ly box, venerable for their height and antiquity; while beneath are still visible the remains of old fish ponds and jets d'eau. Above the old fashioned windows, grim visages in the shape of corbels seem to frown upon the beholder. pose them to be a kind of "genii loci."

火田

Cortlandt House, the residence of Augustus van Cortlandt, Esq.

Two eagles surmount the posts of the old gateway facing the stables. These were part of the spoils taken from a Spanish privateer during the war; and presented to Augustus van Cortlandt, by Rear Admiral Robert Digby of the British navy. To the east of the house, the Mosholu (Tippetts brook) pent up by the mill dam, forms an extensive sheet of water, which is greatly enriched by the vicinity of green meadows, orchards and neighboring hills. South of the pond is situated the old mill. Amid the grove of locusts on George's point, a little north of the mill, stood the original residence of the Van Cortlandts.

The interior of the present house is neatly fitted up and furnished, its drawing room and library windows look out on beautiful prospects, in the latter apartment are some fine family portraits: Henry White, jr., by Jarvis; Vice Admiral Sir John White, in full uniform, a copy by Chapman from the original of Jarvis; Augustus van Cortlandt, by Jarvis; Thomas Bibby,

by Chapman; Mr. Babcock, by Stewart; and Henry White sen., by Copley.

The old family Bible of the Van Cortlandts, printed at Amsterdam, A. D. 1714, contains some curious memoranda of the Jay family. The first entry occurs New York den 19th Jan'ry, 1723 4.

During the early period of the Revolutionary war this house was garrisoned by a piquet guard of the Green Yagers, whose officers held their head quarters here.

His Excellency, General Washington, and aids, dined in one of the apartments on the memorable July of 1781, when the British piquets were driven within the lines upon New York island. In another room the unfortunate Captain Rowe expired in the arms of his bride elect.

To the north of the mansion is seen rising Vault Hill, so called from the family sepulchre, which is seated upon its summit. From this spot, hallowed by the remains of the illustrious dead, the view is exceedingly beautiful; Tippett's vale, the mill pond, orchards, and neighbouring hills. The vault itself is a small square edifice of stone surmounted with a pointed roof, the whole enclosed by a solid stone wall. Within an adjoining vault in the same yard repose the remains of

CHARLOTTE AMELIA BAYLEY,

relict of Doctor Richard Bayley,

who died the 1st day of Sept. 1805.

It was upon this hill that Gen. Washington stationed his troops and lighted camp fires for the purpose of deceiving the enemy, whilst he secretly withdrew to join La Fayette before Yorktown in Virginia, A. D. 1781.

There are still the remains of a considerable fort on the north end of this ridge. During the Revolutionary struggle the valley south from Vault hill to Kingsbridge, appears to have been the constant scene of skirmishing between the two armies.

3d July, 1781, General Washington planned an expedition to cut off Colonel James de Lancey, stationed in the vale, and Major

This lady was sister-in-law of Augustus van Cortlandt, sen.

Pruschanck, another British officer occupying Cortlandt ridge, in command of the Yager horse.

It had been so arranged that the Duke of Lauzun should march to Williams's bridge and there make his rendezvous till daylight the following morning. General Lincoln was to be piloted down from Tappan and landed below Yonkers, while Washington himself should take post on Valentine's hill. Lauzun accordingly conducted his cavalry to Williams's bridge, where he halted. In the mean time General Lincoln had been landed half a mile below the village, on the property now owned by Thomas W. Ludlow, Esq., then occupied by Isaac Post. After landing, Lincoln, guided by Major Lawrence, passed along shore south, missing Col. Emmerick with his corps marching north to Boar hill; then crossing over the hills east, Lincoln followed the course of Tippett's brook, for the purpose of avoiding Pruschank's corps, stationed upon Cortlandt's ridge. Passing the Van Cortlandt residence, he kept close to the edge of Gun and Locust hills, and had arrived in the vicinity of General Montgomery's house, (then occupied by his widow,) unobserved by the sentinels on the opposite side, when the enemy's patrol fired. De Lancey, instantly on the alert, commenced his retreat in face of General Lincoln's advancing columns. Totten, De Lancey's lieutenant, seemed determined to make a stand, but soon received positive orders from De Lancey to retire, which he did, just in time to avoid the surprisal.

Colonel Armand, the celebrated French cavalry officer, made a daring and successful attempt to surprise a large piquet of Green Yagers, stationed at Warner's store, under the command of De Wurmb. For this purpose Armand left his quarters above the Croton and proceeded down the main post road to the village of Yonkers; after passing the village, and when in the neighborhood of the enemy's encampment, he started his whole corps on a full gallop. The Yagers had taken the precaution to post a sentinel at Hadley's spring, but the poor fellow became so perfectly alarmed and powerless on seeing the furious onset of Armand's horse, that he could give no alarm, and was instantly dispatched. The consequence was, the whole corps were either killed or made prisoners. Colonel Armand then made good his

retreat, passing in front of the Van Cortlandt residence, and returning by the way of Tippett's valley. In the mean time the British bugle sounded to horse, and his enemies were in full pursuit. On arriving at the Van Cortlandt house a vigorous. search was made for Armand, who was by this time far advanced on his retreat to the Croton.

