STONY POINT. 165 



times included in that debatable terriority in- 

 fested by Cowboys and Skinners, and known 

 as the ''neutral groundo" 



The fortress on Stony Point was captured 

 in July, 1779, by Gen. Wayne, with the aid 

 of the first '* intelligent contraband " on rec- 

 ord. Old Pomp had supplied the British gar- 

 rison with strawberries, and in the routine of 

 his business he became possessed of the coun- 

 tersign. The primary attack of the Americans 

 was upon Pompey's cabin, where he was cap- 

 tured and subdued with little difficulty. At 

 first he refused to betray his customers, but 

 by dint of promises of many chickens and 

 threats of disabling his shins, he was induced 

 to lead the Continentals into the stronghold. 

 Wayne advanced by the side of Pompey at 

 the head of his troops under cover of darkness, 

 and after a hand-to-hand bayonet fight, with- 

 out firing a single gun, they subdued the 

 garrison and took 543 prisoners. In the end, 

 after being evacuated and again occupied by 

 the British, the forts on both sides of the river 

 were abandoned and dismantled, the King's 

 Ferry being continued between the points. 



Fanny and I approached the river at the 

 spot in Verplanck's where Andr^ landed under 



