Morris : Diary of Lieutenant von Krafft 



93 



missioned officer in the British army, the Hessian Corps under 

 Knyphaussen, and participated in the Battle of Monmouth and 

 numerous skirmishes in New York State and New Jersey. 



In 1783 Lieutenant von Krafft was secretly married in New 

 York to Miss Cornelia de la Metre, the daughter of a widow 

 residing " past the 5th Mile Stone, King's Bridge Road, on New 

 York Island." This occurred without his mother's consent. 



It seems to have been his intention to visit his mother, when 

 he sailed for England with his regiment in 1783. Before reach- 

 ing there, however, he resolved to resign and return to America. 

 After a short stay in England, in February 1784, he boarded the 

 ship Vigilant, in the Thames, and on the nth of March arrived 

 off Sandy Hook and anchored oft' " Fly Market Wharf " the next 

 afternoon. 



For several years thereafter " Mr. de Kraft't " supported him- 

 self and his family by teaching in New York City. Then he 

 became employed as surveyor and draughtsman to the Treasury 

 Department. When the seat of government was removed to 

 Washington, he went thither with his department and continued 

 in its service until his decease. 



He made preparations to go to Germany and claim the ancestral 

 estate, but death prevented on July 24, 1804. He was a man of 

 commanding presence and of fascinating manners. He had a 

 quick temper and was sensitive to affronts. During his military 

 service, 1770 to 1784, he was the principal in about twenty duels, 

 and was several times severely wounded. His descendants have 

 held responsible positions and high rank in the civil and naval 

 service of the United States. 



Von Krafft's journal is full of interest to Staten Islanders. 

 On August 23, 1779, with one of the Hessian regiments von 

 Krafft came to Staten Island. All branches of the British army 

 came to New York and vicinity on this day, The Hessian army 

 was fever-stricken, some regiments having over two hundred on 

 sick list. One regiment had not a single man able to serve. 



On January 14, 1780, von Krafft says: "In the evening there 



