THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. Ill 



either liberty or death. In this intention he was strongly opposed by 

 his tory relations, who used every effort to induce him to join their 

 standard. Governor Tryon at the same time forwarded him a major's 

 commission in the Cortlandt militia. This document he subsequently 

 destroyed, and received in lieu thereof a lieutenant colonel's commission 

 in the Continental service, bearing date June, 1775, signed John Han- 

 cock, President of Congress. He continued to hold the above com- 

 mand in the 4th New York regiment until November the 28th, 1776, 

 when he received from General Washington a colonel's commission in 

 the 2d New York regiment. In this capacity he served at the battles of 

 Stillwater and Saratoga. In both of these actions the New York regi- 

 ment suffered severely. In the winter of 1778 he was ordered to pro- 

 tect the frontiers against the depredations of Brant, the Indian chief, 

 who had destroyed much valuable property and murdered several of the 

 defenseless inhabitants. In pursuance of these orders Col. Van Cort- 

 landt marched to Laghawack, where he posted his command. Soon 

 afterwards having received fresh orders from the commander-in-chief, he 

 was on the eve of marching when Brant, supposing he had left the 

 neighborhood, prematurely set fire to an adjoining village. The colo- 

 nel immediately started his whole command in hot pursuit. Upon the 

 first tidings, however, of their approach, Brant fled to the neighboring 

 hills. In his diary Gen. Philip Van Cortlandt remarks, "As I ap- 

 proached him (Brant) he being on the hills, and seeing me leaning 

 against a pine tree waiting for the closing up of my men, ordered a 

 rifle Indian to kill me, but fortunately he over-shot me, the ball passing 

 three inches over my head. I then pursued him, but could not over- 

 take him, as he ran through a large swamp." 



In the year 1779-80, Col. Van Cortlandt was a member of the court 

 that tried Gen. B. Arnold for improper conduct. His own views of the mat- 

 ter are thus recorded in the his diary : " Gen. Arnold being under arrest 

 for improper conduct in Philadelphia, while he commanded there, I was 

 chosen one of the court-martial, Maj. Gen.. Howe, President. There 

 were also in that court four officers who had been at Ticonderoga when 

 Col. Hazen was called on for trial, &c. ; we were for cashiering Arnold, 

 but the majority overruled, and he was finally sentenced to be repri- 

 manded by the commander-in-chief. Had all the court known Arnold's 

 former conduct as well as myself he would have been dismissed the 

 service," &c. 



In the year 1.780 Col. Van Cortlandt was selected as one of the colonels 

 to command a regiment of infantry under Major General La Fayette. 

 A letter is still preserved in the family from the Marquis de La Fayette 



