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History of Westchester County, New York — Passage 230 (part 2)
[J. Thomas Scharf (1886)] Van Cortlandt, although Lord Gage was his cousin, and he was beset on all sides by the solicita-tions of Tory relatives. His eldest son, Philip, ac-cepted a commission in the Continental army in June, 1775, and the family, in consequence, became at once marked objects of persecution by the crown. Their broad lands were laid waste, and they them-selves were forced to fly from their ancient abode, in which they had dwelt peacefully since the days of William of Orange, from whom they derived their charter of manorial rule. Through all the long, dark years of the conflict they remained true, although, unlike many of the actors in the strife, they had