April, 1775, to September, 1776 119 



and report to this Congress whether the ground near King's 

 Bridge will admit of making a fortification there that will be 

 tenable." 



In June, the Continental Congress took steps to form a 

 Continental arm}-, and appointed George Washington com- 

 mander-in-chief. New York was to furnish three thousand 

 troops, to be divided into four regiments, which later became 

 the New York Line, commanded by McDougal, Ritzema, 1 

 James Clinton, and Wynkoop. Some of the Westchester 

 County men enrolled in the Fourth Regiment of militia, com- 

 manded at first by Colonel James Holmes of Bedford, 

 who later turned loyalist and became lieutenant-colonel of a 

 battalion of Westchester County refugees in the British army. 



On August twenty-second, a militia bill was passed in accord- 

 ance with the recommendations of the Continental Congress; 

 and the county was divided into precincts, or beats, each fur- 

 nishing a company, which companies were formed into three 

 battalions; each company was to elect its own officers. The 

 first company to perfect its organization was that from the 

 borough-town of Westchester, August twenty-fourth. Later, 

 West Farms and Fordham withdrew from the Westchester 

 beat and formed their own company. Eastchester formed 

 another beat and raised its own company; New Rochelle 

 and Pelham Manor formed another beat ; and the manor of 

 Philipseburgh was divided into six beats, of which the 

 Yonkers beat was within the Borough. These companies 

 above mentioned formed the South Battalion of Westchester 

 County. Its officers were Joseph Drake, colonel; James 

 Hammond, lieutenant-colonel ; Moses Drake, first major; 



1 Ritzema commanded the Third Regiment of the New York Line at 

 the Battle of Chatterton's Hill, or White Plains, and did his duty; but a 

 short time after the battle he left the patriots and joined the royalist army. 



