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32X

J O U R N A L

OF THE

OPERATIONS

O F

The queen's RANGERS,

From the End of the Year 1777,

TO T H 5

CONCLUSION OF THE LATE AMERICAN WAR.

By Lieutenant - Colonel S I M C O £,

COMMANDER «f that CORPS.

EXETER; PRINTED FQRTHE AUTHOR.

l^/^^^Tc^ /c^Pp^^

INTRODUCTION,

THE Writer of thcfc Memoirs has been induced to print them by a
variety of rcafons, among which the following are included. Adtions
crroncoufly attributed to Others may be rcftored to Thofe who really per-
formed them: I lis own memory may be renewed, and prcferved in their
bofoms, whofc patronage and cor.iluence he acknowledges with pride and
gratitude ; while, at the fame time, he bears teftimony to the merits of thofc
excellent officers and foldiers whom it was his good fortune to command,
during the late war in America : a war which he always confidcred as
forced upon Great Britain, and in which he ferved from principle. Events,
however unfortuiute, can neither alter its nature nor cancel his opinion.
Had he fuppofed it to have been unjuft, he would have refigncd his com-
niilTion ; for no true foldicr and fervant of his country will ever admit that
a Britifti officer can divert himfelfof the duties of a citizen, or in a civil
conteft is bound to fupport the caufe his confcience rcjcds.

The command of a light corps, or, as it is termed, the fcrvice of a parti-
zan, is generally clleemed the beft mode of inftruvflion for thofc who aim at
higher ftatians ; as it gives an opportunity of exemplifying profeflionaldC-
-quifitions, fixes the habit of felf-^ependancc for refourccs, and obliges to
that prompt deciiion which in the common rotation of duty fubordinatc

A 2 officers

"^SStB

INTRODUCTION.

officers can fcldom exhibit, yet without which none can be qualified for any
truft of importance. To attain this employment was therefore an early
objc(ft with the author ; nor could he be diverted from his purpofe by the
fliamcfulchara»5tcr ofdiflionefty, rapine, and falfchood, fuppofcd to attend
it ; at leaf! by thofc who formed their judgment on the convcrfation of fuch
ofTicers as had been witnclfcs to the campaigns in Germany. He had fairer
examples to profit from ; as the page of military hiftory fcarcely details
more fpiritcd exertions in this kind of fcrvlcc, than what diftinguifliingly
marked the lall civil commotions in England ; and MalTey's well-known
faying, " that he could not look upon the goods of any Englidiman as thofc
" of an enemy," delineated the integrity of the citizen, and the honourable
policy of the foldicr.

His intimate connexion with that mod upright and zealous officer the
late Admiral Graves, who commanded at Bofton in the year 1 775, and fome
fcrvices which he was plcafcd to intrurt him with, brought him acquainted
with many of the American Loyalifts : from them he foon learned the
practicability of raifing troops in the country whenever it fhould be opened to
the King's forces ; and the propriety of fuch a mcafurc appeared to be felf-
evident. He therefore importuned Admiral Graves to afli of General
(5age that he might enlift fuch negroes as were in Bofton, and with them
put himfelf under the diredion of Sir James Wallace, who was then
aftively engaged at Rhode Idand, and to whom that colony had oppofed
negroes ; adding to the Admiral, who fcemed furprized at his requeft, " that
" he entertained no doubt he fliould foon exchange them for whites:"
General Gage, on the Admiral's application, informed him that the negroes
were not fufficiently numerous to be ferviceablc, and that he had other cm-
ploymeni for thofe who were in Bofton.

When the army failed from Halifax for Staten ifland, the author was
Captain of the grenadier company of the 40th regiment, and during the
time of winter quarters at Brunfwick, in 1776, went purpofely to New-
York

INTRODUCTION.

■\

■:•

York to folicit the command of the Queen's Rangers, then vacant. The
boat he was in, being driven from the place of its deftination, he was ex-
ceedingly chagrined to find that he had arrived fomc hours too late : but he
defired that Col. Cuyler, Sir William Howe's Aid-de-Camp, would mention
his coming thither to him, as well as his dcfign. On the army's cm-
barking for the Chefapcak, he wrote to General Grant, under whom he had
fcrvcd, requeuing his good offices in procuring him a command like that
of the Queen's Rangers, if any other corps intended for fimilar employment
ihould be raifed in the country, to which the expedition was dcftined.

Thefe circumftanccs arc related, not only as introdudVory to the fubfe-
quent journal, but to ftiew how very early his thoughts were bent on at-
taining the command of a corps raifed in America, for the adive duty of
light troops.

The journal, as it is in its own nature, not generally interefting, and
guarded from any obfcr/ations foreign to the fubjeCt, he by no means wifliea
to obtrude upon the public; but hopes it will be favourably received by
thofe to whom he (hall offer it as a teftimony of refped, and with whom it
may claim fome indulgence, as the particular nature and event of the
American war gives a degree of confequencc to operations however minute :
for it terminated not in the lofs of fomc petty fortrcfs, or trivial ifland, but
in the divulfion of a continent from a continent ; of a world from a world.

The officer who conduds a light corps properly, will in his fmall fphere
make ufeofthe fame principles which Generals apply to the regulation of
armies. He will naturally imitat '.ho; commanders under whom he ferves ;
while the individuals of his corps (fc in fuch a fervice only individuals be-
come of importance) will manifcft a fpirit which probably the whole army
may poflefs without having fimilar opportunities of calling it intoadlion.

Hiftory cannot produce examples of more ardent zeal in the fervice of their
country, than that which charaftcrized the Britifli officers and foldiers in
America. They defpifed all thofe conveniencies without which it would be

thought

INTRODUCTION.

thought impradicablc for European armies to move. They did not tamely
vait for the moment of exertion in the prccifc line of their duty, but boldly
fought out danger and death ; and no fooner was one officer loft on any
hazardous fcrvicc than many competitors appeared to fuccecd in the port of
honor. It was this fpirit w hich, among uncommon difficulties, fo frequently
triumphed over numbers of brave, fliilful, and cnterpri/ing opponents. The
Britilh foldicr who thought himfclf fupcrior, aiflually became fo j arwl the
afcendcncy which he claimed was in many inftanccs importantly admitted
by his antagonifts. Nor was this fpirit, the refult of principle, confined to
the operations of the field : it was flicwn in the hour of civil pcrfccution and
rigorous imprifonment ; in iituatiuns where coolnefs fupplics the place of
adlivity, and thought precedes execution. General Gage in a celebrated
letter to Wafliington at the commencement of the war, had faid, " that fuch
" trials would be met with the fortitude of martyrs j" and the behaviour of
the Loyalifts amply confirmed his prophcfy.

The Britilh Generals were commonly obliged to hazard their armies

without any poffibility of retreat in cafeof mifadventure : they truftcd to the

fpirit and difcipline of their troops ; and the decilion, with which they rifkcd

themfelvcs, forms the moft ftriking and Angular feature of the American

war. Nor was this only done when the armies were in their full force ; by

Sir William Howe in his campaigns, particularly in the glorious battle of the

Brandy wine J by Sir Henry Clinton in his celebrated march through the

Jerfies ; by Earl Comwallis in a latter period at Guildford, when the war

was transferred to the Carolina's ; and eminently by Lord Rawdon, who was

*' Left to bide the difadvantage of a field

" Where nothing but the found of Britain's name

" Did fcem defenfible ;" — but the fame fpirit was infufcd into the

itnalleft operations ; and the light troops in their enterprises, confident in

the fuperiority of their compofition, fcarcely admitted the idea of retreat, or

calculated againft the contingency of a repulfe. An account of the Queen's

Rangers*

INTRODUCTION.

Rangers, and their operations, will clucidntc the preceding; pofitions ; flicw
in fuch a point of view their fimilitude to the Britifli army, and contain, ai
it were, an epitome of its hiftory.

This Journal allcdgcs no hil but what the author believes to be true ; the
frequent introdudion of his own name may appear redundant, but is abfo-
lutely nccclFary to the perfpicuity of the work. He never valued himfclf fo
highly on the aclions which it was his good fortune to perform to the fatisfac-
tion of his fuperiors, as voluntarily to prelcribe them for the boundaries of
his profefTional ambition. Yet, as a Britilh ofTicer, fliould he live to double
the number of years which he has already devoted to the fervice of his country,
it is fcarcely podiblc that he fliall ever be appointed to fo important a truft as
that which he folicited, when hcollercd to fortify and maintain Billing's Port :
And as an European foldier, and an European fubjeJl, what field for honor-
.tblc cntcrprizc can ever be fo wide, as that which he would have expatiated
in, had he according to his own plan, joined the Indians ; dirctflcd them to
collateral exertion ; and alFociating the Loyalifts of the back countries zea-
lous in the Britifli caufc, united them with the enemies of Congrefs ; fct be-
fore them the Queens Rangers as their mofl nccediiry guides and examples ;
led the whole combination to inccfTint and adventurous a«flion during the
war ; and if victorious, had remained at their head in that hour when AmCo
rica was declared independent by a critical and unexpected peace I

A JOURNAL

-";*

JOURNAL, &c.

ON the 15th of Odober, 1777. Sir William Howe was pleafed
to appoint Captain Simcoe of the Grenadiers, with the Provin-
cial rank of Major, to the command of the Queen's Rangers j the
next day he joined that regiment, which was encamped with the
army in the vicinity of German-Town.

On the 19th the army marched to Philadelphia, the Queen's Ran-
gers formed the rear guard of the left column, and, in the encamp-
ment, their poft was on the right of the line, in front of the village of
Kenfington ; the army extending from the Delaware to the Schuylkill.

On the 20th the regiment was augmented with nearly an hundred
men, who had been enlifted by Captain Smyth during the various
marches from the landing of the army in the CheCipeak to this period.

This was a very feafonable recruit to the regiment j it had fuffered
materially in the adtion at Brandywine, and was too much reduced in
numbers to be of any efficient fervice ; but if the lofs of a great
number of gallant officers and foldiers had been fevercly felt, the im-

preffion

^ff

I I

[ 2 ]

prcflion which that aft Ion had left upon their minds was of tlic
higheft advantage to the regiment ; officers and foldiers became
known to each other ; they had been engaged in a more ferious man-
ner, and with greater difadvantages than they were Hkely again to
meet with in the common chance of war j and having extricated
themfdves moft gallantly from fuch a fituation, they felt themfelves
invincible. This fpirit vibrated among them at the time Major
Simcoe joined them ; and it was obvious, that he had nothing to do
but to cherifli and prcferve it. Sir William Howe, in confequence
of their behaviour at Brandywine, had promifed that all promotions
fliould go in the regiment, and accordingly they now took place.

The Qiiecn's Rangers had been originally raifed in Connecticut,
and the vicinity of New- York, by Colonel Rogers, for the duties
which their name implies, and which were detailed in his commifTion j
at one period they muftered above four hundred men, all Americans,
and all Loyalifts. Hardfliips and neglcdl had much reduced their
numbers, when the command of them was giyen to Colonel French,
and afterwards to Major Wcymefs, to whom Major Simcoe fucceeded ;
their officers alfo had undergone a materlnl change j many gentlemen
of the fouthern colonies who had joined Lord Dunmore, and diftln-
guifhed themfelves under his orders, were appointed to fuperfcde
thofe who were not thought competent to the commiffions they had
hitherto borne j to thefe were added fome volunteers from the army,
the whole confifting of young men, adlive, full of love of the fervice,
emulous to diftinguifli themfelves in it, and looking forward to obtain,
througli their adtions, the honor of being enrolled with the Britifli
army.

The Provincial corps, now fonning, were raifed on the fuppofed
influence which their officers had among their loyal countrymen,
and were underftood to be native American Loyalifts ; added to an
equal chance among thcfe, a greater refourcc was opened to the
Queen's Rangers, in the exchifive privilege of enlifting old country-
men

[ 3 ]

men (as Europeans were termed in America), and deferters from the
rebel army; fo that could the officers to whom the Commander in
Chief delegated the infpedlion of the Provincial corps have executed
their orders, the Queen's Rangers, however dangcroufly and inccflantly
employed, would never have been in want of recruits ; at the fame
time, the original Loyalifts, and thofe of this defcription, who were
from time to time enlifted, forming the grofs of the corps, were
the fource from whence it derived its value and its difcipline j
they were men who had already been exiled for their attachment to
the Britifti government, and who now adled upon the firmeft prin-
ciples in its defence ; on the contrary, the people they had to oppofe,
however charadterifed by the enemies of Great Britain, had never
been confidcred by them as engaged in an honourable caufe, or fight-
ing for the freedom of their country ; they eftimated them not by
their words, but by an intimate obfervance of their adtions, and to
civil defecration, experience had taught them to add military con-
tempt. Such was the compofition of the Queen's Rangers, and tlic
fpirit that animated it.

The junction of Captain Smyth's company augmented the regiment
into eleven companies, the number of which was equalized, and the
eleventh was formed of Highlanders. Several of thofe brave men,
who had been defeated in an attempt to join the army in North Caro-
lina, were now in the corps j to thofe others were added, and the
comnnand was given to Captain M'Kay ; they were furnilhed with
the Highland drefs, and their national piper, and were ported on the
left flank of the regiment, which confifted of eight battalion , a gre-
nadier, and light infantry company. Upon the march from Ger-
man Town to Kenfington, Sir William Erfkine, in directing what
duties Major Simcoe fhould do, had told him to call upon him for
dragoons whenever he wanted them ; upon this. Major Simcoe took
the liberty of obferving, '• that the cloathingand habiliments of the

dragoons were fo diiferent from thofe of the Queen's Rangers (the

•*

B 2

one

i",B.*a?"»yHraw?nwMBw

[ 4 ]

" one helng la red, and with wliitc belts, eaivly fccn at a diflancr,
'* -.md the other in 2'''^<^'"'> '^"^ accoutred for concealment), tiiat he
" thought it would be more uleful to mount a dozen Ibldiers of the
" rc9:iinent." Sir Willinni Erfkine highly approved of the idea, and
fent a fuitablc number of horfes, faddles, and fwords j fuch men
were k"]c*!k'd for the fervicc as the oriicers recommended for fpirit
.'.nd prelence of mind ; they were put under the diredlion of Kelly,
a ferjeant of diftinguidied gallantry. A light corps, augmented as
that of the Queen's Rangers was, and employed on the duties of an
outport, had no opportunity of being inftrudled in the general difti-
pline of the army, nor indeed was it very necefliiry : the mofl im-
portant duties, thofe of vigilance, adivity, and patience of fatigue,
\\crc bell learnt in the field ; a few motions of the manual exercife
were thought fufficient ; they were carefully inftrudled in tnofc of
firing, but above all, attention was paid to inculcate the ufe of the
bayonet, and a total reliance on that weapon. The divifions being
fully officered, and weak in numbers, was of the greateft utility, and
in many trying fituations was the prefervation of the corps ; two files
in the centre, and two on each flank, were diredted to be compofed
of trained foldiers, without regard to their fize or appearance. It
was explained, that no rotation, except in ordinary duties, fliould take
place among light troops, but that thofe officers would be feledted
for any fervice who appeared to be moft capable of executing it : it
was alfo enforced by example, that no fervice was to be meafured by
the numbers employed on it, but by its own importance, and that
five men, in critical fituations or employment, was a more honour-
able command than an hundred on common duties. Serjeants guards
were in a manner aboliflied, a circumftance to which in a great mea-
fure may be attributed, that no centinel or guard of the Queen's
Rangers was ever furprifed; the vigilance of a gentleman and an officer
being tranfcendantly fuperior to that of any non-commiflioncd officer
whatfoever. An attention to the interior ceconomy of a company,

indifpenfable

[ 5 ]

indifpenilible as it is, by i.o mc.uis forms the mod pleafing military
duty upon lervice, wiiere tlic otlicer looks up to Ibmcthing more cf-
fentially uieful, and values himfclf upon its execution. A young
corps raifed in the midft of adlive fervice, and without the habits of
difcipline, which are learnt in time of peace, required the ftridlefl
attention in this point. It was obfcrved, that regularity in melhng,
and cleanlinefs in every reipedl, conduced to the health of the Ibldier ;
and from the numbers that each regiment brought into the field,
fuperior ofKcers would in general form the heft eftimate of the atten-
tion of a corps to its interior a'conomy ; and to enforce the performance
of thefe duties in the ftrongeft: manner, it was declared in public or-
ders, ** that to fuch only when in the field, the commanding officer
" would entruft the duties of it, who fliould execute with fpirit what
" belongs to the interior ceconomy of the regiment when in quarters."
To avoid written orders as much as poflible, after the morning pa-
rade, the officers attended, as the German cullom is, and received
verbally whatever could be fo delivered to them, and they were de-
clared anfwerable that every written order was read to the men on
their feparate paraded.

Near the end of Odober the Queen's Rangers were direded to pa-
trole beyond Frankfort, four miles from Philadelphia ; it was the day
that Colonel Donop made his unfortunate attempt on Red Bank ;
they advanced as far as the Red Lion, which feveral of the rebel
officers had left a few minutes before.

The country in front of Philadelphia, where the Queen's Rangers
were employed, was in general cleared ground, but interfered with
many woods ; the fields were fenced out with very high railing ; the
1. ain road led ftrait from Philadelphi. ■> Briftol Ferry on the Dela-
ware ; about five miles from Philadei^ ,, on this road, was Frank-
fort Creek which fell into the Delaware nearly at that diftance, and
the angle that it formed was called Point-no-Point, within which
were many good houfes and plantations.

Beyond

'■i !

ill

ili

;!'

[ 6 J

Beyond the bridge over the creek, on a height, was the village of
Frankfort ; below the bridge it was not fordable, but it was eafily
pafled in many places above it. The rebels frequently patrolled as
far as Franlifort, and to a place called the Rocks, about a mile be-
yond it. Four miles farther was Pennypack Creek, over which
was a bridge ; three miles beyond this was the Red Lion tavern,
and two miles further was Briftol, a fmall town oppofite Burling-
ton : this road was the neareft to the river Delaware ; nearly pa-
rallel to it was the road to York, which was attended to by the light
infantry, of the guards, and the army ; there were many crofs roads
that interfciftcd the country between thefe main roads, a moft perfedl
knowledge of which was endeavoured to be acquired by maps, drawn
from the information of the country people, and by ocular obfer-
vation.

The village of Kenfington was feveral times attacked by the rebel
patrolling parties -, they could come by means of the woods very near
to it undiicovered ; there was a road over a fmall creek to Point-no-
Point ; to defend this a houfe was made mufket proof, and the bridge
taken up ; cavalry only approached to this poff, for it lying, as has
been mentioned, in an angle between the Delav«^are and the Frankfort
road, infantry were liable to be cut off; on the left there was a knowl
that overlooked the country ; this was the pod of the piquet in the
day-time, but corn fields high enough to conceal the approach of
an enemy reached to its bafis ; centinels from hence inclined to the •
left and joined thofe of Colonel Twifleton's (now Lord Say and
Sele] light infantry of the guards, fo that this hill projected forward,
and on that account was ordered by Sir William Erfkine not to be
defended if attacked in force, and it was withdrawn at night. It was
ufual, if the enemy approached, to quit this po(l 'till fuch time as the
corps could get under arms, and the light infantry of the guards were
informed of it ; when, marching up the road, the enemy fearing
to be fhut up within the creek that has been mentioned, abandoned

their

[ 7 ]

■their ground and generally fufFered in their retreat to the woods. At
night the corps was drawn back to the houfes nearer Philadelphia,
and guards were placed behind breaftworks, made by heaping up the
fences in fuch points as commanded the avenues to the village, (which
was laid out and enclofed in right angles) j thefe were themfelves
overlooked by others that conftituted the alarm poft of the different
companies. Fires alfo were made in particular places before the
picquet, to difcover whatfocver fliould approach. Before day the
whole corps was under arms, and remained fo 'till the picquets
returned to their day poft, which they refumed, taking every pre-
caution againft ambufcades ; the light infantry of the guards advanced
their picquets at the fame time, and Colonel Twifleton was an
admirable pattern for attention and fpirit, to all who ferved with
him. He was conftantly with the picquets, which generally found
out the enemy's patroles, and interchanged fliot with them : his
horfe was one morning wounded by a rifle fliot. The mounted men
of the Queen's Rangers were found very ferviceable on thefe occafions.
The woods in the front were every day diminiihing, being cut down
for the ufes of the army, and the enemy kept at a greater diftance.
An attempt was made to furprize the rebel poft at Frankfort ; by
orders from head quarters the Queen's Rangers were to march near to
the bridge at Frankfort, and to lay there in anibufcade 'till fuch time
as Major Gwyn, who made a circuit with a detachment of cavalry,
fliould fall into the rear of the town. Accordingly the corps
marched through bye paths, and attained its pofition : fome dragoons
at the appointed time pafled the bridge from Frankfort. The light
was not fufficient to enable the rangers to difcover whether they were
friends or enemies, 'till upon their turning back and hearing a Hiot,
the corps ruflied into the town ; unfortunately, cither by accicknt or
from information, the rebel poft had been withdrawn. Some da} s
after the Queen's Rangers, with thirty dragoons of the i6t]i, under
Lieutenant Pidcock, marched at midnight to attempt the fame poft ;

after

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[ 8 ]

after making a circuit, and nearly attaining the rear of the Jolly Poft,
the public houl'e where the guard was kept, the party fell in with a
patrole; this was cut off from the houfe ; it luckily did not fire,
but ran towards the wood : the detachment was carefully prevented
from firing. No time was loft in the purfuit of the enemy, but the
infantry crofled the fields immediately in the rear of the houfe, and a
dilpolition was formed for attacking it, in cafe, as it well might have
been, it fliould be defended : the cavalry made a circuit to the road
in the rear, and the port was complcatly furprized. An officer and
twenty men were taken prifoners, two or three of whom were
flightly wounded in an attempt to efcape ; they were militia, and
what is very remarkable, they had the word '* Richmond" chalked
in their hats ; tiie officer faid " Richmond was the counterfign, and
" that he chalked it there that his men might not forget it." Ser-
jeant Kelly difmounted an officer, and in purfuit of another man,
left him ; the officer gave his watch to another dragoon ; it was
however adjudged to the ferjeant, as he was the perfon who dif-
mounted him, fpared his life, and purfued his duty. It is not
improper here to obferve, that formerly Major Fimcoe had forbidden
tiic foldicrs to take watches, and indeed did (o after this, 'till he
accidentally overheard a man fay it was not worth while to bring in a
prifoncr : he therefore made it a rule, that any one who took a
prilbner, if he publicly declared he had his watch, lliould keep it; fo
that no Ibldicr was interefted to kill any man. This fpirit of taking
as niany prifoners as poffible was moll earneftly attempted to be
inculcated, and not without fuccefs. Soon after, as a ftrong patrole
of cavalry, under IVr;ijor Gwyn, was out, fome of its men returned
in great confufion, faying, " that they were attacked by a fuperior
" body, both in front and rear:" at the fune time Colonel Twifleton
and M;ijor Simcoc, who were on the Knovvl, occupied by the
picquctofthe Rangers, could perceive by the glittering of arms, a
large body of foot in a wood, near which Major Gwyn was to return,

they

[ 9 ]

they immediately took their refpedlive picquets, about twenty men,
and marched to mafk the wood. The foldiers in camp were ordered
to run to the Knowl, without waiting, and the officer of the picquct
was directed to form them as fail as they came up, by twelves, and
to forward them under the firft officer or ferjeant who fliould arrive.
The whole regiment and the light infantry of the guards were foon on
the march j the enemy in the wood retreated, and gaining better
intelligence. Colonel Twifleton halted on the verge of it, 'till
Major Gwyn, who had beaten back the enemy, returned. The next
day it was known that Pulafki had commanded the enemy : a (kir-
mi(h had happened the day before, between fmaller parties, and he,
fuppofing that a large patrole would be fent out from Philadelphia,
obtained the command of a very ftrong one to ambufcade it j but,
however able and fpirited he might be, he was foon convinced that
his irregulars could not withftand the promptitude and ftrength of
the British cavalry.

Parties of the Rangers every day went to Frankfort, where the
enemy no longer kept a fixed poft, tho' they frequently fent a patrole
to ftop the market people. A patrolling party of the Rangers ap-
proached undifcovered fo clofe to a rebel centinel, ported upon the
bridge, that it would have been eafy to have killed him. A boy,
whom he had juft examined, was fent back to inform him of this,
and to diredt him immediately to quit his port or that he rtiould be
ftiot ; he ran off, and the whole party, on his arrival at the
guard, fled with equal precipitation ; nor were there any more cen-
tinels placed there : a matter of fome confequence to the poor people
of Philadelphia, as they were not prevented from getting their flour
ground at Frankfort mills.

It was the objedt, to inftil into the men, that their fuperiority lay
in clofe fight, and in the ufe of the bayonet, in which the individual
courage, and perfonal adtivity that charafterife the Britifh foldier can
beft difplay themfelves. The whole corps being together on the

C Frankfort

[ 'o ]

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Frankfort road, information was received that Pulafki with his cavalry
was approaching j on each fide of the road, for fome difbince, there
was wood, and very high rails fenced it from die road ; the march
was not interrupted, and the following difpofition was made to attack
him. The light infantry in front were loaded, and occupied the whole
fpacc of the road ; Captain Stephenfon, who commanded it, was di-
rcdled not to fire at one or two men, who might advance, but, either on
their firing or turning back, to give notice of his approach, to follow at
a brifk and ftcady rate, and to fire only on the main body when he came
clofe to them. — The eight battalion companies were formed about
thirty feet from the light infantry, in clofe column by companies,
their bayonets fixed, and not loaded j they were inftrudted not to
heed the enemy's horfcs, but to bayonet the men. The grenadiers
and Highland company were in the rear, loaded ; and the directions
given to Captain Armftrong were, that the grenadiers (hould crofs
the fences on the right, and the Highlanders thofe on the left, and
fecurc the flanks ; the men were fo prepared and fo chearful, that if
an opportunity of rufhing on Pulafki's cavalry had offered, which by
the winding of the road was probable, before they could be put into
career, there remains no doubt upon the minds of thofe who were pre-
fcnt, but that it would have been a very honourable day for the Rangers.
On the 3d of November the news of the furrcnder of General
Burgoyne's array was communicated in general orders. It was read
to the Rangers on their parade j and amidll the diftrels that fuch an
event muft naturally occafion to Engliflimen anij foldicrs, never did
Major Simcoe feel himfelf more elevated, or augur better of the
officers and men he had the honour to command, than when he came
to the rejection of one of the propofed articles, in the following
terms : " Sooner than this army will confent to ground their arms
* in their encampment, they will rulh on the enemy, determined
■' to take no quarter ;" the whole corps thrilled with animation, and
rcfentment againft the enemy, and with fympathy for thtir fellow

foldicrs ;

[ H ]

foldicrs : it would have been the moft favourable moment, had the
enemy appeared, to have attacked them.

Major Grymes, a Virginia gentleman of loyalty, education, and
fortune, who was fecond Major of the Queen's Rangers, at this
time refigned his commiflion, to the great regret of Major Simcoc
and of the corps, whofe confidence he had won by extricating
them from a very difadvantageous fituation, by a decifive and bold
exertion at Brandywine : he was fucceeded in duties, with the rank
of Captain Commandant, by Lieutenant Rofs of the 35th regiment,
with whofe intrepidity, and zeal for the fervice. Major Simcoe was
well acquainted.

The redoubts in front of Philadelphia being finilhed, the advance
picquets were withdrawn and ported in them, that of the Queen's
Rangers excepted ; it remained without the redoubt, the' it had
fallen back much nearer to it : it was liable to infult, but it would
have been difficult to have furprized it. The Knowl was ftill the
o«rt-poft, and the general place to which many of the officers of the
line rode, in order to laugh at the mounted men and their habili-
ments ; but other troops of cavalry were now raifing, and the
utility of them, through all the ridicule of bad horfes and want of
appointments, became very obvious.

On General Wafhington's occupying the camp at Whitemarrti,
Sir William Howe thought proper to move towards him, and the
army marched accordingly on the 5th of December; the Queen's
Rangers were ordered to flank the right of the baggage. The army
encamped on Chefnut-Hill and its vicinity ; and the picquet of the
Rangers made fires on the road that led to it, fo that the approach
of any parties of the enemy could eafily be feen. The army re-
mained the next day in the fame pofition. On the 7th, at night.
Major Simcoe with the Queen's Rangers, and a party of dragoons
under Captain Lord Cathcart, took up the pofition of fome of the
troops who had retired ; this port was fomctime afterwards quitted

Y}[\

i-'i

[ '2 ]

in great lilcncc, and he joined the cohimn that was marching
under General Grey. The General marched all night, and on
approaching the enemy's out-poft, he formed liis column into three
divilions ; the advanced guard of the center confifted of the Heilian
Yagers, who marched with their cannon up the road that led through
the wood, in which the enemy's light troops were pofted ; the light
infantry of the guards advanced upon the right, and the Queen's
Rangers on the left ; the enemy were outflanked on each wing, and
were turned in attempting to efcapc by the unparellelled fwiftnefs of
the light infantry of the guards, and driven acrofs the fire of the
Yagers, and the Queen's Rangers. The lofs of the rebels was com-
puted at near an hundred, with little or none on the part of the
King's troops ; a mounted man of the Queen's Rangers, in the pur-
fuit, was killed by a Yager, through miftakc : he wore a helmet that
had been taken from a rebel patrole a few days before. General
Grey was pleafed to exprefs himfclf highly fatisfied with the order,
and rapidity v/ith which the Rangers advanced. The night w«s
palled in awood not far from the enemy's camp. The next day Major
Simcoe patrolled in the vicinity : he left the infantry of his party at
tlie edge of the wood, and approached a houfcj the owner of it, who
luppofed that all the Britifh foldiers wore red, was cafily impofed
upon to believe him a rebel officer, and a cow-bell being, as pre-
concerted, rang in the wood, and an Officer gallopping to Major Simcoe
»nd telling him, that the Britiili were marauding and hunting the
cattle, the man had no doubt of the matter, and inftantly acquiefced
in a propofal to fetch fome more cavalry to feize the Britifh ; he
accordingly mounted his horle and gallopped off. The ambufcade
was properly laid for whomlbever lie fliould bring, when Captain
Andre came with orders to retreat, the column being already in
motion ; the infantry were fcarce fent off and the mounted men
following, when about thirty of the rebel dragoons appeared in fight

and

;iii!

[ '3 ]

and on the gallop j thsy fired fevcral carbine Ihot, to no jiurpolc.
The army returned to Philadelphia.

The difafler that happened to the mounted Ranger determined
Major Simcoe to provide high caps, which might at onoe diilinguilh
them both from the rebel army and their own ; the mounted men were
termed Huzzars, were armed with a fword, and fuch piftols as could be
bought, or taken from the enemy j Major Simcoc's wifli was to atld
a dagger to thefe arms, not only as ufeful in clofe adUon, but to lead
the minds of the foMier to expedt that decifive mode of combat.
Several good horfes had been taken from the rebels, fo that the
Huzzars were now well mounted, pn hardy ferviccable horfes, which
bore a very unufual (hare of fatigue. Lieutenant Wickhnm, an
officer of quicknefs, and courage, was appointed to command them,
and a ferjeant of the i6th regiment of light dragoons attended their
parade, to give them regularity in its duties.

Several men having deferted. Major Simcoe dire<5ted that the coun-
terfign Hiould not be given to the centinels ; they were ordered to
(lop any perfons at a diflance, more than one, untill the guard turned
out; and in poding of centinels, the rule was, to place tliem to,
that, if poflible, . they could fee and not be feen, and in different
ports in the night from thofe of the day. Near high-roads, liouble
Centinels, without being loaded, were advanced beyond the front of the
chain ; thefe were compofed of old foldiers, who, with all others,
were fedulouHy inftrufted to challenge very loud. The centinels
were relieved every hour. The fubaltern frequently patrolled, as
did the captain of the day, and the field officers : the confequencc
was, that the Queen's Rangers never gave a fiilfe alarm, or had a
Centinel furprized, during the war. It is remarkable, that a man de-
ferted at this time, who left all his neccflaries, regimentals excepted :
he had lately come from Europe, and, to all appearance, had cnlifted
merely to facilitate his joining the rebel army.

C3 It

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[ '4 J

It may be here a proper place to defcribc the country in front of Plii-
ladeiphia ; ami the general duties on which the Queen's Rangers were
employed, during the winter.

The road on the right, and ncareft the Delaware, has been already
mentioned by the name of the Frankfort road : from the center of
Philadelphia, the rriain road led up the country, and about two miles
off, at the Rifmg Sun, it branched into the Old York road on the
ri'^ht, and that of the Gcrmantown on the left. The light infantry
<3f the guards patrolled up the York-Town rqad, as that of the line
did the German-Town ; thofe that ran on the fide of the Skuylkill,
were in front of the Yagers, and jjatroUed by them. The Queen's
Rangers, by their pofition, were at the greateft diftance from Mr.
Walhington's camp, which was now at Valley Forge, beyond the
Skuylkill, and as the courfe of the Delaware inclined away from the
Skuylkill, the diflance was confiderably increafed ; fo that no detach-
ment from his camp could have been made without extreme hazard ;
from the York-Town road, therefore, on the left, and the Delaware
river on the right. Major Simcoe felt no apprehenfions ; when he paHcd
Frankfort creek in front he was to be guided by circumflances. The
general diredions he received was to fecure the country, and facilitate
the inhabitants bringing in their produce to market.

To prevent this intercourfe, the enemy added, to the fevere exer-
tions of their civil powers, their militia. The roads, the creeks, and
the general inclination of the inhabitants to the Britifh government,
and to their own profit, aided the endeavour of the Queen* Rangers.
The redoubt on the right had been garrifoned by the ccrps, till, on
Major Simcoe's rcprefentation that the duty was too fevere, it was
given to the line : within this redoubt the corps fitted up their bar-
racks. The 4th of January was the firft day fince their landing at
the head of Elk, that any man could be permitted to unaccoutre.

There is not an officer in the world who is ignorant, that per-
mitting the foldier to plunder, or maraud, muft inevivitably deftroy

him;

[ '5 ]

him ; that, In a civil war, it muft alienate the large body of people*,
who, IT fuch aco fcft, aredelirous of neutrality, and four their minds
into dillatisfadion : but, however obvious the necellity may be, there
is nothing more difficult than for a commander in chief to prevent
marauding. The numerous orders that arc extant in King Charles'
and the Parliament's army, prove it in thofe dreadful times ; and the
Duke of Argyle, in his defcription of the Dutch auxiliaries, in the
year 171 5, who, he fays, " were mighty apt to mirtake friend for foe,"
exemplifies the additional difficulty where foreign troops arc combined
with natives. No officer could pofllbly feel the attention that was ne-
certary to this duty more rtrongly than Major Simcoe, and he thought
himfelf warranted to declare, when a general order was given out to en-
force it, ** that, it is with the utmofl fatisfidion Major Simcoe believes
'* there would have been no neceffity for the general orders of this
•' day, had every corps of the army been as regular, in rcfpcdl to
** their abftaining from plunder and marauding, as the Rangers. He
" trufts, that fo truly a military behaviour will be continued; and
*• that the officer and foldier of the corps, will confidcr it as ho-
«• norable to him as the moft diftinguirtied bravery." Major Simcoo
took care to prevent the poffibility of plunder, as mucli as lay in his
power : he never halted, if he could avoid it, but in a wood ; fent
lafcguarils to every houfe ; allowed no man, in marching, to quit his
ranks i and was, in general, fuccefsful in infilling into the minds of
the men, that while they proteded the country, the inhabitants would
give every information of the enemy's movements, and ambufcades.
The officers were vigilant in their attention to this duty, and the
foldiers had admirable examples of difcipline and good order, from
the native loyaUfts of the corps, who were moftly non-commiffioned
officers. On the contrary, the rebel patroles, who came to rtop the
markets, were confidered by the conn y people as robbers j and pri-
vate fignals were every where eftabli/1. '. by which the fmalleft party of
the Rangers would have been lafe in the patrolling the country. The

general

1)1

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[ i6 ]

'i,

general mode that Major Simcoe adopted was, to keep perfedly fccret
the hour, the road, and the manner of his march ; to penetrate, in
one body, about ten miles into the country. This body generally
marched in three divilions, one hundred yards from each other, fo
that it would have required a large force to have embraced the whole
in an ambufcade, and either divifion, being upon the flank, it would
have been hazardous for an enemy fo inferior in every refpedl, but
numbers, as the rebels were, to have encountered it; at ten or
twelve miles the corps divided, and ambufcaded different roads ; and
at the appointed time rcttirned home. There was not a bye path
or Ford unknown, and the Muzzars would generally patrole fome
miles in front of the infantry. The market people, who over-night
would get into the woods, came out on the appearance of the corps,
and proceeded uninterruptedly, and from market they had an efcort,
whenever it was prefumed that the enemy was on the Philadelphia
fide of Frankfort to intercept them on their return into the woods.
The infantry, however inclement the weather, feldom marched lefs
than ninety miles a week ; the flank companies, Highlanders, and
Iluzzars, frequently more: thefe marches were, by many people,
deemed adventurous, and the deflruftion of the corps was frequently
prophefied. The detail that has been exhibited, and experience, takes
away all appearance of improper temerity ; and, by thefe patroles,
the corps was formed to that tolerance of fatigue, and marching,
which excelled that of the chofcn light troops of the army, as will
hereafter be fliewn.

Thefe matters have been dwelt upon, not only as they exhibit what
is conceived to have been the drilling of the Queen's Rangers for
more important fervices, but, as it proves that the protedion of Phi-
ladelphia and the opening a way to its markets, were provided for by
Sir William Howe, and that his orders were fyftematically and
induftrioufly obeyed.

The

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[ 17 ]

The Huzzars, by this time, were encreafed to thirty, mounted on
fuch horfes as they had taken from the enemy ; and Hnlign Proftor
was added to them. Tlie country in front of Philadelphia was fo-
raged, and the Queen's Rangers formed the advance guard of the parties
which made it ; but it was with great reludlance that Major Simcoc
faw Point-no-Point included in the general forage, as he had taken
particular care to preferve it from plunder : it is impoflible to proted
any country from the depredations of foraging parties. The cloath-
ing of the Provincials was ferved by contract ; the duties of the
Queen's Rangers would have worn out much better -, they were
obliged, by the inclemency of the weather, to wear the new ones,
without altering. It being determined, for the next year, to cloatli
the Provincials in red. Major Simcoe exerted himfelf to preferve the
Rangers in green, and to procure for them green waiftcoats : his purpofe
was to wear the wairtcoats with their fleeves during the campaign, and
to add fleeves to the (l\ell, or outer coat, to be worn over the waiftcoats
in winter: green is without comparilbn the bed color for light troops
wit}\ dnrk accoutrements; and if put on in the fpring, by autumn it
nearly fades with the leaves, preflrving its charadlerillic of bcini;
fcarcely difcernablc at a diftance.

At the end of February, General Wayne having been detached
from Wafliington's army to colleft fuch cattle as were in the lower
Jcrfics, Sir William Howe lent Lieutenant -Colonel Abcrcrombie
down the Delaware, to land and attack him, while Colonel Stirling
with the 42d regiment and the Queen's Rangers, crolfcd that river op-
pofite to Philadelphia, and marched to Haddoiificld, to intercept him ;
at the fame time, a detachment under Colonel Markham pafl'ed over,
.ind took port at Cooper's ferry, to collc<ft forage in its vicinity.
Colonel Stirling rc-ached Haddonfield early in the morning; Ibme
ftragglers of Wayne's corps had juft left it as he arrived there. The
ground in front of the village was immediately occupied: the Queen's
Rangers on the left, with their left Hank to a creek which nearly

1) extended

M
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[ iS ]

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extended the whole length of their front. A circumlLince happened
here, which, iho' not unulanl in America and in the rebel mode of
vvirfuc, it is prcfumed is fingiilar ehcwlicre. As .Major Sinicoe was
on horfelv.ck, in cor.vcrdition with Lieutenant Whitlock, and near
the out ccntinels, a rifle was fired, and the b.dl graced between them;
the groMiul they were on being liighcr than the ojipofite bank, tlic
man who h:.d lired was pLiinly {.:en, running olf : Lieutenant Whit-
lock, with tlie ccntinels, purfucd him, and the guard followed in
cafe of ncceility, the picquets occupying their place; the man was
turned by Mr. Whitlock, and intercepted, and taken by the ccn-
tinels. On being quelHoncd, " how lie prefumcd to fire in fuch a
" manner: ' he anfw'cred, " that he had frequently fired at the
" HelFians (wlio a few weeks before had been there), and thought
" he might as well do fo agaiy." As he lived within half a mile of
tlie fpot, had he not been taken and ••he patroles puflicd there the
next day, they would have found him, it is probable, employed in his
houlholil matters, and ftrcnuoufly denying that he either poirelfed, or
had fired a gun: he was fent prifoner to Philadelphia. Upon porting
tlic guards, at night, they were augmented fo as to have the rounds
every fifteen minutes, and Major Simcoe recommended to the otiicer
to be particularly alert, as it was reafonable to prefume that Wayne,
who had been furprized by General CJrey, could have but two ideas:
the one of being furprized himfelf, which the diftance prevented, and
the other of retaliation, which, having fecured his convoy and being
mailer of the country, there was every reafon to apprehend and guard
againfl.

Early the next morning Major Simcoe was detached to deftroy fucli
boats and llores as were upon Timber creek, and which had been
conveyed thither wlien the naval armaments on the Delaware were
burnt. As the boats appeared valuable, and fome Refugees offered to
carry them to Philadelphia, they were accordingly direded to fall
down the creek, when fortunately one hundred and fifty barrels of

tar,

f- :

1! ■ ,

[ '•') ]

tar, of which tiic fleet was In want, were dhlovcrcLl, luul witli th:s tlic
Jjoats were laden, and fent to Captain HaniJiiond, who comin/ijulcd
the navy in the Delaware. The party returned in the evcnin'>- \\\(\\
fome few militia as prifoners, who, from their j^recii tloathiiiL;, iiud
miftaken the Rangers for what they attempted to appear — Wayne's
rear guard. At midnight. Colonel Stirling fent for Major Simcoe,
who found at his quarters one of thofc Refugees to whom the boats
had been intruded : he related, that during tl'.eir progrefs down the
creek, they had been attacked by the militia of the country, and that
amidil the confufion he got a(hore, and efcaped. Major Simcoe was
directed to march as early as pofliblc, and to quell any of the militia
who might be there, and to give an opportunity for the Refugees,
who moft probably had concealed themfelves in the marlhes, to cf-
cape. Before day-break Major Simcoe furrounded the houfe of Tew,
a militia lieutenant, with the Iluzzars, and in perfect fecrccy and
filence lay there untill the arrival of the infantry : Tew was fuppofed
to have headed fome of his neighbours in arms, as it was well
known there was no body of men in the country, and only a few in-
habitants who could pollibly be collefted. Captain Saunders, with the
cavalry and fome infantry, was fent further down the creek, to pro-
cure information. There was nobody in Tew's houfe but his wife,
and other females ; fhe was informed, that if her hufband, as was
fuppofed, appeared to be at the head of the party, who, contrary to
common prudence and the rules of war, had fired upon the boats the
preceding night, his houfe ihoiild be burnt, as an example to deter
others ; at the fame time flie might have alliftance to remove her
furniture, and to lave it in an outhoufs,-, for which purpofe fome Re-
fugees, her former neighbours, offered to allill her; and preparations
were accordingly making, when Captain Saunders returned with certain
information, that a predatory party from the ihippingat Philadelphia,
imagining themfelves fccure from the troops being at Haddonfield,
had rowed up the creek, and meeting the Refugees, they fired

D 2 upon

n
I

If;'!-

[ 20 ]

Upon each other, but the miftake being loon dilcovered, they returned
together to the Delaware. Tew's houfe, of courle, remained uninjured,
and the troops marched back to Haddonfield, and early the next morn-
ing made an cxcurfion on the road to Egg-harbour, to get what cattle
and rum (of which there was intelligence) might be found on it. The
advanced part of the corps, and the Iluzzars, marched about twenty
miles from Haddonfield ; a few hogfhcads of rum and fome cattle
were procured, and fomc tobacco deftroyed. On the return, and
about two miles from Haddonfield, Major Simcoe was obferving to
fomc officers a peculiar ftrong ground, when, looking back, he liivv a
houfc that he had pafied in flames j it was too far gone for all his
endeavours to fave it ; he was exceedingly hurt at the circumftancc,
but neither threats of punifhment, nor offers of reward, could induce
a difcovcry : this was the only inAance of a diforder of this nature
that ever happened under his command, and he afterwards knew it
tvas not perpetrated by any of the Queen's Rangers. At night, a
man arrived at the outpod, fumilhed with fuch credentials as made
it proper to believe his information : his account was, that Wayne
Avas on his march from mount Holly, to attack the troops at Had-
donfield, and that he intended to make a circuit to fall in upon the
) tght ; the man was immediately forwarded to Colonel Stirling ; and
Major Simcoe remarked to Captain Saunders, his confidential friend,
" that probably Colonel Stirling would fend for him, and, ii any
" room Should be left for confultation, his advice would be, that the
" whole corps fhould move forward and ambufcade Wayne's march
" on the ftrong ground which Major Simcoe had remarked a few
" hours before ; that every inhabitant of the town fhould be fecured,
" and the Huzzars left to take pofl at the direct roads ; that, upon
" information being forwarded to Sir William Howe, Colonel Mark-
*• ham would probably be fent to Haddonfield, and pofTibly a ftrong
*• corps embarked, and pafTed up the Delaware, above Wayne."
Major Simcoe accordingly was fent for, but it was to receive direc-
tions

l-\'n, .

[ 21 ]

tions for an immediate retreat : Colonel Stirling underftandin^; that
the force under Wayne had been fo confidcrably augmented, tliat it
would be imprudent to remain at Haddonfield ; his bufincfs there
being compleated, and his intentions, otherwife, being to return the
next morning; the rum was ftaved, and the whole detachment pre-
pared to march immediately. In confideration of the fatigue of the
Queen's Rangers, and that there was no probability of any adion.
Major Simcoc folicitcd to lead the march. In the mean time, Ibine
of the enemy fired upon the advanced pofts of the Rangers, and made
great noife to draw their attention that way : this was a frequent
mode of the rebels ; it might have been proper at the moment of
attack, but anticipating it for fome hours, in general it gave a know-
ledge of their defigns, and encreafed a jufl and military contempt for
this mode of condudjing them. The night was uncommonly fcverc,
and a cold fleet fell the whole way from Haddonfield to Cooper's ferry,
where the troops arrived late, and the ground being occupied by barns
and forage, they were neceilltated to pafs the coldeft night that they
ever felt, without fire. As dawn arrived, the weather cleared up ;
about three miles and half from Cooper's ferr)', and half a mile
within the dirc<5l road to Haddonfield, there was fome fomgc remain-
ing } fifty of the 42d and Rangers, under the command of Captain
Kerr, were fent as an efcort to the waggons that went for it. Lieu-
tenant Wickham, with ten Huzzars, was diredlcd by Colonel Stirling
to patrole in his front towards Haddonfield. A few miles ofl^. Lieu-
tenant Wickham met the enemy j he fent information to Captain
Kerr, and to Colonel Stirling, and, with fix Huzzars, attended their
front. As the road led through thick woods, the enemy were appre-
henfivcof ambufcades, and were intimidated by Lieutenant Wickham's
frequently calling out, as to the infantry, " to halt, not to march fo
" faft," &c. &c. fo that the enemy's cavalry, though more than two
hundred, did not rufli on him. He gave time to Captain Kerr to re-
treat, then joined and returned to camp with him, ulhcring the enemy

ml
r

■'I

I' !

i
I
t

r!i

iil

!!''

I »

■!„

[ 22 1

to tiic very cjut-pofl. The line was formed; the 42cl regiment on the
ri^;ht, Colonel Markham's detachment in the center, and the Q^ieen's
Rangers on the left. Tlic embarkation ftill proceeded ; the horfes
were now fent off", and, as the enemy did not advance. Colonel Mark-
ham's detachment f )llo\ved them. It was fcarce half way over the
Del.uvare, when the picquets were attacked. The enemy were pro-
bably induced to attack earlier than they intended, by a barn having
been accidentally fet on fire, and which it was reafonablc for them to
fuppofe mi^ht have been done by fome lurking perfon, after the troops
in general had embarked. Upon the appearance of the enemy, the 42d
regiment marched forward in line, and orders were lent to the Queen's
Rangers to advance, which it did, in column, by companies; Cooper's
crock fccurcd its left Hank ; the artillery horfes of the three pounders
being embarked, the feamen, with their accullomed alacrity, offered to
draw on the cannon j the artillery followed the light infantry com-
pany, and preceded the battalion. Some of the enemy appearing on
the oppofite bank of the Cooper creek, Captain Armflrong, with the
grenadiers, was directed to march and line a dyke on this fide : an ad-
vantage the enemy had not ; and to keep off any ftragglers who might
be ported there. A heavy fire was kept up on the right, by the 42di
there was nothing oppofcd to the Rangers but fome cavalry, watching
their motions, and as Major Simcoe advanced rapidly to gain an
eminence in front, which he conceived to be a ftrong advantageous
pofition, they fled into the wood, an officer excepted, who, reining
back his horle, and fronting the Rangers as they advanced, flowly
waved with his fcimetar fur his attendants to retire; the light infan-
try being within fifty yards of him, he was called out to, " You are
" a brave fellow, but you mull: go away," to which not paying fo
much attention as he ought, M'Gill, afterwards quarter mafter, was
direded to fire at him, on which he retired into the woods. A few
llraggling (hot were fired in the front ; the light infantry company
sv.is detached there, and fupported by the Highlanders, who foon

cleared

,r(:;

1 !

|r!|:i

[

]

cleared the front ; the battalion halted on the advantageous ground
it had moved towards, and, at the entreaties of tiie failors, a few can-
non Hiot were fired at a party of the enemy, v. ho were near the brid jc
over Cooper Creek, 'till perceiving they were bufv in dcrtroying il,
they were no longer interrupted : the firing totally ccafi;d, and the
enemy retreated. Some. few of the Rangers were wounded, aniong
whom, Serjeant M'Pherfon of the grenadiers died ; in cvliv rcf[ e*ll
he was much to be lamented. The pcrfon whom M'Gill hrcd ;.f,
proved to be Pulafkij his horfe was wounded; and liad not the Hu/i-
zars been fent over the Delaware previous to the attack, he \\ould
have been taken, or killed. The embarkation took place without any
interruption ; :.nd on the 2d of March the Queen's Rangers returned
to their old quarters, and former duties. Colonel Stirling made the
mofl; handfome and favorable report of the behaviour of the corps,
to Sir William Howe. •

An expedition was formed under the command of the late Colonel
Mawhood, confifting of the 27th and 46th regiments, the Qiteen's
Rangers, and New Jerfey Volunteers ; they embarked tne 12th of
March, and fell down the Delaware. On the 17th, the Queen's
Rangers landed, at three o'clock in the morning, about lix miles
from Salem, the Huzzars carrying their accoutrements and fwords.
Major Simcoe was direfted to I'eize horfes, to mount the cavalry, and
the ftaff, and to join Colonel Mawhood at Salem ; this was accord-
ingly executed. Major Simcoe, making a circuit and palling over
Lambllone's bridge, arrived at Salem, near v.hich Coloiiel Mawhood
lajided. Th Huzzars were tolerably well mounted, and fufiicient
horfes procured for the other exigencies of the fervicc : Colonel
Mawhood had given the rtrideft charge againll plundering ; and
Major Simcoe, in taking the horfes, had affured the inhabitants
that tliey iliould be returned, or paid for, if they did not appear
in arms, in a very few days ; and, none but officers entering the
houfcs, they received no other injury. The Queen's Rangers'

infiintry

[ 24 ]

i'' i

■|(.

I f' I'"

iiifiintry were about two hundred and fevcnty, rank and file, and
thirty cavalry ; Colonel Mawhood gave diredions for the forage to
take place on the 1 8 th. The town of Salcn*. lies upon a creek of that
name which falls into the Delaware nearly oppofite Reedy ifland ; the
Aloes, or Alewas creek, runs almoft parallel to the Salem creek, and
falls into the Delaware to the fouthward of it ; over this creek there
were three bridges : Hancock's was the lower one, Quintin's that
in the center, and Thompfon's the upper one ; between thefe creeks
the foraging was to commence ; the neck, or peninfula, formed by
them was at its greateft diftance fcvcn, and at its leaft four miles wide.
The rebel militia was ported at Hancock's and Quintin's, the neareft
bridges, which they had taken up, and defended by breaft- works.
Colonel Mawhood made detachments to maflc thefe bridges ; and
foraged in their rear : the officer who commanded the detachment,
confifting of fcventy of the 17th infantry, at Quintin's bridge, fent
information that the enemy were aflembled in great numbers at the
bridge, and indicated as if they meant to pafs over whenever he fhould
quit it, in which cafe his party would be'in great danger. Colonel
Mawhood marched with the Queen's Rangers to his affiftance : he
made a circuit, fo as to fall in upon the road that led from Thompfon's
to Quintin bridge, to deceive any patrole which he might meet on
his march, and to make them believe that he direfted it to Thomp-
fon's, net Quintin's bridge. Approaching the bridge, the Ranr-irs
halted in the wood, and Colonel Mawhood and Major Simcoe went
to the party of the 17th, but in fuch a manner as to give no fufpicion
that they were part of a reinforcement ; the ground was high, till
within two hundred yards of the bridge, where it became marihy ;
iinmediatcly beyond the bridge, the banks were ftcep, and on them
the enemy had thrown up breaft- works ; there was a pxiblic houfe
very near the road, at the edge of its declivity into the marfh, on the
Salem fide. Colonel Mawhood allied Major Simcoe, " whether he
" thought, if he left a party in the houfe, the enemy would pal><

• h.

IN I

[ 25 ]

** by it or not ?" who replied, " that hs thought they would bo
" too cowardly to do it ; but at any rate the attempt could ilo no
" harm, and, if he pleafed, he would try." Colonel Mawliood
directed Major Simcoe to do fo, who accordingly profiting by
the broken ground of the orchard which was behind it, and the
cloathing of his men, brought Captain Stephenfon and his ccinpanv
into the houfe, undifcovered : the front windows were opened, mil
the back ones were fliut, fo that no thorough light could be fecn ;
the women of the houfe were put in the cellar and ordered to
be filent; the door was left open, and Lieutenant M'Kay flood
behind it, with a bayonet, ready to fcize the firft perfon whofe
curiofity might prompt him to enter; the Queen's Rangers were
brought into the wood near to that part where it ended in clear
ground, and two companies, under Captain Saunders, were advanced
to the fences at the very edge of it, where they lay flat. Colonel
Mawhood then gave orders for the detachment of the 17th, \\ho
were ported near the houfe, to call in their ccntinels and retreat
up the road in full view of the enemy. This party had fcarcely
moved, when the enemy laid the bridge and palled it ; a detach-
ment of them went immediately acrofs the marHi to the heights
on the left, but the principal party, about two hundred, in two
divifions, proceeded up the road ; Captain Stephenfon, as they ap-
proached the houfe, could hear them fiy, " let us go into the
" houfe," &c. but they were prevented, both by v/ords and by ac-
tion, by the officer who was at their head : he was on horfcb.ick, a;ul
fpurring forward, quitted the road to go into the ficl.l, on the ri^lit,
thro' a vacancy made by the rails being taken for fires ; his jvariy
ftill proceeded up the road, and the firrt divifion pafied t!ie houfe :
the officer, his fight ftill fixed on the red cloaths of the 17th, ap-
proached clofe up to the fence where Captain Saunders lay ; Ik diii
not immediately obferve the Rangers, and, it is probable, he n.ii;lit
not, had he not heard one of the men ftiflin"; a lauuh : luokinT licA-. n

E lie-

■■>■'

'"^ '1

[ 26 ]

111

It^

he r.iw them, and galloppcd off; he was fired at, wounded, and
taken. The divilion that had parted the houfe attempted to return :
Captain Stephenfon HdUed, drove them acrofs the fields. Captain
Saunders purfued them ; the Iluzzars were let loofe and afterwards
the battaUon, Colonel Mawhood leading them ; Major Simcoe
diredcd the 17th back to the houfe, with the grenadiers, and
Highlanders of the Rangers, ready to force the bridge, if ordered ;
the enemy, for a moment, quitted it. Colonel Mawhood thouj^ht
it ufelefs to pafs it. Some of the divifion, who palTed the houfe,
were taken prifoners, but the greater part were drowned in the
Aloes creek. The officer, who was taken, proved to be a French-
man. The Rangers had one Huzzar mortally wounded j and what
was unfortunate, he was wounded by a man, whom in the eager-
nefs of the purfuit he had pafled, given quarters to, and not dif-
armed : the villain, or coward, was killed by another Huzzar. The
corps returned to Salem.

The rebels ftill occupying the ports at Quintin and Hancock's
bridge, and probably accumulating, Colonel Mawhood determined
to attack them at the latter, v ht;re, from all reports, they were
aflembled to near four hundred men. He entrurted the enterprizc
to Major Simcoe, and went with him and a patrole oppofite to the
place : the Major afcended a tree and made a rough iketch of
the buildings, which by converfing with the guides, he improved
into a tolerable plan of the place, and formed his mode of attack
accordingly. He embarked on the 20th, at night, on board the flat
boats ; he was to be landed at an inlet, feven miles below Aloes creek,
when the boats were immediately to be returned, and by a private
road he was to reach Hancock's bridge, oppofite to which. Major
iMitchell was detached with the 27th regiment, to co-operate with
him. Major Simcoe forefaw the difficulties, and dangers, but he
kept them to himfelf : every thing depended upon furprize. The
enemy were nearly double his numbers; and his retreat, by the

Bl li !

