
tons were given to Rymeicka De Nyse,
the youngest daughter of Gerr:- De
Nyse, and she carried the news the next
morning to Washington's headquarters.
That this information was desirable
and important goes without saying and
the patriot fishermen were instructed
TO pursue their plan and on the first
knowledge of move on the part of the
English they were to get word to Gen.
Washington. The day the fact of a
start was learned fishing had never
been better and the largest load was
taken to the admirars ship and the
finest fish were for his table. Every
movement of the fishermen was de-
layed, to give all the time possible to
look and talk, and when the quartet
met at the hut at dusk it was with the
satisfaction Of having done a good days
work for the patriotic cause. They gave
to Rymeicka full details of the British
plans and no maiden ever bore mes
sage Of more import to the world than
that carried that night by Rymeicka
De Nyse to Gen. Washington. It gave
him the knowledge that enabled him to
meet the attack of the British and to
retreat successfully and thus avois the
defeat that surely would have been the
result had it not been for the faithful
services of Gerrit De Nyse, Tunis Crop
sey, Abram Bennett and Cornelius Lott,
not forgetting Rymeicka De Nyse. The
soil on which stands Avoca Villa should
be a sacred spot to al lovers Of the
United States of America.
Rymeicka made the acquaintance of
the officer of Il. guard at Gen. Wash
ington's headquarters, Lieut.. John
Walker, of Rhode Island, to whom she
was married at the close of the war.
Their descendants are the Walkers, of
Providence, r. I.-Broolllyn Eagle.