John Paulding
Encyclopedia
John Paulding was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution
. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André
.
, and Isaac Van Wart
, Paulding seized André at a site now called Patriot's Park
in Tarrytown
, NY. Andre, seeing the Hessian coat Paulding was wearing, may have assumed him to be a member of the "cowboys," or pro-British marauders who raided the Neutral Ground for cattle and supplies. Searching him for valuables, they discovered documents of André's secret communication with Benedict Arnold
. The militiamen, all local farmers of modest means, refused his considerable bribe and instead delivered him to the Continental Army
. Arnold's plans to surrender West Point to the British were revealed and foiled, and André was hanged as a spy.
With George Washington
's personal recommendation, the United States Congress awarded Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart the first military decoration of the United States, the silver medal known as the Fidelity Medallion
. Each of the three also received federal pensions of $200 a year, and prestigious farms awarded by New York State.
The celebrated trio became only more celebrated after the war: commemorations large and small abound in Westchester County
(see below), and elsewhere throughout the original colonies. By an Act of Congress
, the new state of Ohio
(1803) included the counties of Paulding
, Van Wert (anglicised spelling), and Williams
. Paulding himself was held in particularly high regard by early American historians, as the standard 19th-century retellings of the event give prominence to Paulding, crediting him with the decision-making and initiative at the scene. Consequently, several villages
and counties, in addition to Paulding County, Ohio along with its county seat
, Paulding
, are named in his honor: Paulding County, Georgia
; Paulding, Michigan
(site of the mysterious Paulding Light
); Paulding, New Jersey; Paulding, Mississippi
and Paulding, Missouri. Additionally, the villages of Tarrytown
(where there is also a John Paulding Elementary School), Cold Spring
and Elmsford
, along with the cities of Peekskill
and White Plains
, in New York, each have a street named for Paulding (as well as ones for Williams and Van Wart). The Fire Department of Sparkill, New York
, maintains the John Paulding Engine Co., founded in 1901.
Though hailed as national heros, Paulding and the others did see their reputations impugned by some. André at his trial had insisted the men were mere brigands; sympathy for him remained in some more aristocratic American quarters (and grew to legend in England, where he was buried in Westminster Abbey
). Giving voice to this sympathy, Representative Benjamin Tallmadge
of Connecticut, who had been present as an American officer in Westchester County in 1780 and had a low opinion of the three men and in general accepted Andre's account of the capture and search, persuaded Congress not to grant the men a requested pension increase in 1817, publicly assailing their credibility and motivations. Despite the slight, the men's popular acclaim continued to grow throughout the 19th century, although opinion on their motives and actions remained divided. Some modern scholars have interpreted the episode as a major event in early American cultural development, representing the apotheosis of the common man in the new democratic society.
, Dutchess County, New York
of natural causes. His last words were reported to be: "I die a true republican." He is buried in the cemetery of Old Saint Peter's Church in Van Cortlandtville, Cortlandt Manor
, NY. The grave is marked by a large marble monument with the epitaph: "FIDELITY - On the morning of the 23rd of September 1780, accompanied by two young farmers of the county of West Chester, he intercepted the British spy, André. Poor himself, he disdained to acquire wealth by the sacrifice of his country. Rejecting the temptation of great rewards, he conveyed his prisoner to the American camp and, by this noble act of self-denial, the treason of Arnold was detected; the designs of the enemy baffled; West Point and the American Army saved; and these United States, now by the grace of God Free and Independent, rescued from most imminent peril."
Paulding's descendants are numerous but perhaps the best-known of them is his son Hiram Paulding
(b.1797 - d.1878), who served in the War of 1812
and fought in the Battle of Lake Champlain; he rose to become a Rear Admiral
in the United States Navy
and retired only after the end of the American Civil War
.
(1844–1920). It is located in Patriot's Park
, added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
.
Revolutionary History
While visiting his sweetheart and future wife, Sarah Teed, he was captured by Tories led by his future brother-in-law and imprisoned in the notorious "Sugar House " prison in New York City in 1780. Escaping the prison by jumping from a window, he went to the livery stable of a friend and obtained a German military Jäger or Hessian coat, green with reed trim, which aided in his escape. As part of an armed patrol with fellow militiamen David WilliamsDavid Williams (soldier)
David Williams was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André.Williams should not be confused with, and is not related to, David Williams of Massachusetts, a participant in the Boston Tea...
