Name/Title
Newspaper Claudius Smith "Pluck of a Girl of 1776"Entry/Object ID
001870Tags
Claudius Smith, Mrs. Woodhull, Henry Reynolds, Phoebe ReynoldsScope and Content
This set of documents consists of a historical newspaper clipping (appearing to be from the late 19th century based on the text's retrospective nature) detailing the exploits of Claudius Smith, known as the "Cowboy of the Revolution," and the heroic resistance of the Reynolds and Woodhull families in Orange County, New York.
Summary
The article recount the reign of terror led by Claudius Smith and his gang of Tory outlaws in the Ramapo Valley during the American Revolution. It highlights two major incidents of local resistance:
The Woodhull Family: Mrs. Woodhull successfully hid the family's silver in a cradle under her child while facing Smith’s threats.
The Reynolds Family: Henry Reynolds, a Quaker-patriot, was brutally attacked in his home in 1782 by Smith’s son, Richard. His young daughter, Phoebe Reynolds, is credited with saving his life by repeatedly extinguishing the gang's attempts to burn him and striking the outlaws with a heavy flee-bolt.
The text also describes the eventual capture and hanging of Claudius Smith in 1779, the subsequent hunt for his sons, and the macabre fate of Smith's remains—specifically how his skull was allegedly built into the masonry of the Goshen Court House.
