He was possessed of good natural abilities and judgment, but like most men of his time felt sadly the want of an early education. For many years he was an elder in the society of Friends. Before leavin^^ White Plains my lather had partly cleared the farms of his two brother's Jacob ALraliam at Xanahegan, travelling to and fro by a foot path "which

AaVon'T-'r,,'vrh?H',nH^"r-' ''"^i'^- f^'^'^f^'-^^rrived convoyed to Isaac McKeo!, -Dimiol Smirli. ^c-^BnTlgl i-'lrt-ai-'l Burroi.jrh L ti.lorhiU, one aero of lauii, three miles uonh ol

THE TOWN OF YORKTO\\'N. 699

T/rLs then the only road between the two places -- the surrounding country l-cir;^;; infested by Indians, and wild animals. He moved to Nanahegan 2l:out the year 173S, at which time the Indians had not left the neighliorliood. In 1774 he settled down at Amawalk, (Yorktown) the farm then hanng been one of the first cleared in that section of the countr)^,

"During the Revolutionary' war the main body of Washington's army, on its way from White Plains to New Jersey, marched past the house going from Pines Bridge to Peekskill. I frequently saw Washington pass during the time, so that I knew him as well as I did anybody. He always had a life guard of twelve young gentlemen riding before him with drawn swords for protection and honor -- they were said to be Virginians. I recollect perfectly well meeting him by the school house near Parkers, and at another time a little south of the old Amawalk inecling-house, and also when he passed our house. On the two former occasions he was not with the army. On the latter he proclaimed his intention to capture New York, and was making every exertion to collect men and stores for that purpose; but his real object v,-as to amuse the British in New York, to prevent their sending forces to Yorktown in Virginia to relieve Lord Comwallis.