History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I
Governor Tryon was enlisting as many as he could entice into the service of the King, both in New York and in other States ; * and
1 The Convention to the Continental (hngreis,- " In Contention of the " Representatives, etc., White-Piains, WESTCHESTER-couNTVj July "11, 1776;" the Journal of the Convention, " Friday moniing, Augt. "9, 1776 ; " Report of Committee on a more effectual mode of detecting and defeating the designs of the internal enemies of this State-- Journal of the
those who were "disaffected," in Westchester-county and elsewhere, were beginning to organize and to arm, for their own defence and, now and then, in support of the Royal cause.^ The Troop of Horse, in Westchester-county, of whom mention has been made, when a quota of its members A^as ordered for the reinforcement of the Continental Army, at New York, early in July, 1776, had refused to comply with the Order ;^ the Regiment of Westchester Militia, commanded by Colonel Joseph Drake, of New Rochelle, also declined to be submitted to a Draft, for the same purpose, later in July;* it knew that very few of the Militia of that County could be expected to enter the service, even for the protection of the County itself;^ and, on the earnest appeal of the friends of the Convention, in Salem and on Cortlandt's Manor, for the protection of the small revolutionary factions, there, from the greater number of those who were regarded as "disaffected, in those " portions of the County,"* a special Company of thirty men, to be commanded by Captain Samuel Delavan, and in addition to the similar Company commanded by Captain Micah Townsend, previously organized,' was necessarily ordered to be enlisted and established, at the expense of the State, for that particular service.* Even the authority of the Convention and that of the Committee of Safety of the State were disregarded by Captain Varian, of Westchester-county;' and there