THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. 141 



of the sisters of St. Mary who have admirably succeeded by great per- 

 sonal exertion in making practical the idea, of a female boarding 

 school, where solid attainments, correct notions of woman's exact position 

 in society, and a healthy growth of mind, heart and body can be attained 

 to the exclusion of more pretentious accomplishments; finery in dress 

 and that abominable theory that woman is a mere ornament of society." 

 The sisters have two other schools in the United States, one in New York 

 and one in Memphis, Tenn." " The designs of these schools is to offer 

 to Church people, and all who wish to have their daughters grow up in 

 the doctrines of a true religious faith, an opportunity at the smallest 

 cost, to obtain a thorough education." Surrounded by the old parochial 

 Church of St. Peter's is an extensive grave yard containing memorials to 

 the Penoyers, Wards, Drakes, Ferris's, &c, &c. The oldest interment 

 appears to have been Mary, wife of John Ward, who died on the 15th of 

 September, 1765, in the 69th year of age. 



One of the tomb stones is inscribed with the following expressive 

 sentence : 



"•Eternity how long!" 



There is also a small enclosure belonging to the Birdsall family. 



Among the illustrious dead interred here, may be mentioned Major- 

 General Seth Pomeroy, one of the heroes of Bunker Hill. 



On the west side of the grave yard is situated the monument of John 

 Paulding. 



The following is the report of the select committee, appointed in pur- 

 suance of a resolution of the board of common council, passed the 4th 

 day of December, 1826, during the mayoralty of the Honorable Philip 

 Hone directing a monument to be erected to the memory of John Pauld- 

 ing, one of the captors of the British spy, Andre. 



Your committee engaged Messrs. Francis and James Kain, to erect a 

 monument of white marble, the materials of which were procured from 

 their quarry, in the county of Westchester. It is of the most simple 

 form, consisting of a pedestal, surmounted by a cone, showing an eleva- 

 tion of thirteen feet ; the whole composed of the most massive materials, 

 and fastened with iron cramps in such a manner as to resist the severity 

 of the climate for ages to come. 



The base of the monument covers a square of seven feet, surrounded 

 by an iron railing, four feet in height, and two feet seven inches distant, 

 inserted in a marble coping fourteen inches broad, comprehending a 

 square of twelve feet two inches. 



One side of the monument exhibits a facsimile of the face of the 

 medal, voted by the Congress of the United States to each of the captors 



