Copyright ©2009 by Denman Maroney
This is project is made possible, in part, with funds from the Individual Artist Grants program of the Arts Council of Rockland and the Decentralization Program of the New York Council on the Arts.
Recorded by John Guth on April 4, 2012 at Dixon Place, New York NY
Performed by
Megan
Schubert (s)
Lisa Karrer (a)
Denman Maroney (pno)
Ratzo B. Harris (cb)
David Simons (dr)
Claudius Smith
Cowboy of the
Ramapos
A Profane Oratorio
By Denman Maroney
Synopsis
Claudius Smith was
a Tory in the American Revolution who terrorized the local population
from
hideouts in the
The piece may be
performed in conjunction with a digital media presentation created by
Lisa
Karrer from slides and videos by her and composer Denman Maroney. To
see this presentation visit Claudius
Smith at Dixon Place.
Libretto
Prologue
Claudius Smith, the most daring
marauder, the most merciless cowboy, the most thorough scoundrel that
ever met a just fate on the gallows.
A. Cowboys
In the time of
revolution, led
a
gang of desperadoes called the cowboys. They took part in Tory
raids with the Mohawk Joseph Brant, ravaged
Smith's
Clove,
B. Deeds
Claudius
Smith, and his three sons, his son William, his son Richard, and his
son James, raiding, stealing, burning, killing, horses,
cattle, oxen, patriots.
C.
Hideouts
At Horse
Stable Rock, on
Claudius Smith, they divided all their spoils. Monsey Indians
used to use it on their hunting expeditions.
D.
Archeology
Shards of pottery,
also arrowheads, have been found nearby.
E. Geology
The den took shape
in late Pleistocene as roches moutonnées were pried out of the cliff by
thaw-freeze.
F. Time
The sheepbacks
took thousands and thousands of years to move just a few
feet along.
G. Woodhull
Colonel
Woodhull had a mare that Smith gave out he meant to steal. To prevent
this, Woodhull put her in his basement, safe and sound, so he thought.
One fine day, as he dined with a friend, Smith slipped in, stole the
mare. Spotting Smith steal away, Woodhull’s friend took up his rifle,
made to shoot. “Stop!” shouted Woodhull. 'If you shoot him, he will
kill me!' So it was thatSmith escaped.
H. Prophecy
His mother prophesied, “You’ll die
with your shoes on, like a trooper’s horse.”
I. Youngs
In
the battle of Fort
Montgomery, Col. McClaughry was taken captive. His wife asked the
wealthy Abimal Youngs for bail money. He declined. Enraged, the Cowboys
swung him up on the well pole, up and down, but he would not
relent.Instead they took his papers.
J. Strong
One
night, the Cowboys broke
into the home of Major Nathaniel Strong, who boarded himself in his
bedroom. They said if he gave up his arms he’d be spared, but as he
approached the door to comply, they shot him through a broken panel. He
died without a word.
K. Goshen
A price was put
upon the head of Smith. He
fled to Long. A
posse was formed. He was
captured by candlelight, sent to Goshen, jailed, manacled, chained
to a ring in the floor, tried, convicted, and hung.
L. Epilogue
A huge crowd saw the hanging, among
them Abimal
Youngs. “Where are my papers?” he cried. Smith said, "This is no place
to talk about papers! In the next world, I’ll tell you of them." Then
he kicked off his shoes. “Why?” asked the hangman. “To prove,” he said, “my
mother a liar." They
buried him in a shallow grave near the scaffold and mortared his skull
o’er the door of the Court House. The rest of his bones became
souvenirs. His son James also was hung; his son William, shot in the
mountains, the flesh devoured by wild animals,the bones left to bleach
in the sun.
r)
recorded, edited and mixed by John Guth
Synopsis
Claudius Smith was a Tory in the American Revolution
who terrorized the
local population from hideouts in the
raiding patriots' homes and stealing livestock, weapons, and provisions to give to British troops.
He was hanged and
buried in
In 1841, when the present Goshen Court House was built on the gravesite,
Smith's grave was dug
up and his bones mortared in over the front door.
The piece may be performed in conjunction with a digital media presentation created by Lisa Karrer
from slides and
videos by her and composer Denman Maroney.
Libretto
Prologue
Claudius Smith,
the most daring marauder,
the most merciless cowboy,
the most thorough scoundrel
that ever met a just fate on the
gallows.
A. Cowboys
In the time of revolution,
led a gang of desperadoes
called the cowboys.
They took part in Tory raids
with the Mohawk Joseph Brant,
ravaged Smith's Clove,
They were Tories on the wrong side
in the time of revolution.
B. Deeds
Claudius Smith, and his three sons,
his son William, his son Richard, and his son James,
raiding, stealing, burning, killing,
horses, cattle, oxen,
patriots.
C. Hideouts
At Horse Stable Rock, on
near Wesley Chapel, they rendezvoused.
From Man of War Rock, onto
they came rushing to attack.
In the den of Claudius Smith,
they divided all their spoils.
Monsey Indians used to use it
on their hunting
expeditions.
D. Archeology
Shards of pottery, also arrowheads,
have been found
nearby.
E. Geology
The den took shape in late Pleistocene
as roches moutonnées
were pried out of the cliff by thaw-freeze.
F. Time
The sheepbacks took thousands and thousands of years
to move just a few
feet along.
G. Woodhull
Colonel Woodhull had a mare that
Smith gave out he meant to steal.
To prevent this, Woodhull put her
in his basement, safe and sound,
so he thought.
One fine day, as he dined
with a friend, Smith slipped in,
stole the mare. Spotting Smith
steal away, Woodhull?s friend
took up his rifle, made to shoot.
?Stop!? shouted Woodhull.
'If you shoot him, he will kill me!'
So it was that Smith escaped.
H. Prophecy
His mother prophesied,
?You?ll die with your shoes on, like a
trooper?s horse.?
I. Youngs
In the battle of Fort Montgomery,
Col. McClaughry was taken captive.
His wife asked the wealthy Abimal Youngs for bail money.
He declined.
Enraged, the Cowboys swung him up
on the well pole, up and down,
but he would not relent.
Instead they took his
papers.
J. Strong
One night, the Cowboys broke into the home
of Major Nathaniel Strong,
who boarded himself in his bedroom.
They said if he gave up his arms he?d be spared,
but as he approached the door to comply,
they shot him through a broken panel.
He died without a
word.
K. Goshen
A price was put upon the head of Smith.
He fled to Long.
A posse was formed,
was captured by candlelight,
sent to Goshen,
jailed, manacled, chained to a ring in the floor,
tried, convicted and hung.
L. Epilogue
A huge crowd saw the hanging,
among them Abimal Youngs.
?Where are my papers?? he cried.
Smith said, "This is no place to talk about papers!
In the next world, I?ll tell you of them."
Then he kicked off his shoes.
?Why?? asked the hangman.
?To prove,? he said, ?my
mother a liar."
They buried him in a shallow grave near the scaffold
and mortared his skull o?er the door of the Court House.
The rest of his bones became souvenirs.
His son James also was hung;
his son William, shot in the mountains,
the flesh devoured by wild animals,
the bones left to
bleach in the sun.