THE TOWN OF WEST FARMS. 489 



Island, built a free bridge over Haarlem River partly by subscription, 

 for which he also advanced out of his own funds ^608 ; but it does 

 not appear that he was ever reimbursed. 



In the vicinity of Harlem Bridge is the terminus of the New Haven 

 and Harlem River Rail Road Route. Here is a large Depot and Dock 

 for the convenience of passengers, by the steam boats of the Harlem 

 and New York Navigation and Morrisania Companies — whose steamers 

 leave Fulton Market Slip, connecting with New York and New Haven 

 Rail for Hunts' Point, West Farms, Westchester, Bartow, (City Island,) 

 Pellam Manor, New Rochelle, Portchester, Greenwich, Stamford, Nor- 

 walk, Bridgeport, New Haven and all points East and North. 



Upon rising ground a little North-east of the Depot, stands the 

 ancient manor house, of what was formerly known as "Old Morrisania." 

 On or near this spot, Jona Bronck built his house in 1643. Here, also, 

 Richard Morris resided in 1670-1, and erected a house which occupied 

 the site of the present Mansion ; at one period of the Revolutionary 

 War, the officers of the American picket guard had their head-quarters 

 in the Manor house, and subsequently it was occupied by Lieutenant- 

 Colonel James de Lancey, of the British Refugee Corps ; a little west of 

 the house, covered with willow trees, was formerly situated the family 

 vault of the Morris's. The following extract, from a letter dated Peek- 

 skill, January 19th, 1777, shows the savage nature which marked the 

 British soldiery during their occupancy of Morrisania, in breaking open 

 vaults and plundering the dead : — 



"General Howe lias discharged all the privates who were prisoners in New 

 York. One-half he sent 1 the world of spirits for want of food — the other he hath 

 sent to warn their countrymen of the danger of falling into his hands; and to 

 convince them by ocular demonstration, that it is infinitely better to be slain in 

 battle, than to be taken prisoners by British brutes whose tender mercies are 

 cruelty. But it is not the prisoners alone who felt the effects of British human- 

 ity : every part of the country through which they have marched, has been plun- 

 dered and ravaged. No discrimination has been made with respect to Whig or 

 Tory, but all alike have been involved in one common fate. Their march thro' 

 New Jersey has been marked with savage barbarity ; but Westchester witness- 

 ed) more terrible things. The repositories of the dead nave always been held 

 sacred, by the most barbarous and savage nations. But here, not being able to 

 accomplish their accursed purposes upon the living, they wreaked their vengence 

 upon the dead. In many places, the graves in the church-yards were opened; 

 and the bodies of the dead exposed upon the ground for several days. At Mor- 

 risania, the family vault was opened, the coffins broken, and tlie bones scattered 

 abroad. At Delancey's farm, the body of a beautiful young lady, which had 

 been buried for two years, was taken out of the ground and exposed for five 

 days in a most indecent manner ; many more instances could be mentioned, but 



