; through these hills are three
passes only, one near the Narrows, one on the road called the Flatbush
Road & one called the Bedford Road, being a cross road from Bedford to
Flatbush which lies on the southerly side of these hills; these passes
are through the mountains or hills easily defensible being very narrow
and the lands high & mountainous on each side. These are the only
roads which can be passed from the south side the hill to our lines,
except a road leading around the easterly end of the hills to Jamaica.
On each of these roads were placed a guard of 800 men, and east of
them in the wood was placed Col Miles with his Battalion to watch the
motion of the enemy on that part, with orders to keep a party
constantly reconnoitering to and across the Jamaica road. The
sentinels were so placed as to keep a constant communication between
the three guards on the three roads. South of these hills lies a large
plain extending from the North River easterly to Rockaway Bay perhaps
5 miles & southerly to the sound bounded on the south by the sound and
on the north by the hills. Those hills were from two to three miles
and a half from our lines. The enemy landed on this plain & extended
their camp from the River to Flatbush perhaps 3 or 4 miles. On the day
of the surprise I was on duty, and at the first dawn of day the guards
from the West road near the Narrows, came to my quarters & informed me
the enemy were advancing in great numbers by that road. I soon found
it true & that the whole guard had fled without firing a gun; these
(by way of retaliation I must tell you) were all New Yorkers &
Pennsylvanians; I found by fair daylight the enemy were through the
wood & descending the hill on the North side, on which with 20 of my
fugitive guard being all I could collect, I took post on a height in
their front at about half a mile's distance--which halted their column
& gave time for Lord Sterling with his forces to come up; thus much
for the West road--On the East next Jamaica Col. Miles suffered the
enemy to march not less than 6 miles till they came near two miles in
rear of the guards before he discovered & gave notice of their
approach. This also was in the night & the guard kept by
Pennsylvanians altogether--the New England & New Jersey troops being
in the other two roads through which the enemy did not attempt to
pass.

We were surprised--our principal barrier lost by that surprise, but as
far as the cover of the night is