The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester (1881 revised edition, Vol. I)
Anthony's Nose ; that it even bearded the stout island of Manhattan, invading it at night, penetrating to its centre, and burning down the famous DeLancey house, the conflagration of which makes such a bbze in revolutionary history. Nay, more ; in their extravagant daring, these cocks of the Roost meditated a nocturnal descent upon New York itself, to swoop upon the British commanders, Howe and Clinton, by surprise, bear them off captive, and, perhaps, put a triumphant close to the war.
" This doughty Dutchman (continues the sage Diedrich Knickerbocker) was not content with taking a share iu all the magnanimous enterprises concocted at the Roost, but still continued his petty warfare along shore. A series of exploits at length raised his confidence in his prowess to such a height, that he began to think himself and his goose-gun a match for anything. Unluckily, in the course of one of his prowlings, he descried a British transport aground, not far from shore, with her stern swung towards the hind within point-blank shot. The temptation was too great to be resisted ; bang 1 as usual went the great goose-gun, shivering the cabin windows, and driving all hands forward. Bang! bang I the shots were repeated. The reports brought several sharp-shooters of the neighborhood to the spot : before the transport could bring a gun to bear, or land a boat, to take revenge, she was soundly peppered, and the coast evacuated. She was the last of Jacob's triumphs. He fared, like some heroic spider, that