History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I
3 In his piiblislied Despatclies to tlie Home Government, while he held the chief commund of the .\i my in .\nierica, and in his Xurnilive in a Committee of tke House of Commons, relative to his Conduct, etc., especially in bis Obsenitlioiis upon a pam]ih!et entUled Lettei'S to a Nobleman, Oeneral Howe told the story of his great exi)ection of active cooperation, ill Ihejifld, from those who favored the Koyal ca\ise ; of the
what he subsequently did, concerning the alleged loyal element of the country, will fail to trace the spirit of both his words and his actions, back to the teachings of that not unprofitable expedition of the Plucnix and the Hose into the western waters of Westchestercounty.
Whatever may have been the real purposes of the expedition, the eastern shore of the river was so well guarded that no attempt was made to land, in force, for any purpose, on the Westchester-county side of it, nor was there any open communication between the ships and the inhabitants of that County, although it is known that frequent communications were effected, secretly and in the night, with some of the inhabitants of the Cortlandt Manor* -- it is not pretended by any one, that any Loyalist, from either of the three Counties of Orange, Westchester and Duchess, sought refuge on board of either of the ships. The river
assurances, to that effect, which he received from Governor Tryou and othei-s ; of the measures adopted by himself, under the most favorable rircumst«nces ; and of the bitter disappointment which he had experienced, in every instance.