A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. I — Passage 34 (part 8)
[Robert Bolton, Jr. (1848)] In the senate of this state he presided with dignity and pro-priety, nor ever suffered his opinion to be known until called upon constitutionally to decide; and his vote was then given with promptness, uninfluenced by parly feelings, a»jd evidencing the convictions of a sound and honest mind. Jn the year 1795 he declined a re-election as lieutenant governor, and retired into private life." The Hon. Pierre van Cortlandt died on the morning of the first day of ]\Iay instant, at his seat at Croton Kiver in this town, in the 94th year of his age, leaving issue by his wife Joanna Liv-ingston, Philip, Gilbert, Stephen, Pierre, Catharine, Cornelia, Anne and Gertrude. Philip, the eldest son, was born in the city of New York on the first day of September, 1749. This individual was brought up at the manor house on the Croton, and subsequently received a liberal education in the vicinity of Coldingham. N. Y. At the early age of nineteen he commenced business as a land surveyor; he had also the management of an extensive flouring mill and country store. Soon after the destruction of Lexington and Concord (by the British troops) he threw up business, and agreeing with his patriotic father in sentiment, determined by an appeal to arms, to obtain either liberty or death. In this inten-tion he was strongly opposed by his tory relations, who used every effort to induce him to join their standard. Governor Tryon at the same time forwarded him a major's conmiission in the Cort-landt militia.