it was a storm centre so long as the British occupied New York.

The Macomb mansion, a fine house even to-day, once the home of
Major-General Alexander Macomb, the "hero of Plattsburg," still
overlooks the waters of Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Originally a tavern, it
was purchased about 1800 by Alexander Macomb whose son, Robert, was
ruined by the destruction of Macomb's Dam, which went down before the
embattled farmers, with whom it interfered. The Macomb family was a
band of sturdy fighters, all of the five sons taking an active part in
the militia or the regular army, but the reputation of the family
rests principally on the glorious deeds of Alexander in the war of
1812.

[Sidenote: _THE VALE OF YONKERS._]

The Post Road, known in these days as Broadway, follows the eastern
edge of the Mosholu swamp to Van Cortlandt Park, through what is
called the Vale of Yonkers. Here is Vault Hill, one of the points
selected by Washington on which to make a display for the benefit of
the British while he quietly led his main army south for the
operations against Cornwallis. On a clear day the hill is in plain
view from Manhattan Island, and the camp fires and general indications
of activity on its summit helped materially in the scheme to deceive
the enemy. The hill has its name from the fact that it was used as a
burial ground by the early generations of the Van Cortlandt family.
The property was sold in 1699 by Hon. Frederick Philipse to his
son-in-law, Jacobus Van Cortlandt (a brother of Stephanus Van
Cortlandt of Cortlandt), and the mansion was erected by Frederick Van
Cortlandt in 1748. Northeast of it is situated Indian Field,
memorable as the scene of an engagement between the British and the
Stockbridge Indians, resulting in the practical annihilation of the
latter.

[Sidenote: _YONKERS._]

The road shortly becomes a village street and so continues into
Yonkers. In 1646 the Indian sachem Tacharew granted the land to Adrian
Von der Donck, the first lawyer of New Netherland. The Indians called
it Nap-pe-cha-mack, the "rapid water settlement," the "settlement"
being located about the mouth of the stream now known as Sawmill
River. The Dutch called their settlement Younkers, Younckers, Jonkers
or Yonkers, derived from Jonkheer, a common name for the male heir of
a Dutch family.

The old Philipse manor house, now Yonkers's City Hall, was erected
about 1682, the present front being added in 1745. In its palmy days
it is sai