"William," said the stricken soldier, laying his hand upon the wound: "I've got it now. But don't let me fall into the enemy's hands. I dread that." His two brothers Jacobus and Michael, who were a short distance off, were now called, and these, when they came up, took the reins of his bridle and rode briskly forward, while he with their aid supported himself by the horse's mane, until they passed the American detachment and reached a place of safety. Immediately afterward, he was conveyed to the neighborhood of Peekskill, where he died five days subse-quently on the 9th of March, 1782, and was buried at Crompond.

82 THE MCDONALD PAPERS The last partisan excursion of the Neutral Ground was made on the 24th, of January, 1783, by about fifty volunteer horse-men under the command of Captain Daniel Williams. John Odell and his two brothers, William N. Dyckman, Martin Post and John McChain were engaged in this enterprise, the principal object of which, was to make prisoner of Colonel James DeLancey, who entirely off his guard lay at Westfarms, in fancied security, busily engaged in preparations to meet the banishment to which he had been doomed by the confiscation and outlawry Act of Legislature of his parent state. The great outlaw of Westchester however escaped, notwith-standing every precaution was taken by Captain Williams, when he advanced about midnight upon DeLancey's House, at Westfarms and the followers of the former thereupon sought solace for the disappointment in an appropriation of spoils, justified alike by the rules of war, and by seven years' usage upon the lines, consisting principally of household val-uables, arms, and horses. As the American volunteers on their return, approached the Manor of Courtland, such of them as came from its eastern parts, being anxious to regain their homes by the shortest route, refused to cross the Croton River, and it was there-fore proposed and agreed to, by acclamation, that they should go to Orser's house, on the banks of the North River, where they could procure refreshments for themselves and their horses, and divide the spoils.