THE TOWN OF WEST FARMS. 



527 



"4th of March, 1782, Captain Hunnewell with a body of volunteer 

 horse, backed by the infantry under the command of Major Woodbridge 

 made an excursion to Morrisania. The horse proceeded down between 

 the British fort, No. 8, and the cantonment of De Lancey's corps," and 

 having turned the cantonments between day-break and sun-rise, they 

 entered pell mell. The enemy was completely surprised, and fled in every 

 direction ; some were cut down on the spot, others so badly wounded as 

 not to be able to be removed. Some of the enemy availed themselves 

 of positions where the horse could not assail them, from whence they 

 began to fire on the house. This occasioned the firing of the alarm 

 guns at No. 8. The horse having nearly accomplished their design 

 moved off, taking the Eastchester road, in which Major Woodbridge had 

 posted the infantry in ambuscade. Captain Hunnewell had brought off 

 one subaltern, and twenty men prisoners, and twenty horses. The enemy 

 in the vicinity collected a number of horse, backed by light infantry, 

 and pursued Captain Hunnewell until he came to Major Woodbridge. 

 The enemy were drawn into the ambuscade, who made one or two dis- 

 charges on them, on which they broke and retired, but soon returned to 

 to the charge ; skirmishing ensued, and continued to a considerable dis- 

 tance. Of the Americans, two privates were killed ; Mr. Abraham Dyck- 

 man, 6 one of the guides, a brave and active man, mortally wounded, and 

 three privates slightly wounded."* 



" On the 26th of March, (says General Heath,) Mr. Dyckman, d one 

 of our guides on the lines, with thirteen volunteer horsemen made an 

 excursion to Morrisania, took five prisoners of De Lancey's corps and 

 five horses ; on their return they were pursued by a party of the enemy's 

 horse, who coming rather too near, the brave volunteers faced about, 

 charged vigorously, took one man prisoner with his horse, and put the 

 rest to flight. The enemy again appeared, on the Eastchester road near 

 Jonathan Ward's house, in some force, at a distance, but dared not re- 

 new the attack. " e 



The following is General Heath's account of the burning of Colonel 

 Hatfield's quarters, which stood directly opposite Archer's entrance : — 



" About this time (January, 1780,) a detachment from Colonel Mead's 

 regiment of levies at Horseneck, and a number of volunteers from 

 Greenwich — the former under the command of Captain Keeler, the latter 

 under the command of Captain Lockwood — the whole about eighty, 

 marched to Morrisania ; and about one o'clock in the morning made an 

 attack on Colonel Hatfield. They first attacked the picket, killed three, 

 and drove the rest into the colonel's quarters. The colonel and his men 

 took to the chambers, and fired out at the windows, and down stairs, at 



a From am a the possession of Lewis G. Morris it appears that at that time the highway 

 led past tn 1 1' house mentioned above, and between it and Fort No. S which occupies 



the Bite of t h s< j nt residence of Gustav Schwab.— Editor. 



b Mr. Dyctcm . 1 fell at Purdy's corner near the intersection of the Eastchester and New 

 Sork roads. 



e Heath's M m. p. 330. 



d Michael, b o:h< r of Abraham Dyckman. 



e Heath's Mem , 329. 