:i' 1

[ 27 ]

abfolute orders to fend back the boats, was cut off j but he had juft
confidence in the filcnce, attention, and fpirit of the corps. By fomc
ftrange error in the naval deparment, when the boats arrived off Aloes
creek, the tide fet fo ftrong againft them, that, in the opinion of the
officer of the navy, they could not reach the place of their deftination
'till mid-day. Major Simcoe determined not to return, but to land
on the marches, at the mouth of the Aloes creek ; there were good
guides with him : they found out a landing place, and after a march
of two miles thro' marfties, up to the knees in mud and water ; la-
bours rendered more fatiguing by the carriage of the firft wooden
planks they met with, to form bridges with them over the ditches,
they at length arrived at a wood upon dry land. Here the corps was
formed for the attack. There was no public road which led to
Hancock's bridge, but that which the Rangers were now in poffeffion
of i a bank, on which there was a footway, led from Hancock's to
Quintin's bridge. Hancock's houfe was a large brick houfe ; there
were many ftore-houfes round it, and fome few cottages. Captain
Saunders was detached to ambufcade the dyke that led to Quintin's
bridge, about half a mile from the quarters, and to take up a fmall
bridge which was upon it, as the enemy would, probably, fly that
way, and if not purfucd too clofely, would be more eafily defeated.
Captain Dunlop was detached to the rear of Hancock's houfe j in
which it was prefumed the rebel officers quartered \ direded to force
it, occupy and barricade it, as it commanded the paffage of the bridge.
Different detachments were allotted to the houfes fuppofed to be the
enemy's quarters, which ha\ ing maftered, they were ordered to af-
femble at Hancock's ; a party was appropriated to relay the bridge.
On approaching the place, two centries were difcovered : two men
of the light infantry followed them, and, as they turned about,
bayoneted them ; the companies ruHied in, and each, with proper
guides, forced the quarters allotted to it. No refiftance being made,
the light infantry, who were in refcrve, reached Hancock's houfe by

E 2 tllfi

t !'j

[ 28 ]

the road, and forced the front door, at the Tunc time that Captain
DiKilop, by a more dilllcult way, entered the back door; as it was
very dark, thefe companies had nearly attacked each other. The
lurprile was compleat, and would have been fo, had the whole of the
enemy's force been prcfcnt, but, fortunately for them, they had quitted
it the evening before, leaving a detachment of twenty or thirty men, all
of wliom were killed. Some vci-y unfortunate circumtlances happened
here. Among the killed was a friend of Government, then a pri-
fontr with tlie rebels, old Hancock, the owner of the houfe, and his
brother : Major Simcoe had made particular enquiry, and was in-
formed that he did not live at home, fince the rebels had occupied
the bridge. The information was partly true ; he was not there
in the day-time, but unfortunately returned home at night : events
like thefe arc the real miferies of war. The roads which led to the
country were immediately ambufcaded ; and Lieutenant Whitlock
was dcMched to furprize a patrole of fcven men who had been fent
down the creek : this he cftetflcd completely. On their refufal to
furrcnder, he fired on them, only one cfcaped. This firing gave the
firll notice of the fuccefs of the enterprifc to the 27th regiment ; with
fo much filence it had hitherto been condudcd. The bridge was
now laid ; and Major Simcoe communicated to Colonel Mitchell,
that the enemy were at Quintin's bridge ; that he had good guides
to condad: them thither by a private road, and that the poflertion
of Hancock's houfe fecured a retreat. Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell
faid, that his regiment was much fatigued by the cold, and that he
would return to Salem as foon as the troops joined. The am-
bufcadcs were of courfe withdrawn, and the Queen's Rangers were
forming to pafs the bridge, when a rebel patrole pafied where an
ambufcade had been, and difcovering the corps, gallopped back.
I.icutciuint-Coloncl Mitchell, finding his men in high fpirits, had
roturnod, purpofing to march to Quintin's bridge : hut being in-
formed of the enemy's patrole, it was thought bcfl: to return.

Colonel

ini

^.Ctipt . iiunl«fi t/t^tHrA*if to lAr rrar of't/ieiift.
¥ . Capf.Stiii/ntfrs to aniiu^^idf t/ir Uikr ...

iK^^r.l A' titice 1^ ii» BnU^e^

Vt.L'.tUAfHiAfJlkthr ij'^Rfff!

i 'i J 'I

iff

\ . Ifiimvi'Av Htuijff. I }L.Capl.Duni«p dttatt/itd to tAr rrur t>f' t/itiK't.

11. liri'Ji/e />nirti i/i'Hn 1 V.(apf.Saiind*rs fo an»iu*(tuif thr DiAr

V .Miiri'A I'/'fAf (hiren'.' Rim<trrf thiv ^Ar li//,iyr A A- /V;<(r t^ it* Bnityf. .

X^.tlifft.Slfiftijii'n ill ii4/ianty \Ki.L'. loi.AfittAeJl k' Hie ij* Ktgf

tl''l

[ -29 ]

Colonel Mawhood, in public orders, "returned his bell tiiaiii^s toMiijor
" Simcoe and his corps, for their fpirlted and good coniiu^lt in the fiir-
" prize of the rebel ports." Two days after, the (Queen's Rangers pit-
trolled to Thompfon's bridge; the enemy, who had been pofled there,
were alarnied at the approach of a cow the night before, fired at it,
wounded it, and then fled; they alfo abandoned Quiiitin's bridge,
and retired to a creek, fixteen miles from Aloes creek. Major
Simcoe, making a patrole with the lluzzars, took a circuit towards
the rear of one of the parties fent out to proted the foragers : a party
of the enemy had been watching them the whole day, and unluckily,
the forage being compleated, the detachment had juft left its ground
and was moving off; the enemy doing the like, met the patrole ;
were purfued, and efcaped by the pafllige which the foragers had jult
left open. One only was taken, being purfued into a bog, which the
Huzzars attempted in vain to crofs, and were much mortified to fee
above a dozen of the enemy, who had palled round it in fafety,
within a few yards : they confifted of all the field officers and com-
mittee-men of the diftriiit. The prifoncr v, is their adjutant. . The
enemy, who were affembled at Cohanfey, might eafily ha 'e been
furprized; but Colonel Mawhood judged, that having compleated
his forage with fuch fuccefs, his bufinefs was to return, which
he effected. The troops embarked without any accident, and failed
for Philadelphia. The horfes were given back to the inhabitants,
or paid for. On he paflage, the fliips waiting for the tide, ?/Iajor
Simcoe had an opportunity of landing at Billing's port, where Major
Vandyke's corps was ftationed, and examining it, they arrived at
Philadelphia, March the 3 1 ft. The patroles of the Rangers were
made fyftematically as ever, on their return ; but as fpring ap-
proached, the enemy's cavalry came nearer to the lines, and owed
their efcape, more than once, to the ilectncfs of their horfes : one or
two of tham who were taken were decorated with eggs, women's
Ihoes, &c. &c. that they had robbed the market people of, and, in

that

" \

[ 30 ]

!!Hi^

that drefs, were paraded through the ftreet to prilbn. Several Loy-
alifts were in arms, under the command of Mr. Thomas, thtir
Captain ; and, with Hovenden's, and James's troops of Provincials,
made excurfions into the country ; and at Newton, many miles from
Philadelphia, they brought off a large quantity of cloathing ; when-
ever they made an excurfion, the Queen's Rangers pushed forward to
bring them off. One morning, about two o'clock, Major Simcoe,
marching to fupport them in an attempt they were to make on Smith-
field, met them about a mile from Philadelphia ; they faid, they had
been repulfed : judging it neccffary to fupport the advantages derived
from the diftance to which they made their excurfions, he made en-
quiries into the matter, and found their accounts fo various, that he
determined to march to Smithfield, and accordingly took fuch of them
with him as were not weary, for guides. His ideas were, that the
party at Smithfield would probably be reinforced by another which
was in its vicinity, and that he might poffibly furprize them rejoicing
at their fiiccefs : at any rate, the recoil would add to the afcendcncy
neceffary to be maintained in the country. The Queen's Rangers
marched to Smithfield, but found no enemy there j and, it appeared,
that they hud alfo fled, having exchanged fome fhots with the Refugees.
Mr. WaHiington drew his fupplies of fat cattle from New England : a
drove of this kind was met about thirty miles from Philadelphia,
between the Delaware and Skuylkill, by a friend of Government, who
paffed himfelf upon the drivers for a rebel commiffary, then billetted
them at a neighbouring farm, anil immediately gallopped to Phila-
delphia, from whence a party of dragoons were fent for the
cattle : the Queen's Rangers advanced forward to Chefnut hill, and
the brigade of guards were ported at German town j the whole drove
was fafely conduced to Philadelphia. Major Simcoe, as was his
cuftom, with the Huzzars, patrolled in front, and took a minute
furvey of the ground, at Barren-hill church, which was near proving

ifii

•£•!

yiuiliii

[ 3' ]

of cop'*^ aCncc in the event. A very great delcrtio.i happened i'win
VVartiington's army this winter, which, had it not been dillicult to
effed, probably, would have been univerfal ; the Queen's Rangci'-
were benefited by it ; Captain Armftrong's company of grenadiers,
in fize, youth, and appearance, was inferior to no one in the army.
There were many reports, that Mr. Lacy, the rebel General of tlie
Pennfylvania militia, was colleding them, profcfiedly to impede the
country people's intcrcourfe with the markets. Major Simcoc, befides
employing his own intelligence, applied to Lieutenant Colonel Balfour,
who fo fuccefsfully managed thefe matters, during the army's being
at Philadelphia, for what he could furnifli him with ; and reprefcnted
that it would be of the utmofl confequence, to attack Lacy the
moment he broke into the circle of country, which we had hitherto
maintained pofleflion of. In confequence of this converfation, he
was fent for by Colonel Balfour, fomc time after, and informed,
that Lacy"? corps were* to aflemble at the Crooked Billett, twenty-
five miles from Philadelphia, on the firft of May. Major Simcoe
was anxious that they fhould be attacked on that night j and from
the maps of the country arranged the plan, which was approved
of. The main road led, part the Billett, to Philadelphia from
York ; at lefs than* half a mile from it, on the Philadelphia fide,
there was another, that led to Wafliington's camp, by Horfliam
meeting. Major Simcoe propofed, that he fhould march with the
Rangers, and, by a circuit, get to the road in the rear of the Billett ;
and that a detachment Hiould march and ambufcade themfelves
in a wood, (the intelligencer faid there was one adapted to the
purpofe) on the road which led by the Horfham meeting-houfe to
Wafhington's camp ; this party was to remain in ambufcade 'till they
heard the firing of the Queen's Rangers. It was fuppofed, that if
the furprizc fhould not be compleat, the ambufcade would render the
fuccefs perfedly fo, by fupporting the Rangers if they were checked,
and by intercepting the enemy if they attempted to retreat, which,

probably.

•!1

[ 3^ J

?:■- .: 1

:i'

■•W

1 :!

probably, would be towards their army. Colonel Balfour propofed
two hundred light infiuUry to go ; to this Major Simcoc faid, " that
" they would be commanded by older officers in the line, and yet of
" inferior local rank to himfelf, and tliat it was his wifli, on that ac-
" count, to avoid giving umbrage;" the rcfult was, Lieutenant Colonel
Abercrombie was chofen, and marched, with a large detachment
of the light infantry, and with one of cavalry, and horfes to mount part
of his infantry-men, for greater expedition. Major Simcoe's march
was a difficult one : he thouj^ht it neceflliry to make many circuits
to avoid places where he fnfpcdcd the enemy had polL, or patroles.
He was admirably guided ; and, luckily, had information, about
twilight, that prevented him from committing a ferious error : the
armed Refugees, as Captain Thomas, their commander, informed
him, were fent by Mr. Galloway, to convey in fome of his furni-
ture ; they adventured out, hearing of the expedition by fome means
or other, and marched up the roads which tne i<.angers had fo care-
fully avoided, but without meeting any interruption, or alarm j
hukily, they parted a houfe, which Major Simcoe called at, or he
would, certainly, when he overtook them, have miftaken them for
rebels : they were direfted to keep themfclves undifcovered ; r.nd the
Ringers marched on fo faft as poflible. Altho' day light appeared.
Major Simcoe was under no apprehenfions of difcovery, and certain
of Colonel Abercrombic's having met with no accident, as the parties
inuft have been within the hearing of each other's fire. He had now
arrived at the point, where he quitted the road, in order to make his
laft circuit to reach the Billett, profiting by the covert that the
irregularities of the ground would have afforded, and was in-
forming the officers of his plan of attack, to be guided by circum-
(lancc?, (Captain Kerr's divifion excepted, who was to force Lacy's
qu:.rters, and barricade them for a point to rally at, in cafe of mif-
adventurc,) when a few fhot were heard. Major Simcoe immediately
cxcl.iimcd, •• the dragoons have difcovered us ;" fo it was. Colonel

Abercrombie

IjH ,:(

I . I

lili'i '

[ 33 ]

Abcrcrombie, although aflifted by horfes, could not arrive at hi<-, pnil
at the appointed time, before day-break ; anxious to fupport M.ijor
Simcoe, he detached his cavalry, and mounted light infantry, to tiic
place of ambufcade. The officer, who commanded, patrolled to Lacy'.s
out-poft, and, being fired at by the rebel centinels, did not retire; Lacy,
of courfe, did, and colledling his force, began a retreat up the countiy :
in this fituation, the Rangers arrived nearly in his rear, upon his right
flank ; they ftopped and turned fomc fmaller parties wlio were efi aping
from the light infantry, and who were killed, but the main body re-
treated in a mafs, without order, and by no efforts could the infantry
reach them : unfortunately, the Huzzars of the Rangers were kit
at Philadelphia, their horfes having been fatigued by a long courfe of
duty, and a fevere patrolc the day before : thirty dragoons, who were
with the Rangers, were fent to intercept the baggage waggons, and
ftaid to guard them. As the enemy were marching thro' a wood,
Major Simcoe galloppcd up to the edge of it, and fummoned them
to furrender j they were in great conrternation, but marched on ; he
then gave the words of command, " make ready," "prefcnt," " fire,"
hoping that the intervening fence and thickets between him and them
might lead them to fuppofe he had troops with him, and that they
might halt, when a few moments would have been decifive: at the
word *' fire" they crouched down, but ftill moved on, and foon got
out of all reach. A few men of the Rangers were wounded, as was
the horfe of Wright, Major Simcoe's orderly Kuzzar ; and Cajttain
M'Cill's fhoe-buckle probably faved the foot of th:it valuable olKcer :
the enemy had fifty or fixty killed, and taken. The troops returned
to Philadelphia. The commander in chief ordered .'he baggage to
be fold, for their benefit J it produced a dollar a man. The guides
of the Queen's Rangers computed their marcli at fift3'-eight miles ;
not a man was mifling. This cxcurfion, tho' it failed in the greater
part, had its full effedl, of intimidating the militia, as they never
afterwards appeared, but in fmall parties, and like robbery.

F Af

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III

[ 34 ]

As the fpring approached, the hopes of the army were pointed to
an attack on Valley Forge: the furmilc gave IVIaior Simcoc par-
ticular pleafurc ; he had formerly been quartered in the houfc that
was VValhington's head quarters, and had made himfelf minutely
mafter of the ground about it, and particularly, of thofe undulations
which are fo material in all attacks againll batteries, and from all the
plans and dcfcriptions of Valley Forge, it appeared to him probable,
that an attack would commence in this point. Thefc hopes
vanilhed, when the news of Sir William Howe's recall reached
Philadelphia, together with the orders for the army's abandoning
that city. Mr. Waftiington's ignorance, however, expofed him
to a check, from which his ufual good fortune extricated him. He
palled a corps, under the diredlion of the Marquis de La Fayette,
over the Skuylkill ; arrangements were made to cut it off; a column
made a circuit for that purpofe, under General Grant, the Queen's
Rangers led it, and Major Simcoe was ordered to march at the rate
^i two miles an hour : this flow and tirefonie pace vvas too quick to
keep the column properly compared, and he was frequently obliged
to halt i nearly at day-light, a fubaltern's party of dragoons were
ordered to the front. Soon after a rebel patrolc appearec', and while
the young officer was deliberating what to do, got off j ihe column
moved on, and arriving at three crols roads, the advance was
directed to halt, there being fomc doubt which was the pioper road.
General Grant arrived, and mmcdiatcly directed him to march on ;
the column was too late, the alarum guns were fired from Wafh-
ington's camp, and Fayette had moved off from Barren- hill church,
and palVed the Skuylkill j the cavalry being detached in a fruitlefs
purfuit of him, the Huzzars went with them, and Lieutenant
VVitkham compared a party of the rebels, whom he faw fording the
Skuylkill, to the corks of a fifliing fcin.

As the time approached for the army's quitting Philadelphia, pa-
trolcs were paffed over the Delaware, from tlic Jerfies ; one of which,

after

[ 35 ]

after a long chace, was taken by the Hii^^zars. The Qnartcr Maftcr
General being in great want of horfcs. Major Simcoe cdortcd the
commiflaries who were lent to procure them : he entered upon the
office with great regret, as they were to he taken liom people whom
he had uniformly protedcd. The enemy had feme llrong parties in
the country. The whole corps made a long march, in Tour divi-
fions, as has been before explained ; he had alfo .. three pounder,
that had been lately attached to his corps. On his return he was
ambufcaded, near the Brillol fide of Penny-pack bridge : tlic firll
divifion palled the bridge \\ith the cannon, and immediately
formed on the oppofite banks, as Major Simcoe was appreheiifive
of fome attack ; its pofition <ecured the march of the fucccllhe
divifions. It was afterwards known, that the enemy were in force,
hut were deterred from attacking by the polition of the firft divifion,
and the order of march.

Sir Henry Clinton, when he took the command of the army, di-
redted Lord Rawdon to raife a corps of Irilh volunteers ; and Captain
Doyle, of the 55th regiment, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel.
Major Simcoe waited upon the commander in chief, and requeued,
that as he was Captain Doyle's fenior in the army, he would be
pleafed to make him fo in the Provincial line, adding, that if his
Excellency, at any future time, fliould appoint a fenior officer of the
line, to a Provincial command. Major Simcoe, of courfe, could
have no objcdion that he Hiould have fupcrior rank in tlic Provin-
cials. Sir Henry Clinton was pleafed to refer his icqucfl to Sir
William Erfkinc, and General Paterfon, the Quartcr-Marter and
Adjutant General, who, reporting tb-.t it was juft. Sir Henry
Clinton appointed him to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel ; and, to
avoid fimilar inconveniencics, antedated his conimiirion to all Pro-
vincial Lieutenant-Colonels. The procuring tlie horfes was the lall
fervice that the Quecii's Rangers performed in Pcnnfylvania. Em-
barking, and pad: ng over to Cooper's ferrv, on the 17th of June,

Fa ' 1778,

' ■*

til

!.'■;, '1/

.,1. I

[ 36 ]

177S, Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe obfervcd, in public orders, " that
" he doubted not but thac all ranks of the regiment were fenfibic
" that the undaunted Ipirit, which had rendered them the terror of
" their enemies, was not more honorable to them than that abhor-
" rence of plunder which diftinguillies the truly brave from the
" cowardly ruffian, and which had left a favorable imprefllon of the
" Queen's Rangers on the minds of fuch of the inhabitants of Penn-
'* fylvania as had been in their power ; he aflured himfclf, that, as
'♦ they were to pafs over to the Jerfies, they would, in every refpedV,
" behave as became the charader the corps had acquired, and which
" marks the difciplined foldier. He gave orders, that the Cap-
•* tains and officers, commanding companies, fliould march in the
" rear of their refpetSive divifions, 'till fuch time as more adlive
" duties required their prefence elfcwhere, and fliould be anfwerable
" that no foldier quitted his rank on any pretence, but particularly
** to drink : this pradice having been the death of many a valuable
'♦ foldier, the permitlion of it was highly criminal." The i8th,
the Queen's Rangers, being part of General Leflie's divifion, marched
to Haddonfield; on the 19th, to Evefliam; the Yagers being in
front, there was a flight fliirmifli, in which the rebel party loft fome
men, and one of them being taken proved to be a Britifli deferter,
who was executed the next day. The army encamped at mount
Holly, the 20th and 21ft; they marched to the Black Horfe the
2 2d J the Queen's Rangers formed the advance. By an error of
the guides, at a crofs road, they were purfuing the wrong one, a
rebel officer called out to them, ** You are wrong, you are wrong,"
hut the corps pafling by without heeding him, and afterwards taking
tlie nearer way acrofs the fields into the right road, in which he was,
the advanced men got within a few yards of him, undifcovered ;
Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe prevented them from firing, but called
to him to keep at a greater diftancc, which he did. The 23d, the
army marched to Crofl\vicks, the Queen's Rangers forming the

.idvance

[ 37 ]

advance of the left column. Hitherto there were no interruptions on
this inarch, hut from a hridge, the boards of wliich had been taken
up, but laid within a few yards, fo that they were cafily replaced.
Approaching CroflTwicks, a body of the enemy appc;ircd; Lieutenant-
Colonel Simcoe took the flanking party, under Lieutenant VVilfon, and
tried to cut them off before they could pafs the creek at that place.
He was too late for this purpofe, but in time to prevent them from
executing their defign of cutting down the trees which flood clofe to
the bridge, and throwing them acrofs it ; the enemy had taken up the
planks, and were ported behind a wood, on the oppofite bank. Captain
Stephenfon's company of light infantry were diredted, by the com-
mander in chief in perfon, to the fame port, on the left that Lieu-
tenant Wilfon had occupied. Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, on his
return, formed his corps behind the meeting-houfe, ready to pafs
the bridge $ the dragoons arrived, and difmounted, lining the fences
on the right, and Lieutenant M'Leod, of the artillery, bringing
up his three pounders, and being fully expofed to the enemy, in
cafe they had kept their pofition, it was determined to pafs the
bridge upon its rafters, which was effeded without oppofition.
The enemy had fled from the wood, and a party on the right,
which the Queen's Rangers made every efibrt to purfue, efcaped ;
nor were the reft of the advanced troops more fuccefsful wiio
followed the body, which retreated on the left. Captain Ste-
phenfon, exerting himfelf with his ufual gallantry, became an objedl
to a perfon, /aid to be a quaker-, who fired at him with a long
fowling-piece, and dangeroufly wounded him ; the efcape of the
commander in chief, diftinguilhable by his drefs and activity to an
enemy, ported in fecurity and intended to fire only a fingle and well-
aimed ihot, was very remarkable. The Queen's Rangers, and fome
other troops, remained ported beyond the creek ; the army did not
pafs the bridge : there were events here worth recording. Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Simcoe, in converfatiou with Captain Armftrons^,

happened

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[ 38 ]

happened to mention, that he was fully convinced of the truth of
what an Englilh military author had obfcrved, that a number of
firelocks were, in adtion, rendered ufelefs, by being carried on the
Ihoulders, from cafual mufket-balls, which could not be the cafe
were the arms carried in the pofition of the advance ; he added, that
advanced arms, certainly, gave a compadnefs, and took off the ap-
pearance of wavering from a column more than any other mode of
carrying them. Captain Armftrong had affented, and took occafion
to exemplify it now, by advancing the arms of his grenadier com-
pany when under fire, and while he led over, rafters of the bridge.

The fliiices had been (hut, by which means the water was ponded ;
L! vufnant Murray plunged in, thinking it fordable, but finding it na
fo, he Iwam over, and got behind a tree before the corps paflcd the
bridge, and was between both fires ; luckily he efcaped unhurt. Hi-
therto the march of the army pointed equally to Trenton, or Cran-
berry; it now, on the 24th of June, took the rout to the latter, by
marching to Allen-Town : the Queen's Rangers formed the ad-
vance of the column. The bridge at Allen-Town, over a fmall
rivulet, was taken up, and Colonel Simcoe fired two or three cannon
(hot, which drove a fmall party of the enemy from thence, and he
pafll'd over without the exchange of a mufket, one of which might,
uiincccifarily, deprive him of a valuable officer, or foldier. Faffing
forward, a rebel patrole from tlie Cranberry road, came clofe to the
front of the Rangers, miftaking them for their own people ; they
retired into a wood, which, as foon as the army halted, a party
fcoured, but to no purpoie. Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe had a book,
in whicli was infcrted the names of every foldier in his corps, the
counties in which they were born, and where they had ever lived,
fo that he feldom was at a lofs for guides in his own corps ; he had
alfo many Refugees with him, wlio ferved as guides. The com-
mander in chief afkcd him, whether he had any guides ? he anfwered,
he had none who knew any of the roads to Brunfwick ; that the

chief

[ 39 ]

chief of his guides was born at Monmouth. Sir Henry Clinton
direded him to be fent to head quarters, as he might be ufcfiil
in procuring intelhgence, though not ferviceablc as a guide; this
was done, and as foon as the army marched he came for two
foldiers of the regiment, natives of Monmouth county : this was
tlie firft idea which Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe had of the army's
being intended to march elfewhere than to South Amboy. An
alteration in the difpofition of the army took place ; it marched in
one column : the Yagers made the rear ; the Queen's Rangers, light
infantry, and dragoons, followed in fuccefhon. The army halted
at the Riilng Sunj the enemy's light troops appeared in greater
force in the rear. On the arrival at the camp, Lieutenant-Colonel
Simcoe immediately pafled a deep hollow that feparated it from a
high hill, with the Huzzars, in order to obferve the ground in
front, as was his conftant cuftom ; two men came out of the wood
to Lieutenant Wickham, who was patroling, deceived by his green
cloaths ; he gave into the deception, pafled himfelf upon them for
a rebel partizan, and introduced Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe to them,
as Colonel Lee. One of the men was very glad to fee him, and
told him, that he had a fon in his corps, and gave him the befl
account of the movements of the rebel army, from which, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Simcoe faid, he had been detached two days ; the
other proved to be a committee-man of New Jerfey ; they pointed
out the encampment of the BritiHi army, and were completely
deceived, 'till, having told all they knew, and on the party return-
ing, the committee-man having aiked " I wonder what Clinton is
•• about ?" " You (liall aflc him yourfclf, " was the anfwer, ** for
" we are Britirti."

The army marched the next morning toward Monmouth, in tlie
func order j and it now became evident, that Sir Henry Clinton
intended to embark from Sandy-hook. There was fome (kirmilh-
ing between the Yagers and the enemy ; and one time, it having the

appearance

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[ 40 ]

appearance of being ferious, the Rangers were divided Into two
divifions, to march on each flank of the Yagers, who, having
no bayonets, might have fuffered from an intrepid enemy ; but
the contrary was the cafe, as the alarm originated from a fliout
that Captain Ewald, who commanded the rear guard, fet up on
the enemy's approach, which with otlier preparations, fent them
away upon the full run. Upon the arrival at Monmouth, the
Queen's Rangers covered head quarters ; the army halted the next
day, and foraged.

On the morning of the 27th, the Queen's Rangers marched, at
two o'clock, and occupied the poft from which the fecond battalion
of light infantry were drawn, to march with the fecond divifion, under
General Kniphaufen : a great extent of ground was to be guarded,
and the whole corps lay upon their arms. In the morning, about
{even o'clock, orders were brought to Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe,
" to take his Fluzzars and try to cut off a reconnoitring party of the
" enemy (fuppofed to be M. Fayette), who was upon a bald hill, and
" not far from his left." As the woods were thick in front, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Simcoe had no knowledge of the ground, no guide,
no other direction, and but twenty Huzzars with him ; he afked of
Lord Cathcart, who brought him the order, whether he might not
take fomc infantry with him, who, from the nature of the place,
could advance nearly as expeditioufly as his cavalry ? to this his
Lordfliip alTenting, Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe immediately marched
with his cavalry, and the grenadier company, confifting of forty rank
and file. He had not proceeded far, before he fell in with two rebel
Videttes, who, gallopping off, the cavalry were ordered to purfue
them, as their bcft guides ; they fled on the road down a fmall hill,
at the bottom of which was a rivulet j on the oppofite rifing, the
ground was open, with a high fence, the left of which reached the
road, and along which, a confiderable way to the ri'ji^ht^a large corps
was ported. This corps immediately fired, obliquely, upon the

Huzzars,

[ 41 ]

Huzzars, who, in their purfuit of the Vedettes, went up tlic road,
and gained their left, when Ellifon, a very fpirited Huzzar, leapt the
fence, and others followed. Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoc, in the mean
time, brought up the grenadiers, and ordered the Huzzars to retreat j
the enemy gave one univerfal fire, and, panic ftruck, ilcd. The
Baron Stuben, who was with them, loft his hat in the confufion.
Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe rode along the fence, on the fide oppofite
to which the enemy had been, porting the grenadiers there ; the enemy
fired fevcral fcattering (hots, one of which wounded him in the arm :
for fome feconds, he thought it broken, and was unable to guide
his horfe, which, being alfo ftruck, run away with him, luckily,
to the rear ; his arm foon recovering its tone, lie got to the place
where he had formed the Huzzars, and with fourteen of them, re-
turned towards a houfe, to which the right of the enemy's line had
reached. Upon his left flank he faw two fmall parties of the enemy j
he galloped towards them, and they fled : in this confufion, feeing two
men, who, probably, had been the advance of thcle parties, rather
behind the others, he fent Serjeant Prior, and a Huzzar, to take
them, but with ftridt orders not to purfue too clofe to the wood.
This the ferjeant executed; and, after firing their loaded mufkets
at the large body which had been diflodged and was now rallying,
the prifoners were obliged to break them, and to walk between
the Huzzars and the enemy. The bufineis was now to retreat,
and to carry off whomfoever might be wounded in the firft attack.
The enemy oppofite feemed to encreafe, and a party, evidently headed
by fome general officer, and his fuit, advancing, to reconnoitre : it
fuggefted to Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, to endeavour to pafs, as
on a fimilar defign ; and, for this purpofe, he difpatched a Huzzar
to the wood in his rear, to take off his cap, and make fignals, as if
he was receiving direvftions from fome perfons pofted in it. The
party kept moving, flowly, clofe to the fence, and towards the road j
v/hen it got to fome diftance from the houfe, which has been men-

G tioned.

liW! !l

I ' : li,

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iti'

[ 42 J

tioncd, Licutonant-Coloncl Simcoe called out audibly, as if to a
party polled iti it, " not to fire 'till the main body came clofc," and
moved on flowly parallel to the enemy, when he fent Ryan, an
Huzzar, forward, to lee if there were any^wounded men, and whether
the grenadiers remained where he had ported them, adding, " for
" we muft carry them off or lie with them ;" to which the Huzzar
replied, " to he Jui\\ your honor.'' On his return, and repoiting
there was nobody there, Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe ftruck obliquely
from the fence, lecured by a falling of the ground from danger, over
the brook to the wood, where he found Captain Armftrong had,
with great judgment, withdrawn his grenadiers ; from thence he
returned to camp, and fending his prifoners to the General, went
himfelf to the baggage, his wound giving him excruciating pain,
the day being like to prove very hot, and there not appearing the
Icaft probability of any adfion. Two Huzzars, and three of
the infantry, were wounded in this ikirmiili ; one of the Huzzars
died at Monmouth after the aftion ; the other, who was able to
have marched, was left by the Hofpital, and fell into the hands of
the enemy. It is obvious that, of all defcriptions of people, the Ran-
gers were the lart who fhould have been left as prifoners, fmce fo many
deferters from the enemy were in the corps : the foldiers had the
utmoft reliance upon their own officer's attention to this particular.
The enemy who were defeated, confifted of that corps of Jerfey militia
which in General Lee's trial, is faid " to have given way," by the
evidence of the field officer who brought up frcfli troops and cannon
to fupport it ; they were thofe detachments, which Sir Henry
Clinton's letter fays, " the Queen's Rangers fell in with among the
" woods, and difpcrfed," and who, probably, as Wafliington's ac-
count fays, " were the Jcrfcy militia, amounting to about fcven
" or eight hundred men, under the command of General Dicken-
fon." They were deftined to attack the baggage, but made no
other attempt that day.

The

:i r

[ 43 ]

The American war fliews no inftancc of* a larger body of men
difcomfitcd by Co fmall a number. The army Taw not the combat ;
but every officer, every foldier, heard the heavy fire, and from
that could form a judgment of the enemy's number. Lieutenant-
Colonel Simcoe afterwards heard a pcrfon who was of this body
call 'Se grenadier's company, to ufe his own expreffion, " a power
*' . Heflians." Captain '^'^'s took the command of the corps.
He Was detached, with the i^m infantry, under Colonel Abercrombie,
to turn the enemy's left ; went through the whole fatigue of tliat
hot day, and tho* the corps had been under arms all the preceding
night, it here gave a ftriking and fingular proof of the vaft advantages
of the Philadelphia marches, by not having a man milling, or
any who fell out of the ranks through fatigue. Captain Rofs
had an opportunity of more than once fhewing great military judg-
ment and intrepidity, in checking different parties of the enemy ;
and the Highland company, in particular, diflinguifhed itfelf, under
the command of Captain M'Kay, in covering a three pounder of
the light infantry battalion, which was impeded by a fwamp. At
night, when the army marched off. Captain Rofs, with that lilence
which was remarked in Wafhington's account of the adtion, formed
the rear guard. During the day, the baggage was not ferioully
attacked ; but fome very fmall parties ran acrols it, from one fide of
the road to the other : one of thelc Captiun Needham, and Lieu-
tenant Cooke of the 1 7th dragoons, (lince Captain of the Queen's
Rangers,) difperfcd ; the rumors of them, hov/ever, added perfonal
folicitude to Lieutenant- Colonel Simcoe's public anxiety, and, for fe-
curity, he got together the pioneers of his own and fome other corps
around his waggon. The uncertainty of what fate might attend his
corps, and the army, gave him more uneafinefs than he ever expe-
rienced i and, when the baggage halted, he paflcd an anxious night,
'till about the middle of it, when he had authentic information of the
events. The army encamped at Middleton, the 29th and 30th. On

G 2 the

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; :'!.

[ 44 ]

the I ft of July, Licutcnant-Coloncl Simcoc refumed lils commanil, and
marched, to efcort Sir William Krlkine to Sandy-Hook. The army
remained in this vicinity 'till the 5th, when it marched toSandy-Hook
alfo : this peninfula had been made an illand by the ftorms of the pre-
ceding winter ; a bridge of boats was thrown acrofs the channel, over
which the army palled, the Queen's Rangers excepted, who, forming
the rear guard, embarked in boats from the Jerfey fide, as foon as the
bridge was broken up. It is remarkable, and what few other corps
in the army could lay, tliat in this march the Queen's Rangers loft
no men, by dcfcrtion. They landed at New-York, marched up to
Morris's houfc, and encamped there.

Foon after, the troops returned from Philadelphia, it appearing
probable to Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, that America would be
quitted by the IJritiih forces, and the war carried on in the Weft-
Indies ; he applied to Colonel Drummond, (then aid-du-camp,) to»
make the requeft from him to Sir Heniy Clinton, that lie might be
permitted, with his corps, and other Loyalifts, to join the Indians
and troops under Colonel Butler, who had juft been heard of on
the upper parts of the Delaware. The Commander in Chief's
anfwer to him was, " that he much applauded his fpirit, but that
" he would find fufficient employment for him with his army."
He had digefted the detail of his rout ; his mode of fubfiftence,
and operations : the idea he entertained, of what fuch a jundion
might Iiave led to, was, and is ftill, unbounded. Lieutenant-
Colonel Simcoe was ill in New- York, and did not join 'till the
14th, during this period, nothing material happened. On the
15th, the Queen's Rangers, and Emerick's corps, encamped outfide
Kingft)ridge ; the three Provincial troops of Hovenden, James, and
Sandford, alfo joined the Queen's Rangers : an Amuzette, and three
artillery men, were now added to the three pounder attached to the
regiment. The port was of great extent, liable to infult, and re-
quired many centinels : it was ftrengthened as much as poflible j

and.

'ii

[ '^5 ]

and, in all matters of labour, the Ibldiers worked with the grcatcfl
energy, under the infpedion of their officers, and were eafily made to
comprehend, not only the general fecurity, but the benefit which they,
individually, received from their works, by its operating to leflen their
duties ; of courfe, they were taught that tlie work fhould not be
flighted. Mr. Wartiington's army encamping at the White Plains,
the Yagers, and Queen's Rangers, had full employment. Lieutenant-
Colonel Simcoe was ever averfe to patroles, except, as in the cafe at
Philadelphia, where they ferved to cover a well-affedted country, and
were made fyftematically, and in force ; or to afccrtain fome precile
objedl : circumftanced as the armies now were, they appeared to him
to be particularly dangerous, and totally ufelefs. The inclinatioii-s
of the Americans, tho' averfe from tadical arrangement, had always
been turned to patrolling, in their antiquated dialed:, fcouting : the
Indians, their original enemies, and the nature of their country, had
familiarized them to this fpccies of warfare, and they were, in general,
excellent markfmen. There was nothing, either in the American
generals or their troops, that could warrant a belief, that they would
make a ferious attempt upon Kingfbridgc ; added to the ftrong works
within the ifland, the eminences in front of it were covered witli a
chain of redoubts within a diflance from each other, barely more than
neceflary to fecurc the flanks of a battalion; and indeed, for the
purpofc of protedting a weak army, they had been originally con-
ftruded ; half a mile in front of thefe redoubts, lay the light troops, to
fecurc them from furprize, fo that it was manifeft any general move of
Mr. Wafliington's army could not take place for fo fmall an objed, as
that of beating up the huts of a light corps. Wafliington's advance
corps lay on the heights, near Tuckahoe, under the command of General
Scott, to the amount of two thoufand men, whofe light troops occu-
pied a line from Phillip's creek, on tiie north, to new Rochelle, on
the Eafl: river. Small patroles frequently came to William's bridge,
on the Brunx, and fometimes, General Scott came, in force, to

Valentine's

■• ^

[ 46 ]

\m.

t.',if: (

-fl

Valentine's hill. The country between was irregular, intcrfedlcd
with woods, and fo broken and covered with ftone walls, as to be
moft liable to ambufcades : the inhabitants were, by no means, to be
trufted, and, in general, fo harrafled by their country being the feat
of war, that it was not reafonable to place any confidence in them j
on the other hand, the Queen's Rangers had many of the natives
of the country among them, and Lieutenant-Colonel Emcrick's
corps was, in a great meafure, compofed of them. Lieutenant-
Colonel Simcce made a few patroles, in force, merely to inform
himfelf of the fituation of the country ; but he fpared no pains to
acquire an account of what ports the enemy occupied, at night,* his
determination being to attack them, whenever he faw a fit opportunity.
Generals Clinton and Morgan, with a corps of fifteen hundred men,
covered the forage of the country, on the fide of the enemy. Colonel
Wurmb, and Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, upon intelligence, had
agreed to meet on Valentine's hill, one morning, in force, and,
accordingly, Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, with his Huzzars, was
upon the hill, waiting for him; the infantry, and Provincial cavalry,
were left in the plain, under the command of Captain Rofs ; the
light infantry and Highland companies being ambufcaded in an
orchard, at the place where the roads fork to Hunt's bridge, and
Valentine's hill. Colonel Wurmb, finding the enemy in force at
Phillips's, did not chufc to move to Valentine's hill, and fent the
Vagcr cavalry to give the Rangers the neceflary information.
At the fame time the enemy appeared advancing to Valentine's
hill. As Lieutenant- Colonel Simcoe was quitting it, to return
to his corps. Lieutenant M'Nab, of the Huzzars, who had been
fent with a patrole beyond the Brunx, confirmed the intelligence
which He had been furniflied with the night before, that a ftrong
body, with cannon, was approaching to Hunt's bridge, on the
oppofite fide of the Brunx : this bricTge was commanded by the
heights on the fide of Kingfbridge, which had been fortified

[ 47 ]

by the rebels in 1776; their works were not dcmolilbcd. In th.ir
rear was a v ood ; it had been deligncd to conceal the R,ui:.','.rs ;
and, while the Yagers and cavalry ftiould have engaged with
any corps who might patrole to Valentine's hill, it was thougiit
probable, that the enemy on the oppofite fide of the Brunx would
pa<s it to their affiftance, when the corps in ambufcadc was to
rufli from the wood, and, occupying the flcches, do fcvcre and
cool execution upon them, as they were on the bridge, and
occupied in the deep hollow. An advanced party of the enemy,
notwithftanding the circunillances which made the troops qui'
Valentine's hill, had already pafied the Urunx -, the Yager cavalry
were ordered to proceed towards Kirgfhridge, flowly, and in full
fight of the enemy, who were on Hunt's hill. There were iUll
hopes, by forming the ambufcadc, to do fome fcrvice ; when, to
Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe's great furprize, the enemy's cannon were
fired at the infantry, whom he cxpedled to have been hidden from
their fight, by the intervention of the woods : but, it appeared, that
while Captain Rofs was with the advanced companies, Ibme officers
imprudently had got upon a fence, out of curiofity, and difcovercd
themfelves to the enemy. Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe immediately
withdrew his men out of the reach of any chance Ihot, and made
ufe of the low ground (the crofling of which would have led him
into the ^mbufcade,) to march his infantry under its cover, out of
their fight, or the reach of their cannon ; he fcnt orders to Captain
Rofs to withdraw, and again ambufcaded the cavalry, in a polition
to take advantage of the enemy, if any party of them (hould
purfue him, or from Valentine's hill fliould endeavour to incom-
mode his retreat. Obferving the movement of the Yager cavalry,
the enemy marched a party to watch their motions, on the oppofite
bank, while their main body formed the line. Captain Rofs
thought proper to wait for the party which had pafifed the Brunx.
He permitted them to come clofe to him, when his fire threw them

into

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[ 48 ]

into confufion. He then retreated, making a fmall circuit to avoid
foinc riflemen who had occupied the wood ; the corps returned to their
camp. The grand guard was conftantly advanced in the day-time to
a height, from whence it had a view of the partage over the Hrunv,
at William's bridge ; at night it was withdrawn. Lieut. Colonel
Simcoe being on duty at New- York for a day, Captain Rofs, in
viliting the picquet at night, found the centinels fo ill placed, that
he ordered Serjeant Kelly and two huzzars to patrolc forwards for
its fecurity; they pafil-d a few hundred yards only from the port,
when they were furrounded by a party who lay between two ftonc
walls, and taken ; nor was Captain Rofs to be blamed for ordering
the patrole, but the Captain of cavalry, who had omitted a principal
centincl : this patrole made, in contradidion to Lieutenant-Colonel
Simcoe's principles, was the only one that had been taken under
his command : the Serjeant having been in the rebel fervice, forced
thereto by all want of work, was thrown into prifon and threatened
with death ; Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe offered a Serjeant whom he
had lately taken, in exchange for him ; and threatening to leave to
the mercy of his foldiers the firft fix rebels who fhould fall into his
hands, in cafe of Kelly's execution, foon obtained his releafe.
July the 1 8th Captain Lord Cathcart was appointed Colonel, and
on the firft of Auguft Captain Tarleton, Lieutenant-Colonel of the
Legion : Captain Hovenden and James's troops were incorporated in
that corps. Captain Rofs was appointed to the rank of Major of
the Queen's Rangers. Lord Cathcart joined the light troops at
Kingft)ridge, and took the command of them. Lieutenant-Colonel
Simcoe having information that three diftinft patroles of thirty men
each, fet out early in the morning from General Scott's camp at
the fame time, by different roads, propofed to his Lordfliip to
ambufcade them, on a fuppofition that they had orders to affifl each
otiicr in cafe of neceffity ; to which his Lordfhip affenting, the
infantry of the Queen's Rangers marched and occupied a wood two

miles

r 49 ]

miles in front of Kingfbridge, and Lord Cathcart, with the cavalry
of the Rangers, Legion, and Emmerick's, lay half a mile in the
rear, from whence he fent out a patrole, which pafling by a road on
the right of the Rangers, advanced a quarter of a mile in its front,
and returned. On its return. Lord Cathcart began firing to attradt
the enemy's notice, a party of whom crofled the country, and came
near to the Queen's Rangers, but paiTed no further, and, after firing
into the wood, to the right of the ambufcade, marched off; this
patrole had approached, as was expedted, on hearing the firing, and
would inevitably have ber i taken, but, as it afterwards appeared,
a girl, from a garret window, had feen i'ome of the foldiers on their
march to the wood, and gave the enemy intelligence.

Lt. Col. Simcoe was m^ch affe<**od at Lord Cithcart's having
the rank of Colonel of Provincials, and made in conicquence of it,
application to the Commander in Chief} Fi. Henry Clinton, tlio'
he waved for the prefent the givin'^ Lt. Col. Simco*. rank of Lord
Cathcart, offered to him that of C loivl, which he ivlpedfully (but
as the event has proved mod unfoi tunately) declined : every motive
that he had to folicit this rank, by Lord Cathcart's being empl)yed
on other duties, was done away, an(^ Lt. Col. Simcoe remained at
King(bridge, in command of his corps, Lt. Col. Emmerick's, and
the cavalry of the Legion. In Lt. Col. Tarleton, he had a colleague,
full of entcrprife and fpirit, and anxious for every opportunity of
di(lingui{hing himfelf. Thefe oJiicers, when making obfervations
on the country in front, had a very Angular and narrow efcapc, as
they were patroling with a few Huzzars. The Stockbridge Indians,
about fixty in number, excellent markfmcn, had jufl: joined Mr.
Washington's army. J ' Col. Simcoe was dcfcribing a private road
to Lt. Col. Tarleton : Wright, his orderly dragoon, alighttd and
took down a fence of Devou's farm yard, for them to pafs through ;
around this farm die Indians were amhufcaded ; Wright had fcarce
mounted h's lorfe, when thclc officers, for fomc trivial reafon, altered

H their

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[ 50 ]

their intentions, and, fpurring their horfes, foon rode out of fight,
and nut of reach of the Indians. In a few days after, they had
certain information of the ambufcade, which they fo fortunately had
efcaped : in all probability, they owed their lives to the Indians'
expectations of furrounding and taking them prifoners. Good in-
form.ition was foon obtained, by Lt. Col. Simcce, of General Scot's
fituation, and character j and he defired Sir William Erfkine would
lay before the Commander in Chief his requefV, that he would
permit the York Volunteers to join him, for a week j that, during
that time, he might attack Scot's camp : he particularly named the
York Volunteers, as he wiihed to unite the Provincials in one en-
terprife ; unfortunately, that regiment could not be fpareJ^ as it was
ordered for embarkation. Scot foon altered his pofition ; and the
fource of intelligence, relative to him, was dertroyed.

The rebels had, in the day time, a guard of cavalry, near Mar-
maroneck, which was withdrawn at night : it was intended to
cover the country, and protedt fome fick horfes, turned into the fait
marflies in the neighbourhood ; Lt. Col. Simcoe determined to
attempt its furprizal ; General Scot's camp was not above three miles
from it J and, in cafe of alarm, he had a fhorter march to intercept
the party, at Eaft Chefter bridge, than it had to return there. The
troops, confifling of the Queen's Rangers, and the cavalry of the
Legion, marched at night j at Chcfler bridge. Captain Saunders, an
ofHccr of great addrcfs and determination was left in ambufcade in
a wood, with a detachment of the Rangers, and in the rear of the
poft that the enemy would, probably, occupy, if they Hiould attempt
to cut off the party in its retreat. His directions were, to remain
undifcovered ; to let all patroles pafs ; and, in cafe the enemy fliould
poft themfelvcs, to wait untill the party, upon its return, fhould
be engaged in forcing the paflage, and then to fally upon their rear.
The troops continued their march, paffing the creek, higher up,
with the greateft filence ; they went through fields, obliterating every

trace

■u.,

[ 5x ]

trace of their paflagc when they croflcd roads, to avoid difcoveiy
from difafFeded people, or the enemy's numerous patroles. When
they arrived at their appointed ftation, Lt. Col. Tarleton, with the
cavalry, ambufcaded the road, on which the enemy's guard was to
approach ; Lt. Col. SImcoe occupied the center, with the infantry,
in a wood, and Major Rofs was ported on the right, to intercept
whomfoever Lt. Col. Tarleton fliould let pafs. Two or three com-
miflaries, and others, who were on a filhing party, were taken.
At fix o'clock, as he was previoufly ordered, Lt. Col. Tarleton
left his port, when the party of the enemy inflantly appeared in his
rear : they owed their fafcty to mere accident. The information
that both the old and new piquet of the enemy generally arrived
at this poft at five o'clock, was true ; a horfe, belonging to a
ferjeant, breaking loofe, the officer chofe to wait 'till it was caught,
and this delayed them for a full hour. Three dragoons, who had
previouUy advanced to a houfe within the ambufcade, were now
taken, and about thirty or forty lame or fick horfes. The troops,
followed at a diAance by the rebel dragoons, returned home without
an" accident. Scot, upon the alarm, ordered off his baggage ; and
Washington fent cannon, and troops, to his rffiflance, and put his
army under arms. Captain Saunders permitted two patroles to pafs,
having efieiSiially concealed his party. The prifoners faid, that, two
mornings before. General Gates had been there fidiing.

Lt. Col. Simcoe, returning from bead quarters, the zoth of
Auguft, heard a firing, in front, and being informed that Lt. Col.
Emmerick had patroled, he immediately marched to his a/Tiflance.
He foon met him retreating; and Lt. Col. Emmerick being of opinion
the rebels were in fuch force, that it would be advifeable to return, he
did fo. Lt. Col. Simcoe underftood that Nimham, an Indian chief,
and fome of his tribe, were with the enemy ; and by his fpies, who
were excellent, he was informed that they were highly elated at the
retreat of Emmerick's corps, and applied it to the whole of the light

H 2 troops

!'•>?

[ 52 ]

troops at KIngfbridgc. Lt. Col. Simcoe took meafurcs to cncreafc
their belief; and, ordering a day's provifion to be cooked, marched
the next morning, the 31ft of Auguft, a fmall diftance in front of the
port, and determined to wait there the whole day, in hopes of be-
traying the enemy into an ambufcade : the country was moft fa-
vorable to it. His idea was, as the enemy moved upon the road
which is delineated in the plan as interfering the country, to advance
from his flanks ; this movement would be perfectly concealed by
the fall of the ground upon his right, and by the woods upon the
left J and he meant to gain the heights in the rear of the enemy,
attacking whomfocver (hould be within by his cavalry and fuch
infantry as might be neccflary. In purfuance of thefe intentions,
Lt. Col. Emmcrick, with his corps, was detached from the Queen's
Rangers, and Legion j as, Lt. Col. Simcoe thought, fully inftrudled
in the plan ; however, he, moft unfortunately, miftook the nearer
houfe for one at a greater diftance, the names being the fame, and
there he ported himfelf, and foon after fent from thence a patrole
forward, upon the road, before Lt. Col. Simcoe could have time to
ftop it. This patrole had no bad effed:, not meeting with any
enemy : had a fmglc man of it deferted, or been taken, the whole
attempt had, probably, been abortive. Lt. Col. Simcoe, who was
half way up a tree, on the top of which was a drummer boy,
faw a flanking party of the enemy approach. The troops had
fcarccly fallen into their ranks, when a fmart firing was heard
from the Indians, who had lined the fences of the road, and were
exchanging (hot with Lt. Col. Emmerick, whom they had dif-
covered. The Queen's Rangers moved rapidly to gain the heights,
and Lt. Col. Tarleton immediately advanced with the Huzzars, and
the Legion cavalry : not being able to pafs the fences in his front,
h( made a circuit to return further upon their right j which being
reported to Lt. Col. Simcoe, he broke from the column of the
Rangers, with the grenadier company, and, diredting Major Rofs

I ]!'

[ 53 ]

to condud the corps to the heights, advanced to the tend, and
arrived, without being perceived, within ten yards of the Indians.
They had been intent upon the attack of Emmerirk's corps, aui
the Legion ; they now gave a yell, and fired upon the grenadier
company, wounding four of them, and Lt. Col. Simcoc. They
were driven from the fences ; and Lt. Col. Tarleton, with the
cavalry, got among them, and purfued them rapidly down Court-
land's-ridge : that adtive officer had a narrow efcape ; in ftriking at
one of the fugitives, he loft his balance and fell from his horfe ;
luckily, the Indian had no bayonet, and his mufket had been dif-
charged. Lieut. Col. Simcoe joined the battalion, and feized the
heights. A Captain of the rebel light infantry, and a few of his
men, were taken ; but a body of them, under Major Stewart, who
afterwards was diftinguithed at Stony-point, left the Indians, and fled.
Though this ambufcade, in its greater part, failed, it was of con-
fequence.' Near forty of the Indians were killed, or defperately
wounded ; among others, Nimham, a chieftain, who had been in
England, and his fon j and it was reported to have ftopt a larger
number of them, who were excellent markfmen, from joining
General Wafliington's army. The Indian dodor was taken ; and he
faid, that when Nimham faw the grenadiers clofe in his rear, he
called out to his people to fly, *' that he himfelf was old, and would
" die there ;" he wounded Lt. Col. Simcoe, and was killed by
Wright, his orderly Huzzar. The Indians fought moft gallantly ;
they pulled more than one of the cavalry from their horfes ; French,
an adive youth, bugle-horn to the Huzzars, ftruck at an Indian,
but mifl*ed his blow ; the man dragged him from his horfe, and
was fearching for his knife to ftab him, when, loofening French's
hand, he luckily drew out a pocket-piftol, and fliot the Indian
through the head, in which fituation he was found. One man of
the Legion cavalry was killed, and one of them, and two of the
Huzzars, wounded.

Colonel

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[ 54 ]

Colonel Gift, who commanded a light corps of the rebels, was
ported near Babcock's houle, from whence he made frequent
patroles. Lt. Col. Simcoe had determined to attack him ; when,
a deferter coming in, at night, who gave an accurate account of his
pofition, the following morning was fixed upon for the attempt.
General Kniphaufen, who commanded at Kinglbridge, approved of
the enterprife, and ordered a detacliment of the Yage.s to co-operate
in it; Lt. Col. Emmerick undertook to lead the march, having,
in his corps, people who were well acquainted with the country.
The following difpofition was made. Emmerick's Infantry, fol-
lowed by the Queen's Rangers, were to march through the meadows
on the fide of Valentine's hill, oppofite Courtland's-ridge, and pafs
between the rebel centries to Babcock's houfe, when they would
be in the rear of Gift's encampment, which they were immediately
to attack ; Lieut. Col. Tarleton, with the whole of the cavalry, was
to proceed to cover the right, and arrive at Valentine's hill by day-
light ; a detachment of Yagers, under Captain Wreden, were to
march on Courtland's-ridge, and to halt oppofite to Gift's encamp-
ment ; and a larger detachment of Yagers, under Major Prufchank,
were, at the fame time, to be ready to force Phillips's bridge,
then to proceed to the bridge oppofite Babcock's houfe, and to cut
off the enemy's retreat by that road. The fignal for thefe diviiions'
moving on was to be the noile of ftorming Gift's encampment.
Lt. Col. Emmerick condudcJ the march in fo able a manner, and
the whole corps followed with fo much filence, that the enemy's
centinels were pafTed without alarm, and tliis divifion gained the
heights in the rear, and could fee the whole chain of centinels
walking below them. Major Rofs was detached to poffefs himfelf
of Poft's houfe, to preferve a communication with Lt. Col. Tarle-
ton, on Valentine's hill j the remainder of the Rangers inclined to
the right, towards Gift's camp, and Lt. Col. Emmerick was directed
fo fccure the faw-mill road. Firing foon began ; and it was ap-
parent

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[ 55 ]

parent from Lt. Col. Emmerick's quarter, whom the enemy iiaci
difcovered. Lt. Col. Simcoe immediately moved rapidly into the
road, and diredlly up the fteeps to the enemy's camp, as a nearer
way than through the thickets ; he attained it, and, to his great
furprize, found that Major Prufchank had not forced Phillips'k-
bridge, as had been intended, but had croflid and joined C'aptain
Wreden on Courtland's-ridge, and that Colonel Girt: had cl'caped
through the pallage which had been fo unaccountably left open.
Lt. Col. Tarleton fell in with a patrole of cavalry, and difperfed
it ; and the Queen's Rangers, as foon as they got pofleilion of Gift's
camp, having ambufcaded thcmfelves, took a patrole which came
forward on hearing the firing. The troops fet fire to Gift's huts,
and returned to their camp. Soon after, Mr. Wafliington quitted
the White-plains -, and Lt. Col. Simcoe was not a little gratified
at the country people, among other reafons, attributing this meafure
to the continual checks which his light troops had received. The
next day, he patrolled fo near as to be certain of the enemy having
decamped. Soon after, patrolling again to that fpot, Lt. Col.
Tarleton, who was in the front, fent to inform Lt. Col. Simcoe
that he underftood there was a piquet of the enemy two miles off to
the right of the White-plains, and defired that he would fend a
party to the Plains to watch that quarter, while he galloped on
to the enemy's poft. Lt. Col. Simcoe went himfelf to the W'hite-
plains, and obferved and fketched the inacceflible ground which
Mr. Waihington had occupied, in 1776, and which hitherto had
not been vifited by any Britiih ofKcerj Lieut. Col. Tarleton, foon
after, returned ; he had put the enemy's piquet to fiight, and
taken fome prifoners.

Colonel (now Sir Archibald) Campbell advanced, the latter end of
September, with the 71ft regiment and the light troops, to Mile-
fquare, where, foon after, Major-General Grant, with a larger force,
occupied the ground, from the Brunx's, at Hunt's bridge, to the

Nortii

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[ 56 ]

North rirer. The Provincial troops, confiftliig of the Queen's
Riitigcrs, Dclancey's, Einmcrick's, and Legion cavalry, under
Lieut. Col. Simcoc, were on the right, beyond tlic Brunx, and
fi>rmcd a flying canip between that and Chefter creek : as this corps
was liable to be ftruck at, it Icldom encamped two days and nights
in the fame place, and coiiftantly occupied a ftrong pofition. Their
patroles, croHing the country, together with the Yagers, who were
on the left, cffcilhially covered the camp. An ambufciide was laid
by Colonel Lee, for the ^'age^ patroles, which, in part, was fuc-
ccfsful. General Grant, wifliing to retaliate upon the enemy, an
a.vjmpt was made to furprize a port at Hammond's houfe ; the
I'rovincial troops were to make a circuit to gain its rear, and the
Yagers were to approach to the front. After a very fatiguing and
long march, the party gained their pofition, buv the enemy had
gone off. On the return to camp. Lieutenant Colonel Simcoe
met General Gr.iiit, and requclled, that, as the corps under his
command was feverely fatigued and incapable of exertion, he might
p.ifs the lirunx, and lie within the guards of the line. The General
alfcnted : nor was it ufelels, lor the next day, when they returned
to their former pofition, Major Kofs made a patrole, and brought
certain intelligence that a large body of the enemy's infantry, prelling
horfcs, had approached the port, at night, within two miles, intend-
ing to attack it.

Earl Cornwallis, being foraging near the Englilh neighbourhood,
in the Jerfcys, it was thought cafy, whilll his lordfliip puflieu a
body of militia, who were watching his motions in front, to inter-
cept tlieir retreat by pafling a corps over the North river; for this
purpok, Colonel Campbell, with tlie 7 1 ft and Queen's Rangers,
were ordered to embark from Phillips's houfe ; they arrived there,
and waited fur the boats from New- York, which did not come, or
land them 'till three hours after the appointed time. However, the
enemy had changed their pofition, and Colonel Campbell joined

General

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[ 57 ]

General Grey, who had juft: fiirprized Baylor's dmgcons ; his trcop?
being frefli, he offered his ferviccs to penetrate iVirtlicr into the coun-
tryj and to colle^5t what cattle he could ; which being done, ilic
detachment recrofied the river, and returned on the evening to ilie:;-
fcvcral encampments. It requires great flcill, and ftill greater
attention, to adapt the movements of any embarkation in boats (o
the tides and fhoals of rivers : this was the fccond expedition men-
tioned in this Journal, which might have fiilcd^ from tlic want cf
fuch knowledge, or of attention in its execution.

General Grant, being to embark for the Weft-Indies, was Co well
(iitisfied with the Qiiecn's Rangers, that he told Lt. Col. Sinicoe, if
he could get Sir Henry Clinton s permifllon, he would readily take
him, and his corps, among the number of chofcn troops deftined for
that fcrvice. This kind and generous offer, could not but be
highly agreeable to him, and to the officers of the Queen's Ran-
gers, and nothing could have made them decline it, but a convidlion
that it would not be juft in them to the many very valuable native
Americans who were among their non-commiflioned officers, and
foldiers ; Lt. Col. Simcoc, therefore, refpedtfully declined this very
advantageous offer, and the certainty of Britifh rank which muft have
refulted from it. Major Rofs went upon the expedition as Brigade-
Major, arid Lt. Col. Simcoe was deprived of the affiftance of his
valuable friend, as his country w-as, too foon, of the ferviccs of this
gallant officer, he being unfortunately killed at St. Chriftopher's.
Captain Armf^rong was appointed Major in his room. Lieut. Col.
Simcoe, Captain in the 40th, which regiment went with General
Grant, was permitted to remain in the Rangers, by a very honorable
diftindion which the Commander in Chief was pleafed to make, in
public orders. The army, foon after, returned to York ifland; and
the Rangers fell back nearer to the redoubts.

