654 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



Like the rest of the "Neutral Ground" this part of Yonkers was 

 infested with marauding parties of " Cow Boys " and " Skinners," the 

 former of whom claimed the title of Loyalists ; the latter, under the 

 mask of patriotism, called themselves Whigs. 



During the war when General Odell's father and family were living 

 in the homestead, a party of these lawless ruffians, with blackened 

 faces, armed with muskets, entered the house. Their first act appears 

 to have been to secure the females in the cellar; having effected this, 

 they proceeded to interrogate the General's father, and demanded his 

 money. 



On his refusing to satisfy their demands, they immediately hung 

 him by his neck to an adjoining tree; and when life was well nigh ex- 

 tinct, they cut him down, and again repeated their threats, but to no 

 better purpose. Whereupon they once more suspended and lowered him, 

 leaving him for dead. 



During these proceedings, the females had escaped from the cellar, 

 and Mrs. Odell, the General's mother, a woman of great intrepidity, 

 boldly assaulted them, upon which these cowardly villians attacked 

 her with the butt ends of their muskets. She managed, however, to 

 escape with a few broken ribs. On this occasion the General was too 

 young to take an active part in the affray, and narrowly escaped by 

 lowering himself with a cord from the garret window. His son Jacob 

 Odell, Esq., now owns the property. The adjoining estate, north, 

 belongs to his son-in law, Cornelius Odell, Esq. 



The roads leading east of the Saw Mill valley intersect with the 

 Sprain valley road, which runs nearly north and south. 



The Sprain river, called by the Indians Artnonfierahin, rises in two 

 springs north of Thirty Deer Ridge; the west branch in Wolf Swamp. a 

 The other called the Grassy Sprain, on the lands of widow Underhill. 

 These two springs flowing south intersect a little east of Benj. Fowler's. 

 They again divide at the northern extremity of Thirty Deer Ridge, and 

 running through two different vales again meet nearly opposite the Cat 

 rocks — so called for the abundance of wild cats that once frequented the 

 hill. These animals, Van der Donck assures us, had skins resembling 

 that of a lioness ; and not unlike them in form, with the exception of 

 short tails like a rabbit or hare. 



After uniting here, the Sprain pursues a south-east course until it 

 discharges into the Bronx, on the lands of Nathaniel Valentine. The 

 waters of the Sprain were pronounced by the commissioners in 1842, to 

 be the purest in Westchester county. 

 a A wolf was killed here as late aa 1S06. 



