New-York tribune., 1909-07-18
LOVING PAIR SEPARATED.

The fierce little battle at the Cove. in which Lord
Sterling led his ragged COntinentals' with char
acteristic desperation against the post commanded
by General Skinner and In which the latter IS said
to have been wounded. led to material changes in
the personnel OF the troops at that point Among
the official orders there which Mercedes
thought cruel. for 1t compelled the return OF
the young officer TO the flagship of Prince William
In the mellow moonlight they wandered together
for the last time through Lovers Lane. On the
following day they parted-he to so back in time to
his home in dear old England where century
ago his Spirit passed on 70 the better land ,,,,
top inland thereafter all the sacred
to Mercedes For years afterward she often wan
dered alone through its narrow confines, listening
to the familiar bird songs or comnuninE with the
silent stars. At last her gray head was laid 10
rest in the old Cruzer vault near the entrance TO
Lovers lane.
One by the CruzeF family departed from the
old house and it's historic lane, until all gone.
The last of the family Of which have any
knowledge who directly interested in these
premises "Cruzer the lightning calculator
who was born In this old Colonial homestead. and
who was for many years great attraction at
Barnum's Museum. in New York City. He sold his
right. title and interest in the estate for very
small sum of money. which. 1t is said, he spent on
one spree.
The estate was purchased in 1899 by Daniel Pei
ton, ST. who. in the OF a few years. made
many improvements and sold a portion of the land
Peltons ownership. Lovers Lane was made even
more attractive, and nothing pleased the kind
hearted old gentleman more than TO notice the
young couples they strolled along through
the inviting hooks.
One day some years ago the writer In company
with the late Captain Richard Christopher. then
the OF his nineteth year, passed along where
we had a good view of Lovers Lane. The genial
old man told me OF several incidents in connection
with it. and In the of conversation said:
"Ah. Tpe! If that old lane could speak, it would
tell many happy stories of the past But now there
comes q shadow the scene. In scores of silent
graveyards there are sleeping those who used to
think that Lovers Lane was the centre of the uni
verse; Well do 7 recall" added Captain Christie
pher. ''how Molly Fountain and I used to stroll.
hand in hand. up and down that lane!'
\ NOTABLE WARRIOR
In 1859. there came to this country noted French
cavalry officer-Lleutenant Alfred Napoleon Dufie
He had served IN Algers. In Senegal and in the
Crimean and Austrian wars. receiving eight wounds
IN action and winning four imperial decorations OF
the Legion of HOnor-the French. English Turkish
and Sandman the latter bestowed while he
lay wounded. directly from the hands OF Emperor
Napoleon III.
When the Civil War broke out In land the
gallant Frenchman transferred his citizenship.
tered the Union army captain. and after
splendid service to the rank of brigader gem
eral After the war he served the United States
as consul IN Spain for ten years. He died In $780,
and his body lies beneath a neat monument In
Fountain Cemetery, only short distance from
the Cruzer-Pelton house. in which he resided for a
time, and where he strolled through Lovers Lane
which always had a peculiar charm for the bat
tie SCARED General Duie married Miss Mary
Pelton. who still resides Staten Island.
About a hundred yards south of the old Cruzer-
Pelton house, the line OF Lovers Lane is the
old Cruzer family vault For more than a century
1T held the dust Of generations of that noted
and influential family. At its entrance stood for
many years a number of brownstone tablets that
told the story of the passing away OF family
that had helped TO make the history OF the Re-
public.
A quarter OF g century ago the adjoining prop
erty was converted into clubhouse, whose MEM
bers profaned the old vault by utilizing 1t as a
midnight rendezvous for ccnferring the final de-
gree" upon new members. There was nothing left
then that suggested "sacredness to the memory
of those who had gone home through the portal
of the old vault
Strangers finally came upon the scene. knowing
nothing OF its story, and filed up the vault with
debris and earth: and now; like these who have
slept away the heeting years within its walls al
most the last vestige reminding US that It was
once the urn of their ashes has disappeared.
Thus pass away the landmarks that have long