Jeremiah Rushton was a Cowboy. And by that I don't mean that he was riding the western plains on horseback and lassoing longhorns while singing "Home on the Range." I mean that he stole cows. (see Rushton Pedigree Chart)
Several Loyalist leaders were of the wealthy DeLancey family,1 so they are often confused. Oliver DeLancey commanded a reputable regiment with uniforms and salaries.2 His nephew James ran a gang of thieves.3
Going to someone else's land and taking their possessions without their permission is usually called stealing. Except in wartime, when it is called capturing. Or, more benign, foraging. Sometimes, so innocent-sounding, living off the land.
So when you and all your neighbors in Westchester County, New York, have a nice life, big family, prosperous business, comfortable home, why would you want to risk it all to rebel against your mother country? Complain, yes. Petition, sure. But actually commit treason?
from https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-revolutionary-war-neutral-ground-of-westchester-county-new-york.htmEnlistment
I often wondered why Jeremiah didn't enlist until 1781,4 when the Revolutionary War was effectively over. He didn't want to fight, but he wanted to make sure he got a land grant? He wasn't old enough? He didn't have 20/20 hindsight to know the war was lost? None of these are true. The battles in Westchester didn't start in earnest until 1781, when the British Army withdrew and the Loyalists were left unprotected.
A Fictional Look at Jeremiah's Enlistment
"I am a Cowboy." Jeremiah feels a little silly repeating that to himself over and over again, but at least none of the other riders in the regiment can tell. The most they see is the satisfied smile on his face. Life is finally starting to go in the right direction.
His sweetheart, Sarah Hall, has agreed to marry him over the objections of her father. It's been a long courtship since the Hall family, like just about everyone else in Connecticut it seems, is in favor of the American colonies banding together to demand their independence from their rightful king. Sarah's brothers have even taken up arms in the rebellion; the thought of fighting against them is what has kept him from joining up himself. Surely Sarah would never want to be on the opposite side of her family in a fighting war.
But stunningly, she has agreed. She told him that at age twenty-eight, she is not going to let anyone stand in the way of living her own life, and if that means leaving the bosom of the Hall family to cast her lot with the Rushtons, so be it. Jeremiah's parents are delighted, of course, as well as his older sister and seven younger siblings. Everyone loves Sarah.
They plan to be married by the Anglican minister in Rye as soon as it can be arranged. The logistics are tricky.
I believe Jeremiah was born in Rye, a New York town so close to the Connecticut border, it had been the subject of disputes for years over which colony it belonged to.5 Jeremiah's maternal grandfather, Hanness Coon, lived in Rye, and he was probably named for his uncle Jeremiah Coon. Jeremiah's father, John Rushton, was a witness to Hanness's will, so that tells us that the families were close both emotionally and locationally. Plus, John was a saddler6 and Jeremiah apprenticed to a cordwainer,7 occupations that needed a steady supply of customers to buy saddles and shoes, i.e., a town. Rye had numerous farmers who worked skilled trades, especially in winter.8
Raids in Westchester
Rye was just about the last place anyone would want to live during a revolution: officially in predominantly Loyalist New York, only 25 miles from British-held New York City, but located right on the border of rebellious Connecticut. Situated on the Boston Post Road, it was a main overnight point for the Sons of Liberty to preach as well as Connecticut "banditti" to plunder on their way to and from raiding targets in New York City.9 The Cowboys especially stole livestock, raided homes and fields and killed people, causing Rye's residents to abandon farms and flee. The population at the first United States census in 1790 was 986. Only 250 more people than there were in 1710, I think it represents war's steep decline. Rye endured a long recovery.10
1832 Plan or Map of Westchester County, New York showing the 1777 Battle of White Plains, https://www.geographicus.com/P/AntiqueMap/westchester-marshall-1832
All of Westchester County was a danger zone. It was a square-ish section of land occupying the 25 miles between British-occupied New York City to the south and Peekskill to the north, where the Continental Army had set up camp. Only 20 miles separated the strategic Hudson River on the west and Connecticut Province on the east. Since no army controlled the land, no government functioned either. Therefore there was no law enforcement, and inhabitants were subject to raids from both sides.11
Royal Governor Tryon of New York fled to a British war-ship in October 1775 to avoid arrest. He ran the government from there until the British occupied New York in September 1776 and " civil government was...superseded by military rule. Governor Tryon assured the "friends of order and good government" that they would be protected, but all others would be dealt with as rebels.12 That proved impossible.
