THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. 1 99 



"beheld the scene from the windows of Smith's house with anxious emo- 

 tion ; at length the firing ceased, and he resumed his wonted spirits and 

 composure."* 



Upon another occasion, " while Enoch Crosby the Westchester spy 

 was on duty in the vicinity of Teller's Point, a British sloop of war 

 came up the river, and anchored in the stream opposite the 

 point. 



With an unconquerable predeliction for strategem, our hero immedi- 

 ately concerted a plot, for the sole purpose, he says, of affording " a little 

 sport for his soldiers." He accordingly proceeded down to the Point, 

 accompanied by six men, five of whom, besides himself, concealed them- 

 selves in the woods, which grew a short distance from the shore, while 

 the other paraded the beach so as to display La Fayette's uniform in so 

 conspicuous a manner, as to attract the notice of the officers on board 

 the vessel 



The enemy swallowed the bait; and a boat soon put off from the 

 sloop of war, manned with eleven ,men, under the command of a lieu- 

 tenant, to make a prisoner of this one yankee, who precipitately fled 

 into the woods as the barge approached the shore. The Englishmen 

 followed, threatening to shoot the fugitive unless he stopped and sur- 

 rendered. 



As soon as the pursuers had passed his own little party, which were 

 scattered in various directions, Crosby exclaimed, " Come on, my boys ! 

 now we have them ! " 



At this signal, every man sprang up in his place with a shout that 

 made the welkin ring ; making at the same time such a rustling in the 

 bushes, that the British, thinking themselves surrounded by a superior 

 force, surrendered without resistance. 



On the next day tney were marched to Fishkill, and confined in the 

 old Dutch church." 6 



On 16th of October, 1799, (remarks Gen. Heath,) fourteen seamen 

 were taken prisoners by Capt. Hallet's company of New York militia, 

 two days before on the North River, near Teller's Point. c 



The surface of this town is hilly, and on the north-west mountainous. 

 The soil consists principally of sand and gravelly loam ; it is abundantly 

 supplied with rivulets and springs of water. 



The general growth of wood, is oak of all kinds, chestnut, hickory^ 

 elm, black and white ash, birch and pine. 



a Sparks' Life of Arnold, 206. 



5 Barnum's Spy Uumaskecl, pp. 149, 150. 



c Heath's Mem. 22. 



