The capture of the British guardship " Schuldham " (1777) at the mouth of Eastchester Creek-- a very brilliant performancewas effected by some whaleboatmen from Darien, Conn., who first seized the market-sloop which plied regularly between Eastchester and New York, and then took her alongside the " Schuldham " on the pretense of desiring to sell some of their truck; whereupon a party of armed men, concealed in the sloop's hold, clambered on board the war-vessel, overpowered the crew, forced them to navigate the prize, and ran her into the port of New London. In this connection a word should be said also about the excellent services of the "water guards" in the various communities on the Hudson. The constant presence of the enemy's ships in the river rendered it peculiarly necessary to keep vigilant watch on the Hudson's banks, and the organization effected for the discharge of the duties thus involved came to be very efficient. It was never safe for a rowboat from a British ship to venture to the shore; and even the war-vessels themselves had to keep steadfastly to the middle of the stream, else the wide-awake patriots were likely to improvise batteries and open on them with uncomfortable effect. The capture of Andre and the consequent foiling of Arnold's treason was made possible by no other contributing circumstance so much as the wellunderstood vigilant surveillance of ships in the river, and of all holdcommunication with them, which was maintained at every point ing shore. on the As during the latter half of the year 1778 the enemy in New York Baird's Hist, of Rye (Seharf, ii., G7