, and Isaac Van Wart
Isaac Van Wart
Isaac Van Wart was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André.- Personal history :...
, Paulding seized André at a site now called Patriot's Park
Patriot's Park
Patriot's Park, originally Brookside Park, is located on U.S. Route 9 along the boundary between Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States. It is a four-acre parcel with a walkway and several monuments...
in Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
, NY. Andre, seeing the Hessian coat Paulding was wearing, may have assumed him to be a member of the "cowboys," or pro-British marauders who raided the Neutral Ground for cattle and supplies. Searching him for valuables, they discovered documents of André's secret communication with Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
. The militiamen, all local farmers of modest means, refused his considerable bribe and instead delivered him to the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. Arnold's plans to surrender West Point to the British were revealed and foiled, and André was hanged as a spy.
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's personal recommendation, the United States Congress awarded Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart the first military decoration of the United States, the silver medal known as the Fidelity Medallion
Fidelity Medallion
The Fidelity Medallion is the oldest decoration of the United States military and was created by act of the Continental Congress in 1780. Also known as the "André Capture Medal", the Fidelity Medallion was awarded to those soldiers who participated in the capture of Major John André, of the...
. Each of the three also received federal pensions of $200 a year, and prestigious farms awarded by New York State.
The celebrated trio became only more celebrated after the war: commemorations large and small abound in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
(see below), and elsewhere throughout the original colonies. By an Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
, the new state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(1803) included the counties of Paulding
Paulding County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,293 people, 7,773 households, and 5,689 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile . There were 8,478 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
, Van Wert (anglicised spelling), and Williams
Williams County, Ohio
Williams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 37,642. Its county seat is Bryan and is named for David Williams, one of the captors of John André in the American Revolutionary War.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. Paulding himself was held in particularly high regard by early American historians, as the standard 19th-century retellings of the event give prominence to Paulding, crediting him with the decision-making and initiative at the scene. Consequently, several villages
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and counties, in addition to Paulding County, Ohio along with its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
, Paulding
Paulding, Ohio
Paulding is a village in and the county seat of Paulding County, Ohio, United States. It is located predominantly in Paulding Township. The population was 3,595 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, are named in his honor: Paulding County, Georgia
Paulding County, Georgia
Paulding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 142,324. The county seat is Dallas....
; Paulding, Michigan
Paulding, Michigan
Paulding is an unincorporated community in Ontonagon County, Michigan, United States. Paulding is located in Haight Township along U.S. Route 45, southeast of Ontonagon. The Paulding Light, part of the area's folklore, is visible in a valley near Paulding....
(site of the mysterious Paulding Light
Paulding Light
The Paulding Light is a light that appears in a valley that lies outside of Paulding, Michigan. Reports of the light have appeared since the 1960s, with popular folklore providing such explanations as ghosts, geologic activity, or swamp gas...
); Paulding, New Jersey; Paulding, Mississippi
Paulding, Mississippi
Paulding is an unincorporated community in and one of the two county seats of Jasper County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only unincorporated county seat in Mississippi. It was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero John Paulding....
and Paulding, Missouri. Additionally, the villages of Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
(where there is also a John Paulding Elementary School), Cold Spring
Cold Spring, New York
Cold Spring is a village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville...
and Elmsford
Elmsford, New York
Elmsford is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. Roughly one mile square, the village is fully contained within the borders of the town of Greenburgh...
, along with the cities of Peekskill
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
and White Plains
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
, in New York, each have a street named for Paulding (as well as ones for Williams and Van Wart). The Fire Department of Sparkill, New York
Sparkill, New York
Sparkill, formerly known as Tappan Sloat, is an affluent, suburban hamlet in the Town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Palisades; east of Tappan; south of Piermont and west of the Hudson River...
, maintains the John Paulding Engine Co., founded in 1901.
Though hailed as national heros, Paulding and the others did see their reputations impugned by some. André at his trial had insisted the men were mere brigands; sympathy for him remained in some more aristocratic American quarters (and grew to legend in England, where he was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
). Giving voice to this sympathy, Representative Benjamin Tallmadge
Benjamin Tallmadge
Benjamin Tallmadge was a member of the United States House of Representatives. His birth date is alternately listed as February 25, 1754....
of Connecticut, who had been present as an American officer in Westchester County in 1780 and had a low opinion of the three men and in general accepted Andre's account of the capture and search, persuaded Congress not to grant the men a requested pension increase in 1817, publicly assailing their credibility and motivations. Despite the slight, the men's popular acclaim continued to grow throughout the 19th century, although opinion on their motives and actions remained divided. Some modern scholars have interpreted the episode as a major event in early American cultural development, representing the apotheosis of the common man in the new democratic society.
