A surprise was thus prevented, and a hand to hand fight ensued in the darkness, the Rangers, inspired by the great courage and address of their colonel, defending themselves excellently. The Americans were finally forced to retire, sustaining aloss of three or four killed and about fifteen wounded, but bearing with them thirty-six prisoners and a quantity of captured arms and blankets. The number of the Loyalists killed and wounded is unknown, but according to American reports was large, twenty-

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BATTLE

WHITE

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of both sides;' says five dead being counted iu one orchard. "All Mr. Edward P. de Lancey in his " History of Maniaroneck," "ofwere the buried just over the top of the ridge almost directly north Heathcote Hill house, in the angle formed by the present farm lane and the east fence of the field next to the ridge. There their graves lie together, friend and foe, but all Americans. My father told me when he was a boy their green graves were distinctly visible. The late Stephen Hall, a boy of seventeen or eighteen at the time, said and that he sawthat they were buried the morning after the fight, nine laid in one large grave." General Howe promptly re-enforced the shattered Rangers with the brigade of General Agnew. On the 21st Washington advanced his headquarters from KingsHill, a promibridge a distance of about four miles to Valentine's nent ridge in the present City of Yonkers, upon whose brow Saint Joseph's Seminary stands. From this place a number of documents in connection with the movement then in progress are dated, and of sentimental interest. Valentine's Hill here occurred an episode was so called from the family of farmers who had tilled it for about three-quarters of a century as tenants of the Manor of Philipseburgh.