Background: Westchester’s Neutral Ground in 1780

During the American Revolution, Westchester County, New York lay in a volatile “Neutral Ground” between British-occupied New York City and American-held northern positions. It was a lawless battleground plagued by constant raids and skirmishes. Regular troops and irregular bands – dubbed “Cowboys” (Loyalist marauders) and “Skinners” (renegade Patriot militia) – roamed the region, plundering and terrorizing inhabitants. Few areas suffered more continuous conflict than this central part of Westchester. To combat enemy forays and criminal bands, local Patriot militiamen often undertook independent scouting patrols during their off-duty weeks. In fact, New York State allowed off-duty militia to seize enemy property or contraband and keep it as personal prize – an incentive that encouraged militiamen to intercept raiders and recover stolen goods. These ad-hoc patrols, while motivated partly by “pocket money,” also served as a crucial first line of defense in the beleaguered neutral territory.

Organizing John Yerks’s Patriot Patrol

John (Johannes) Yerks Jr. (1758–1848) – sometimes spelled Yerkes or Jurckse – was a 22-year-old private in the 1st Westchester County Militia in 1780. By September of that year, he and many comrades were seasoned fighters, having served alternating tours of duty guarding the area around Philipsburgh (today’s Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown) and other neutral ground posts. In the third week of September 1780, Yerks learned that he and several fellow militiamen would have a short furlough (an “alternate week” off duty) and decided to use this time to mount a scouting expedition into central Westchester. He requested and received permission from his officers – including Capt. Jesse Baker, under whom he was serving – to take a small party of volunteers down into the neutral ground to look for Loyalist marauders or “Cowboys” operating in the area. According to Yerks’s own later testimony, “we applied to Captain Baker and our other commanding officers for leave to go down near Tarrytown, in order to take from the Refugees and Cow Boys cattle and plunder they might be conducting below, and to work for pocket money. Our officers had full knowledge and approved of our enterprise…”. In short, the plan was to ambush any enemy couriers or raiding parties and confiscate whatever valuables or information they carried, as both a patriotic service and a way to earn reward from captured goods.

Yerks did not live in North Salem. Being of fighting age, he had taken refuge there, behind the Continental lines, away from the dangerous Neutral Ground. His family were tenant farmers in the Philipsburgh area, near Buttermilk Hill. But it was from North Salem that Yerks quickly recruited a band of trusted compatriots for this mission. Accounts and pension records indicate the core group comprised six young militiamen from Westchester: John Yerks Jr., John Paulding, Isaac Van Wart, James Romer, Isaac See, and Abraham Williams. All were members of the 1st Westchester Militia and had just finished a stint of active duty, now looking for a useful way to spend their week off. On September 22, 1780, this six-man party set out from the vicinity North Salem, NY, at the northeastern corner of Westchester. They headed southward toward the central part of the county (the old Philipse Manor territory), which was known to be frequented by enemy agents and raiders. As they passed through South Salem, they met another off-duty militiaman, David Williams, and invited him to join the patrol. Williams accepted, bringing the team to seven men in total. All were armed and in civilian dress or hunting shirts (standard for militia scouts), and at least one of them – John Paulding – was notably wearing a bright red British uniform coat he had taken from a captured Hessian soldier. (This red coat would soon play a role in deceiving their quarry.)

That day and evening, Yerks’s band made their way southwest through the neutral ground. According to later recollections, they traveled roughly 15 miles on the 22nd – a journey likely taking them past Cross River toward the Tarrytown vicinity – and they camped overnight in a hay barrack, an open-sided hay storage shed, to grab some rest. By the morning of September 23, 1780, the little militia troop was on the move again, crossing an area known as Buttermilk Hill on their approach to the Hudson River roads. Anticipating that this might turn into a long stakeout, one of the men (John Paulding) suggested obtaining some entertainment to pass the time. He stopped at the house of a local resident, Isaac Reed, and procured a pack of playing cards for the group “to divert ourselves” during any waiting periods. Armed with muskets – and now a deck of cards – the militia patrol continued toward Tarrytown, ready to lie in wait for enemy movement.

Laying the Ambush near Tarrytown

Late that morning, the Patriot band reached a strategic area just north of Tarrytown known as Davis’s Hill (or “Davis’ Lane”). This hill overlooked the main road (the Albany Post Road) that ran along the Hudson River – a logical route for couriers or smugglers moving between British lines and upriver locations. Here, John Yerks and his men decided to split into two groups to cover more ground.  Yerks himself led four of the men – Yerks, James Romer, Isaac See, Abraham Williams – to stake out a position on the hillside or nearby woods, where they could watch for any suspicious movement or cattle being driven off by thieves. The remaining three – John Paulding, Isaac Van Wart, and David Williams – would move slightly further south, closer to the highway, to set a direct ambush on the road. All seven agreed that whatever prize or plunder anyone captured (be it stolen cattle, personal valuables, or prisoners) would be shared equally among the whole party, regardless of which subgroup made the catch. This pact ensured that even if the groups separated, everyone had a stake in the others’ success.

