Wherever the term, "the Neutral Ground," occurs in general histories of the Revolution, it applies exclusively to Westchester County-- and to substantially the whole of the county. It is generally considered that the Neutral Ground proper embraced only the district between the Croton River at the north and a limit at the south about identical with the present city line of New York-- that north of the Croton the Americans held undisputed sway, and in the southern strip adjacent to Kingsbridge the British were unquestioned masters. But in truth there was no Neutral Ground proper. Practically all of Westchester County was continually exposed to alternate American and British raids, forages, and ravages, to depredations by bands of irresponsible ruffians not regularly attached to either army, and to acts of neighborhood aggression and reprisal by the patriot upon the Tory inhabitants and vice versa. It is a fact that several of the most formidable descents by the British in the history of the Neutral Ground were upon American posts at or above the Croton. A memorable expedition was made against an American force at Poundridge in the summer of 1 T7i> ; Bedford was burned upon the same occasion; Crompond, in Yorktown, was successfully

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attacked; and in 1781 a large body of Americans guarding the Croton, under the command of the brave but unfortunate Colonel Greene, was surprised and many of them were killed. As late as 1782 Crompond, though well above the Croton, was deemed a quite exposed situation. On the other hand, daring assaults by the Americans were frequently undertaken down to the very outposts of Kingsbridge, and no part of the comity witnessed more animated scenes than the present Borough of the Bronx. The command on the lines, as the projection of the American position below Peekskill was called, was uniformly intrusted to officers of approved courage and enterprise.