Macdonald, John. Interview with Mandeville, James, 1760-1848; (1845-09-23). Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews, WCHS item 1226. Transcription courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society (No copyright - United States).

- Hufeland Index Page 164 - Sept. 23. James Mandeville. On Friday morning January 24th 1783, we started from Peekskill hamlet or vil- -lage (a village of five or eight houses at that time) being about or upwards of fifty in number, that is, thirty three from near Peekskill, and the rest about twenty from the east part (i.e. Somers and Salem) of Courtland's Manor. --- It was an …

We crossed the bridge and sur- -rounded the house but the Colonel was not to be found, having gone out as the inmates told us to a cock fight, but we afterwards learnt he concealed himself in an out-house on the first alarm of our approach and so escaped. We took at the Colonel's house two prisoners fifteen horses and a variety of plunder, - and then retreated by the North …

The party from Salem and Stephentown wishing to take the nearest road home were anxious to leave us when we reached (approached) the Croton and we agreed to go to Orser's house on the banks of the North River, re- -fresh ourselves and our horses and divide our plunder. It was now about 9 o'clock a.m. Our horses were put in the barn, stable, and barnyard and fed, and we …

They now once more pushed forward and when they approached Orsers sent one party of about forty or fifty around through a lane who got in our rear and lay in ambush to cut off our retreat. This party by a circuitous march occupied the ground north of Orsers while the other party (of about fifteen or twenty) advanced upon us to the attack under cover of the orchard which …

The horses alarmed and wounded kicked, plunged, and broke from their fastenings in great confusion, and running north for home, were (many of them) captured by the party which advanced and cut off our retreat when they heard the firing. We lost here about eighteen or twenty horses of our own, and likewise the fifteen we had taken at West Farms, and the two prisoners …

Odell seized the first horse he would find, mounted and tried to escape but was overtaken by Kipp and Totten and pursued on the ice for half a mile or three quarters or more. Kip and Totten were ahead of their men, being probably being probably better mounted. They both struck cut at Odell, and Totten striking with a dull sword at last hit his cocked hat first and then the …

The officer (a Lieutenant) who com- -manded the squad at Van Cortland's made no effort to assist us, for which he was afterwards tried by a Court Martial. He might have saved us. He was broken. Kipp's party when he attacked us at Orsar's was sixty or seventy in number. One of Kipp's men, the notorious Shube Merritt stripped me of my boots and uniform. We, the prisoners were …

We were detained prisoners till the 27th or 28th of April, that is, three months. Odell rode during most of the war a very fine grey horse presented to him by Governor Van Courtland, which he lost in the surprise at Or- -sers but afterwards recovered, the animal returning to the farm where he was raised. George M.Chain was the only man killed, and was with me on the banks of …