{"chunks_used":9,"query":"The Burning of Crompond","report":"**The Burning of Crompond: A Revolutionary War Atrocity**  \n\nThe Burning of Crompond in 1779, a pivotal event in Westchester County\u2019s Revolutionary War history, involved British raids, local militia clashes, and personal tragedies. According to Thomas Strang\u2019s 1847 interview (Macdonald 1847), British forces under Colonel Drake were ambushed at Crompond by Tarleton\u2019s cavalry, which crossed Vail\u2019s Ford and advanced via a concealed route to avoid detection. After burning the local church, the British retreated to Pine\u2019s Bridge. This raid, corroborated by Shonnard and Spooner (1900), occurred on June 21, 1779, resulting in approximately 30 American casualties or captives, many of whom were imprisoned in New York\u2019s Sugar House.  \n\nA parallel account from Bolton\u2019s 1881 history highlights the July 1779 burning of the Crompond meeting house, during which Hannah Sackett, wife of Loyalist Stephen Delancey and daughter of Whig Presbyterian minister Samuel Sackett, fled on horseback. Overtaken by British soldiers near Crompond, she was robbed of her shoe buckles and jewelry but secured an escort after invoking her husband\u2019s name (Bolton 1881). This incident underscores the personal toll of the conflict and the complex loyalties of local families. Samuel Sackett, whose tombstone survives in the Crompond burying ground, had long been a contentious figure in the Presbyterian Church, reflecting broader ideological divides (Bolton 1848).  \n\nThe aftermath of the raid saw further violence and displacement. Colonel James Holmes, a Tory who later joined British forces, was linked to local raids but denied direct involvement in the Crompond attack (Shonnard and Spooner 1900). The De Lancey family, including Susan De Lancey, sought refuge in their Heathcote Hill estate, which served as a sanctuary for persecuted Whigs (Bolton 1881). Meanwhile, British casualties Col. Green and Major Flagg were interred in Crompond\u2019s burying ground, alongside other war dead (Strang interview).  \n\nThe Burning of Crompond exemplifies the brutal, localized nature of the Revolutionary War in Westchester. While sources differ on exact dates\u2014Strang notes July 1779 (Macdonald 1847), whereas Shonnard cites June 21 (1900)\u2014the event\u2019s legacy includes contested loyalties, civilian suffering, and the enduring scars of partisan conflict.  \n\n**Sources Consulted**  \n- Macdonald, John. Interview with Strang, Thomas, 1763-1851; (1847-10-20). *John M. McDonald Interviews, 1844-1851*. Westchester County Historical Society.  \n- Bolton, Robert Jr. *The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, Vol. II* (1881).  \n- Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. *History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900* (1900).  \n- Bolton, Robert Jr. *A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II* (1848).","sources_consulted":["Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848.","Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900. New York: The New York History Company, 1900.","Macdonald, John. Interview with Strang, Thomas, 1763-1851; (1847-10-20). John M. McDonald Interviews, 1844-1851, WCHS item 1344. Westchester County Historical Society. Transcribed by history.croton.news April 2026.","Bolton, Robert Jr. The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. II. New York: Charles F. Roper, 1881."]}