Captain Beckwith (now Major), aid-du-camp to General Knip-
haufen, procured intelligence of the ftrcngth, and of the views of the

I enemy's

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[ 58 ]

enemy's advanced corps ; and he informed Lieut. Col. SImcoe, that
Colonel Armand lay in a fituation cafily to be furprized. In a few
d.iys, feme dcfertcrs came in : upon their arrival. Captain Beckwith
examined tliem, and fent them 0:1 to head quarters at New-York.
Lt. Col. Siincoe went immediately to New- York, to get the de-
fcrters, as guides ; unfortunately, they had enllfted in the Legion,
and been fent to Long illand, where that corps, having left Kings-
bridge, was quartered. Their information was, that one centry was
p():lcd by each hoiile, tli.it Armand had neither vedettes nor piquets,
and that his horlcj were uniaddled, during the night, and in dif-
ferent rtablcs.

Before the troops went into winter quarters, it was necelfary, that
f.iiHcicnt boards flioulJ be procured to hut thole who were to remain
ill the vicinity of Kinglbridge, and the light troops were of the parties
who collided them. Lt. Col. Simcoe propofed to General Tryon,
who commanded the Britiili, to take down Ward's houle, and the
buildings in its vicinity ; and that, while a covering party fliould halt
there, he would attempt to furprize Colonel Thomas, a very a»5livc
parti;^\n of the enemy, and a port of dragoons, nearly twenty miles
beyond it. CJeneral Tryon acquiefced in the propofal, and direded it
to be put in execution, but feemed very doubtful, whether fo wary a per-
fon as Thomas could be circumvented. Lt. Col. Simcoe marched
all night, with Emmerick's and the Queen's Rangers, and furrounded
Thomas's houfe bv day-break. He never lay at home before that
iiijht, and had done fo in confequence of the BritlHi troops, in
general, being gone into winter quarters, and one of his own
fpies being deceived, and made to believe that the Queen's Rangers
were to marcli to Long illand. One fliot was fired from the
window, which, unfortunately, killed a man, by the fide of Lt. Col.
Simcoe ; t'le houfe was immediately forced, and, no refiftance being
made, the oiHcers fli.it the doors of the different rooms, to prevent
irritated foldiers from revenging their unfortunate comrade : the

man,

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:-i,0

[ 59 ]

man who fired was the only perfun killed ; but Thomas, after Lt.
Col. Simcoe had perfonally protctled him and enfurcd lus fuLty,
jumped out of the window, a.id, Ipringing over Tome feiiccs, would
have certainly efcaped, noLwithllanding moft of Emmericlc's rifle-
men fired at him, had not an Huzzar leapi^ after him and cut at
him with his fword, (which he crouched from and luckily cfcaped,)
when he furrendered. The cavalry proceed-^d on to tlie enemy's
piquet, at a mile diftancc. They had been alarmed by the firing, and
were formed j they fired their carbines (by which Captain Ogden, of
Emmerick's, was wounded), and fied : they were purlued, but to
no purpofe. The troops returned to General Tryon, who was, in
perfon, at Ward's houfe, and who was much pleafcd at this mif-
chievous partizan's being taken. This march was above fifty miles.
The feafon had been, for feme time, dreadfully inclement, and
was feverely felt by the troops encamped on the expofed heights
of Kingfbridgc ; it was, therefore, with great pleafure, that Lieut.
Col. Simcoe received orders to march for winter quarters to
Oyfler bay, in Long ifland, where he arrived on the 1 9th of No-
vember. As it was underflood that this village was to be the
winter cantonment of the corps, no time was loft in fortifying it j
the very next day, the whole corps was employed in cutting falcines.
There was a centrical hill, which totally commanded the village,
and feemed well adapted f<" i place of arms; the outer circuit of
this hill, in the moft acceflil;!;- places, was to be tortified by funken
Heches, joined by abl aitis, .;:)d would have contained the whole
corps ; the fummit was coveivd by a (quare redoubt, and was capable
of holding feventy men j pl":forms were ercdcd, in each angle, for
the field pieces, and tbo I'uard-houfe, i". the center, cafed and filled
with fand, was rendered malket proof, and looped fo as to command
the platforms, and furface ot the parapet ; the ordinary guard, twenty
men, were fufficient for its defence. Some of the militia afiifted,
in working, one day, when Sir William Erlkine cams to Oyfter

I 2 bay,

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[ 60 ]

b.iy, intentionally to remove the corps to Jericho, a quarter the
Legion was to quit in order to accompany him to the eaft end of
tlie illand. Lt. Col. Simcoe reprefented to him, that in cafe of the
enemy's pafling the found, both Oyftcr bay and Jericho were at too
great a diftance from any pod to expedl fuccour, but that the latter
was equally liable to furpri/e as Oyflcr bay, that its being farther
from the coall was no advantage, as the enemy, acquainted with the
country, and in league with the difaffeftcd inhabitants of it, could
have full timi; to penetrate, undifcovered, through the woods, and,
that the vicinity of Oyller bay to the fca coaft would enable him to
have a more watchful eye over the landing places, and to acquire a
knowledge of the principles of the inhabitants in thefe important
fituations ; and tliat provifions from New- York might be received
by water. Sir William Erfkine was pleafcd to agree with Lt. Col.
Simcoe ; and expreflcd himfelf highly fatisfied with the means that
had been taken to enfure the poll ; and, on his reprefentation, the
corps was permitted to remain in its prcfent cantonments. There
was a fmall garrifon at Lloyd's neck, within twelve miles of Oyfter
bay : a feint, in cafe of attack, would ferve to have kept this port;
within its redoubts. The neareft cantonment was at Jamaica,
where the Britilh grenadiers lay ; this was almoft thirty miles from
Oyfter bay. The New-England ihorc was not more than twelve,
and in many places but feven or eight miles over ; and there were
many favorable landing places within a mile or two of Oyfter bay.
The enemy could raife any number of men for fuch an expe-
dition ; General Parfons lay, v/ith fome regular troops, in the
vicinity, and there were whale-boats fafficient to carry two thoufind
men, who, in three hours, might attack the cantonment. The
fituation was an anxious one, and required all the vigilance and fyftem
of difcipline to prevent an adive enemy from taking advantage of it.
Every fcpai ate qu.irter was loop-holed, and furrounded with abbatis
in Inch a manner that it could not be forced. A houfe was

moved.

[ 6t ]

moved, bodily, to the rear, near to the beach, where the Highland
and Grenadier companies were quartered. A general plan of defence
was calculated for the whole j and proper orders were given, in cafe
of attack. Patroles were frequently mr.dc j the friendly inhabitants
were on the watch, and fonie depredations having been committed,
convalefccnt foldiers, of good charadters, were fent to lodge in the
houfes of thofe of the vicinity who cho^o it ; and fignals were appointed
to be made by the country people, in cafe any plunderers were out,
on which, centinels were to be placed on each barrack, and the rolls
immediately called ; by thefe, and other precautions, marauding was
efFediually prevented : fince the conclufion of the war, Lieut. Col.
Simcoe has had the fiitibfadlion of hearing, that his precautions were
not in vain, for that, more than once, . an attack on Oyfter-bay
was meditated, and laid afide.

There being little probability of the Queen's Rangers recruiting,
notwithrtanding the exertions of the parties on that fervice, while
much greater bounties were given, by regiments now raifing, than
Government allowed the Provincials, it was, in public orders, re-
commended to the confideration of the officers, '* whether a ftridt
" foldicr-like, and honorable oeconomy, which their prefent fituation
" would admit of, might not enable them, by adding to the bounties
" allowed by Government, to recruit their companies, and give
" them opportunities of ading in a wider fphere at the commence-
" ment of the next campaign, which, from every appearance, was
" like to be moil active ?" The oriicers fubfcribed liberally to the
recruiting fund. The Commander in Chief intending to augment
the Huzzars of the Queen's Rangers, to a troop of fifty, or more,
Lt. Col. Simcoe applied, tlirough Sir William Erfkine, that Lieut.
VVickham fliould be captain; Lieut. M'Nub lieutenant; Quarter-
maftcr Spencer, of the i6th dragoons, cornet; and Serjeant Spurry,
of the £ime regiment, quarter-mafter. That regiment had been
drafted, and Lt. Col. Simcoe, with his utmoft felicitations, could

not

[ 62 1

not procure the Quarter-mafter, or a fingle dragoon from the corps.
The regular and metliodical mode of drefllng, and feeding the horfes,
was the point of fervice that the troop wilhed to be inftru£led in,
by the regular dragoons. The fituation at Oyfter bay was extremely
well calculated to fecure the health of the foldiery ; the water was
excellent ; there was plenty of vegetables, and oyfters to join with
their fait provifions, and bathing did not a little contribute, with
the attention of the othcers to cleanlinefs, to render them in high
order for the field, nor were they without fufiicient exercife : the
garrifon in New- York being in great \vant of forage, Oyfter bay
became a centrical and lafe depofit for it, and frequent expeditions,
towards the eaftern and interior parts of the ifland, were made to
enforce the orders of the Commander in Chief in this refpedt;
excurfions were alfo frequently made to execute other orders, relative
to the intercourfe with the inhabitant,'? of the rebel coaft, and to
efcort meflengers, &c. between Sir William Erfkine, who com-
manded on the eaft end of the illand, and Jamaica. Lt. Whitlock,
having a perfedt knowledge of the country about Norwalk, pro-
pofed to burn the whale-boats, which were harboured there, and
had infefted the found, and taken feveral of the wood and provifion
vefltls ; he was immediately difpatched to the Commander in
Chief, to lay his propofals before him. Sir Henry Clinton, at this
period, did not think it advifable to put Lieut. Whitlock's plan
in execution. The officers of the Queen's Rangers always under-
fiood, that whatever plans they might offer for the good of the
King's fcrvicc, would be patronized, and fairly reprefentcd to the
Comninndcr in Chief, by the Lieutenant-Colonel, that they might
reap the fruit of their own exertions. The corps had conftantly
been cxcr- i!cd ir. the firing motions, and the charging with bay-
oncis, upc!!! their rclpcdive parades; as the feafon opened, they
were aire(ui!ed together : tl; y were, particularly, trained to attack
a furpoleu enemv, polled behind railing, the common pofition

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[ 63 ]

of the rebels ; they were iiiAruflcd not to fire, but to char^rc ttKii-
bayonets with their mulkvts loaded, and, upon their arrival at the
fence, each Ibldier to take his aim at their opponents, who were then
fuppofed to have been driven from it; they were taii;;ht thit, in
the pofition of running, their bodies afforded a Ids and nui.c un-
certain mark to their antagonifts, whofe minds .ilio mull b.^ perturbed
by the rapidity of their approach with unJifc larged arms. The
light infantry, and 1 luzzars, were put under the dirccUon of C.i]i:.A n
Saunders, who tin ^ht them to gallop through woods, ai;d iiiLting
together, the ligi fantry learnt to run, by holding the horkj,
manes ; the cav ^ re, alfo, inftrudtcd, as the infantry lay flat

upon the ground, to gallop through their files. The grand divilions
were exercifed in the manual, and firing motions, by their refpc<^ive
commanders, but they were forbidden to teach them to march in
flow time, they were '* to pay great attention to the inftrudtion
«' of their n\en in charging with their bayonets, in which cafe, the
•• charge was never to be lefs than t/.^ree hundred yards, gradually
" increafing in celerity from its firft outfet, taking great care that
•' the grand divifion has its ranks perfedly clofc, and the pace
'• adapted to the fliorteft: men. The foldier is, particularly, to be
" taught, to keep his head well up, and eredl : it is graceful, on all
•• cccafujns, but abfolutely neccflary if an fticmy dare ftand the
" charge ; when the Britifh foldier, who fixes with his eye the
*' attention of his opponent, and, at the fame iiiftant, pudics with
*' his bayonet without looking down on its point, is certain of con-
** queft." When the weather permitted, the corps was frequently
exercifed together, particularly in occupying ground, on the iuppo-
fition of the enemy's landing to attack the poft ; they were Ihewti
how to make, and navigate rafts, conftruded on tlie iimpleft prin-
ciples, and with the flighteft materials.

On the 1 8th of April, a pirty of Refugees went from Oyfter bay,
being furniflied with arms, agreeable to an order from head quarters,

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to take tlie Generals Parfons and Silliman from the oppofite (horc-
They did not riik the attack on General Parfr^ns, but they brought
Brigadier Silliman to Oyiler bay : he was lent, the next day, to
New- York.

Lt. Cbl. Sinicoe had been directed towards the center of the ifland,
to enquire into a fuppofed intercourfe held with Connefticut j he
had the Huzzars, and fome infantry, with him. The weather was
inclement, and the troops occupied two or three different houfes :
fuch precautions were taken as the quarters would admit of. At
night, the advance centinel, on the Lieutenant-Colonel's quarters,
fired. The man was queflioned ; he perfifled, that he challenged
three or four men, with arms : tho' he was a fleady foldier, it ap-
peared fo improbable, that any enemy could be in Long iiland, that
he was not credited. It was afterwards known, th<it a party of
twenty men had been concealed there, in hopes to take fbme officer^
for near three weeks, and that could they have furprized Lt. Col.
Simcoe's quarters, it was meant to have attacked them.

On the 2d of May, the Commander in Chief was plea&d to
Agnif/, in general orders, to the Provincial troops, *' that his
** Majefly, anxious to reward their faithful fervices, and fpirited
" condudt, upon feveral occafions^ has been pleafed to confer upon
** them the following marks of his Royal favor." The articles
were then enumerated, and were all material to that fervice: the
principal were ; " 'Ihat the officers of Provincial corps fhall rank as
*• juniors of the rank to which they belong, and if diiabled in
" fervice, fhould be entitled to the fame gratuity as officers of the
" eflablifhed army ; and, to diAinguifli the zeal of fuch regiments
** as fhall be compleated, his Mrjefly will, upon the recommendation
" of the Commander in Chief, make the rani of thoje officers
permanent in America, and will allow them half-pay, upon the
reduction of their regiments, in the fame manner as the officers of
the Britifh reduced regiments are paid." In confequence of this

order.

•<

, l!||

[ (>5 ]

order, the Queen's Rangers were recommended by the Commander
in Chief, and ftiled, and numbered, as the Jirjl American regiment :
the doubt whether they came under the letter of the defcription, as
thcv were not at prefent actually compleat, was gracioufly explained,
by his Majcfty, in their favor, as they had formerly been fo -, the
New- York Volunteers, and the Volunteers of Ireland, were, ,at the
fame time, placed upon this eflabliHiment.

The Queen's Rangers, confifting of three hundred and fixty, rank
and file, in great health and adivity, left their cantonments on the
1 8th of May, and, by a given rout, arrived at Kingfbridge, and en-
camped there on the 27th, and formed the advance of the right
column of the army, which marched from thence, on the 29th, to
a pofition extending from Phillips's houfe to Eaft Chefter heights ;
Sir William Erfkine commanding the cavalry, and light troops, he
encamped, with a divifion of the line, and the light troops, on the
I ft of May, at Dobb's ferry. Lt. Col. Simcoe marched, on the 3d
of June, to Croton bridge, where the enemy had been colledting the
cattle of the country, which he feized upon j at the fame time, he
covered the retreat of Lt. Col. Tarleton, who had pafled that bridge
and beat up the quarters of a party, four miles farther : he took fome
prifoners, and returned to Dobb's ferry. On the 6th, Sir William
Erfklne fell back towards Valentine's hill ; the Queen's Rangers
encamping on Odle's hill : foon after, they formed part of the efcort
which accompanied the Commander in Chief to the White-plains.
On the 24th of June, the Queen's Rangers, and Legion, marched
by diHerent routes, to Croton bridge j the Queen's Rangers arriving
firft, and being difcovered, the Huzzars attacked and routed a
final! patrole of the enemy, taking a few prifoners : Lieutenant
Whitlock, who was on a piquet while the troops halted to refrefh
themfelves, ambufcaded a patrole, and took a Captain, and fbme
privates. The Queen's Rangers, and Legion, marched to North-
caftle, and lay there that night : the en^my having feveral

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[ 66 ]

parties ia the neighbourhood, before day, Captain Moncrief, of the
Rangers was detached to take poft, without difcovering himfelf, in a
wood, which commanded a dangerous pafs through which the troops
were to march ; they fell back, without moleflation, on Colonel
Wurmb, who had advanced to the White-plains, to fupport them,
and returned, the next day, with him to the army.

The army marched, on the 8th of July, in two columns, to Mar-
maroneck ; the Queen's Rangers were, in front of that, on the right.
On the 9th, the Commander in Chief marched with ♦he army to
Byram's bridge : on leaving this camp, to return to Marmaroneck,
the next day, the Queen's Rangers formed the rear guard. Upon this
march, three foldiers, ftraggling at a fmall diftance from their huts,
were taken by fome militia; Lt. Col. Simcoe exprefled, in orders,
** that he is moft fenfibly aftedled at the lofs of the three men, who
** ftraggled from their poft during the laft march. He feels himfelf
*' but ill repaid for the confidence he has placed in the regiment,
" and his inclination to eafe their duty, by never porting an un-
*' neccflary centinel ; at the fame time, he trufts, that, as this has
•* been the /:>/? injiance of the kind during the time he has had the
'* honor of commanding the Queen's Rangers, it will be the laft;
** and, that tlie foldiers will refle<fl what they muft fuffer, by a long
" imprifonment, from a mean and defpicable enemy, who never has,
" or can gain any advantage over them, but what arifes from their
" own difobedience of orders."

Captain Saunders, patroling towards Byram bridge, purfued a party
of rebels. Their leader. Colonel Thomas, efcaped, by quitting his
horfe and running into a fwamp : he had his parole when made pri-
foner, the year before ; but he was guilty of fome mal-praftices on
Long ifland, and made his efcape, pretending to juftify his br<?aking of
his parole by faying, that he underftood it was meant to imprifon him.

An ambufcade, for a party of the enemy's militia, and dragoons,
was projeded, with every appearance of fuccefs j and General

Vaughan,

r 67 ]

Vaughan, having approved of it, had diredted Lt. Col. Slmcoe,
and Major Deluncey, to put it into execution, the next morning ;
but, at night, the firing at Verplank's-point was heard, and the
news of the capture of Stoney-point was brought to the camp. The
Commander in Chief emkirking for Verplank's-point, on the 19th
of July, Colonel Birch was detached from General Vaughan's army,
with the 17th dragoons, Queen's Rangers, and Legion, to make a
difplay of force, and to occupy the heights on Croton river, above
Pine's bridge. The troops made great fires, and every demonftration
of their being in force ; the heights they occupied were vifible from
Verplank's and Stony-point. Two of the Rangers, who knew the
country, pafled the Croton river, and, returning, brought information
that a brigade of the enemy's militia were to encamp, in the evening,
on a oarticular fpot, within three or four miles ; that provifions were
prepared for them, and that there was not the fmalleft fufpicion of
the King's troops being in the neighbourhood j it appeared evident
that it would be eafy to furprizc and deftroy this corps, but Colonel
Birch's orders, to his great regret, were pofitive not to pafs the
Croton. On the 20th, the troops marched back to Dobb's ferry,
where the army had arrived, with whom they returned, on the 23d,
to the old camp, in front of Valentine's hill : the Queen's Rangers
clofing the rear of the left column. Major-General Matthews com-
manded the troops in the new camp ; and on the 30th, he diredled his
light troops to make, refpedively, ftrong patroles, and at a given
time, and to a prefcribed point. Lt. Col. Tarleton on the right ;
Emmerick, and Simcoe, in the center j and the Yagers on the left.
Lt. Col. Emmerick fell in with a ftrong party of the enemy's cavalry,
who charged his dragoons, which retreated, and drew them into an
ambufcade of the infantry, upon whole firing, the enemy fled.
Colonel Wurmb, and Lt. Col. Simcoe heard the firing, and pulhed
to cut off the retreat of the enemy, which was fo very precipitate,

K2 that,

i. 1 4

•1 i.

■ j . ■

iJlii

I ^'8 1

that, nftcr ,\ long purfuit, only two or three of their rear fell into
thr haiuls of* tho YiH>cr,s.

Tho troops toll h.u k to Kinglhri»lgc : the Queen's Rangers,
F.inincruk's, aiul the Legion, oiiupying the tlune pofition they lind
ilonc the year before. On the 5th of Augiill, l<t. I'ol. Sinicoc,
retnrnini;, at tniii-night, front New-York, had not alighted from his
hotl'e, when a Ret"ui»ee eame in, tVoiu Wcll-Cherter, and informed
him, that a rebel party of ilragoons hail fiirpri/ed feveral of their
ipi.uters, had taken many prisoners, aiul that he had cfcaped in the
confnfjon. I, ieut. t'ol. Sinuoe called "to arms," and fent to the
Legion, anil It. Col. I<!mmeiiek, to join him ( he marched imme-
diately, with the cavalry of the three corps : Major Cochrane
commanded that of the Legion, Lt. Col. I'arleton being in New-
York. The infantry was dirctikd to follow, with all exjKdition ;
and inforn\ation was fent to Colonel VVnrmb. The enemy were
pvufiied (i> evpcditioutly, that moll of the Loyaliils, whom they had
taken, clcapcd ; and, at New Rochelle, Lt. Col. Simcuc, with the
ad\anceil guard, ovcrtiwk Colonel White, who commanded the
encnw, wit!» his rear guard ; they firtxl their pillols at the lluzzars,
who did not irturn a (hot. The cavalry being arrived. Colonel
White W.IS fo prelled, that he let't his infantry, and palled a bridge:
the enemy's infantry, unable to attain it, threw themfclvcs over a
llone wall, clofe to the left of the road. This bridge was a mile
from Murmamneck ; where, it was undertlood, the enemy were in
force. It was obvious, that there would be little probability of
cutting ott* White's flitigual cwalry, unlcfs the fire of the infantry
could Ih: puiVal ; Lt. Col. Simcoe attempted to rulh part it, hoping
that the enemy's confufion, and their pofition clofc to the road,
would, as the event juftified, hurry them to give their fire ohliquely,
unluckily, it was fatal on the moft ell'ential point ; four Huzzars,
.>nd five horfcs, being either killed or diiablcd in the front, which was

checked ;

' t'

[ 69 ]

checked ; and, at the dime time, from fomc unknown caufc, the roar
moved ahout, and the conftilion reached to the center. I iciit. Col.
Simcoc, in this difordcr, unicred Captain Dietn.tr, who (oininundcd
an indepcndant troop of Ilii/zars, which followed the (Recti's
Rangers, to pafs the wall in piirfuit of the enemy's infantry, who
had Hed from it s he did fo ; and Captain James, with his tr(x)p,
and others of the L^egion followed him, two or three of whom
without orders, and, unfupported, palfed the bridge, and were killed
there. Lt. Col. Simcoc tried to get information of any collateral
road, by which, without pafling the bridge, he could purfiie the
enemy, who naturally fuppofmg that the check might have (lopped
his party, would be induced to retreat at a flower rate than if they
were diretlly purfucd ; but he could procure wo guide, and, in the
mean time, a Refugee, who had efcapcd, brought certain intelligence
that the enemy were unfupported by any infantry but thofe with
whom the flcirmifli had happened. One of the enemy was killed
by their own fire, dole to the fence; two, or three, by Captain
Dicmar, in the purfuit, others were drowned in pafli'i^ the creek ;
and, by the enemy's ga:;ette it appeared, " that driven into a bad
pofition, they were compelled to fight at difadvantagc, and lofl
twelve men." Tlic cavalry, on Captain Diemar's return, imme-
diately continued the purfuit to Byram bridge, beyond which it was
not prudent or ufeful to follow : fomc more of the Loyalifls were
rcfcued, but none of the enemy overtaken. On the return, the
cavalry were divided, by troops, and fcoured the woods back to
Marmaroneck, but without cflfedl ; there they met with the Britidi
and HefTian light troops, with whom they returned to camp.

On the 8th of Auguft, the light troops fell back to the redoubts;
A grand guard being in advance, which reported to Lt. Col. Simcoc,
as fenior olficer of the Provincials, the Queen's Rangers were, for
the firft time fince they left winter quarters, permitted to take off
their coats, at night, untill further orders : in cafe of fuddcn alarm,

they

l!'l i

[ 70 ]

they were ordered to form on their company's parade, undrcffed,
with lilence and regularity ; the bayonets were never to be unfixed.
The Commander in Chief was plealed to place Captain Sandford's
troop of Buck's county dragoons under the command of Lieut. Col.
Simcoe, 'till further orders ; Captain Dicmar's Huzzars were alfo
added to his commmd ; and this whole corps marched for Oyftcr
buy on the 1 3th of Auguft : the cavalry, and cannon, by the rout
of Hell-gates, and the infantry by Frog's neck, where they em-
barked, pafled over on the 15th, and joining the cavalry, arrived
at Oyfter bay on the 17th.

In this interval, the officers, commanding grand divifions, were
ordered to make their men perfcdl in the whole of the manual
cxercifc. Serjeant M'Pherfon, a corporal, and twelve men, were
fcledled, and placed under the command of Lieutenant Shaw : they
were armed with fwords and rifles j and, being daily excrcifed in firing
at objedls, foon became moft admirable and ufeful markfmen.

There was every reafon to believe that the enemy n- eant to attack
feme of the ports on Long ifland j that at Lloyd's neck had been the
objcdl of frequent expeditions j and Lt. Col. Simcoe's orders were
to affift it, in cafe of neceffity. On fome mufketry being fired in
that quarter, at mid-night, he galloped there with the cavalry, and
cannon J the infantry followed. The alarm proved to be a falfe one;
but Colonel Ludlow, who commanded that poft, was of opinion, that
this appearance of attention might prevent the attack on it, which
he had certain information, was fcrioufly intended againfl Long
ifland, a part only of the general operations meditated againfl New-
York on the expedled arrival of D'liftaing, with his fleet, from the
Wefl: Indies.

On the 9th of Odtober, it was hinted to Lt. Col. Simcoe, to hold
his corps in readinefs for embarkation. On the 19th, it marched
for that purpofe ; the cavalry to Jericho, where they were to remain
under the command of Lieut. Col. Tarleton, and the infantry to

Jamaica,

l^!lii'

[ 71 ]

Jamaica, which proceeded to Yellow-hook, and embarked on the 24lh.
Earl Cornwallis commanded this expedition, confiding of the 71I1,
23d, 22d, 33d, 57th regimei;ts. Rangers, and Volunteers of Ireland
commanded by Lord Rawdon j it was fuppofed to be intended for
Jamaica, at that time prefumed to be threatened with an invafion
from M. d'Eftaing. On intelligence being received, that his defigns
were pointed elfewhere, the troops were re-landed) a .d were or-
dered to continue in readinefs to embark at the ftiorteft notice.
The Queen's Rangers marched to Richmond, on Staten iiland :
they relieved a regiment which had been very fickly while there.
Lieut. Col. Simcoe immediately ordered their huts to be deftroyed,
and encamped his corps j Signals, in cafe of alarm, were eftabliflied
on the ifland by General Patterfon, who commanded there.

There was a general rumor of an intended attack on New- York.
Lt. Col. Simcoe had information that fifty flat-boats, upon carriages,
capable of holding feventy men each, were on the road from the
Delaware to Wafliington's army, and that they had been afiembled
to Van Vadler's bridge, upon the Rariton. He propofed to the
Commander in Chief to burn them. Sir Henry Clinton approved
of his plan, as did Earl Cornwallis, and diredted it to be put into
execution. Colonel Lee, with his cavalry, had been at Monmouth :
Sir Henry Clinton, upon Lt. Col. Simcoe's application to him for
intelligence of this corps, told him, that by the bed information
he had, Lee was gone from that part of the country. There were
no other troops in the vicinity : the Jerfey militia only, and thofe,
tumultuoufly afifembled at the moment of the cxecutior of the
eiiterprife, could, poflibly, impede it. The coafts of Jeiicy had
been the common receptacle of the difafFefted from Staten, Long,
and York ifland, on tlic Britifh troops taking poflefllon of them ;
of courfe, they were moft virulent in their principles, and, by the
cuftom they had of attacking, from their coverts, the Britifh foraging
parties, in 177^, and infulting their very out pofts, they had

acquired

'-im

r i 1 '

'■;i 1 'I

[ 72 ]

acquired a great degree of felf-confidence, and adtivity. Lieut. Col.
Simcoe's plan was, to burn the boats with as much expedition as
pofTiblc i to return, with filcncc, to the heights beyond the town of
Brunfwick, before day; there to (hew himfelf, to entice all who
might follow him into an ambufcadc ; and if he found that his
remaining in the Jerfcys could efFed any valuable purpofe, the Com-
mander in Chief propofcd to reinforce him. 1 o execute this purpole,
he was to draw his cavalry from Jericho in Long ifland, by eafy
marches, to Staten idand ; Stuart, an adtive and gallant man, a native
of New-Jerfey, commanded fome cavalry on that idand : thcfe were
to be added to him ; and he requeued ten guides : three hundred
infantry of the Queen's Rangers, with their artUlery, were alfo to
accompany him. Two days were loft by a mifunderftanding of the
General's order : the Huzzars, of the Queen's Rangers only, being
fent from Jericho, without Captain Sandford's troop, which was
not merely necefTary in regard to numbers, but particularly wiihed
for, as it was known that Captain Sandford, when quarter-mafter
of the guards, had frequently been on foraging parties in the
country he was to pafs through. On the 25th of October, by
eight o'clock at night, the detachment, which has been detailed,
marched to Billop's-point, where they were to embark. That the
enterprife might be efFedtually concealed, Lt. Col. Simcoe deicribed
a man, as a rebel fpy, to be on the ifland, and endeavouring to efcape
to New-Jerfey j a great reward was offered for taking him, and the
militia of the ifland were watching all the places where it was
poflible for any man to go from, in order to apprehend him. The
batteaux, and boats, which were appointed to be at Billop's-pomt,
fo as to pafs the whole over by twelve o'clock at night, did not arrive
'till three o'clock in the morning. No time was loft ; the infantry of
the Queen's Rangers were landed : they ambufcaded every avenue to
the town; the cavalry followed as faft as poflible. As foon as it
was formed, Lt. Col. Simcoe called together the officers ; he told

them

; 1:1:1-

[ 73 ]

them of his plan, " that he meant to burn the boats at Van Vndtcr's
*• bridge, and crofling th; Rariton, at HilKborough, to return hy
** the road to Brunfvvick, and, making a circuit to avoid thnt
*' place as foon as he came ne.ir it, to difcover himfelf when bcyoi.d
*• it, on the heights where the Grenadier Redoubt ftood while the
" Britifh troops were cantoned there, and where the Queen's Hangers
" afterwards had been encamped ; and to entice the militia, if polTible,
** to follow him into an ambufcade which the infantry would lay for
" them at South-river bridy;c." Major Armftrong was inilruded to
re-embark, as foon as the cavalry marched, and to land on the oppofite
fide of the Rariton, at South-Amboy : he was then, with the utmofl
difpatch and filence, to proceed to South-river bridge, fix miles from
South-Amboy, wliere he was to ambufcade himfelf, without
padlng the bridge or taking it up. A fmaller creek falls into this
river on the South-Amboy fide : into the peninfula formed by thefe
ftreams, Lt. Col. Simcoe hoped to allure the Jerfey militia. In
cafe of accident. Major Armftrong was dcfired to give credit to
any mclTenger who (liould give him the parole, of '* Clinton and
'* Montrofe." It was day-break before the cavalry left Amboy.
The procuring of guides had been by Sir Henry Clinton entrufted to
Brigadier Skinner : he either did not or could not obtain them, for
but one was found who knew perfectly the crofs-road he meant
to take, to avoid the main road from Somerfet-court houfe,
or HilKborough, to Brunfwick. Captain Sanford formed the advance
guard, the Huzzars followed, and Stuart's men were in the rear j
making in the whole about eighty. A Juftice Crow was foon over-
taken ; Lt. Col. Simcoe accofted him rju hly, called him " Tory,"
nor feemed to believe his excufes, when, in the American idiom lor
courtship, he faid '* he had only been fparking," but fent him to
the rear guard, who, being Americans, cafily comprehended their
inftrudions, and kept up the juftice's belief that the party was a
detachment from Washington's army. Many plantations were now

L paflcd

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■ !■[

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C 74 ]

pafTcd by, the iiihaMtaiits of which were up, and whom the party
nccoftcd with friendly fulutations. At Quiblctown, Lt. Col. Simcoe
had juft quitted the advance guard to fpc.ik to Lieut. Stuart, when,
from a puhlic-houfe on the turn of tlic road, fomc people came out
with knapfacks on their flioulders, bearing tlie appearance of a
rebel guard : Captain Sanford did not fee them 'till he had palfed
by, when, checking his horfc to give notice, the Huzzars were
reduced to a momentary halt oppofite the houfe j perceiving the
fuppofcd guard, they threw themfelves off their horfcs, fword in
liand, and entered the houfc. Lt. Col. Simcoe inilantly made them
remount : but they were afraid to difcovcr fome thoufand pounds of
paper-money which had been taken from a paflengcr, the mafler of
a privateer, nor could he flay to fearch for it. He told the man,
•* that he would be anfwerable to give him his money that night at
** Brunfwick, where he fljould quarter;" exclaimed aloud to his
party, " that thefe were not the Tories they were in fearch of, altho*
" they had knapfacks," and told the country people who were af-
fembling around, " that a party of Tories had made their efcape
*• from Sullivan's army, and were trying to get into Statea ifland, as
" IlifF (who had been defeated, near this very (pot, taken, and exe-
*' cuted) had formerly done, and that he was lent to intercept them:"
the fight of Juftice Crow would, probably, have aided in deceiving
the inhabitants, but, unfortunately, a man perfonally knew Lt. Col.
Simcoe, and an exprefs was fent to Governor Levingftone, then at
Brunfwick, as foon as the party marched. It was now conducted by
a country lad whom they fell in with, and to whom Captain Sandford,
being drefied in red, and without his cloak, had been introduced as a
French officer: he gave information, that the greater part of the
boats had been fent on to Wafhington's camp, but that eighteen were
at Van VaAer's bridge, and that their horfes were at a farm about a
mile from it : he led the party to an old camp of Wafhington's
above Bound brook. Lt. Col. Simcoe's inflru^lions were to bum

thefe

[ IS J

thcfe huts, if pofTible, in order to give as wide an alarm to the Jcrfics
as he could. He found it iinpradicabic to do fo, they not being
joined in ranges, nor built of vory combudible materials. He pro-
ceeded without delay to Bound brook, from whence he intended to
carry off Col. Moyland, but he was not at Mr. Vanhorn's : two
officers who had been ill were there ; their paroles were taken ;
and they were ordered to mark " fick quarters" over the room door
they inhabited, which was done ; and Mr. Vanhorn was informed,
that the party was the advanced guard of the left column of the
army, which was commanded by General Birch, who meant to
quarter that night at his houfe ; and that Sir H. Clinton was in full
march for Morris-town, with the army. The party proceeded to
Van Vadler's bridge : Lt. Col. Simcoe found eighteen new flat-boats,
upon carriages ; they were full of water. He was determined effec-
tually to deftroy them. Combuftibles had been applied for, and he
received, in confequence, a few port-fires j every Huzzar had a hand-
granade, and feveral hatchets were brought with the party. Tlie
timbers of the boats were cut through ; they were filled with ftraw
and railing, and fome grenades being faftened in them, they were fet on
fire : forty minutes were employed in this bufinefs. '1 he country began
to aflemble in their rear j and as Lt. Col. Simcoe went to the Dutch-
meeting, where the harnefs, and fome (lores, were reported to be, a
rifle-fliot was fired at him from tlie oppofite bank of the river : this
houfe, with a magazine of forage, was now toiifiimed, the com-
miflary, and his people, being made prifoners. The party proceeded
to Somerfet court-houfe, or Hillfborough. Lt. Col. Simcu* told
the prifoners not to be alarmed, that he would give them their paroles
before he left the Jcrfies ; but he could not help heavily lamenting
to the officers with him, the finifter events which prevented him
from being at Van Vader's bridge fome hours fooner, as it would
have been very feafible to have drawn oif the flat-boats to the South
river, inflead of deftroying them. He proceeded to Somerfet court-

L 2 houle:

3ff

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hjj

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[ 76 ]

lioulc : three Loyalifts, wlio were priloners there, were liberated ;
one of them was a dreadful fpedlaclc, he appeared to have been
almoft llarved, and was chained to the floor ; tlie foldiers wifhcd,
and it was permitted to burn the court-houfe : it was unconnedcd
with any other building, and, by its flames, fliewed on which
fide of the Rariton he was, and would, moft probably, operate
to afil'uible the neighbourhood of Brunfvvick at its bridge, to prevent
him from returning by that road : the party proceeded towards
Brunfwick. Alarm guns were now heard, and fomc (hots were fired
at the rear, partlcul.irly by one perfon, who, as it afterwards ap-
peared, being out a fliooting, and hearing of the incurfion, had fent
word to Governor Levingftone, who was at Brunfwick, that he would
follow the party at a dillance, and every now and then give a Ihot,
that he might know which way they direded their march. Pafling
by fome houfes, Lt. Col. Simcoc told the women to inform four or
five people who were purfuing the rear " that if they fired another
" fliot, he would burn every houfe which he pafled." A man or
two were now flightly wounded. As the party approached Brunf-
wick, Lieut. Col. Simcoe began to be anxious for the crofs road,
diverging from it into the Prince-town road, which he meant to
purfue, and which having once arrived at, he himfelf knew the bye
ways to the heights he wifhed to attain, where having frequently
done duty, he was minutely acquainted with every advantage and
circumfl.ance of the ground : his guide was perfeftly confident that
he was not yet arrived at it ; and Lt. Col. Simcoe was in earned
converfation with him, and making the neceflary enquiries, when a
fliot, at fome little diftance, difcovered there was a party in the front.
He immediately galloped thither ; and he fent back Wright, his orderly
ferjeant, to acquaint Captain Sandford " that the fhot had not been
" fired at the party," when, on the right at fome diftance, he faw
the rail fence (which was very high on both fides of the narrow road
between two woods) fomewhat broken down, and a man or two

near

i 77 ] '

ncAr it, when, putting his horfc on tlie canter, he joincii the ndvai-iCal
men of the Huzzats, determining to pafs through thi;; opening, I'o
as to avoid every ambufcadc tliat might be laid for him, or attack,
upon more equal terms. Colonel Lee, (v\ hom he underftcod to be in
the neighbourhood, and apprehended might be oppofl-d to him) or
any other party; when he faw fome men concealed beliind logs and
bullies, between him and the opening he meant to pafs through, and
he heard the words, " now, now," and found himfelf, when he
recovered his fenfes, prifoncr vvith the enemy, his horfe being killed
with five bullets, and himfelf ftunncd by the violence of his fidl.
His im.prifonment, the circumlhinces which attended it, and the
indelible impreffions which it has made on his memory, cannot,
even at this diftance, be repeated without the ftrongell emotions :
as they merely relate to perfonal hiftory, they, with his corrcfpon-
dencc with Sir H. Clinton, Governor Levingftone, Col. Lee,
Gen. Walhington, Sec. &c. are referred to the appendix.

Lt. Col. Simcoe had no opportunity of communicating his deter-
mination to any of his oilicers, they being all with their refpeAive
divifions ready for what might follow upon the fignal fliot of the
enemy, and his refolution being one of thofe where thought muft go
hand in hand with execution, it is no wonder, therefore, that the
party, who did not perceive the opening he was aiming at, followed
with the aujelerated pace which the front, being upon the canter,
too generally brings upon the rear; they pafled the ambufcade in
great confufion : three horfes were wouncJed, and the men made pri-
foners, two of them being alfo wounded. The enemy who fired
were not five yards off: they confifted of thirty men, commanded by
Mariner, a refugee from New- York, and well known for his enter-
prifes with whale-boats. They were polled on the very fpot which
Lt. Col. Simcoe had always aimed at avoiding. His guide milled
him : nor was the reafon of his error the leaft uncommon of the
finiller events which attended this incurfion. When the BritiHi

troopg

J.:.^!

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W
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[ 78 ]

troops quitted the camp at Hillfborough, and marched to Brunfwick,
among other houfes which were unwarrantably burnt was the one
which the guard relied upon, as marking out the private road the
party was to take : he knew not of its being burnt, and that every
veftige had been deftroyed, fo that he led them unintentionally into
the ambufcadej which when the party had pafled by on the full
gallop, they found themfelves on the high grounds beyond the bar-
racks at Brunfwick. Here they rallied j there was little doubt but
Lt. Col. Simcoe was killed : the furgeon (Mr. Kellock), with a
white handkerchief, held out as a flag of truce, at the manifeft rifk
of his life, returned to enquire for him. The militia aflembling.
Captain Sandford drew up, and charged them, of courfe, they fled :
A Captain Vorhees, of the Jerfey Continental troops, was overtaken,
and the Huzzar, at whom he had fired, killed him. A few pri-
foners were taken. Captain Sandford proceeded to the South river,
the guides having recovered from the confternation. Two militia-
men only were met with upon the road thither : they fired, and
killed Molloy, a brave Huzzar, the advance man of the party, and
were themfelves inftantly put to death. At South river the cavalry
joined Major Armftrong j he had perfectly fucceeded in arriving at
his port undifcovered, and, ambufcading himfelf, had taken feveral
prifoners. He marched back to South- Amboy, and re-embarked
without oppofition, exchanging fome of the bad horfes of the corps
for better ones which he had taken with the prifoners. The alarm
through the country was general ; Wayne was detached from Wafh-
ington's camp in the highlands, with the light troops, and marched
fourteen miles that night, and thirty the next day j Colonel Lee,
who was in Monmouth country, as it was faid, fell back towards the
Delaware. The Queen's Rangers returned to Richmond that even-
ing : the cavalry had marched upwards of eighty miles, without
halting or refrefliment, and the infantry thirty.

Ill

:'-■!! i

[ 79 ]

In the diftribution of quarters for the remaining winter, Richmond
was allotted to the Queen's Rangers. This pod wis in the center
of Staten ifland, and confifted of three bad redoubts, fo conftrudted,
at various times and in fuch a manner, as to be of little mutual
alTiftance : the fpaces between thcfe redoubts had been occupied by
the huts of the troops, wretchedly made of mud ; thefe Lieut. Col.
Simcoe had thrown down, and his purpole was to build ranges of
log houfes, which might join the redoubts, and being loop-holed,
might become a very defenfible curtain. Major Armflrong followed
the plan, and fet the regiment about its execution, in parties adapted
to the different purpofes of felling the timber, fawing it, and making
fhingles for the roofings. In the beginning of December, the
regiment was ordered to embark; which order was, foon after,
countermanded.

On the laft day of December, Lt. Col. Simcoe returned to Staten
ifland, from his imprifonment. He was mortified to find the expe-
dition, under the Commander in Chief, had failed; efpecially as,
upon his landing at Staten ifland, he received a letter from Major
Andre, adjutant-general, faying : "If this meets you a free man,
** prepare your regiment for embarkation, and haften to New- York
** yourfelf." He joined his corps at Richmond ; Major Armflrong
had been indefatigable in getting the regiment hutted in a manner
which rendered their pofl both comfortable and defenfible : and they
loon found the advantages of their very extraordinary labours. The
day which Lt. Col. Simcoe pafTed the found was the lafl on which
it became navigable for a confiderable time, the frofl fetting in with
moA unufual inclemency, and, by the i oth of January, the commu-
nication with New- York was totally (hut up by floating ice; and
General Stirling was reduced to the neceffity of reflraining the ^ops
to half allowance of provifions, but with every precaution to i: fs
the inhabitants, and foldiers, with the belief that this reflridion was
precautionary againfl the poffibility of the communication being clofed

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for fcvcral weeks ; and care was taken to inveftigate what refources
of fredi provifions might be obtained from the ifland. The found,
which divides Statcn ifland from the Jerfies, being totally frozen over
and capable of bearing cannon, information was received that feveral
of the rebel Generals had been openly meafuring the thicknefs of the
ice, and it was uiiiverfally rumored that an attack was foon to take
place upon Staten ifland : General Stirling commanded there, and he
was with the main body at the watering place, the heights of which
were occupied with feveral redoubts j Colonel Lord Rawdon, with
the Volunteers of Ireland, was quartered near a redoubt at the point
of the Narrows ; and Lt. Col. Simcoe, with the Queen's Rangers,
at Richmond : the whole force on the ifland being under one thou-
fand eight hundred efFedi\'e men.

On the 1 5th of January, early in the morning, the rebel detach-
ment of near three thoufand men, under the command of the perfon
ftiled Lord Stirling, crofl*ed the ice and entered Staten ifland j Lord
Stirling marched immediately towards the landing place, and by his
pofition cut off General Stirling's communication with the Volunteers
of Ireland and the Queen's Rangers. Lt. Col. Simcoe occupied the
high grounds near Richmond with fmall parties of cavalry, and the
infantry were feduloufly employed in what might ftrengthen that
poft; there were three pieces of cannon (a nine and two fix-pounders)
mounted on platforms, without embrazures, in the redoubts : thefe
were pointed at the eminences, where it was expcdcd the enemy
would firft appear, and where the ftones were collected in heaps, fo
that a round Ihot, if it ftruck among them, might have the effedt of
grape. If batteries, or any cannon, fhould be opened againft Rich-
mond, it was obvious thefe guns muft be difmounted : they were,
therefore, not intended to be cxpofed to fuch accidents, but the
redoubt on the right was meant, on the firft appearance of aflixult, to
bs aban lo led, and its area filled with abbatis which were provided,
and its gate left open and cxpofed to the fire of the cannon of the other

redoubts

i vi

[ 8i ]

rcdovibts placed at their rcfpcclive gitcs, of the two regimental
field pieces, and of the mufjiictry from tlic doors, wiiidov.s, and
loop-holes of the b.irr.ic'is. Th.; oiii-crs' barracks, whs.h were
within the triaru^ular aro.i formed by thofc of the fokiicrs and the re-
doubts, were intended to hz t.ikcn down, and the logs of which they
were coinpofeJ were to be hc.ined within a hut, and to form a traverfc
on a part expofed to the enemy. The rear of the works were fecurcd
by their polition on the e Ige of the hill from any polTibility of attack,
and fome of the huts, which ran below the fiirface of it, were in per-
fedl fafety from any (hot whatfoever, and nearly fo from fliells, againrt
the fplinters of which their logs were very rclpedablc traverfes. There
was a gun boat, which was frozen up in the creek, at the foot of Rich-
mond Hill : this gun was elevated fo as to fire a fingle round of grape
Ihot ; fome fwivels alfo were brought into the redoubts. Spike nails,
which there were a quantity for the barrack purpofes, were driven
thro' boards, ready to be concealed under the fnow in places which
were moft accellible ; all the cattle in the neighbourhood were brought
into the precin<ils of the garrifon, as were the fledges, harnefs and
horfes, and the moft chearful and determined appearance of refolution
ran thro' the whole corps. About mid- day, many deferters came in
from the rebel army ; by them a perfedl knowledge of the enemy's
force was gained : and one of them affirmed that he overheard fome
of their principal officers iiiy, " That it was not worth while to at-
** tack Richmond where they were fure of cbllinate refiftance, and
" which muft fall of itfelf whenever the main body was taken."

Lt. Col. Simcoe was anxious to communicate with Lord Rawdon,
and to obtain any intelligence, or orders, his lordlhip might have for
him : he fent his adjutant, Lt. Ormond, with diredions to get fome
of the militia, to convey a letter for that purpofe, by the fea fliore.
Some fcattering parties of the enemy had been that way, on which
account Lt. Ormond could get no one to venture, he therefore went
himfelf, and putting on coloured deaths that he might not be dif-

M tinguiihed.

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tinguifhsd, in cafe of any fmall parties hying in ambufcade, he got
fafely to the flag-ftafF, and returned without difcovery. The rebels
making no attempt in the day time upon the redoubts, where Gene-
ral Stirling was, led Lt. Col. Simcoe to conclude that they waited for
cannon or more forces, and meant to florm them at night or the next
morning > for, though no perfon could hold more cheaply than he
thouglit himfelf authorized to do, thofe men on whom the enemy had
conferred the office and title of Generals, it appeared totally un-
reafonable that having fo well chofen the moment of invading the
ifland, they had no determined point to carry, or had negle(fled the
proper means to enfure its fuccefs. On thefe ideas, he defired
Col. Billop (who commanded the militia of Staten Ifland) to get
them to allemble to garrifon Richmond ; but neither entreaties, the
full explanation of the advantage fuch a condudl would be of, nor the
perfonal example of Col. Billop had any efFedl : not a man could be
prevailed upon to enter the garrifon. They afiembled to drink at
various public-houfes, and to hear the news, or were bufy in pro-
viding for the temporary fecurity of their cattle and efFeils ; and thefe
were not difafFedted perfons, but men who were obnoxious to the
rebel governors, many of them refugees from the Jerfies, fome who
had every reafon to exped death, if the enemy fucceeded, and all the
total deftru(5lion of their property. Lt. Col. Simcoe was therefore
obliged to lay afide his intentions, which were to march with his
cavalry, carrying mufquets, with as many infantry as he could juftify
the taking from Richmond, with his field pieces in fledges, together
with the fwivels fixed upon blocks, and to get near the enemy undif-
covered, and to make as great an alarm and as much imprefllon as
pofllble upon their rear, whenfoever they attemped to ftorm the
Britilh redoubts. All the roads between Richmond and the head
quarters, led through narrow pafles, and below the chain of hills :
thefe, where they had been beaten only, were pafllible, the ground
being covered with feveral feet of fnow, fo that no patroles were

made

[ 83 ]

made during the night, which would have been ufelels and dangerous;
and the cavalry were aflemblcd within the redoubts : the night was
remarkably cold. A perfon from the Jerfies brought the report of
the country, that Wafliington was expeded the next day, at Elizabeth
Town, and that ftraw, &c. was fent to Staten Ifland. He went back
again, commiflioned by Lt. Col. Simcoe, to obferve what ftores were
in Elizabeth Town, and particularly to remark what air-holes were
in the ice on the found between the mouth of Richmond Creek and
Elizabeth Town, as it was intended, if nothing material intervened
before the next night, to fend Capt. Stephenfon with a detachment
to burn Elizabeth Town, and to give an alarm in the Jerf Ci.

The intelligence which this zealous and truft-worthy loyalifl:
brought was very probable : the making a winter campaign in
America had always appeared to Lt. Col. Simcoe a matter of great
facility, and by frequently ruminating upon it, he was alive to the
advantages which would attend Mr. Wafliington in its profecution.
He would without hefitation have abandoned the poft of Richmond,
and joined Lord Rawdon, cr Gen. Stirling, taking on himfelf all
confequences, had it not appeared to him that the poflefiion of Rich-
mond would infure to Mr. Wafliington a fafe retreat, even fliould
the ice become impaflable, and would probably inculcate on him the
propriety of his ferioufly attempting to keep Staten Ifland at this
very critical period, when the Commander in Chief was abfent with
the greateft part of the army, and the troops in New- York, under
Gen. Kniphaufen, were probably not in a capacity to quit it and take
the field: particularly as in that cafe, the nominal militia whofe num-
bers were fo well difplayed, as fuflicient to garrifon it, muft for the
greater part have melted away in their attendance on the army, to
whofe various departments they in general belonged.

Mr. Wafliington might without difliculty have aflfembled from
the fmaller creeks, and even from the Delaware, and Hudfon's River,
a multitude of boats, which, while the fnow was upon the ground,

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might be conveyed overland to the Staten Ifland Sound ; and with
thefe, added to thofe which attended his army, he might tranfport his
troops or form bridges, fecuring all approaches to them from the
water, by batteries conftrufted on the Jerfey (hore, while by other
attacks and preparations, he certainly could have thrown great diffi-
culties in the way of Gen. Kniphaufen, and the Britiih army in the
three iflands. Lt. Col. Simcoe reafoning on the poiTibility of theie
events, waited to be guided by circumflances. If Gen. Stirling could
hold out, and was neither overwhelmed by numbers, or re^duced by
famine, which was mod to be dreaded, it was obvious Richmond
would be fafe : if matters happened otherwiie, he was perfe(5tly cer-
tain, from Lord Rawdon's charader, that he (hould receive fome de-
redlions from him, who would never remain in an untenable port, with
the certainty of being made prifoner ; and at all events Lt. Col. Simcoe
determined, in cafe Gen. Stirling fhould be defeated, and that he
fhould receive no orders, he would attempt to efcape ; for fince the
rebels had fhewn a total defedt in every private and public principle
of honour, when they violated the convention with Gen. Burgoyne's
army, he and the officers of the Queen's Rangers had determined in
no fituation to furrender, where by efcaping, if it fliould be but a
mile into the country, the corps could difband itieif individually, and
fepenitely attempt to rejoin the Britifli armies ; proper inducements
being held out to the foldiers, and great aid being reafonably to be
cxpedted from the loyal inhabitants, fcattered throughout every
colony, and in very great numbers. This, which had been his com-
mon converfition and fleady refolution, in cafe of any unfortunate
events, was now determined on by Lt. f A. Simcoe : his ideas were
to forerun all intelligence, and to attempt to furprife Col. Lee, at
Burlington, and then to efcape to the back countries. For this pur-
pofe, he had fledges which could carry a hundred men, and he had
no doubt of foon encreafing them in the Jerfiejs, to a number fuf-
ficient to convey the whole corps ; the attempt was lefs dangerous in

itfelf.

!'l'

[ 85 ]

itfelf, and lefs injurious, if it failed, to the community, than the cer-
tainty of being deftroyed by heavy artillery, of ultimately furrendoring,
of mouldering in prifon, and becoming lofl to all future fervice to
their king and country. There was no corps between General
Washington's army, and that of Lincoln haflening into Charles
Town, but Col. Lee's : when once in pofTefilon of his horfes, there was
little doubt in the mind of Lt. Col. Simcoe, and the officers to whom
he communicated his ideas, but th^t he fhould effed his retreat into
the back parts of Pennfylvania, join his friends there, probably releafe
the Convention army, and not impollibly join the commander in
chief, in Carolina. Full of theie ideas, it was with great furprize and
pleafure, that Lt. Col. Simcoe undcrflood the enemy were retreating
from the ifland. He immediately purfued them with the Hank com-
panies and Huzzars ; and was overtaken by an order froin General
Stirling to effeO: the fame purpofe ; but the enemy had pafTed to the
Jerfey Ihore before he could come up with them. While the troops in
the enemy's front, on their arrival at the heights oppofite to the Britifh
redoubts, halted for the rear to clofe up, they were permitted to
make fires, which encreafed the power of the froft, and rendered them
totally ut .ble to proceed, and the fcverity of the night affeding ♦^he
whole of them, many loft their limbs, and feveral their lives. There
were vaft mounds of fnow drifted before the redoubts, which Lord
Stirling gave as his reafon for not attempting them j and General
Kniphaufen, on the firft fignal of Staten Ifland being attacked, em-
barked troops to fupport it. The enemy in the dark of the evening
faw thefe veflels (which, whether the paifage could be effeded or
not, were wifely direded to be kept plying off and on), but they did
not wait to fee if they could reach the ifland, which in fjiik the
drifting ice prevented, but immediately determining to retreat, they
effedled it the next morning, loling many men by defertion, and
many Britiih foldiers, who had enlifted with them to free themfelves
from imprifonment, embraced the opportunity of being in a country

they

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they were Acquainted with, to return to their old companions. Tlie
Queen's Rungcrs obtained a great many recruits ; and it is very re-
markable that neither that corps, or the Volunteers of Ireland had a
fingle man who defertcd from them, while there were fuch opportunities
and apparent reafons to do it. Lt. Col. Simcoe on his return from
Elizabeth Town Point, where the enemy pafl'ed, had information
that a party of plunderers had crofled from the Jerfies to the other
end of the illand ; he detaciied the Huzzars in purfuit of them, but
they fled, on the Staten Ifland militia collcding together. The
froll ftill continuing, there were many reports and a general expedla-
tion that the enemy would again adventure upon the illand, with
fuperior force, with fulHcient provilion to attempt fome greater purpofe j
and patroles were conftantly made on all the roads, by which they could
poflibly approach, by order of Gen. Stirling. The Queen's Rangers
had formerly experienced how ready Gen. Stirling was to reprefent
their fervices ; and they, now in common with the other troops, had
a further proof of his good inclinations, it being inferted in the
general orders of the 21ft of January, " Brigadier Gen. Stirling is
" happy to inform the troops on tliis ifland, of his Excellency Gen.
" Kniphaufcn's fuUeft approbation of their behaviour, and the good
" countenance they fliewed when the rebels were upon this ifland,
** which the brigadier had reported to the Commander in Chief; and
♦' his Excellency defires his thanks may be given to them". On
the 25th Lt. Col. Simcoe gave out the following order : " That he
" expcds the order relative to officers and foldiers fleeping in their
'* cloaths be ftridlly complied with, fuch recruits excepted, whom
" the officers commanding companies may judge as yet unequal to
" the duties of the regiment; if any half-bred foldier difobeys this
" order, the firfl officer, or non-commiflioned officer, who meets
" with him, will deliver him to the officer on guard to be put on
" fome internal duty. The Lt. Col. has particular fatisfadUon in
•* feeing the General's approbation of that good countenance which

enabled

!'"^

[ 8; ]

'* enabled him, on the htc inroad of the enemy, to reft pcifci!tly at
*' eiifc, without augmenting the duty of the regiment ; he knows its
" univcrf.il fpirit, and certain from the fidehty of thole on guard, that
•' the g.irrifon cannot be fnatched away by furprize, is confident that
" Richmond redoubts will be too dear for the whole rebel army to
" purchafe."

boon after the rebel army returned to their former winter quarters,
a very important enterprize fuggefted itfelf to Lt. Col. Simcoe; he
underftood by deferters and other intelligence, that Mr. Wafhington
was quartered at a confiderable diftance from his army, or any corps
of it, and nearer to New- York: by the maps ofthe country, and all the
information he could colledl, he thought that it would not be
difficult to carry him off". He communicated his ideas to a gentle-
man, who had been perfecuted by the rebels, and whofe family had
been the objedt of their cruel refcntment, for his early and uniform
loyalty, and by his alllftance, a very minute and perfedt map of the
country was drawn. Some few particulars were neccflliry to be afcer-
tained, which a trufty perfon was fent out to enquire into, but with-
out any idea being given to him that might lead him to guefs at the
enterprize, which was only made known to Capt. Ghaw, of the
Queen's Rangers, until the 31ft of January, when, preparatory to the
necefTary application to Generals Tryon and Kniphaufen, Lt. Col.
Simcoe communicated his ideas to Gen. Stirling, which, as appears
by his letter in the appendix, met with his full approbation. Lt.
Col. Simcoe's plan was to march by very fecret ways, made the more
fo by the inclement feafon, and to arrive near Gen. Walhington's
quarters by day bre-ak, to tye up his horfes in a fwamp, and to ftorm
the quarters, and attack his guard on foot : for this purpofe, his party
were to carry mufquets as well as fwords, and he meant it to confift
of eighty men, indifcriminately taken from the cavalry or infantry,
with an Officer, befides thofe of the ftaff, to every fix men, and he was
to feledt thofc he fhould command. The party were to halt at two

cottages

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[ 88 ]

cnttiges in a wood, if they (liouU arrive hcforc the appointed time.
Lt. Col. Simcoc waited for his conchilive iufnmatioii with }i;ici't
impatience, and in his convcrlations with Capt. Siiaw always cx-
prcfllci his ian^;uinc hopes, almotl his certainty of fuccels } his only
npprchenfion bvinj^ in cafe Mr. VVaihini^ton (hould perfonally rcfift,
by wli.it means he could brin;; him off, ;uui prcfei vc his life ; when,
to hi> prcut fnrprize, his Huzzars were oniercd to march with a con-
voy over the ice to New- York. It fliould fccm, the fame negligence
in Gen. Waihington's quartering in front of his army, h;id attracted
the notice of Capt. Beckwith, Gen. Kniphaufcn s Aid-du-camp, and
he had formed a plan to carry off that general ; fur which purpofe,
cavalry were collected at New-York, and among others. Captain
Beckwith obtained the Huzzars of the Queen's Raniners, of whom he
had a good opinion, as he often accompanied Lt. Col. Simcoe in the
patroles he had made from Kinglbridge. Brigadier Gen Stirling
communicated to Lt. Col. Simcoe the purpofe for which his cavalry
was withdrawn, as it was intended that a general movement from
Staten iiland fliould favour theenterprizc. Since it did not take place
on fo large a fcale as was at firll defigned, Lt. Col. Simcoe received
orders " to fend a party to furprize the enemy's poll at Woodbridge or
" Raway, and to give a general alarm:" this party was to crofs the
ice at one o'clock in the morning, and not to return till nine or ten.
Accordingly, Lt. Col. Simcoe paffed the ice with two hundred
infantry, at one o'clock j Major Armilrong with fome infantry, the
cavalry, and cannon occupying the heights, at the Old Blazing-ftar,
to cover their return. The fnow prevented all poHibility of march-
ing, but on the beaten road : there were no ports in Woodbridge.
But, as he was anxious to fulfil the fpirit of his orders, and to give
every aiTiftance in his power to his friend, Capt. Beckwith 's enter-
prize, he determined to proceed until he beat up fome of the
enemy's quarters, or fell in with their patroles. On the arrival at
the crofs roads, from Amboy to Elizabeth Town, the troops were

challenged

I'i'

[ «'; ]

ii I

cliallengcd, the whole body halted, and with llich profound iilcnce,
added to their being in the middle ot" tlic re xd, and at nii^ht when the
beaten path in it appeared among ,'ic fnow hkc .\ dark llreak, that the
enemy were deceived and tliought themfelves miftaken, as was lc»rnt
from their converlation, which was plainly over heard : but lUiother
patrole on horfeback, falling in on the flank of the march, difcovcrcd
the party; the enemy's centincls fired, and in fucccfTion the bugle-
horns, drums, and bagpipe of the Queen's Rangers founded ; an
univerfal alarm being given and propagated, the party returned to-
wards Woodbridge : a foldier was unfortunate enough to be killed
by the chance fliot of the centinels. The enemy alFembled in the
rear, and appeared at eight o'clock, when the party pafled Wood-
bridge creek : the fnow was fo deep that it was fcarce pofllble to
quit the road, which was of advantage to the Rangers j for the com-
panies, alternately advancing in front of the march, occupied fuch
orchards or trees, as were at a fmall diftancc from the road, and
checked the enemy who prefled upon the rear. Upon his approach
to the Sound, Lt. Col. Simcoc could hear them determine to occupy
the houfes at the Ferry, and to fire on the Rangers as they pad'cd
back ; this they could have done with confiderable effed, and with-
out being expofcd : Serjeant Wright was difpatched to gallop over
the ice to Major Armftrong, and to defire him to point his cannon
at the Ferry houfej and Capt. Shank was detatched to crofs it,
previous to the return of the troops, and to conceal himfclf behind
the ridges of the ice, which the tide had heaped up, and cover the
retreat of the party, which would pafs the Sound in fecurity, between
the angle formed by the fire of this detachment, diredly oppofite,
and of Major Armflrong's cannon, at a greater and more oblique
difl^ance. Thefe arrangements being made, and the enemy approach-
ing, the Rangers fuddenly turned about and charged them u-^on a
fteady run, the rebels immediately fled, and they were pur^j ^. 'till
they pafled over a fmall hill, when the Rangers were ordercu 1:0 go

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[ 90 ]

to the right about, and without altering their pace get upon the ice ;
they were half way over before the rebels perceived them, which as
foon as they did, they occupied the houles, and fome of them fol-
lowed upon the ice j Capt. Shank firing upon them from his am-
bufcadc, drove them inftantly back, while the cannon fliot ftruck the
houfes at the fame time, and, as it was reported, killed fome of
them : the party returned to Richmond without further moleftation.
The Queen's Rangers loft only the man already mentioned ; a few
were wounded, but they bore no proportion to the numbers whofc
cloaths were ftruck by the enemy's bullets, fired at a diftance,
through intervening thickets, or more probably by thofe who
had not recolledtion fufiicient to ram down their charges. The
enemy's lofs was fuppofcd to be more confiderable, as many of
them were feen to fall, and the whole of the affair being between
fingle men, the Rangers were infinitely better markfmen than the
Jerfey militia. Capt. Beckwith had found it impradlicable to carry
his attempt into execution, from an uncommon fall of rain, which
encrufting the top of the fnow, cut the fetlocks of his horfes, and
rendered it abfolutely impofllble for him to fuccecd. The Huzzars
foon after returned to Staten Ifland. The ice floating on the 2 2d
of February, the Sound became impafllible ; the foldiers were per-
mitted to undrefs themfelves at night, and in cafe of alarm they were
directed to accoutre in their fhirts, and to form at their pofts.