It is around this time that another militiaman, named John Dean, joined the Yerks group. Sergeant John Dean of the 1st Westchester Militia likely joined the group once they reached the Philipsburgh area, either just before or just after the capture of Major André. His name appears in pension affidavits by John Yerks and others, indicating his presence with the reunited patrol during André’s transport to Continental authorities.

Paulding, Van Wart, and Williams left their comrades on the hill and advanced to a spot along the main road near a small brook called Clark’s Kill, about half a mile away. Finding a wooded thicket by the roadside, the trio concealed themselves in the underbrush on a slight rise with a clear view of the road. They prepared for a patient wait: Van Wart, the youngest at 20, positioned himself to keep watch, while Paulding (22) and David Williams (25) settled down behind the screen of bushes and actually dealt out a game of cards on an upturned drum or rock. (By one account, only Paulding was literate among them, so card-playing was one way to pass the time that didn’t require reading.) The three militiamen remained alert but tried to appear nonchalant – if any enemy horseman came by, they hoped to surprise him at close range.

Meanwhile, John Yerks and the other four Patriots waited on Davis’s Hill a short distance away. They too watched the road and the surrounding paths, ready to converge if Paulding’s group intercepted someone. It was understood that whoever encountered an enemy first would signal the others. As Yerks later confirmed, the plan was coordinated: both sub-groups knew their roles, and if a prize was caught, “all seven of us” would share in it.

The Fateful Encounter with Major John André

On the late morning of September 23, 1780, the ambush was sprung. Sometime around 10:00 to 11:00 A.M., Van Wart suddenly heard the sound of a horse approaching at a fast trot, echoing across a small bridge over Clark’s Kill just down the road. Soon a lone rider came into view. He was a gentlemanly figure on horseback, wearing a dark blue greatcoat, and appeared to be traveling south from the direction of West Point. As the horseman drew near the concealed trio, the militiamen swiftly stepped out of the bushes with weapons ready and ordered him to halt.

The rider was taken by surprise. “My lads,” he blurted out, “I hope you belong to our party!” Seeing one of the militiamen wearing a red coat (Paulding’s captured Hessian jacket), the traveler had evidently assumed they might be Loyalist irregulars or British scouts. “What party?” the Americans demanded. “The lower party,” the stranger replied, meaning the British side. To reassure who he thought were fellow Tories, the rider nervously flashed a gold watch and added, “I am a British officer, have been up the country on particular business, and would not wish to be detained a minute”. He clearly hoped an appeal to common cause (and perhaps a glimpse of gold) might win a free pass. But the militiamen kept their muskets leveled. At this point, sensing doubt from the trio, the rider produced a folded paper pass and handed it over. It was signed by American General Benedict Arnold and identified the man as “John Anderson,” who had permission to travel south. To the armed patriots, however, this only deepened their suspicions – why would a self-proclaimed British officer be carrying an American general’s pass? “We told him we were Americans,” one of the militiamen later recounted, at which point “God bless my soul,” exclaimed the captive, “a man must do anything these times to get along!”. The tables had turned; the stranger was now a prisoner of the North Salem patrol.

Knowing the cunning tricks of spies and counterfeiters, Paulding and his comrades decided to search the man thoroughly and in private. They led the captive off the road about 70 rods (several hundred yards) into the woods, out of sight of any passersby. There, they ordered him to dismount and remove his coat, vest, and boots for inspection. According to David Williams’s later testimony, his two comrades appointed Williams to conduct the physical search of the prisoner’s person. Williams started by examining the man’s hat and coat linings, then his shirt and breeches – but initially found nothing unusual. The three militiamen were almost ready to believe their captive might be just an unlucky traveler, when Williams bent down to tug off the man’s high riding boots. The first boot was tight, but as Williams pulled it free, he noticed something odd: a bulge inside the stocking. Feeling between the sock and sole of the foot, he felt papers tucked under the man’s foot arch. “By G—, here it is!”cried John Paulding, grabbing the hidden packet. They ripped open the lining of the stocking and out came several folded papers. Hastily, they removed the second boot – and more papers fell out from the other sock. The militiamen glanced at the documents and immediately realized they were holding military intelligence of immense value. Each paper was a detailed report on West Point: one listed the disposition of troops, another described the fortifications and armaments, others gave key locations and a recent council of war proceedings. Crucially, these documents were in Gen. Benedict Arnold’s handwriting, intended for the British High Command. In that instant, the militiamen understood their well-dressed captive was no ordinary smuggler – he was a spy carrying the secrets of West Point. “By G—, he is a spy!” one of them exclaimed on the spot.

