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The Spy: Enoch Crosby, January 4, 1750 - June 26, 1835
[Parenthetical page references are to Pelletreau's History unless otherwise noted.]
From Harwich, Massachusetts came three-year-old Enoch Crosby with his father and mother, Thomas and Elizabeth, to settle in lower Dutchess, now Putnam County. It is unclear whether they ever settled in the Town of Southeast, but Pelletreau states they were living on what is now Seminary Hill in Carmel as early as 1754. Their farm included the Congregational meeting house, later to be the site of Gilead Cemetery (p. 482).
A series of oppressive British policies toward the colonies preceded the Revolution, and the discontent they aroused in his contemporaries shaped young Enoch's patriotic attitudes -- discontents such as those vocalized by his father, and vehemently so by his church's minister, himself a tenant farmer, the Rev. Elnathan Gregory (Barnum, pp. 23-24, 26). One might have considered it unwise for a tenant on a Loyalist's land to openly criticize the British Crown and to risk losing his lease, or his life. Around 1766, Thomas Crosby suffered financial ruin, and soon thereafter, Enoch regretfully was compelled to leave home to make his own way in the world (Barnum, p.27-28). He became an apprentice shoemaker, or "cordwainer" in what is now the Town of Kent, completing his training on January 4, 1771, "that day completing his twenty-first year" (Barnum, p.28).
News arrived of the battles at Lexington and Concord in late April, 1775. Living in Danbury, Connecticut at the time, Crosby was one of the first to enlist with Capt. Noble Benedict's company in Colonel Waterbury's regiment (p. 482). During this term of eight months his regiment traveled to St. Johns above Lake Champlain, fighting the British who had gained control of areas in Canada from the French as a result of the French and Indians Wars. The Americans fought until the British surrendered after a five week struggle, and then the regiment went on to Montreal before returning to Albany, where Crosby was discharged (p. 483; Barnum, p.209).
In late August 1776, Enoch Crosby enlisted in Fredericksburg (Carmel) with Colonel Swartwout's regiment. Crosby was delayed from traveling with them into Westchester, and in the course of catching up met a Tory named Bunker who told about Loyalists planning to join the British nearby. Gaining this man's confidence and persuding him to believe he also was a Loyalist, Crosby replied he would not wait but would press on. That night he sought lodging at the home of a Mr. Young, who told Crosby he was a member of the Committee of Safety on behalf of the Americans. Crosby related his experiences To Mr. Young, who brought him to the committee at White Plains (p. 484; Barnum, p. 209). He was urged by the committee to continue as a secret agent in preference to rejoining his regiment, and so agreed to it. His method was to infiltrate the Loyalist community, learn of their plans, steal away and inform the Committee of Safety, then rejoin the Loyalists as they assembled, to be captured and taken prisoner by the Americans. Each time he was secretly offered a means of escape, unbeknownst to the American captors. This way they thought of him as Loyalist and his true purpose was concealed, enabling his service to continue.
Because of his many successful escapes, he may have eventually been recognized by some Tories and suspected of being a spy. One night, while visiting his brother-in-law Solomon Hopkins, who lived in Carmel on the road to Boyd's Corners, Crosby was fired at through a window, the musket ball grazing his neck and becoming lodged in the ceiling. Days later, an armed gang stormed into the house, beat Hopkins until he told them where Crosby was, went to the back of the house, found Crosby, and beat him, leaving him for dead. Finally they plundered the house, discharging their firearms, and causing such commotion that neighbors came running to see what was happening. The intruders fled toward the Croton River behind the house. Some drowned in the river, and some were shot by the pursuing neighbors.
Recovering from this debilitation, Crosby returned to his duties as a soldier-turned-spy (p. 486). At the end of this nine month term of service, Crosby was paid as if he had been a soldier in Swartwout's regiment (Barnum, p.215).
Crosby served a six-month third term in the Company of Capt. Jonah Hallett which traveled through Westchester encountering the British and detecting Tory activities. They also were involved with building a blockhouse at Stony Point in Rockland County after the celebrated battle there. In May 1780, Crosby began a six-month term as sergeant in Capt. Livingston's company of Colonel Benschauten's regiment, serving mostly in the counties of Orange, Rockland and Westchester. His term of service concluded in the late autumn of 1780 (Barnum, pp. 215-216).
After the war Enoch Crosby with his brother Benjamin bought a farm in the town of Southeast and lived there until he died. In 1812 and 1813, Crosby was Supervisor of the Town of Southeast. He also served as Justice of the Peace for many years. In addition, he was one of the deacons of the old Gilead Presbyterian Church when it was located on Horsepound Road (Mechanic Street) in Carmel, serving in this capacity virtually for the rest of his life (p. 487).
Crosby had two sons, Enoch and Lewis, and four daughters, Betsey, Rebecca, Saly and Hannah (wife of Phillips Rundle), all from Sarah Kniffen Nickerson, his first wife, who died in 1811. His second wife, whom he married about 1824, died in 1828 and was buried in Somers, NY next to her first husband, Col. Benjamin George (Putnam Courier, June 26, 1914, p.1)
These children of Enoch's son Lewis Crosby and wife Cornelia are interred at Gilead: Elizabeth, who lived only sixteen days; Thomas, who lived one month, 22 days; Enoch B., who lived six years; and Charles, who lived to be nearly 21 years of age. The place of burial of Enoch Crosby's father, Thomas, is not known; but his mother, Elizabeth, is buried at Gilead among members of the Beale family.
James Fenimore Cooper owned a home in Scarsdale, while John Jay lived in the Town of Bedford, Westchester County during the early 19th Century. As head of the Committee of Safety, John Jay was privy to many experiences reported to him from Crosby during the war. The Spy, published in 1821 by Cooper, is an historical novel based on Cooper's notes of conversation with his friend Jay who told him of a character of humble background who performed as a common spy with intense patriotic spirit. Crosby's name was never mentioned to Cooper to protect Crosby from possible reprisals of those who suffered severe losses at the hands of the patriots during and after the war (p. 487). Indeed, Cooper denied ever knowing the name of the spy to whom Jay referred in the course of conversations.
The book was Cooper's first national literary success, and Crosby became widely acknowledged as the original "Harvey Birch." In 1827, Crosby was asked to testify in a New York City court on behalf of some Carmel farmers whose ownership rights to land were being challenged by John Jacob Astor. At the time, a play entitled "Spy" was being performed at the Park Theatre (p. 487) or Lafayette Theatre (Barnum, p. xii), and Crosby accepted an invitation to attend. He was warmly greeted by a large crowd with several rounds of applause, and days later responded with a letter of appreciation to a New York City newspaper (Barnum, p. xiii).
On October 15, 1832, Enoch Crosby appeared before the Putnam County Clerk and signed a deposition of his service record, not only of his experience as a spy from August 1776 to May 1777, but also of his record as a soldier in the Continental Army between 1775 and 1780. This was in an application for a federal pension, which he subsequently received September 22, 1833, in the amount of $100 (Barnum, p. 208).
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