of it:

" Tarrytown, (Sunday morning,) August 4. "Sir:

" I have just opportunity to inform you that, " yesterday, at one o'clock, P.M., the galleys attacked " the Plicenix and the Hose, off Tarrytown.

" The Lady Washington fired the first gun on our "side, in answer to one received from the Pluenix: " this first shot from us entered the Phmnix. The " Washington, galley, on board of which the Commo- " dore's flag was hoisted, then came up within grape- " shot of the ships, and singly sustained their whole " fire, for about a quarter of an hour, before any other " of our vessels took a shot from her (the tide wasting " them more than the pilots expected to the eastern " shore ; and the Lady Washington falling back to

» Compare the letter of Pierre Van Cortlandt and Zephaniah Piatt, Junr., of the second of August, with the reports of the engagement between the galleys and the ships, off Tarrytown, on the evening of the next day.

10 General Washington to the Convention, " New- York, July 24, 1776."

11 Memoirs of Major-general Heath, 51.

12 [Hall'sJ Historg of tile Civil War in America, 186.

WESTCHESTEK COUNTY.

' take her station in the line, according to orders). ' The Spitfire advanced, in a line with the Washing- ' ton ; and, with her, behaved well.

" We had as hot a fire as, perhaps, was ever known, ' for an hour and a half. The Washington, which I ' was on board, during the whole engagement, had ' the ledgings of her bow-guns knocked away, which ' prevented our working them, and was otherwise ' considerably damaged, being thirteen times hulled, ' had three shot in the waist, many of her oars car- ' ried away, etc.