Lt. Col. Simcoe on his arrival at Staten Idand from imprifonment,
had applied to the Commander in Chief to requeft that he might join
the army to the fouthward; he had alfo written in the ftrongeft
terms to Earl Cornwallis, foliciting his lordftiip to fupport his ap-
plication. In cafe his wilhes rtiould not take place, he was anxious
to be of what fervice he thought the prefent lituation oi the Queen's
Rangers would admit : for this purpole he made application through
the proper channel to Gen. Kniphaufen, for difcretionary permiffion
to beat up the enemy's pofts in the Jerfles, and to have boats fufiicient

I'iJ

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[ 91 ]

to tranfport three hundred infantry and fixty cavalry, to be niiinned
by the Rangers, and to be left totally to his own difpofal : he pro-
pofed by thefe means to countenance defertion, then prevalent in
Washington's army, and to keep tiie whole coaft in continual alarm;
he had the nioft minute maps of the country and the beft guides : and
the Loyalifts, without doubt, would have univerfally joined him.
The firft enterprize he meant to attempt was, to furprize Col. Lee
at Burlington : he intended to land at night with his cavalry in an
unfrequented part of the coall, and march in three feparate bodies,
each of thirty rank and file, carrying firelocks, and in the minuteft
particular, each party to be fo like to the other, that if they fliould be
difcovered by any accident, they might not be eafily difcriminated,
particularly as the feparate routs were to be nearly parallel,
through bye paths, and feldom at more than two miles diftancc:
before day break they were to meet at an appointed fwamp, where
they were to remain concealed till the next night, when they were to
continue their march, difmount when they arrived clofe to Burling-
ton, and with fixed bayonets ru(h into the town, and attempt to
conquer Lee's corpsl In the mean time the infantry were to land on
the fecond evening, and, with as much fecrecy as polllble, march
twenty-five miles into the country to fecure the retreat. From time
to time, during this enterprize, Lt. Col. Simcoe would have had the
beft intelligence, without the Loyalifts who managed it being en-
truftcd with the fecret of his deftination ; they would have arrived
at fpecified fpots from different places, in expedlation of meeting thofe
who carried on a contraband traffic with Philadelphia. Lee's corps
were excellently mounted, and difciplined ; he himfelf was adlive and
enterprizing, and had that weight in the Jerfies, which capacity and
power, with a very free ufe of it, could give to the pofleflbr; the
importance it would have been of to the intended fyftem of opera-
tions, to have feized upon Col. Lee and demoliflied his corps, is beft
illuftratcd by remarking that, although Burlington is near feventy

N 2 miles

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miles from Statcn Ifland, he was underftood to have his piquets eight
or ten miles in his front for his (ecurity. Lt. Col. Simcoe's propofals
were approved of by Generals Kniphaufen, Stirling, and Tryon :
feme of the boats were fcnt to him, and the remainder, with the pre-
parations detailed in the appendix, were in forwardnefs, when, on
the 23d of March 1780, the infantry of the corps received orders to
embark for Charles Town, which it did on the fourth of April.
Capt. VVickham was left with the Huzzars in the Town of Rich-
mond, and the duty of the redoubts was taken by a party of two
fubaltcrn orticers and fixty rank and file, from the Szd regiment, under
his dire(5lions : this detachment was in a few days after relieved by
the 22d regiment. 1 iie Heflian regiment of Ditforth, Queen's
Rangers, volunteers of Ireland, and Prince of Wales's volunteers,
under the command of Col. Wefterhagen, fiiled on the 7th. The
Queen's Rangers anchored in Stono inlet on the i8th, and pafling
the Afliley river, arrived at the camp before Charles Town on the
2 1 ft : they immediately marched to the quarter-houfe, four miles
from Charles Town, and covered the troops employed on the fiege,
by extending between the Afliley and Cooper rivers. The infantry
confiftcd of four hundred rank and file : there was not a fick man
among them, for great attention had been paid to whatever might pre-
fcrvc them in health ; and Mr. Kellock and Macauley, the furgeons,
were very capable and attentive in their duties. The foldiers were
new cloathed and accoutred, and the regiment had fubftituted light
caps, neat and commodious, in the room of the miferable contradl
hats, which had been fent from England. To the perfonal con-
gratulations of his friends, on his relcafe from imprifonment, Lt. Col.
Simcoe had great pleafure.as heexprefs'd himfelf in orders, "in hearing
" the uniformity and appearance of the regiment univerfally ap-
" proved : he trufts that foldier will vie with foKiier, and officer with

• . .... . . . the

" officer in maintaining in their refpedive ftations very favourable
" impreffion which their fapcnor officers entertain of them, that

" their

[ 93 ]

" their difcipline and appearance on the parade reflects credit on their
" foldier-like behaviour in the field." On the arrival of this rein-
forcement, Sir Henry Clinton augmented the detachments which he
had thrown over the Cooper river, to cut off the intercourfe between
Charles Town and the country : and Earl Cornwallis took their
command. The fiege was puHied with vigour; Lt. Col. i^imcoe
was very apprehenfive that Gen. Lincoln under the pretext of afally,
would embark in boats, and palling up tlie ADiley river land beyond
his port; when, a few hours march in a country interfedled by rivers
and fwamps, would enable him to baffle all purfuit : he therefore
obtained two fix pounders to be added to his field pieces, and placed
to command the river; and he endeavoured to procure a fire-raft,
to be moored on the oppofite bank, which, being fcton fire, would
throw a light acrofs fufficient to diredl the cannon on any boats which
might attempt to pafs. He had brought with him a ferjeant and nine
huzzars, with their accoutrements, thefe and his riflemen he fooii
mounted, and patroled in his front between Dorchefler and Goofe
creek ; but particularly to examine the points which he thought mofl
pradHcable for Gen. Lincoln to land on. He found a floop on the
Ihore at CJoofe creek, which on the 9th of May Lt. Murray, a gentle-
man who had been bred in the navy, was indefitigable in getting off
and bringing down to the port, to affift in blocking up the paflage :
however, Mr. Lincoln either did not intend to efcape, or thought of
it too late; for all pofTibility of effeding Inch a defign was effedually
precluded by Earl Cornwallis's fending down from VVando inlet a
waterforce, which, by Capt. Elphingftone's arrangement, effedlually
blocked up the river : and the place furrendered on the 1 2th of May.
Lt. Col. Simcoe going to head quarters to congratulate the Commander
in Chief, Sir H. Clinton was pleafed to fliew him where he had in-
tended to florm the town, had the enemy's obftinacy obliged him to
that meafure. 1 he point from whence this attack was to have been
made, had been privately reconnoitred by that gallant officer Capt.

Haniicr

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I I.uigcr ; and th;\t Charles Town was not ftormcd muft ever be im-
puted to that humanity which is fo Sright a feature in the character of
tlic Rritifli general. The Queen's Rangers niarthtd to Dorcheftcr
and its environs, immediately after the capitulation. The air or the
water at the quartcr-houfe, had rendered the men lickly. They ad-
vanced to Fourhole-bridge, where they remained a day or two at
Caton's (an unfortunate Loyalift, wliom the rebels fome time after
a(lafl'inated); from whence, by exprefs order, they returned to Charles
Town, as it was fujipofed, to embark on an expedition to George
Town : tliey covered the head quarters on the 30th, and embarked
on the 31ft for New- York.

Capt. Wickham of the Hu^zars had by no means been idle while
at Richmond : the port was fuch as might have been a temptation to
an cnterprizingencmyj but Gen. Kniphaufen, by frequent and well-
concerted expeditions, had kept the rebels fully employed in their own
cantonments, the Jerfies. On one of thefe attempts, the Huzzars
of the Rangers were eminently diftinguillied, as was detailed to Lt.
Col. Simcoe by Capt. Wickham, and by him read to the Commander
in Chief, who was highly fatisfied with it. The re}X)rt mentions,
"that on the 15th of April, the cavalry on Staten Ifland, confiding of
Cornet Tucker and twenty of the 17th regiment, light dragoons,
Capt. Wickham with his troop of forty-five men, and Capt. Dcimar
with his huzzars, forty men, crofled at Cole's ferry, and marched to
Englifh neighbourhood, where they joined Major Du Buy, with
three hundred of the regiment De Bofe and fifty of Col. Robinfon's
corps. At New-bridge Serjeant M'Laughlin, with fix of the
Rantfcrs in advance, fell in with and either killed or took the whole
of a fm.all rebel out-poft. The detachment then continued their
inarch, leaving fifty infantry for the fccurity of the bridge. At a
convenient diilance from Hopper Town, Major Du Buy gave his lafl
orders for his furprize of Col. Bailey, with three hundred rebels,
polled at that place : the major was particularly attentive to a minute

dcfcription

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[ 95 ]

defcription of their fitiiation. Cornet Spencer with twelve ranger
huzzars, and Cornet Tucker with the like number of the 17th
regiment to fupport him, made ilic advance guard ; then followed
Capt. Diemar with his troop : the infantry and the rcmainutr of the
cavalry clofed the rear. Hoppers Town is a llraggling village, more
than a mile long ; the fartheil houfc was Col. Bailey's quarters ; the
ncareft, a court-houfe which contained an oiKcer's picquet of twenty
men, and which, if properly difpoled, covered a bridge over which
the troops mufl: pafs. The advance was ordered to force the bridge,
and to purti forward at full fpeed, through the town, to licad quar-
ters : this they effcded after receiving an incffedual fire from the
picquet and from fome of the windows : the reft of the cavalry dif-
perfed, to pick up the fugitives and to take pofleflion of the rebels
quarters, now abandoned. Cornet Spencer, on his arrival at his poft
with fix men only, the reft not being able to keep up, found about
five and twenty men drawn up on the road, oppofite him, and divided
only by a hollow way and fmall brook, with Hopper's houfe on their
right, and a ftrong fence and fwamp on their left. The officer com-
manding them, whom he afterwards found to be Bailey, talked to his
men and alked his officers " Shall we fire now or take pofiiefllon of
" the houfe j" the latter was agreed on. The houfe was offtone,
with three windows below and two above : at the moment of their
going in. Cornet Spencer with his party augmented to ten of his
own, and by two of the 17th regiment, pafled the ravine, and taking
pofieffion of the angles of the houfe, ordered fome of his men to dif-
mount and to attempt to force one of the windows. Some fervants
from a fmall out-houfe, commenced a fire : Corporal Burt with three
men was fent to them, who broke the door open and took nine
prifoners. Cornet Spencer made feveral offers to parley with thofe
who defended head quarters, but to no purpofe ; they kept up a con-
tinual fire : finding it impoflible to break the door open, which was
attempted, and a man wounded through it, or to force any of the win-
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[ 96 ]

(lows, he ordered fire to be brought from the out-houfc, with which
he let one angle of the roof, which was of wood, in flames : he again
offered them quarter if they would furrender j they ftiil refufed, the'
the flames were greatly cncreafed. Hy this time fomc of the fpccdieft
of the cavalry had come to his afllflance: the firing ceafcd. Captains
Dcimar and Wickham, &c. who had coUedcd a great number of
prifoners, and left fome few men to guard them, until the infantry
Ihould come up, now joined the advance. Col. Bailey, as he opened
the door to fiirrendcr, was unfortunately Ihot by one of Capt. Deimar's
huzzars, and died three days after. Of the advance guard two men and
three horfes were killed, and two men and two horfes wounded: and
one man and one horfe of the 17th regiment were alfo killed. In
this houfe Col. Bailey, two captains, three fubalterns, and twenty-
one Ibldicrs were taken. In the whole, twelve officers, with one
hundred and eighty-two men were made prifoners. The party re-
turned by the fmic rout they had advanced, with little oppofition and
no lofs. The plan of this expedition was well laid, and as well exe-
cuted : Major Du Buy fccmed to be mafter of the country through
which he had to pafs, and was well fecondcd by Capt. Deimar. Ma-
jor Du Buy was pleafed to honor the huzzars of the Rangers with his
particular thanks and approbation. The houfe was well defended,
and the death of the gallant Col. Bailey was very much regretted by
his opponents.'*^

On the 2 1 ft of June the regiment landed at Staten Ifland, and
marched to Richmond redoubts. At midnight Lt. Col. Simcoe
received orders to proceed inft.intly to the Jerfies, where Genera]
Kiuphaufen having thrown a bridge of boats over the Pjund, near
Klizabeth Town Point, ^^'as encamped : the huzzars of the Rangers
here joined the corps. Lt. M'Nab had fouiid an opportunity of dif-
tinguilhing himfelf by the intrepidity and boldnefs with which he
advanced into Elizabeth Town, amidft the fire of the enemy who
polfefled it, in order to entice them to follow him into an ambufcade,

^.vhich

[ 97 ]

which Capt. Archdale, of the 17th dragoons (who had the temoorary
command of the Provincial cavalry), had very ikilfiiily laid for them ;
but which they were too caution; to fall into. Tiiat evening the
Queen's Rangers and Yagers, undor the command of Col. VVunr.b,
attacked the enemy's advance port:, for the purpofe of t.iki.ig fome pri-
foners, who might give intelligence; in which they fuccecdcd, with
the lofs of a Yager, and an huzzar of the Rangers, who were killed.

On the 23d of June, M. Gen. Mathews with a divifion of the troops
marched before day towards Springfield : the Rangers mc.de the ad-
vance guard. The enemies fnialler parties fell back upon a larger
one, which was well ported on an eminence, covered on the right by
a thicket, and on the left by an orchard : the road ran in a deep
hollow between them. While the battalions of Gen. Skinner's brigade,
who flanked the march, were exchanging fliot with thefe troops, Lt.
Col. Simcoe clofed the companies of the Rangers, and direded them
to rulhdown the hollow road in column without firing, and then by
wheeling to the right, to afccnd to the orchard and divide the enemy's
parties : this was done, and Capt. Stevenfon who led with the rifle
men and light infantry company, obtained the gro'nid on their flank
without lofs, making feveral priloners : the enemy fled, and the
Rangers purfued clofely on the right, where the ridge continued, and
which commanded the road, virtually, becoming a flanking party to
the line of march. In the mean time, the enemy who had been
ported on the left retreated up the road, which led through a plain,
unpurfued: the line for fome time leaving it to follow the Queen's
Rangers, who having difperfed the party they purfued, now made the
utmoft exertions to cut off" the i treat of the other diviiion :
the circuit they had to take rendered this defign ineftedlual. The
enemy retired over the bridge near Springfield, where they had fome
troops and cannon ; they fired a few {hot, by which two of the
Rangers were killed as they flept, M. Gen. Mathews halting till the
arrival of Gen. Kniphaufen, with the main body of the army; he

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then made a circuit with his divifion to pafs the river higher up, on
the right. The troops halted for a confidcrable time on a height,
below which ran a little brook, and cannonaded fmall parties of the
enemy fcattcred up and down in the fields and woods, which (helved
at a confiderable diftance from the Newark hills. A very heavy fire
being heard from Gen. Kniphaufcn's column, the troops proceeded
unoppofed over the brook : the enemy appeared beyond a fecond
bridge, and poflefling the heights, fecmed to be drawn up in fmall
bodies by echelon, fo as to concenter their fire upon the road. Lt.
Col. Simcoe advanced towards the bridge in column, when rapidly
forming the line, and extending it to the left, he pnfTed the deep gully
covered by the thickets, and by the rifle-men whom Lt. Shaw
had well difpofed of, and out-reached the enemy's left : they im-
mediately fell back, with too much precipitation to be overtaken by
the Rangers, who were forming fijr that purpofe, and with too much
order to be adventured upon by a few men, whom Lt. Col. Simcoe
had collected and brought ftcretly through the thickets upon their
flank. The Rangers met with no lofs ; the gallant Lt. Shaw was
flightly wounded. The column then marched to Springfield, which
Gen. Kniphaufen, on hearing the cannonade from Gen. Mathews,
had forced ; on tlieir arrival there, moft of the army recroflicd the
river, and the Rangers received orders to follow in the rear over the
bridge, where it was intended to halt for two or three hours to refrefh
the troops, who, it was now evident, were to return to Elizabeth
Town Point. Lt. Col. Simcoe thought proper to accompany the
oflicer, who brought this order, to Gen. Kniphaufen, and tv reprefent
to him that the Rangers, who lay in an orchard full of deep hollows,
which fecured them from the enemy's fhot, were in a much more
favourable pofition to cover the army than if they croflcd the river;
and it being obvious, that while this pofition was maintained, the
enemy could not be certain whether the Britifli army meant to return
towards Staten liland or advance, they would not hazard the pafiing

their

[ 99 ]

their light troops over the river on the flanks of the army in rcadincfs
to molcfl them in their prcfcnt pofition and future march. General
Kniphaufen dircded Lt. Col. Simcoc to maintain his poil, and fomc
Yagers were fcnt to cover his left, and a battalion of Gen. Skinner's
his right flank. In the mean time Gen. Greene, with the grofs of
his army, occupied a flrong pofition upon the hills, near a mile and n
half in front of the advanced corps : his troops and his cannon in
general were in ambufcade. He detached two or three Held pieces to
the right flink of the Britifh, which cannonaded them for fome
time, but with little effedt ; and his militia and light troops in great
numbers came as clofe to the front as the intervening thickets could
fhelter them, and kept up a conftant though irregular fire from every
fide. Moft of thefe fliot pafled over the heads of the Rangers, while
fome, which were fired at a greater diftance, dropped with little
cffeA in the hollows v'ich concealed them. On their right ran a
rivulet, forming fmall and fwampy iflets, covered with thickets ; as
under fiivour of this ground the enemy were gradually approach-
ing, Lt. Col. Simcoe waded to one of them with Capt. Kerr, whom
with his company be left in ambufcade, with orders, if the enemy
advanced, to give them one well-dircded fire, and immediately to
recrofs to the regiment. Capt. Kerr executed his orders judicioufly,
many of the enemy were feen to fall : the thicket he quitted was
not again attempted by them, but it became the center to which the
nrincipal part of their fire was direded. The troops having halted
two or three hours, began their march to Elizabeth Town : the
advance corps covered the retreat, and rcpafl'ed the bridge without
moleftation. It was a confiderable time before the enemy perceived
their movement, nor did they become troublefome till the Yagers,
who made the rear guard, had nearly afcended the heights where the
army was to divide into two columns j the one on the right was
clofcd by the Yagers, that on the left by the Rangers. The columns
marched on, and it appearing that the Yagers might be prefled,

O2 the

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[ 100 ]

the Rangers returned to their aflld.incc, and the enemy retired. The
troops proceeded towards Elizabeth lown with little iitterriiption.
The rifle men of tlie Queen's Rangers, now commnnd-d by Ser-
jeant M' Phcrlbn, were eminently diftinguiHicd on this retreat. The
enemy's militia, who followed the army, were kept by them at fuch a
didance, that very few (hot reached the battalion ; and they concea ed
themfelves fo admirably that none of them were wounded, whiift they
fcarcely returned a (hot in vain. There being at one time an ap-
pearance that the enemy meant to occupy a tongue of wood, wliich
ran between the columns, Lt. Col. Siincoe requefted of Colonel
Howard, who commanded the gu irds, to poft fome divifions of them
in echelon behind the various fences, fo as to protcdl his flank,
mafque the wood, and in fome nieafure to extend and to approach
nearer to the right column ; the Colonel aflentcd : but as the enemy
were not in fufficient numbers to advance, the army returned
to their former encampment. The Rangers h.-.d two men killed,
Lt. Shaw and nine privates flightly wounded : the huzzar, Wright,
had his horfc wounded ; but a great many foldiers had marks of the
enemy's bullets in their cloaths and knapfacks : the Jerfey militia
fufitred confiderably, and among others Fitz Randolph, one cf their
beft officers, was killed. At night the troops pa(rcd over the bridge
to Staten Ifland ; the retreat being covered by two redoubts, occupied
by troops of the line, who embarked, on the bridge being broken up,
without moleftation.

The Rangers embarked the next morning, and (Iiiling up the North
river, landed on the 25th, and proceeded to Odlcs Hill, their pofition
in front of the line. It now appeared, that the commander in chief
had hurried from Charles Town, and withdrawn Gen. Kniphaufen
from the Jerfies, on the intimation of a French armament being
deftincd for Rhode Ifland, and with the hopes of attacking it to advan-
tage, on its arrival : he had encamped the army near Kinglbridge, for
the purpofe of embarking them with the greater flicility. Lt. Col.

Simcoe

[

101

]

Simcoe \vasob1ii;cd to go to New-York to recover his hcilth ; ""J
the regiment \vas in general very fickly. The ref'ugev.s, who h .i
taken port on the banks of the Nortli river, in the rebel country, were
attacked by Gen. Wayne, whom they gallantly rcpiihld : aniidll ilie
fire, Cockrane, the brave huziiar, who had been left at Monmouth,
quitted the rebels with whom he h.;d cnlilled, and rilking every
hazard, got in to the pod, and rejoined his comrades. On the 19th
of July Lt. Col. Simcoe joined his corps, and pro.ccdcd with it to
Long Ifland, eroding the found at Fiuihing. He marched to Hiiii-
tingdoii, where an hundred of the militia cavalry, of the illand, joined
him: this corps was deftined to fccure the communication over-
land between the fleet, which lay off the c.iltern end of the illand, and
New-York. Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded on his runt without delay ;
at the fime time, through the adjutant general, Major Andre, hi:
communicated his vvilhes, and his hopes to the Commander in Chief,
that in cafe of any attack on Rhode Ifland, he would employ the
Rangers in it j to which Major Andre replied, " The General allures
" you, that the Rangers (hall be pitted againft a French regiment the
" firft time he can procure a meeting."

The Queen's Rangers remained about the Points, on the Eafl-end
of the ifland, till the 9th of Augull, when they fell back to Coram,
from whence they returned eaihvaid on the 15th, being joined by the
King's American regiment, which Lt. Col. Simcoe was ordered to
detach to River head, and he himfelt met the Commander in Chief,
who was now on his journey by the Admiral's invitation to hold a
conference with him. Sir IL Clinton fent him to the Admiral
Arbiithnot, vvhofe fleet at that time was anchored in Gardiner's liay,
but which fiiled from thence before the Commander in Chief couid
arrive. The Queen's Rangers returned to Oyfler Bay on the 23d of
Au;uft. This march, of near three hundred miles, had been made
very fatiguing by tiie uncommonly iiot weather, whieli rendered the
Pine barren, through which the roads princip illy lay, as clofe and

fultry

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[ 102 ]

fiiltiy in the night as in tlic day time. The troops had been obliged
to fubfift on the country; a militia dragoon who was feut cxprcl's to
the Adjutant General to inform him what ditHculty there was in pro-
curing provilions for the troops, and the hardlhip which coafequently
fell upon the iniiabitants, was waylaid, taicen and robbed, by a party
from the rebel fliore, at Smitli Town. As tliis had been formerly the
cafe, and it was obvious that no party could remain fecreted unknown
to the inhabitants, Lt. Col. Simcue obtained leave of the Commander
in Chief, to raifc a contribution from the inhabitants of eighty pounds
currency, one half to reimburfe the militia man, for what was taken
from him, and the other to recompence him for the chagrin he muft
ncceifarily have been under in not being able to execute his orders :
this, probably, was the only contribution levied by the King's troops
during the war.

On the 25th of Auguft, the Commander in Chief augmented the
Rangers with two troops of dragoons, appointed Lt. Col. Simcoe to
be Lieutenant Colonel of cavalry ; and the infantry Captains, Saunders
and Shank, officers of diftinguiftied merit, to the additional troops :
the corps remained at Oyfter Bay and its vicinity, until tlie 2 2d of
September, when it marched to Jamaica.

Sir H. Clinton had been pleai'cd to entruft Lt. Col. Simcoe with
the important negociation, which terminated fo unfortunately in the
death of Major Andre ; and at the lame time, he informed him on
what fervice he fliould eventually employ him if it took efFcdt, and
diredted him to obtain as minute a knowledge as he could of the
country, where future operations were likely to be carried on. The
preparations for the execution of this great defign were efFedtually
concealed, by an expedition being in forwardnefs to proceed to the
fouthward, under Gen. Leflie : the Queen's Rangers were generally
fuppofed to be deftined for this fervice. Lt. Col. Simcoe, liad this been
the intention, muft have commanded the cavalry ; and he had in a
former converfation with Gen. Leflie, reprefentcd, that although no

men

[ 1^3 ]

men could poflibly be more ufefiil or wnre biavc thiin tlie Tluzz.irs
of the Rangers, yet .\s he never had Icifure piojicrly to ii.llruft lluin
in the regular fyftcm )f cav;ilry, or, iuJcal, had any occilioii to em-
ploy them on any but defultury Icrviccs, and, on the other hand, as
the enemy had every means of cftablilhing a wcll-niountcd and Iblid
body of cavalry, he requcfted, that the General would aik from the
Conunandcr in Chief, a detachment of I'orty of the Seventeenth of
dragoons, to whom he would add a fnnilar number from his dra^^c^ons
now forming, and the ftouted of the huzxars, and that this rquadron
(hould be carefully preferved from all tlie fmaller lervices of li^lit
troops, and kept as a conftant referve to fupport tl:c hu/zars, and to
be oppofcd to the enemy's cavalry: Gen. Ledie was pleafed to ap-
prove of Lt. Col. Simcoe's reprclentations. The Conimander in
Chief's delign proving abortive, the Qucsn's Rangers croflld from
Long to Staten IHand, and marched to Richmond rcdcmbts oii the
8 th of Oaober.

Some circumftances relative to Major Andre's unfortunate attempt,
will be more fully detailed in the appendix : the Comm inJcr in Chief
thinking it proper, in the ge.ijral orders, to publiili tlie hi^h idea
which he entertained of him both as a gentleman and an officer, and
the fcnfe he entertained of the lofs his Kinr» and country had met
with in his death, Lt. Col. Simcoc, who confidercd his execution
as a barbarous and ungenerous adt of power in the American general,
and who had certain and fatisfadtory intelligence that the French
party in general, and M. Fayette in particular, w ho fat upon his trial,
urged Mr. Wadungton to the unnecefiary deed, took the opportunity
in his orders to the Queen's Rangers, the ofliccrs and foldiers of which
pcrfonally knew and efteemed Mrjor Andre, to inform them, that " He
** had given directions that the regiment fhould immediately be pro-
*• vided with black and white feathers as mourning, for the late
" Major Andre, an officer whofe fupcrior integrity and uncommon
«* ability did honour to his country, and to human nature. T he

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" Qiiecii's Rangers will never fully their glory in the field by any
" undue Icvcrity : they will, as they have ever done, confider thofe to
♦' be; under tluir proteclion wlio Hull be in their power, and will
*• ftrike with rcluctmce at their unhappy fellow fubjedts, who, by a
*• fyilein of the bafcll artifices, have been feduced from their allegiance,
** and difeiplined to revolt : but it is the Lt. Colonel's moft ardent
•* hope, that on the clofe of fome deciiive vidory, it will he the
*' regiment's fortune to fecure the murderers of Major Andre', lor
*' the vengeance due to an injured nation, and an infuitcd army."

Capt. Saunders with his Lieut. WiUbn, and Cornet Merit em-
barked for Virginia, with Gen. Leflie : he was a native of Princefs
Anne County, poireiVed property there, and had dirtinguiflied himfelf
in the Earl of Dimmore's adive enterprizes in that colony : he carried
with him feveral dragoons, and expected to compleat his troop in
that province. At this time Lt. Col. Simcoe, who had frequently in
converlation with the Commander in Chief, expatiated on the advan-
tages he thought might accrue to his Majerty's fervice, by a poft being
feized and maintained at Billing's Port, on the Delaware river, recapi-
tulated fome of his ideas, by the letter which is in the appendix.

From theearlieil period of the war, Lt. Col. Simcoe had felt it his
duty to cultivate the good opinion of the Loyalifts : he had been for-
tunate in obtaining it by his condu(fl to the inhabitants of Penfylvania,
and upon the abandoning of that province had ftili maintained it.
The Back's County volunteers, commanded by Capt. Thomas, had,
as much as fuited with their independent fpirit, aded with the Queen's
Rangers, embarked on expeditions with them, and had confidered
themfelvcs as under Lt. Col. Simcoe's protedion. A confiderablc
body of the Loyalifts, fcatcd near the waters of the Chedipeak, had
afiibciated themfelves for the purpofe of reftoring the royal govern-
ment, a!id this they began at a period when, from the Britifh troops
having evacuated Pennlylvania, they fiw, that it was from their own
exertions only, that they could exped emancipation from the fetters

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of ufurpatioii : a correfpondence was carried on with the leaders of
thcfe Loyalifts by Major Andre, and to which Lt. Col. Simcoe was
privy. Soon after his death, their agent, who was in New- York,
gave to Lt. Col. Simcoe a paper from them, the purport of which
was, to defire that he would forward to Lord George Germain their
requiiition, which accompanied it *• That he, Lt. Col. Simcoe,
•* might be detached with a thoufand men to a certain place, with
arms, and that they to the amount of fome thoufands would in-
ftantly join and declare for government : it concluded with the
ftrongeft encomiums on the charaftcr of the officer whom they
wiflied to command them, and of the confidence with which they
*' would tike up arms under his diredion." Lt. Col. Simcoe an-
fwered the agent, that although nothing on earth could be more
grateful to him than the terms of this letter, yet, as a fubordinate
officer, he would upon no account forward any plan, or offer, to Great
Britain, without the knowledge of the Commander in Chief; and
that although, as he gathered from their language. Sir Henry Clinton
might appear to the Loyalifls to be flow in his progrefs to give them
cffediual iupport, yet that he was confident, this opinion would be
found to be the refult of their anxiety and zeal, rather than any
knowledge which they could poffibly have of the means within his
power, or of his intentions in their application. In a fliort time,
the paper was fent back, and returned in fuch a form as made it not
improper for Lt. Col. Simcoe to fhew it to the Commander in Chief;
and then, with his approbation, he returned the following anfwer to the
afTociates : " The gentleman, to whom our fituation has been by your
•* directions entrufted, is mofl fcnfible of the honour conferred upon
** him i to fay, that he is ready to rilk his life in our fervice, is only
** to fay, that he is ready to do his duty as a citizen and as a Britifh
officer. He hopes, that providence will permit him to eftablifh
the good opinion our friends entertain of him by more than words :
he bids me afTure you that he has authority to fay, that you are

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" ^r\d have been a grc.\t aiul conftant oIiJclI of the concern ami
•• attention of the Coniinaiulcr in Chief, whofe lylUin you lannot
but fee is to unravel the thread of rcbelhon from the foutluvarJ ;
and that in his progrefs your nioft vaUied allllhincc will be de-
pended upon ; but tliat he is anxious not to cxpole you, nor mull
you exjiole yourfelves in aid of any kind of defultory expeditioiis,
neither meant nor calculated to take polfeirion of or to keep )oii.-
country: fuch may be made to dillrefs the enemy; but you arc
mod llridly enjoined, not to confider them as intended for any
otlier ohjevit, until by his public proclamation, or fuch private in-
tclliL^enee as you can depend upon, it (hall be iignihed to you, tiiat
ycHi are to tuke up arms, and actively maintain tliat hallowed caule,
" for which you have fuffercd fo much, and wliieli you have I'o
" nobly, and (o confcicntioully fupported. "

It was generally fuppofed about the latter end of Ovlobcr that the
enemy meditated fome attempt on Staten Illaiul. M. de rayettc
was in the nei^j,hbourhood of Elizabeth Town, in force and with
boats on travelling carriages. Lt. Col. Sir.icoe by public con-
verlatlon, the means of f|>ies, and by marching to lidlop's point in the
dulk of tlie evening, Co as to be difcovercd Irom the oppofilc ihorc,
and then returning by ways wliich tlie enemy could not fee, had en-
deavoured to attrad their notice, and to jwlids tliem with a belief,
that an inroad into the Jerfies was in conteni -huion. As M. I'.iyettc
arrived in the vicinity tlie very day fubfequcnt to this feint, it was
reafonable to believe that his march was in confcuuence, and tliat the
boats with him were deftined to Kicilitate his pallage acrofs the fmall
creeks with which the Jerfies arc intcrlcded, in call" of the Britilh
troops making any incurllons into tliat country. Every proper pre-
caution was taken by the troops in Richmond to prevent a fiirprize :
on the 1 2th of November, odicial information was f>^nt by tlic
Adjutant General to Lt. Col. '^imcoc, that liis poll was the objedl of
F.iyettc's defign, and that it probably would be attacked on that or

tha

f »07 ]

thj (.iifuii;,!!; ni.',ht ; he imnK'di.Ucly tlccl\rcil in orJcr.., " I r.c I.t.
" Culoiii'l !; IS received information th;it M. F.iycttc, ;■. ricntluiicii,
" at th : Iic.ul u'i IbnK- of his Mnjcdy's dcliulevl fuhjcil-., has threatened
" to j>laiit l-'rcneh colours on Riclunond redoubts. TIic Lt. C'uli ik1
" heliv-'vcs t'lc rcjiort to be ;i gafconiide ; but as the evident ruin oi'
" the enemy's afiaiis may prompt them to fomc derperate iUt.n')|'.t,
" the (.|uccn"s Rangers will lay in their cloaths this night, and liavc
" their bayonets in perfe«il good order." 1 he Highlanders imme-
diately aileinblcd and marched to the .^doubt, which, in the dif-
tribution of polls, was allotted to tliem to defend, and difplayirig tiielr
national banner, with which they ufetl to commemorate their faints
day, fixed it on the ramparts, fliying, " No Frenchman, or rebel,
" Ihoidd ever pull that down." The Rangers were prepared if an
attack fliould be made on the watering place, which appeared to be
mod: probable, to march out and attack any divifion whicn might be
placed, as had been in Lord Sterling's attempt, to mafk the troops in
Richmond : two field pieces, fix pounders, and Capt. Althaufe's
company of rifle-men had reinforced them. Lt. Col. Simcoe made
himfelfacquainted with thelanding places, and the intervening grounds,
in the minutcrt; particular, and he had the Commander in Chief's
diredtions to abandon his poft, " If the enemy (hould land in fuch
" force as to make, in his opinion, the remaining there attended with
" rilk." The defeds of Richmond were not fuiKciently obvious for
fuch inexperienced men as the rebel generals, to feize upon and profit
by at once : how far they might attrad: the inftantancous notice of the
fcicntific French officers, fuppofed to be adling with them, it was not
eafy to forefee. Had the enemy been in a fituation to have attacked
the place by regular approaches, Lt. Col. Simcoe would have done
his beft endeavours to have maintained it; but had any General, at the
head of a very fuperior force on the moment of his appearance, placed
twenty or thirty field pieces, on two feparate eminences which
enfiladed the redoubts, and formed a column to penetrate under cover

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of the crofs fire, he had refolved to abandon what he confidered in
cafe of fuch a difpofition to be untenable. Afalfealarm, which was
given by an armed vcfll-l Rationed in Newark Bay, occafioned a coii-
fiderable movement in the army j and troops from New-York em-
barked to reinforce Staten Ifland ; the poft at Richmond was fuppofed
to be the objedt of an attack. On the firft gun being fired, patrolcs
had been made on all fides by the cavalry, and the infantry llcpt un-
diflurbed, Lt. Col. Simcoe apprehending the alarm to be falie. The
Rangers were very alert on guards, and proud of their regimental
chara<fter, of not giving falfe alarms, or being furprized ; and the
centinel, as Lt. Col. Simcoe remarked in orders upon the only
omifilon, which ever came under his cognizance, " Felt a manly
" pleafure in refledting, that the lives and honour of the regiment
" was entrudcd to his care, and that under his protedlion his
" comrades flept in fecurity."

On the 1 1 th of December, the Queen's Rangers embarked on an
expedition to Virginia, under the command of Gen. Arnold : Capt.
Althaufe's company of York Volunteers embarked with them, as did
Capt. Thomas and the Bucks County Volunteers. The Commander
in Chief had directed Lt. Col. Simcoe to raile another troop of dragoons,
the command of which was given to Lt. Cooke of the 17 th of dra-
goons, who remained in New- York to recruit it. The troops under
Gen. Arnold being embarked, he ilTued an order on the 20th of De-
cember againft depredations in the country where the expedition was
bound to, and in the moft forcible terms and ftrongeft manner, called
upon the officers to fecond his intentions and the Commander in Chiefs
orders in this refpedl. The Expedition failed from Sandy Hook on
thc2ift of December, and arrived in the Chefapcak, but in a dif-
perfed manner, on the 30th: feveral fhips were mifling. General
Arnold without waiting for them, was enabled, by the fisrtunate
capture which the advance frigate, under Capt. Evans, had made of
feme fmall American vefifels, to puHi up the James River, and this

was

[ J09 J

was done witli incomparable adlivity and difpatch : the whole de-
tachment fhewing an energy and alacrity that could not be furpaflfed.
The enemy had a battery at Hood's point, and there was as yet no
certainty whether or not it was defended by an enclofed work. The
vefllls anchored near it late in the evening of the 3d of January ; one
of them, in which was Capt. Murray of the Queen's Rangers, not
perceiving the fignal for anchoring, was fired at. Upon the firft fhot
the fkipper and his people left the deck j when Capt. Murray feized
the helm, and the foldiers aflifting him, he paffed by the fort without
any damage from its fire, and anchored above it. Gen. Arnold
ordered Lt: Col. Simcoe to land with one hundred and thirty of the
Queen's Rangers and the light infantry, and grenadiers of the 8oth
regiment ; the landing was eftcded filently and apparently with fecrecy
about a mile from the battery, and a circuit was made to furprize its
garrifon : in the mean time the fleet was fired upon, but inefFeftually
on account of its dirtance. On the detachments approach through
bye paths, to Hoods, the flank companies of the 80th were ordered
to file from the rear and to proceed rapidly to the Battery, while the
Rangers were ready to fupport them, or to receive any enemy who
might pofTibly be on their march from the adjacent country. Major
Gordon on his approach found the battery totally abandoned; the
concerted fignal was made, and the fleet anchored near it. General
Arnold came on fhore; and it appeared that a patrole had difcovered the
boats as they rowed to the landing. Capt. Murray had heard them as-
they approached the fhore, and with his accuftomed zeal had got into-
his boat ready to aflift if called for : the battery was difmounted and
the troops re-embarked in the morning. Gen. Arnold pufhing the
expedition up the river with the utmoit celerity. On the arrival at
Weftover, the troops were immediately difembarked : at firfl, from
the reports of the country of the force that was afl*embling to defend
Richmond, Gen. Arnold hefitatcd whether he fhould proceed thither
ornot, his pofitiveinjundlions being not to undertake any enterprize

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tUat had much rifle in It; but Lt. Colonels Dundas and Simcoc,
concurring th.it one day's march might be made with pcrfcd ucurity,
and th.it by this means more perfcdt information nii^ht be oblnincd,
the troops were immediately put in motion and proceeded towards
Richmond, where the enemy was underftood to h.ive very con-
fiderablc magazines: it was above thirty miles from VVellovcr;
feveral tranfports had not arrived, and Gen. Arnold's force did not
amount to eight hundred aien. On the fecond day's marcli, whilfl: a
bridge w.is replacing over a creek, the advanced guard only h.'.ving
pafled over, fome of the enemy's militia, who had deftroycd it the
evening beiore, and were to aflem »le with others to defend it, were
deceived by the drefs of the Ranjjcrs, and came to Lt. Col. Simcoe,
who immediately reprimanded them for not coming fooner, licld
converfation with them, and then fent them prifoners to General
Arnold. W'thin feven miles of Richmond a patrole of the enemy
appeared, who, on being difcovcred, fled at full (peed : the Queen's
Rangers, whofe horfes were in a miferable condition from the
voyage, could not purfue them. Soon after Lt. Col. Simcoe halted,
having received the cleareft information that a road, made paflable by
wood carts, led through the thickets to the rear of the heights on
which the town of Richmond was placed, where they terminated
in a plain, although they were almoft inacceflible by the common
road: on giving this information to Gen. Arnold, he faid, it was
not worth while to quit the road, as the enemy would not fight.
On approaching the town. Gen. Arnold ordered the troops to march
as open and to make as great an appearance, as poflible ; and the
ground was fo favourable that a more flcilfull enemy than thofe who
were now reconnoitering, would have imagined the numbers to have
b«.'en double. The enemy at Richmond appeared drawn up on the
heights, to the number of two or three hundred men : the road
pafl'ed through a wood at the bottom of thefe heights, and then ran
between them and the river into the lower town. Lt. Col. Simcoe

was

iiii 't i

[

111

]

w.K ordsrc.l to diflodge them: he mo.mteJ the hill in rmill bod'c%
ibctching away to t le right, lb as to t'lr.atca tlie cnetn/ w.th a dcii^ii
to ouitlmk them ; and as they hied otT, in app^araixe t > Iccuie th :ir
fl.mk, he directly alcended vvitli his cav.dry, where it was io ft p
that they were obliged to dilmount and Ic.id their hoifes. Luckily the
ene;ny made no reliflancc, nor did tliey fire ; but on the cavalry's
arrival oa the fuiiimir, r^-treited to the woods in great confafion :
there was a partv of hoiTcmen in the lower town, watching the mo-
tljn of Lt. Col. Dundas, who, the heights being gained, was now
entering it. Lt. Col. Simcoe pulhed on with the cavalry unnoticed
by the enemy in the lower town, till fuch time as he began to defcend
almoil in their rear, when an impaflable creek flopped him, and gave
the enemy time to efcape to the top of another hill beyond the
town. Having crollcd over lower down, he afcended the hill,
ufing fuch convcrlation and words towards them as might prevent
their inclination to retreat j however, when the Rangers were arrived
within twenty yards of the fummit, the enemy greatly fuperior in
numbers, but made up of militia, fpedators, fome with and fome
without arms, galloped off; they were immediately purfucd, but
without the lead regularity : Capt. Shank and Lt. Spencer, who had
met with good horfes in the country, far diflanced the reft of the
cavalry. Lt. Col. Simcoe left an olhcer to mark the pofition he
meant his infantry to take on their arrival, and collcdting all the men
he could overtake, followed Capt. Shank, anxious left his ardour
iliould prove fatal : he had purfued the enen.y four or five miles, fix
or feven of whom he had taken with fcveral horfes ; a v:ry well
timed capture. On Lt. Col. Simcoe's return, he met with orders
from Gen. Arnold to march to the foundcry at Weftham, fix miles
from Richmond, and to deftroy it; the flank companies of the 8oth,
under Major Gordon, were feiit as a reinforcement. With thefe and
his corps he proceeded to the foundcry: the trunnions of many
pieces of iron cannon wece ftruck off, a quantity of Cnall arms and a

great

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great variety of military (lores were dcftroycd. Upon confultation
with the artillery officer, it was thought better to deftroy the
magazine than to blow it up, this fatiguing bufinefs was effedted by
carrying the powder down the clifts, and pouring it into the water j
the warehoufes and mills were then fet on fire, and many explofions
happened in different parts of the buildings, which might have been
hazardous had it been relied on, that all the powder was regularly
depoHted in one magazine; and the foundery, which was a very com-
pleat one, was totally deflroyed. It was night before the troops re-
turned to Richmond ; the proviiions which had been made for them
were now to be cooked : fatigued with the march, the men in general
went to deep, fomc of them got into private houfes and there obtained
rum. In the morning Gen. Arnold determined to return ; but Lt. Col.
Simcoe requefled that he would halt half the day. The enemy were
drawn up on the oppoiite fide of the river, fo that no enterprize could
be e;:peded from them; and the whole of the Rangers having been
extremely fatigued the day before, without any men having been left
to cook for them, were in a great meafure in want of fuflenance.
Gen. Arnold was fenfiblc of the rcafonablenefs of the requefl,
but he thought it mod advifable to return; and he gave as
his reafon, that if Gen. Tryon and Sir William Erfkine had
marched two hours fooner from Danbury, on their expedition there,
they would have met with no oppofition ; and if they had delayed it
much longer, they would have found it abfolutely ImpofTible to have
regained their /hipping. The roads were rendered by the rain
flippery and difficult, and in mofl places were narrow and overhung
by bulhes, fb that the troops were frequently obliged to march by
files, which made it impoffible for the officers, who were on foot, to
fee far before them, and to take their cuftomary precautions. When
it became dark, if any man through an intention of deferting quitted
his ranks, or in the frequent baitings, overpowered by fatigue, fell
fcfleep, (which tliofe who have fullered it, well know brings on a

total

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[ 113 ]

total difrcgard of all confequences, even of life it/tlf ), he ellapccl
notice and was irrecoverably loft j nine men of the Rangers cither
deferted or were taken by the country people on this marcli : the
troops arrived at a very late hour at the ground on whicli they were
to encamp, and where they parted a wet and tcmpeftuous night.
Gen. Arnold returned the next day to Wcftover, preceded by Lt.
Col. Simcoe with the huzzars, to communicate the earlieft intelli-
gence to the fleet.

While the troops were halting at Weftover to refrefli thcmftlves,
nj iiitclli^;cnce could be received : the militia of the lower counties
gatliciing together and blocking up the country; parties of them ap-
peared in force on the heights divided from Wcftover by a creek,
and covered the peninfula which it formed with the James river.
Gen. ^irnold direded a patrole to be made on the night of the eightli
of January towards Long Bridge, in order to procure intelligence :
Lt. Col. Simcoe m.u'ched with forty cavalry, for the moft part badly
mounted, on fuch horfes as had been picked up in the country ; but
the pitrole had not proceeded above two miles before Serjeant Kelly,
who was in advance was challenged : he parlied with the vedettes,
till he got nearer to them, when ruftiing at them, one he got hold
of, the other Hung himfelf off his horfeand efeaped into the buflie? ;
a negro was alfo taken whom thefc vedettes had intercepted on hi«
way to the Britidi army. From thefe people information was ob-
tained that the enemy was aftembled at Charles City Court-houle,
and that the corps which had appeared in the day time oppofite
Wcftover, nearly to the amount of four hundred men, lay about ^wo
miles in advance of their main-body, and on the road to Weftover.
The party were immediately ordered to the right about, and to march
towards them ; Lt. Holland who was fimilar in lize to the vedette
who had been taken, was placed in advance : the negro had pro-
mifed to guide the party fo as to avoid the high road, and to conduft
them by an unfrequented path way, which led clofe to the creek,

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between the body, which was liippofed to be in advance, and th\t
which was at Charles City Court-lioufe ; Lt. Col. Simcoc's intenticn
was to beat up the main body of the enemy, who tiulli;vf to tholl*
in front might reafonably be Tuppoled to be olF their guard ; in catb
of repulfe lie meant to retreat by the private way on which lie
advanced, and (hould he be fuccefsful it was optional to attack the
advance party or not, on his return. The patrole palled throiu'Ji a
\vood, wlicre it lialted to collcft, and had fcarcely got into the road
wlicn the advanced was challenged; Lt. Holland aiihvered, "A
" friend," gave the countcrfign procured from the prifoncr, " It is 1,
" me, Charles," the name of the perfon he perfonatcd : he palled
one vedette whom Serjeant Kelly fci^ed, and himfelf caught hold of
the other, who in a ftruggle proved too flrong for him, got free, prc-
fented and fnapped his carbine at his breall ; luckily it did not go off,
but the man galloped away, and at fome diftance fired, the fignal (.A'
alarm : the advance divifion immediately rulhed on, and foon arrived
at the Court-houfe ; aconfufed and fcattered firing began on all fides ;
Lt. Col. Simcoe fent the bugle horns, French and Barney, through
an enclofure to the right, with orders to anfwer his challenging, and
found when he ordered; he then called loudly for the light inf.intry,
and hollowed " found the advance ;" the bugles were Ibunded as had
been direded, and the enemy tied on all fides, fcarcely firing another
fliot. The night was very dark, and the party totally unacquainted
with the ground. Part of the dragoons were dilinounted and mixed
with the huzzars ; fome of the enemy were taken, others wounded,
and a few were drowned in a mill-dam. In faving three armed militia
men from the fury of the foldiers, Lt. Col. Simcoe ran a great rifque,
as their pieces were loaded, pointed to his breaft, and in their timidity
they might have difcharged them. From the prifoners he learnt that
the wiiole of their force was here afllmbled, and that there was no
party in advance : tiie foldiers were mounted as foon as pofiible, nor
could they be permitted to fearch the houfes where many were con-
cealed.

[•

]

-■cealcd, left the enemy fliould gain intelligence of their numbers, an<3
attack them j and tliis might eafily be done as the darknels of the
night prevented the Rangers from feeing around them, while they
were plainly to be diftinguilhed by tlie fires wliich the enemy had
left. It appeared that the militia were commanded by Gen. Nelfon,
and confided of fevcn or eight hundred men : they were complcatlv
fri-^^htened and flifperfed, many of them not flopping till tliey reached
Williamlburgh. Serjeant Adams of the lui'/jzars was mortally
Avoundcd; this gallant foldier, fenfible of iiis fituation, faid "My
*' beloved Colonel I do not mind dying, but for CJod's fake do not
" leave me m the hands of the rebels :" Trumpeter French and two
hu'/zars were wounded; about a dozen excellent horfes were feafon-
ably captured.

The enemy did not appear durii'.g the time the troops liaycd al
Wellover, nor attempted to harrafs their rear as had been threatened :
the remainder of the forces arrived the next day. In the embarkation
fromNew-"^'ork, thchorfe velfels were very bad, infamoufly provided,
and totally unfit for fervice, in confequence, above forty horfes had
been thrown overboard ; the very Skippers were fearful of failing,
and it required every exertion of the Quarter-Mailers to oblige them
to weigh anchor, and, at fea, the utmotl indullry and labour could
barely prevent them from foundering.

Serjeant Adams died at Weftover the 9t!i ; the corps attended his
funeral : he was buried in the colours which had been difplayed and
taken from Hood's battery. On the loth of January Gen. Arnold
embarked and dropped down to Flour de Hundred; at night he ordered
Lt. Col. Simcoe to land : the General had information that a party
of militia, with cannon, were aflembled at Bland's mills, and he in-
tended to furprize them. On the approach to the fliore, people were
plainly heard talking, who galloped olT on the imaginary gun-boats
being loudly ordered to point their cannon towards the fliore : on the
Queen's Rangers landing, Lt. Col. Simcoe placed Capt. Ewald ia

Q_2 ambufcade ;

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aiiibufcade : that gallant and able oiFiccr, with tlie rcinalndcr of his

yagers, had joined at Wcftover. CJcu. Arnold had fcarcely landed,

and Col. Dundas, with the eightieth regiment, was not yet on

fliore, when a patrolc of the enemy fell into the ambufcadc of the

yagers, and exchanged fliot with them: the night was very dark.

Gen. Arnold directed Lt. Col. Simcoc immediately to march towards

Bland's, with Col. Robinfon's regiment and his own infantry ; but the

cavalry did not land. The detachment had not proceeded above two

miles, wiien Robinfon's corps in front received a heavy fire. There

was no room for difpofition, for the road ran through a wood wliiclv

was remarkably thick, at the forks of which, as the clcareft ground,

the enemy had placed themfelves. Upon the firing, the troojis

were immediately ordered to charge; they rulhed forward and the

enemy Hed : near twenty of Col. Robinfon's regiment \\'cre killed

and wounded; among the latter was Capt. Hatch who commanded

the advance guard. Lt. Col. Simcoe feeing no probability of ac-

complilhing the bufinefs he had been ordered upon, halted till Gen.

Arnold's arrival, who had followed with the main body : the troops

returned to Jlood's battery, which having totally difinantled, they

carried off the heavy artillery and quitted it; the next day reimbarking

and falling down the river. The troops landed on the 14th at

flarding's ferry, and marched to Smithfield : the next morning

Gen Arnold fent Major Gordon with a detachment over the Pagan

creek, and ordered Lt. Col. Simcoe to crofs at M'Kie's mills with

the cavalry, to co-operate with him in difperfing a body of militia,

who were fuppofed to be aflembled in that neighbourhood. Lt. Col.

Simcoe defired Gen. Arnold to permit him to take Capt. Ewald

with the yagers as far as M' Kie's mills, in cafe the enemy fliould

have feized that pafs; the General aflented ; when the party arrived

there, the enemy were in pofTefllon of the pafs ; and in fome force :

the demonftration of the cavalry and the advancing of the yagers,

after a few fliot, obliged them to retire -, the bridge being taken up,

prevented

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prevented an immediate puillut : the yagers returned ard the cavidry
proceeded to fulfil their orders ; they joined Major Gordon, who had
met with no enemy. Parties of militia being underflood to he at the
points on each fide of tiu creek, Rationed there to fire on the boats,
Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded with fome cavalry todifperfe them; the
advanced man, Molloy, foon perceived two centinels, when watching
till their backs were turned, he flowly followed them, and, as they
turned round, fprung his horfc between them, crying out, " lay down
*• your arms, I have you both," which they readily did ; proceeding
to the houfe, the party was immediately lurrounded and taken, it
confifted of an ofHcer and twelve men : a fimilar party was on the
other fide. The officer who had been taken was fent over in a boat,
to inform them that if they furrendered and delivered up their arms,
they fliould have their paroles j if not, they muft abide by the con-
fequences, as a party would he fent to furround and cut them in
pier* : the militia immediately accepted the offers, the officer com-
ma .. returning with him who had carried the alternative j they
wt ". v;iy happy to have any reafon that might be pleaded to their
oppreflbrs, not to be forced to take up arms. However, this did
not anfwer the views of the rebel Icgiflatures, and Governor Jefferfon
foon after publKhed a proclamation, declaring the paroles of all the
Virginia militia, in a fimilar predicament, null and void. Lt. Col.
Simcoe and Major Gordon pafl!ed the night oppofite to Smithfield, and
the next day the army continued its march j its rout was by Sleepy-
hole ferry, acrofs which the boats had arrived to carry them ; the
Queen's Rangers proceeded to Portfmouth, Gen. Arnold being ap-
prehenfive that the enemy might burn the houfes there : two or three
fmall patroles were taken or difperfed during the march, and Lt. Col.
Simcoe entered the town early in the morning of the 1 9th of January.
A party of the enemy had juil crofled over to Princefs Ann -, the
advance (hip of the fquadron came up foon after, and Gen. Arnold
with the army arrived in the courle of the day. On the 25th,

Colonel

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Colonel Diindas, with a part of the Eightieth and a detachment of
the Queen's Rangers, croiled Elizabeth river, and went into Princefs
Ann. This party returned at night, and on its arrival at the ferry an
account came from Gen. Arnold, that fomeof the artillery, who had
been foraging on llie road to the Great bridge, had been attacked,
their waggons taken, and the officer killed. The General ordered a
detachment to be palled over from Norfolk, to endeavour to retake
the waggons ; the troops had juft arrived from a fatiguing marcli j
the night was doling in, and it began to rain tremendoully. Lt. Col.
Simcoc ferried over, as ordered, to Herbert's point, with fourteen
Yagers and Rangers ; they were joined by the condudor of tlic
artillery who had efcaped, and from his account it appeared that tlic
officer was not dead, and that the enemy were but few in number.
After the party had advanced a mile, an artillery man, who had
efcaped and lay hid in the bullies, came out, and informed him that tlic
Lt. Rynd lay not fir oft'. Lt. Col. Simcoe found him dreadfully
mangled and mortally wounded ; he fent for :m ox cart from a neigh-
bouring firm, on which the unfortunate young gentleman was
placed : the rain continued in a violent manner, w hich precluded all
purliut of the enemy ; it now grew more tempefluous, and ended
in a perfedl; hurricane, accompanied with incellant lightning. This
fniall party llowly moved back toward Herbert's ferry, it was with
ditHculty that the drivers and attendants on the cart couUl find their
way ; the foldiers marclicd on with their bayonets fixed, linked in
ranks together, covering the road. Tiie creaking of the waggon and
the groans of the youth added to tlie horror of the niglit; the road
was no longer to be traced when it quitted the woods, and it was
a great fitisfadion that a flafli of lightning, which glared among
the ruins of Norfolk, difclofed Herbert's houle. Here a boat was pro-
cured, which conveyed the unhappy youth to the hofpital fliip,
wliere he died the i^.ext day : Lt. Col. Simcoe barricaded the houfe
in which he palled the night. ...

