they could,
while, to protect them as they forded or swam, he himself took Gist
and half the Maryland battalion and proceeded to attack Cornwallis.
Against all the misfortunes of the day this piece of resolution and
true soldiership stands out in noble relief. The Marylanders followed
their general without flinching, and were soon "warmly engaged" with
the enemy, who had posted themselves at a house--the old "Cortelyou"
house--above the upper mills near the intersection of the Port and
Gowanus roads. They rallied to the attack several times, as Stirling
reports, and seemed on the point of dislodging Cornwallis, when
reinforcements came up, and the British drove back the Marylanders
into a piece of woods. Here, with conspicuous courage and
determination, they formed again for still another effort to break
through. Stirling's example was inspiring. "He encouraged and animated
our young soldiers," writes Gist, "with almost invincible resolution."
But his handful of brave men had done all that was possible, and in
their last charge they were met by great numbers and forced to retire
again, "with much precipitation and confusion."[153] They broke up
into small parties and sought escape. Nine only, among whom was Major
Gist, succeeded in crossing the creek, the rest having retreated into
the woods.[154] Stirling endeavored to get into the lines between the
British and Fort Box, or by way of the mill-dam, but finding this
impossible, he turned, ran through their fire, and eluding pursuit
around a hill, made his way to the Hessian corps and surrendered
himself to General De Heister. He had sacrificed himself and party as
prisoners, but his main object was accomplished. The rest of the
command was saved! They crossed the marsh and creek with a loss of but
two or three killed and six or eight drowned.

[Footnote 153: The conduct of the Marylanders was soldierly beyond
praise. But some accounts subject them to a singular martyrdom,
killing every man of the two hundred and fifty-nine reported missing.
As there was but one officer wounded, or at the most one killed and
one wounded in the party, according to the official returns, the
proportion of men killed was doubtless small. The letter in _Force_,
5th Series, vol. i., p. 1232, referring to this attack, bears every
evidence of having been written by Gist himself, and it is quoted as
his in the text. In this letter Gist speaks of being surrounded on all
sides, and then adds: "The