a pocket book, some money, other papers and letters, &c, was a letter from General Washington to Colonel Greene, in which this expression was used, "Take DeLancey at all events." DeLancey said he was informed of this by his spies and determined to strike the first blow. My father used to say he considered this one of the boldest and best conducted enterprises that occurred during the war. DeLancey marched his detach- -ment along by roads and across fields so as to pass all American outposts and patrols unobserved and gained the Croton without discovery. My father being down with a flag in 1778, Colonel DeLancey took him aside and told him he had better withdraw from the lines for a while, as some of his men whose
- Hufeland Index Page 186 -
relatives had had their houses and barns destroyed were deter- -mined to retaliate upon the Odell and Dyckman families and he would not be able to prevent them from destroying the houses of his father and relatives. In conse- -quence of this friendly caution Colonel Odell withdrew for to the Mohawk Valley. Abraham Dyckman was a dark, complexioned, broad shouldered thick set short athletic man.