Sir Henry Clinton, whom Howe had left in upon mand at New York, hastily sent up a ship of war, from which, its arrival at Verplanck's Point, a message was forwarded to Putnam under a flag of truce, claiming Palmer as a lieutenant in the British made if harm befell service, and intimating that reprisal would be stic reply: him. Putnam returned the following characteri Headquarters, 7th August, 1777. lurking withSir • Edmund Palmer, an officer in the enemy's service, was taken asanda spy shall be executed in the American lines. He has heen tried as a spy, condemned as a spy, as a spy ; and the flag is ordered to depart immediately. PTn\m P. S. -- He has heen accordingly executed.

Palmer was a Tory of Yorktown (this county)-- one of the offensive ed and had a wife and family. It is said class. He was well 'connect he was taken into custody by a party of his patriot neighbors. Bolton o-ives a pathetic account of the unavailing appeal made by his wife to Putnam for mercy.1 He was hanged on a little hill in the northern part of Cortlandtown, a great assemblage of country people being the event. The place still bears the name of to witness gathered H ill. . Gallows Putnam during his Peekskill adminAnother spy was executed bywho, when arrested, had on his person istration--one Daniel Strang, and dated a paper drawn by Colonel Rogers, of the Queen's Rangers, " Valentine's Hill, December 30, 177(5," which authorized the bearer to bring recruits for the British service. Strang also was tried by court-martial, condemned, and hanged, the sentence receiving Washington's approval. He suffered on a spot now comprised within the grounds of the Peekskill Academy. His gallows was an oak tree. The locality has ever since been called Oak Hill, in memory of the occurrence.