The names of Westchester County settlers appear in large numbers in the City Directory of the early years of this century, and in the Record Books of Deeds, Mortgages and Wills, at the county seats of Northern, Central and Western New York. In many cases the farmer soldiers of the Revolution, or those to whom they had sold out their " rights," were eventually settling on the lands which had been laid out for and divided among the troops of the State of New York. Charles Ward, on the 16th of June, 1795, from Palatine Bridge, on the Mohawk, writes: "Business goes on briskly this summer, and my crops like to be good, and I have the prospect of getting in a large crop of wheat." '

At the height of this prosperity the course which England and France thought fit to take to weaken each other in 1806 had the most serious effect upon the United States, whose interest and desire was to. avoid all complications and preserve peace. In this " afflicting crisis," the consequences of which were

1 Cbarles Ward, eldest son of Stephen Ward, and for several yeal'^ ";ift 'r peace " the town clerk of East Chester. In 1S03 be represented llontgoniery County in the New York Assembly.

GENERAL HISTORY

FROM 1783 TO 1860.

felt throughout the laud in the depreciation of values, particularly of the agricultural products, the Embargo Act, which prohibited any exportation of goods whatever, brought the people into the still more subdued position, strongly stated at the time as "one in which they shall sell nothing but what they sell to each other" and "all our surplus produce shall rot on our hands." ■ The reduction in the prices went on until it amounted to sixty per cent. Wheat, which had been selling per bushel at two dollars, scarce brought seventy-five cents.