On the Van Cortlandt estate is situated Indian bridge and field; the former crosses Tippet's brook, the latter forms a portion of the Cortlandt woods, an extensive range of woodland to the north-east of the mansion. Both these places are memorable as the scene of a severe engagement between the British troops and Stockbridge Indians, 31st August, 1778.

The action is thus related in Simcoe's Military Journal:

"Lt. Col. Simcoe, returning from head quarters, the 20th of August, heard a firing in front, and being informed that Lt. Col. Emmerick had patrolled, he immediately marched to his assistance. He soon met him retreating; and Lt. Col. Emmerick being of opinion the rebels were in such force, that it would be advisable to return, he did so. Lt. Col. Simcoe understood that Nimham, an Indian chief, and some of his tribe, were with the enemy; and by his spies, who were excellent, he was informed that they were highly elated at the retreat of Emmerick's corps, and applied it to the whole of the light troops at Kingsbridge. Lt. Col. Simcoe took measures to increase their belief; and, ordering a day's provision to be cooked, marched the next morning, the 31st of August, a small distance in front of the post, and determined to wait there the whole day, in hopes of betraying the enemy into an ambuscade; the country was most favorable to it. His idea was, as the enemy moved upon the road which is delineated in the plan as intersecting the country, to advance from his flanks; this movement would be perfectly concealed by the fall of the ground upon his right, and by the woods upon the left; and he meant to gain the heights in the rear of the enemy, attacking whomsoever should be within by his cavalry and such infantry as might be necessary. In pursuance of these intentions, Lt. Col. Emmerick with his corps, was detached from the Queen's Rangers and Legion, as Lt. Col. Simcoe thought, fully instructed in the plan; however, he most unfortunately mistook the nearer house for one at a greater distance, the names being the same, and there he posted himself, and soon after sent from thence a patrol forward upon the road, before Lt. Col. Simcoe, could have time to stop it. This patrol had no effect, not meeting with any enemy; had a single man of it deserted, or been taken, the whole attempt had, probably, been abortive. Lt. Col. Simcoe, who was half way up a tree, on the top of which was a drummer boy, saw a flanking party of the enemy approach. The troops had scarcely

fallen into their ranks, when a smart firing was heard from the Indians, who had lined the fences of the road, and were exchanging shot with Lt. Col. Emmerick, whom they had discovered. The Queen's Rangers moved rapidly to gain the heights, and Lieut. Col. Tarleton immediately advanced with the Hussars and the Legion cavalry; not being able to pass the fences in his front, he made a circuit to return further upon their right; which being reported to Lieut. Col Simcoe, he broke from the column of the Rangers, with the grenadier company, and, directing Major Ross to conduct the corps to the heights, advanced to the road, and arrived, without being perceived, within ten yards of the Indians. They had been intent upon the attack of Emmerick's corps and the Legion; they now gave a yell, and fired upon the grenadier company, wounding four of them, and Lieut. Col. Simcoe. They were driven from the fences; and Lieut. Col. Tarleton, with the cavalry, got among them, and pursued them rapidly down Cortlandt's ridge. That active officer had a narrow escape; in striking at one of the fugitives, he lost his balance and fell from his horse; luckily, the Indian had no bayonet, and his musket had been discharged. Lieut. Col. Simcoe joined the battalion, and seized the heights. A captain of the rebel light infantry, and a few of his men, were taken; but a body of them, under Major Stewart, who afterwards was distinguished at Stony Point, left the Indians and fled.

Though this ambuscade, its greater part, failed, it was of consequence. Near forty of the Indians were killed, or desperately wounded; among others, Nimham, a chieftain, who had been in England, and his son; and it was reported to have stopped a larger number of them, who were excellent marksmen, from joining General Washington's army. The Indian doctor was taken; and he said, that when Nimham saw the grenadiers close in his rear, he called out to his people to fly, that he himself was old, and would die there;' he wounded Lieut. Col. Simcoe, and was killed by Wright, his orderly Hussar. The Indians fought most gallantly; they pulled more than one of the cavalry from their horses; French, an active youth, bugle-horn to the Hussars, struck at an Indian, but missed his blow; the man dragged him from his horse, and was searching for his knife to stab him, when, loosening French's hand, he luckily drew out a pocket pistol, and shot the Indian through the head, in which situation he was found. One man of the Legion cavalry was killed, and one of them, and two of the hussars, wounded."

The scene of this conflict lies on the land of the late Frederick Brown, now occupied by his widow. The struggle commenced in the 2d field west of Brown's house, and close by the

a See Simcoe's Military Journal, published by Bartlett & Welford, N. Y., to which work we refer our readers for an engraved plan of the above mentioned action.