Claudius, Cowboy of Ramapo Valley: A Story of Revolutionary Times in Southern New York (Original Text)

Claudius Smith (1736-1779), was an outlaw identified with the Loyalist cause during the American Revolutionary war. He was referred to as the "Cow-boy of the Ramapos" due to his penchant for stealing oxen, cattle and horses from colonists and giving them to the British. During this same period, a number of guerilla bands operated in Westchester County, which marked the dividing line between the British and American forces. These groups were made up of local farmhands who would ambush convoys and carry out raids on both sides. There were two separate groups: the "skinners" fought for the pro-independence side; the "cowboys" supported the British. Smith was hung in 1779 for his part in the killing of a patriot officer.

This book is a fictionalized account of Smith and other notable figures of the American Revolutionary War. Even the author acknowledges in the Preface. Nonetheless, this is a worthwhile book to read on forgotten and under publicized events of the war.

This is a high-definition scan of the original, 1894 edition of this book. No changes have been made to any part of the book other than to remove blank pages.