Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1897 — BRAVE RYMEICKA DE NYSE. [ARTICLE]

BRAVE RYMEICKA DE NYSE.

How a New Utrecht Girl Saved the American Army. Here is a good story that was enacted in 1776, but just discovered by the writer who, in his researches among the manuscripts of the Long Island Historical library and the New Utrecht library found in the daily reports of Col. Jaqus Cropsey, reference to the following historic facts: It was hard times in the colonies in August, 1776. Disaster had followed the fortunes of the American armies and this fact was well known to the English generals. Orders had been issued to give a decisive blow, which it was expected would annihilate the patriots. Gen. Washington was called hurriedly to New York aiid calls were issued for recruits from all parts of the colonies, as it was expected a determined battle would be fought on the westerly end of Long Island. For weeks each side was gathering their cohorts for what was believed would be the final struggle. The English, under Lord Howe, brought their troops in vessels, which were anchored in Gravesend bay, and the arrival of additions to the fleet were of almost daily occurrence. Gen. Washington was preparing for meeting the enemy and had in. pursuance of a well arranged plan erected defenses extending from Wallabout to Day Ridge. During this time four farmers. Gerrit De Nyse, of King’s Highway, Tunis Cropsey, Abram Bennett and Cornelius Lott, of Bay Ridge, owned a fishing net and boats and had a small building or hut on the Van Brunt farm, just where Avoca Villa now stands, in which they kept their nets and oars and had beds for use when they occasionally stayed over night. They fished nearly every day; they were patriots and with the arrival of the English fleet saw their opportunities gone for fishing, but not for long, because the English fleet needed fish and a squad of marines had soon found the owners and they were pressed into service to furnish fish for the fleet. They met at the hut and decided to be willing workers, but with the secret intent of making daily report of what they might see and hear

to the officers in command of the patriot forces; and thus they fished, received the British gold, made themselves friendly to the English and each evening the result of their observar tions were given to Rymeicka De Nyse, the youngest daughter of Gerrit De .Nyse, and she carried the news the next morningto Washington’s headquarters. That this information was desirable and important goes without saying and the patriot fishermen were instructed to pursue their plan and on the’ first knowledge of a move on the part of the English they were to get word to Gen. Washing!din. The day the fact of a start was learned fishing had never been better and the largest load was taken to the admiral’s ship and the finest fish were for his table. Every movement of the fishermen was delayed, to give all the time possible to look and talk, and when the quartet met at the hut at dusk it was with the satisfaction of having done a good day’s work for the patriotic cause. They gave to Rymeicka full details of the British plans and no maiden ever bore a message of more import to the world than that carried that night by Rymeicka De Nyse to Gen. Washington. It gave him the knoAvledge that enabled him to meet the attack of the British and to retreat successfully and thus avoid the defeat that surely would have been the result had it not been for the faithful services cf Gerrit De Nyse, Tunis Cropsey, Abram Bennett and Cornelius Lott, not forgetting Rymeicka D.e Nyse. The soil on which stands Avoca Villa should be a sacred spot to aH lovers of the United States of America. Rymeicka made the acquaintance of the officer of the guard at Gen. Washington’s headquarters, Lieut. John Walker, of Rhode Island, to whom she was married at the close of the war. Their descendants are the Walkers, of Providence, R. I.—Brooklyn Eagle.