History of the Town of Flatbush

and some other forces to the same place, but finding the Americans strongly entrenched, and the pass through by the port or Valley Grove defended, in compliance with his orders he did not risk any attack. In the meantime the inhabitants of the town had generally forsaken it. We who have been so long accustomed to the sweets of peace know but little of the consternation occasioned by an approaching invading army. The inhabitants had reason to apprehend that should they remain at home they would be cruelly treated, and perhaps massacred. They were regarded as rebels, to whom but little quarter would be shown. Hence as expeditiously as possible after the landing of the British troops, the inhabitants of the village either sent or carried off the females and children, providing them with what little furniture and conveniences they could. Some were sent to New-Jersey, but the greater proportion took refuge in Queens County. It was a scene of great confusion, and of no ordinary distress. Compelled to leave their homes and the greater part of their property, and not knowing what might befal their persons or their families, they committed themselves to the good providence of their God. Some had not gone for before they saw the smoke ascending from the neighborhood of their farms, and knew not but their dwellings were already in flames. With one family, indeed, this was the case. The American riflemen, on the approach of the British towards, the evening of the 22d, set fire to many of the stacks of grain, particularly in the northern part of the town, and also fired the house of Peter Lefferts. Other houses in that section of the village were also burnt, but not at that time, of which we shall presently speak.

The main body of the American troops stationed in about Flatbush, then retired to the woods on the north of the town. The British army then under command of Lord Cornwallis, took post at Flatbush. They encamped in a diagonal direction across the village. Their tents extended from the little lane over the farms of Hendrick Vanderverr, of J. C. Bergen, of Jacobus Vandeventer, and so on, in a northeasterly line towards the road leading to New-Lots. The main body however, were on the south of the church and west of the main street. They soon possessed themselves of the intrenchment which had been thrown up by the Americans, in the north of the village. To defend themselves against an expected attack from the American troops, who, from the woods, kept up a scattered firing, they knocked out large port holes in the house of Adrian Hegeman, which stood on the spot where Mrs. Cynthia Lefferts is now living. This house was built of stone, and the object of making the holes in the wall, was to enable them to fire their cannon at the Americans under cover. The house of Mr. Lefferts Martense, on the opposite side of the road, was also taken possession of, and prepared as a sort of fortification. It was built of wood, fronting south, and having a roof on the north side, which extended to within a few feet of the ground. In this roof they cut many holes, through which they could discharge their muskets. Still farther to defend themselves, or rather to render their firing upon the Americans more effective, they set fire to the houses which stood between them and the woods, and from behind which, often the American riflemen would discharge their guns, to the no small annoyance and injury of the British. These houses were those of Jeremiah Vanderbilt and Leffert Lefferts, on the west, and Evert Hegeman, on the east side of the road. On what day these were burnt we know not, but they were destroyed by the British, probably on the second or third day after their encampment in this place.