In the attacks upon the British outposts particularly dur-ing the last years of the war, the American commanders were very often governed in their proceedings by the suggestions that came from these native strategists, and when in danger of capture, as the upper forces often were when down in small parties, from that rapidity of pursuit which the enemy were always enabled to make use of, in consequence of the concen-tration of their light troops along Harlem River, from Mor-risiana to Kingsbridge, it was not unusual for someone of the guides to take upon himself the entire direction of the retiring detachment, during the continuance of its retreat. Such was the confidence reposed in them, by those who best knew their abilities. With the hope of saving from total oblivion the names of those brave and patriotic men, I beg to place them before the Society, selecting for brief commentary, the three who were most conspicuous. The principal Westchester Guides, were the brothers Isaac and Cornelius Oakley of Whiteplains, and their cousin James Oakley of the Borough Toward of Westchester; the three

68 THE MCDONALDPAPERS brothers John, Abraham and Isaac Odell of Greenburgh; Isaac, or Uk Odell and Martin Post of Yonkers; the brothers Abraham and Micahel Dyckman of Kingsbridge; the brothers John and Peter Pine, from the country along the Croton, Samuel Youngs and John McChain of the manor of Philips-borough, Isaac Webbers of North Castle, David Hunt of Westchester, William Greene of the Lower Yonkers, and William N. Dyckman. To these names may be added An-drew Corsa of Fordham (who is yet living) but who in con-sequence of his youth, only acted upon two or three import-ant occasions, during the latter years of the war. The three, of whose numerous exploits I propose to describe a few, and of whose lives and characters, I shall give a very concise sketch, are Cornelius Oakley of Whiteplains, John Odell of Greenburgh and Abraham Dyckman of Kingsbridge.