Bushnell, of New York, well known among numlsmatista and antiquaries, wa^ of the same family as the Mr. Busliuelt nferred to, in tlie text ; and he gathered, with great labor and much SMt, ever.Niliing which was known to exist, concerning that early inventor. The onlj' description of the machine for destroying vessels at kochor, invented by him and destroyed by the enemy whom it was intended to annoy, as far as we have knowledge, may be seen in the iVetmoirt of General Heath, 69.

• We have some reasons for supposing that both these ships were MTed ; although no direct evidence ap{>ear« that more than one of them was brought off. See, however, £i«i/«ia«/-fo/o«f/ Tilghman to General Bealh, " Head-qI'abtkrs, October 9, 1776;" Cb/o«oJ Heed to the same, "October 9, 1770 ; " Gnirral i'uf/iain to the same, " Wednesday, noon ; " lieutenant-colonel Tilghman to Jlobert R. Livingston, " IIead-quajetees, " Hari.em IIeiohts, October 10, 1776 ;" etc.

• ti«u<eiiaii(« Pultinm and Cleaves to General Washington, "North

Dobbs's-ferry, a boat's crew was sent ashore, and signalized its presence by plundering a store, and by staving the casks and setting the building on fire ; but the fire was extinguished by the Americans, after the enemy had returned to his boat.*

The movement of the ships, up the river, and the consequent control of the latter, notwithstanding the obstructions on which so much dependence had been rested, very promptly called forth the entire energies of General George Clin ton' and General Heath,* both of them in Westchester-county, to prevent the enemy from effecting a landing and for the protection of the property which was exposed to the ravages of his tenders and boais ; and, of course, the vigilant Commander-in-chief immediately des])atched an express to the Convention, that notice might be immediately communicated to General James Clinton, commanding the forts, in the Highlands, putting him on his guard, and directing that precautions should be taken to prevent the river-craft from tailing into the hands of the enemy -- the General was not informed of the destination of the shii)s nor of the purposes of the movement; but he was not, apparently, very much alarmed, and supposed, only, that they were sent to cut off the communication of the American Army, by water, to the northward ; " probably to gain recruits ;" and to close the supplies of the Americans, especially those of Boards, for the construction of Barracks,