As it is more than probable that the ships, when they were attacked, were off Tarry town, instead of below Yonkers; as Yonkers, in 1777, was within the British lines, and so could not have afforded a rendezvous, in the Saw-Mill-river, for American gun-boats and fireships, during that year ; as the Phmi-ix and the Rose had dropped down to the anchorage of the Royal Fleet, off Slaten Island, on the eighteenth of August, 17^6, two days after the engagement described in the text; and as the authority whom he quoted, in full, described the engagement, of which he was an eye-witness, as having taken place on the sixteenth of August, 1776, it will be evident to the reader that the historian of Westchestercounty, as well us bis posthumous Editor, blundered.

2 In order that the reader may understand the gravity of the subject, and be the better prepared for the recital of the narrative of those stirring events which occurred within the succeeding month, we make room for the following :

" It gives us great pain to inform you that the aid received from our "sister StateB is very inadequate to our expectations, none of them hav- ** ing yet completed the levies directed by Congress, which leaves us "reason to fear that, instead of using every means that human wisdom "dictates, for ensuring success, we shall, (with inferior numbers,) on "the doubtful issue of a single battle, hazard the glorious cause for "which we have hitherto struggled." (Tlie Convention of New York to the Delegation from Ncio York in the Continental Congress, " Harlem, 7th Au- "gust, 1776, A.M.")