"Ossining in Neutral Ground" with Scott Craven & Caroline Curvan

Join us for a celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, with a special focus on the Ossining area, as Town Historians Caroline Curvan (current) and Scott Craven (past) discuss "Ossining in Neutral Ground".

In the seven years between the Battle of White Plains (Oct. 28, 1776) and Evacuation Day (Nov. 15, 1783), the area between the Croton River and what is now known as the Bronx was known euphemistically as the "Neutral Ground".  Situated between English Occupied New York City and the Continental Army to the North, this area was anything but "neutral".  A violent, bitter, internecine war waged across the area for the entire time, leaving most of the area destroyed and its occupants facing starvation. 

Often fought by irregular "troops", most of the actions that took place were never officially documented, and the whole period spawned myths and legends, some that endure to this day. Using recent new scholarship, as well as documented oral histories, Caroline and Scott will talk about Ossining during this time period and try to dispel some of the myths about Ossining as a neutral area.