Lieut. Colonel Simcoe was describing a private road to Lieut. Colonel Tarleton : Wright, his orderly dragoon, alighted and took down a fence of Devaux's farm yard for them to pass through ; around this farm the Indians were lying in ambuscade ; Wright had scarce mounted his horse, when these officers, for some trivial reason altered their intentions, and, spurring their horses, soon rode out of sight, and out of reach of the Indians.
In a few days after, they had certain information of the ambuscade, whicli tfiey so fortunately had escaped : in all probability they owed their lives to the Indians' expectation of surrounding and taking them prisoners."*
Bordering the road north west of the Van Cortlandt's, is the old Hadley property, now owned by Major Joseph Delafield.
The stone residence of the Hadley's is still standing on the edge of the ancient turnpike.
The shore of the Hudson in this region is studded with beautiful villas ; the most prominent of which are those of Mr. W. Morris, Mr. William Ackerman, Mr. Abraham Schemerhorn, Mr. J. E. Betner and Mr. Lispenard Stewart, &.c.
Tu the immediate vicinity of the latter is situated Font Hill, the seat of Mr. Edwin Forrest. The edifice which is of stone, after the designs of Mr. Thos. C. Smith, presents a fine specimen of the English castellated style. The building has six towers, affording extended vie\ys of the Hudson River ; the highest of these called the flag or stair tower, is seventy-one feet from the surface of the ground.