General

[ »^9 ]

Gen. Arnold employed the garriibii in Ibrtllying the poll; at Portl-
niouth, the priin.iry ohjedt of liis expedition : the (iime lii,e to the
front was oecupieJ, whicli Gen. Leilie had begun. On the 29th
Lt. Col. Siincoo was iL-nt to fortify the poll at Great bridge; mii.h
I'lniber that was found there was floated down to Portfmouth ; .;r,d
the troops, with unremitted attention, applied themfelvos to raife a
^tar work, whieh commanded the bridge and the caufcway j it was
intended to abbaty the diteh, and tlKn to fill it with water, which,
the fmaller bridges being taken up, would have eftbiitually prevented
a furprize. The rebels continually fired at night on the centi-
nels, ami perfetfl information was gained of a party being intended for
that purpofe : the extent of the port prevented any ambufcade from
iieing laid with certainty, and the fiitigue the men underwent in the
day, demanded as mucli quiet as polTiblc during the night. A fit;ure
was drelTed up with a blanket coat, and ported in the road, by which
the enemy would probably advance, and fires refembling thofe of
a picquet, were pl.n. ed at the cuflomary diftance : at midnight the
rebels arrived, and fired twenty or thirty ihot at the cfiigy. As they ran
acrofs the road they cxpofed themfelves to the ihots of two centijiels,
they then went off. The next day an oliicer happening to come in
with a flag of truce, he was (hewn the figure and was made fenlible
of the inhumanity of firing at a centinel, when nothing firther was
intended : this ridicule probably had good efi^e>fts, as during the {\.\y
of the Queen's Rangers at Great bridge, no centinel WaS fired at.
The works being in a Hate of defence, and capable of receiving a
garrifon, the Rangers were relieved on the 5th of February, by Major
Gordon with a detachment. Col. Dundas arrived that day and
marched out with the Rangers, and part of the Eightieth : the
cavalry foon fell in with a patrole, which Capt. Shank purfued over
Edmond's bridge, difperfing them and making an officer prifoner.
The Rangers returned the next dtiy to Portfmouth, and were con-
ftantly employed on the works till the 10th, when Gen. Arnold

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thought proper to detach them to Kemp's landing. The difaffedted
inhabitants of Princcls Ann, for the moft part, had left it j but it was
much infefted by a party under the command of a New Englander,
of the name of Weeks. To drive him from the county was the
objedt of Lt. Col. Simcoe's march, and for this purpofe, he detached
Capt. E.vald with the yagers, and a party of the Queen's Rangers to
the Great bridge, and with the remainder of the corps marched to
Kemp's : he advanced on the i6th up the country, by the main road
towards the north-weft landing, while Capt. Ewald, by almoft im-
paflable ways and bye paths proceeded to the fame point : he for-
tunately furprized and totally difperfed Wceks's party. The next day,
Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded with a detachment of cavalry to the north-
weft landing : Weeks was again fallen in with, and with great
difficulty cfcapcd from the purfuit of the huzzars into a fwamp. The
whole corps returned the next day to Kemp's ; and from thence, on the
i8th, to Portfmouth. The north-weft landing was the only paflage
from North-Carolina, excepting the Great bridge, and this excurfion
was luckily timed. Gen. Arnold, on the 13th of February, receiving
information of tlie arrival of three French fiiips of the line, had fent
Lt. Col. Simcoe orders to march from Kemp's, where he then was,
to the Great bridge, intimating that he iTioiiUl fend up boats to bring
off the cannon, and that the poft (liould be withdrawn if necelfary.
Lt. Col. Simcop wrote to Gen. Arnold, informing him, that he cer-
tainly rtiould march at the time prefcribcd by his orders, if not coun-
termanded, giving at the fame time Inch rcalbns as to him appeared
moft forcible, why the great bridge ftiould not be haftily abandoned,
but that rather Weeks and his party lliould be driven from the coun-
ty into North-Carolina; the General was plea fed to approve of his
realbns, and on the i6th he marched againft Weeks as has been
related. Gen. Arnold, in cafe Capt. Symonds thought it expedient,
offered the army to aftift in any attacks on the French fleet j Captain
Alberfon, the gallant mafter of the Emprcfs of RnfTia, Lt. Colonel

Simcoe's

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[ 121 ]

Simcoc's tranfport, was anxious, and offered liis fcrviccs, to l.iy
him and the Queen's Rangers on board any of the FVench flilps.
The army was employed in ftrcngthening their works : on the 19th
the French fliips left the bay. Gen. Arnold h;id iilucd a proclama-
tion, for the inhabitants of Princefs Ann to affemble at Kemp's on
the 2 1 ft: on that d.iy the Queen's Rangers cfcorted him thither;
and Capt. M'Kay. of th" orps, was left at this pod. lie fortified
and barricaded hi .aartt. ■< the befl manner ^ v>r'''>lcj and having
fome dragoons with him kept the country clear d fmall parties.

It being reported that Lord Cornwallis was near Petcrfburg, Lt.
Col. Dundas embarked with five hundred men, on the 23d, and
fucli provifions as were tiiought necediiry, to make a diverfion in his
Lordlhip's favor ; but more certain advices of his operations being
received, lie returned.

Gen. Arnold ordered Lt. Col. Dundas to march at night with
the 80th regiment and the cavalry, to endeavour to furprize a body of
the cncmv, within ciiiht or nine miles of Portfmouth, upon the
Suffolk road, while Lt, Col. Simcoe, with the infantry of the
Rangers, embarked in boats and proceeded by water to gain their
rear undifcovered. Tiie plan was well laid, nor did it fail through any
fault in the execution : when Lt. Col. Simcoe landed and marched
on, he found a party fent by Lt. Col. Dundas to meet him : the
enemy had flown. Since the war it has appeared, that a woman,
probably a double fpy, left Portfmouth half an hour before Colonel
Dundas marched, and gave the enemy information.

The militia aflembling at Hampton, Lt. Col. Dundas paffed over
from Portfmouth to dillodge them. What part the Rangers bore in
this expedition, cannot be better detailed than in the modefl recital
of Qnarter-mailer M' Gill, who went with Lt. Col. Dundas, and
whole bravery and condudl were honoured with the higheft com-
mendations, by that mort: rcfpedlable officer: " Col. Dundas with
" part of his regiment, a few yagers, Lt. Holland, myfelf, and

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[ 122 ]

twelve huzzars, of the Queen's Rangers, went on an expedition
towards Hampton. Weembarked on the night of the 6th of March,
and landed early next morning at Newport-news, from thence
marched to a village about three miles from Hampton, where wc
deftroyed fome ftores, and burned four large cannoes without
oppofition ; but on our return to the boats, we fow about two
hundred militia drawn up on a plain, and a wet ditch in front. As
I was advanced with the huzzars, and firft faw them, I informed
the Colonel, and at the fame time afked his permifTion to advance
againft them, without thinking of Lt. Holland, whom in truth I
did not fee at the time. He granted my requeft, and ordered the
mounted men of the 8oth to join me, who had, as well as the
Rangers, been mounted in the morning upon the march : with
thefc, and fome officers of the 8oth, who had alfo got horfes, wc
made up twenty-fix horfe-men. The rebels were about three
hundred yards from the road j and I had to wheel to the left, full
in their view, which difcovered our numbers, and, I believe, en-
couraged them a good deal, as they did not fire until we were
within thirty yards of them : this checked us, and gave them time
to give us a fecond falute, but not with the fame eftld: ; for, with
the firft, they killed Capt. Stewart, of the 8oth, wounded Lieut.
Salifbury, of the navy, who commanded the boats, and came for
pleafure. Col. Dundas, myfelf, and Serjeant Galloway, were un-
horfed, and fome of the infantry, who were an hundred yards in
our rear, were wounded. Poor Galloway lamented the lofs of the
heel of his boot, which was fhot away, more than the wound he
received. My horfe had three balls through him, and he received
a fourth before all was over. It was much againft us, that we
were obliged to advance on the center of the rebels, a thick wood
bounding both their flanks, olherwife I thought to have made
them give an oblique fire as the leaft deftrudtive; however, we
happily broke them before they could attempt a third fire, and the

'•■ infantry

[ 123 ]

** infantry coming among them did good fcrvice. The rebels had
" lixty killed, wounded, and taken : among the latter was their
" commander. Col. Curl, and a few of their officers. I cannot
" afcertain our lofs more than I have mentioned ; they let us em-
" bark quietly, and we landed at Portfmouth the fame evening."

General Arnold having information that fome of the enemy's Con-
tinental forces were at Williamiburg, fent Lt. Allen, of the Queen's
Rangers, in a boat to land at night, and gain information. This in-
telligent officer executed his commiffion much to the General's
liitisfadion J and Lt. Col. Dundas embarked with part of the 8oth
regiment and the Queen's Rangers, to endeavour to furprize them :
he fell down the Elizabeth river in the evening ; hut at its mouth, the
niglit became fo very dark and tempelluous, as to render the attempt
totally impracticable. It was with difficulty that the troops reached
Newport news, a point on the enemy's fliore, where they landed and
paifed the night unmoleftcd ; and the next day returned to Portf-
mouth : fortunately, by the ikill of the naval condudor, and Lt Col.
Dundas's indefatigable attention, not a finglc boat foundered.

There being indications that a ferious attack upon Portfmouth was
in agitation, Gen. Arnold was very adi\c in putting it into a re-
fpedable ftatc of defence. Lt. Col. Simcoe had given his opinion,
by letter to the Commander in Chief, " that Portfmouth, confidered
*' as a port was very weak ; from its extent, and from its left being fo
" entirely flanked, that its whole front was taken in reverfe ; I con-
*' ceive it to be tenable againrt any force in this country :" it did
not appear to be a proper fituation for a fmall garrifon ; but looked
upon as an entrenched camp, it might be made a refpedablc one ;
nor was it, and its dependencies, ill fuited for combined defence, and
the prcferving a fmall naval and military force from the operations of
a fuperior armament. To explain this opinion, it is neceffary to ob-
ferve, that dircdtly oppofite to Portfmouth a branch of the Elizabeth
river, which it ftands upon, ran eaflward, dividing Herbert's point

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from Norfolk : this caftern branch was not to be forded within ti^^^ht
miles. The occupying a good redoubt at Norfolk, another at Her-
bert's point, and rc-cftabli/hin^^ an old work at Mill point below
Portfniouth, would reduce any force which, in the prcfent appearance
of affiiirs, was likely to be brought agiiinft Gen. Arnold's army, to
a direft aflault on fome part, as it was evident, the regular fiegc of
the whole, or any fingle work, would take up more time than any
French Iquadron could venture to employ before it. Gen. Arnold
had conflruded a great many boats, excellently adapted tor the
tranfportation of foldicrs, and capable of carrying eighty men bcfides
the rowers ; by thcfc means, he had it in his power to reinforce any
of the points within ten minutes. Lt. Col. Simcoe hud previoiifly
founded all the creeks, at low water, with Capt. Richard Graves,
of the royal navy ; and that olllcer, upon leaving Portfniouth to go
to Hampton road, fenthimon the 14th of March his opinion on the
fubjedl of forming a regular fyftem of defence, applicable to the
ftationing of the (hips under Capt. Symonds, (the largtd of which
was the Charon of 44 guns), from Mill point to the brewery, at
Norfolk. " Three fliips he obferved can be placed in an oblique line,
" mooring acrofs the channel one third of a cable each way, bcfidcs
" two Olios lying in the intervals at the fame dirtance, eitiicr in front
•' or rear, which, in my opinion, with vefl'cls funk and proper difpo-
" fitions made of fire velTcls, may eftedually flop the paifage." Lt.
Col. Simcoe had converted the bodies of bis waggons into fmall pon-
toons, capable of holding fix men, as boats, and well adapted to form
bridges over the fmall creeks in the country, through which, if it
had become neceffary to quit Portfmouth, the retreat might have
been made, by the north-wefl: landing to North Carolina. Thcfe
were the opinions which he had always held when any con-
verfition took place upon the fubjed ; and the fyftem of defence is
the fame which appears on his arrival, to have been thought of by
Gen. Phillips. Much would have depended on the fcicncc of the

enemy's

'Mil N » i -*i

[ '25 ]

enemy's General. The ground of Portlhiouth was not only cnfi!.;dcd
on the left flank, but the enemy had on the right, favourable pofitions
to place their batteries wherever they r.dvaaccd to the allaiilt ; and, if
the points on the river could not be fecured, the P>eet mull iiicvit.ibly
fall into their hands, without contributing to the defence of tiic
place. The garrifon was in great fpirits, full of confidence in tlic
daring courage of Gen. Arnold J and the enemy had every thing to
fear from .1 fally. About this time a fingular event took j^lace : the
paflagc from the Great bridge upon Elizabeth river had hitherto
been fecure ; but a party of the enemy from its banks fired upon a
gun-boat, thai: was returning with the baggage of the detachment
which had been relieved; and having wounded fome of the people in
it, took the boat. Capt. Stevenfon, who had commanded al the
Great bridge, loll his baggage ; and among his papers was found a
iiditious letter, which he had written by way of amufemcnt, and of
palling his time, to Gen. Gregory, who commanded the North-
Carolina militia at the VVtll: landing, detailing a plan which that
olHccr was to follow to furrendcr his troops to Lt. Col. Simcoe : the
whole plaulibly written and bearing with it every appearance of being
concerted. The manner of its falling into the enemies hands
Itrengthened thefe appearances ; at firll it ferved for laughter to the
orticers of the Rangers ; but when it was uiulcrftood that Gen.
Gregv^ry was put in arrelV, Capt. Stevenlbn's humanity was alarmed,
and the letters, which arc in the appendix, palled between Lt. Col.
Simcoe and Col. Parker, who had taken the boat : they prevented all
further bad confequences. The 6th of March, Gen. Arnold ordered
Lt. Col. Simcoe to fend two or three fmall parties every night, from
the piquet, as fir, cr a little beyond the crofs roads, four miles in
front of Portfmouth : they \\ere to confill of four or five men. The
woods, to the right and left of the road, being interfedled with paths
on which the enemy generally patroled, rendered their deflrudl-ion
almofl inevitable ; two of them, one of the yagers and another of the

Rangers,

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[ 126 ]

Rangers, being taken, they were difcontinued. The enemy aflem-
bling in force, the troops were conftantly under arms at four o'clock
in the morning, at their alarm port, if the weather was favourable ;
if otherwifc, at their refpedtive barracks.

There being various reports of the enemy making a road through
the difinal fwamp to the left of Great bridge, and fmall parties in-
fefting the country, Lt. Col. Simcoe marched the loth of March to
the Great bridge. Capt. M' Kay, who commanded at Kemp's, had
received information, that Weeks was to pafs over on the night of
the 1 1 th, and that he would be at a houfc between the Great bridge
and Kemp's : he propofed to Lt. Col. Simcoe to furprize him, and
Gen. Arnold appro^^j of it j as it was nccclfary to check every in-
road into Princefs Ann. Capt. M'Kay marched at a concerted hour
from Kemp's, and Lt. Col. Simcoe from the Great bridge, in order
to fupport him. The former met the enemy before he arrived at the
place where he expefted to find them ; and he inftantly detached Lt.
Dunlop to their rear, who attacked, and effectually furprized them :
eight or ten were killed or taken. In the pocket of the Lieutenant,
who was killed, was found a letter faying, to his Captain, " that with
•* four or five men, he could every night feize one or two of the re-
" fradlory men belonging to his company." Thefe violences were ne-
ceffary to force the militia, of the lower counties of Virginia, to arms.
The Queen's Rangers returned the next day to Portfmouth, as did
Capt. M' Kay to Kemp's ; which port, he maintained with fingular
vigilance and propriety. Lt. Col. Simcoe thought it proper, in publick
orders, to defire, " That his beft thanks might be accepted by Lt.
•• St. John Dunlop, and the party under his command, for their
" obedience to their orders, and gallantry in the lurprizc of a rebel
** party, the night of the 1 ith inftant. The Lt. Colonel is fatisfied,
•* that if the information Capt. M' Kay received had been true, the
" rebel banditti he marched againil would have been annihilated in
*' confequence of his proper difpoiition, and the fleadinefs of theorficers

"and

*' •! ■ i! I

[ 127 ]

" and foldiers under his command. It is with great plcafurc the Lieut.
" Colonel hears of tlie orderly and foldierlike behaviour of the whole
" party ftationcd at Kemp's : he hopes the regiment will equally
" pride themfelves in protcdUng, as in the prefent cafe, the unarmed
" inhabitants of the country, as in fcourging the armed banditti who
'* opprefs it." The Great bridge was fituated at the head of Eliza-
beth river, clofe to the great difmal fwamp, from whence it rifes. It
was the great road, wliile Norfolk was in affluence, between that
town and North Carolina : fmall parties only could pafs through
the fwamps, the feafon being uncommonly dry; but the furprizal of
that which had attempted it, rendered it not vc-« advifable. The
port was eaiily to be maintained until fuch time as an enemy lliould
venture to throw bridges over the Elizabeth river, between the
Great bridge and Fortfmouth ; and then, it was to be sighed
whether a hundred men, the ufual garrifon of the Great bridge
would not find more employment for an enemy, and be moic
than adequate to any ferviccs the faine number could I .: cC, in
Fortfmouth. Like other field works it could not hold out i moincnt
againft mortars : it was calculated to keep the Carolina militia out
of Princefs Ann, and every hour that this could be done was of great
importance : the hopes of plunder and the certainty of their eftaping,
would have deluged the country with this banditti. About this time,
Capt. M'Crea, of the Queen's Rangers, having the command of this
poll, with that gallantry which had fo eminently diftinguiilied him
at Kinglbridge, on the firft formation of the Rangers, fallied upon a
party of the enemy, who had frequently fired upon his centinels,
furprized them, put them to the rout and pinned a label upon one
of the men who had been killed, threatcnii: ■ to lay in afhes any
houfc, near his front, that they rtiould harboui .;> This vigorous fally
had its ufe : the enemy, as their cuftom was when they were cor-
redled, complained of cruelty, and Gen. Muhlenberg wrote to Gen.
Arnold on that fubjeft. Lt, Col. Simcoe had alfo fome correfpon-

dence.

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[ 128 ]

dence, on this fubjcifV, with Col. Parker, a gentleman of more
liberality than was commonly found in thofe who commanded parties
of the militia. Capt. IVI* Crea had taken two prifoners, they were
offered to be exchanged for Ellifon, the gallant hiizzar who had fig-
nalized himfelf at the battle of Monmouth, and another foldier,
who, their horfes being killed, had been taken in a fkirmilh, a few
days before, towards the North-weft landing ; but fo little did the
enemy value their militia, that it was rcfiifcd on the ungenerous plea of
their having been wounded. It is not imjirobable hut the unfortunate
men might have been Loyalifts, averfe from the fervice of the rebels
and forced into it : Ellifon was foon after exchanged : he had been ill-
treated while prifoner ; but nothing hurt him equally with the being
robbed of the filver half moon which he wore on his huzzar cap,
with the word *' Monmouth" engraven on it, as a mark of his
bravery in that adion.

On the 18th of March, Gen. Arnold gave orders for every perfon
to work on the lines, and the town people, who Hiould rcfufe, to
quit it. M. dc La Fayette .appe.ircd in the front of the works, and the
yager piquet, ported near the head of Scott's creek, was ..ttackcd in
force : a deep ravine pallablc at this poft, and above it, feparated them
from the enemy. Capt. Ewald was with his piquet, and by demon-
llrations and the countenance of his people, more than once checked
the c icmy, wlio (hewed every inclination to pafs over the gully, and
totally prevented them from reconnoitcring the right of Portfmouth :
Cant. E^ald was wounded, (icn. Arnold in his letter to Sir Henry
Clinton fays, ** That he did not think it prudent to leave his works
" and fally, as Lt. Col. Simcoe was in Princl's Ann with near four
" liundrcd men." It is not improhaMe that the enemy liad in-
telligence of the C^cen's Rangers being ('ctached to fccu re forage,
6cc. as on Lt. Col. Simcoe's return, the I'niall bridges wer^ cieftroyed
between Kemp's and Portfmouth ; whieh, though they were but
triflina: imocdiments, niuft h-ive been done in' a lurkiiip- partv, or the

diialTcded

[ '29 ]

difaftedled of the country, in confequence of fome concerted order.
Lt. Col. Simcoe, to whom the yagers had been attached, felt this a
proper opportunity to repreleut Capt. Ewald's condudt and gallantry
to Gen. Kniphaufen.

On information of a fquadron with French colours being at an-
chor, on the 19th, in Lynhavcn bay, Lt. Col. Simcoe was fent there
with a patrole, to obfcrve tlicm : he had the pleafure to find that it
was Admiral Arburthnot's fleet, and to fee a rebel cruifer, deceived by
their colours, taken by tlicm. The adion which the Admiral bad
with the French fleet, laved the armament in Virginia from a ferious
attack. Gen. Arnold had received information, from the officer at
the Great bridge, that Gen. Gregory, on the 1 8th, had approached
within two miles of him, with fix pieces of cannon and twelve hun-
dred men: Gen. Arnold fent him orders, " To defend it to the lafl
extremity i" and then direded Lt. Col. Simcoe, after he had in-
formed himfelf what fleet was below, to take fuch meafures as he
thought neceflary refpedting the Great bridge; the fituation of which
has been heretofore ftated.

Gen. Phillips arrived on the 27th of March, and was foon fol-
lowed by the forces under his command. The light infantry went
into cantonments at Kemp's, and the Queen's Rangers at New-
Town, under inftru<ftions to hold themfelves liable to move on the
fliorteft notice, and in cafe of Lt. Col. Abercrombie's rcquilition, Lt.
Col. Simcoe was to place himfelf under his orders.

There being every appearance of the army taking the field, Lt.
Col. Simcoe made application to Gen. Phillips, for rhe fame number
of artillery men to his cannon as had been attached to them on fimilar
occafions. The General chofe only to allow him fome men for a
fliort time, to inftrud foldiers of the Queen's Rangers : this Lt.
Col. Simcoe declined. His corps was weak in numbers, and he
confidered the number of men, who muft have attended his
guns, more ufeful with their mufqucts : while the corps adcd

S feparately,

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[

130

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feparately, cannon always furnifhed a reafon for an enemy to avoid
adlion. In feme fituations, even fuch contemptible guns as three
pounders might be of great ufe, in particular, in defence of a houfe
or any polition which might enable a corps, in cafe of necefTity, to
rally; but the Queen's Rangers were now not likely to be detached,
and if tliey were and it became necertary, the Commander of tlic
army would fend them cannon. The three pounder and amuzctte
were therefore fent to the artillery park.on the 20th of April , the
Commander in Chief was pleafcd to add Capt. Diemar's troop of
huzzars, then at New-York, to the Queen's Rangers, and they were
placed under the command of Capt. Cooke.

Gen. Phillips gave out the following orders, for excrcifing the
troops, preparatory to their taking the field : " It is the Major
** General's widi, that the troops under his command may pradice
** forming from two to three and to four deep ; and tjjat they fliould
*• be accuftomed to charge in all thofe orders. In the latter orders,
*' of the three and four deep, the files will, in tourfe, beclofcr, fo as
" to render a charge of the greateft force. Tiie Major General alfo
** recommends to regiments the pradlice of dividing the battallions,
*' by wings or otherwife, fo that one line may fupport the other
*' when an attack is fuppofed ; and, when a retreat is fuppofed, that
*' the firft line may retreat through tlie intervals of the fecond, the
*' fecond doubling up its divifions for that purpofe, and forming up
*' again in order to check the enemy, who may be fuppofed to have
** prefled the firil line. The Major General would approve alfo of
" one divifion of a battallion attacking in the common open order of
" two deep, to be fupportcd by the other compadl: divifion, as a
** fecond line, in a ciiarging order of three or four deep. The gain-
" ing the Jlanks alfo of a fuppofed enemy, by the quick movements
" of a divifion in common open order, uhile the compadt divifion
"■ advances to a charge . and fuch other evolutions, as may lead the
*' regiments to a cuftom of depending on and mutually fuppoiting

" each

[

131

]

** each other j Co that fliould one p.irt be prclTed or bro'ccn, it may
" be accuftomed to form again without coiifuiioii, under the .ro-
'* tcdlion of a kcond line, or any regular formed divilion." Tholb
orders, fo proper in thcmfelvcs, and now peculiarly ul'ci'ul, ns i.o
HeHian troops, who ufually formed the firm and folid fccond liiie
to the Britilh, were to embark on the expedition, were not meant to
afFedt the general manauivres of the light troops : Lt. Col. Sinicoc
was permitted to adopt fuch only as he thought applicable to that
fervice. The works at Portfmouth being compleated, the troops
embarked on the i8th of April, and fell down to Hampton road.
Gen. Phillips informed the odicers commanding corps, in writing,
that the firfl: objedl of the expedition was to furprize, if pofllble, a
body of the enemy ftationed at Williamfburgh, at any rate to attack
them : at the fame time he detailed tlic plan of operations. The
Rangers were of Gen. Arnold's divifion, which was dcftined to land
below Williamlburg, and to co-openite with that under Lt. Colonel
Ambercrombie, wnich was to land above it. The following orders
were more peculiar to the Queen's Rangers : " a detachment of Hcflian
yagers will be attached to the light infantry and Queen's Rangers,
with which corps they have fo often adled, that it is unneceflary to give
any direftions concerning them ; and they will, in courfe, be always
prote(fted by bayonets, both as centinels and patroles. Should the
enemy retreat, upon intelligence of the enterprize againft them, or be
forced by an attack to retire, Lt. Col. Simcce will proceed with the
utmofl: diligence to York town, and there, under every defcription of
caution, endeavour to gain the rear of the enemy's batteries, and of
the poft ; but (hould he, by certain intelligence and obfervations, be
convinced of their being clofed works with troops in them, he is to
make an immediate report of it, and not to attack fuch works without
further orders. It is not the intention to rifk the lofs of men upon
any attack at York town, nor delay by any attack there the progrefs
of the intended expedition. Should, however, Lt. Col. Simcoe gain

S 2 poflcfrion

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[ 132 ]

pofTefllon of York town, he will hoift a red flag, and fire, if pofliblc,
fignal guns, and at night light two or three fires at different places
upon the fliorc : thefc are intended to give the Bonetta floop of war
notice of York town being poflefled by the King's troops, on which
that veflel will move up the river j and Lt. Col. Simcoe will, in that
cafe, confult with Capt. Dundafs, the commander of the Bonetta,
how it may be befl: to a<fl for deftroying the armed and other velfels
in that river, and alfo take every means for putting the enemy's can-
non at York town into that armed veflel. It is to be wilhed that
this detailed operation may not take up more than forty eight
hours." The troops arrived off" Burrell's ferry on the 19th ; Lt. Col.
Simcoe was diredled to land in fuch manner as he thought proper.
The enemy had thrown up entrenchments to fecure the landing, and
thefe appeared to be fully manned. The boats were afl'embled at the
fmall vefTel on board which Lt. Col. Simcoe was, which was an-
chored about two miles from the fliore. Near a mile below the
ferry was a fmall creek which ran a little way into the land, from
James river ; and at the point formed by this feparation, it was deter-
mined to land. Capt. Ewald being difabled by his wound from
accompanying the expedition, the yagers were divided between tlie
Queen's Rangers and light infantry : Capt. Althoufe's company of
rifle men was alfo under the command of Lt. Col. Simcoe. The
boats, preceded by the gun-boat, moved diredtly towards Burrell's
ferry : on a fignal given, they all, except the gun-boat, turned and
rowed rapidly towards the point, where the landing vas to take place,
afiiflod by the wind and tide ; Major Armflrong, who commanded
if, was defired to keep out of the reach of mufquet fhot, and to fire
his fix pounder at the entrenchments, and particularly to fcour a
gully on the left, which the enemy muft pafs if they meant any oppo-
fition. The troops difembarked as intended ; Capt. M'Kay with
a detachment of the Queen's Rangers and yagers, landing below
the inlet to beat up any party who might be in ambulcade there, and

(I''

^_ Ji I V E R

The

LANDING
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BITRRELL'S

April q^iySi.

A. FtmtcfQmiau HMn^ert.

C. Qmttni Ranftr* in Lou .

D. IteMj. _„_^

E. Kiy«r/.

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• I'l-tl/f Of'thlf Mil/-

BURRELL'S

April I'j^ljSl.

A. FtmttfQmiauHmiiftr*.

B . Landiif maJe ytcd.

C . QmtfU Ranftrt in Liu.
jD. Iteith. _,_^

I E. Vagtrt.

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Jo (Mvc /^iPitor fcciirlty to the ri'^ht llaiik in c.ifc the enemy niould
attiik the c()r|)s. l,t. Cul. Siinroe met no oppolition in his march
t<» HiirrcH's ("crry, from whence the enemy flt-d with pretipilati'jn,
and where (Jen. I'hiUijis with tlic ariny immcchately landed. I'ilty-
li\ liorles of the f^i^ieen's Kangcrs Iiad heen emharlied, thofc (jf oHi' er
iiu Kidui : the dilinoiinted men hrought with them tlicir f'lddlcs and
aeionlremeiits. (Jen. Phillips ordered Lt. Col. Siincoe to proceed
to ^'ork town, where, it was underftood, that there were oidy tlie
artillery men, who fiiperintcnded the battery, and a few militiii. He
marched accordingly with forty cavalry, accotnpanicd by Major
D.imer who a»;icd as Adjutant (icneral to (Jen. Phillips : the infantry
of the ( ii^ieen's Rangers proceeded with the army to Williamiburir.
The ni:',ht was uncommonly dark and tempcftuous, and I-t. Col.
Simcoe found himfeli* under the neccflity of halting at afarm-houfe,
during its continuance: in the morning he galloped into the town,
furpri/cd and (ccured a few of the artillery men, the others made olT
in a boat. I le diredted the guns of the batteries, already loaded, to
be fned, as a fignal to the Honctta floop, which failed up and an-
choivd oil" the t(nvn ; and lie burnt a range of the rebel barracks.
Dpon the hearing of cannon at William(burg, the party returned
ihither ; ami it appeared, that there had only been a (kirmini at the out-
po(l of that place, where the troops had arrived the preceding evening
without moleflation : (garter- Mafter M'Gill, with fomc of the
huzzars of the C^een's Rangers, having charged and difperfed the
only patrole of tlic enemy who had appeared in the front. General
Phillips afked Lt. Col. Simcoe, when he Wiiited upon him to make
his report, how many men would it require to defend York town ?
and, on his hefitating, with great quicknefs, faid " Four hundred,
" five hundred, a thoufand," and feemcd greatly furprized when he
replied two thoufand : this was the only converfation that pafTed
between them on the fubjedt. Lt. Col. Simcoe had no order to
reconnoitre the ground, and what he did obferve was merely for his

own

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[ 134 ]

own information; and the number of troops neccHaiy for it; tlcfci c?
ag-unft the American forces, he guclTed at, on the fuppofition of its
being properly tbrtified, and above all made bomb proof, without
which he knew all fortifications to be ufelefs, and which he had
ftated, at a period in which there was not a bomb proof in any of the
Britilh fortifications, as abfolutely nccclTary in his plan for t!ie oc-
cupation of Billingfport. The army marched to Barret's ferry,
near the Chickihominy, and embarked immediately, the Queen's
Rangers excepted, who formed the rear guard and lay on fliorc the
whole night, in a pofition which a little labour rendereil inaHailable.
Gen. I'hillips here gave out the ftrideft orders to prevent privateers,
the banc and difgrace oi' the country which employs them, from pre-
ceding the fleet, and being found upon any of the rivers marauding
or plundering : he alfo explained the fecond objedl of the expedition,
which was to obtain pofleflion of Hood's battery, now reported to be
clofcd, without unneceflary rifk ; to open all <>!>llrudions on the
James river, and to feize the arms faid to be at I'rince George Court
houfe. The Major General ilTued the following excellent order :
" CommanLing officers of corps, and thofc dctachctl arc to keep
" regular journals during their abfence, whi'.]'!, upon their return,
" they will give in, with their reports, wlien called upon." Tli«re
never was a regulation better calculated to do juftice to the adive and
defcrving officer, in every rank and flation : it at once eltablilhed a
method, by which it became the duty of officers to detail their own
profeffional Ikill, and that of thofe fubordinatc to tlicm, with the
refult of it to the Commander in Chief, wuiiout wounding modeil:
merit with the ncceffity of felf commendation. At the fame time,
rtiould any man be fo bafe as to arrogate to hinifclf fcrviccs which he
h.id never performed, and which fooner or Liter cannot fliil of being
divulged, this order would fubjedl the offender to the penalty as well
as the difjrace of making a falfe report. The troops finding no
oppofition at Hood's, or on the James river, proceeded without delay

1 .1

[ ^35 ]

up the river : oft' VVcftovcr M;ijor Gen. Phillips illlicd t'lc lullo-.v-iiio;
ord::rs. " A third objoil of the prefont cxpditio:i is t) gii: IVtcrC-
■•' burjfor th-J purpofc ofdcftroyiuj the enemy's ilorcs at ilr.t pl;icc,
" and it is publick ftorcs alone that are inten.leJ to he Icizcd j i')r
*' private property and the perfons of indi\iduals, not t.ikcn in
** arms, are to bj under the protedllon of the troops ; and Ma; or
" Gen. Phillips depends on the adlivity ai' ' zeal of the troops c:\
" this occafion. The movement from City point to Pctcribu.y,
•* will be made by land ; and it is apprehended, the boats will not be
" able to follow till the Hiorcs are cleared of the enemy. Tiie
** march will be conduced with the greatcft caution, and the foldicrs
'* will pay the flridell obedience to orders : the conduit of the
'* olliccrs is not to be doubted. When the troops form it is to be
" done in the following manner : The infantry and huzzars of the
" Queen's Rangers, with a detachment of yagers and Althoufe's
'* rirte company, form the advanced guard, under Lt. Col. Rimcoe.
" The firll line to be compofed of the light infantry j the fecond ti
" be compofed of the Soth and 76th regiments, who will form three
" deep, and in compaifl order. The grenadiers and light infantry of
*' the Soth, with the American legion, to form the rcferve under
** Major Gordon. The cavalry of the Queen's Rangers, to fonn
'* with the referve, 'till fuch time as they may be called upon the
•* wing, of the firfl: or fecond line. As the prefent movements will
*' be made in a difficult country, it becomes nccefl'ary that oflicers
*' leading columns and commanding corps, fliould ufe and exert the
" intelligence of their own minds, joined to the knowledge of the
'• fervice, in times of an attack, when they cannot immediately
** receive the orders of the Brigadier General, or Major General.
" Should the particular didiculty of the country* occafion the firfl:
" line to take up new ground toward the rear, it may not be im-
" proper, perhaps, to do io by becoming a fecond line in the rear of
*' the 76th and Soth, who will form openings, if necefiary, for tlie

•* purpofe.

[ '36 ]

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* piirpofc. It is to be oblerved, that the referve is to he tlic point

* of allcmhly, for tlie troops upon any difticult occallon. The in\-

* prelVion made upon an attack, by the advanced corps and light
' infantry, will be fupportcd in firm order by the fecund line ; aiul

* the cavalry will watch the moment for charging a broken tiiciny.
' The artillery attached to the feveral corps, will be luuior the

* command of Capt. Fage, who, with the participation of the
' commanding officers, or thofe bearing the orders of the CJcncral
' Officers, will exert their utmoft endeavours to co-operate \% ith the
' rcil of the troops." On the 24th the troops landed, and paiTed
he night at City point, and on the 25th marched towards Peterlburg.

The report of the forces colledled at that place varied ; but it was
apparent, that they rather didrudcd their own Ih-ent'th, or were
miferably commanded, as no ftiadow of oppofuion was made at fome
partes which were very difficult, and which would have delayed or
embarrafied the army. Within two miles of Peterfburg, the wooti
ending iii a plain, the army halted until the troops in the rear had
clofed to the front : the enemy appeared at a di fiance, and the troops
advanced. At a gully in front fome firing took place from a party of
the enemy, which was ported on the oppolitc bank; they killed a
yager and fled. A ferjeant, who had been detached with a party of
yagers to the right, by means of an orchard, got upon the enemy's
left flank undifcovered, and fired with great cffcd upon them as they
retreated. The ground was divided by fmall inclofurcs, with houfes
on each fide of the road, which, through a narrow pafs in front, led
to Peterftjurg ; on the right of it were fmall eminences, terminating
at the Appamatox river, and on the left, hilly ground covered with
wood, at the foot of which was an old mill ftrcam. The troops
halted, and Lt. Col. Simcoe accompanied Gen. Phillips to the right,
where, at the diftance of a quarter of a mile, he could fee the enemy
drawn up : Gen. Phillips foon feledled a fpot to which he ordered
the artillery to be brought, and it arrived undifcovered ; he then

direded

n-'

I »37- 1

dircdcd it to fire, nnd ordered Lt. Col. Al)crcron>bic to nuuxii
towards the enemy in front, Lt. Col. Simcoc with the Rangers to
pafs through the wood to the left to turn the enemy's right tiaiik,
and Capt. Boyd with the fecond battalion of light infantry to fupj nr
him, as the reft of the troops did Lt. Col. Abercrombic. Lt. Col.
Simcoe, on emerging from the wood, found a high woody ridge, im-
mediately on his left : he defired Capt. Boyd would attend to it,
who fcnt Hanking parties thither. Lt. Col. Abercrombie puHiing
forward his battalion, the enemy's ArA line quitted their Aation in
confufion ; but it appeared to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that they had a fecond
line polled, probably to fecure the retreat of the Hrft, and that this
party, who fecmed totally occupied with what was doing in the
front, had no out Hankers, but that thoie of the firii line had fallen
back ujx>n tlic main body. His aim was to get as much upon their
flank as polTiblc, attack them, and pafs the bridge over the Appamatox
with them : on the oppofite fide of this bridge, upon the heights,
were troops and cannon, but the banks were fo fteep that their fire
could do but little injury to an adive aHailant. The enemy, ftilJ
preflcd in front by Lt. CoL Abercrombie, fled {o rapidly that the
Queen's Rangers had no opportunity of doling with them, though,
from their drefs, they had marched a conliderable way unnoticed.
The enemy's cannon began to fire grape at the light infantry,
vfho had reached the town of Blandford, and deflroyed the
bridge. Lt. Col Simcoe thought it advifable to try whether there
was not a ford, as was rumoured, at Banifler's mills, for the attempt
at lead would make the enemy draw ofif their cannon. A party of
horfemen appeared upon the heights near Bannifler's houfe : they
galloped off on the approach of the troops, and proved to have been
people of the country, who came as fpedtators of the encounter. The
enemy now fired round (hot, but inefledually at the Queen's Rangers :
a party at the fame time marched, on the oppofite fide of the river,
towards the mills, but it was foon called off, and the whole of the

T enemy's

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[ 133 ]

enemy's corps, fuppofcd to be commanded by Baron Steuben,
marched off. The difpolition of the enemy was not luch as marked
any ability in thofe who made it : by their cannon being placed oa
the oppofite lidc of the Appamatox, it was evident, that the corps
which was ftationed at the extremity of Blandford, was merely in-
tended to fire and to retreat ; but their very pofition counteradted their
defign, as the deep defile would of itfelf enforce caution in thofe who
were to pafs it : the previous fkirmiih had prevented their making
ufe of an ambufcade, and their right being open, expofcd them to
what they narrowly efcaped, the being cut off from the bridge. The
plan of the ground, which Lt. Spencer took upon the fpot, will fliew,
to the military obferver, many pofitions which might have been taken
by the enemy to better cu'eCt : they were faid to have loft near an
hundred men killed and wounded, while that of the Britifli was only
one man killed, and ten wounded of the light infantry.

The bridge being eafily repaired, Lt. Col. Abercrombic, with the
liglit infantry and Queen's Rangers, pafled over the next day and occu-
pied the heights. The army proceeded towards Ofbornc's on tlie 271!),
early in the morning ; the bridge at Randal's mills had been taken up,
but was prefently relaid. Gen. Phillips, with one divilion of the
army, went to Chefterfield Court-houfe, while the 8otli and 76th
regiments, with the Queen's Rangers, under Gen. Arnold, marched
to Ofborne's, where a number of the enemy's fliipping was ftationcd.
Care had been taken that no information of the approach of the troops
could reacli chem ; and there was no doubt but that the fire of the
cannon would have given the firft notice of the arrival of the army.
In this fituation. Gen. Arnold fent a fiag of truce to the enemy,
offering half the contents of their cargoes in cafe they did not deflroy
any part / the enemy anfwered, '* That they were determined and
" ready to defend their fliips, and would fink in them rather than
'* furrender." The troops marched on : Gen. Arnold ftationed
Lt. Rogers with two three pounders, near tlie flern of a large fliip,

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[ 139 ]

which had fprlngs upon her cable. With ditticulty (lie brought hcv
broadfide to bear, and returned a fmart fire, when Ca[>t. I'age, with
two fix pounders, opened from an unexpected quarter, with great
effedt. Lt. Col. Simcoe placed the Queen's Rangers out of tliC line
of fire, and directed Lt. Spencer, who had been fcnt to reconnoitre th;;
left, to conduct fonie yagers by a rout partly covered by ditches,
within thirty yards of her ftern. Luckily fhe liuu Ioud<jdher guns only
with round fliot, expedting that the principal attack would have been
made by water; grape lliot muft inevitably have killed or driven the
artillery from their guns. Gen. Arnold fent orders to Lt. Col.
Simcoe to march the Queen's Rangers to the Ihore, and to fire muf-
quetry at the fliip : he was preparing to execute this order, when,
what he fliall ever efteem as a moft fortunate fliot, cut a fpring
cable and threw the fliip round : in this fituation, the crew, expofed
to the raking of Lt, Roger's cannon, and whoever appeared upon
deck to the fire of the yagers, and defpalring of alTiftancc from the
remainder of the ill-ftationed fleet, uere frightened and took to their
boat to efcape : the yagers beginning a fevere fire on them, fome
jumped over board. Lt. Spencer, with difficulty, flopped the firing,
and parlying with the boat's crew, they furrendered, and as they
were diredcd, rowed to the fhore in poliifTion of the King's ^oops.
Lt. Fitzpatrick, with volunteer Armftrong, and twelv^ of the
Queen's Rangers, leaped into the boat and rowed on board the fhip :
he then fent another beat on fliore, and, with great judgment and
fpiri?:^ proceeded towards the furthermofl fhip in the fleet : The
Highland company embarked on board the captured frigate, and a
i'cene of fingular confufion enfued. The enemy had fcuttled feveral
of their fhips, which were now finking ; others, boarded by the in-
trepid Lt. Fitzpatrick, were on fire ; and although cannon and muf-
quetry, from the oppofite fhore, kept up a fmart fire on him, that
adlive officer rowed on. He put three men on board one fhip, and
cut her cable, and he left Volunteer Armftrong with three more iji

T 2 another.

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another, and attained himfelf the headmoft, whofe guns he imme-
diately turned upon the enemy. A (hip, which was blown up near
the Tempeft, the State frigate, which had been the firft taken, in its
explofion, lodged feme fire on her top gallant and fore ftay-fail,
which now blazed out i Capt. M'Kay, with the highlanders had cut
her cable to avoid the danger, and flie now drifted ; but the current
running eafterly, luckily drove her near the fliore, occupied by the
King's troops, and, by the exertion of the Highlanders, whom their
many fea voyages had made adtive and experienced in fuch dangers,
the tiames were extinguiftied, and the prize effedlually fccurcd. To
<dd to the horror. Volunteer Armftrong finding the fliip he was on
b >ard of in flames, beyond his powe; to mafter, had fwam on iiiorc
t procure a boat to bring off the men he had with him ; and the only
vne in the pofl*eflion of the troops, was difpatched for that purpofe :
he had jufl: time to fave his men, wh -n the veflel blew up. The
«Ahole of the fleet, confifting of two fhips of twenty guns, a brig of
fixteen, and feveral other armed veflels, were either taken or deftroycd.
One twenty gun fliip, a brig of fixteen guns, two lelfer and a floop,
were brought down and fafely moored, after a firing which lafted
above two hours : Lt. Fitzpatrick brought off that which he was
on board of, deliberately clofing the rear.

The troops remained in this vicinity 'till the 29th, when they pro-
ceeded towards Manchefter. The bridge at Robert's mills, which
had been deflroyed, was repaired, and the army encamped near Gary's
honle : next morning they marched to Manchefter, from whence they
had a view of M. Fayette's army, encamped on the heights of Rich-
mond : on the evening they returned to Gary's. Lt, Gol. Simcoe,
with the rear guard, had orders to deftroy a large quantity of flour
in Gary's mills j but on -1;? rep ; fenting to Gen, Phillips, that this
duty of fatigue could not be finiflied in the time allotted for the pur-
pofe, he was diredled to 5> «rn them, which was accordingly done.
This flour was deftined for the Spaniards, but probably would have

been

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been uied as fupplies for Fayette's army. The troops proceeded by
Ofbornc's to the Bermuda Hundreds: a quantity of cattle was coU
ledled for them, by a detachment of the Queen's Rangers the next
day } and the whole army embarked in the evening of the 2d of May.
The captured fliips were conveyed down the river by a detachment of
the Queen's Rangers, and not without oppofition from the militia,
particularly againft that commanded b\ Lt. Allen, which ran on
fhore; but, by his exertions and bravery, was gotten off without
material injury.

Gen. Phillips, whilit the army lay ry's, had thrown fomc

troops over the oppolite fide of Jaiut-b river. On the return from
Blanford, Lt. Col. Simcoe took occafion to reprefent to him the
poflibility of the whole army crofling, and that, while the advance
guard moved on towards Richmond and malked the road, tiie army
might turn back two miles from the landing place, and by filling
into the bye path which Gen. Arnold had formerly been advifed
to proceed on, might arrive on the plain ground on the heights of
Richmond, moft probably on the left flank, if not the rear, of
Fayette, who would, as it was reafonable to prefume, expedl the
Britifh troops by the rout which Gen. Arnold had fo recently taken,
and whofe gafconading difpofition and military ignorance might
pofTibly tempt him to ftay too long in the face of troops, his equals
in numbers, and fuperior in every thing elfe that could form the value
of an army. The troops fell down the river in profecution of fuch
further enterprizes as Gen. Phillips had determined upon. Oppofite
to James Town, the floop Lt. Col. Simcoe was in, being one of the
headmoft of the fleet, ran aground near to a landing place, home
people on horfeback were feen reconnoitering the fleet : the bugle
horns were founded, and a boat brought round the veflel towards the
ihore, and inftrudtions for landing were given in ■ loud voice : this
feint, meant merely for amufement, had its cfFedt, and a meflenger
was feen to gallop off, and M. Fayette in his difpatches mentions it

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as a feeming attempt of the enemy to land. It has fmce appeared,
that M. Fayette, as was predided, followed the troops down the
river, the conftant and good policy of the enemy; but which, in this
cafe, might have proved fatal to his army, had what at firft appeared
to be Gen. Phillip's defign, been now in his power or inftrudlions
to execute ; for the velTel was fcarcely got off, when the officer, who
had led the fleet, returned and hailing Lt. Col. Simcoe, direded him
to make the utmoft difpatch in following him up the river : this was
facilitated by its blowing a hard but fair gale. The whole fleet an-
chored off Brandon's houfe, on the fouth-fide of James river ; and
the troops immediately landed, on the 7th of May, the light infantry
excepted, who proceeded to City point. Had the landing been on
the oppofite fliore, and higher up, as by the fair winds might have
been the cafe, the Britifli army would have been above M. Fayette,
and he could not have avoided adion. Lt. Col. Simcoe was in-
formed by Gen. Phillips, that he had received an order from Lord
Cornwallis, to meet him near Peterftjurg. To the great concern of
his army. Gen. Phillips was taken extremely ill, and to accommodate
him, Lt. Col. Simcoe went fome miles off and procured a poft-chaife.
Early the next morning, the army marched to Bland's ordinary,
pafling a very deep gully : here it was reported that M. Fayette had
croffed the James river, and was at Peterfburg. It would have been
imprudent, had fuch been a fad, for the corps at Bland's mill to
march thither, until it was joined by the light infantry: while con-
verfation to this purpofc was held by the principal officers. General
Phillips, whofe indifpofltion rapidly increafcd, awakening from his
fleep, was made acquainted with the report ; and the laft material
order he gave was that, which decided the troops to proceed as quick
as poiTible towards Peterfburg, and to order Lt. Col. Simcoe to crofs
the country, with a party of cavalry to City point, with inftrudions
for Lt. Col. Abercrombie, to march early the next morning to that
place, which accordingly was executed, and the whole army united

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[ H3 ]

at Peteriburg. Gen. Phillip's army made prifoners fome of M.
Fayette's fuite, who had arrived there to prepare quarters for his army :
this was a very fortunate prevention, as the grounds about Peterfbuig
were very rtrong, if properly occupied, and bridges over the Appama-
tox would have fecured a retreat to the defenders. Lt. Col. Simcoe
preiTed Gen. Arnold, to let him march towards Halifax, in order to
gain information of Lord Cornwallis, from whom no account had
arrived j it was not thought prudent to make a detachment while
M. Fayette was fuppofed to be fo near : he was, however, fent with the
cavalry to deftroy Goode's bridge, and to return the next morning.
After proceeding a long way, Lt. Col. Simcoe underftood that the
bridge was not within the diftance which had been apprehended ; and
Lt. Col. Damer, who had accompanied him, agreeing with him that
the enemy might eafily throw bridges over the Apamatox much
nearer to Peteriburg, and would certainly do fo if they intended an
attack againfl the troops there, the party returned, and lay a few
miles from Petersburg that night, and joined the army the next day.
The enemy fending patroles on the oppofite fide of the Appamatox,
Lt. Spencer had propofed to have fwam over with a party, confifting
of Lt. Fitzpatrick and thirty Rangers, and to have laid an ambufcade
for them. This officer was perfedly acquainted with the minute/l
particulars of the ground, having been encamped upon it: in cafe of
the enemy appearing in force, any fmall gully would have given him
a fecure retreat to the river, while the cannon and mufquetry, pur-
pofely flationed to protedt him, would have prevented the enemy
from molefting the party whilft it fwam back. This defign the
patroles to Goode's bridge, had occafloncd to be deferred, and it was to
have been executed the next morning j but, about the middle of the
day, the enemy appeared on the heights, and cannonaded the quarters
of the Britifh army, particularly thofe of Gen. Phillips, whom they
knew to be moft dangeroufly ill, by a flag of truce which had been
received the day before, and of Lt. Col. Simcoe which war on a

height.

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height. Some (hots being diredled at the dragoon horfes, then at
grafs, they fet off full gallop towards the ferry, immediately under the
enemy's cannon j and had they not fired grape at them, 'tis probable
they would have fwam to the fhore in their poiiefllon : their can-
nonading had no cfFedt. Lt. Col. Simcoe went immediately to Gen.
Arnold, and again applied to march towards Lord Cornwallis, urging
that it was apparent, from the difcovery which the enemy had mad':,
and their parade of force, that they could mean no ferious attempt on
the poll : the General affented, and the enemy had fcarcely drawn off
their cannon, when the C^een's Rangers, both cavalry and infantry
marched towards the Nottaway, on the road to Halifax. M. Fayette
gives, as a reafon for this cannonade, that he did it in order to cover
the march of a detachment which he fent with flores, &c. to South
Carolina. A detachment of the Queen's Rangers was more than
fufhcient to have attacked this convoy, had there been information of
it ; and it is very probable, in fuch a ca&. Gen. Arnold would have
fent a party from the light infantry, in puriuit of it ; but none of
Mr. Fayette's reafons imprefs any idea of bis military taknts : he
poflibly owed his pergonal fafety to the patrole, which had prevented
Lt. Spencer's ambufcade from being carried into execution; and who,
not improbably, might have made himfelf mailer of his cannon, by
rolling them down the ftecps to the river, before the efcort, which
apparently, was left at fomc diftance to avoid the Hiot of the Briti/k
guns, could have advanced to their refcue. Lt. Col. Sinocoe proceed-
ed, with the utmoft expedition, to the Nottaway river, twen^ ieven
miles from Peterfburg, where he arrived early the next morning :
the bridge had been deflxoyed, which was eailly repaired, and Major
ArmArong was left with the infantry. The cavalry went on to CoL
Gee's, a rebel militia officer : he attempted to «fcape, but was
fecured ; and refuting to give his parole, was fent prifoner to Major
Armftrong. The cavalry proceeded in the afternoon to Hicks's ford,
QTi the Meherrin, twenty-five miles from the Roanoke, within a few

miles

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[ M5 ]

miles of the river flood Col. Hicks's houfc. He was deceived, and te-
lieved the party to be an advanced guard from M. Fayette's army :
from him the firfl information was received of Earl Cornwallis, and
that his Lordlhip was certaiidy at Halifax, twenty miles from the
Mehcrrin ; and that it was reported his advanced guard had ]:aflcd
that river. Lt. Col. Simcoe's hopes of being in time to facilitate
his Lordfliip's pafllige were at an end -, there was ftill a probability,
if any militw were in his front, of being of fervice. Col. Hicks ac-
companied the party to Hicks's ford, where fome militia were aflem-
bled. Serjeant Wright, who commanded the advanced guard on the
approach to Hicks's, halted and returning to Lt. Col. Simcoe, told
him, that he had entered into converfation with one of the centinels ;
that the militia confifled of a Captain and thirty men ; and that he
had pafled upon them for their friends : if he, Lt. Col. Simcoe,
thought proper, he would relieve the whole party. Wright was
diredled to execute his intentions : the rebel Colonel was flievvn, at a
fufficient diflance, as a friend ; and Lt. Col. Simcoe and the militia
officers affifting, the whole party was aflembled, their fentinels re-
lieved, and their arms piled and fecured before they were undeceived :
they were then marched into a houfe, and their paroles given them.
The Captain and others being feleded as guides, the party crofled the
ford, which had been obftrudled by trees felled, as a French officer,
who had been that way a few days before, had direded ; but which
the militia flightly executed. It was underftood that Lt. Colonel
Tarleton had pafTed the Roanoke j that a Major of militLi, who had
commanded the poft at Hicks's ford, was gone with a fmall party to
reconnoitre. It was much to be feared, that if Lt. Col. Simcoe
fliould fall in with Lord Cornwallis's advanced guard in the night,
the unexpedled meeting might occafion great confufion and, perhaps,
lofs J and it was ftill probable, that parties of militia might be be-
tween them, which, in the dark, it would be impoffible to difcri-
minate : a circuit was therefore taken to the right of the direct road ;

U and.

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[ h6 ]

and, at a fituation a few miles from Ilicks's ford, the party halted to
feed their horfes, and to rcfrefli the men who were overcome with
fatigue and wanted fleep : they had brought the fire arms which
had been taken at Hicks's ford, and thefe were placed along the fence
where the men flept. Serjeant Wright was placed in ambufcadc,
clofe to the road ; and officers, from time to time, vifited him, leafl:
that intrepid and vigilant foldier ihould himfelf give way to that
fatigue which every body laboured under. In the middle of the
night, Wright brought in an exprefs from a captain who had been
detached by M. Fayette for intelligence; he had not time to deftroy
his difpatches, which confirmed the account of Col. Tarleton having
palled the Roanoke : he was offered his liberty if he would condufl:
the party to the place where he had left his captain, the capture
of wliom would more effectually delay any intelligence which M.
Fayette might expedl; as it afterwards appeared, by his public letters,
was done by this exprefs being made prifoner. After two hours
Heep, the party proceeded and arrived at the place where the captain
and his party were reported to have been j but no perfon was there ;
nor was it pofiiblc to determine whether the prifoner had been faith-
ful to his original truft or his latter promife. The party foon arrived
on the banks of the Roanoke, and fending forward to prevent any
errors, joined LordCornwallis's army. His Lordfhip being on the op-
pofite fide of the river, Lt. Col. Simcoe paffed over to him ; and a fpy
from Gen. Phillips had reached him a few hours before : it was Lt.
Col. Simcoe's melancholy ofiice to add to his Lordfhip's public
anxieties, the intelligence of the irrecoverable flate of health in which
Gen. Phillips lay. The cavalry refrefhed themfelves at Jones's
houfe ; his Lordfhip paffed the river that evening, and Lt. Colonel
Simcoe fat out on his return. He marched by the dired road to
Hicks's ford, where he found Lt. Col. Tarleton, who had made a
circuit to his right from Halifax, and had arrived there a few hours
after Lt. Col, Simcoe left it: the rebel Major, who had been to

reconnoitre.

