Morris.

During the Revolutionary war, West Farms was constantly exposed to the daily forays of both armies, as they alternately held possession of the adjoining country. "On the 25th of January, 1777, (observes General Heath,) early on the morning, the enemy made a sally towards Df Lanct-ys Mills^ where tliey surprised and routed the guard, v.'Ounding several, but not killing or taking any of them ; and a regiment near that place quitted their quarters.''"

The Military Blockhouse, which occupied the site of Mr. Mapes's Temperance House, v.-as destroyed by Colonel Burr, in the winter of 1779. The event is thus related by Samuel Young, in a letter to Commodore Valentine Morris : --

"Soon after Trj'on's retreat, Colonel Delancey, who commanded the British refugees, in order to secure themselves against surprise, erected a block house oa a rising ground below De Lrincey's Brid;^e. This, Colonel Burr resolved to destroy. 1 was ia that expedition, nnd recollect the circumstances.

"He procured a number of h.ind-grenades ; also, rolls of port fire, and canteen.^ filled with inflammable niaterialji, witli contrivances to attach them, to the side of the blockhouse. He set cut with his troops early in the evening, and arrived within a mile of the blockhouse by two o'clock in the morning. The Colonel gave Captain Black the command of about forty volunteers, who were first to approach; twenty of them were to carry the port fires, &c. Those who had hand-grenades, had short ladders to enable them to reach the port holes, the exact hciglit of which Colonel Burr had ascertained. Colonel Burr gave Captain Black his instructions in the hearing of his compan\-, assuring him of his protection If they were attacked h\ superior numbers ; for it was expected that the enemy, who had several thousand men at and near Kings Bridge, would endeavor to cut us off, as we were several miles below them.