49° HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



my heart sickens at the recollection of such inhumanity. Some people try to be- 

 lieve that it is only the Hessians who perpetrate these things; but I have good 

 authority to say that the British vie with, and even exceed, the auxiliary troops 

 in licentiousness. After such treatment, can it be possible for any person seri- 

 ously to wish for a reconciliation with Great Britain."" 



What remained of the venerated dead, was some years ago removed 

 to the new vault under St. Ann's church, Morrisania. While the old 

 manor house and its surroundings have been turned into a tavern and 

 lager beer garden. 



On the east side of the Mill Brook is situated the well-known country 

 residence of the late Hon Gouverneur Morris, which is highly spoken of 

 by travellers, and other persons of taste. Its location is very fine, just 

 on the south-west angle of what was formerly the township of Morris- 

 ania, nearly opposite to the beautiful scenery of Hellgate, and eight 

 miles from New York. It commands extensive views of the surround- 

 ing country, and the adjacent waters. " Here he passed the latter years 

 of his life, exercising an elegant and munificent hospitality, reviewing the 

 studies of his early days, and carrying on a very interesting correspon- 

 dence with statesmen and literati in Europe and America. Among his 

 principal guests were Louis Phillipe Le Due d'Orleans, (afterwards king 

 of France), and John Victor Moreau, one of the most celebrated of mod- 

 ern French generals. Of the old mansion, which was constructed in 

 the French chateau style, nothing remains but the central portion, and 

 this has been greatly modernized by the present proprietor. The inte- 

 rior, however, retains much of its former consistence. The library pos- 

 sesses a very choice selection of books. It is chiefly remarkable for the 

 valuable manuscripts belonging to it, which are so extensively connected 

 with the history of its former owner. There are here, likewise, several 

 choice pieces of French furniture, some gobelin tapestry, and a good 

 portrait of the late Hon. Gouverneur Morris, also a fine marble bust of 

 Mrs. Morris. 



The grounds are enriched with many rare ornamental trees and 

 shrubs ; among the former deserve to be mentioned, two or three speci- 

 mens of the deciduous American cypress, {cupressus disiic/ia), said by 

 Gordon to be the finest of the kind in the United States. Of the lat- 

 ter, there are hedges of the gliditsia trieanthus, and the gliditsia horrida. 



The Mill Brook b valley passes near the house, and joins the Harlem 

 kills. It was through this historic valley that Harvey Birch, of Cowpens, 



o Westchester Co. in tTJT. From the Freeman's Journal, or New Hampshire Gazette, vol. i. 

 No. 39, Portsmouth, Tuesday, Feb. ISth, 1777. Copied from Historical Magazine, New- 

 Series, voL viii, No. 6, Dec. 1S70, page 370. 



b This brook has now been converted into a sewer, and a main avenue is about being con- 

 structed over iti surface, called Brook avenue. 



