652 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



morning was fixed upon for the attempt. General Kniphausen, who 

 commanded at Kings Bridge, approved of the enterprise, and ordered a 

 detachment of the Yagers to co-operate in it ; Lieut. Col. Emmerick 

 undertook to lead the march, having in his corps people who were well 

 acquainted with the country. 



The following disposition was made. Emmerick's infantry, followed 

 by the Queen's Rangers, were to march through the meadows on die 

 side of Valentine's hill, opposite Cortland's ridge, and pass between the 

 rebel sentries to Babcock's house, when they would be in the rear of 

 Gist's encampment, which they were immediately to attack. Lieut. CoL 

 Tarleton, with the whole of the cavalry, was to proceed to cover the 

 right, and arrive at Valentine's hill by daylight ; a detachment of Yagers, 

 under Capt. Wreden, were to march on Cortland's ridge, and to halt 

 opposite to Gist's encampment ; and a larger detachment of Yagers, 

 under Major Pruschank, were, at the same time, to be ready to force 

 Philipse's bridge, then to proceed to the bridge opposite Babcock's house, 

 and to cut off the enemy's retreat by that road. The signal for these 

 divisions moving on, was to be the noise of storming Gist's encampment. 

 Lieut. Col. Emmerick conducted the march in so able a manner, and the 

 whole corps followed with so much silence, that the enemy's sentinels 

 were passed without alarm, and this division gained the heights in the 

 rear, and could see the whole chain of sentinels walking below them. 

 Major Ross was detached to possess himself of Post's house, to preserve 

 a communication with Lieut. Col. Tarleton on Valentine's hill; the 

 remainder of the Rangers inclined to the right, towards Gist's camp, 

 and Lieut. Col. Emmerick was directed to secure the Saw Mill road. 

 Firing soon began ; and it was apparent from Lieut. Col. Emmerick's 

 quarter, whom the enemy had discovered. Lieut. Col. Simcoe imme- 

 diately moved rapidly into the road, and directly up the steeps to the 

 enemy's camp, as a nearer way than through the thickets ; he attained it, 

 and, to his great surprise, found that Major Pruschank had not forced 

 Philips' Bridge, as had been intended, but had crossed and joined Capt. 

 Weeden on Cortlandt's ridge ; and that Col. Gist had escaped through 

 the passage which had been so unaccountably left open. Lieut. CoL 

 Tarleton fell in with a patrol of cavalry, and dispersed it; and the 

 Queen's Rangers, as soon as they got possession of Gist's camp, having 

 ambuscaded themselves, took a patrol which came forward on hearing 

 the firing. The troops set fire to Gist's huts and returned to their 

 camp."" 



Erom the American accounts, it appears that all the roads and bridges 

 had been well guarded by the enemy, except the one now called Warner's 

 Bridge, and that Capt. John Odell,upon the first alarm led off his troops 

 through the woods on the west side of the Saw Mill; here Colonel 

 Gist joined them. In the meantime Mrs. Babcock, having stationed 

 herself in one of the dormer windows of the Parsonage, aided their 

 escape whenever they appeared, by the waving of a white handkerchief. 

 a Simcoe 's Mill. Journal, p. 86. 