[ H7 ]

reconnoitre, fell Into liis hands. As Lt. Col. Tarleton's legion were
moftly cloathed in white, it was a fortunate circumftance, in makin^r
his circuit, he had not marched on the road Lt. Col. Simcoe liad
taken : the party halted that night at Col. Hicks's. Lt. Colonel
Tarleton marched the next morning and proceeded to Colonel Gee's
plantation : foon after the Queen's Rangers marched and rejoined
their infantry at Nottaway-bridge, where they paflcd the nighr in
great and neceflary fecurity : Lt. Col. Simcoe, with a few dragoons,
returning to Peterfburg. From the reprefentations which he had
made of Gen. Arnold, and Lt. Col. Abercrombie concurring in
opinion that Fayette might poflibly attack them,dndllierefoie had
deferred his neceflary march to Earl Cornwallis, 'till fuch time,
as by Fayette's cannonade, it was evident he could mean noth-
ing ferious, Gen. Arnold was diredled to march to the Notta-
way : that officer being of opinion, that it was no longer neceflary to
do fo, went himfelf only, the next morning, with Lt. Col. Simcoe,
to the Nottaway, where he met Earl Cornwallis. Th'" Queen's Ran-
gers returned to Peterfburg that evening ; and his Lcrdfliip's whole
army arrived there the next day, the 20th of May : ihey marched
oppofite to Weftover, and pafled thejamesriver on the 24th. Lt.
Col. Simcoe, while at Weftover, received a letter from Gen. Lee,
with whom he had been acquainted whilft that gentleman was
prifoner in the Jerfies, pointing out the enormities committed by the
privateers : the proper reprefentation was made to Earl Cornwallis,
wlio took meafures to prevent the future mifcondudt of thefe licenced
mifcreants, by reprefenting them to Sir Henry Clinton. The army
marched towards the Chickahominy, and arrived at Bottom bridge
on the 28th. Lt. Col. Simcoe, with his cavalry,by a circuit, pafled
the Chickahominy, and patroled to New-Caftle, where he feized
feme rebel officers; and on his return, impofed upon and took
feveral Virginia gentlemen, who were watching the motions of Earl
Cornwallis, In the evening his Lordfliip marched ; and Lt. Colonel

U 2 Simcoe

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[ h8 ]

SImcoc halted during the night, and then followed tlic arttiy ; perhaps
not without utility, as the rear was uncommonly long, and the road
running, in many places, through thickets, patroles of the enemy
might cafily have taken a great many (Iragglers. He divided his
cavalry into fmall parties, left them at different diftanccs, and col-
leded the tired men as well as poffible, which was not in the power
of the infantry, that formed the rear guard, to cfTedl. Capt. Cooke'3
troop joined the Queen's Rangers, from New-York, but without a
fingle cavalry, appointment, or arms : the army halted near New-
Cafllc on the 29th, and marched to Hanover Court-houfe the next
day, where fome large brafs cannon, without carriages, were found,
and attemped to be deflroyed : the Qiicen's Rangers had advanced to
South- Anna bridge, and chafed and took a patrole of the enemy. Tlic
next day they crofled the North Anna, patroled for intelligence, and
took a militia gentleman on his return from Fayette's army. The
army proceeded to Tile's ordinary, on the ift of June: Lt. Col.
Simcoe croffed the North Anna, with his cavalry, with orders to get
intelligence of Fayette's march ; and Capt. Dundas, of the guards, with
the light company, was fent to a ftrong }X)ft:, a few miles over the
river, to fupport and cover his retreat. A rebel Commiflary was
chaccd and taken ; and, after a long patrole, full information was
obtained of Fayette's march, and the party returned. On Lt. Col.
Simcoe's arrival at head quarters, he found, that two of the Queen's
Rangers had committed a robbery and a rape: Lord Cornwallis
direded him to enquire into the matter, which Mas done by the
Captains of the corps ; and the robbery being fully proved, his
LordHiip ordered the men, agreeable to Lt. Col. Simcoe's defirc, to
be executed the next day.

Early the next morning, Lt. Col. Simcoe marched towards the
Baron Steuben, who was reported to be at the point of Fork, the
iK'ad of Jitmes river : Lord Cornwallis informed him, that Steuben's
force confiftcd of three or four hundred men ; and as the Queen's

Rangers

[ 149 ]

Rangers were Co debillatcd by the fatigues of the climate, ^co. as to
have fcarcely more than two hundred infaritiy and one hundred
cavalry, fit for duty, his Lordfliij) ordered the 71/!: reglmciu, under
Capt. liutchinfon, confiding of two hundred rank niui file, to joii
him : at Lt. Col. Simcoe's particular requeft, a three pounder was
annexed. The incefTant marches of the Rangers, and their diflanee
from their (lores, had fo worn out their fliocs, that, on lit. Colonel
Simcoe's calling for a return, it appeared, that near fifty men w ere
abfolutely barefooted ; upon aflembling them, when they were in-
formed that they were wanted for aftive employment, and that thoie
who chofc to (lay with the army might do fo, there was not a man
who would remain behind the corps. Lord Cornwallis ordered him,
on his return, to join the army at Goochland Court-houfe, whither
he flioidd march to receive his detachment, and that of Lt. Colonel
Tarleton, which was to endeavour to feize on the afTembly at
Charlotteiville ; and then, if circumftances admitted of it, to fall
back by the pomt of Fork. Lt. Spencer, with twenty huzzars,
formed the advanced guard : thefe were chofen men, and mounted on
the fleetcft horfes. Capt. Stcvenfon, with the light infantry company,
and the Heflian rifle men, under Lt. Beikel, followed: the 71ft
fuccceded with the cannon, followed by Capt. Althoufe with his
rifle men, and thofc of the Queen's Rangers : the infantry and Capt.
Shank, with the cavalry of the Rangers, clofed the rear. In cafe of
attack, the battallion in front (and the two battallions marched there
alternately) was direded to form in line; that which followed, to
clofe up into column ready to march to which ever tknl: it was or-
dered, as the cavalry under Capt. Shank was to the ether. The
whole of the cavalry preceded the march, 'till the detachment crofled
the bridge over the South Anna : Lt. Col. Simcoe then proceeded
with the utmoft difpatch, by Bird's ordinary, towards Napier's ford,
the fccond ford on the Rivana, above the Fluvana, the jundlion of
which rivers, at the point of Fork, forms the James river : not a

perfoii

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psrfon cfcapcd who was in fight, and the advanced cavalry were Co
managed as totally to conceal the advance of the infantry. At night
the corps lay upon their arms, in the ftrongefl pofition which could
be conveniently found, on the principle of making a front cacli
way ; and having a ilrong referve of infantry, as well as cavalry,
within the circle, ready to fupport any part which might be attacked,
and to fally from it if ordered : the guards and fentinels were, as
ufual, in ambufcade. After two days march, as the party approached
Napier's ford, fome prifoners and letters were taken, and other in-
telligence obtained, by which it appeared, that the march had been
hitherto undifcovered, and that Lt. Col. Tarleton's detachment alone
had been heard of; that Baron Steuben was about to march to
oppofe a patrole of Earl Cornwallis's army, or, more probably, de-
ceived in his intelligence of a detachment that had never been made j
and, that the Baron's force confiftcd of nine hundred effeftive men,
cxclufive of the militia who were aflembling to join him. The
troops had already marched that day nearly twenty miles, and the
two preceding days not Icfs than thirty each, when this intelligence
was accumulated. Lt. Spencer was diredted to proceed cautioufly,
gaining what intelligence he could, to Napier's houfe, which ftood
on a high and commanding ground -, near which it was intended to
halt during the night and to ambufcade the ford, it being the purpofe
to attack the enemy, by day break, the next morning. Lt. Spencer
went to the houfe of a Colonel Thompfon, which was furroundcd
with very high fences, and, alighting from his horfe, approached that
gentleman, who was accompanied by four of the militia, afking, in
a flimiliur manner, the road to the Baron's camp. Col. Thompfon,
fufpedling his errand, though armed, retreated precipitately and made
his efcape, with three of his men ; the fourth, leeing that two huz-
zars, who had accompanied Lt. Spencer, could not get over the
fence, or alTift him, prefented a double barrel piece within five yards
of his brtaft : Lt. Spencer, with great prefence of mind, immediately

threatened

B?l. K' €

C 151 ]

threatened to have him flogged on his arrival at the I'.'.ron':. c.;iv.p,
and, puUing fomc papers from liis pocket, told him, that i:hcy \vt re his
difpatches from M. Fayette : at the fame time lie moved gently tov-onls
him, intending, if poflible, to f-'ize the muzzel of his firelocl:, hut, 1, ;
the one advanced, the other retreated, keeping his piece ilill prcfcntcd,
until, getting over a fence at the back of the houfe, he ran tbwards
the river. At this moment, Lt. Spencer could have fljot liim with n
pocket piftol J but having received intimation from Lt. Col. Simcoc,
that it was expefted the enemy had a port at Napier's ford, two miles
lower, he prudently permitted him to efcape, rather than make an
alarm : thele people left five good horfes behind them. He then
proceeded to N^.pier's ford, and leaving his party unfeen, at a proper
diftance, he croflcd the river, with three men : on the oppofite fide
were two militia men well mounted, from whom he learnt that
Baron Steuben was at the point of Fork; that he had fent the
greateft part of his ftores, and fome troops, on the fouth fide the
river, and was fuperintending the tranfportation of the remainder
with the greateft difpatch. Lt, Spencer compleatly impofed on their
credulity ; they fuffered him to relieve them with two of his own
men, and accompanied him to Col. Napier's houfe, whom he took
prifoner. On this intelligence, Lt. Col. Simcoe determined to
march, with the utmoft celerity, towards Baron Steuben, hoping to
cut oft' his rear guard : Lt. Spencer preceded and occupied the road,
and every point from whence the troops could be feen, as they forded
the river j and, in order to prevent any intelligence from Colonel
Thompfon. Within two miles of Baron Steuben's encampment, a
patrole of dragoons appeared ; they were chafed and taken : it con-
fifted of a French officer and fourofArmand's corps. They con-
firmed Lt. Col. Simcoe in his belief, that Baron Steuben was ignorant
of his approach, as they were deftined to patrole twenty miles from
the point of Fork to the t)lace where, it afterwards appeared. Earl
Cornwallis's army had arrived the preceding night, and they were to

have

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il!t^

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C 152 ]

,1/ :

have pafll'd the Rivana at it's lowcfl: ford, Lt. Col. Simcoc's clrciii-
tuous march, to crols at the upper, having anfvvered the cxpciSlcd pur-
pofc. The advanced men of the huzzars changed cloaths with the pri-
foncrs, and dilpofitions were now made for the attack. The huzzars in
the enemy's cloathing, were diredled to gallop to the only houfc on the
point, and where it was underftood Baron Steuben was, at once to
difmount and, if poUiblc, to fcize him : they were to be fupportcd by
a detachment of cavalry, the light infantry company and the cannon.
Capt. Stcvenfon was intended to fortify the houfe, and to place the
cannon there as a point of rcfcrve ; Capt. Plutchinfon was to form
the Highlanders, on the left; and Lt. Col. Simcoe meant to occupy
the wood on the right of the houfe. The order was about to be
given for the men to lay down their knapfacks, when the advance
giiird brought in Mr. Farley, Baron Steuben's Aid du Camp : he
miftook them for the patrole which had been juft taken, and came to
fee whether it had fet off. Serjeant Wright being near the fize and
appearance of Mr. Farley, was diredled to exchange cloaths with him,
to mount his horfe, and lead the advance guard ; when that olhcer
aflurcd Lt. Col. Simcoe, that he had feen every man over the Fluvan;i,
before he left the point of Fork : this was confirmed by fome wag-
goners, who, with their teams, were now taken. The cavalry im-
mediately advanced, and the enemy being plainly fecn on the oppofite
iide, nothing remained but to flop fome boats, which were putting
off from the extreme point : this Capt. Shank effeftcd, and took
about thirty people who were on the banks, from which the em-
barkation had proceeded. Every method was now taken to perfuadc
the enemy, that the party was Earl Cornwallis's army, that they
might leave the oppofite Ihore, which was covered with arms and
ftores : Capt. Ilutchinfon, with the 71ft regiment, (cloathed in red)
was diredled to advance as near to the banks of the Fluvana as he
could with perfeft fafety, and without the hazard of a fingle man,
from the enemy's (hot, who had lined the oppofite fhore : the baggage

and

[

»53

]

and women halted among the woods, on the fummit of the hill, and,
In that pofition, made the appearance of a numerous corps : the
three pounder was carried down, the artillery men being pofitivcly
ordered to fire but one ihot and to take the bed aim poflible, which
they performed, killing the horfe of one of Baron Steuben's orderly
dragoons. The troops occupied the heights which covered the
neck of the point, and their numbers were concealed in the wood.
Baron Steuben was encamped on the heights, on the oppofite fide of
the river, about three quarters of a mile from its banks : the prifoners,
and obfervation confirmed the information which had been received
of his numbers. As night approached, and the men were fomewhat
refrefhed, every precaution was taken to prevent any furprize which
the number, and the charader of the enemy's general, might lead
them to attempt. Lt. Col. Simcoe who, from his childhood, had
been taught to confider the military as the moil extenfive and pro-
found of fciences, had no apprehenfion from the talents of fuch men
as had been educated in different profefHons, and whom accident had
placed at the head of armies ; and he had always afTerted it as a princi-
ple, that, from the fuperiority of the King's troops, and of the officers
who led them, if he fhould ever have a command, in which he ihould
be fuperior in one fpecies of troops, whether cavalry or infantry, he
would be totally unconcerned for the event of any adion he might
have with the enemy. Baron Steuben had no cavalry, yet, in the
prefent iituation, there was great room for anxiety, fince the immediate
ground of encampment was not fevourable for the exertions of his
few, but well trained, well officered* and invincible body of cavalry ;
and the enemy were led by a Pruffian officer. The very military in-
llrudtions of his king were capable of forming better officers than
any other theory could poffibly do, orprobdbly could be ef!eAed by
the experience of ten campaigns under incompetent mafters. In
the exercife alfo which he had given the rebel army, the Baron Steuben
had fhewn himfelf an able officer, and that he well knew how to

X adapt

''H

'h-

II i i ■ I

(■ !

[ t54 ]

adapt the fcience of war to the people whom he was to inftruc'l,
and to the country in which he was to aft. He liad palll-d the
Fluvana ; but he had done this in confequence of his orders to join
General Green's army : an exprefs, fent to countermand this order,
Lt. Col. Simcoe knew had been taken a few days before by Lt. Col.
Tarleton j and it was fair to fuppofe, that he might now have furtlicr
intelligence ; that he might be pcrfedly acquainted with the num-
bers of his opponents, and might poflibly determine to attack
Lt. Col. Simcoe, as well as the detachment which the intercepted
letter mentioned, that he was preparing to meet. Lt Col. Simcoe
was therefore apprehenfive, left Baron Steuben, having fecured his
ftores, which were of great value, over a broad and unfordable river,
and, being in pofleflion of all the boats, fliould repafs his troops in
the night, higher up the river, and fall on him, fo that, if the BritiHi
troops fliould be beaten, they would have no retreat, being fliut up
between two rivers, while thofe of the Americans, fliould they be
repulfed, were preferved from the purfuitof the cavalry by the thick
woods, which came clofe to their encampment, and, from that of
the infantry, by the fatigues they had undergone in a march of nearly
forty miles the preceding morning. Thefe ideas occupied the mind
of Lt. Col. Simcoe, and he would have quitted his camp had he not
thought the troops too much fatigued, to fearch for a more favourable
pofition, which was not to be attained for fome miles ; and, partly,
had he not hoped that Steuben would believe him to be the advance
of Earl Cornwallis's army, particularly, as the light troops had no
foldiers among them cloathcd like the 71 ft regiment, in red. That
regiment, and the Queen's Rangers, occupied the roads, with rail
tletches and other defences : Capt. Althoufe, with his company and
the yagers, were ported on a knowle, among the woods, between the
main body and the Fluvana, the cavalry lay in the rear of the
Queen's Rangers, and fmall pofts were extended fo as to form a chain
between the rivers. Capt. Shank had orders to fend continual patrolcs

i.^ '' ■ I

[ ^55 ]

of cavalry from river to river, about Haifa mile in front of the in-
fantry j and the troops were acquainted with the probability of an
attack, and were perfectly prepared lor it. At night, the enemy
were heard dcftroying their boats, with great noile : at midni;;ht,
Capt. Shank informed Lt. Col. Simcoe, that they were making up
their firOvS, and that he fuppofed they were moving ; with which he
perfedly agreed, when it was Cccn that they were uniformly rcfrcflicd
throughout their camp. Soon after, a deferter and a little drummer
boy came from the enemy in a canoe, and gave information that
Steuben had marched off on the road by Cumberland Court-houfe,
towards North Carolina. It is remarkable this boy belonged to the
7 1 fl: regiment : he had been taken prifoner at the Cow-pens, enlifted
with the enemy, and now, making his efcape, was received by the
piquet which his father commanded. When daylight appeared, there
was not an enemy to be fecn. Serjeant John M'Donald, of the high-
land conipany of the Queen's Rangers, fwam over to the enemy's fliore,
and brought off a large canoe : two or three fmaller ones were found
on the Rivana. The cannon and rifle-men were fent down to line
the bufhes on the banks of the Fluvana ; and, under their protedlion,
Capt. Stevenfon, with twenty of the light infantry, paffed over to the
opjiolite banks, which he found covered with the enemy's ftores.
Cornet Wolfey was then fent over with four huzzars, with their
faddlcs : he was diredled to get fome of the draggling horfes which
had been left by the enemy, to port himfelf upon the road on the
fiimmit of the hill, and then, if he fliould meet with an enemy's
patrolc, to make a great fhout and every demonftration of purfuing
them, to imprefs them with an idea that the whole corps had paffed.
Capt. Stevenfon was employed in fending off fuch things as might
be uleful to the troops, and deftroying the remainder. As the de-
t.icliment met with plenty of provifions and forage at the point of
I'ork, Lt. Col. Simcoe determined to halt there the whole of the
day i but, that his return to Earl Cornwallis's arir.y might not be in

X 2 the

: -^i

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[ 156 ]

the leaft delayed, he was attentive to the building of a float, by which
he might pafs the Rivana at its confluence with the South-Anna :
this would fave him a day's march, which he mud have made in
cafe he Ihould repafs it at the nearefl; ford. He alfo meant to ufe this
float in carrying down the cannon and mortars which the enemy had
left to Earl Cornwallis at Goochland Court-houfe. In the middle of
the day a patrole from Lt. Col. Tarleton, who was on the oppofite
fide of the Rivana, communicated with him ; the float was compleated
and launched towards noon, and Capt. Stevenfon, having efitdually
done his bufinefs, returned in the evening. Cornet Wolfey had very
fortunately executed his orders, fora patrole of theenemy hadapproached
to the place where he was ported, and, on perceiving him, fled with
the utmort fpeed. It was afterwards underrtood, that on this patrole
joining Baron Steuben, in confequence of their report, he immediately
proceeded twenty miles farther, tho' he had already marched thirty miles
from the point of Fork. He muft have believed that the whole of
Earl Cornwallis's army were in purfuit of him, or he would have
fcarcely abandoned fuch a quantity of rtores : a guard of twenty or
thirty men would have efledtually prevented the Rangers from de-
ftroying them, and they would have been in perfedl fafety in that
cafe, had Earl Cornwallis adhered to his flrrt intention, of halting at
Goochland Court-houfe. The army arriving near the point of Fork
on the 7th of June, Lt. Col. Simcoe pafled the Rivana, and rejoined
it. The Fluvana being a larger river than the Rivana, at its con-
fluence forces back the latter, and it becomes as rtill as a mill pond. The
water was fenced, as it were, with fpars and canoes, fo as to make a
lane, and the horfes fwam over between them : the infantry pafled
on the float, which held, with eafe, a hundred and thirty men, and
had been made in four hours ; and the artillery, fome of which had been
brought over from the oppofite fhore in a fmaller float, made by the
jundlion of two canoes, were carried over on it, and put into empty
waggons fent by Earl Cornwallis for that purpofc. There were de-

ftroyed

I b.

[ ^57 ]

ftroyed at the point of Fork, two thoufand five hundred ftand of
arms, a large quantity of gunpowder, cafe (hot, &c. feveral cafks of
faltpetre, fulphur, and brimftone, and upwards of fixty hogfheads of
rum and brandy, feveral chefls of carpenters' tools, and upwards of
four hundred intrenching tools, with cafks of flints, fail cloth and
waggons, and a great variety of fmall flores, neceffary for the equip-
ment of cavalry and infantry : fuch linen and neceflarics, as would be
of immediate fervice, were divided among the captors. There were
taken off, a thirteen-inch mortar, five brafs eight-inch howitzers, and
four long brafs nine pounders, mounted afterwards at York town :
all French pieces and in excellent order. Lt. Col. Simcoe, on the
9th of June, was detached with his cavalry to deflroy fome tobacco
in the warehoufes, on the northern bank of the Fluvana : he pafled
at the loweft ford, and proceeding to the Seven iflands, deflroyed one
hundred and fifty barrels of gunpowder^ and burnt all the tobacco in
the warehoufes on the river fide, returning with fome rebel militia
whom he had furprized and made prifoners. The army remained in
this diftrift 'till the thirteenth of June ; and the cavalry of the Queen's
Rangers made feveral patroles, particularly one to Bird's ordinary, at
midnight, where, it was underflood, the Marquis de la Fayette, with
his forces, had arrived. It appeared, however, that they were at a great
diftance, fo that the army moved towards Richmond, the Queen's Ran-
gers forming the rear guard . The 7 1 ft regiment here left the Rangers j
the two corps had adled with the utmoft harmony together, and
Lt. Col. Simcoe remembers, with great fatisfadlion, the expreilions
of goodwill and regret which both the officers and foldiers of that
diftinguiHied regiment made ufe of, when they quitted his command.
Earl Cornwallis arrived at Richmond the 16th of June. On the
17th, Lt. Col. Simcoe was detached with fome infantry ' his
cavalry, to pafs the James river, near Henrico Court-houfej .vhich
he did the next morning, to facilitate the paflage of the boats with
convalcfcents up to Richmond, and to clear the fouthern banks of the

James

if'

' If,

^l'i

'1 : ■!''

iUi

■X I

■\l ■•

[ 158 ]

James river of any parties of militia who might be ftatloned to annoy
them. The detachment recrolled the river on the night of the 19th,
from Manchefter to Richmond, and Capt. Ewald, with the yagers,
joined the Queen's Rangers. On the 20th it being reported that
the enemy had a flying corps, all mounted, under Gen. Muhlenberg,
and conlilling of twelve hundred men, Lt. Col. Simcoe was direded
to pp.lrole for intelligence : he marched with forty cavalry (but con-
fidering this a fervice of particular danger) with the utmoft caution.
He quitted the road and marched through the woods, as nearly
parallel to it as the enclofures, which had been cleared, would admit.
After a. march of a few miles, to his great fatisfadion, he difcovered a
flag of truce, of the enemy j and he was certain, that according to their
cuftom, fome of them would be found in its rear. Lt. Spencer was
therefore detached with a fmall party to get beyond th-em upon the road,
whichhe effedted, and found himfelf in the rear of a party of twenty men ;
but the woods on his right being open, though Lt. Lawler fupported
him in front, one officer and two or three men only were taken.
Lt. Col. Simcoe immediately returned, having procured from the
prifoners every requifite intelligence. The armv marched, on the
21ft of June, to Bottom-bridge, and on the 22d to New Kent Court-
houfe : the Queen's Rangers, who made tlic rear with the yagers,
lay near two miles on the left of the army. Lt. Col. Simcoe was
ordered to march the next day towards the Chickahominy, where it
was fuppofed there was a foundery, and fome boats : thefe he was to
deftroy, to colled all the cattle he could find in the country, and
proceed to Williamlburg j and Lord Cornwallis exprefsly told him,
that he might, in thefe operations, lafcly flay two or three days behind
the army, who were to be at Williamfburg on the 25th of June.
Lt. Col. Simcoe marched early in the morning of the 24th, con-
fuming a quantity of Indian corn, which iiad been coUeded by the
enemy's commiirary,at the houle where hequartered: he found little or
nothing to deftroy on the Chickahominy, and halted tliat night at

Dandrige's,

;* Uf'll* i

I'llli '

'' li

[ 159 ]

Dandrige's, as Earl Cornwallis did in the neighbourhood of Bird's
ordinary. The bridge over the Diefckung creek (a branch of the
Chickahominy) had been broken down : this was three miles in the
rear of the detachment, and Lt. Col. Simcoe would have pafled it
that night, fo diffident was he of his fecurity, had not the men been
too much fatigued with their march, to be employed in fo laborious
a talk as the repair of this bridge was underllood to be. The next
morning, at day break, the detachment arrived there : it had been
carelefsly deftroyed, and was, by anxious and laborious exertion, re-
paired fufficiently to pafs over. Lt. Col. Simcoe then deftroyed it
moft efFedlually, and marched on to Cooper's mills on the 25th, near
twenty miles from Williamftjurg, where Earl Cornwallis arrived in
the courfe of the day. Lord Cornwallis's waggons had been at the
mills the day before, and taken from thence all the flour they con-
tained, fo that it was difficult to get fubfiftence. Lt. Col. Simcoe
felt his fituation to be a very anxious one : he had not the fmalleft:
information of the enemy's movements, whom he knew to be adlive
and enterprizing ; to have been lately joined by Gen. Wayne; and,
that it was their obvious policy, to follow Earl Cornwallis as far
towards the neck of Williamlburg as with fafety they could, and to
take any little advantage which they could magnify in their news-
papers. He had received no advices from Earl Cornwallis, whofe
general intelligence he knew to be very bad ; and he and Major
Armftrong agreed with Capt. Ewald, that the flighteft reliance was
not to be placed on any patroles from his Lordfhip's army. The next
advantage, to receiving good intelligence, is to deceive the enemy
with that which is falfe : Lt. Col. Simcoe could not procure any
confidential perfon to go to M. de la Fayette's camp : he therefore
promifed a great reward to a man, whom he knew to be a rebel, to go
thither, with exprefs injundions to return to him by fix or Ccvcn
o'clock, at the fartheft, the next morning, at which time he iaid
he fhould march. The man accordingly fet out towards night ; and,

! r

f ! ^i*

f- 1,

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Hi''--

[ 160 ]

at two o'clock in the morning. Major Armftrong with the yagers,
infantry and cannon, was on his march to Spencer's ordinary, on the
forks of the road between Williamfburg and James town : there he
was to halt 'till the cavalry joined him, and then the whole, with the
convoy of cattle, which Capt. Branfon, with fome North Carolina
Loyalifls, had been employed to collect, was to proceed to Williamf-
burg. Lt. Col. Simcoe, with the cavalry, was under arms at the
time his infantry marched, and ready to proceed whenever Captain
Branfon thought there was light fufHcient to drive the cattle, and to
colleA whatever might be met with on the road : the cavalry did not
leave their camp 'till three o'clock. On approaching Spencer's
ordinary, Lt. Col. Simcoe ordered the fences to be thrown down,
and rode into the open ground upon the right, obferving it, as was his
cuftom, and remarking, to the officers with him, " that it was an
** admirable place for the chicanery of adtion." Lt. Lawlcr had
been previoufly fent to direct the infantry to move onward to Wil-
liamfburg, when Major ArmArong returning with him, informed
Lt. Col. Simcoe that there were near an hundred head of cattle in
the neighbourhood ; but that he waited 'till the drivers arrived to
ipare the infantry from that fatigue. Capt. Branfon, with his people,
went to collect them ; and Capt. Shank, who commanded the
cavalry, was directed to feed his horfes at Lee's farm, and Lt. Colonel
Simcoe accompanied Major Armflrong to the infantry. The high-
land Company of the Queen's Rangers had been poAed in the wood,
by the fide of the road, as a piquet : a fhot or two from their fentinels
gave an alarm, and Lt. Col. Simcoe galloping acrofs the field, towards
the wood, faw Capt. Shank in purfuit of the enemy's cavalry. They
had palTcd through the fences which had been pulled down, as before
mentioned, fo that, unperceived by the highlanders, they arrived at
Lee's farm, in purfuit of the people who were colleding the cattle.
Trumpeter Barney, who had been flatiuned as a vidette, gave the
alarm, and galloped off fo as not to lead the enemy dire^ly to where

the

•J.

[ t6x ]

the cavalry were colledling their forage and watering, ami, with ^j(\\t
addrefs, got to them unperceivcd by the enemy, calling out " dr.iw
*• your fwords Rangers, the rebels are coming." Capt. Shunk,
who was at Lee's farm waiting the return of the troops with their
forage, in order to pod them, immediately joined, and led
them to the charge on the enemy's flank, which was fomewhat
expofed, while fome of them were engaged in fecuring the bat-horfes
at the back of Lee's farm : he broke them entirely. Serjeant Wright
dafhed Major Macpherfon, who commanded them, from his horle ;
but, leaving him in purfuit of others, that officer crept into a fwamp,
lay there unperceived during the adion, and when it was over got
off. Trumpeter Barney difmounted and took a French officer, who
commanded one of the divifions. The enemy's cavalry were fo
totally fcattered, that they appeared no more : many of them were
difmounted, and the whole would have been taken, had not a heavy
fire out of the wood, from whence the highland company were now
driven, protedled them. At this moment Lt. Col. Simcoe arrived :
he had, at the firft (hot, ordered the infantry to march in column
into the road towards the enemy, the light infantry company and
Capt. Ewald's detachment excepted, which, being on the right, were
moving ftraight to their own front to gain the wood. Collefting
from the prifbners, that the enemy were in force, and that M. de la
Fayette, and Generals Wayne and Steuben were at no great diftance,
the line was directed to be formed, fpreading itfelf with wide inter-
vals, and covering a great fpace of ground between the road on its
left and Capt. Ewald on the right ; and, when formed, it was direfted
to advance to gain the wood, as it was his idea, to outflank the
enemy by the length of the line. The principle which Lt. Colonel
Simcoe always inculcated and adled on againft the rifle-men, (whom he
judged to be in the advanced corps of M. Fayette's army) was to rufli
upon them ; when, if each feparate company kept itfelf compact,
there was little danger, even fhould it be furrounded, from troops

Y who

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[ 162 ]

who were without bayonets, and whofe objedl: It was to fire a fingle
(hot with eflfedt: the pofition of an advancing Ibldicr was calculated
to leflcn the true aim of the firft fliot, and his rapidity to prevent the
riHc-man, who requires foine time to load, from giving a fccond ; or at
leafl to render his aim uncertain, and his fire by no means formidable.
Lt. Col. Simcoc had withdrawn the cavalry from the fire of the
enemy, and diredled Capt. Althoufe, whofc rifle company had been
mounted, to difn^ount and to check them, if they fallied from the
wood in purluit of the cavalry, or for the purpofe of reconnoitering j
and this he executed very efiedually. Capt. Branlbn had diftinguidied
himfelf in the charge on the enemy's cavalry, and being drefied in
red, he became a marked objed to them : he was now ordered with
the drivers and the cattle, to proceed to Williamfburg ; expreffes
were fcnt to Lord Cornwallis ; and Lt. Allan, who adted as Quarter-
Maftcr, carried off the baggage that road, was diredlcd to cut
down trees, and to barricade the firft pafs for the corps to rally, in
cafe of nccellity : the fences were pulled down on the James town
road, in the rear of the cavalry, that the retreat might be made
that way, if, which was every moment to be expelled, the enemy
<hould have occupied the Williamfturg road in the rear. Lt. Colonel
Simcoe moved with the cavalry out of fight of the enemy, down the
hill towards James town road, and re-afcending at Lee's farm, there
made a difplay of the whole force; then fell back again behind
the hill, leaving only the front, a detachment of huzzars, both to
prevent the left from Iieing turned without notice, and to deceive
the enemy into a belief that the whole cavalry (whofc force they had
already felt) were behind the eminences, waiting for an opportunity
to fall upon their right flank : he rct-rned rapidly with the reft of
the cavalry undifcovered to the road, and formed them out of fight
and out of reach of the enemy, partly in the road and partly on its
left. Beyond Capt. Ewald's flank there was open ground, which
could eafily be fccn from the eminence on which Lt. Col. Simcoe

was

-1, ,.

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was, and (l>y ilie turn of tlis Williamflmrg r jaJ) tliu civ;.!;-/ v.i/.iM
liavc had quick acccls to it, had the enemy aj>pearetl thciv : l>y thf
j>ofition of the cavalry, it was alio ready, ia cafe the infantry had
given way to flank the enemy, if tliey Hiould iilVie from the wood
in purfuit of it; the bell fuhftitiite for want of the rclbrvc, which,
from the extent of the woods and the cnemy'j numbers, had been
thrown into the line. Upon the left of the road the three pounder
was placed, the amuzette having broken down : there too the high-
land company had retired. The enemy now appeared in great force,
lining the fences on the edge of the wood ''whicli feparated it from
the open gtound) in front of the infantry ; and rcfifing their right
upon the open ground, by echelons ; probably deceived by the ap-
pearance of the cavalry at Lee's farm : to add to tlieir reafons for not
advancing, one cannon fliot, and no more, was ordered to be fired at
the body, which appeared to be at the greateft dillince. The in-
fantry was now in line, but with intervals between the companies,
advancing as fall as the plonglied fields they had to crofs would
admit. Lt. Col. Simcoe did not expcdl vidory, but he was deter-
mined to try for it j his beft hopes were to obtain and line the wood,
checking the enemy's advance, 'till fuch times as the convoy vas in
fecurity, and then to retreat. He had the mod general and particul?-
confidence in the officers and foldiers of his corps, who were dif-
ciplined enthufmjh in the caufe of their country , and who, having
been ever vidlorious, thought it impolTible to fuffer defeat -, nor had
he lefs reliance on the acknowledged military talents of his friend
Ewald, and the cool and tried courage of his yagers : the event fully
judified the expreflion which he ufed in the beginning of the adlion,
" I will take care of the left ; while Ewald lives, the right flank will
** never be turned." Fortune now decided in favour of the Britilh
troops : the road from Norwal's mills was enclofed with high and
ftrong fences j a confiderabic body of the enemy being on the right
of the road, and, feeing the infantry advancing, faced and were

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[ 164 ]

crofTing thefe fences to flank them : they did not obferve the
cavalry, which, while they were in this diforder, loft not the mo-
ment J but, led by Capt. Shank, charged them up the road, and
upon its left, entirely broke and totally difperfed them. The
infantry were ordered to advance, and they rufhed on with the
greateft rapidity j the enemy's fire was in vain, they were driven
from the fences and the wood. Capt. Ewald turned their left flank,
and gave them a fevere fire as they fled in the utmoft confufion :
could he have been fupported, as he wifhed, by a very fmall body of
frefh bayonet men, fuch was the advantage of the ground, that the
enemy, in confufion, and panick ftrucken, would have received a very
fevere blow, before it could have been poflible for them to rally.
Cornet Jones, who led the firft divifion of cavalry, was unfortunately
killed : he was an adtive, fenfible, promifing oflicer. The mounted
rifle-men of the Queen's Rangers charged with Capt. Shank : the
gallant Serjeant M'Pherfon, who led them, was mortally wounded.
Two of the men of this detachment were carried away by their
impetuofity fo far as to pafs beyond the enemy, and their horfes
were killed : they, however, fecreted themfelves in the wood un-
der fume fallen logs, and, when the enemy fled from that fpot,
they returned in fafety to the corps. By a miftake, fcarcely avoid-
able in the tumult of adtion, Capt. Shank was not fupported, as
was intended, by the whole of his cavalry, by which fewer pri-
Ibners were taken than might have been : that valuable officer
was in the moft imminent danger, in fighting his way back
through the enemy, who fired upon him, and wounded the Trum-
peter Barney and killed fome of the huzzars, who attended him.
The grenadier company, commanded by Capt. M* Gill, fignalized
by their gallantry as well as by their drefs, loft feveral valuable men.
Capt. Stevenfon \vzs diftinguillied as ufual : his chofen and well-
trained light infantry were obftinately oppofed ; but they carried their
point with the lofs of a fourth of their numbers, killed and wounded.

I 165 ]

An affair of this nature neceflarily afforded a great variety of gallaiu
adtions in individuals. Capt. M' Rae reported to Lt. Col. Simcoe,
that his fubaltern, Lt. Charles Dunlop, who had fcrvcd in the
C)ueen's Rangers from thirteen years of age, led on his divifion on
horfeback, without fuff^ering a man to fire, watching the enemy, and
giving a fignal to his men to lay down whenever a party of thcir's
was about to fire : he arrived at the fence where the enemy had been
poded with his arms loaded, a condudb that might have been dccilivc
of the adlion : fortunately he efcaped unhurt. The whole of the lofs
of the Queen's Rangers amounted to ten killed, and twenty-three
wounded ; among the latter was Lt. Swift Armflrong, and Enfign
Jarvis, afting with the grenadiers : the yagers had two or three men
wounded and one killed. It may be fuppofed, in the courfe of fo
long a fervice, there was fcarcely a man of them, whofe death did not
call forth a variety of fituations, in which his courage had been dif-
tinguifhed, or his value exemplified ; and it feemed to every one, as
if the flower of the regiment had been cut off. As the whole feries
of the fervice of light troops gives the greatefl latitude for the
exertion of individual talents, and of individual courage, fo did the
prefent fituation require the mofl perfect combination of them:
Every divifion, every officer, every foldier had his fhare in the merit
of the adion : miflake in the one might have brought on cowardice
in the other, and a fingle panick flrucken foldier would probably
have infeded a platoon, and led to the utmofl confufion and ruin ;.
fb that Lt. Col. Simcoe has ever con fidered this adion as the climax
of a campaign of five years, as the refult of true difcipline acquired
in that fpace by unremitted diligence, toil, and danger, as an.
honourable vidory earned by veteran intrepidity.

The inflant Lt. Col. Simcoe could draw oflf and coUedt his force,
and had communicated with Capt. Ewald, it was thought proper to
retreat; the information obtained from two and thirty prifoners,
many of them officers and of different corps, making it expedient

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[ i66 ]

lb to do : the wounded men were collcdled into Spencer's ordinary,
there being no waggons with the detachment, and they were left
there with the furgeon's mate, and a flag of truce. The infantry
filed off to the right, and the cavalry clofed the rear : the party foon
arrived at a brook, on the oppofite and commanding fide of which
Lt. Allen, with the pioneers, had cut down fomc trees, and was
proceeding to give it fuch defences as it was capable of receiving.
In Icfs than two miles, Lt. Col. Simcoc met Earl Cornwalii«, and
the advance of his army, and returned with them towards Spencer's
ordinnry : he reported to his Lordfhip, what he had learnt from an
examination of the rebel prifoners, and by his own and his ofticers
obicrvations ; that the enemy were, at the leaft, twelve hundred
Arong in ai^ion, above three times the numbers of his corps;
that Fayette's army was at no great didance; that they had
marched twenty-eight miles, and had no provifions : Lt. Colonel
Simcoc added, that he had cffedually deftroyed the Diefcung
briJge. Earl Cornwallis examined the prifoners, and obfer>xd
to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that it was a march of great hazard in
Fayette, as on the leaft previous intimation he muft have been
cut off. On the approach to Spencer's, Lt. Col. Simcoe galloped
forward, and was very happy to find, that his wounded men
were not prifoners, none of the enemy having approached them j
and he found a foraging party of Earl Cornwallis's army, with the
waggons on which the wounded and the dead were placed. So
little idea w-as there entertained of Fayette's move, that this foraging
party had proceeded fome miles on the Williamfburg road, and
would have been certainly taken, had it not been for the adtion at
Spencer's. It v. js reported, and not without probability, that a
patrole of the enemy met with this party on the road, where it was
natural to expedl Lord Cornwallts's army, and took it for his ad-
vance guard, and that this belief prevented them from renewing the
attack. Lt, Col. Tarleton foon after arrived at Spencer's: he had

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[ 167 ]

advanced up the Willlamfburg road, and In the wood In front of
Spencer's, met with a great number of arms, thrown away, and
other fymptoms of the confufion in which the enemy had fled : the
army returned to WiUiamlburg, and the Queen's Rangers were hutted
on the right at Queen's creek. At the commencement of the adion,
the bat-men and their hoifcs, feeding at Lee's farm, were taken j
they were all refcued, Lt. Col. Simcoe's groom excepted, the only
prifoner the enemy carried off. It was generally reported, that tlie
perfon who had been fent to Fayette's camp, from Cooper's mills,
conducted Gen. Wayne thither, about four o'clock in the morn-
ing, who, with a large force, charged with fixed bayonets, the
fires which the Queen's Rangers had but juft quitted. M. Fayette,
in his public letters, Aated the lofs of the firitilli at one hun-
dred and fifty killed and wounded, ^nd attributed it to the fkill
of his rifle-men : his own he diminiihed, recapitulating that only
of the continental troops, and taking no notice of the militia : it is
certain they had a great many killed and wounded, exclufive of the
prifoners. The rifle-men, however dextrous in the ufe of their
arms, were by no means the moft formidable of the rebel troops ;
rheir not being armed with bayonets, permitted their opponents to
take liberties with them which otherwife would have been highly
improper. Cornet Jones was buried at Willlamfburg the next day,
with military honours. It was given out in the publick orders, at
Willlamfburg, on the 28th of June, tliat " Lord Cornwallis deilres
** Lt. Col. Simcoe will accept of his warmefl acknowledgments for
'* his fpirited and jud-cious condu<a in the adtion of the 26th in-
** flant, when he repulfed and defeated fo fuperior a force of the
** enemy. He likewile defires that Lt. Col. Simcoe vvill commu-
" nicate his thanks to the oflicers and fbldiers of the Queen's Ran-
** gers, and to Capt. Ewald and the detachment of yagers."

Earl Cornwallis vifiting York town on the 28th of June, Lt. Col.
Simcoe, with the cavalry, cfcorted him thither j his Lordfliip dif-

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[ 168 ]

sipproving of it as a pofit, Lt. Col. Simcoe obfervcd to him, that if
any of the points below it, and one was then in their view, would
be more favourable for fuch -a garrifon as his Lordfhip intended, that
it would be eafy to remove York town to it : his LordHiip aflented,
and perfonally made the neceflary enquiry j but the water was not
fufficiently deep to harbour fhips of war. The enemy fired a ran-
dom fliot or two, from Gloucefter, at the efcort when it marched
into York town, and were prepared to repeat it on its return j but
this was avoided by keeping on the heights, and Earl Cornwallis
returned in the evening. The Queen's Rangers made two patroles
during the continuance of the army at William(burg : the firft was
with the defign of afccrtaining the enemy's port: : Lt. Col. Simcoe
left the infantry in ambufcade, about five miles from Williamlburg,
and proceeding feven or eight miles further, drove in the enemy's
advance guard. The fecond patrole was made to the fame fpot, and
for the fame purpofe. Earl Cornwallis underflanding the enemy had
left it. The peninfula was interfe<Sted with roads, full of fmall
woods, and the enemy were in force. Lt. Col. Simcoe expected to
be ambufcaded; fo that he marched only with his cavalry and
through bye-paths and the woods. In approaching the poft, he
left the party with orders for them to retreat whenfoever the bugle-
horns founded the advance, and proceeded himlelf with a finall
efcort, fotne officers and the bugle-horns ; being mounted on a tall
horle, a matter of great utility in all reconnoitering parties, he faw
the heads of fome people in ambufcade, before they could ftoop from
notice on ftis approach, and another party was plainly difcovered on
their march to get behind him on the Williamfburg road : the horni.
ftjunded, the alarm was given, and the party retreated by the ways
ihey came, unmolefled, to Williamiburg.

On the 4th of July the army marched to James town, for the pur-
pofe of crofllng the river at that place, and proceeding to Portfmouth :
the^ Queen's Rangers crofled the river that evening, and took ooft to

cover

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[ ,69 ]

cover the baggage, which was pafling over as expcdltiouny as pofilblc.
On the evening of the 6th, as Earl Cornwallis had predicted, M, de
la Fayette attacked his army, miftaking it for the rear guard only :
the affair was almoft confined to the 80th and 76th regiments-,
under the command of Lt. Col. Dundas, whofe good conduifl and
gallantry was confpicuoufly difplayed on that occafion. M. de la
Fayette was convinced of his error, by being inftantly repulfed, and
loiing what cannon he had brought with him. The army having
been pafled over, marclied on the 9th towards Portfmouth. On its
halting at Suffolk, the Queen's Rangers being ordered for embarka-
tion, proceeded to the vicinity of Portfmouth on the 14th, and
embarked on the 20th : the embarkation of which, the Queen's
Rangers made a part, was fuppofed to be intended to co-operate in
an attack on Philadelphia. It was countermanded, and the troops, fail-
ing up the river, landed at York Town on the 2d of Auguft: the Ran-
gers being, of the firft difembarkation, under Lt. Col. Abercrombie.
Several patroles were made from York town to Williamlburg, by
the cavalry of the Queen's Rangers, latterly under the command of
Capt. Shank, the health of Lt. Col. Simcoe being much impaired.
This journal, haftening to a conclufion, it is proper that it may be
compleated, to take notice of Capt. Saunders, and the officers, and
chofen men, whom he had taken with him, in order to compleat his-
troop, on Gen. Leflie's expedition ; and this cannot be better accom-
plifhed than by extradts from a letter which that officer wrote to
Lt. Col. Simcoe.

♦* Agreeable to your defire, I now detail fome anecdotes of the
detachment wliich was fent under my command with Gen. Leflie :
on the evening of the arrival of the fleet in Lynhaven bay, I was
ordered by Gen. Leflie to land with a detachment, confifting of a
fubaltern's command of the guards, and the officers and twelve men
of my troop, and to march through Princefs Ann, for the purpofe
of taking fome of the mofl violent leaders of the rebels, in that

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[ 170 ]

county; but the great fwell of the fca obliging me to land in a
different place from which I had intended, I was, in confequence,
conftrained to crofs the Lynhaven inlet, which was unfordable.
Knowing that there was a canoe about half-a-mile on the other
fide, I alked if any one would volunteer the fervice of fetching it;
Serjeant Burt inftantly offered himfelf, and, with his fword in his
mouth, plunged into the water, fwaai over and brought the canoe,
in which we crolTed, and this he did although, on our arrival at the
inlet, we had obfcrved a man on horfeback, who appeared from the
precipitancy with which he had rode off", to have been placed there
as a vedette. A few days after this, I was fent with a detachment,
under the orders of Col. Schutz, to Suffolk, by Sleepy-hole ferry :
we crofled the ferry at night, and by preceding (under cover of the
darknefs) with my troop, the reft of the detachment, I collected a
fufficient number of horfes to moimt both men and officers. From
Suffolk we returned to Portfmouth, when I requefted General Leilie
to permit me to occupy the poft at Kemp's landing, with the two
officers and the non-commiflioned officers, and twelve private dra-
goons of my troop, which he granted, after I had explained to him
my intimate knowledge of the people, and of the country. With
this force I remained there until the General was obliged to embark
for South Carolina. On our arrival at Charles Town, Col. Balfour
ordered r y officers and men up to George-Town ; and, as he told
me that lie had not authority to permit the return of myfelf and
party to the regiment, I found it necellary to go to Wynnefturg (180
miles) where Lord Cornwallis w.is encamped, to folicit his leave,
lie granted it ; I returned to Charles-Town, and had the men in the
boat, to embark in tlie Romulus, when the arrival of the exprefs
witli Tarlton's difaller at the Cowpcns, induced Colonel Balfour to
countermand the embarkation, and to detain us 'till the impreffion
made by this unfortunate event ffiould be done away. He ordered
im and my troop to George-Town, promifing not only to explain

[ '71 ]

to you the neccfllty of my detention, but alfo that it fhould not be
long : I went there, and foo:i after obtained the command of that
pofl. But before I mention what happened under my orders, I fhdl
prcmife the behaviour of the troop , prior to this, when Lt. Wilfon
had the command of it. On the 25th Dec. 1780, being the dzy
after Lt. Wilfon's arrival at George-Town, he and his party made
a patrole, under the command of Col. Campbell of Fanning's corps,
when they fell in with a party of above fifty mounted rebels, which
they were ordered to charge. TJiey immediately did it, and with efted,
defeating them and taking one of their officers prifoner : tlie otiiers
owed their efcape to the fpeed of their horfcs, and the thicknefs of
the wood. Lt. Wilfon was wounded ; he received the thanks of
Col. Campbell for his condudl in tl\c following words. " It is
*' with pleafure that the Commanding Officer obferves the fpirit and
*• gallantry of the troops in general, but is infinitely obliged to Capt.
" Blucke and Lieut. Wilfon, for their diflinguifhed gallantry and
'• behaviour this day. Laments much the wound received by the
*' latter, as it may for a few days deprive him of the fervices of a good
•* officer." On the 6th Jan. following, Lt. Col. Campbell having
marched fome diflance into the country, faw about a dozen mounted
men in the road : he ordered Lt. Wilfon with his party to charge
them. They inftantly went to the right about, and retreated with
precipitation within a corps which had difmounted and taken a flrong
and advantageous poft in a fwampy thick wood on each fide of the
road. Lt. Wilfon and his party received a heavy and unexpeded fire
from this ambufcade, but impelled by their wonted fpirit and intre-
pidity, and unaccuflomed to defeat, they continued the charge and
obliged the rebels to betake themfelves to their horfes, and to flight.
Serjeants Burt and Hudgins, having charged through them, were
carried off by them ; Corporal Hudgins was killed, covered with
wounds J two or three of the men were wounded, and three horfes
killed.

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" Among a variety of other parties fcnt into tlic country by me, in
order to prevent, as much as polFible, depred.ition and violence by
Ihiall bodies of rebels, who occafionally infcfted the vicinity of
George town, Lt. Wilfon was ordered, about the middle of February
1 78 1, to go about forty miles up the Waccama river, with a detach-
ment of between thirty and forty men, in order to take Capt. Clarke,
a very adive officer, prifoner, who was faid to have a (mall party with
him, for the purpofe of protecting himfelf and oppreffing the in-
habitants on Waccama neck ; he was ordered alfo, to mount his
party, if poflible, and to return by land. He fat out in the evening
with the firft of the tide, and would have reached Clark's houfe
before day had it not been for a heavy fall of rain up the country,
which checked the tide with fuch force, that, notwithftanding every
effort, he found at day-light that he had not proceeded above half
way, he tlierefore landed, fent back the boats, and lay concealed in a
houfe 'till evening, keeping every paflenger prifoner : he then marched
to Clarke's houfe, which he reached before day-light, took him
prifoner, but found none of his party then with him j took horfes
fiifficient to mount his party, and returned, without loft, to George-
Town. In the latter end of February, Cornet Merrit was ordered,
with a party of a ferjeant and ten dragoons, to cover fome negroes
wlio were fent to the neighbouring plantations to fearch for and
bring in ionic cattle that had efcaped from us : he, from his great
'.ical and anxiety to accomplidi this fervice, was led rather farther
than was intended, wlien he unexpe«!ledly fell in with a corps of the
rebels, much fuperior to his both in the number and the goodnefs of
their liorfcs. He retreated, in good order, for fome diftance, but, find-
ing himfelf much harralVcJ from tlie fire of their advance, and feeing
that it would be impradlicable to get off without giving them a
check, he determined on charging them, which he did feveral times,
a-.vi with fuch vigour that he always repulfcd them. He thus alter-
nately charged and retre.^teJ, 'till hiving had two horfes killed under

him

[ ^72 ]

him, he was f > (liinnsd by the fall of the lift, tlut he w.is left for
dead. T i: rebels vvere {o avvei by their repe.itcd repuUcs. that they
fuflercd his p irty to efcapc into the woods, wlicn, by difinountiriLi;
and concealing themfclves in the thick fivannahs, mort: of them got
fafe into the poft : the ferjeant was killed, and four men were
wounded; fcveral horfes killed. Merrit, being fuppofcd to be dead,
was fortunate enough, after having recovered his fenfes, to got to the
fort with the lofs of his boots, helmet, and arms. Cornet Merrit
having been fcnt, about the beginning of march, with a flar;, to carry
a letter to Gen. Manion, by order of Col. Balfour, was detained a
prifoner to retaliate for the detention of one Capt. Poftell, who, after
the furrender of Charles-Town, had taken a protedion and the oaths
to US; and had, notwithftanding again taken up arms, and had
the impudence to come to George town, with a flag of truce, where
I detained him. " iiey crammed Merrit, with about twenty others,
ferjeants and privates of different Britifli regiments, in a fmall nafty
dark place, made of logs, called a bull-pen ; but he was not long
here before he determined to extricate himfelf and his fellow pri-
foners, which he thus effeded : after having communicated his in-
tention to them, and found them ready to fupport him, he pitciicd
upon the flrongefl and moft daring foldier, and having waited fome
days for a favourable opportunity, he obferved, that his guards
(militia) were much alarmed, which he found was occafioned by a
party of Britilh having come into that neighbourhood. He then
ordered this foldier to feize the fentry, who was ported at a fmall
fquare hole cut through the logs, and which fingly fcrvcd the double
purpofes of door and window, which he inftantly executed, drawing
the aftonilhed fentry to this hole with one hand, and threatening to
cut his throat with a large knife which he held in the other, if he
made the fmallcll refiftance, or out-cry ; then Cornet Merrit, and
the whole party, crawled out the one after the other, undifcovered
by the guard, though it was in the day thne, until the whole had

got

[ m ]

''3' 1^

got out. He then drew them up, u!ilch the ofllccr of the guard oh-
Icrving, got his men under arms, as I'uft as he could, and thrcitcned
to fire on them if they attempted to go off: Merrit rcphed, that if
he dared to fire a fmgle Ihot at him, that he would cut the whole
of his guard to pieces, (having concerted with his men, in fuch a
cafe, to ruHi upon the enemy and tear their arms out of their liands),
which io intimidated him that, although Merrit's party was armed
only with the fjwils of the fentry and with clubs, he yet permitted
them to march off, unmoleftcd, to a river at fome diftance, where
Cornet Merrit knew, from converfation which he had had with the
font ries, that there was a large rice-boat, in which he embarked and
brought his party through a country of above fifty miles fafe into
George town. To you the undaunted fpirit and bravery of this
young man, is not unknown : they obtained for liim in his diftrefi
your friendship and protedion. Col. Balfour was plcafed to approve
his condudl, and in a letter to me, dated Charles-Town, ad April
i78i,exprefles it then " I rejoice molt fmcerely that your Cornet
♦• has efcaped, his conduft and refolution does him great credit, and
•* I wilh I had it in my power to fliew him my fenfe of it by more
" fubilantial marks than this teftimony ; but the only '?>ode I have
'* is by offering him a Lieutenancy of a provincial troop :" this
Cornet Merrit declined. Lt. Wilfon was fent, on the 2d of April,
with twenty men, attended by a galley, to cover a party fent to load
fome flats with forage, at a plantation on Black river : he debarked
and remained on fliore fcvcral hours before he fav/ a fingle rebel ; but
when he had nearly compleated his bufinefs, he was attacked by
above fixty of them, under the command of a Major Benfon : he re-
pulfed them in two attempts that they made to get within the place
where he had ported himfelf ; he then charged and drove them off.
A rebel Lieutenant was mortally wounded, feveral others flightly :
Lt. Wilfon and five of his men were wounded. Col. Balfour ex-
prefTed his approbation of Wilfon's conduit in this affair.

" I fliall

[ ^75 ]

*' I fliall conclude this detail with mciitloningonc more i:u >nce of
the g.didit b.'haviour of Merrit, which it would be iiijufticc to omit :
being oblia;ed in an attack I made on the rebel partizan Siiipe to
approach the houfe in which he had his party, through a narrow
lane, terminated within half muflcet fhot of the houfe by a ilroii^'
gate, which, I expedted, would detain us fome time to open; when
it was probable their guard would fire on us j and, as I was par-
ticularly anxious to prevent any kind of check with the troops I
then had with ms, I picked out Merrit, Corporal Franks, and four
men of my troop to proceed and make an opening for the detach-
ment, which he eftcdled with fuch readinefs and fpirit, that the
paflage was cleared by the time that the detachment could get up,
although, for that purpofe, he had been obliged to difmount his
party under the fire from their guard, and that the gate and fence,
on each fide of it, had been fecured and flrengthened, with an
unexpected degree of care and attention. Col. Balfour writing to
me, in the month of April, when I commanded at George town,
fays " being empowered by Lord Cornwallis to raife a troop of
•* Provincial light dragoons, I have, for fome time, wi(hed to try
*• your Lt. Wilfon as Captain, and this gentleman as Lieutenant
" (meaning Cornet Merrit), they have been both recommended
*' as good and adlive officers, and, if you agree with me in opinion
" that a troop could be raifed in or near George town, I fliould
•* have no hefitation in making the appointment." Thus I have
mentioned to you a few of the many meritorious fervices performed
by the officers and men of my troop, when in Virginia and South-
Carolina. I regret much at my not having kept a journal 'ring
that time, as it would now enable me to do more ample juftice to
thofe whofe zeal, bravery, and good condudt, entitle them to my
fuUeft and fiureft report."

It is to be lamented that Capt. Saunders did not keep a regular
journal, as it would have related a feries of gallant and adivc fervices,

whitJi

iifj

rin

[ »76 ]

which he performed when in the command at George town, and
afterwards at Dorchcftcr, and which ftrongly cliaradtcrize in that
otHccr the (lime boldnefs and prudence witli which he maintained
Iiimfelf with his fmall party in his native country, where his
decifive charad^er had its due weight and fuperiority.

On the 1 2th of Auguft the Rangers palled to Gloucefter, to cover
the foraging in front of that port:, which the 8oth and the Ilenian
regiment of Prince Hereditairc garrifoned, under the command of
I,t. Col. Dundas. The chmatc, the fickly ftate and condition of
the corps, as more fully detailed in the appendix, and what was
roafonably to be apprehended from the militia of the enemy, now
aliembling in numbers, rendered this a fcrvice of great fatigue and
danger : the troops were generally employed on it twelve hours in
the twenty-four. The infantry, to fecure them from the intenfe
heat, were ambufcaded as much as pofllble in the woods, and the
cavalry patroled in their front, or on their flanks. Lt. Col. Simcoc,
on his return one day from Abington church, was informed that
Weeks, now ftilcd Major, with a party of the enemy, had juft
arrived within a few miles : he inflantly prelfed on with the cavalry
to attack him, ordering Capt. Ewald to proceed to his fupport as
faft as poflible with the yagers and inflintry. On his arrival near the
port, he had the good fortune to pufli a patrole, which came from
it, fo rapidly as to follow it into the houfe where Weeks lay, who
with his men, efcaped in great confufion into the woods, leaving
their dinner behind them : an officer and fome men were made
prifoners, and this check, together with the country being con-
ilantly ambufcaded, prevented the foragers from receiving the leafl
interruption.

One morning as the foragers were at fome diftance from Glouccrtcr,
they were furprizcd at hearing a confidcrable firing of muftjuetry,
between them and the garrifon : it was fufpeiSted that fome party of
the enemy mi^ht have ftolen through the woods ; but on a detach-
ment

'i-'

[ ^n ]

ment falling back to procure certain Intelligence, it appearal, tliai
fome men on a predatory party had landed from the fliipping, and,
being panick ilruck, had fired at a wood where they fancied they
faw the enemy. Serjeant Ritchie, of the grenadiers of the Ranger; ,
who with the other convalefcents had been left in the camp at
Gloucefler, on hearing the firing, fuppofed that the regiment was
engaged, and afTembling fuch men as were able to move, to the
amount of thirty or more, he marched forward, and took up a piece
of ground that would have been highly advantageous in cafe of real
adtion : fo fpirited were the foldiers, fo able were the non-commif-
fioned officers become, by perpetual fervice and experience !

On the 31ft of Auguft, the advance fhips of the French fleet
blocked up the York river. The cavalry of the Queen's Rangers
had been regularly inftrudted in wheeling and forming in the clofeil
order pofllble, and they were difciplined in every thing that might
enable them to maintain that fuperiority which they had hitherto
acquired over all their opponents. It being of the utmofl confe-
quence to prevent the enemy gaining any information from deferter>,
the out fentries were conitantly compofed of a cavalry and infantry
man. Earl Cornwallis, in a converfation with Lt. Col. Simcoe, afked
him whether " he thought that he could efcape with the cavalry i"
he anfwcred his Lorddiip, " Without the fmallefl doubt."

