ELMSFORD, NY (April 22, 2025) — The Westchester County Historical Society has released a digitized collection of 1,100 pages of eyewitness accounts from the American Revolution, titled “Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews.” The compilation, now accessible on the Westchester County Archives Digital Collections website and New York Heritage site, features 407 interviews conducted between 1844 and 1851 by John Macdonald.
The accounts detail life in the “Neutral Ground,” now Westchester County and southwest Connecticut, during the 1770s and 1780s. They include stories of skirmishes like The Battle of Edgar’s Lane, whaleboat warfare in Long Island Sound, and the experiences of figures like Westchester Guide Andrew Corsa and African American soldier John Peterson. Enslaved individuals who fought in military units or defended properties are also represented.
“These accounts will be an invaluable asset to thousands of individuals, including educators and their students, members of the history community and the general public,” said WCHS Executive Director Barbara Davis. “With the 250th Anniversary of the America Revolution taking place next year, the timing is ideal.”
Macdonald, a former attorney, recorded the interviews with Westchester residents who lived through the war. The original papers were lost after his death in 1863, but a hand-copied version by scribe John English was acquired by historian Otto Hufeland in 1925. The Westchester County Historical Society has managed the Hufeland Collection since the late 1990s.
A $75,875 federal grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission funded the project. A professional archivist, librarian, staff, five interns, and volunteers transcribed, annotated, and digitized the interviews. “The long-hand was often difficult to decipher, the language and the spelling were sometimes questionable, so careful analysis by a number of people was required,” said Project Director and WCHS Librarian Patrick Raftery.
The collection includes supplementary materials like biographies, maps, and an annotated timeline. It clarifies historical terms and locations, such as “Saw Pit,” now Portchester. “This accurate, comprehensive and exhaustive collection provides invaluable information about what happened in the Westchester area, through the eyes of those who lived it,” Davis said.
The Westchester County Historical Society, established in 1874, is located at 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY, 10523. The collection is available at collections.westchestergov.com/digital/collection/mcdonald and nyheritage.org/collections/experiencing-neutral-ground-american-revolution-mcdonald-interviews.