November, 1776, to September, 1783 171 



inspection of the fortifications on Manhattan. The whole 

 combined army was advanced for the purpose, and the two com- 

 manders rode from Kingsbridge to Morrisania, to the heights 

 of what is now Franz Sigel Park, making a careful inspection 

 through their glasses of the enemy's positions, while their 

 engineers made notes of the redoubts and of the topography. 

 The British opened fire upon the distinguished group and sent 

 shot and shell hurtling among them, which rather upset the 

 equanimity of the guide, Andrew Corsa, who took refuge 

 behind rocks and trees. When he saw, however, that the com- 

 manders continued the inspection as coolly and calmly as if no 

 such cannonade was in progress, his courage returned. The 

 conclusion arrived at by the generals was that the enemy was 

 too strongly entrenched for successful attack ; while to encom- 

 pass the British posts on Long Island, Staten Island, and New 

 Jersey and reduce them would take a very much larger force 

 than was at their command. The armies were, therefore, 

 withdrawn to a position in rear of the former one, with the right 

 at Dobbs Ferry and the French left at White Plains, while an 

 advanced post was held at Philipse's under Colonel Scammel, 

 another at Valentine's Hill, and a third at Eastchester. It was 

 whispered that the Count de Grasse with a French fleet was to 

 arrive off the capes of the Chesapeake; and the news from 

 Lafayette, in regard to the movements of Cornwallis into York- 

 town, indicated where the blow should fall. On August nine- 

 teenth, the march for Yorktown began ; and in order to deceive 

 the enemy and to make him believe the army was still present 

 in force, extensive camp-fires were kept burning for several 

 nights on Vault Hill in the present Van Cortlandt Park. 



Notwithstanding the presence of the American army in 

 force, De Lancey's command ventured as far from Kingsbridge 

 as Yonkers on the fourth of August. On the twenty-sixth, 



