Putnam Valley, NY
SYNOPSIS: Entrott Burying Ground sits within the woods of Durland Boy Scout Reservation in Putnam Valley. It is small, and there are only a few marked graves, the most prominent stone belonging to a Revolutionary Soldier with an interesting story. You need permission from the Boy Scouts to visit this burial ground.
APPROXIMATE TIME: 40 minutes.
DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate(only because you have to cross a running stream and some muddy areas).
DIRECTIONS: To get to Durland Scout Reservation, take Wiccopee Road from Peekskill Hollow Road. Go .6 miles, then turn left onto Oscawana Heights Road and go 1.6 miles. Turn right onto Northshore road and go .4 miles. The entrance to Durland will be on your right.
THE HIKE: About ¼ mile inside the Scout reservation, the Red Trail crosses the facilities main access road. Take the Red Trail east about 1/8th of a mile. You will go downhill until you cross a stream, then uphill. The cemetery is at the intersection with the Green-Red Trail. It is easy to miss. According to the NSDAR’s book listed below, the GPS Coordinates are 41o24.660’ N, 73o50.186’W.
HISTORY: For info and some history on Durland Scout Reservation visit the dedicated page HERE. The interred at this cemetery include the following. There may be more, but their names are lost in history:
Austin, George W. Died July 27, 1848. Age 11 days. Son of Philip & Sarah Austin.
Conklin, Infant. Died Mar 10, 1846. Age 21 days. Son of Jesse & Mary Conklin.
Conklin, Martin W. Died Oct 6, 1849. Age 10 months. Son of Jesse & Mary Conklin.
Entrott, Henry. Died May 15, 1837. Age 82 years. Revolutionary War Soldier
McDonald, Jerome. Died around 1875. Age unknown.
(Note: Rev. Floyd Fisher’s book from 1972 lists only three interred – George W Austin, Martin W Conklin and Henry Entrott.)
The most interesting character is Henry Entrott, the Revolutionary War Soldier. He was born in Brunswick, Germany on August 10, 1755. He joined the Hessian Army as a young man, which brought him to the colonies to fight for the British. According to a 1908 Daughter’s of the American Revolution magazine article, his brother arrived at the same time. He fought in the Battle of Long Island. However, sympathizing with the colonists he deserted in 1777. It is reported his brother did, too.
Much of the info about Mr. Entrott comes from a 1976 article by Nelson Delanoy on the history of Philipstown. The story of his desertion (and his life) was passed to Mr. Delanoy from Henry’s descendent Mrs. Thomas (Ethel Hustis) Jaycox, who learned the story from her grandmother. The night he deserted he hid in water up to his neck, under a bridge, breathing thru a reed when needed.
He made his way to the American side, and enlisted on Feb 19, 1778 as a private. He was now one of the ‘good guys’. He served in Captain Robert Allen’s Company, 7th Massachusetts Regiment. Three years later, on May 1, 1781, he was infantry, his name appearing on a muster roll at West Point. The website www.putnamgraveyards.com indicates he was wounded in service.
After the war, he was a tenant farmer in Philipstown, and the County Almshouse keeper (poor house) for five years. He then worked with his son-in-law Thomas A. Coe in the grocery/dry goods business in Cold Spring.
On July 5, 1806, when he was 51 years old, he married 18 year old Hannah Surrine. They lived on a farm on Tinker Hill, and had six children – Phoebe, Henry, Effie, Mariah, William and Sarah. On April 1, 1818 he applied for a pension.
He died on May 15, 1837. His widow received a pension of $80 a year, starting on February 3, 1853. Hannah married Edward Hopper a short time later and moved to the South Highlands.
MAP & ADDITIONAL INFO: The disclaimer on the Boy Scout’s map says, “Most of this map is private property. Possession of this map does not imply right of access. Permission MUST be obtained BEFORE entering Scout property. For permission, camping reservations, and information contact the Camping Department at (914) 773-1135.” You could also try to get permission to visit this graveyard contacting the reservation’s Ranger at (845) 526-2029.
Here’s a link to the Trail Map for Durland Scout Reservation.
Sources:
Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine. Volume 32. Jan – June 1908. Edited by Elroy M Avery. National Society D.A.R. Washington D.C.
Fisher, Floyd (Reverend). “They All Rest Together: Burial Sites of the Early Settlers of Southern Dutchess and Putnam Counties.” New York. 1972.
Enoch Crosby Chapter, NSDAR of Carmel NY, “Gravestones of Revolutionary War Patriots in Putnam County NY” Carmel, NY. 2011.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/t/u/Elizabeth-Stuerke-IL/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0618.html, accessed 03/06/2013.
Stuerke, Elizabeth. Personal interviews via email, various dates, March 2013.
Delanoy, Nelson. “A History of Philipstown, Article 50.” The Putnam County Recorder. March 17, 1976
http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/1820-pension-list/1820-pension-list-new-york.htm, accessed 6/16/2013.