Col Woodhull was at the
head of the delegation from Suffolk county in the first
provincial congress which met in New York may 22, 1775 and on
the 28th of the following August was elected president to the
same position again in 1776.
The congress of 1775
reorganized the militia of the colony and appointed col Woodhull
brigadier general of the brigade which was formed of the militia
of Suffolk and queens counties.
On the 10th of August 1776,
Gen Woodhull let his seat in the provincial congress then in
session in white plains to take active part in the military
operation then being commenced upon western Long Island. While
waiting at Jamaica for reinforcements to assist in collecting
and driving eastward the cattle on the western part of the
island so as to get them out of the reach of the enemy, he was
overtaken by a a party of British troops and made prisoner. The
officer who first approached him ordered him to say "God save
the king" and the general replied, " God save us all" where
upon the officer attacked him with his sword and would have
killed him on the spot but for the interference of another
officer of more humanity and honor. The General was badly
wounded on the head and one of his arms was mangled from the
shoulder to the wrist. He was taken to the old stone church in
Jamaica where his day was confined in a vessel at Gravesend with
about 80 other prisoners. The general was soon released from
this vessel which had no provision for medical care and was
transferred to a house near the church in New Utrecht where he
was permitted to receive some medical attention.
He sent for his wife with
the request that she bring with her all the money she could get
together. Which she did and the general had it distributed among
the other American prisoners to relieve their sufferings thus
furnishing a lesson in humanity to his captors and closed a
useful life by an act o charity. It was found necessary to
amputate his arm and after this was done infection set in
resulting in his death on the 20th of September, 1776.
The talents of Gen.
Woodhull were well adapted for Military operations and he
possessed personal courage, judgment, decision and firmness of
character which commanded the respect and obedience of his
troops. He had more military experience than most of the early
officers of the American army, and would have made one of the
best officers in the state had he lived.
The nature of the work
assigned to him at the time of his capture and the small force
placed under his command were both unworthy of his military
abilities but he carried out his orders with characteristic
loyalty.
The following quotations
from Silas woods history of Long Island in 1828 give some idea
of the high respect with which Gen Woodhull was held by the
people of Suffolk.
The capture of Gen Woodhull
was one of the most calamitous events of that disastrous period.
It deprived the country of the talents, experience and counsel
of one of the ablest and most patriotic of her citizens. The
cruel and dastardly treatment of a prisoner, especially of his
rank and character, after a peaceable surrender, raised a spirit
of indignation in the breast of every honest man.
Gen. Woodhull was as much
distinguished for his private and domestic virtues as fir his
zeal for the rights of his country and was held in the highest
estimation by all those who enjoyed his society. Long Island and
was universally lamented by the friends of freedom and his
memory will be cherished among their fondest recollections.