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1845.

Jackson Odell. – September 12th.

Colonel Norton with the expedition against Young’s house advanced by the Sprain road and continued their march on the road passing from the Methodist Church to the Four Corners. At the house of *Ikendahl* Allaire, about half a mile from Young’s, he encountered an outpost, surrounded, and took it. The enemy’s cavalry, from the depth of the snow not being able to surround the house, drew upon the hill, situated east on the White Plains road, awaiting the infantry. A party of American’s had advanced as far as Dr. Adams and Gilbert Fisher’s (?) hill to relieve Colonel Thompson’s guard. When the strength of the British forces was seen, Thompson was advised either to join said relief party on the hill or to retreat within the house. He answered: “I was sent here to defend this post – and shall do so. They are only DeLancey’s Cow-boys!” He drew up his men in front of the house and to the right

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right side of it and posted some in the house. The Grenadiers and DeLancey’s horse charged, simultaneously, and the Americans were routed. DeLancey pursued as far as the first hill, about a quarter of a mile from Young’s. There was a spring of water nearly opposite Young’s on the East side of (and in) the road, where many wounded crawled for water and died. The British returned I think by the Sprain road. My father was at Youngs House at the time and I obtained these facts from him. Rochambeau’s Head Quarters were at Colonel John Odell’s house then owned by one Bates and now by Jackson Odell, and Washington’s Head Quarters were at Joseph Appleby’s, about half a mile from the Dobb’s Ferry road and about the same (as much) from the Saw Mill river. Colonel Greene in the spring of

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’81 was ordered by General Washington “to take Colonel Delancey at all events.” Delancey hearing of this determined to strike the first blow. He managed with skillful guides, by taking by roads and marching through fields to pass the American guards and patrols. – After the affair at Pines Bridge, he retreated by the North River road. One of his men boasted on returning at Odell’s house that he could show more rebel blood upon his sword than any of the party. This was in the presence of Mrs. Garret Dyckman. This man’s name was James Foskey. Colonel [X1] Cushing’s party on the retreat from Morrisania passed up the Sprain road to McChain’s where it terminates, and then took to the fields where, in order to gain the Saw Mill river road, they had to pass some long sloping ground, near called Van Tafael’s Hill or Van Tafael’s [X2] slope, favorable to a cavalry charge

[X1] Capt

[X2] Van Tassel

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which Mr, Dyckman said he momently expected. Colonel Hammond told me that Emmerick was surprised upon some occasion at the corner of a word, which stands on the north side of the (Sprain) Saw Mill (?) road, about one mile south west of Young's house (?) Infantry attack upon Donop and Mertz in Edgar's Lane. The principal guide was Isaac Odell (a cousin of Colonel John Odell [Uck] who caharged along with Major Lee. - It was the same Odell, generally called Uck Odell, who was taken at Versailles. He was a guide).