stone church which became world famous as the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, now the oldest church building in use in New York State. Digitized by Microsoft® 232 The Hudson River The Revolutionary history of Tarrytown is in the main that of all other hamlets within the neutral ter- ritory. It was overridden and pillaged, property and life were never safe for an hour, and famine, sickness, and terror were the portion of most of the inhabitants. The British threatened to destroy stores near the vil- lage and made one or two attempts to do so, landing in force upon at least one occasion. General Lincoln marched through on his way to Kingsbridge; Colonel Luddington commanded five hundred militia here; " Light-Horse Harry " Lee had a brush with some of Dunop's Yagers, — we might go on indefinitely with such details, none of them particularly irixportant. Here Van Courtlandt's river guard made a rendezvous, and the yeomen of the neighbourhood tried to guard the crossways and peppered the British boats when they ventured near the shore. On one memorable night, fire-ships ascending the river attacked and drove away a number of British vessels that had anchored off the Tarrytown shore, and set fire to one of the tenders, y On Sunday, the isth of July, 1781, two sloops were going down the-Hudson, loaded with powder and arms for the American army, when several British war-ships with their tenders were discovered approaching from an opposite direction. In order to avoid an embar- rassing meeting, the supply vessels put into Tarry- town ; but the enemy, who were looking for just such game, were not to be eluded, and pursued them so Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® ^>&-<i' Digitized by Microsoft® In the Land of Irving 235 closely that in a short time they were cornered beyond any apparent possibility of escape. The troops in the neighbourhood at that time consisted of a sergeant's guard of French infantry and a troop of dragoons com- manded by Colonel Sheldon, whose regiment lay at Dobbs Ferry. These soldiers, dismounting, worked with great spirit in assisting to unload the stores from the sloops, but were soon subjected to a galling fire from the British frigates. Under cover of this can- nonading, two gunboats and four barges crept in to destroy the sloops; but the Americans on board, though greatly inferior in number, had no idea of aban- doning their task. Captain Hurlburt, of the 2d Regi- ment of Dragoons, commanded twelve intrepid men, armed only with swords and pistols, who resisted till the last possible moment, but were driven away by the overwhelming attack of the British. But the in- trepid commander rallied his force once more and, aided by the fire of the French infantry and dismounted dragoons, returned to the sloops by swimming, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames kindled by their foes. This heroic feat was second to none in daring, as we must realise when we consider the nature of the cargo contained by the supply vessels, and the immediate risk of explosion incurred. The British were driven away and failed in their purpose, but the brave Hurlburt received injuries from which he never recovered, dying from the effects of Digitized by Microsoft® 236 The Hudson River them about two years later. This action, hardly no- ticed in general history, should at least be chronicled among important minor actions of the war, and the name of Hurlburt be honoured with those of Gushing or Hobson. The most notable of all historic events connected with this part of the river was the capture of Major John Andre at Tarry town, in September, 1780. Fresh from his interview with the traitorous Arnold, within the American lines, Andre was escaping on horseback, in disguise, to New York, when stopped by the three American militiamen, John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart. The details of that capture have been worn threadbare by constant repetition, and the merit of captors and captive have been discussed with hardly abated warmth for a century and more. We will not enter into that controversy. At a point near the present highway, probably about an eighth of a mile to the east of it, the trio of scouts were apparently waiting for something to turn up, when they heard the sound of a horse's hoofs and inter- cepted the rider. Forcing him to dismount, they drew him into the bushes and under a tree somewhat to the east of the present road, searched him, finally discov- ering the criminating papers in his boot. Whether Paulding really exclaimed, " My God, he is a spy," or whether the question of ransom was ever seriously discussed, are matters that will probably never be settled. What is important is