Battle of Pines Bridge Revisited – Overview

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A while back I went with my friend Ken for lunch and to check out some local Revolutionary War history. The time we went to take a look at a couple of sites related to the Battle of Pines Bridge.

Our first stop was at cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown where there are two monuments, and where some of those who died in the battle are buried. Above and below a couple of views of the cemetery and it’s spectacular flowering trees.

After that we had a very pleasant lunch at Barnwood Grill in Granite Springs.

I’d seen all of the others places on our itinerary before, but I was keen to seen the one thing I hadn’t yet seen: the new Pines Bridge Battle Memorial.

Our final stop took us to the site of the battle itself.

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Taken with a Sony RX100M3.

Around the Neighborhood – Sparta Cemetery – The Leatherman

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The sign reads: “The Leatherman”. For no known reason from 1883 to 1889 he trod a 365 mike loop every 34 days between NY and CT clad in 60lbs of leather”.

For more information on The Leatherman see The Legend of The Leatherman.

For an update see: Still Not Talking.

His grave, located near a busy road, drew many visitors and created safety concerns. A decision was made to exhume the Leatherman and relocate his remains to the top of a hill, and away from the road. Collecting a DNA sample from his remains was hoped to provide clues to his genetic background. Was he Native American?

A professional team of archaeologists just completed a three-day dig at his gravesite and found nothing more than coffin nails and dirt. There would be no DNA sample, and the mystery of the Leatherman will remain a mystery forever.

He refused to share his secrets in life, so it’s only fitting that his grave refused to unlock the mystery. The Leatherman still isn’t talking.

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These “offerings” were placed on top of the stone marking The Leatherman’s grave. Interesting that nobody has taken the coins. Perhaps they fear the ghost of The Leatherman.

Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.

Around the Neighborhood – Sparta Cemetery – The Ubiquitous HMS Vulture

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It seems that whenever I look into Revolutionary War history in the Hudson Valley I come across a reference the HMS Vulture. In this picture my friend, Ken stands next to a plaque in Sparta Cemetery, which reads:

“This stone was pierced by a cannon shot fired from the British sloop-of-war Vulture commanded by Lieut. Sutherland, September 1780.”

This brings us back to the Ladew family plot mentioned in an earlier post. The Ossining Historic Cemeteries Conservancy states:

A key point of interest is the Ladew family plot. It is the only plot that is enclosed by a brick wall, the west façade of which incorporates all five headstones in the wall. Two of the most famous tombstones are those of Abraham and Anna Ladew’s children—five-year-old Sarah and seven-year-old Abraham. Sarah’s stone is noted as the oldest legible in the cemetery, but Abraham’s is even more famous for another reason: a hole in the surface. Legend has it that in 1780 the headstone was pierced by cannon fire from the British war ship Vulture, patrolling the Hudson River during the Revolutionary War. A plaque has been installed in its place.

I’m at a loss as to why HMS Vulture would fire on Sparta cemetery.

Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.