THE TOWN OF WEST FARMS. 499 



that there was frequently a firing between them. This having been the 

 case one day, and a British officer walking along the bank, on the 

 Montresor's side, an American sentinel — who had been exchanging some 

 shots with a British sentinel — seeing the officer, and concluding him to 

 be the better game, gave him a shot, and wounded him. He was car- 

 ried up to the house on the island. An officer with a flag soon came 

 down to the creek and called for the American officer of the picket, and 

 informed him that if the American sentinels fired any more, the com- 

 manding officer of the island would cannonade Col. Morris's house, in 

 which the officers of the picket quartered. The American officer im- 

 mediately sent up to our general, to know what answer should be re- 

 turned. He was directed to inform the British officer that the American 

 sentinels had always been instructed not to fire on sentinels unless they 

 were first fired upon, and then to return the fire ; that such would be 

 their conduct; as to the cannonading of Col. Morris's house, they might 

 act their pleasure. The firing ceased for some time ; but a raw Scotch 

 sentinel having been planted one day, he very soon after discharged his 

 piece at an American sentinel nearest to him, which was immediately 

 returned ; upon which a British officer came down, and called to the 

 American officers, observing that he thought there was to be no more 

 firing between the sentinels. He was answered, that their own began; 

 upon which he replied, ' he shall then pay for it.' The sentinel was 

 directly after relieved, and there was no firing between the sentinels, in 

 that place any more ; and they were so civil to each other, on the posts, 

 that one day, at a part of the creek where it was practicable, the British 

 sentinel asked the American, who was nearly opposite, if he could give 

 him a chew of tobacco ; the latter, having in his pocket a piece of thick 

 twisted roll, sent it across the creek to the British sentinel, who, after 

 taking off his bite, sent the remainder back again."" 



"On the 6th of October, 1776, (continues General Heath), orders 

 were given for throwing up a new work on Harlem creek below the 

 wood at Morrisania." & 



After the retreat of the American army northwards and the settlement 

 of their lines on the Croton, the British refugee corps were stationed at 

 Morrisania, under the command of Col. James de Lancey, who held his 

 headquarters at Col. Morris's house. Here the British appear to have 

 been kept in a constant state of alarm by their vigilant enemies. Upon 

 the 5th of August, 1779, (says Heath) about 100 horse of Sheldon's, Moy- 

 land's, and of the militia, and about forty infantry of Glover's brigade, 



o Heath's Mem. p. 62. 

 6 Ibid. 68 



