For these purposes, Lieutenant-colonel Norton of the guards, on the evening of the 2d of February, with a strong detachment of troops in sleighs, was sent against the American colonel at that time posted at Youngs' House on the high grounds be-

8 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

tween Tarrytown and Whiteplains. The result of this excur-sion was, that early on the ensuing morning, Colonel Thompson was surprised, his post taken by a superior force, and his fol-lowers killed, captured or dispersed.

After this disaster, the advanced posts of the American lines were again drawn back and formed above the right bank of the Croton, under the command of Colonel Millen, and as the spring opened, the British refugees in large num-bers, frequently approached and even attacked, the pickets of the upper party. Preparations had for some time been making to retaliate these insults by striking a heavy blow at Colonel Delancey, who was stationed on Fordham Manor in the immediate vicinity of Spyt den duivel Creek, and whose head-quarters were then at Archer's House, a stone building which is yet standing, and situate adjacent to the high ground upon which the mansion of Louis Morris Esquire, has of late years been erected. This was considered a station of more than ordinary security, being as much as three miles within the enemy's out-posts, and distant only about three hundred yards from the British redoubt No. 8, containing a strong garrison. About one hundred and fifty men had been carefully selected for the contemplated service from the different Massachusetts regiments, to whom were added about thirty volunteers, and eight or ten guides then acting upon the lines. Among these last were the cousins Cornelius Oakley and James Oakley, the brothers Abraham and Michael Dyckman, John Odell and Samuel Youngs. Although overlooked by history, and almost unknown to a new generation, the memories of these men are cherished in their native county, where the first of each of the three groups above named, are still familiarly spoken of as "The three great guides." On one of the last days of April before preparations for the intended attack had been entirely completed, and in the absence of the two field-officers selected for the command, a strong party of Delancey's refugees came out to Singsing, and then marched easterly to Chappaqua, for the purpose of covering the operations of some persons who were conducting a large drove of cattle from Dutchess county to the New