154 The Story of The Bronx 



of the forces occupying the Borough were British light infantry 

 or squadrons of light horse, and small bands or companies 

 of loyalist refugees, whose commanders were too obscure to 

 merit record. 



The earliest reoccupation of the Borough by British troops 

 was on November 3, 1776, when the British General Grant 

 occupied De Lancey's Mills at West Farms, and the regiment 

 of Waldeckers took possession of the vicinity of Williams- 

 bridge. Howe's headquarters were at De Lancey's Mills 

 during the preparations for the attack on Fort Washington. 

 The posts already mentioned were extended well into the 

 country during the summer, but were withdrawn to the Har- 

 lem River and the Sound during the winter, when the soldiers 

 occupied barracks and huts erected for quarters. For fire- 

 wood they used the fences, barns, and houses of the neighbor- 

 ing farmers and denuded their land of its standing timber to 

 supply the garrison and people of the city. The farmers, thus 

 deprived of house and home, took refuge within the lines of 

 either side, and, taking up the sword, took a merciless revenge 

 when opportunity offered. The section between the lines 

 became a desolate wilderness with abandoned farms, grass- 

 grown roads, and broken-down bridges. John Archer's village 

 of Fordham between the two bridges at Kingsbridge disap- 

 peared as firewood for the chasseurs of Emmerick, whose camp 

 was located at that spot. 



At "Upper Cortlandt's," on the bluff to the west of Van 

 Cortlandt Park and overlooking the Albany Road, was an out- 

 post of light troops, usually composed of both mounted and 

 foot yagers, and of detachments of all the German regiments 

 in New York. In 1778, it consisted of five companies of foot 

 and one of mounted yagers under Lieutenant-Colonel van 

 Wurmb ; and in the following year, of yagers and the corps of 



