578 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



of the viii . ■. on Blackwell's hill. Within the recollection of many per- 

 sons sti'.l : . the graves were distinctly indicated by rude mounds of 

 earth ; 1 1 ! the plough has long since removed these memorials of 

 the a' id, and perhaps the mouldering relics themselves. 



That remnaut of a martial brow, 



Those ribs that held the mighty heart, 

 That strong arm — ah ! 'tis strengthless now. — Bryant. 



And v.- .nght the poet add : — 



Spare them ! each mouldering fragment spare. 



Of God's own image — let them rest, 

 Till not a trace shall speak of where 



The awful likeness was impressed !« 



The second and last place of sepulture used by the Indians in this 

 town, is ii >w nearly covered by the barn and out buildings of Benjamin 

 Fowler, Esq. The site was well chosen, on rising ground, at the entrance 

 of the Sprain valley. 



Besides the Tawasenthas, (or places of many dead,) numerous skeletons 

 have been discovered in different parts of the town, showing it to have 

 been once numerously populated by the Indian tribes. One of these was 

 recently disinterred in making some improvements on the Kings-Bridge 

 road, nearly opposite the Van Cortlandt residence ; it proved to be on 

 examination the full sized skeleton of an Indian, in a sitting posture, 

 holding the remains of a small child between its knees. Others have 

 been discovered lying near the surface of the ground on Berrian's Neck ; 

 the back part of the skull of one of these was found perforated by a 

 musket ball, which still remains in the cavity of the brain. b Of course 

 this Ind ; an perished by fire arms. It may not be inappropriate to men- 

 tion that Hendrick Hudson had an engagement with the Indians in 

 1609, at the mouth of the Spuyten Dyvil creek. 



The descendants of the last named chief, Tackarew, continued to re- 

 side in Yonkers for more than half a century after the sale to Van der 

 Donck, A.D. 1646, as we find Claas de Wilt, Neamerau, and a squaw, 

 Karocapacomont, confirming the Hon. Jacobus van Cortlandt, in pos- 

 session of the old Younckers, A. D. 1701.° 1692, we find an Indian 

 chief at Bedford, called Wappowham. rf 



a Harper's Indian Traits, IntroJ. i. 19. 



6 la possession of H. S. Gates, M.D., of Yonkers village. 



■• tlandt's confirmation. 

 d See Bedford. 



