Here the girl drew the water, which was offered to the stranger, who requested David to hold the bridle whilst he drank. After satisfying his thirst, he turned toward Mrs. Hammond, and asked the distance to Tarrytown; she replied, "Four miles." "I did not think it was so far," said he.

At Chappequa, in the vicinity of Underbill's tavern, the spy encoun^ tered several Quakers. From them he again inquired the road, at the same time asking whether any troops were out below, &c.

At the foot of the Chappequa roads the adjutant-general selected that which leads to the river. Following this, he came out in the Albany post road, near the village of Sparta. He had now securely passed about eleven miles of the neutral ground, and approached within a few hundred yards of the Hudson without interruption, and probably felt himself beyond the reach of detection.

A little north of Tarrytown, the road crosses a small brook, (now called the Andre brook.) A few rods from this spot a period was put to the journey of the spy and the progress of the treason.

On this fated morning some of the inhabitants of Westchester had by agreement taken their arms, and proceeded to the neighborhood of this brook and bridge, to prevent cattle from being driven down towards New York, and to seize as a loyal prize any such cows or oxen as might

JOHN PAULDING'S RESIDENCiS, CORTLAND

THE TOWN OF GKEEN13URGH.

be destined for his majesty's troops by their friends. This patriotic band of seven had volunteered of their own account to go upon this expedition the day previous, Sept. 22d, 17S0. John Yerks, (who was still living in the town of Mount Pleasant, in 1847, aged eighty-eight,) says that he proposed this excursion to John Paulding, both of them being at that time stationed in North Salem.