34
seems modern. When young Romer came back with the basket, the time must
have been past noon, and its contents were probably eaten before the journey was
resumed. Sheldon's nearest post was, as Foote had said, at Robbins' Mills, the
present Kensico. I quote from Judge Dykman, illustrating the minutely careful
record he has made of the route, enabling the tourist to easily identify sites :
They passed along the road
East, turned to the north on the
hill west of the county almshouse,
up that road, under Buttermilk
Hill, across the Sawmill river at
the bridge just below the mill.
Passing up the road near Raven
Rock, they went to the corner at
the late residence of Carlton Clark.
Turning to the right they ascended
the hill to the Upper Cross Roads,
down another hill, past Ebenezer
Newman's, across the hollow now
traversed by the Harlem Rail-
road, and up Reynolds Hill on
the White Plains road to the old
Foshay house.
This building1 was unfor-
tunately destroyed before I could
visit and photograph it. Here
they stopped awhile, and drank
water or milk. Their objective
point was John Robbins' house,
where the officer in command
of Sheldon's detachment was
supposed to be. It is a small
frame building, on land recently
—1896—acquired by New York
City as part of the Kensico reser-
voir watershed, and is soon to be removed or destroyed on that account. Of all I
visited, it is about the only one in bad condition. Its siding, though probably not
the original, is nearly black from age and exposure, and the front porch, where
Andre probably entered, has disappeared, though the old Dutch half-door remains.2
It was, probably, at this house that occurred the episode told only by
Irving.8 The party arrived as the family were at dinner. Andre was asked to
1 Site marked 14 on the map.
2 This side the building was in such bad condition that Mr. Bennett preferred to photograph the other, where
the obliging housewife went to the trouble of taking down her Monday wash to allow the camera a clear
field. It is marked 15 on the map.
8 Life of Washington, Vol. iv., p. 124.