Gen. WaHiington inverted York-Town on the 23d of September j
when the blockade of Gloucefter was formed by one thoufand
one hundred French troops, joined with the rebel militia, under
the command of Monf. de Choify fo well known for his fur-
prizal of Cracow. Captain Shank, with thirty huzzars, retreated
before them as they advanced, and clofe to the Duke of Lauzun's
legion. The French (hips that blocked the mouth of York river
were driven from their ftation, and narrowly efcaped being deftroyed
by fire-fliips, commanded by Capt. Palmer of the navy : this
gallant officer would have probably burnt a man of war which

A a was

i r

;k i{

!. I;!.

■ir»l

- ■

\>\i'

r i I

[ 178 ]

was driven afhore, but he was prevented by the mifbehaviour of a
mailer of a privateer, who, as might be expedled from people of his vile
trade, prematurely fet on fire one of the fmall veflels which he had
volunteered the diredlion of and which were to accompany the King's
Ihip, at fuch a diftance as could neither endanger the enemy, or
himfelf. The out picquet which the Queen's Rangers occupied
was on a high bank on the left, clofe to the York river, which in front
was almoil inacceflible from a cove into which the tide flowed :
this port was maintained at night on the commencement of the block-
ade J but it was foon attempted to be carried off. Captain Shaw, who
commanded, overheard the enemy on their approach, and withdraw-
ing his fentinels and party to a bank in its rear, let them without
moleflation pollcfs themfelves of his fires, when, giving them an
unexpedted difcharge, they fled in great confufion, and with every
appearance of fcveral of them being wounded, leaving fire-arms, caps,
and accoutrements behind them. Capt. Shaw then refumed his port,
which was conftantly occupied in the day, and frequently at night,
without any further attempt being made upon it. The health of
Lt. Col. Simcoc began now totally to fiiil under the inceflant fatigues,
both of body and mind, which for years he had undergone. Lt. Col.
Tarleton with his cavalry pafl!ed over from York to Glouceftcr. Lt.
Col. Simcoe obferved, in converfation with Col. Dundas, that as
Capt. Shank had faced the Duke of Lauzun with the cavalry of the
Rangers the preceding day, it was probable the Duke would not
hefitate to attack them, being acquainted with the inferiority of their
numbers, when, if Lt. Col.Tarleton's corps, ofwhofe arrival hemufl
be ignorant, fliould be placed in ambufcade, the Duke's Legion might
be fwept off and totally ruined. Lt. Col. Tarleton marched out with
the cavalry the next morning. Col. Dundas accompanying him ; and
about mid-day firing was heard, and fome people galloped in in great
confufion : one of the forage-mafters faying Col. Tarleton was de-
feated, Lt. Col. Simcoe fent him to Earl Cornwallis, ordered the

troops

r-'

[ 179 ]

troops to their poft, and, being carried from his bed to his hoilc,
went himfelf to the redoubt occupied by the Rangers. Capt. Shank,
on his return, reported to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that being on the left
when the line was formed he had received no orders ; but when the
right, compofed of the Legion, advanced to charge, he did the fame,
in clofe order, but neceflarily not in equal front : on the Legion
giving way, the Rangers followed, quitting the field the laft, and in
fuch order as prevented a rapid purfuit, and returned to the charge
with Lt. Col. Tarleton, when he, having again offered the enemy
combat, which they declined, remained mafter of the field. Lt.
Col. Dundas being ordered to York-Town, Lt. Col. Simcoe, on
whom the command of Gloucefler devolved, was obliged from total
want of health, to give up its duties to Lt. Col. Tarleton. The
mod difagreeable that could befal an officer now drew nigh : the
works at York-Town were rendered untenable by the fuperior fire
of the French artillery, and Earl Cornwallis determined to attempt
to efcape with the bell part of his troops by the way of Gloucefter :
a principal part of his force was fent over to that place, and Lt. Col.
Simcoe was informed that his Lordfhip meant to attack Monf. de
Choify the next morning. There was every probability of furprizing
that officer, as he in fome meafure depended upon the vigilance of the
militia joined with him ; and a fpy, who came into Gloucefter almoft
to the very day of its furrender, could have condufted the Queen's
Rangers by the fecret path which he made ufe of, to the rear of the
enemy's poft. It was not improbable that his Lordfhip, on viewing
the advantageous pofition which might be occupied in front of Glou-
cefter, would have been of opinion that the poft might at the leaft
have been defended for ten days, if the provifions would laft, againft
any force the enemy could combine to attack it within that period.
A violent ftorm arifing, prevented the fucceeding divifion of the
garrifon of York from paffing over j that which had arrived returned
early in the morning, and the firing foon after ceafing, it was under-

A a 2 ftood

I !

i'T

' ' i

'.■■'1:

I'J

',< >

■1 ^ ■*

Iff

!^.|l V

[ »8o ]

flood that EarlCornwallis had propofcd accfation ofhoftilities.fortlie
purpofe of fettHiig the terms on which the ports of York and Ciloii-
cefter were to be furrendered. On the firft confirmation of this
fuppofition, Lt. Col. Simcoe fent Lieut. Spencer to his Lordlhip,
to requeft that as his corps confided of Loyalilis, th-* ohjeits of the
enemy's civil perfecution, and dcferters, if the trc.ity was not finally
concluded, that he would permit him to endeavour to cfcapc
with them in fome of thofe boats which General Arnold had
built ; and that his intention was to crofs the Chcfapeak and land in
Maryland, when, from his knowledge of the inhabitants of the
country and other flivourable circumflances, he midc no doubt of
being able to fave the greatell part of the corps and carry them
into New-York. His Lordlhip was pleafed to exprefs himfelf fa-
vourably in regard to the fcheme, but faid he could not permit it
to be undertaken, for that the whole of the army muft Iharc one
fate. The capitulation was figned on the 1 9th of Odober. Earl
Cornwallis, on account of Lt. Col. Simcoe's dangerous ftate of health,
permitted him to fail for New- York in the Bonetta, which by an
article in the capitulation was to be left at hisdifpofal, a fea- voyage being
the only chance, in the opinion of the phyficians, by which he could
lave his life. On board of this veffel fluled as many of the Rangers,
and of other corps, deferters from the enemy, as Ihe could poUibly
hold; they were to be exchanged as prifoners of war, and the remainder
of Earl Cornwallis's army were marched prifoners into the country.
Lt. Col. Simcoe, on his arrival at New- York, was permitted by Sir
Henry Clinton to return to England j and his Majefty, on the 1 9th
December, 1781, was gracioufly pleafed to confer upon him the rank
of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army, the duties and title of which he
had enjoyed from the year i yjj, and which had been made permanent
to him in America in 1779. Capt. Saunders arriving from Charles-
Town, took the command of that part of the corps which had come
to New- York in the Bonetta. Many of the foldiers, who were

prifoners

[ '8i ]

prifoners in the country, were feized as defcrters from Mr. Waftiing-
ton's army, feveral enliiled in it to facilitate their efcape, and, being
cauglit in the attempt, were executed : a greater number got fafe
to New-York, and, had the war continued, there was little doubt
but the corps would have been re-aflcmbled in detail. The Rangers
were fo daring and adtivc in their attempts to efcape, that, lattcrlv,
they were confined in gaol ; Cajit. Whitlock, who commanded tlicni
while prifoners in the country, as one of the Captain'; who drew
lots with Captain Afgil to uiltcr for liuddy's death.

Capt. Saunders, and the officers who were with him, liad to expe-
rience fevere mortifications : Sir Henry Clinton, the Commander in
Chief, who knew their iervices, had returned to England, and was
fiicceeded by Sir Guy Carleton. It being apparent that the American
war was to be abandoned, they had no longer the certainty of re-
commending themfelves by their fervices to the protedion of the
new General. On the 31ft of March, 1783, the following order was
tranfmitted from the Adjutant-General's Office, to the officer wiio
commanded the regiment : as it is prefumed to be a fingular event
in military hiftory, it is here publiflied, verbatim, and with no otiitr
comment than that which accompanied it as it was tranfmitted to
Lt. Col. Simcoe, then in England.

" Sir, Adjt. Gen. Office, March 31, 1783.

** Lt. Col. Thompfon having received orders to
compleat the regiment under his command by volunteers from the
different Provincial corps, and to raife in like manner four additional
companies of light infantry, for a particular fervice j the Commander
in Chief defires you would give all poffible affiftance to Lieut. Col,
Thompfon and thofe concerned with him in the execution of this
bufinefs, by encouraging the men belonging to the corps under your
command to engage in this fervice, and his Excellency direds mc to
afliire you that neither the officers nor others who may remain with
you in the corps (hall fuifer any lofs or any injury to their pretenfions

!"'i

■It'

[ l82 ]

m' '

by the diminution of your numbers arifing from the volunteers who
may join the corps under the command of Lt. Col. Thompfon. It
is to be underftood, that though the men wanted for this fervice are
to engage as foon as poflible, yet they are not to quit the regiments to
which they at prefent belong, 'till further orders.

(Signed) Ol. DELANCY, &c."

** I will only fay that though as military men they could not publicly
reprobate and counteradl this unjuft, humiliating, and difgracefiil order,
yet confcious of their fuperiority both in rank, in life, and in military
fervice to the perfon whom it was meant to aggrandize, they could
not but fenfibly feel it. I am forry to fay that fome of the Rangers,
being made drunk, were induced to volunteer it. The arrival of
the laft packet, as it took away the pretence of their being for *' fome
particular fervice" has put a total flop to this bufinefs. The warrant,
I am told, fpecified that when this corps was compleated and em-
barked, they were from that time to be on the Britifh eflablilhment."

The officers of the Queen's Rangers had prided themfelves, and
juflly, in preventing, as much as officers by precept, example, and
authority could do, plundering and marauding : being cantoned with
other corps on Long ifland, the depredations which were committed,
drew upon the Queen's Rangers the difpleafure of Sir Guy Carleton,
and the denunciation of his precluding the officers from their jufl
promotion. Capt. Saunders, who then commanded them, confcious
that they were innocent, as became his charadter and flation addrefled
the following letter to the Commander in Chief.

••Sir, I take the liberty as commanding officer of

that part of the Queen's Rangers at Huntingdon, to addrefs your Ex-
cellency : a letter received from Col. de Wurmb, containing your
very fcvere reprehenfion of their condu<!t, in confequence of repre-
fentations made to your Excellency of their frequent depredations,
is the caufe. Myfelf and officers, confcious of the falfehood and
malevolence of thofe reprefentations, feel ourfelves highly injured,

and

[ '83 ]

and as the charge material/ affeds the honor and reputation of the corps,
we hope and requeft that your Excellency will be pleafed to order an
enquiry into this matter, To that we may have an opportunity of meet-
ing our accufers face to face, and of removing from your Excellency's
breaft the impreffion that has been made fb difadvantageous to us."

No anfwer was returned to this application, and a very young officer
who had not feen any fervice, was promoted from another corps to a
troop vacant in the Queen's Rangers. Soon after the above-mentioned
letter was written it was proved before a court-mnrtial, that thole
depredations, which had drawn down upon the Rangers the Com-
mander in Chief's indignation, had been committed by men of the
Legion and for which they fuffered. Every thing now tended to the
American colonies being declared independent of Great-Britain, and
the officers of the Queen's Rangers feem to have been opprefled with
every circumftance that could wound the hearts of men who were
foldiers on the beft principles, except the confcioufnefs of not having
deferved it j but this cloud was foon to pafs away. General Conway
was Commander in Chief of his Majefty's forces, and Sir H. Clinton
had arrived in England ; Sir Charles Grey was appointed to fucceed
Sir Guy Carleton, Lt. Col. Simcoe, whofe exchange Government had
procured from Dr. Franklin, was to have accompanied him as fccre-
tary to his commiffion, a poll that he hoped to fill to the approbation
of that General, who was ready, had it been neceflary, to have fupportcd
thofe claims of the Queen's Rangers for Britilh rank and eftablilhment,
which Sir H. Clinton had perfonally recommended to the protedioii
of General Conway, and this he had done in the ftrongeft manner, not
only as due to the fidelity and adtions of a corps which he had been
an eye-witnefs of, but ** in juftice to his country," as he was pleafed
to exprefs himfelf, " that, in cafe of future war, it might not be de-
prived of the fervices of fuch a number of excellent officers." Thefe
reprefentations had their due effe&, and on the 25th of Dec. 1782,
his Majefty was gracioully pleafed to make that rank univerfally

permanent

[ i84 ]

permanent which they had hitherto only held in the fcene of action,
America ;— and the Queen's Rangers, cavalry and infantry, were ho-
nourably enrolled in the British army. The corps was difbanded at
the enfuing peace, and many of the officers, and mod of the foldiers,
fettled on the lands to which they had a claim in Nova-Scotia.

Thus conclude the principal events in a journal of a corps of light
troops, whofe r=^rvices can beft be eflimated by obferving, that for
years. in the field, to ufe the language of a former age, they were
the forlorn of the armies in 'which they ferved^ and that even in
ivinter quarters, when ij common wars troops are permitted to feek
repofe, few hours can be feledted in which the Queen's Rangers had
not to guard againft the attacks of a fkilful and enterprizing enemy.

THE END OF THE JOURNAL.

The APPENDIX.

An Appendix is added of fuch Letters, Papers, and Obfervations,
as are neceilary to illudrate this Journal.

'[111

1 41:

Page 34. ff^jcfi Sir fViUiam Howe quilted ibe command of the army. Major
Simcoe laid the following memorial before him, "which he promifed to fupport
on bis return to England.

To his Excellency General Sir William Howe, Commander in Chief, &c.&c.

The Memorial of the Major Commandant, Captains, and Subalterns,
of his Majefty's Provincial Corps of Queen's Rangers.

«^CT0UR Memorialifts, with all fubmiifion and refpedt, beg leave to
X entreat your Excellency will lay thenx at his Majefty's feet, humbly
foliciting that he, in his gracious favour, >• Ul be pleafed to eftablilh them in
the rank of the army, as has been given to the regiments now railing in
Creat-Britain.

" The generality of the officers, who now requeft your Excellency's coun-
tenance, at the breaking out of the prelent rebellion, left their eftates and
fettlements in Virginia, joined his Excellency Lord Dunmore, and under-
went withhnn all the viciflitudes of fervice, 'till his jundlion with the army
at Staten Ifland. The Queen's Rangers being intended for adive em-
ploy, your Excellency was pleafed to appoint your Mcmoralifts, on account
of their being more experienced in adhial fervice, to fuperfede the generality
of thofe who were its officers : how far your Excellency's favourable opinion
of them has been juftiBed, the fubfequent behaviour of the corps in the

a Jerfies,

il^'il;

it :l

l')ii'

APPENDIX.

Jcrfic.', at the battle of Brantlywine, and diiriiij; a variity of fatiguing aiv.l
detail fcrviccs on which they have been employed in the eourfe of the laie
winter, mull teftify."

" Attached to his Majeflyand Ihc caufeof their country from the purcll
motives, habituated to the fdtigues of war, and ambitious of exerting them-
felvcs in it, confident that the men they command arc difciplincd equal to
the important fcrvice of the light troops with whom they have conftantly
ferved, and confcious that, lliould they obtain their defired rank, their con-
t^uift will neither difgracc it as Gentlemen and as Officers ; your me-
morialifts humbly hope that your lixccllcncy will patronize their requeft,
and that your intcrcelTion will induce his IVIajcfty to look favourably on
their petition, and to mark his approbation of their fcrviccs by conferring
on them the honor of enrolling with the army."

Page 44, line 12. Soon after, t?f. ^c.

Lt. Col. Simcoc had detailed his plan in rcadincfs to lay it before Sir
Henry Clinton. The mode he meant to propofc to cffed his jundion with
the Indians was, to be landed at night, privately, at a point called the
Roundabouts, on the Rariton river, and to continue his march as rapidly
and fccrctly as polTiblc to Eaflon on the Delaware : at the fame time a
corps fliould proceed to Brunfwick, under the pretext of foraging, but in
reality to mafk the defign, and to cover the march from the troops which the
enemy had at Elizabeth town, their only corps in the Jerfies, under General
Maxwell. Lt. Col. Simcoe would have joined the Indians, probably in
three days ; and long before Gen. Sullivan's expedition againft them.

Page 54, Line 19. Lt. Col. Simcoe received the folloiviiig Letter from Colonel
IVurmb, commanding the lagers.
" Monsieur,
«« J'ENVERRAI aprcs un heure Le Major Brufchank et 200 hommcs
vers Phillips's houfe, ct vers la pointe du jour le Capit : Wreden avec 100
hommes fur Courtland's Ridge, qui couvrera votre Gauche et notre droite ;
fitot que voui attaquez les Chafleurs paflcront le pont et marcheront fur
la Hauteur de la Maifon, de la Veuve Babcock. Si vous vous rctirez faites
les avertir par unc Patrouille. J'ai 1' honneur d'etre, &c. '

A 7 J le foir. " WURMB."

. - Page

APPENDIX.

Page 6i, line 2. A geitnul plan of defence "m'as calculated for ibe zvhole;.

The general orders were; in cafe of alarm, tbe following arc to be the
pods of the different companies :

Captains M'Rac and Kerr's companies (fuppofed to be the right) to
maintain their barrack, Capr. M'Rae's above and Capt. Kerr's below flairs.

Capt. Dunlop's company to occupy the right hand funkcn flcchc, Capt.
Saunders the left; whichever of thofe companies gains its pod firft, to be
divided and occupy both flcches, 'till the arrival of the other : Captain
Smith's to occupy the funken work in front of the Artillery barrack.
The huzzars will be provided with arms, and are to gain the fleche on tl:c
left of C. ft. Smith's, nor are they to think of their horfcs 'till ordered to
get them by a field officer, or the fenior officer within the fccond abbatis,.
whocomnunds the whole of the cut- works and redoubt.

Captains Stcvcnfon and Shank's companies to retreat on the heights to
the one tree Hill, and to aft according to emergency, retreating from if
attacked, recoiling on the enemy if they retreat, and falling on their rear
if they attempt to force the redoubt.

The grenadiers, the highlandcrs, and the picquet of cavalry, to join the
light infantry at their barracks.

The guards to retreat and join the firft company under arms; if attacked
to keep up a galling fire.

All foldiers, whether officers fervants or others, whom their commanding
officers permit to lie out of their barracks, arc to have their arms with them,
and to join the firft party under arms that fhey meet. The mod: profound
filence to be kept, and the Lt. Colonel recommends it to the officers not to
fire if podible; but of the ncccffity they mu ft judge themfelves: whatever
quarter is attacked, muft be defended. ITie firft officer that gets to his
company, to march to its poft. Every quarter will be fortified as foon as
poffible : every foldier muft have his poft in it : their arms muft be
arranged, and bayonets always fixed, and the doors barricaded ; when the
barracks are finilhed, the commanding officers muft report to the Lt,
Colonel, who will inipecfl them. The officer in the redoubt, in cafe from

a 2. necellity

Pl'l

APPENDIX.

ncccdlry or intention the regiment fliall not join him, mull maintain hii
poll. If he cannot keep the platforms, he is to difmount his cannon, and
bring them into his guard-houfe, which he is to defend, unlefs attacked
by cannon, with his life.

The officers commanding companies will copy fuch orders as relate
to themfelvcs only, and inform their fubaltcrns of them; and it is their duty
to aflc for an explanation of fuch parts as they do not perfedlly underftand,
both in this and all other fituations : — no foldicr, or non-commiflioncd
officer, to be acquainted with thcfc orders.

Page 77, line 1 1. His impri/onmeni, (Jc. &c.

Lt. Col. Siincoc had many providential cfcapcs. Marrencr prevented
a boy from bayoneting him, as he lay fenfelefs on the ground, faying " let
" him alone the rafcal is dead enough;" and another pcrfon regretted that
he had not fliot him through the head, which he would have done had he
known him to be a Colonel, but he thought " all Colonels wore lace." The
fcnfations which he felt as he gradually awakened into recoUedion, and
heard diflant diouts and fcattercd firing, and faw what hands he had fallen
into ; and, when recovering more perfcAIy, his fltuation, and all his pro-
leffional hopes rufhcd at once upon his mind, are better felt than
defcribcd. He had other dangers to furmount, the populace were driven
to fury by the death of Capt. Vorhecs ; and he was Ihewn a letter from a
field officer of the Jerfey militia, in which was the following paragraph :
" It was intended to bring Col. Simcoe to Capt. Vorhee's grave, to flicw
" him the cruelty of his people, but I could not anfwer it." The foldicrs,
who had been taken, were with difficulty prcferved by Mr. Clarkfon, Mr.
Morris (who bled Lt. Col. Simcoe) and othof' gentlemen, from afraffination :
and Governor Levingfton, after making " a little harangue," as he termed
it, to the populace, thought it neccflary to give to Lt. Col. Simcoe the
following written protedtion.

" THE Governor being informed, that fome
people have a defign to abufe and infult Lt. Colonel Simcoe, a Britifh
captive, and wounded in a ikirmi(h that happened this day, between
our militia and the Britifh horfc : though the Governor is not inclined to

believe

APPENDIX.

believe a report that would infer Co great a difgracc upon the people of this
State, as that of the lead inclination of revenge againft a wounded enemy
in our power ; yet to prevent the execution of any fuch attempt, it is his
exprefs orders to treat the faid officer according to the rules of war, know n
and pradifcd among all civilized nations ; and as it is his deiirc to be
carried to Brunfwick, it is his further orders, that no molcftation be given
to him in his being carried thither, and that, while there, he be treated with
that humanity which the United States of America have always obferved
towards their prifoners.

" WILLIAM LIVINGSTON."
Brunfwick Landing, ad 0(ft. 1779.

" N. B. Mr. Alexander Kcllock having come with a flag, as a furgeon,.
to take care of Colonel Simcoe and a Serjeant, and alfo Edward Hcifcrnon,.
his fervant, arc to attend him unmoleftcd.

" WILLIAM LIVINGSTON."

4 M-

It would be unjuft not to mention that fomc people of Brunfwick, to
whom Lt. Col. Simcoe, when Captain of grenadiers, had it in his power
to be of fervicc, remembered the protcdion, and in arms volunteered to
aflift Major Navius in prcferving him from infult. It is with great pleafurc
Lt. Col. Simcoe has prefcrved the following letter, which he received from
Lt. Wilfon.

Richmond, Od. 28, 1779.
«• YESTERDAY, and part of the day before, there was
nothing but the pidlure of diftrefs in every countenance ; but this morning
the foldiers are Ihouting " the father of the Rangers is alive :" in fhort,
nothing can exceed the joy which appears in the countenance of officers
and foldiers, and prayers for your fpccdy recovery ; but none can poUibly
be more finccre than thofc of, Sec.

•• J. WILSON."

On the 28th Lt. Col. Simcoe was removed on parole to Borden town,
to a tavern kept by Col. Hoogland of the Jc.fcy militia, by whom he was
treated with great civility. The principal people of Borden town were
very violent, in particular MclFrs. Borden and Kirkbridc. Lt. Colonel
Simcoe, in the fonof the former, recolledcd the officer whofe life, as min-

tioncd

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1 ^ 't

APPENDIX.

tioncd in the 30th page, line 28, he had probably favcd ; and the cir-
cumftanccs were fo well known that the fadl was acknowledged ; but this
did not contribute to leflcn the illiberal treatment he met with, and the
umbrage which the inhabitants took at feeing him anil Mr. Kellock walk
about was 'uch, that he foon confined himfelf to the houfc.

Colonel Lee had written to offer Lt. Col. Simcoc pecuniary affiftance ; as
l.t. Campbell, of the 74th regiment, who was on parole at Prince town, had
kindly fupplied him, he had declined the acceptance of Col. Lee's civility.

There were many reports fpread of Lt. Col. Simcoe's cruelties ; and fomc
rebel juftices were anxious for affidavits to fupport them; but thediredl
contrary was the cafe ; many of their party in Penfylvania oftering to give
ample teftimony of Lt. Col. Simcoe's humanity, and fpeaking nrioft favour^
ably of his conduv^f, while in that province.

On the 6th of November he received the following letter from Col. Lee.

" Sir, Monmouth, 6th Nov. 1779.

" I AM happy to hear by your polite reply, to an offer
ilidatcd by the feelings of man for man, that you had already been fupplied
in cafli by the friendfhip of a brother officer, Ihould you hereafter ftand in
need of that article, I aflure myfelf, you will not fuffiir your wane to continue
long. From fome infinuations I have heard, and from a paragraph in the
laft Trenton gazette, I apprehend your local fituation not the moft .agreeable :
— perhaps yon may wilh a remove ; of courfe muft addrefs the Governor;
being employed in a fimilar line by our refpedtive Generals ; it may not be
amifs to appeal to me, fliould his Excellency require contradidion to the
reports propagated prejudicial to your charader. I am a ftranger to what
officer the barbarities exercifed on fome captured militia in Buck's county,
Penfylvania, can be truly attributed. I have never heard yourfelf declared
as the author, and am led to believe you was not prefent : the unhappy
facrifice of Capt. Vorhec's in the late enterprize, I am told, took place after
you fell.

" Your treatment of one of my dragoons, who fell into your hands laft
campaign, was truly generous, and then made an imprcdlon on my mind

which

APPENDIX.

\v1iith it fllll retains. Anxioiii to prevent injiillice being done to tlic iin*
fortunate, I have been p.irticular in tliis letter, thoi'gh I pleafe myllllin
prefuming that it will be unncccllary. Your mod obedient humble fervain

" II. LliE, Jun."

Lt. Col. Simcoc made his acknowledgments to Col. L-ce, and in regard
to the affair at the Billet, informed him, that he planned the attack on
General Lacy ; but that no cruellies whatever w ere committed by the
Queen's Rangers. On the yth of November, Governor Lcvingllon came to
Borden town; from his converfation Lt. Col. Simcoc had hopes of an im-
mediate exchange: he was therefore much furprized the next evening, on
the arrival of a rnilitia party conduding Col, Uillop of the Loyal militia of
Statcn illand, to be accofled by the Serjeant who commanded it, and in-
formed that he was a prifoner, and muft be confined, and •r'arched the next
morning to Burlington jail. Col. Hoogland with great humanity interfered,
and, upon their paroles, carried Colonels Billop and Simcoc in his ow n
light waggon to Burlington the next mornin<^. Mr. Kellock who accom-
panied them thither, returned, as he mufl: have alfo been confined, which
Lt. CoLSimcoc by no means would permit. Lt, Col. Simcoc -MtA hi^
fervant^M'Gill, who had come from Staten ifiand, were confined, and no
perfon was admitted to fpeak to them. Col, Billop was treated as the
following mittimus directed, and received at the fame time a letter from
Boudinot, the Commiflary of Prifoncrs.

" To the Keeper of the Common Jail for the County of Burlington. Greeting.

" YOU are hereby commanded to receive into your curtody,
the body of Col. Chriftopher Billop, prifoner of war, herewitli delivered co
you, and having put irons on his hands and feet, you are to chain him down
to the floor, in a clofe room, in the faid jail ; and there fo detain him, giving
him bread and water only for his food, until you receive further orders from
me, or the commiflary of Prifoncrs for the State of New Jerfey, for tlie time
being. Given under my hand at Elizabeth town, this 6th day of Nov. 1 779.
" ELI3HA BOUDINOT, Com. Prif. New Jerfey."

••Sir,

•• SORRY I am that I have been put under the difagreeablc
neceflity of a treatment towards your perfon that will prove fo irkfome to
you ; but retaliation is dirc(5led, and it will, I moil fincerely hope, be in

your

! iH

APPENDIX.

your powCT to relieve yourfelf from the fituation by writing to New York,
to procure the relaxation of the fufterings of John Lefliicr, and Captain
Nathaniel Randal. It fcems, nothing fliort of retaliation will teach liritons
to ad like men of humanity. 1 am, fir, your mod humble fervant,

" ELISHA BOUDINOT,
Elizabeth Town, Nov. 6, 1779. " Com, State Prifoncrs."

^' Col. Chriftopher Billop, Burlington."

John Lefliier had murdered a Loyalift, whom he had waylaid, and, in
the room of being inftantly executed as a murderer, and as he defervcd,
was confined in irons. Nathaniel Randal was the Ikipper of a velfel, being
fi private militia man he was not permitted his parole, which indulgence
is only extended to ollicers. Col. Billop, who was to retaliate for thcfe
people, was a gentleman of mod excellent charadler, and confiderable
property ; who, in the Houfc of Aflcmbly, where he had a feat, had
uniformly oppofcd thofe meafures which led to a rupture with Great-
Britain ; and, on the breaking out of the war, had accepted of the com-
milTion of Colonel of the Staten ifland militia : fo that nothing could polTibly
fugged to Boudinot the rcfledion he made on the national humanity, but
that he could do it with impunity ; and that it did not mifbccome his
birth and extradlion, being the fon of a low Frenchman, who kept an a! j-
houfe at Prince town. His brother has been Prefident of Congrefs.

There were two foldiers of the guards in Burlington jail, they had been
taken prifoners in Pennfylvania, and confined in Fort Frederick, froni
whence they had made their efcapc ; but being re-taken, were imprifoned.
They had no provifions allowed them, but depended upon the precarious
charity of a few friends, for fubfidance. Lt. Col. Simcoc reprcfentcd their
(ituation to the Sheriff, which their emaciated appearance fully confirmed ;
in confequence, they were fhortly after removed from Burlington.

Col. Lee dill continued his generous attention; and tothc utmodof his
power fupported the requed which Lt. Col. Simcoc had made, to be per-
mitted to go on parole to Staten ifland, as the following letter will evince.

" Sir, Monmouth, 14th Nov. 1779.

" I HAVE received an anfwer from Governor Livingdon to my
letter of requed, in your behalf. I was very particular in my addrefs, and,
Although I cannot congratulate myfdfon its Ml fucccls, I flatter myfclf it

will

'•ij'.' » ' '

A -'.I

APPENDIX.

will lead to the completion of your wifhcs. The following is an cxtradl:
from the Governor's letter : — " Col. Simcoc's treatment by this ftatc is not
founded on his charadler. We think it our indifpcnfiblc duty to retaliate
the enemy's feverity to fome of our citizens in New York ; but that fuch
treatment (hould, however, happen to be cxercifed on a perfon of whom you
entertain fo favourable an opinion, (bclidcs the difagreeablcnefs of fuch
meafures at any time), is particularly afflictive to, &c. Sic. Sec."

" From the above declaration I prefume, that your parole may be pro-
cured in a few days, if any expedation can be held out to the executive
power of the State, tending to a liberation of any one of her citizens in
New York.

" Perhaps yourprefcncc with Sir Henry Clinton might effed an alteration
in the meafures complained of, and a fyilem of perfetSt liberality might be
cl^ablithed in future : if you will permit me to declare your determination
on this point, and, if it anfwers my expe<ftation, I will do myfelf the pleafure
of waiting on the Governor in perfon, to attempt the full fettlcment of the
unhappy bufinefs. • I have, as yet, no reply from Mr. Boudinot, though his
ftation does not promife much fcrvice, and therefore his opinion will be
very unimportant. I have the honor to be, &cc.

" H. LEE, Jun."

Lt. Col. Simcoe anfwcred Col. Lee's letter, and in that part which re-
ferred to the liberation of Randal, or Fitzrandolph, he afflired Col. Lee,
" that if that perfon had adled without a commiflion, as it was reported, and
his opinion was alked by Sir Henry Clinton, it would be immediately to
execute him, though he, on his return from Staten idand, fliould fuffer the
fame fate by a retaliation, to ufe the Governor's phrafe."

Governor Livingfton gave the following anfwer to Lt. Col. Simcoe's
letter, demanding to know what pcrfons would be received in exchange for
him, and requeuing his parole to Staten ifland.

"Sir, Mount Holly, Nov. loth, 1779.

•" I HAVE received your letter, without djite. Your con-
finement, and the order relative to Col. Billop, is in confequcnce of the
advice of the Privy Council ; 'till they rcfcind their refolve, I am not at
liberty to deviate from it : I hope, however, that you will not be difagreeably
fituatcd, except as to the confinement. The exchange propofed for you and

b Colonel

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MT'^ i ' ■[

APPENDIX.

Col. Billop (which is Col. Reynolds, Mr. Fitzrandolph, Lefliier, and Jackfon,
and as many other privates as will make it equal) has, I fuppofe, before this
time reached New York. If ybu are not foon rcleafcd, it will be the fault
of the Britifli. For my part, I heartily wifh it may be cfFedled in the
fpeedieft manner, and not only for the fake of our citizens in captivity at
New York, but alfo from fentiments of humanity towards Col. Billop and
yourfclf, as I am not gratified by the fufferings of any man ; and I am furc
the Governor docs not, and fully perfuaded the Council do not harbour any
perfonal refentment againft Col. Billop. Unfortunately for that gentleman,
the treatment of fome of our citizens in New York, has induced this State
to confider retaliation their inJifpenfible duty, and it is his particular mif-
fortune to be in our poflcdlon at this melancholy jundtyre.

" Refpeding your requeft of going to Staten ifland on your parole,
I hope your exchange will be negociatcd without it ; and, for that purpofe,
any of your letters on that fubjed Ihall be chearfiilly tranfmitted to New
York, by fir, your humble fervaJit,

« WILUAM LIVINGSTON.

" P. S. In anfwxr to Dr. Kellock's letter, deliring to attend you as
Surgeon, I have acquainted him that there is no obje(5lion, provided he
confents to be confined with you."

" Lt. Col. SinKoe of the Q^n's Rangers."

"Sir,

" I HAVE juft now the honor of receiving your letter; I am
forry you will not permit me to go to Staten ifland, to negociate mine and
Col. Billop's exchange.

" I fliall embrace an opportunity of writing to New York ; but I muft
firft beg to be acquainted, whether Mr. Randolph is or is not a Captain ? he
being ftiled fuch in M. Boudinot's letter to Col. Billop.

" I am alfo to beg, you will pleafe to inform me for whom I am to re-
taliate, or for what i am confined ? fuch ufage being moft unprecedented.

" As you are pleafed to obfervc that no private refentment is harboured
againft Col. Billop, I wi(h to know whether there be any againft me.
" I ftiould be happy to have an early anfwer, and am, fir,

*' your humble fervant,
Burlington Goal, Nov. i oth, 1 779. « J. G. SIMCOE.

«• P. S.

APPENDIX.

" P. S. I aim not well acquainted with thefe matters, but I conceive the
prefent propofition to be what laft year General Wafliington refufcd to ex-
change General Burgoyne's army on, when made by Sir Henry Clinton ;
and I (hould be glad to know the ranks of thofe people, with the number
of privates, neceflary to compleat them to Col. Billop's rank."

*• Sir, Mount Holly, nth November, 1779.

" I HAVE juft now received your letter of yefterday'i date.

" As the particular mode of exchanging American for Britifh prifoncr.s
will, I prefume, not be inlifled upon by Sir I lenry Clinton, in the prefect
cafe ; I hope no difference about his Excellency Gen. Wafliington and him
will retard the effed of the prefent propofition, and it was for that very
reafon, if I rightly apprehended you, that you preferred your being con-
fidered as a prifoner to this State.

" Mr. Fitzrandolph is no officer in our militia, but, neverthelefs, of fo
•"•fpedablc a charadier that we are univerfally folicitous for his releafe ; and,
i!. izh a gendeman of the (Iridtefl: honor, has been treated with the greatcft
1 ■ . .-^ry by your fuperiors.

' i. he reft of the perfons propofed for exchange, fave Col. Reynolds, are
alfo privates. As to the additional number of privates neceifary to make
the exchange equal in confideration of your and Col. Billop's rank, it mufl
be determined by military ufage ; which it will be cafy for the two Com-
miflaries to adjuft, and no reafonable caufe of ot^rudion will, I hope,
originate from that foul'ce.

" You alfo afk me for whom you are retaliated upon, and for what you
are confined ? fuch ufage being, as you are pleafed to obfcrve, mod un-
precedented. Confidcring, fir, that the confinement of our citizens, both
officers and privates, when prifoners with the enenriy, has been as uni-
formly direded as if it had been a matter of courfe, it ought not to appear
wonderful, fliould we adopt the fame mode of treatment, even without any
view to retaliate ; the precedent being fct by our adver(aries without the
lead pretence on their part of retaliating upon us. But when fuch meafures
arc ordered by us for the exprefs and ible purpofe of relieving our fliifering
fubje(fls, the impartial world muft: approve, and humanity itfelf, from their
tendency to procure milder treatment, in the final refult, be conftraincd to
applaud them. Superadd to this, your counterading the exprefs terms of

b 2 your

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■ '« I ?
' '1:

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APPENDIX.

your parole at Borden town (I would wifli to believe rather from your mif-
conftrutftion thiii determinate dcfign to violate it), and your having been
heard to fay, that whenever you Ihould apprehend yourfclf in danger of
being infulted by the people, you fliould think yourfelf at liberty to effedb
your cfcapc (of which danger you doubtlefs intended to be judge), not to
mention that your prefent fituation is your bcft fecurity againft all popular
violence, in cafe there were any grounds for fuch apprehendon ; and, I doubt
not, you will, on cooler rcflciflion, find no reafon to charge the ftep in qucflion
with any unneccllary feverity.

" To your qucftion, whether private refentment is harboured againft you ?
I anfwcr fir, that public bodies arc not actuated by private refentment ;
but the aifbions of individuals of a publick nature, fuch as cruelty to pri-
foners, may neverthelefs properly occafion towards fuch individuals a line
of condudt, very different from what is obfcrved towards thofc of an op-
pofite chara(5ler, and this, with as little colour for complaining of perfonal
refentment as of the civil magiftrates punifhinga publick offender; but as
no fuch charge has been proved (though many have been alledgcd againft
you), I have no reafon to think that fuch reports have influenced this
Government in the mcafures hitherto diredled, concerning you.

'• The ncgociating the exchange of prifoners being, by our law, entirely
committed to the Commiflary (though the Governor is authorized to
fupcrintend their treatment), you will be pleafed, fir, in your future cor-
rcfpondcnce on that fubjeft to be referred to him ; I do not mean by this
to difcourage you from making any neceffary applications to, fir,

•• your moft humble fervant,
" WILUAM LIVINGSTON."

" Sir,

" I MUST beg of you to for\vard the inclofcd packet to Sir
Henry Clinton.

" I was pleafed that I had fallen into the hands of the State of New
Jerfcy, rather than into that of the Continental army, folely from the re-
liance I had on the affurances you gave me, that I probably fliould be ex-
changed in a Tew days, naming to me Colonels Reynolds or Hendrickfon,
as the likely perfons.

" I never heard of a Lt. Colonel's being taken from his parole, and

confined

P: ■'■■■

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APPENDIX.

confined in a common goal, bccaule a private centinci was imprifoned;
and am at a lofs, in fuch treatment, to find the meaning of retaliation.

" You cannot force jourfcif to believe, fir, that I ever harboured a
thought of violating my parole ; although the principle of honor be very
imperfetflly felt among common people, no man, even in that clafs, would
break his word, or fufpedt that a liritilh officer dare do it, were he not
himfclf diverted of all probity.

" I conceived at Borden town, that I was at liberty to walk in its environs,
according to military uflige, for my health : Col. Hoogland> whom I con-
fultcd, was of the fame opinion ; I never exceeded a mile, and confined,
myfclf to my houfe when I found it was difagrceable. There being fome
difficulty in procuring a guard for my protcdion when at Rariton landing,
I publickly told Major Navius, that if my life was altdckcd and I was not
protcdled, I fliould think myfclf at liberty to efcape, in the propriety of
which he acquicfced : I never mentioned, fir, nor meant, in cafe I was
infultcd ; many infults I have met with, which as they dcfcrvcd, I have
treated with contempt. I (hould not have alkcd whether private refent-
ment was harboured againfl: me, had not you written, fir, that neither you
or the council harboured any perfonal refentment againft Colonel Billop ;
that gentleman's fiiftcrings, and my own confinement, I mufl: ftill conceive
to be mod fevcre and unprecedented. lam to obfcrve, fir, that 1 never
complained of perfonal refentment ; I was far from thinking I had any
rcafon to apprehend it ; but it is my duty to obtain as explicit rcafons as
you choofe to give, for my fuperiors to judge why I am treated contrary
to the laws of arms and humanity.

" In regard to the news-paper, and popular fiibrications of cruelty alledged"

againft me, I Ihould treat them with contempt, had not you been pleafed

to take notice of them : fuch imputations, fir, will not faften on me ; my

charader is not in the power of thofe who wifli to injure it, and the nioft"

unexceptionable evidence is necefTary to prove, that the charadteriftick of

cowardice diftinguithes my condudt. My employment gave me the curfory

pofTeflion, the momentary charge of prifoners; and cruelty is contrary to-

my nature, my education, and my obedience to my orders. My private

affairs calling me to Statcn illand, my application was made to you, fir,,

on that confidcration.

" I ftill.

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APPENDIX,

*• I ftill truft you will intercede to obtain me that permilTion ; and, if I do
not effedt my exchange, I fliall return to prifon with the fatisfadlion of
having fettled my private bufmefs. I have the honor to be, fir, &c.

" J. G. SIMCOE."

Lt. Col. Simcoe enclofed the correfpondcnce he had held with Governor
Livingfton to Sir Henry Clinton in the following letter, which was open
and forwarded by the Governor to New York.

"Sir,

" GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON having promifed me to
forward to your Excellency my letters ; I take the earlieft opportunity of
acquainting you with my late and prefent fituation.

" The refult of my incurflon your Excellency is acquainted with, and
I have only to obferve, that it was neither the valour of my enemies, or the
leaft inattention of my party, that occadoned my being made a prifoner ;
but it is to be attributed to the mod uncommon and malicious fortune.

" My life was preferved by the eagemcfs with which, as I have been
informed, I was plundered when in a ftate of infenfibility, and afterwards
by the humanity of Mr. Morris.

" A Capt. Vorhees was killed by the detachment in its return, after I
was taken ; his relations feemed to the Governor fo determined to revenge
his death by my deftrudtion, that he gave me a written protedlion ; and
afterwards direded Major Navius, who treated me with great humanity,
perfonally to prevent any injuries that might be offered to me. I was re-
moved to Burden f own on my parole, until the 9th, when I was taken
from it, and clofe confined in Burlington goal.

" As my commitment cxprefled no reafon for this treatment, I wrote
to Governor Livingfton on the fubjed, and enclofe to your Excellency
the correfpondcnce.

" I look upon my prefent fituation as moft particularly unfortunate.

" My private affairs called for my greateft attention, and having procured
your Excellency's leave, I had great profped of fucccfs in them.

" I truft, fir, that having obtained your recommendation near a twelve
months fince for promotion, you will ftill patronize the application you thea
honoured with your approbation.

APPENDIX.

•* My fair fame has been ftruck at, and cruelty, the attribute of fear, has
been imputed to mc in the public prints, and induftrioufly propagated by
ignorant, deiigning, and cowardly people.

" My honeft ambition has been mod fevcrely difappointed ; and I am
doomed to pafs the flower of my youth in a goal with criminals, when my
ftate of health, affcAed by my fall, leads to an imbecility of mind, that will
not permit to me t^p. co' ' ions refulting from my liberal education : yet,
Ihould I even b( omca ".•urcly to perilh in Mi.' uickfand of deceit
and calumny, with which 1 am now furrounded, it is my duty to expect,
that no further ungenerous advantage may be permitted to the adverfary,
who, trampling on the refpe(5t due to his own adherents, and prefuming on
the attention your Excellency may be inclined to pay to my fituation, may
think to offer, without impunity, fome further infult to the Britilh fcrvicc,,
the liberal cuftoms of war, and to the honour of my country.

" Of my propofed exchange you, fir, are the bed judge.

" Governor Livingflon obferved to me, that I was the more likely to be
immediately exchanged by being a prifoncr of the State of New Jcrfey,
than if I had been taken by the Continental army. I acquiefccd in his
opinion ; not then conceiving how much the field officers, who fight under
the banners of this State, arc depreciated in its eftimation.

" There is one hope near, very near to my heart, which is, that your
Excellency will patronize my corps, and employ it in the fame line as if I
was prefent ; its reputation would be the greatefl: comfort I could receive
in a fituation that excludes me from participating in its danger and its glory.

" Colonel Billop was confined, from his parole given to the Continental
army, the fame day with me ; and that moll refpedlable and amiable gen-
tleman fufFers according to the enclofed mittimus; — I fubjoin to your
Excellency his parole, and M. Boudinot's letter to him on his confinement.

" For my own part, fir, I wilh for no retaliation that may aUcd the
rights which the cuftom of war allows to individuals of rank, in order to
foften the horrors of it. I am obliged to write at intervals ; or I lliould,
before now, have fought an opportunity of tranfmitting an account of my
fituation to your Excellency, of williing you every pcrfonal and public
fuccefs you can defire, and of fubfcribing myfclf your mod: obedient,

•• and moft humble fcrvanr,
" J. G. SIMCOE."

APPENDIX.

In the preceding letter Lt. Col. Simcoc made the fulled difplay ponible
©f his mifcrablc fituation, purpofcly to give greater force to his contempt
of all perfonal confcqucnccs. At this period he had been informed, by fomc
friends who were anxious for his fafcty, that if Lt. Hclc, of the navy (who
was then at Philadelphia a prifoncr, in order to undergo whatfoever might
befall Cunningham, imprifoned for piracy in England) ihould die, and he
was dangeroufly ill, Lt. Col. Simcoe was talked of by the rebels as a proper
fubditutc for that olhccr : and this information was, in fome mcafure, con-
firmed by the little attention which the Governor and Council paid to the
prelFing application of the friends of thofe officcis of the Jerfey militia, who
were prifoners in New York, and whofe exchange was reafonably fuppofed
to depend upon that of Colonels Billop and Simcoe. A few days after thefe
letters had been forwarded to Sir Henry Clinton, Lt. Col. Simcoe was re-
moved from the room he had hitherto inhabited, at midnight, into that of
the felons : he then determined, in cafe of any intelligence of Cunningham's
execution arriving at Philadelphia, inllantly to make his efcape ; and he
had found means to have received the carliert notice of this event. There
were many Britilh foldiers, prifoners of war, at work in the neighbourhood ;
his idea was to get eight or ten of them to aflemble at a given place ; M'Gill
had already conferred with a Serjeant of the 17th infantry, to whom the
highcft offers would have been held out in cafe of ncceflity. The carbines
of Colonel Lee's dragoons and their ammunition were in the jail; — there
was confined, a bold and daring man of the name of Bloxam ; he had
been the armourer of one of his Majefty's (hips. M'Gill got an impredion
of the key of the room where Lee's arms were, and, with the aid of Bloxam,
a falfe one was made of pewter : with this, as foon as Lt. Col. Simcoe was
let out of his room, the jailer one morning entrufting M'Gill with that
office, being himfelf indifpofcd, they opened the armory, faw the carbines,
and that they were fit for fervicc, and locked the door, when the key broke
in it. — Thefc were the moft anxious moments Lt. Col. Simcoe ever under-
went ; if the jailer had come up (lairs, it is probable Bloxam or M'Gill
would have been executed ; and a party of Col. Lee's were every moment
expected to vifit the Itorc-room ; Bloxam, with great ingenuity, cut the key,
fo that it dropped undifcovcred into the lock ; and Col. Lee's people, on
their arrival, found no difficulty in opening it. Another key was made,
and the efcape was determined on, and probably would have taken place if

ncccflary :

'-,'>.:

:A..A

"nif

APPENDIX.

necefTary : the plan was to furprizc a party of Col. Lee's, who lay about ten
miles off, and to take their horfcs and proceed to Sandy-hook ; and this,
it was hoped, might have been cfTedlcd by ftcalth rather than violence.
M*Gill offered to pcrfonate Lt. Col. Simcoe and remain behind in his bed,
if it could facilitate his efcape.

Lt, Col. Simcoe enclofed to Governor Livingfton a letter he received
from Major Andre, propofing his being admitted on his parole to New
York, the fame indulgence being granted the rebel Colonel Baylor to
Virginia ; Lt. Colonel Simcoe informed the Governor that '* he had re-
" ceived this propofal. General Sir Henry Clinton fiippoling that he was
" on his parole, and not knowing that he was treated as a criminal." — To
this Governor Livingfton returned the following anfwcr.

*• Sir, Mount Holly, Nov, 29th, 1780,

" I RECEIVED your letter without date laft night ; this is
the fccond time I have remarked that ominion, what you mean by being
ufed like a criminal I am at a lofs to determine, if you refer to your im-
prifonmentj our own people have received fimilar treatment from the
Britifli in numerous inftances ; Mr. Fitzrandolph, one of our citizens, who
is propofed to be exchanged for you and Col. Billop, is at this very time
ufed in the fame manner, and is no more a criminal than any man that
is not fo.

" If Sir Henry Clinton will agree to any exchange, I cannot fee why he
ihould objert to the one propofed ; and, confidering that one of thofc we
want to have liberated is in goal, and that the other has been chained to the
floor for above four months, there is the higheft reafon for this State to infift
Ufwn it, if he is againft all exchange whatfoever, to him, iir, you mud
afcribe the prolongation of your durance.

" That we conftder your reputation with the Britifti troops and your
intended voyage to Europe, as two circumftances that will probably ex-
pedite the relief of our fuffering citizens, you will be pleafed to impute
(though you may regret, as I really do myfelf, your perfonal difappointment)
to my fidelity to thofe for whofe liberty it is my duty to be anxious. Con-
fidering that they, though for many months in captivity, have never been
indulged to return home on parole to procure their final releafe ; and that
we cannot conceive^ how your going to New York ftiould facilitate General

c Clinton's

'I'll

]:i:'

' ,1

"■i:!

APPENDIX.

Clinton's acceding lo our propofat, there is no probability of the Council's
adopting that mcafure. I am, fir, your mod humble fcrvant,

«' WILLIAM LIVINGSTON."

«• Sir.

** I HAVE received your letter of the 29th of November, and
am to apologize to you for the unpolite, though accidental omiflion, of my
not dating the letter which it anfwcrs.

*' I conceive myfclf treated as a criminal ; the cuftom of civilized nations
allows a parole of honour to officers, but not to private centinels : as fuch
Mr. Fitzrandoiph's confinement is an nfual matter, therefore it does not
confer any difgrace or hardfhip upon him, but what was incident to his
employment ; his ftation is allowed by yourfclf in the claim you make for
mine and Col. Dillop's releafe.

" I do conceive, fir, that when it was propofcd that Col. Billop and I
ihould be exchanged for Lt. Col. Reynolds, and as many privates as make
up the difference of rank between a Colonel and a private ccntincl, that
neither did you or the Council ferioufly imagine it could be accepted of.

" I know of no officer in the Britidi army who, confident with his duty,
could apply, or wifli for, fo difproportionatc a mode of exchange ; the pro-
poial is ungenerous to your prifoners, nor do I conceive that your own field
officers, or thofe whom you rank equal with them, will confidcr it as in-
tended to expedite their return from captivity. My ftate of health and
expectations of returning to Europe, I prefumed might have feme little
weight with my enemy, if he was a generous one ; it never entered into my
thoughts, that thcfc matters of mere private concern could be fwollen into
a public one, or becoming fuch, could be fuppofcd in the lead particular
to influence my condud.

" Thf reputation, you arc plcafcd to obferve, that I have with the Britilh
troops, I hope you will do mc the juftice to believe, it has been my endeavour
to acquire by doing my duty to the beft of my power; the principle of
which is ftill the fame, whether I am adively employed in the field, or
fuffering an ungenerous and unmerited CMifinement in prilbn. My going
to New York would mod certainly not in the leaft facilitate Sir Henry
Clinton's acceding to a propofal, that was it in his power to agree to, it
would never be in my inclination to folicit ; the exchange I mentioned
would, I thought, if accepted of, anfwer every purpofe that you have hckl
-cut as your intentions.

" The

APPENDIX.

*• The indulgence of my parole to New York, is what has been extended
to Colonels Reynolds, Potter, &c. your prifoncrs.

" Agreeable to my duty I fhall foiward Major Andre's letter, and make
application to General Wafhington. I have the honour to be your

" mod obedient humble fervant,
" J. G. SIMCOE.
*• As foon as I can find a proper convenience I fliall, by your leave, fend
to procure winter cloathing, wine, &c. from Staten ifland, if I am not
permitted to go there."

Lt. Col. Simcoc had fonvarded to Governor Livingfton a propofal for
exchange of prifoncrs with the ftate of New Jcrfcy, although all exchange
between the Britifli and Continental troops was totally at a ftand ; this pro-
pofal was formed on the ufual principle of rank for rank, and kintlly per-
mitted by Sir Henry Clinton to expedite Lt. Col. Simcoe's exchange.

Lt. Col. Simcoc enclofed copies of the preceding letters to Major Andrr,
and obfcrved in a letter to him, " a few evenings ago I was taken from my
bed, and moved into a room which had been occupied by felons for months,
and placed among their filth, and clofely locked up ; this was by order of
Mr. Read, Secretary to the Council, and at a time when the Governor held
out to me a profpedt of exchange, which, 'till that moment, I did not
fufpedl to be delufory:"

Thefe letters were fent unfealcd, to be fonvarded by Governor Livingfton.

The propofal Governor Livingftoii alluded to, he knew had never been
made; in purfuance of his plan Lt. Col. Simcoe addreffed himfelf to
General Walhington in the following letter, preparatory to an application
which he meant, in cafe it ftiould pafs unnoticed, to prefer to the Congrefs.

Sir,

" To General tVaJbington,

1 AM induced to lay myfelf before you, from what 1 con-
ceive to be a principle of duty, and that not merely pcrfonal.

" You may, perhaps, have h'^ard, fir, of the uncommon fortune that
threw me into the hands of the Jerfey militia.

" Governor Livingfton told me I was a prifoner of the State, a diftindion
I never 'till then was acquainted with, and obferved, that it was probable I
ftiould be foon exchanged as fuch, naming to me officers of fimilar rank
as the likely perfons.

c a "I was

■i

' 115' 1

APPENDIX.

" I was allowed my parole, was taken from it the 9th, aud have ever fince
been conrne.1 a clofc prifoncr in Burlington goal, with Col. Billop, who ii
in irons and chained to the floor, to retaliate for F. Randolph and Lcfhicr,
the latter of whom is (faid to be) confined in the fame manner in Nc<v
York : my mittimus hath not cxprelTed what I am imprifoned for ; but,
by the tenor of Governor Livingfton's letters, I fuppofe it is to retaliate for
the former of thofe citizens, whom he allows to be a private foldicr, and
who is fimply confined as fuch.

" Colonel Billop joins mc in my application, fir» to you for redrefs from
our unparallellcd ufage.

" I apply to you, lir, cither as a prifoncr of war, or as appealing to you
from an unjuilifiablc flrctch of power w ithout precedent or gencrolity.

" I am led to con^'ider myfclf as a prifoncr of war under your authority,
from Governor Livingfton's doubts cxprcfTcd to mc of his having the
difpofal of mc ; from his corrcfpondcncc with Gen. Robcrtfon, publiflicd in
the news-papers, where he fubmits Geu. Dickinfon's prifoncrs to your
difpofal, and from Col. Billop, my fellow prifoncr, being taken by a party
of Continental troops, receiving his parole from Mr. Beaty, and living under
it, 'till he was taken from it by a party of militia, and by M. Boudinol's
order confined in Burlington goal.

" He claims the protection that was firll extended to him from the
Continental Commiflary of prifoncrs.

" I hope, fir, you will make ufc of the power that I conceive enabled you
to transfer Col. Billop to the ftate of New Jcrfcy, in extending to mc the
rights allowed by civilized nations, and which, without a given rcafon, I
have been deprived of.

" If, by any law I am unacquainted with, I am in the power and difpofal
of Governor Livinglton, &c. I think myfclf intitled to appeal to you, fir,
from the injufticc ufcd towards mc, as 1 cannot fuppofe there is no appli-
cation for redrefs in a cafe, which, if drawn into a precedent, muft confound
every diftindion of rank, and will operate in a wider circle than that of the
ftatc of New Jcrfey.

" Governor Livingfton has ofTcrcd, as he has written to mc, to exchange

me for Lt. Col. Reynolds, and Col. Billop for as many privates as make up

his rank, naming among them the people for whom Col. Billop is avowedly

retaliating.

•« This

APPENDIX.

" This propofition, I conceive, it never was fuppofcd Gcii. Sir I Icnry
Clinton could comply with.

" I hope, fir, you will do me the honour of early attcmlitigto this letter;
if Col. Dillop only fliould be claimed by thof'c whole priloiur he iinqr.c(lii)ii-
ably appears to be, I flioiiid look upon it as a fortunate event, though i llimiKl
be doomed to wear his ignominious chains. I have the honour to lii\ lir,

" your ninft obedient and humble fervanr.

" I beg leave to Inclofe to you Major Andre's letter, though Governor
Livingflon, to whom I addrcflcd it, has palTed it by without notice ; 1 hope
it will be the means of my obtaining my parole to New York."

General V\'afliington never anfwered this letter, hnt in a very few clayj
Colonels Billop and Simcoc were exchanged ; and it is to be remarked, th- c
foon after Congrefs pafled an aA, declaring that all prifoncrs w'irtfocvcr,
whether taken by the Continental army or vtilitia, ftiouM be abfo' itcly at the
difpofal of their Commander in Chieti General VVafliington, and notof t' c
Governors of the different provinces. Col. Hcndrickfon, who was in ft n
BritiOi CommilFary's propofals to be exchanged for Col. Billop, and haJ his
parole to give cffe^fl to it, arrived at Burlington on the 26th ■i P/ccember,
and brought the follow ing letter from Boudinot to Lt. Col. Si ncoc .

" Sir, Elizabeth Town, 2jd Dec. 1779.

" I AM happy to inform you, that there is a probability of
your being rcleafed from your captivity. As your difagrceabic confinement
was owing entirely to the like treatment of a number of our field olliccis,
prifoners in New York, I doubt not you will endeavour to ufe :hut influence
which an ofticer of your aHlitics muft undoubtedly have, to prevent the
necedity of my executing orders fo repugnant to my feelings as a man.

" I am confident your delicacy will be extremely wounded at being called
upon for fecurity for the performance of your parole ; this, I affurc you, is
not becaufc your honor is at all queltioncd, but to follow a late cruel example
in Col. Hendrickfon; perhaps when Mr. LoiM-g <ees the confequencc of
fuch condudl, he may be led to adopt a prai::i< Icfs deftruclive of every
pcrfonal virtue. I have the honor to be, bic.

•• E. BOUDINOT."

M. Boudinot does not feem to hav! known the diftindion of field
officers, as none of this defcription were confined at New York ; Mr.

Loriiitr

il: ■

APPENDIX,

Loring haJ infiftcd on fecurity from Hendrickfon, bccaufc feveral of the
American militia officers had broken their paroles. Lt. Col. Simcoc told
Col. Hendrickfon that it was abfurd to fuppofe he could break his parole
in pafling through the Jcrfies to Staten iOand ; but that he had no objcdtion
to find furcfy, provided he. Col. Hendrickfon, would be bound for him. This
officer went to the Governor, and Lt. Col. Simcoe was emancipated on the
27th of December from Burlington goal ; he was ftill apprehenfive of being
detained, as it was reported that the perfon, from whom the paper-money
had been taken (as related in the 74th page), had applied to the Governor
to confine him 'till the money was returned, he having promifed to pay it
at IJrunfwick. The promife of paying any debt, by the laws of New
England, rendered the perfon who gave it liable for the payment ; but this
cuftom had never prevailed in the Jerfies. Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded
without moleftation, and arrived at Richmond on the 31ft: his arrival
made a little triumph, and the tcftimonies of friendlhip and aftedion,
V hich he received from his officers, foldicrs, and the loyalifts, compenfatcd
in a moment for all the anxiety which he had undergone.

