It was early on Sunday morning, December 2nd, 1781, while Sackett was being shaved by a lad from the neighbor-hood, that a body of Refugees appeared so suddenly that the surprised captain did not have time to wipe the lather from his face, before they took him and his brother James prisoners.1 Mosier with most of the company was encamped in a field south of the lane, a little more to the east and seeing the British coming ran with his men through the fields, the mounted Refugees on his left being compelled to remain in the lane by the high rail fences. The parties were about a quarter of a mile apart and within sight of each other most of the time. The pursuit continued in this way until the enemy succeeded in knocking down some of the fence rails, which permitted them to enter the fields. By this time Mosier, with twenty-six of his men, had reached the top of the hill here before us, where, ordering them to "fix bayonets," he formed them into a solid square or circle, with himself in the centre. Together with the two sergeants he at the same _________

Sylvanus Ferris Asa Jones Daniel Loder Shubal Cunningham Two colored men, names not remembered Lieutenant Mosier, like the men, carried a musket and bayonet. The following death notice appeared in the "Westchester Herald" of December 17th, 1850. "Died in Peekskill, October 2nd last, John Peterson (colored), Revolutionary Pensioner, aged 103 years." This was the "Patterson" of our story. According to this he was 34 years old at the time of the Rye skirmish. His name is spelled in various ways in different accounts. Probably because he could not write. The company was raised shortly before for six months service. Only a few of these names appear on the roster of Colonel Thomas' regiment, published by the State of New York, but many of them including the officers had served at various times in other regiments raised in West-chester and the adjacent counties. 1 This happened in Josiah Fowler's tavern on Purchase Street near the cross-roads.