The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1847-11-20
From Noah's Sunday Times and Messenger.
Dead Mans Lake,

AND SOME INCIDENT OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
CONNECTED WITH IT.
The revolutionary history of New York,
and OF adjacent ground, resolves itself into
the dolngs OF one long year-not calendar
year-which comprises the period during
which this city was under bondage.
Many brave men, while this bondage en-
dured, did all that could be done to destroy
the power and comfort of the kings repre-
sentatives and of these brave men, firm old
Westchester furnished the majority. Their
system of warfare par;ook of the characters
tics of the guerrilla habit such as was exhibit
ed throughout the fractional disturbances OF
old Spain. We have furnished sketches de-
scriptive Of these bands, which were organized
for all species of patriotic duty, but more
particularly for the discontinue of the tory
"skimmers and refugees" The leader of one
of these bands were called Nicholas Odell.
Nick as he was familiary denominated, was
entirely unletrered; but he was, notwithstand-
ing, one of the shrewdest men in the country.
Nature had done, what education had not,
towards making him formidable and danger
our enemy in the branch of the service he had
chosen. He had an instructive scent of the
foe, and seemed to tell the whereabouts of an
ambush, with as much certainty as hound
breaks the cover of fox. Faithful to his
purpose Of intercepting the scouting and
foraging parties of the English, Nick was
constantly on his feet, and continually in
communication, one way or other. with
Washington or his officers. Only fifty men
composed Nick's army, and the force was
sometimes cut up into five sections, and des-
patched, by tens. towards various points in
order to learn in what direction there might
be an opportunity for the exercise of the
proves of the concentrated band.
The line of the Bronx river was the route
always kept in view by Nick and his men, and
held, at six several points, places of rendez-
vous, at which they were generally to be found
when off duty, which indeed was seldom the
case. One of these places of rendezvous was
the banks of about the (then) widest portion
of the stream, The water had deepened here
to an extent that rendered it perilous to
any but swimmer; it being at least twelve
feet from the surface to the bottom. 1t was
always placid with a sort of oily surface. and
looked like the above dam of mill pond
The banks were covered with very thick un-
derbrush-hazel, winter. green, alder and vine.
indigenous to watery soil, besides saplings and
trees (more especially the willow innumera-
ble-so that autumn did not, by taking away
the leaves, deprive the screen of imperviouness
to the optics. The episode in the stream Nick
had named for good and sufficient reason,
" Dead Mans Lake." We must explain:
One evening in the depth of winter, Nick
had gone a long distance above White Plains
to intercept body of tories who were on their
way from Connecticut to the city with con-
siderable booty III the shape of money and
vauables taken from the inhabitants in the
vicinity of the sound. Nick had obtained
intelligence of their movements, and had con-
trived to gain access to the party (about
eighty in number, under the control OF
minor English officer, named McPherson) by
means of John Valentine, who was minute
man. John, as it was afterwards ascertained,
had met and joined the tories with specious
tale, and promised to lead them through the
country so securely that none of the proving
rebels would encounter them.
1aE Il .xsoSSiaa a,aalSt IN