Many projcds, he found, had been in agitation to refcue him from
prifon ; and, particularly, Lt. Wilfon had, by the afllftance of fome loyalilts
of New Jcrfey, digefled one, which appeared fo likely to fucceed, that
nothing but the daily profpcA which had been held out of hir being ex-
changed, had prevented Major Andre, to whom it had been communicated,
from adopting it; from this defign, that, which is mentioned in the 9 ill
page, partly originated.

Forty friends of Government armed thcmfelvcs, and had arrived in the
neighbourhood of Burlington the day after Lt. Col. Simcoe was exchanged,
for the avowed purpofe of rcfcuing him ; they came near two hundred
miles, and had provided horfes and a proper place for his retreat. Their
leader, the Prince of the woods, fo called from his knowledge of them,
which in America are, as it were, another element, had fpraincd his leg; or
the refcue would have taken place, as he afterwards told Lt. Col. Stmcoe,
ten days before his Iil-)eration.

At the time that Lt. Col. Simcoc landed on his Incurfion, n. psicquet-
Iwat lay at Sandy Hook bound for England ; Ihe failed the next day, when
it being gererally fuppofed that he was killed, the Commander in Chief,
^ir Henry Clinton, rr^xirted hie death to the Secretary of State, Lord George

Germain :

u ,

APPENDIX.

Germain : when Lt. Col Simcoc was at Charles Town, the General {hewed
him the following paragraph in a letter which he had jull received from
Lord George Germain, in anfwer to the report which had been made of his
expedition and death : " The lofs of (6 able and gallant an officer as Colonel
" Simcoc is much to be lamented ; but, I hope, his misfortune will not
damp the fpirit of the brave Loyalifts he fo often led out with fucccfs,
■' His laft enterprise was certainly a veiy bold one ; and I fliould be glad he
" had been in a fituation to be informed, that his fpirited condutft was
" approved of by the King."

Bloxam nude his cfcape fbon after Lt. Col. Simcoc 's exchange, and,
after a variety of adventures, when he got into Staten ifland, that officer
was gone to Charles Town. He worked in New York until his return, when
he joined him that very day on which the Queen's Rangers made the
advance guard of General Mathews's column in the Jerfics; and, at hi&
own requeft, being furnilhcd with arms he fell in with the Qiieen's Rangers,
and, to Lt. Col. Simcoe's great regret, was killed by a cannon Ihot when
the corps was halted, and he was lleeping.

Lt. Col. Simcoe offered M'Gill an annuity, or to make him Quartcr-
mafter of cavalry; the latter he accepted of, as his Grandfather had been a
Captain in King William's army; and no man ever executed the office with
greater integrity, courage and condud.

In the charge on Brunfwick Plains, Hampton, the pcrfon who is men-
tioned in the 76th page, line lo, was taken prifoncr.

Marener was taken prifoner while Lt. Col. Simcoe was at Charles Town ;
he was obnoxious to the magiftratcs of New York, and probably would not
have been exchanged ; but on Lt. Col. Simcoe's explaining to the Com-
mander in Chief the obligations he was under to him. Sir Henry Clinton
was pleafed to let him return home on his parole.

Randal, or Fitzrandolph, was included in the exchange with Lt. Colonel
Siincw ; he was foon after killed, as obferved in the 1 00th page, and
probably by the Rangers. On that day the army palfed Governor Living-
Iton's lu)ufe ; and Lt. Col. Simcoe, who commanded the rear guard, took the
moft anxious pains to prcferve it from being burnt by any of the exafpcratcd
Loyalifls ; and he happily fuccccdcd.

Page

'fl!

11'

APPENDIX.

Fagc 87, line 24. Lt. Col. Simcoe conmuhicated his ideas to General Stirling^
-jubich, as appears hy his letter in the appendix, met ivith his full approbation.

• " DtARSiK, 3 P.M. 31ft January, 1780.

" I AM favoured with yours ; your ideas arc great, and
would be of importance if fulfilled ; as I am confident of your zeal and
capacity, I fhould be forry to check them, therefore, if you fee it clearly,
flioiild not ftop it.

" I have no doubt, myfelf, of the rebels intending an attack ; but I think
they can only do it in one place, the other muft be a feint. I am much of
qpinion that Richmond fhould be withdrawn, as it might fall if this does,
and the addition of your regiment would be great to us here, &:c. &c."

Page 92, line 5. IFitb the preparations detailed in the appendix.
They arc fketchcd out in the following letter tranfmittcd to Gen. Tryon ;
to w hich are added his approbation of the plan, and his good wiflies towards
the author of it, now rendered doubly valuable, as fince the compilation
of thcfc memoirs death has deprived his King and country of that officer,
fo eminently diflinguillicd for private virtues, and for his zeal in the public
fervice.

" Sir,

" I BEG leave to fubmit to you, and hope that you will com-
municate to his Excellency General Kniphaufen, the fervice in which I
think that the Queen's Rangers may, from their prefent pofition, be
ciTentially employed.

" I would propofe, that I fliould be immediately fumifhed with two
gun-boats and twenty batteaus, a water force fufficient to tranfport and
to cover the landing of three hundred infantry and fixty horfe.

" The gun-boats fhould be fupplied with fwivels, which might occafion-
ally be transferred to the bows of the batteaus J the fraall boat already here
with a flide or carriage, on which the amuzette of the Queen's Rangers
might be mounted ; the whole fhould be mofl completely equipped, in
which flate I would always be attentive to preferve them.

" I would wifh alfo, for a floop to carry the lower frame work of three
fmall block houfes, and orcafionally provifions, and other articles : flic
might be under the protection of the vcfTcl flationcd at Billop's point,
as the batteaus would under that- of Richmond redout ts.

" It

APPENDIX.

•• It would be of great fcrvice if the battcaus could be mounted on car-
riages, as it is but two miles and an half from Richmond to the South
beach, and by fuch conveyance the advantage of cither tide might be ob-
tained and a movement made, with fcarce a pofllbility of the enemy's being
previoufly acquainted with it ; though, I fear, fuch an operation is not at
prefent in our power, I am not without hopes to be able to furniih the
means of it from the enemy's (hore.

" The block houfcs would be of eflential fervicc in fecuring an encamp-
ment, or ftrcngthcning a pofition on the enemy's fliore ; th(y would
ctfeiflually proted a re-embarkation.

" With this force, capable of moving without the obftruclions arifing
from the combination of different ferviccs, the delay of waiting for orders,
and the want of fecrecy, which neceflarily attends the protradling of ope-
rations, I doubt not but I ihould be able to protect Staten ifland ; to keep
the enemy in conftant alarm from Sandy-hook to Newark bay ; to force
Mr. Wafliington to give up the fea coaft from Middleton to Brunfwick, or
to proteft it with Continental troops ; to encourage dcfertion at this very
critical period, when the rebel army is moft ferioufly difcontented ; in fhort,
to exemplify and improve the advantages refulting from our fituation.

" Could more battcaus be fpared I ihould be glad ; the cavalry on this
idand (the bed part of which I confider the detachment of the 17th
drago"-- from their fuperior difcipline to be) being in numbers equal, and
in all other rcfpecfts fuperior, to the cavalry of Mr. Wafhington's army
between the Delaware and Hudfon's river, might from hence, without
more rifque than becomes the fervice, be of frequent and mod extenfivc
utility. Gen. Stirling highly approves of the plan ; there are now at Rich-
mond a gun-boat, and the barge I mentioned to you ; the lattei I fliould
have fent round by water but had no opportunity. I do myfelf the honour
to inclofe to you the deficiencies of each, and ihould be glad if fupplied.
I could wilh Major Bruen would be fo good as to have the barge valued
here by fome perfon in his department, and a receipt given to the
Refugees, if you think proper to have it purchafed. I inclofe to your
Excellency the draught of the gun-boats conftruded by Lt. Col. Campbell,
at the Savannah ; by being covered at the top they were able to pafs without
injury from the fire of fmall arms, under the boldeft bluffs j the top opened

d occafionally

APPENDIX.

occaHonall/ for refreHiment by means of the hinges, as defcribed in the
drawing. This addition made to our giui-boats would give them great
fccurity.

*' If by this, or any other mode of operation, I could be of any fervicc to
my King and country, I fhould be moft happy : the attempt, I am per-
fuadcd, will meet with your Excellency's approbation, which, as I highly
value, I fliall ever hope to deferve, being, with great refpeifl,

" your Excellency's moft obedient,
" and nw)ft humble fcrvant,
" J. G. SIMCOE. "

" Sir, New York, 3d May, 1780.

" I RECEIVED, with much fatisfadion, your letter, delivered
mc by Capt. Bcckwirh. My not having the plcafure of feeing you on your
departure for the fouthward, was a difappointment to mc. It was much
my dcfire to have tcftificd my rcadinefs to pronwte thofefpirited mcafures
you propofed for his Majefty's fervicc ; and, though circumflances have
deprived me of that gratification, permit hk to affure you, I moft finccrely
wifti you, in your career of glory, every honourable fuccefs your merit, fpirit,
and zeal, entitle you to. I am &c. &c.

« Lt. Col. Simcoc." " W. T R Y O N."

Page 98, line 16. Li. Col. Simcoe bad coUeHed Jccrctly through the thickets

upon their fiank.

It was at this moment that a guide, as it appears in the proceedings of a

court-martial, in the unhappy difpute between two officers of the guards,

brouglu an ortlcr to Lt. Col. Simcoc, " to march into the j v»d," from which

(by the extending of his line) he vas diftant three hundred yards ; and

on his replyii^, •♦ he could take no orders from a guide," Gen. Matthews

fern Col. Howard (now Earl Suffolk) to repeat them. This note is

infcrted merely to fay that it was no pertinacious adherence to form ; but

his being occupied in the attempt to cut off a party of the enemy, which

occafioncd Lt. Col. Simcoe's reply to the guide, and which, if an oiliccr

luid brought the order, he would at once have feen and rqxn-ted to the

General, whom the intervenmg thickets prevented from the obfcrvation

of what was tranfading on his Ictt.

Page

APPENDIX.

Page 103, line 17. Same eireumjiances relative to Major Andre's unfortunate
attempt will be more fully detailed in the appendix.

Upon the firft intimation of Major Andre's detention, Lt. Col. Simcoe,
by letter, defired Lt. Col. Crofbic to inform the Commander in Chief,
** that if there was any polTibility of rtfcuing him, he and the Queen's
" Rangers were ready to attempt it, not doubting to fucceed in whatever a
" fimilar force could effed," At the fame time, he feat out pcrfons to
watch the road between WaQiington's camp and Philadelphia ; for he rca-
foned, that without the concurrence of Congrcfs that General would not pro-
ceed to extremities, and that probably he would fend Major Andre to Phila-
delphia, in which cafe he might pofllbly be retaken upon the road thither.

Lt. Col. Simcoe wrote to Col. Lee, of whofe generous temper he had
perfonally received fo many proofs, to procure an interview with him,
oftcnfibly for the exchange of prifoncrs, but really to converfe with him
relative to Major Andre. That ofRcer penetrated his views, and returned
the following anfwcr.

*' Sir, Light Camp, O^. 2, 1780.

" I WILL attend to the releafe and return of Jeremiah Owens.

" Be afllired no time will be loft in the tranfaflion of this bufinefs.

•* Our pcribnal feelings are pcrfedlly reciprocal, and I embrace, with
peculiar pleafurc, the overture of a meeting.

" My cxpcdation of moving daily, Mill not allow mc to fix on the time
at prcfent,

" Our next ftation, I hope, will be opportune to both of us, when I will
do myfclf the honor of notifying to you my readinefs.

" Be plcafcd to accept my beft wiflies, and for Heaven's fake omit in
future your exprclTions of obligations conferreu by me ; as my knowledge
of your charadter confirms my aflurancc, that a fimilar vifit of fortune to rac,
w ill produce every polTiblc attention from you.

" I am happy in telling you, that there is a probability of Major Andre's
being rcftorcd to his country, and the cuftoms of war being fully fatisfied.

" I have the honour to be, &c.
•• HENRY LEE.

d 2 " Since

III

APPENDIX.

" Since writing the foregoing, I find that Sir Henry Clinton's offers have
not come up to what was expcdcd, and that this hour is fixed for the
execution of the fcntencc.

" How cold the fricndfliip of thofe high in power !"

Lt. Col. Simcoe in his anfvvcr faid :

" I AM at a lofs to exprefs myfclf on the latter paragraphs of your
letter; I have long accudomcd myfelf to be filent, or to fpeak the language
of the heart. The ufclefs murder of Major Andre would almofi, was it
pofTiblc, annihilate that wifli which, confentaneous to the ideas of our
fovcrcign, and the government of Great Britain, has ever operated on the
officers of the Britilh army, the wifli of a reconciliation and fpcedy re-union
with their revolted fellow fubjctfts in America.

" Sir Henry Clinton has the warmcft feelings for thofe under his com-
mand, and was ready to have granted for Major Andre's exchange, whatever
ought to have been afked.

" Though every delire that I had formed, to think, in fomc inftanccs,
favourably of thofe who could urge, or of him who could permit rhe
murder of this mod virtuous and accomplilhed gentleman, be now totally
eradicated ; I muft ftill fubfcribe myfclf with great pcrfonal refpeft, fir,

" your mofl: obedient and obliged fcrvant,
" J. G. SIMCOE."

There were no offers whatfoever made by Sir Henr)' Clinton ; amongfi:
fomc letters which paffcd on this unfortunate event, a paper was Aid in
without fignature, but in the hand writing of Hamilton, Wafliington's
fccretary ; faying, " that the only way to fave Andre was to give up
" Arnold." Major Andre was murdered upon private, not public con-
fiderations. It bore not with it the ftamp of juflice ; for there was not an
officer in the Britifh army whofe duty it would not have been, had any of
the American Generals offered to quit the fervicc of Congrefs, to have
ncgociatcd to receive them; fo that this execution could not, by example,
have prevented the repetition of the fame offence.

It may appear, that from this change of drefs,&c. he came under the
defcription of a fpy ; but when it fiiall be confidered " againft his ftipulation,
" intention and knowledge," he became abfolutcly a prifoner, and was

forced

APPENDIX.

forced to change his drefs for fclf-prcfervation, it may fuP.ly be afTcrtcd-,
that no European general would on this pretext have had his blood upon his
head. He fell a facrificc to that which was expedient, not to that which
wasjuft: what was fuppofed to be ufeful fuperfeded what would have been
generous ; and though, by imprudently carrying papers about him, he gave
a colour to thofe, who endeavoured to feperatc Great Britain from America,
to prefs for his death ; yet an open and elevated mind would hav< found
greater fatisfadion in the obligations it might have laid on the army of
his opponents, than in carrying into execution a ufclcfs and unncceffary

vengeance.

It has been faid, that not only the French party from their cuftomary
policy, but Mr. Wafliington's perfonal enemies urged him on, contrary to
his inclinations, to render him unpopular if he executed Major Andre, or
fufpeded if he pardoned him.

In the length of the war, for what one generous adion has Mr. Wafliing-
ton been celebrated ? what honourable fentiment ever fell from his lips
which can invalidate the belief, that furrounded with difficulties and ignorant
in whom to confide, he meanly flickered himfelf under the opinions of his
officers and the Congrcfs, in perpetrating his own previous determination?
and, in pcrfed: conformity to his intererted ambition, which crowned with
fucccfs beyond human calculation in 1783, to ufe his own expredion, " bid
•' a lafl: farewell to the cares of oiHcc, and all the employments of public
" life," torefume them at this moment (1787) as Prcfident of the American
Convention ? Had Sir Henry Clinton, w hofe whole behaviour in his public
difappointmcnt, and mod affliding of private lituations, united the fenfi-
bility of the Friend, with the magnanimity of the General, had he poflcfled
a particle of the malignity which, in this tranfadion, was exhibited by the
American, many of the principal inhabitants of Carolina then in coniine-
ment, on the clearefl: proof for the violation of the law of nations, would
have been adjudged to the death they had merited.

The papers which Congrcfs publiflied, relative to Major Andrts death,
will remain an eternal monument of the principles of that heroick officer ;
and, when fortune fliall no longer glofs over her fading paneg)'rick, will
enable pofterity to pafs judgment on the character of Wafliington.

Page

:.(,

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APPENDIX.

Page 104, liae 15. Ai ibis lime U. Col, Simeoe rtcapitukted /me tf his iJtns

(relative to Jeizing Billing's port) by the letter wbicb is in the appendix,

*' THE prefcnt fyftcm of war fccms to aim principally at ftriking at
the refourccs of the rebels, and in confcqucncc by incapacitating them from
remitting the produce of their country to foreign markets, to render them
a burden to the powers of Europe who arc confederate with them againft
Great Britain,

" A poll on the Delaware would be of utility to this end ; and tht
fituation of Billing's port, peculiarly adapted for this purpofc, ftrikes mc fo
forcibly that I truft your Excellency will pardon my particularizir • Tome of
its features, and a few of its many advantages.

" The ground is an entire flat ; it is not commanded ; the rebels had
begun a large work there, which they left mifinilhed whcu Sir William
Howe took poircfllon of Philadelphia. On our evacuation of that city Mr.
Mifflin pointed out to them the neceflity of rcfuming and completing the
fortification ; the opening of the chevaux du frizc is made clofe under
the bold bluff, which terminates the terre-plein towards the water: this,
with the other chevaux du frize above, would be turned much to our
advantage. A fuflkient water force to prevent any (hipping or gallics
from commanding the river above, and which in fome rcfpcdl Ihould be
moveable, would be rcquifitc : perhaps a tranfport or two on the cllablilh-
ment of the Margery, a tranfport of the garrifon armed with cannonades,
a few gallics and gun-boats, would accomplifh every wifh'd for end.

" The work to be erected fliould be calculated at Icafl for three hundred
regular troops to defend, to which Jhoiild be added three hundred light
troops, habituated to make incurfions, &c. &:c.

" It fcems probable that an expedition will fooner or later be formed
for Virginia ; the tmo\)i intended for this fcrvicc might be landed, fortify,
and leave a garrifon at Billing's jwit in a few days, carrying with them
frame works tor bomb proofs, &c. from New York, which might be given
out to be intended for Portfmouth, or foinc port in Virginia. The advan-
tages refulcing from the policfnon of this j^ort, would be an entire Hop of
the trade of the Delaware, probably the driving :hc Congrcfs from Phila-
delphia, or by a very little exertion of policy, being in early polTeflion of
their moft fecrct refolutions and intentions ; it would encourage dcfcrtion,
jyirticularlv that of the fliipbuildcrs in Philadelphia.

« To

APPENDIX.

" To befiege this garrifon while the river is open will be a matter of great
difficulty ; the road from Staten ifland to Trent town being fo much nearer
thin a retreat from Billing's port to that pafs, and the Delaware being al-
moft every where too wide for a bridge of boats, or for batteries raifed upon
each fliore effedlually to command a retreat. The place might be invcltcd
by the Jerfey militia ; they arc not numerous, or to be feared, and would
foon be difarmed by a proper mixture of conciliatory and vigorous meafur.'j.

" The officer comnunding the port Ihould, if it could be contrived,
have the comnund alfo of the water forces ; at lead not a boat fhould be
permitted to land without his concurrence. The garrifon (hould purchafe
what frelh provilions might be allowed them, and fhould never be placed
in a fituation to commit unmilitary depredations.

" I doubt not but that a thoufand advantages and difadvantages rcfulting
from this poll muft ftrike your Excellency's comprchenfive views, which
do not appear to my partial one. If,/.any future time, although I am not
willing to be wedded to a redoubt, your Excellency fhould feize on this poft,
I fliould be very ready to (lake on its defence, or its lofs from the moll
inevitable reafons, every hope that I have of military preferment, and of being
cfleemcd a faithful and honourable fcrvant of my King and Country."

It is probable that had not circumdances prevented Sir Henry Clinton
from purfuing the plan of operations which he had intended, in the courfe
of them Billing's port would have attraded his attention.

Page 1 25, line 23. dipt. S/evcn/on's humiinity tvas alarmed, and the IfUrrs,
ivbicb are in ibe appendix, puffed between Lt. Cot. Simcoe and CoLnel Parker :
they prevented all further lad eonjequences.

" Sir, Portfmouth, Sunday, March 4, 1781.

" I DO myfelf the honour of enclofing to you Captain
Stcvenlon's juflification of Mr. Gregory in your fervice ; and am to aiTiirc
yoj, what the ties of humanity fumn>on me to declare, that Capt. Stevenfon
mentioned to me, fome hours before it was known that the gun-boat Avas
tikcn, the fictitious letter you found among his papers; at a diftance the
matter appeared in a ludicrous light; as it may otherwife probably lead to
ferious confcquenccs, I folcmnly conlirm the truth of Capt. Stevenfon's
explanation of the affair ; and add, upon the facred honour of a foldicr and

a gcn-

APPENDIX.

n gcntlcm:\n, that I have no rcafon to believe or fufpcdl that Mr. Gregory
is othcrwife than a firm adherent of the French King, and of the Congrcfs.

" I have the honor to be, fir, &c.
«• To Colonel Parker." J. G. S I M C O E."

*' Col. Simcoc,
"Sir,

" THEhonorof a foldierl ever hold facred, and am happy
that you are called on by motives of hiimxnity to acquit General Gregory.
As to my own opinion, I believe you : but as the management of this delicate
matter is left to my fupcriors, I have forwarded the letter you honoured mc
with to Baron Steuben, who I truft will view it in the fame manner I do.

" I have the honor to be, fir, &:c.
March 5, 1781. •« J. PARKER. Col."

P'''gc ^33, line 25. General rbillips ajL'd Lt. Co!. Simcoc, zvhrn be zvaitcd upon
him to make bis report, bow many men ivould it require to defend Tork tovcn ?

This convcrfation is dwelt upon in the journal in order to fet in its proper
light a paflage in a letter from Sir Henry Clinton to Lord Cornwallis — " I
" confcfs I could not conceive you would require above four thoufand in a
" (lation where (Jeneral Arnold had reprefcnted to me, (upon report of
" Colonel Sim oe), that two thoufand men would be amply fufficicnt."

General Arnold was fecond in command, fo that no particular report was
made to him ; but he was prcfent at the convcrfation which palTed between
Lt. Col. Simcoe and General Phillips.

Page 147, line 20. Lt. Col. Simcoe, "^•bile at Jl'ejlover, received a letter

from General Lee,

" Dear Sir, March 3d, 1781.

" FROM the liberality of mind which you are univcrfaliy
allowed to be blefTed with, I have little doubt but that what I am about to
oiFcrto your confideration will be favourably received — but I mull firftprc-
mife that, whatfoever fome flaming zealots in the Britifli army may infift to
the contrary, it is very pofliblc that foveral who embarked on this fide in
the prefcnt contefl: were very good Englilluncn, and I can venture to affert
that I am one of this (lamp — for I conlidercd, that had the Minillry fuc-
ccedcd in their fchemc of ellablifliing the principle of taxing America with-
out

APPENDIX.

out her confent, the liberties of Great Britain would that iiiAant hnvc bcefi
anaihilated in effeA, though the form might have remained. For as the
pecuniary influence of the Crown was already enormoufly too great, fo pro-
digious an additional weight thrown into the preponderating fcalc mult
fink to utter ruin every part of the Empire — on the other hand 1 will venture
to alfcrt, notwithftanding all that fomc of the flaming faHdids on this fide
may plcafe to aifume, that it is the intcrcfi of every good American that
Great Britain fiiould ever be a great, powerful, and opulent nation — but
the meafurc fiic ought to purfue, in my idea, t( obtain and fecure this
power, opulence, and grcatncfs, I eannot at prefent with propriety explain ;
but I can with propriety point out fome which fhe ought not to purfue.
For inftance, her Generals and Commanders ought not to fuffer, or con-
nive at by impunity, the little dirty piratical plundering of individuals— i*
fuch proceedings can only tend to widen the breach already, to the misfor.*
tunc of both parties, much too wide, by fouring men's minds into a fiateof
irreconciliablc refentmcnt : in fiiort, it is diametrically repugnant, not only
to the honor, but the true intercfi and policy of Great Britian, abfiradled
from all confiderations of the cruelty and inhumanity towards very worthy
families. But to be juft, I really believe that mofi, if not all of thefe flagitious
fcandalous adU are committed unknown to the Englifii General and Com-
modore, as from the air and garb of the robbers they have not the ap-
pearance of being legally commifiioned. — This, my dear fir, is the main
purpofe of my letter, which I write as a good Englifiiman, as a good
American, and as a gentleman addreffing himfelfto another of whom be
has a very high opinion ; and I have no doubt but that you will exert all
your power and influence to punilh and put an end to fuch abominable
pradices.

•* I have nothing to add, but to entreat that whatever letters I may fend in
vou will convey fafely to my relations.— There is indeed one other favour
I requefi' ; which is, that you will by the firft opportunity afiure Sir Henr/
Clinton, General Robinibn, and General Leflie, of my perfonal refpeft and
cftcem, and I beg you will remember me kindly to General Phillips ; — Birt
above all, I entreat yoa will believe me to be,

" moft fincercTy, jour's,

« CHARLfiS LEE."

e Page

f '

.Mt^

APPENDIX.

Page 156, line 6. In the middle of the day a patrole from Lt. Col. Tarleton,
ivbo wiJs an the oppofite fide of the Rivana, covinmnicated zvitb him.

In Col. Tarlcton's hiftory of the campaigns in the fouthcrn Provinces, pub-
lilhc.l fincc the completion of this Journal, there is the following paragraph :

" If the diftancc would have allowed Lt. Col. Simcoc to fend a fmall

" party of huzzars to inform the corps at Charlottcvillc of the Hight of the

" Americans, Lr. Col. Tarlcton might have been in time to harrafs Baron

" Steuben's progrcfs, whilft Lt. Col. Simcoe would have preflcd him in the

" rear ; and a combination of this fort would, in all probability, have ruined

" that body of new levies : but the dillance of thirty-five miles in an

" enemy's country, and the uncertainty of Tarlcton's fuccefs, perhaps reprc-

•• fented fuch a co-operation as too fpeculativc and precarious."

It appears that Lt. Col. Tarlcton marched from Charlottcvillc towards the
Point of Fork nearly at the time that Lt. Col. Simcoe arrived there ; had that
officer fent a patrole to Lt. Col. Tarleton, the whole of the intelligence it
could have conveyed to him would have been, that the Baron Steuben, with
a far more confidcrable force than had been apprehended, had crofTcd a
rapid, broad, unfordable river, was in poflTcflion of all the boats, and en-
camped upon its banks: but Lt. Col. Simcoc mort afluredly could not have
ordered Lt. Col. Tarlcton immediately to join him, to purfue the Baron
with any probability of fuccefs ; and, without an abfolute certainty, he could
not have taken the liberty of breaking through Earl Cornwallis's exprcfs
orders of rejoining him, without delay, at Goochland Court-houfe, and
of marching away with all his light troops to a confidcrable diftancc. But
there was a total impofllbility of pafling the river; it was not fordablc for
many miles, and the combination, Lt. Col. Tarleton talks of, was abfolutely
impradicable. He obferves, that the diftancc from Charlottcvillc was
thirty-five miles, which would have been too great, had the river been
fordablc ; but the uncertainty of his fuccefs could be no impediment
as, at any rate, there was no enemy to oppofe him, and his march was eafily
to be traced ; nor could thcfe reafons " rcprefent fuch co-operation as
" fpcculative and precarious," at leaft to Lt. Col. Simcoe, as the idea never
once entered his mind, and he was much furprizcd when he faw it in Lt.
Col. Tarlcton's campaigns, as 'till then he never had heard it fuggefted.

Page

I HI

APPENDIX.

Page 1 66, line 28. // zvas reported, and not without probability, tb.it a p.Urole
of the enemy met -with this party on the road, where it zvas natural to expci'l
Lord Cor nival lis's army, and took it for his advance guard, and that this belief
prevented them from renewing the attaek.

In Lt. Col. Tarlcton's hillory is the following pafTage : " The movement
of Lt. Col. Tarlcton from his advance port in the morning was a favour-
able incident for the Americans ; for if the legion foraging party under
Capt. Ogilvic, who accidentally approached the flank of the rifle-men,
could produce helitation and adoniihmcnt, the charge of the whole
cavalry muft have confiderably affifted Lt. Col. Simcoe, whofe judicious
conduct obliged Col. Butler to fall back upon Gen. Wayne, before the
arrival of the infantry from Williamiburg, or the dragoons from Burrel's s
the lof8 in this aflliir was nearly equal, except that the Britifli took fome
prifoners."

It is not to be doubted, but that Lt. Col. Simcoe would have been happy
to have been ainHed by Lt. Col. Tarlcton and his cavalry, and would have
employed him to the bcft of his jx)wcr; but the ground was fuch that the
cavalry could not have been properly riflced in an attack, otherwifc than
what Capt. Shank accompliflied, or adventured in the purfuit, as the enemy
fled through thick woods which led to a ravine, beyond which M. Fayette's
army drew up in force.

The approach of Capt. Ogilvie was not of the leaft fcrvice to the Rangers,
as it was at too great a diflance to aiTill their attack ; nor could any
movement from Williamiburg have been in time fuflicient to have prefcrved
the troops under Lt. Col. Simcoe, who owed their prefervation as much to
their own exertions as if there had not been another Britifli foldicr in Virginia.
Upon the firft repulfe of the enemy, it was Lt. Col. Simcoe 's bufinefs to
retire, and this he inftantly cfFcdcd.

Capt. Ewald, who fince the war has jjubliflied fome military obferva-
tions in Germany, has propofcd to thofe who may be in fimilar circum-
ftanccs, Lt. Col. Simcoe's conducT: as a proper example; he affirms, that
had he purfued he would have been cut off".

Infantry might have been of fervice in following the enemy through the
wood, to the brink of the Ravine.

c 2 Page

ii!'

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i'ii

mttL>

APPENDIX.

Page 176, line 9. The climate, the Jickly fiate mi condition of the corps, at

more fully dciiukd in the appetuiix.

Lt. Col. Simcoc had reprefented this to Sir Henry Clinton, in the follow-
ing letter.

" I DO inyfclf the honor of writing to your Excelleacy by the prcfcnt
opportunity, and of making fuch reprefentatioa of the Queen's Rangers
as I think to be my indifpenliblc duty. The iftfontry are much ceduecd in
niiunbcrs by dcfertion, the confequence of their compolition, opportunities,
unruraittiiig fiitigues, and by death ; while thofe rematning are much
ihactercd in point of conflltution : the cavalry arc admirably mounted,
but more than, half are without accoutrements, or any arms, but fuch as we
have taken from an ill-appointed enemy. The arms and accoutrements^
■which I apprehend had been intended for Cape. Cooke's troop,, were fctic by
the Infpeiftor to Lord Corn\ allis, who gave them to the legion, fojj whom he
had made the application. In this fituation, without time to difciplinc,
and without proper arms, I am obliged totruft more to fortune than I have
ever found neceflury, and that againft an enemy who is improving every day.

" My duty therefore leads me to hope, that, as we have beea already-
embarked for New York, that your. Excellency, i1)0uld any troops be^
ordered there, will be pleafed to diced the Queen's lingers to be fent
among the firft, with, or if that cannot be done, without their borfes ; &a
that is the only place where the corps can be recruited. Your Excellency
will, I am fure, be confident, that no private view didates this application ;
and believe, that all climates and fcrviccs, where lean be ufefulj are jn^
different to me."

Lt. Col. Simcoe had been dircclcd by the Commander in Chief to com-
municate with him, and to give him fuch information from time to time
as he thought might be for the good of the ftlrvicc, while he was under
the command of Gen. Arnold ; znA he had always moil ftrongly reprefented
the great importance of poflefling a fmall naval force on the Carratuck inlet,
both to fecure a retreat and to conned the operations of Virginia with thofe
of Carolina: he had been an eyc-witnefs, that the naval force ftationcd in
the Chcfapeak bay, by no means blocked it up, or prevented the enemy's

vcfTcls from going in or out at their plcafure.

APPENDIX.

In this letter he added :—
*• I take this opportumty of cnclofing to your ExcelleiKy two fketchc»,
taken amongft the papers of the Marquis de la Fayette. The roaci frGrrt
Philadelphia to Kent ifland is accurately delineated ; and, fliould your F.x-
ccllcncy, as I hope, vifit Philadelphia in your way to this colorty, points out
the facility of croffing the Ifthmus, and the confequcnce of Kertt ifland,
where I have long thought a poll would be of great cftl-dl, to give an afylum
to thcdiflrcflcd friends of Government, and by the ftation of a few criii^zers
cfFeclually co block up the Chcfapcak, which cannot or has not hitherto
been done."

k was natural for Lc. Col. Simcoe to fix his mind on thofc opcratiorts,
which he had reafon to expccf t would be undertaken on the upper part of
the Chefapeak J the country of the aflbciatcd Loyalifts.

This wifli to return to New York was confiderably ftrengthened by the
belief, that the fca voyage would greatly amend the health of the foldiers,
and by his hopes that they might be of public utility in their convalefcent
ftatc, if the General and Admiral would have consented to have entruftcd
his friend, Capt. Thomas Graves and himfelf, with a flying fquadron, to
have carried on that mode of war which would have been feverely felt by
the enemy ; the keeping their coafts in eonftant alarm, from Bofton ra
Virginia, and the following and deftroying their fhipping in their innume-
rable fmaller harbours. The fatal event at York town terminated thefi:
views, and Lt. Col. Simcoe's fervices. His friend, Capt. Thomas Graves,
was more fortunate : he was appointed to the frigate La Magicienne, which
he manned at a confidcrable private expence ; but with a difinterefted fpirit
truly becoming the Bhtifli officer, declined taking poflcfllon of her, while
in the command c-fa lineof battl.v Hiip, he thought, he could be more ufeful'
to his country, and that honounoie fcrvice was to be met with' in the Weft
Indies or America.: and when he accepted of the frigate, being employed*
un convoys, he fell in with the Sybil French frigate of fuperior force to
himfelf, doubly manned, and commanded by an officer of diftinguilhcd-
charadcr. Their engagement was rendered memorable, by their being
locked clofe to each other for near two hours, with every Jail Jet ^ by the
carnage on board the Britilh Ihip, exceeding what in fimilar numbere is to
be met with in the annals of the late war, and by the circumftance, that

when

I'M

III

APPENDIX.

when Capt. Graves had filenced the fire of his opponent, the marts of thd
La Magicicnne fell overboard, and fortune deprived him of his prize and of
all, but the glory of having deferved it.

Page 177, line 20. Earl CornwalUs in a converfation wilb Lt. Col. Simcoe
ajked bitn, " zvhether he thought that be could efcape with the cavalry ?" be
anf-n'crcd his LorJJhip, " without the fmalkjl doubt."

The great outline which Lt. Col. Simcoc laid down as the means by
which he could efcape, was to march ftrait up the country 'till fuch time
as he had arrived parallel to the fords of the Sufquehana ; leaving it un-
certain whether he meant to proceed to Carolina or Pennfylvania ; he then
would have crofled towards the Sufquehana, diretfling his march fo as to en-
deavour to releafc the Convention army, or to imprefs the enemy with a
belief that fuch was his intention, if it fliould appear impradicable : when,
being above the fords of the Delaware, he would have paflcd that river, and
proceeded towards Staten ifland or New York; by that route which would
have been mod feafible.

For fome time previous to Earl Cornwallis's queftion, Lt. Col. Simcoc
had formed the idea of efcaping with his cavalry, and fuch men as could
have been mounted, in fliort the whole of his corps ; and he had acquired
a mod perfc(5l knowledge of the different fords, and formed for himfclf a
regular plan. Capt. Ewald faw him one day looking over Xenophon, and
immediately faid, " My Colonel, you are going to retreat ; for God's fake
" do not leave the yagers behind you." Thofe who are not acquainted with
the American country and its internal fituation, would look upon fuch an at-
tempt as chimerical ; but a confideration of circumftances might alter their
opinion. The whole of the enemy's force was concentrated at York town ;
their cavalry conlifted of the Duke of Lauzun's legion, ill-mounted, few in
. numbers, and unacquainted with the country and the genius of the war ;
no ferioiis interruption or purfuit could be cxpedted from them ; fuch a
corps as four or five hundred men were exaftly calculated for the attempt.
A fingle plantation would have furniflied them with fufticient provifions and
forage; the rapidity of their march would prevent any predetermined oppo-
fition ; and, as the party proceeded, horfes could be accumulated to remount
thofe which might be difablcd. '

The

'9 '
:0

APPENDIX.

The country was fufficiently loyal to give the beft intelligence; much
could have been procured by means of the Negroes, and thefe people, if
properly nianagcd, might have been of infinite fcrvicc as auxiliaries ; they
arc brave, excellent horfemen, matters of the Uvorcl, capable of fatigue and
exertion in the hotted weather, and would have been tremendous in a purfur .

The compofition of the Queen's Rangers fuited it for any enteiprize; the
huzzars had been pradifed in fwimming their horfcs, and the native Ame-
ricans and emigrants were expert in whatever might facilitate the paflage of
rivers, or prevent an enemy from cHecting it. There were no troops be-
tween New York and Virginia, and if the militia were called out to guard
the principal fords (as was reported) it was "a ith a view to flop an army,
and not a light corps, whole march would be direcfted far above the
line they were deftined to occupy, and to points with which they were
unacquainted.

Page 1 80, line 13. His Lordjhip was pkafed to exprcfs himjdf favourably in
regard lo the Jiheme, but Jaid he could not permit it to he undertaken, for that
the ivhole of the army mujljhare one fate.

The Rangers, from their many voyages, on board of half-manned tranf-
ports, and from their officers encouraging them to aflift in the working of
the veflels, were become fo ready and expert at fea, that in a periodical
produdlion which dated the number of the troops taken at York tow n, it
was not furprizing that the ^leens Rangers w ere remarked as, allfailors.

Upon Capt. Palmer's fuccefs, Lt. Col. Simcoe had taken the liberty of
fuggefting, '"' that by fitting out all the fmall craft as fire vefTels, and driving
♦• the French fhips from the river in the ni/:jh.. two thoufand men, which
" the boats would carry, might efcape to the Maryland fhore ;" his Loid-
ftiip replied, " he faw no daylight in that mode 4 jfcape."

The duty and confequent principles of 3 fuborliratc ufiicer and a com-
mander in chief are as different and diftinf: ,v; ;in;ited views and univerfal
ones can pofTibly make them : the inferior office; has only to perform any fer-
vice he may be ordered on, and to be re; 'f i for rhofe whuli are moft hazar-
dous, while the commander in chief weighs the propriety of any ineafure, fees
it in all its lights and relations, and determines accordingly ; and the greater
alacrity which his troops fhew to execute his defigns, the more valuable they
become ; and cannot fail ftrongly to in tereft a noble mind in their pre-

fervation.

APPENDIX.

fervation: And this principle Earl Cornwallis, when he furrendcred York
town to the prodigious fuperiority of force combined againft him, gene-
roiifly exprclTcd in the following terms : " our numbers had been diminifhed
" by the enemy's fire ; but particularly by ficknefs, and the ftrcngth and
*' fpiritsof thofe in the works were much exhauftcd by the fatigue of con-
" ftant watching and unremitting duty. Under all thcfe circumftances, I
" thought it would have been wanton and inhuman to the laft degree, to
" facrificc the lives of this fmall body of gallant foldiers, who ha(l>«evcr
" behaved with fo much fidelity and courage, by expofing them to an
" alTault, which, from the numbers and precautions of the enemy, could
" not fail to fucceed."

Page 1 83, line 20. Lt. Col. Simcoe, id'o/c exchange Gozrnmfnt bad procured

from Dr. IruHkliu.

Lt. Col. Simcoe has always thought himfclf under the higheft obligations
to his Majcfty's Minifters for this mark of attention; the terms on which
he was exchanged are here inferted, verbatim, from Dr. Franklin's dif-
charge : *' Being informed by William Hodgfon, Efq. Chairman of the
*' Committee of Subfcribcrs for the relief of American Prifoncrs in Eng-
•* land, of the benevolent and humane treatment lately received by the faid
" prifoners in confequence of orders from the prcfcnt Britifh Minifters i
*' and that the faid Minifters earneftly defire, that Lt. Coi. Simcoe, a pri,.
" foner on parole to the United States of America, fhould be rdeafed from
*' his faid parole ; and being further of opinion, that meeting the Britifli
" Government in adls of benevolence, is agreeable to the difpofuicn and
*' intention of the Congrefs : I do hereby, as far as in my power may lie,.
«' abfolve the parole of the faid Lt. Col. Simcoe ; but on this condition,.
" that an order be obtained for the difcharge of fome officer of equal rank,
"■ who being a prifoner to the Englilh in America, ftiall be named by the
" Congrefs, or by Gen. Wafhington for that purpofc, and that three copies.
*• of fuch order be tranfraitted to me. Given at Pafly, this 14th of
" January 178J. B. FRANKLIN, Minifter Plenipotentiary

*' from the United States of America.
" at the Court of France."

This fcems a proper place to relate, that Capt, Agnew of the Queen's
Rangers, w ho had been fo fevcrcly wounded at the battle of Bcandywinc,.

APPENDIX.

us to render him unable to undergo the duties of the corps in the field,
had embarked for Virginia, of which he was a native at the time General
Lcdie went to that province ; — his father, Mr. Agnew, Chaplain of the
Queen's Rangers, Captains Parker and Blair, Loyalifls, who had joined
Earl Dunmorc on the firft revolt of Virginia, and other gentlemen, failed
on the fame expedition. They followed the movements of Gen. Leflie
into Carolina ; and, Gen. Arnold having taken polTeflion of Portfmouth, were
returning to that place on board of the Romulus, when that fhip was cap-
tured by a French fquadron.

The following letters will explain their confoquent fituation; and ex-
emplify fome ofthofe adls of benevolence agreeable to the intention and
difpofition of the Congrcfs, as mentioned by Dr. Franklin in his preceding
letter.

" Dear Sir,

" FORTUNE, I truft, at lad has put it in my power to inform
you of our unhappy and wretched captivity. Vou may remember General
Walhington's vifit to the French fleet ; it is from that period I date the
commencement of our misfortunes h'\ fpring ; when, being informed of
the prifoners taken in the Romulus, a diftindion was made between
the gendemen of the fliip, and the officers palTengcrs for the army in
Virginia, viz. Captains James Parker, Hlair, Agnew, my father, and Mr.
Cramond. Some of the above gentlemen were formerly his old acquain-
tances. From the knowledge thefe gentlemen had of the colony, and t' c
French and American operations being fo foon to take place there, Mr. V, -\ih-
ington's conduct can be calily accounted for; as a demand was foon after
made of us, which we were informed of by Congrefs. The French, cither
thinking it improper to giveup their prifoners to the Americans, or having
other views relative to us, refufcd the demand ; but at the fame time con-
fcnicd to treat us in the manner I am to inform you of. We were imme-
diately feparatcd from our friends, and embarked on board the frigate La
Hermionc, (as we underftood,) for France ; having a letter from the Major
d'Efcadre, informing us we fliould be lent to IVance. The Hermionc,
on the contrary, was bound to Bofton, where wc foon after arrived, ana
were re-embarked on board La Concorde, ftill thinking ourfclves on our
way to France ; but, to our great furprizc, foon learnt that the fliip was for

f St. Domingo,

I i

APPENDIX.

St. Domingo, and thnt wc were to be confined there. We arrived the 6th
of July; a room in the common prifon was prepared for vis; but, by the
humanity of the Captain of the La Concorde, we were prevented going
to the prifon, and were fliut up in an hofpital, in hot cells, near four
months. — As the Iwench and American operations took place in Virginia,
fo the time of our deliverance approached ; and wc were, (to fulfill the
Major's letter,) embarked on board of diil'crcnt lliips, armed en Flute,

for France, the 23d of Oclober. — Our pailage was dilmal. L'Union,

a 64 gun fliip, on board of which was Capt. Parker, foundered aC

fen, the crew being happily favcd. La Seniiblc, in which was Mr.

IJhur, has never been heard of fincc; the fliip, on board of which
were my fluhcr and niyfclf, having loft the ufe of her rudder in a ftorm,
1 -.y a wreck twenty-four hours. However, fir, we have efcaj'cd all, to be
in>>re barbaroiifly treated in I-'rance. — The 6th of December we arrived at
Br.n:; we were landed, and immediately carried to a place of confinement,
whore we found two officers of the 86th, of the Tobago capitulation. Breft
not i:\\f a place for keeping prifoners, and the Commandant, probably
n<c '■"nowing of Mr. Blair's abfencc, fcnt the next morning an order to
c !)•-.<! uifl: the five officers from St. Domingc- lo Dinant Caftle. The order
being indifcriminate, and the two Tobago gentlemen coming in the fame
fleet, they were inftantly taken and carried oil' witli Capt. Parker, my father,
and felf, to Dinant. Whether this is a miftake at lireft, or not, I cannot
know; for, as the original reafon for treating us five with fiich fcvcrity
cannot now exift, and having heard wc were rcgardcil as hoflagcs for
French officers, that were, or had been, in the hands of Admiral Arbuthnot,
our prefent misfortunes miyarlfe from other caufes than the primitive, as
wc are now actually regarded as prifoners of rtate to IVance : the above,
whether intentional or accidental, had one happy tendency, which is that
Mr. Cramond 1 hope, is, in England. — Wc were put into a large vault or
dungeon in Dinant Caftle, where we remained inthemoft w retched fituation,
until we found means to acquaint the Commandant of Bretagne of our
fituation, who has been humane enough, for fuch I muft call it, to remove
us to St. Malocs Caftle, where we now are, fliut clofe up as prifoners of
fi:ate; having (een the orders H^nt to 'he Count Dc Guion for that purpofe.
— lam afraid there is fomefecrel i cifon fur our treatment, that I cannotdivinc;

foe

APPENDIX.

f Jr no nation, I believe, admires the virtue of loyalty and firmncfsmore than the
French. — I am indebted to ftratagcm for the conveyance of this ; by the fame
means, I have written to the Miniftcr, being deprived of pen, ink, and paper,
and probably may not have another chance ; I truft, (hould my letter to Lord
George Gcrmaine mifcarry, that Col. Simcoc will ufc thofe means his
judgement will bcft point out to inform our friends at home of our lituation.

" Suffer me, Col. Simcoc, to recommend to your humane and tender
fenfibility an agcl and beloved parent : that, fliould fhc ftand in need of
your kind attention or advice, fhc may always have it in her power to have
recourfe to a friend ! — But oh God ! who knows, perhaps flie at this mo-
ment, from an independant aflUiencc, is reduced, by the vicifTitudes of

the times, to penury! My heart, afHicled with the misfortunes of our

family, can no more Your's, Sec.

St. Maloes Caftle, 26th Feb. 1 782. " STAIR AGNEW."

" My dear CoLONF.t, Caen, 20th Auguft, 1782.

" APPREHENSIVE my letters do not reach you, as I have
never had the honour of hearing from you lince in France, and now having
a private opportunity, I fend you in part duplicates of thofe letters which I
have wrote you, and which will beft tend to inform you of our fituation. —
Your being in England is a circumftance the mort happy for us, being con-
vinced at laft wc have a friend. I hope this will not be fubjecflcd to any
infpciflion, and confequently fliall endeavour to be as particular to you as
polfiblc, relative to our prcfent fituation.

" It is to the Duke of Harcourt, Governor of the province of Normandy,
we are indebted for our parole here, and the prcfent indulgences we enjoy ;
hearing of our fituation in the callle of St. Maloes, the victims of policy,
he mort readily intcreftcd himfelf with the Minifter in our behalf, and
through his remarkable attention and politencls has much alleviated our
misfortunes. He has not been Icfs aifiduous in endeavouring to exchange
US; but alas! his powers arc not equal to his good inclination. Lc Mar-
quis de Caftrics has referred him to the American Minifter, and has
informed him it was at the inftance of America wc were detained in France.
1 have the honor oltranfmitting to you the letter of Mr. Franklin in anfwcr
to the Marquis de Caftrics on this fubjcilt.

^a Pam-

APPENDIX.

PalTy, 2d April, 1782.
" I IIAVF received the letter your Excellency did mi the honor of
writing to nic, relating to MelFrs. Agncw, lather and fbn, and Capt. Parker,
Engliltuncn prifoncrs, taken in America, and brought to France. — I know
nothing of thofe perfons, or of the circumliances that might induce the
Delegates of Virginia to dciire their detention, no account of them from
that State being come to my hands, nor have I received any orders or in-
ftrudions from the Congrefs concerning them. 1 therefore cannot pro-
perly make any oppofition to their being permitted to relide at Caen on
their parole of honor, or to their being exchanged in purfuance of the cartel,
as his Majefty in his wifdom ihall think proper. I am, fir. Sec.

" Signed, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

" From this Letter we readily concluded that every obftacle was re-
moved ; and in confequcnce the Duke of Harcourt wrote to M. de Caftries
requeuing our exchange, that we might, as Britifli oilicers, benefit ourfelvcs
of the cartel ertabliflied between the two nations for that exprefs purpofe.

" The Duke hns fhewn me the anfwcr of M. dc Caftries to this laft:
letter, and from which it appears determined to keep us in France. He
tells him, " Qu'il ne lui eft pas poflible d'y condefcendre, parceque M. dc
" la Luzerne a mande a M. dc Rochambault que Ic Congres dcfiroit qu'ils
" ne fuftent pas echangcs, comme ttant dcs Torries dangereux dans le Sud,
" 6u ils fervoient trop bien Icur Patrie."

" Such is our (ituation at prefent, my dear Colonel ; nor have wc a hope
of relief, but in our country, and your kind endeavours; if we are not de-
manded, here we remain during the war ! Heavens ! what a fucceilion of
melancholy viciflitudes ! I have an aged parent at New York, who, totally
dependant on the endeavours of her huiband and an only fon, perhaps,
from a genteel afiluence, at this moment is reduced to want ! Oh God !
what do I fay ? perhaps flic is no more ! Such are the misfortunes at-
tendant on civil war ; and fliall we, my dear Colonel, w ho have facrinced
all but a natural and unalienable allegiance, fhall we not find friends who
dare reclaim us? who dare iifift on our exchange? For what is there a
cartel between the two nations ? Arc we not Britifli officers ? Are we not
French prifoncrs ? I ever apprehended that the meancft fcrvant w as en-
titled to the protedion of the ftate he ferved ; and ftiall France, at the

inftancc

APPENDIX.

inftancc of America, fliut up his Mnjcfly's fubjcil.s in her dungeons and
caftlcs with impunity ? No! fI)ouLl this happily rcacli you, I tniil fuch
mcafures will be adopted as to cHcct our exchange agreeable to the cartel. —
Suicly there arc French ofiiccrs enough in England. Your's, izc.

" STAIR AGNliVV."

Lord George Germain had applied to the French Minirtry for the relcafc
of thcfc olhcers, previous to the arrival of Lt. Col, Simcoe in England, but
with little crtc^lt; application was made to the fuccceding Secretaries of
State. On the approach of peace they were exchanged : it is mod probable
had the war continued they would have remained prifoncrs ; fo faithfully
did the Minirters of France fervc the American Cor;^rt's, and maintain the
character which that kingdom has acquired for ages, ')f trampling upon
every tie of humanity which interferes with her policy !

The Duke de Lauzun politely oflered to procure Lt. Col. Simcoe a paf-
fagc in the frigate he was to proceed with to France : he received many
civilities from the American officers to whom he had been oppofcd, and
Col. Lee, by vifiting him, aiTbrdcd him an opportunity of perfonally ac-
knowledging the obligation he had been under to that officer. General
O'Hara had kindly interefted himfclf in explaining to Earl Cornwallis how
ncccnUry it was for him immediately to proceed to New York ; and Baron
Steuben dcHrcd to procure, through Gen. Wafliington, a pafiagc for him
in the I Vench frigate ready to fail for Europe. Lt. Col. Simcoe had alkcd
Lt. Spencer to acknowledge his fenfc of the Baron's civilities, and in fome
trifling points to requeft his interference ; that officer had a long con-
verfation with Baron Steuben, who told him that he had heard of Lt. Col.
Tarleton's march to Charlottcville, but not of Lt. Col. Simcoe's to the Point
of Fork, and that he took his corps for Earl Cornwallis's army. — Lt. Col.
Simcoe has often had occafion to mention fome of the many inftanccs of
Lt. Spencer's military talents ; and the following anecdote ^vill evince the
heroic fpirit with which he was animated, and on that account be ac-
ceptable to the readers of this journal.

At the conclufion of the American war, and previous to the evacuation of
New York by the King's troops, Lieut. Spencer of the Queen's Rangers,
(who was then at Philadelphia), received a letter from Major Hanger of
the Britilh legion, informing him, that Lieut. H. Paymafter of that regi-
ment

I! I
'II

'1 f

1 1,

APPENDIX.

ment bad abfconikd ; that he had taken with him five (laiuiards which i^.u
regiment lad in dillorent actions fei/cd from the enemy, anil thai he was
fuppofed to be in Philadtlphia. The Major was pleafed to pafs fomc
compliments on I.l. Spencer, cxprclTivc of the idea he entertained of his
integrity and 7.eal for the fervicc, he di lired him to go to Mr. H. well
amicd, and to Ion !iim iit rtwy r.//r to deliver up the trophies : int. d he
faid " I am at cafe ; for I am Aire nothing hut the lofs of your life in the
" attempt, can prevent your getting them."

At feven in the evening Lt. Spencer rec '-ivcd the Major's letter ; without
lofing a moment-he put a piir ofpillols in his pockets, went to the fign of
the Indian Queen, uherc he learnt Mr. H. quartered, enquired for his
room, and was told by one of t!ic fervants that he lodged in fuch a number,
and was at 'lonie ; he w it up, but Mr. H. was not there ; he took the
liliort', ho\. vcrof opening a fm.ill trunk he Hiw in the room ; he found the
ftandards, took oft' his coat, waiftcoat and (hirt, wrapped them round his
body, fli' up his wailUoat behind, that he might button it, &:c. came out
of the hwufe and went to the inn, from which the vehicle fet off for New
York, which it did that nigl • at eight o'clock ; and the next day he de-
livered the ftandards to the Majoi in New York, who received them w ith
lingular marks of joy and proper icknow Icdgmcnts.

On his road to Nc.\ York, ;. Urunfvvick, Lt. Spencer was infulted by
ftnic of the inhabitants fhcy knew him by his uniform to be one of the
cavalry of t!"ie CVccn's Rani.;,crs ; of courfe concluded that he was one of
thofc who had attended I.t. Col. Simcoc in his alert at the time that gen-
tleman was taken prifoncr. A lingular diflikc to the Queen's Rangers had
been occalioned by the frequent incurfions that corps had made into the
Jerfies, and particularly by the death of Capt. Vorhecs, who was killed on
the return of the party under the command of Lt. Col. Simcoc : he was an
inhabitant of Brunfwick, and was to have been married the day after,
if his death had not happened.

The populace aftembled (during dinner) round the houfe, hifling and
hooting ; and had it not been for the interpolition of fome American
otlicers, paflengcr, in the fame waggon, it is likely they might have pro-
ceeded to violent meafurcs had they laid hands on Mr. Spencer, and found
the colours as dcfcribed inhis poITellion : thofc, only, who are acquainted with
the vindictive fpirit of the Jcrfcy people en know the fatal confequences.

Lt. Spcnccr

APPENDIX.

Lt. Spencer returned immcdiurcly to Philadelphia on pnrpoft- to give
Mr. H. (.very fatisfudion he niiglit raiuirc ; Mr. H. waited on hiin and
dclircd immediate redrefs; Mr. S. expolhilatcd with him on the impro-
priety of his condiicl ; the hour was appointed for the meeting, but Mr.
H, cooled, was lorry for what he had done, and here the niatier terminated.

The following letters will conclude this appendix ; they were fent to
Lt. Col. Simcoc fooii after the prcliininaiies < !' the peace were divulged in
America. Tht former was written by one of principal of the aiVociated
Lo\alills on the upper parts of the Chel'i nnd iranfmittei' to l.t. Col.

Sirncoe by Mr. C. Sowers, a Loyalill of 1\. uiia. It is more cafy lur

the reader to imagine than it is for him t(- ..ucthe pleafurc he has re-
ceived from thefc honourable ttftimonics.

" I HAVE the honor in behalf of the deputies of the afTociatcd
Loyalifls in Pennfylvania, Maryland, and the lower counties on Delaware,
by their particular direction, and being fully authorized by them for that
purpofe, w:v to cxprefs to you the high fenfe they entertain of your political
and military conduct during the late rebellion in America. They arc at a
lofs whether mod to admire your activity and gallantry in the field, or your
generous and afFedionatc attachment to his Majefty's loyal fubjeds in
America, and >our unwearied exertions as well to promote their true
intcrclt, as to prcfervc and protect their property.

" As they have with pL.ifure and fatisfadion had frequent opportunities
of feeing your arms crow ncd with fuccefs, fo have they as often experienced
the marks of your favour, attention and protedlion ; thcfe acts have endeared
you to them, and claim their warmert gratitude.

" Your particular countenance to and 7xal for the aflbciared Loyalilts,
and your ready concurrence in the mcafures propofed for their relief, and
kind folicitations in their behalf, have made an imprcfTion on their minds,
words cannot exprefs and time only can crafe-, and they have exceedingly
to regret that the opportunity was not afforded them of evincing to the
world, under your command, the fincerity of their profefTions and their
attachment to their fovercign.

" They would deem thcmfelves culpable if they did not take this oppor-
tunity to mention that your abhorrence of the pillage that too generally took

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APPENDIX.

place in this couutry, and the fuccefs that attended yoiir vigilant exertions
to prevent it, have marked your chanufler, and infured to you the efteem of
all orders and ranks of good nnen.

** Your fuddeh aAd unexpected departure from America prevented their
paying this tribute of refpcA to you perfonally, which they entreat you now
to accept, and that you will be aflured that under all elmt^es and cir-
cumftances your name will be dear to them, and that their wiihcs and
prayers will alwuys be fiir your prolperity and happinefi."

Huntingdon, July I ft, 1783.
" WHEN we refledl on your military condud in the courfe of this war,
we, in common with othem acquainted with its occurrences, cannot withold
our admiration and refpetft But, when you rife to our minds in the re-
lation in which you ftand with us, and we view you as our leader and
companioD, who not only has pointed out to us the road to military re-
ptttation, but has ihared in common with us its dangers and hardfhips t
wheqweiind, that the whole tenor ofyourcondudlderoonftratesthemoft
friendly diQxifition and attachment to our interefts, which, in a particular
manner, yoii have evinced by your unremitted alfiduity and aeal, in making
known and prelerring our preten^.ona to our Sovereign, which hat obtained
for us the nmA gracious marks of his approbation, and the moft honourable
reward for our fervices.* When thefe things recur to us, we feel our hearts
warmed with the generous glow of gratitude and affe^ion,

** Wc cannot omjt obferving, with very particular fatisfa<^on» that in the
cftablifliment of the corps the whole of the officers are included, and in
the ranks they refpedtively bore.

*' Wifliing you every fuccefs in your public purfuits, and the moft perfedt
dwneftic hai^^nefi, we have the honor to be, with the greateft regard,

*' And moft perfed eftcem.
Signed on behalf of the officers •• Ywir's &c. &c."

qt the rqriiveqt, by R. ARMSTRONG, Major,

JOHN SAUNDERS. Captain.

£KD QF TI^E APPENDIX.