Hudson River Chronicle, October 18, 1842 (Published in Ossining,NY) Hudson River Chronicle, October 18, 1842 (Published in Ossining,NY) Obituary of Henry Christian Vought Died at Annsville, Cortlandtown, on the morning of Friday the 7th inst., Mr. Henry Christian Vought, aged about 94 years. Mr. Vought belonged to a Revolutionary Whig family. He was himself a soldier of the Revolution throughout the war and lived long and respectfully for better than half a century in the full possession and enjoyment of the peace and prosperity won by his valour and that of his compassion in arms and died at last full of years and full of honor. Mr. Vought bore a conspicuous part in one of the most remarkable skirmishes that tried american skill and bravery in the whole war. Among the five regiments called into service in the commencement of the war was one of which James Holmes was Colonel and Philip Van Cortlandt, Lieutenant Colonel. This Colonel Holmes remained in the American service about one year and then deserted to the British camp where he joined the Tory regiment of Colonel Delancey. The command of his American regiment devolved upon its Liet. Colonel and Philip Van Cortlandt became the Colonel. In this regiment Mr. Vought belonged to a corps of men sent out on a scouting party commanded by one Lieut. Mosher with a heart of oak. While the Lieutenant was at breakfast with his men somewhere in the vicinity of White Plains he heard the alarm of the approachof a squadron of British Dragoons. In haste he formed his little band of about twenty men into a hollow square, the soldiers dropping down with one knee on the ground, elevating their pieces with fixed bayonets to an angle of forty five degrees. The Tory Colonel Holmes commanded this squadron and determined his horsemen to surround and take these wanderers with him to the British. He offered Lieut. Mosher the most honorable terms of capitulation which were cordially reciprocated by the American but promptly declined on both sides. Colonel Holmes, sure of success made a violent assault on this more than spartan band but the phalanx after repeated assaults still remained unbroken. The assailants were at last drawn back with disgrace and loss while the brave Lieutenant brought off his men in safety and in triumph. General Washington gave an account of this gallant and unparallelled affair in hs communication and Congress passed a vote of thanks to this distinguished corps for their valorious achievement. His funeral took place on Saturday last from his late residence. A military escort in the finest style preceded the hearse and the funeral procession by Captain Hawes and his Jefferson Guards of this village (Peekskill) to the old Episcopal Church of St. Peter’s where divine services were performed and an interesting discourse was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Griswold of the Protestant Methodist Church. After this service the remains of this venerated patriot were received at the grave by the military escort,who, after an appropriate addresss by Dr. Westbrook fired several volleys ad paid their last sad respects to the honoured dead. - Peekskill Republican
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 21:23:21 +0000
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