His orders were " to move between Croton River and the White Plains, Hudson's River and Bedford; never to remain long at any one place, that the enemy might not be able to learn their manner of doing duty or form a plan for striking .them in any particular situation." During this winter, with 250 men, he took a position at the Youngs House, and, contrary to instructions, stopped there so long that the enemy conceived and executed the precise project that General Heath apprehended. On the night of February 2, 1780, " a force of between four and five hundred infantry and one hundred horsemen, composed of British, Germans, and Colonel de Lancey's Tories, set out from Fort Knyphausen (formerly Fort Washington), south of Spuyten Duyvil," to attack him, the whole expedition being commanded by Colonel Nelson, of the Guards. The weather was intensely cold, and deep snow covered the ground. The attacking party arrived about nine o'clock on the morning of February 3. Thomson's men offered a brave resistance, but were overpowered by numbers. The American loss in killed

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

and wounded was between thirty and fort}', about half the total number being killed on the spot or dying of their wounds. The enemy acknowledged losses of five killed and eighteen wounded. LieutenantColonel Thomson and six other officers, with eighty-nine privates, were taken prisoners. The killed of both sides were buried together. many a furrow over their graves," said the Rev. 1 have ploughed "Alexander Van Wart. In consequence of this unfortunate affair, all attempt by the Americans to hold the country south of the Croton River was abandoned, and from that time until the restoration of peace our lines .lid not extend below Pine's Bridge and Bedford. In September, 1780 (eight months after the Youngs House disaster), when Major Andre was taken at Tarrytown, his captors had to travel a distance of more than ten miles to the nearest American post.