The boldness of these opera- | tions, by raw militia, and for so long a period, in face | of the strong force of British and German veterans in New York, speak volumes for the spirit of our grandsires in their determined contest for independence.

The Massacre of the Stockbkidge Ixoians. -- During the summer of 1778 the British light troops, which were encamped about King's Bridge, had frequent skirmishes with the American light troops on the highways and by-roads of the old Yonkers.

On the 20th of August, when jnitrolling out the old "Mile Square Road," Lieutenant-Colonel Emmerick was attacked and compelled to return to his camp at King's Bridge. A few days later a small body of American light troops and Indians, under Colonel Gist, which had taken part in this encounter, was posted in several detachments on the heights commanding the old road, one body on each side of the road, just north of its crossing over a small stream beyond the present Woodlawn Heights, and a third about three hundred yards west of the road, on Devoe's farm, opposite to Woodlawn Heights. Between the last party and the road were scattered about sixty Stockbridge Indians, under their chief, Nimham, who had been in England. Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe, of the Queen's Rangers, learned, through his spies, that the Indians were highly elated at Emmerick's retreat and supposed that they had driven the whole force of light troops at King's Bridge. He took measures to increase this belief and meantime planned to ambuscade and capture their whole force. His idea was, as the enemy came down the "Mile Square Road," to advance past his flanks. This movement would be perfectly concealed by the fall of the ground to the right {i.e., down the slope in Woodlawn Heights, towards the stream at Second Street) and by the woods on the left {i.e., Van Cortlandt's woods, bordering the road and " Lover's Lane," extending north from the road opposite Fourth Street).