Confronted with the damning evidence, the prisoner saw his ruse collapse. He confessed outright: he was Major John André, Adjutant-General of the British army, returning from a secret mission. André’s fate was now essentially in the hands of three armed militiamen in the woods of Tarrytown. Desperate, André immediately tried to bribe his way out. He first offered the men his elegant gold pocket watch, along with whatever money he had on him (about £30 in gold) and his fine horse and saddle, if they would let him go. The trio refused. He then upped the reward dramatically: 100 guineas, then 1,000 guineas, and even 10,000 guineas (the equivalent of a fortune, well over a million in today’s dollars) – plus goods – if they would release him or at least allow him to send a letter to the British lines. André pleaded that they could pretend they never saw him and be rich men. But the Patriot scouts held firm. John Paulding, in particular, was incensed by the attempted bribe. He later recalled telling André that “No, by G—, if you would give us ten thousand guineas you should not stir a step; we are Americans, and above corruption, and go with us you must”. All thoughts of personal gain were cast aside (beyond what was allowable by law as captured enemy property). The militiamen’s duty was clear: they would deliver Major André and Arnold’s treasonous papers to the American authorities at any cost.

Delivering André to Continental Authorities

With the spy secured and his illicit papers in hand, the three captors knew they must get André to an American command post quickly – before any British patrols came looking for him. They led André (still under the alias “John Anderson”)back toward their rendezvous point. True to their pact, Paulding, Van Wart, and Williams signaled John Yerks and the other four militiamen waiting on Davis’s Hill and soon rejoined their comrades with André in custody. As Yerks later wrote, “[Andre] was taken, and his captors very soon afterwards joined us four at our station”, at which point the whole patrol moved as one unit with the prisoner. Yerks’s team was astonished at the catch – they now understood the enormity of what they’d intercepted. Without wasting time, the group decided to escort André northward to the nearest Continental Army outpost.

Before departing the area, the seven Patriots brought André to a safe house for a brief stop. According to John Yerks, they went to the home of Jacob Romer, a local Patriot farmer (and the father of militia member James Romer), where they “partook of some refreshment” and allowed André a chance to eat and rest. André, however, “refus[ed] to eat or drink anything”, remaining sullen and anxious. (Another version notes they stopped at Isaac Reed’s tavern – possibly the same location or nearby – and offered André a small meal, which he only picked at.) This pause was brief – Yerks wrote, “We staid here but a short time” – just enough for the men to collect themselves and plan the next leg. They knew they needed to hand their high-value prisoner to an American officer as soon as possible, for safekeeping.

The Patriot patrol set out with André from Tarrytown, heading northeast toward the main American encampment in the area. They initially went to Kensico, in present-day Valhalla, NY, where a Continental outpost (the “Robin’s House”) had been located. Upon arrival, however, they discovered the detachment had moved. Undeterred, the militia party pushed on further north. Along the way, they were joined by Sgt. John Dean, an off-duty Continental soldier from Westchester who encountered them on the road and assisted in guarding their prisoner. With Dean’s help, the group escorted André to a site known as Sand Mill in the town of North Castle, north of White Plains. There was a Continental Army command post at Sand Mill (near modern Armonk) under Lieutenant Colonel John Jameson. By the evening of September 23, 1780, Yerks and his men delivered Major André and the packet of secret papers to Lt. Col. Jameson at this North Castle outpost.

Jameson was the deputy commander of the American regiment of Light Dragoons patrolling Westchester. He interrogated the captive, who persisted in identifying himself as “John Anderson” carrying an official pass. Unaware of Arnold’s treasonous scheme, Lt. Col. Jameson was initially perplexed by the situation. He decided to secure André (still under the alias) but, astonishingly, also chose to notify General Arnold – the very traitor in question – that one of his passholders had been taken. Jameson allowed André to write a note to Gen. Arnold at West Point, and he dispatched it with an escort, effectively alerting Arnold that “John Anderson” (André) had been captured. However, Jameson also forwarded the six incriminating papers found in André’s boots to General George Washington, who was then en route back from Hartford, Connecticut.

By a stroke of fate, Major Benjamin Tallmadge – Washington’s intelligence officer – arrived at Jameson’s post on September 24 and learned of the unfolding drama. Tallmadge was immediately alarmed; suspecting “John Anderson” was a spy and aware that Arnold commanded West Point, he urged Jameson to bring André back and stall any handover to Arnold. Jameson, realizing his error, sent riders to overtake the convoy that was sending André south. André was thus recalled to Continental custody before he could reach the traitor. But Arnold, now forewarned by Jameson’s message, acted fast. On the morning of September 25, 1780, while at breakfast at his headquarters in the Hudson Highlands, Benedict Arnold received Jameson’s letter describing “John Anderson’s” capture with suspicious papers. Arnold instantly fled – boarding his barge and escaping downriver to the British sloop Vulture, narrowly eluding arrest when Washington arrived at West Point later that day.

