an inn in New York City, on Broadway near Exchange
Place, in sixteen hundred and something. It seems that Peek was
something of an explorer and, when navigating these waters, he
mistook the present Peekskill Creek for the passage up the Hudson,
entered the creek and promptly ran aground, and, being aground,
concluded to stay.

John Paulding, one of the three who captured Andre, received for his
distinguished services, as was meet, a fine farm situated in Peekskill
that had been confiscated from its royalist owner; thus we see that
virtue is rewarded, treason punished and the state plays the generous
role without any expense to itself. Mr. Andrew Carnegie himself could
not have managed the affair better.

In September, 1777, the village was sacked and burned by the British
and the neighboring country was pillaged. The chapel of St. Peter's
was erected on the site of the military magazine destroyed at this
time. The one historically interesting building that was left in the
town, the old Birdsall residence, has gone the way of all flesh. It
was Washington's headquarters whenever he was in this neighborhood,
Lafayette dwelt under its roof, one of its parlors was used by the
Rev. George Whitefield in which to hold services, but the building
protruded into the street and the good people concluded that rather
than walk around it any longer they would tramp over its grave.

[Sidenote: _CORTLANDTVILLE._]

In Cortlandtville is located the former residence of Gen. Pierre Van
Cortlandt, erected in 1773. A tablet placed on the building says:
"General George Washington with his aides slept in this house many
nights while making Peekskill their headquarters in 1776, 1777 and
1778. It was the house of Pierre Van Cortlandt, member of Colonial
Assembly, member of the 2d, 3d and 4th Provincial Congress, President
of the Committee of Public Safety, a framer of the State Constitution,
First Lieutenant-Governor of the State of New York, Colonel of manor
of Cortlandt Regiment." The building is rather modern in appearance,
suggesting comfort rather than strenuosity.

Here the Van Cortlandt family found a safe asylum when the manor house
on the Croton was no longer tenable. In March, 1777, General McDougal
posted his advance guard here when the British took possession of
Peekskill. Eighty of his men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Willet,
receiving permission to attack some two hundred of the British that
had taken possession of a height a lit