[margin: 1845,] [margin: (Hopkins)] September 16. – John Romer of Greenburgh: “In the end of July 1779, Captain Hopkins with a detachment of Moylan’s and Sheldon’s lay in the neighborhood of Young’s house, probably north and east of it, between said house and the Episcopal church and Bedford. Hopkins hearing that Bearmore was out, formed an ambuscade for him in a woods which is adjacent to the West Plains and Tarrytown road, and near the Saw Mill river road. Hopkins was misinformed, for Bearmore was not out there, but Colonel Emmerich had marched from below with a strong party consisting of part of his own and of the Green Yagers, horse and foot, and was endeavoring to draw this detachment of Moylan’s corps within his reach. Emmerich’s party was near five hundred strong and were moving to waylay all the roads. Hopkins ignorant of all this had gone down (probably ?) by a by road leading by Avery’s or Every’s house and mill and which came out near Young’s About daylight (Sunrise) a portion of the enemy advanced near Hopkins, and was[page break] [margin: 1845,] charged by ten or twelve of his men and driven as far as Young’s where they were supported by Emmerich’s horse, but many of them had surrendered before they reached Young’s. Emmerich now charged the small party of Moylan’s under Capt. Pike, and drove them near a quarter of a mile when Hopkins came up with his whole detachment and drove them to Young’s, [a quarter of a mile below ?] Emmerich and his party would have been taken and destroyed, had not a body of Yagers come up who [by Emmerich’s order – “Fire! mine Yagers, fire!” fired (from behind a stone wall.)] Emmerich behaved with courage, but his horse was seized with a fit of coughing He could have been killed by Hopkins’ men but they were desirous of taking him prisoner. Hopkins finding that there were several bodies of regulars about him found it was time to secure his retreat [fired upon a second time from stone house probably] This he attempted first by the Saw Mill river road which leads west of the[page break] [margin: 1845,] County House to Twitching’s corner, but after going a mile on that road they found it in possession of the Green Yagers Horse. They then turned back, but before they could reach the Tarrytown road encountered Emmerich who had placed them between two fires. They charged Emmerich again and drove him towards Young’s. They then attempted the North River road, but on approaching Beekman’s bridge they found that pass guarded by a strong detachment of Yagers. They were now on the point of being surrounded. Their prisoners in these rapid evolutions had all escaped but three. In this dilemma their guide, a bold and skillful man (Isaac Webbers) led them through the fields by a short cut east of the Bridge and Mill Pond and conducted them with the three remaining prisoners and four horses taken in safety to the Post-road. Emmerich dashed up the Post-road in pursuit and was at first mistaken by the Yagers[page break] [margin: 1845,] for the American horse and fired upon. They soon found their mistake and Emmerich continued the pursuit. He commanded a strong detachment of cavalry, having been joined immediately after Hopkins’ last charge by the Yager horse from the Twitching’s corner road. That is, the Saw Mill river road.[page break] [margin: 1845,] John Romer – Sept. 18. “The wood where Hopkins was in ambush was about three quarters of a mile west from Young’s, and distant two miles or two and a half from Tarrytown. The stone wall from which the Yagers fired upon him is about two hundred yards west from Young’s in the South side of the road, between Youngs and Hammonds. The road by which I suppose (without certainly knowing) Hopkins advanced to the wood was a road leading from the White Plains and Tarrytown road northerly, by Avery’s house and mill. At this time there were few enclosures and temporary roads, paths and military ways abounded. When Hopkins attempted to retreat he was almost surrounded, the enemy being in possession of Young’s House and the adjacent roads, the White Plains road, the road to Twitching’s corner and the North River road. A detachment of Yagers horse and foot had gone[page break] [margin: 1845,] up the Twitching’s or North Castle or Saw Mill river road, and not finding any of Hopkins’s party there, had turned about and were returning when Hopkins came up. The spot where the two parties met was about half a mile from the White Plains and Tarrytown road. Finding the enemy too strong Hopkins wheeled about and rode briskly down the hill until he approached the Post-road, when he discovered a steady strong body of Yagers Infantry in possession of the road and pass over Beekman’s Bridge. His escape he now owed to the skill and courage of his guide, Isaac Webbers who conducted him over the Peantico by crossing the fields a little east of the Post-road, which then ran a little east of the present road. Soon after he came out of Twitching’s Road into the White Plains road Emmerich was at his heels and followed so close that to a spectator they almost appeared to form one squadron. When

154 1845 19 Hopkins crossed the fields, Emmerick pushed up the Post-road intending to head them him and cut off his retreat, but when he approached the Yager infantry they mistook him for an enemy and fired upon his troop. The confusion caused by this mistake, much facilitated Hopkins' escape who regained the Post-road above the bridge with three prisoners and four horses, and thinking themselves then safe, approached the river and discharged their carbines at the Yager infantry on the opposite bank. But Emmerick, hitherto baffled determined on a further pursuit. The Yager horse having joined him his Cavalry became more numerous than Hopkins' party, whom he pursued for three miles. In the course of this pursuit some of Hopkins' men at different times were on the point of falling into the enemy's hands their horses tiring; when Hopkins or Pike charged and rescued them. Some horses tiring the men rode among bushes

[page break]

40 155 1845 20. & escaped. My father's house was about a quarter of a mile from the White Plains and Tarrytown road, and a half mile from the Post-road. The brook where Andre was taken was called Clark's Kill. At the capture of Young's house a party of the British diverged easterly from the Sprain road and made their advance by a hollow which crosses the West Plains road about one hundred yards east of the Sprain (?) road, and so took behind Thompson's flanks. Thompson's out -guard was at Grendahl Allaire's on the east side of the Sprain road about half a mile south of Youngs. This outpost was eight or ten in number - a sergeant's guard and supposed at first they could defend themselves, but were surrounded and all taken but one who escaped on Snow shoes across the fields. Thompson had 80 or 100 snow shoes, and was urged either to put them on his men and move against the enemy, or to fall back upon the advancing [margin: White Plains Allaire's]

[page break]

41 156 1845 21. relief guard or draw his forces within the house, but he declined to adopt any of these suggestions, and drew up his troops in front out on the right of the house, towards Hammonds. Captain Roberts was killed at the first fire. He was a brave man, very much beloved by the neighboring inhabitants and his death much lamented. Colonel NORTON in his advance left his artillery about two miles south of Youngs on a rising ground near James Sniffens a little to the west of the Sprain road. His object in this as was said at the time, was to secure a safe retreat in case they sustained a repulse at Youngs. Norton retreated, as he had advanced by the Sprain and Turkeyhoe roads leaving some of the wounded Americans in some houses on the road, but where in particular I don't know. When I saw these wounded they were being removed on the road between Youngs and White Plains. John Paulding was a bold and enterprising man. He was once [margin: Norton's cannon - retreat - Paulding.]

[page break]

42 157 1845 22. during the war upon Kykuit Hill with a party of militia, when the Refugees horse appeared on some rising ground half a mile or a mile to the South. Paulding proposed to attack them there, the militia refused considering it too hazardous. He then went alone and getting under cover advanced and fired at them several times. Annoyed they at length rushed upon him, overtook and cut at him, and he escaped with difficulty by getting in the bushes &c. Emmerick was not cruel or distressing to the country people. I believe they stood in great fear of Bearmore who was a bravo. Bearmore was killed by a shot or wounded in the neck.