THE TOWN OF PELHA.M. S3 



LIST OF RECTORS OF GRACE CHURCH. 

 Inst, or Call. Rectors. Vacated. 



A. D. 1868, Rey. William V. Feltwell, per resig. 



Jan., 15, 1871, Ret. George Howell, " 



Oct., 1, 1S74, Ret. Joshua Moebeix, D.D., present rector. 



Upon the island are five stores, three blacksmiths, small town house 

 for Justice's Courts, and three hotels, viz : Cunningham Villa, kept by 

 Mr. Cunnigham; City Island Hotel, kept byCapt. Joshua Leviness, and 

 the Minnieford Shore House, by Charles McClennon, at the steam boat 

 landing, well known for its clam bakes and refreshments. Boats, tack- 

 ling, &zc, can be easily obtained at Captain C. H. Stringham's or Philip 

 Flynn's, two well known fishermen. Three lines of stages are in constant 

 service running to and from the island to the Harlem River Railroad, a 

 distance of only two miles. 



During the ReTolutionary war, the island was greatly exposed to the 

 enemy's shipping. 



"On the 27th of August, 1776, early in the morning (says General 

 Heath), two ships and a brig came to anchor a little aboTe Frog Point. 

 Our General immediately detached Col. Graham with his regiment, to 

 preTent their landing to plunder or burn. Before he arriTed seTeral 

 barges full of men landed on New City Island, and killed a number of 

 cattle. Two companies of the regiment, immediately on their arrival, 

 ferried OYer to the island. The enemy carried off one man and fourteen 

 cattle ; the remainder of the cattle were secured."* 



" 30th of January, 1777 (observes the same authority), the storm clear- 

 ed up, when fifteen ships, one brig, two schooners and two sloops came 

 too, between Hart and City Is/and. They were from the eastward, and 

 w r ere supposed to have troops on board."'' 



In 1777, a party from Darien, Connecticut, consisting of John Dibble, 



Isaac Quintard, Mead and eight others, captured the British armed 



vessel of war, called the Shuldam, off City Island. They carried their 

 whale boats across Pell's Neck, where they seized a market boat, which 

 had just returned from New York, laden with three hundred bushels of 

 salt and twelve ten-gallon kegs of brandy. With this vessel they bore 

 down, aided by a fair wind, upon the guard ship Shuldam, as she lay di- 

 rectly off the north side of City Island ; as they neared, her captain, 

 Roney, who was at the helm, and the watch, cried out : " What sloop is 

 that ?" They answered, " the little Stanton ! " " Take care ! take care ! 



a (Copy torn.) 



i item. p. 113. 



