In her immediate neighborhood, in Revolutionary days, brave deeds and deeds of great moment were performed. On that September morning in 1780, when the fate of the new born nation rode along yonder highway in the keeping of the British spy, the straining ear of the listener, standing upon her southern slope, might perhaps have caught the faint echo ot Paulding's bold challenge, which checked the spy, broke the plot of treason and saved the patriot cause in its direst crisis. Let others speculate, if the)- will, as to what Paulding, Williams and Van Wart might have done under different circumstances ; what in fact they did, is and ever shall be enough for the people of this old manor. Not the deeds which men might have done, but the deeds which they in fact did, make the truth of history.

Within the manorial domain, a few miles to the south, in the early part of August, 17S1, Washington and Rochambeau, under the inspiration of these hills and waters, conceived the great plan, the splen" did strategy of the Virginian campaign. On July 2d of that year, Washington and his army, on their way southward to make the movement against New York, rested at eveningtide before the portals of her church ; and the iStli of August following, upon their return, they passed along her western border on the long march to Yorktown. Knowing, as we do, the inherent reverence of that great leader's nature, we may rest assured that holy thoughts were in his mind as he rode by' that edifice, even then sanctified by venerable age. Perchance, that morning, as he passed beneath her shadow, he in his reverent heart craved her benediction upon his high emprise. Asked or unasked, we love to think her choicest blessing went, with him that day.