Simon Wiley

Scotch descent. ["History of the Buck and Wylie Families, ancestors of Emily Wylie Wilmot"].

Served in the Revolutionary War. ["History of the Buck and Wylie Families, ancestors of Emily Wylie Wilmot"].

"Simeon Wylie served his country through the war of the Revolution, having entered the service in the spring of 1776, at the age of eighteen years. He was early detached from the ranks as waiter to General Arnold, and served as such until the time of Arnold's defection, and was principal witness to prove the identity of Major Andre, his visits to Arnold at his quarters at the Robinson house, and the manner of Arnold's escape. From that time, he served as sergeant to the close of the war. He was in the battle of Long Island, and White Plains, in 1776, in the norther campaign, at the battle of Bennington, and at the capture of General Burgoyne in 1777. He was also in a preceeding battle in which Arnold was wounded, and was in the battle of Monmouth in 1778. In the confusion of the retreat from Long Island, on the evening after the battle, Sergeant Wylie was one of a party of seventeen (including a lieutenant), left in a piece of woods near the enemy. Not knowing in the dark which course to take, they agreed to wait until daylight, and then attempt to corss the East River or Sound. As soon as it was light they sent two of the party to search for a boat and give a signal to the detachment remaining in the woods. Upon hearing the signal the latter hurried to the shore, where they found a boat which had been drawn upon the beach, and, while pushing it with some difficulty into the water, they saw a party of "red coats" passing. They however succeeded in launching the boat and took to the oars, They enemy being near discovered them, ordered them to "halt" and surrendor, or they would fire upon them. Disregarding the threat they pushed on, and the enemy fired and continued to fire until the boat reached the New York shore, and so well was their aim taken that every man except the lieutenant and Sergeant Wylie was either killed or wounded. The killed were buried with the honor of war, and the wounded taken to the hospital in New York. Some forty years after, a crippled pensioner traveling through this part of the country stopped for the night with Mr. Wylie. In the course of the evening he spoke of the Revolution and the cause of his lameness. He proved to be one of the seventeen. He remained with Mr. Wylie through the winder and taught school. Sergeant Wylie was a brave man and a good soldier. This bloody transaction, with many other revolutionary reminiscences, he was accustomed to narrate with thrilling effect. In the spring of 1835, he buried his wife (a daughter of Rev. D. Buck), with whom he had lived forty-nine years. She had resided forty-three years on the farm where she died, and had been a member of the Presbyterian Church eighteen years. He died suddenly while on a journey into the State of New York to visit one of his sons, September 14, 1836, aged seventy-eight years." ["History of the Buck and Wylie Families, ancestors of Emily Wylie Wilmot"].