Major André’s fate, however, was sealed. Once Washington reviewed the seized documents, André’s true identity and mission were fully exposed. André was moved to Tappan, NY, where he faced a board of Continental generals. Despite his dignified conduct and pleas that he was simply following orders, the board found André to be a spy. He was sentenced to death. On October 2, 1780, Major John André was hanged at Tappan, a tragic end for the 31-year-old officer caught in Arnold’s plot. The intelligence captured by John Yerks’s patrol had thwarted one of the Revolution’s most dangerous treacheries: Arnold’s plan to betray West Point was foiled, preserving the crucial fortress for the American cause.

Aftermath and Yerks’s Legacy

News of Major André’s capture – and Benedict Arnold’s treason – spread quickly. The three militiamen who had physically apprehended André on the road (John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart) became celebrated heroes almost overnight. General George Washington, in a letter to Congress on October 7, 1780, praised “the names of three persons who captured Major André, and who refused to release him, notwithstanding the most earnest importunities and assurances of a liberal reward on his part.” Washington added, “Their conduct merits our warmest esteem,” and he urged Congress to reward them. Congress did so, granting each of the threea pension of $200 a year for life. The New York State Legislature also honored Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart by gifting them valuable farm lands (worth £500 each) as a token of gratitude.

However, in these official accolades, the other members of the patrol – John Yerks, James Romer, Isaac See, and Abraham Williams – were not acknowledged, despite their role in planning and supporting the capture. This omission led to some bitterness in the years that followed. John Yerks in particular lived a long life and saw the three captors lionized while his own contributions went largely unheralded outside of local circles. In an 1845 affidavit, at age 87, Yerks vented that when the government handed out medals, pensions, and farms, “the four [of us]…always believed that they were entitled equally with the three” who received the rewards. He and his companions felt that Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart had “misrepresented the affair to Congress”, implying the trio downplayed the involvement of the others when petitioning for recognition. Yerks pointed out that in practice the seven had operated as one unit: for instance, “The proceeds of André’s horse and watch and the moneys found upon him were shared equally between the seven”, per their original agreement. In other words, all the men on the patrol profited from André’s capture and, in Yerks’s view, all had risked their lives and deserved credit. This lingering resentment is evident in Yerks’s recollections – “We (the four) never forgave this,” he said of the slight.

Despite the lack of formal honors, John Yerks Jr. secured his place in history through his own testimony and local memory. In 1832, he successfully applied for a Revolutionary War pension, detailing his service including the events of 1780. In 1845, a New York oral historian, John McDonald, interviewed Yerks twice, recording a vivid account of the André episode in Yerks’s old age. Yerks proudly described “gathering all the men [at Salem], planning the ambush, and the aftermath” of André’s captur. He emphasized that “All seven of us were serving either as volunteers or as eight months’ men, or in the militia… We were at Salem, every other week off duty, and it was on one of those alternate weeks” that they obtained leave to scout for Cowboys near Tarrytown. In these recollections, Yerks cements his role as the chief organizer of the patrol that caught André. Indeed, later historians have come to agree that without John Yerks’s initiative – requesting permission, rallying his friends, and leading them out from North Salem – Major André might never have been in the wrong place at the right time for capture.

Today, the three captors John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart are commemorated with monuments and heralded as the men who foiled Benedict Arnold’s treason. Yet researchers and local historians have worked to ensure that John Yerks and the others on that patrol are not forgotten. The Yerkes Tavern in North Salem (owned by Yerks’s family in later years) is part of local lore as the place where the André patrol was planned – a mix of fact and legend that underscores Yerks’s central involvement in this dramatic chapter of the Revolution. While he did not physically seize Major André on that September morning, John Yerks Jr. was the driving force behind the patrol that changed the course of events. His resourcefulness and leadership in organizing a band of citizen-soldiers to defend their homeland ultimately helped uncover one of the war’s most infamous plots and ensured that American forces retained West Point. In the annals of the Revolution, the story of John Yerks and the North Salem patrol exemplifies how ordinary patriots, acting on their own initiative, played a pivotal role in securing American independence.

Sources:

• Historical accounts and testimonies of participants (e.g. statements by David Williams and John Yerks)archive.orgallthingsliberty.com;
• Journal of the American Revolution research on André’s captors
  allthingsliberty.comallthingsliberty.com;
• Revolutionary War pension affidavits and 19th-century histories (Jeptha R. Simms, 1845)
  archive.orgarchive.org;
• Contemporary summaries of the capture in family and local history publications
  petereliasmd.competereliasmd.com.

These sources collectively corroborate the role of John Yerks Jr. in conceiving and leading the fateful patrol out of North Salem that resulted in Major John André’s capture.