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History of Flatbush, continued
four squads, assigning a house to each. Each party had a heavy post, for the purpose of breaking in the doors. The village was all silence. The houses were all known, and it was agreed, that when the party detached for Colonel Axtell, whose dwelling was farthest from the church, struck his door, each party should do the same at the other houses. Captain Marriner selected the house of George Martense, the father of the present Mrs. Catin, where his friend Major Moncrief quartered for himself. Time was given for the parties to arrive at their several houses, and then, at the concerted signal, the doors were all burst open, nearly at the same time. The first stroke at the door where Major Moncrief resided, alarmed him, and he fled to the garret, and hid himself behind the chimney. "I entered his room," says Marriner, "and finding his bed warm, I ordered aunt Jannetie to bring a candle. We ran to the garret and found our prize shivering behind the large Dutch chimney, with his breeches in his hands. We took him to the church, our place of rendezvous, where we put on his small clothes." Mr. or Major Beach, who resided in the house lately vacated by Mr. Michael Schoonmaker, was also seized, as well as Colonel
Sherbrook who lived in the old house belonging to Garret Martense, Esq. which stood in front of Mr. Seymour's, and has been divided as we have heretofore stated, and made into two small barns. But Colonel Axtell and Colonel Matthews, the mayor of New-York, who resided in the house belonging to Jacobus Vandeventer, which stood where the dwelling of Judge Lott now stands, escaped, in consequence of their being that night in New-York. The several parties having assembled again at the church, they marched off with their prisoners, unmolested to their boat, although it was a fine moon-light night, in the middle of summer. In his account of the matter, Captain Marriner says, that Dom. Rubell rung the alarm bell, before we were half a mile from the church, and Dr. Van Samper, who lived at Mr. Martense's, sung out, "Goedt luck, Goedt luck: not me, not me." The spirits called from their sleep by the alarm bell, did not pursue Captain Marriner, and he arrived safe at his boat, and carried his distinguished prisoners to New-Brunswick. Time will not permit us to pursue this affair farther, and give an account of the taking up and imprisoning of certain persons in New-Utrecht, on suspicion of being connected with Marriner in the enterprize.* The inhabitants of Flatbush during the war, particularly those who were supposed to be in favor of the American cause were subject to a variety of exactions from the British authorities. Their property too was often stolen, cattle were taken from the fields, hogs from their pens, and horses from their stalls. The hen roosts were frequently robbed, and almost every kind of plundering and thieving committed. When horses were wanted by the British for any service, they were seized without ceremony. On one occasion, Colonel L***, of Flatlands, at-tempted to take the horses of Captain Vanderveer, while he was ploughing with them in the field. The Captain * In the account heretofore published of this incident, the name of Major Moncrief does not appear, while Colonel Sherbrook is represented as the principal object of capture by Marriner. But this is incorrect. It was Major Moncrief who had principally insulted him, and he was the person whom he desired chiefly to take. The account given above, contains the true statement of the whole affair.
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