Rahl led his troops through I the hills and to the west of King's Bridge road; Von Knyphausen marched nearer the road, towards the Inwood gorge, with officers and men dismounted. The Americans had cannon planted along the north end of the high hill facing the approach from King's I Bridge, and had also constructed an abattis of felled trees. But the British outnumbered the Americans, scaled the steep heights and a hand-to-hand conflict ensued. In the mean time Lord Cornwallis embarked with a large number of troops in the flat-boats which had been concealed at Spuyten Duyvil. They landed at Sherman's Creek, stormed Laurel Hill, captured the battery there, and killed Baxter, its brave commander. Lord Percy simultaneously advanced against Cadwallader, who was on the south line. Howe also sent men down the river in boats, so as to j fall on Cadwallader's rear. Magaw and Cadwallader I saw them coming down the river ; their advance was covered by the heavy guns firing from Fordham Heights. Colonel Stirling, of the Highlanders, was the first to land, and scaled the heights somewhere I near the present location of the High Bridge. So soon as the heights were gained, he pushed his men across the island towards the citadel, and the Hessians and Percy combining, Fort Washington fell, and from that time to the end of the Revolution Manhattan Island and the adjoining shore remained under British rule and occupation.

Thenceforth the Westchester shore, and, in fact, the whole of the ancient township was the scene for many years of raids and foraging parties. The American lines extended across Westchester from Dobbs Ferry to the Sound. On one occasion an American scouting party near Williams' Bridge ^«ould have been ambuscaded by a British scouting squad had it not been for the timely warning a young girl gave them of the British approach, she having seen them j from her garret window.