THE TOWN OF EAST CHESTER. 



'■53 



In the Spring of 1776, Captain Archibald Campbell, with a strong 

 force of the enemy, surprised the Continental guard (under the command 

 of Captain Delavan) stationed at Ward's house. After an offer of sur- 

 render had been made by the Americans, a shot was fired from one of 

 the windows (by Lieut. Paddock) which, unfortunately, killed Captain 

 Campbell. The British, seeing their commander fall, instantly forced 

 the house, and, no resistance being made, revenged his death by killing 

 upwards of twenty on the stairs and in the adjoining rooms; a few effec- 

 ted their escape by jumping out of the back windows. The dead who 

 fell upon this occasion, were interred among the locusts on the west side 

 of the road. 



John Dibble, on the 3d of Nov. 1844, (one of the American soldiers 

 who took an active part in this affair) thus relates the circumstances at- 

 tending the surprisal in 1776: — "I was at the attack made upon Ward's 

 house by Major Campbell. In the morning of that day we went down 

 to William's Bridge, on a scout to cover a foraging party consisting of 

 five or six teams. Our intention being to forage in the vicinity of Morris- 

 ania, and return to Eastchester in the evening. The enemy came up 

 from King's Bridge to oppose us, and we fought them across the river 

 (Bronx) all day long until the teams returned. We numbered about 

 eighty strong, forty accompanying the teams, while the rest remained to 

 oppose the enemy. The British were about fifty strong and had a fort 

 at the bridge. It was night before we returned to Ward's house. Cap- 

 tain Samuel Delavan commanded us, and he was saved that night in con- 

 sequence of wearing a red coat, thus passing for a British officer. The 

 enemy approached Ward's house from the west side of the road. A sen- 

 tinel was posted near, or perhaps in the road, who challenged the British. 

 The latter rushed up to the house, and soon surrounded it. Captain 

 Noah Bouton came to the door and asked for quarter, saying they were 

 all desirous to surrender; but Major Campbell called out "Fire away 



boys kill all the d d rebels you can." Bouton thereupon discharged 



his musket, and shot Campbell through the body who fell dead at his 

 feet. There were about two hundred Americans in the house who all 

 escaped except twenty-seven who were taken prisoners, and six who were 

 killed. The British had eight killed. I effected my escape by jumping 

 out of a window on the north side of the house and soon after encoun- 

 tered a company of Americans advancing, I gladly joined them and re- 

 turned to the fight. On reaching the house we found the enemy firing 

 into the windows. Posting ourselves behind a stone wall we attacked 

 them, but they far outnumbered us ; and out-flanked, we were compelled 

 to retreat. We retired that night some two miles off, and the next day 