It was not safe to declare your allegiance to either side, as it was impossible to discern the identity of the ruffians approaching your house. On the other hand, if you claimed to be neutral, both sides would attack or accuse you of being a spy!
A Fictional Look at Jeremiah's Home
Jeremiah's forehead unconsciously creases into a frown. His thoughts drift backwards to his teen years. He had begun to hide in the background of his father's saddle shop, away from customers. He hesitated to look at their faces, but listened carefully, keeping his breathing steady as conversations went on above him. If someone made a political statement, his muscles tensed. Would he have to use his fists? Once a quick "God save the King!" in parting had led to blows.
Jeremiah was almost twenty when he, his father, and Uncle Peter Rushton declared as Loyalists by taking the oath of fidelity to King George.13 By that time he was apprenticed to a cordwainer, an occupation that applied his leather-working skills to fine shoes instead of saddles. The cordwainer had opened shop one morning to find all the shoes stolen, windows, benches, and tools smashed. He closed shop immediately and took his family to New York City.
After that, Jeremiah returned to the saddlery. His father needed another strong man to protect their property and keep the women and children away from danger. He had felt strong enough then to look customers in the eye, even stare them down, gauging their voices. Would they pay fairly or seize a saddle and run off? More than once he had sprung into action after a ruffian grabbed saddles and coins. Jeremiah had brandished a knife, but never cut a man. Now in the Cowboys, he would have to.
Jeremiah shakes his head firmly and feels his teeth clench, remembering the fall afternoon when the family had come home from church to find their full field, just ready for harvest, ablaze. They had all rushed in with water buckets but only a few crops on the edges were salvaged. Luckily the fire hadn't spread to the barn. Only a week later, the ten of them rode in the wagon to New York City, carrying household goods and saddles to sell. Jeremiah's mother promised the younger children they would return at war's end. His father affected a cheery tone when he declared that the warhorses of the city would all need saddles.
Feeling the pain in his jaw, Jeremiah unclenches his teeth and forces himself to look around. Even tho the fields are barren and trees bare, the sight softens his shoulders. He breathes the fresh breeze of spring coming, so welcome after the stench of smoke, horse excrement, and garbage of the city. Without brick buildings to block his view, he can see for miles.
He finds himself repeating with the beat of the horse's hooves, Get, Back, Our, Land. If it means stabbing a rebel to death, he thinks he can do it.
The Rushtons I have found so far declared as Loyalists, as did Jeremiah's uncles Jacob and Jeremiah Coon. Jeremiah was the son of John and Mary Coon Rushton, and may have been the oldest boy.14 He married Sarah Hall, who may have come from neighboring Connecticut, and their son Abraham was born into war in 1782.15
Jeremiah enlisted in March 1781, and engaged in James DeLancey's Westchester Refugees until he left New York in 1783.16 I believe his sister Esther's future husband Jonathan Worden did also, altho he may have served under the command of a different DeLancey.
James DeLancey and his Westchester Refugees (Cowboys)
The Cowboys were so called because they specialized in stealing cattle to supply the British Army. Their leader, James DeLancey, part of a large landholding Westchester family prominent in politics, was the High Sheriff of the county from 1769 to 1776. In March of 1777, he led the local militia. Many men in the militia under DeLancey followed him into his next venture. (If they joined the American militia instead, royal Governor Tryon put a $5 bounty on their heads as deserters).17 By that fall, he held the rank of colonel and had raised a regiment of dragoons, also called light horse18 -- both of which mean cavalry using lightweight horses bred for speed and agility.
