Nobody wants to call the guy a rat.
Why? It’s awkward–he’s a big deal around here. In fact, he owned the place – the entire city of Yonkers. He’s got a big fancy house downtown. A major tourist attraction. So why mess with it?
But I’m gonna stick to my guns on this. He’s a rat. Or at the very least, a rodent of some less despicable kind. Depending on who you believe. And I believe one Isaac Vermilya.
Twas Vermilya who dropped a dime on the likely miscreant, who was also the richest guy in New York, and the landlord to dozens of hardworking farmers, toiling on the almost virgin land that is now Yonkers.
Who is that man? He is none other than Frederick Philipse III, the last of the Philipses to occupy the Philipse Manor Hall, that stately brick building at 29 Warburton Avenue.
Forgive this downer, this inconvenient little fact that may detract from our celebration of the nation’s 250th. But Philipse was a known Loyalist, a supporter of the king, a man who chose not to embrace one of the greatest events in the history of mankind, the American Revolution. And according to Vermilya, Philipse was also a traitor who ratted out a regiment of colonial troops who were seen marching along the Saw Mill River Road.
They were marching down Saw Mill River Rd.
It was the spring of 1777, the second year of the war. Yonkers was in a no-mans land, a “neutral zone” between British-controlled New York City and the colonial troops to the north. There were skirmishes back and forth, guerilla raids, spies lurking everywhere.
Troops under the leadership of Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs marched along the Saw Mill, a tenant farmer named Vincent was hiding in the bushes.
He ran to the Philipse Manor. We’re not sure what Philipse actually said to him, but the account we have states that Philipse’s wife firmly insisted that Vincent go and tell the British of Meigs’s whereabouts. Did Philipse know that his wife did this? Does it matter? For it is very clear that Philipse ultimately took the fall for his spouse.
Vincent got caught in the Bronx. We have no idea what methods were used to extract a confession, but he very likely told the Brits everything – he was on a mission from the loyalist Philpses.
News of Vincent’s capture arrived at the Manor. Philipse and his family packed up, jumped on a boat, and headed for Manhattan. Never to set foot in Yonkers again.
That’s the story. At least as it was told to John M. Mcdonald, an amateur historian who roamed the “neutral ground” in the 1840s conducting interviews with still-living witnesses who remained in these treacherous lands during the war.
In the interest of rigorous storytelling, and to also avoid perpetrating an outrageous smear during this uplifting week of celebration, you should know that serious historians have raised serious questions about Vermilya’s yarn.
Complicated history, multiple perspectives
Sarah Wassberg Johnson is education and programs manager at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. She makes no effort to conceal or disparage the version of history that sees Philipse as an enduring disgrace to all the decent people of Yonkers, but she gently points out that there may be alternate facts (to quote a former Trump official).
“We really like complicated history at Philipse Manor Hall and we like multiple perspectives,” Johnson says. “We’re not necessarily choosing one side or another. You know, everybody likes to say, ‘Oh, we’d be on the side of the Patriots because they win.’ But for most of the war, that was not clear that they were gonna win.”
OK, but what about the Vermilya interview? “It’s [the spy story] in the McDonald’s papers, which is a series of interviews that were done in the 1840s,” she said. “It is usually a very good source, but sometimes you have to take what they say with a grain of salt. This guy, Lieutenant Miggs, was not anywhere near Philipse Manor, so, no there’s no evidence that he was a spy.”
Perhaps John has loyalist sympathies, and if so, how did she manage to hide them from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation? Doesn’t she realize the importance of the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, and how completely right and necessary and all important they were.
“Of course, the Declaration of Independence does not apply to enslaved people,” she notes after facing a withering barrage of questions from a rabid Declaration admirer. “And there is a British proclamation that’s actually signed at Philipse Manor Hall that does offer freedom to people enslaved by the rebels.”
My advice? Go check all this stuff out for yourself. You decide. Philipse: was he merely an extremely rich guy who truly liked kings, or was he a rat, a traitor, an eternal stain on the good name of our fair city? Go to the manor. Look at the exhibits.
This weekend would be a good time to do it. A family-oriented event kicks it off, with music, movies and colonial games, Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Make note: there will be an 18th century dunk tank, allowing party goers to dunk King George. “We thought about dunking George Washington but thought that nobody would actually want to. We just didn’t think it would be very popular.”
Sunday, barring thunderstorms, Sarah and a fellow historian from the Hall will lead a tour of American Revolution sites in downtown Yonkers. The tour starts at 1 pm.
Philipse Manor Hall. 29 Warburton Ave. 914-965-4027. Open Wed. through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission ranges from free to $6. https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/
