Ann Delancy Cruger

Quick Facts

Significance:

Wife of Loyalist commander Lt. Colonel John Harris Cruger and daughter of prominent loyalist Oliver DeLancy

Place of Birth:

New York City, NY

Date of Birth:

1744

Place of Death:

Chelsea, England

Date of Death:

1822

Ann DeLancey Cruger, known as a loyalist, was born in the year 1744 in New York City to a prominent family. Her father was Oliver DeLancey, a well-known figure and supporter of British rule in the American colonies. Growing up in a household deeply connected to British colonial interests, Ann developed a strong loyalty to the Crown. She believed in the authority of the British government.

As tensions between the American colonies and Britain escalated in the years leading up to the American Revolution, Ann found herself aligned with the loyalist cause. She firmly believed in the importance of maintaining the colonial status quo and preserving the ties with the British Empire.

In 1762, Ann married John Harris Cruger. He was a well-known figure in New York and was from a wealthy and an important merchant family. In 1776, John joined Oliver DeLancy's loyalist unit, the first battalion in the DeLancy Brigade.ⁱ While John was away, Ann went to live with her parents in Bloomingdale New York.ⁱⁱ In November 1777, the home was ransacked and burned by patriots. During this event, Ann became lost from her family and wondered several miles before being taken in by an inn keeper.ⁱⁱⁱ

When John went south to Georgia, Ann followed. She almost drowned on her way to Savannah, when a tropical storm sunk the vessel she was on. A French man-of-war on their way to siege Svannah rescued her. While on the French war ship, she bore witness to the threat of her husband’s life from behind enemy lines. After the unsuccessful siege the French dropped Ann and her belongings on the Goergia coast. Finally, she was reunited with her husband.ⁱⁱⁱ Within less than a year, John was captured at a plantation in Belfast Georgia and held as a prisoner of war for several months. He was finally released in a prisoner exchange.^iv

After his release, the Crugers headed to Ninety Six, South Carolina. While at Ninety Six, Ann lived in the garrison along with other loyalists and their families. When General Greene's patriot army approched Ninety Six, Ann took refuge about half a mile away at a loyalist minister's home. The home was close enough to hear the muskets and cannons discharge.^v

After the loyalists abandoned Ninety Six, the Crugers once more set off for a new battleground. At Eutaw Springs, Ann narrowly escaped the battle to a loyalist’s home half a mile away. Once again, she was close enough to the battle to hear the violent discharge of muskets and the explosions of cannons.^vi

After the patriots won the war, the Crugers returned to New York. Due to the Confiscation Act of 1779, the lost their property and other assets.^vii Realizing that they could not live in this new Republic, the Crugars set out for England. There they spent the rest of their lives.

During the Revolution, Ann's loyalty to Britain and her family's prominent status made her a target for the patriots. Her father, Oliver DeLancey, held significant positions within the British military. This further intensified the scrutiny she faced. Despite the hardships and personal risks, Ann remained steadfast in her allegiance to the Crown. John died in 1807, at the age of 69. Ann died in 1822 in Chelsea, England. It is not recorded if the Crugers had children.^viii 

Notes and resources:

ⁱ Lt Colonel John Harris Cruger - Ninety Six National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) access 18 July 2023

ⁱⁱ Loyalist Trails 2007-48 – UELAC: accessed 18 July2023

ⁱⁱⁱ Ibed

^iv Selesky, Harold E., Encyclopedia of the American Revolution: Library of Military History, (Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006)

^v  Loyalist Trails 2007-48 – UELAC: accessed 18 July 2023

^vi Ibed

^vii Dispossessing Loyalists and Redistributing Property in Revolutionary New York | The New York Public Library (nypl.org): accessed 18 July 2023

^viii Loyalist Trails 2007-48 – UELAC: accessed 18 July 2023