The regiment, which also included infantry, was 500 men strong and mostly made up of Loyalists from DeLancey's home county who had lost their homes. Either their lands had been confiscated or they had been violently chased out,19 but either way, they considered themselves refugees and I bet they were angry.
The Cowboys had several missions. They protected King's Bridge, the northern point of New York City, from attack or infiltration.20 They disrupted supply and communication routes, captured those with bounties on their heads from Governor Tryon, and assisted the regular army by acting as guides or adding to their numbers in combat.21 But I imagine elsewhere in the county, hearing hoofbeats heralding the arrival of armed men struck fear into the stomachs of common people just minding their own business. Their commander wasn't called the "Outlaw of the Bronx"22 for nothing.
Imagine you are a Patriot, known or suspected. If a man, you are likely to be captured to use as exchange for British prisoners. Although the Cowboys were supposed to be hunting down deserters, and did, will you be able to convince them you are a lifelong local and not a runaway redcoat? You can expect to have your barn burned and possibly your house, while every supply you have not managed to hide is stolen. You can forget about keeping your cattle, because the Cowboys earned their name from their exceptional skill at stealing those.
If you are a Loyalist, you can breathe a sigh of relief that these hard-riding men are there to protect your family and home against the same types of raids that they carry out against Patriots. But since they wear their own clothes instead of uniforms, how can you tell who they are? Or if they are telling the truth? And doesn't their presence signal that the Continental militia are nearby and will soon be along to do their own plundering?23
The Westchester Refugees were known to be tough and effective or brutal, depending on who is telling the story. They fought in about forty engagements altogether, and were so dynamic that DeLancey's capture was near the top of Washington's wish list. Robert Benson, a member of the New York State Assembly, wrote of "the country (being) altogether open to the ravages of DeLancey’s thieves…”24
A fan of James DeLancey wrote he "soon distinguished himself by his warmth and activity,"25 which could also be termed as he was soon infamous for the intensity of his attacks.
Here follows a romantic speech on DeLancey from an ardent admirer:
Calnek, page 342
This "refined," "cultivated," and "amiable" man earned the nickname "Outlaw of the Bronx" by his actions. He doesn't seem amiable to me.
Stay tuned for Part Two! - eyewitnesses describing a raid Jeremiah most likely took part in.
ENDNOTES:
“James DeLancey Attributed to John Durand ca. 1778-1782,” Society of the Cincinnati. https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/asset/james-delancey-attributed-to-john-durand-ca-1778-1782/#:~:text=By%20the%20fall%2C%20Colonel%20DeLancey,their%20property%20confiscated%20by%20patriots. Accessed January 2026.
Kelby, William, 1841-1898. De Lancey’s Brigade (Loyalist) 1776-1778. Orderly book of the three battalions of loyalists, commanded by Brigadier-General Oliver De Lancey, 1776-1778: to which is appended a list of New York loyalists in the city of New York during the war of the revolution. 1917. https://archive.org/details/orderlybookofthr00delarich/page/118/mode/2up. Accessed January 2026.
As far as I can determine, both were called Westchester Refugees. The “Cowboys” were thieves. Here, I use both names interchangeably. “James DeLancey Attributed to John Durand.”
Coldham, Peter Wilson. American Migrations 1765-1799: The lives, times, and families of colonial Americans who remained loyal to the British Crown before, during and after the Revolutionary War, as related in their own words and through their correspondence. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. p. 330. Rushton, Jeremiah Memorial. Cumberland 1786. He served with the Westchester Refugees from March 1781 until he left NY in 1783; he received no pay. Claim for two horses; clothing. Rejected. (13/26/429-430).
