On their return the males were obliged to take the oath of allegiance to the British crown. This most of them did. It was administered in the church. It may be here asked, why did they not join the American army and fight in behalf of the country. The answer to this question is found the fact, that all their property-their families and their homes were in the hands of the British. By returning and submitting to their authority, they would be able preserve these from destruction; whereas, had they connected themselves with the American army, no doubt every thing they had on the earth would have been swept from them, a sacrifice which we believe few, if any, made during that eventful struggle. But we are not to suppose that there were no friends of the American cause at that time, and during the war, in Flatbush. We shall presently see that in a most important way they aided in achieving our national independence.

After the battle on Long-Island, the church and the old school-house were used for the accommodation of the prisoners and the sick. Three private houses were also employed as hospitals. The house now occupied by Mr. J. C. Bergen, the house belonging to the heirs of Cornelius Atonides, and the dwelling of Mr. Rem Vanderbilt. In his latter house, in which Mr. Seymour now resides, and which then stood on the opposite side of the road, the wounded American officers were brought. The principal hospital for the soldiers was the old school-house. Many of these wounded prisoners appear soon to have died; for when one individual returned, who was absent but thirteen days, she counted twenty-eight new graves in the churchyard, and it is probable that most of these contained more than one body.

After the capture of Fort Washington, which took place in November of this same year, (1776,) a great number more prisoners were brought to Flatbush, and billetted on the inhabitants. It is supposed that no less than four hundred were kept in the southern towns of Kings County.