From the petition of Jonathan Ward (one of the former proprietors of this place) to Congress in 1825, we learn, " that at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, Stephen Ward (the petitioner's father) resided in Eastchester, and county of Westchester, seven miles south of White Plains ; that the British troops took possession of the city of New York and the southern part of the county of Westchester, in the autumn of 1776 ; that in consequence of which, the said Stephen Ward left his residence, consisting of a large and valuable dwelling, barn, and sundry other buildings ; that between this period and the autumn of 1778, those buildings were occupied, a large portion of time, by the American troops, at which place there were several engagements between them and the British ; that in November, 1778, a large body of the British forces, commanded by General Tryon, made an excursion as far as Ward's house, and, by the g:eneral's orders, totally destroyed, by a fire, the buildings, with considerable other property.''^

In the spring of 1776Captain Archibald Campbell, with a strong

» Araer. State Papers, No cccclxv., G54. See Simcoe's Mil. Journal, p. 92.

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force of the enemy, surprised a Continental guard (under the conmiaiid of Captain Dehivaii) stntioned at Ward's house. After an offer of surrender hnd been nriade by the Americans, a shot was fired from one of the windows, which, unfortunately, killed Capiain Campbell. ^ The Briiisfi, seeing their commander fall, instai]tly forced the house, and, no resistance l)eing made, revenged his death by killing upwards of twenty on the stairs and in the adjoining. rooms ; a few effected tlieir escape by jumping out of the back windows. I'he dead, who fell upon this occasion, were interred among the locusts on the west side of the road.^