174 The Story of The Bronx 



ment, by the erection of a handsome granite monument at 

 Yorktown (the ancient Crompond), about seven miles east of 

 Peekskill. 



On March fourteenth, Lieutenant Harris obtained intelli- 

 gence of a party of De Lancey's men being at a house near the 

 Mile Square; and with a party of six surprised the enemy, con- 

 sisting of twelve men, and killed one and took four prisoners. 

 On the nineteenth of May, the First Massachusetts Brigade 

 was ordered down to Kingsbridge to take possession of the 

 German huts and encamp there. On June twenty-seventh, 

 there were several British war vessels anchored off the mouth of 

 Spuyten Duyvil Creek. 



It will be noticed in most of the raids that the attacking 

 force was usually composed of militia and that the supporting, 

 or covering, party was composed of regulars. This was proba- 

 bly in pursuance of a plan to inure the militia to danger and 

 to give them confidence so that they would be rendered less 

 unreliable. Their plundering proclivities were also given full 

 play when they got inside the British cantonments. 



On September 16, 1782, the enemy made a grand forage near 

 Valentine's Hill under the personal supervision of the Com- 

 mander-in-chief, Sir Guy Carlcton. He was attended by the 

 young prince, William Henry, afterwards King William Fourth , 

 and a large detachment of troops, stated to have been between 

 five and six thousand, as a covering party. The enemy fore- 

 stalled the Americans, who were sadly in want of forage them- 

 selves, owing to the dryness of the season. On October 

 twentieth, the British demolished their works at Number 

 Eight. A few days later, the American army withdrew to 

 cantonments in the Highlands. 



Both sides were awaiting the news of the signing of a defini- 

 tive treaty of peace, and active operations ceased in the early 



