As they possessed no artillery sufficient to batter the fort, and they were opposed to storming it with militia, and the principal object being to destroy or bring ofi" forage, which could be accomplished without opposing the men in the open field or scattering them about in houses, where they would be in danger of capture in detail -- for these reasons the troops were ordered to retire as soon as it grew dusk. Lincoln's division marched to Dobbs Ferry and Tarrytown, Wooster's to New Rochelle and Scott's to White Plains. They were not safe in their quarters before the snow fell heavily.

In 1779 Heath was again in command of the American outposts, which continually raided Westchester township. In August of that year Sheldon's and Morgan's horse and the militia, with forty men of Glover's Continental brigade, made a raid in the neighborhood of Morrisania, captured some prisoners and cattle and were finally driven off' by the British. A few days afterwards the British, seeing the necessity of having strong defenses at the north end of Manhattan Island, built a fort on Laurel Hill, at the high point now the terminus of Tenth Avenue, and about this time also constructed Redoubt Number Eight, on theWestchester side, on the site of the present residence of Mr. Gustav Schwab, near Morris' Dock. Shortly after the building of Fort Number Eight, I>ieut. Oakley, of the American army, took five prisoners and came very near capturing Colonel de Lancey, the leader of the Tory Westchester light horse, who was quartered at