Personal History
John Paulding was a self-sufficient farmer: a strong, sturdy man, he stood over six feet tall, unusual for the era. He married three times in his life, and was the father of nineteen children. He died in 1818 at StaatsburgStaatsburg, New York
Staatsburg is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 911 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
of natural causes. His last words were reported to be: "I die a true republican." He is buried in the cemetery of Old Saint Peter's Church in Van Cortlandtville, Cortlandt Manor
Cortlandt Manor, New York
Cortlandt Manor is an area located in the Town of Cortlandt in Northern Westchester County, New York. Cortlandt Manor is situated directly east, north and south of Peekskill, and east of three sections of the Town of Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Crugers, and Montrose...
, NY. The grave is marked by a large marble monument with the epitaph: "FIDELITY - On the morning of the 23rd of September 1780, accompanied by two young farmers of the county of West Chester, he intercepted the British spy, André. Poor himself, he disdained to acquire wealth by the sacrifice of his country. Rejecting the temptation of great rewards, he conveyed his prisoner to the American camp and, by this noble act of self-denial, the treason of Arnold was detected; the designs of the enemy baffled; West Point and the American Army saved; and these United States, now by the grace of God Free and Independent, rescued from most imminent peril."
Paulding's descendants are numerous but perhaps the best-known of them is his son Hiram Paulding
Hiram Paulding
Hiram Paulding was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, who served from the War of 1812 until after the Civil War.-Naval career:...
(b.1797 - d.1878), who served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and fought in the Battle of Lake Champlain; he rose to become a Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and retired only after the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Commemorations
In 1853, a monument was erected at the site of André's capture and, on the event's centenary in 1880, it was topped with the statue of a minuteman, reputedly in the likeness of Paulding himself. The status is by William Rudolf O'DonovanWilliam Rudolf O'Donovan
William Rudolf O'Donovan was a self-taught American sculptor, born in Preston County, Virginia. After the Civil War, in which he served in the Confederate army, he opened a studio in New York City and became a well-known sculptor, especially of memorial pieces...
(1844–1920). It is located in Patriot's Park
Patriot's Park
Patriot's Park, originally Brookside Park, is located on U.S. Route 9 along the boundary between Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States. It is a four-acre parcel with a walkway and several monuments...
, added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
Works cited
- Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley (1913) Volume II, p.457
- Lossing, Benson John, The Pictorial Field-book of the Revolution. Harper & Bros., 1852. Online: http://books.google.com/books?id=ZmQsAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA173&lpg=RA1-PA173&dq=%22john+paulding%22+1818+grave&source=web&ots=Li0ASSw09Z&sig=GahDbu45-ZYoBfQQPGSVGJdeuh8&hl=en University of Michigan.
- Bolton, Robert, A History of the County of West Chester. Gould, Alexander S., 1848. Online: http://books.google.com/books?id=fF89g9xoSvQC&dq=%22john+paulding%22+peekskill&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 Harvard University.
- Half Moon Press, "Cemeteries and Notable Burial Sites in Westchester County". NY, 2003. Online: http://www.hudsonriver.com/halfmoonpress/stories/1003ceme.htm Hudsonriver.com.
- ed., The Builders of the Nation, National Cyclopaædia of American Biography. Stanley-Bradley Publishing Co., NYC, 1892. Online: http://books.google.com/books?id=5SkEAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22david+williams%22+1780+andre&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 New York Public Library.
- Cray, Robert E. Jr., "Major John Andre and the Three Captors: Class Dynamics and Revolutionary Memory Wars in the Early Republic, 1780-1831", Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 17, No. 3. Autumn, 1997. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Raymond, Marcius DenisonMarcius D. RaymondMarcius D. Raymond was an American publisher, writer, genealogist, editor and historian.-Early life and ancestors:...
. David Williams and the capture of Andre: A paper read before the Tarrytown Historical Society Tarrytown: Argus - 1903 - approx. 35 pp.