The Americans at least seldom burned private mansions or devastated estates, which the British did not fail to do in their raids; and, indeed, the Westchester raids of the British were often exclusively for these j:)recise purposes. Summary arrests by the British in this county of persons not in arms, but deemed obnoxious for political reasons, were also very frequent; and many a Westchester patriot, including some of the most honored sons of the county, perished miserably in the loathsome dungeons and frightful prison-ships which the English commanders maintained for political captives. The first list of suspects for the Comity of Westchester reported to the provincial congress was headed by the name of Colonel Frederick I'hilipse. Another conspicuous person denounced on the same occasion was the Rev. Samuel Seabury, of Eastchester, to whom Colonel Lewis Morris had sarcastically alluded a few months before as a missionary for " propagating the Gospel, and not politicks, in for-

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

eign parts/' Philipse was destined to a brief respite before being summoned to the Revolutionary bar, but Seabury was soon to experience even harsher treatment than that provided for in the sufficiently aggressive provincial act. This initial list comprised altogether thirty-one persons. So far as their individual cases have been traced, documentary evidence has been found showing that at least twenty of the number were duly convicted and cast into prison. A specially interesting case was that of Godfrey Hains, of live, denoun ced by one Eunice Purdy, supposed to have been a revengeful sweetheart, in an affidavit over her mark. Eunice, being sworn " upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God," alleged that Hains had used extremely incendiary language in her hearing against congresses and committees, and moreover had expressed the heinous wish that menof-war would come along the Sound.