“A Brief History: 1600 to Today.” Rye Historical Society. https://www.ryehistory.org/brief-history. Accessed January 2026.
Will of Hanness Coon, proved 1773. Record of Wills, 1665-1916; Index to Wills, 1662-1923 (New York County); Author: New York. Surrogate's Court (New York County); Probate Place: New York, New York. Accessed thru Ancestry.com.
Burns, Brendan S. The Loyal and Doubtful, Index to the Acts of British Loyalism in the Greater New York and Long Island Area, Vol. 4. 2023. Rushton, Jeremiah. Oath of Fidelity to King George 1777.
Rye Historical Society.
8A Harrison, Sandra. Sandy’s Written Creations. Rye, New York. 12 July 2021. https://sandraharrison1954.com/2021/07/12/rye-new-york/. Accessed January 2026.
Rye Historical Society.
9A- Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution. 1886. Accessed thru Ancestry.com.
9B Harrison.
Rye Historical Society.
10A Harrison.
“The Revolutionary War ‘Neutral Ground’ of Westchester County, New York.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-revolutionary-war-neutral-ground-of-westchester-county-new-york.htm. Accessed January 2026.
Flick, Alexander Clarence. Loyalism in New York during the American Revolution. Columbia University Press. 1901. Accessed at Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. https://archives2.gnb.ca/exhibits/forthavoc/html/NYLoyalism.aspx?culture=en-CA#linkSouth. Accessed January 2026.
Burns.
Jeremiah, father John, and uncle Peter got 500-acre land grants in 1785 on the main Cobequid Road; brother John Jr. got only 250 acres in a different place, Ramsheg. Gilroy, Marion, compiled by, Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia, Cumberland County Grants, Public Archives of Nova Scotia.
Rushton, Abraham. Death Record. 1870. Cumberland Vital Records. Public Archives of Nova Scotia. Image 544 of 775. Accessed January 2026.
Coldham.
Calnek, William Arthur, and Alfred William Savary. History of the County of Annapolis, including old Port Royal and Acadia (microform): with memoirs of its representatives in the provincial parliament: and biographical and genealogical sketches: of its early English settlers and their families. 1897. pp 341-342. https://archive.org/details/cihm_00386/page/341/mode/1up. Accessed January 2026.
16A Moody, Barry M. DELANCEY, JAMES in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol.5, University of Toronto, 1983, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/delancey_james_5E.html. Accessed January 2026.
16B DiSanto, Victor J. “The First Rhode Island Regiment and the Pines Bridge Monument.” Journal of the American Revolution. 22 February 2024. https://allthingsliberty.com/2024/02/the-first-rhode-island-regiment-and-the-pines-bridge-monument/). Accessed January 2026.
James DeLancey Attributed to John Durand.
17A Calnek.
James DeLancey Attributed to John Durand.
Ibid.
DiSanto, Victor J. from: Hufeland, Westchester County During the Revolution, 324, 379; John Lockwood Romer, Historical Sketches of the Romer, Van Tassell, and Allied Families, and Tales of the Neutral Ground (Buffalo: W.C. Kay Publishing Company, 1917), 46-47, 53 and 93; Lincoln Diamont, Yankee Doodle Days (Fleishmanns: Purple Mountain Press, 1996), 116-117; Robert Howe to Washington, July 8, 1780, founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-27-02-0028; Barnett Schecter, The Battle for New York (New York: Walker and Company, 2002), 350; Sy Shepard, Patriot vs. Loyalist (New York: Osprey Publishing, 2022), 34.
Calnek.
21A Moody.
James DeLancey Attributed to John Durand.
Virgintino, Mike. Revolutionary War Massacre at Pines Bridge Part I. 2017. https://classicnewyorkhistory.com/revolutionary-war-massacre-at-pines-bridge-part-i/. Accessed January 2026.
23A James DeLancey Attributed to John Durand.
23B Moody.
Calnek, p. 341.
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