Extracted from the Journal of the late Dr. Joseph Young, dated April 11^th, 1807, in the possession of Judge Herttell of New- York.

"Sometime in the year 1727 or 1728, when the whole connexion growing more and more dissatisfied with the government, resolved to emigrate to the then colony of New-York; and as if bound together by the indissoluble ties of consanguinity and friendship, the greatest number of those who had emigrated from the north, with some additional members, engaged a ship at Dublin, commanded by a Captain Rymer, and all paid their passage money there, and had the ship bound to them for the faithful performance of their agreement. They laid in a sufficient stock of provision for an ordinary passage, but instead of a common passage, he kept them at sea twenty-one weeks and three days. During the passage they one morning came in full sight of the coast of Virginia, which the boatswain, who was an old seaman, affirmed he knew perfectly well, as he had frequently been on that coast before; but the captain called him a lying skulking dog, and immediately ordered to put the ship about and put off to sea; in consequence of this unequivocal disclosure of the captain's intention to famish them all to death at sea, William Armstrong, my father's half-brother, would have put him to death, had he not been forcibly restrained. Colonel Charles Clinton, who by his age and superior abilities, appears to have been the head or chief of the connexion, who had a better knowledge of the laws than the others, told them that unless the other officers belonging to the ship would join them, their rising forcibly against the captain, would upon trial be adjudged piracy. But the spirits of the officers were so completely subdued by the tyrannical conduct of the captain, who had killed a man on board by striking him on the head with a pipe-stave, that they dare not join the passengers against him. In this shocking dilemma the captain extorted from them a very considerable sum of money, as a bribe for landing them on any part of the coast; soon after this agreement he landed them at Cape Cod.

"For several days previous to their landing, their allowance had been an half biscuit, and half a pint of water for twenty-four hours: in consequence of this cruel treatment many of the passengers died, and amongst this number who perished with famine, was Thomas Armstrong: he was a very worthy valuable man; his son William, and his daughter Margery, shared the same fate. It was believed by the passengers, that the captain had been bribed to subject them to vexation and hardship to discourage emigration. And that his motive for landing them at Cape Cod in preference to New-York or Boston was, that at that early period he could not have been so easily prosecuted there for the murder and piracy of which he had been guilty, as at either of the above places. He positively knew that he had forfeited his life, not only by killing the man with the pipe-stave, but also by extorting money from the passengers at sea as a bribe to bring them to land; for he had sworn that they should never see land again, unless they gave him the sum which he demanded: but it appears by their conduct, that although the passengers had suffered so much by the savage cruelty of the captain, that they were not actuated by the spirit of revenge or a thirst for blood; they said he deserves death, but let him fall by other hands. Although Colonel Clinton was not bred a mariner, he was an excellent mathematician, and could have directed the course of the ship; but as he never suspected that he would have been denied the use of the instruments to make observations, he had neglected to provide them, which might have rendered it difficult to discover his course and distance; otherwise, if the other officers would have joined him, he would have confined the captain and taken the command of the ship. As the ship had been insured in Dublin, the captain contrived to let her drive from her mooring on a stormy night, in which she was lost. They arrived at Cape Cod in the fall, and remained there until spring, and then sailed for New-Windsor, in Ulster County, where Colonel Charles Clinton, Alexander Deniston, and my father, John Young, bought three farms adjoining to each other, and lived in the greatest friendship and harmony, and called their neighbourhood Little Britain.

"Colonel Charles Clinton, nephew to my great grandmother Margaret, possessed an acute genius, a penetrating solid judgment, and extensive fund of useful as well as ornamental knowledge, with the affability and polished manners of a polite gentleman. He was a tall, straight, graceful person, of a majestic appearance. If he chanced to come into company where a number of young people were cheerfully diverting themselves, their first impressions were those of awe and reverence; but in the course of a few minutes he would enter into the most pleasing, and frequently an instructive conversation, which soon dispelled their panic, and inspired them with pleasing and respectful confidence. He was a Judge of the County Court, and Justice of the Peace until he died; and a Colonel in the Army in the war which commenced in the year 1756. He married Elizabeth Deniston, sister to Alexander, by whom he had one daughter, - Catharine, a sensible, friendly, ingenious, placid being, who was married to Colonel James McClaughry, as brave an officer as America could boast of; she died without issue. And also four sons, viz. Alexander, Charles, James and George. After Alexander had acquired an excellent school education, he remained six years in college at Newark, when Mr. Burr was president; he then studied physic under Dr. Middleton in New-York, which he afterwards practised in Ulster County and parts adjacent, with great success and reputation. He excelled in every thing to which he turned his attention; he was an good classic scholar, a great physician, a considerable poet, an excellent musician, and understood the use of the broad sword in a superior degree; but what finished and gave great lustre to a truly great character was, that he was a most placid, agreeable, benevolent, friendly being, beloved and highly respected by every person who knew him; and I shall ever remember with pleasure and gratitude, the attention and friendship with which he honoured me. He married Miss Maria Kane, but died soon after of the confluent small-pox, greatly and very generally lamented; his memory is dear to many at this day, and to none more than to Joseph Young. Charles, the second son, was a very sprightly lad, and had a good education. He also studied psychic under Dr. Middleton, and embarked as a physician in the expedition against the Havana, and was much esteemed by the celebrated Dr. Huck. When he returned he practised medicine with success and reputation in Ulster County and parts adjacent, and died a bachelor, of a lingering consumption. James, like David of old, had been a warrior from his youth up. After he had obtained a good education, he enlisted a company and served with reputation as a captain in the war which commenced in the year 1756. He was a general in the continental army, and signalized himself in endeavouring to defend a redoubt on the west bank of the North River, that was honoured by the name of Fort Montgomery. When it became almost certain that they would finally be obliged to submit to superior numbers, General James tried to persuade his brother George to leave the redoubt, alleging that it would be a greater injury to our cause, to have the Governor of the State taken prisoner, than if he should fall into their hands; they, however, both remained until it grew dark, and were mixed with the enemy: the Governor escaped in a boat to the east side of the river, and James slid down the very steep bank of a creek which ran near the redoubt, and fell into the top of a hemlock tree, and made his escape by going up the bed of the brook, in which there was but little water at that time. When the enemy rushed into the redoubt, Colonel McClaughry, and a Mr. James Humphrey, the cock of whose gun had been shot off, turned back to back, and defended themselves desperately; they were assailed on all sides, and would undoubtedly have been killed, but a British senator who witnessed their spirit and bravery, exclaimed that it would be a pity to kill such brave men; then they rushed on and seized them, and when the Colonel was brought to the British General Clinton, he asked where his friend George was? The Colonel replied, thank God, he is safe beyond the reach of your friendship. General James married an amiable sensible woman, of the name of De Witt, by whom he had four sons; viz. Alexander, De Witt, Charles, and George."

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Transcribed from the original text and html prepared by Bill Carr, last updated 5/22/99.