f day, five ships weighed anchor and
fell in close within a musket shot of our lines quite to the left of
me. I then moved my brigade abreast of them. They lay very quiet until
10 o'clock and by that time they had about 80 of their boats from
under Long Island shore full with men which contained about five or
six thousand and four transports full ready to come in the second
boats. They very suddenly began as heavy a canonade perhaps as ever
was from no more ships, as they had nothing to molest them, but to
fire on us at their pleasure, from their tops and everywhere--their
boats got under cover of the smoke of the shipping and then struck to
the left of my lines in order to cut me of from a retreat. My left
wing gave way which was formed of the militia. I lay myself on the
right wing waiting for the boats until Capt Prentice came to me and
told me, if I meant to save myself to leave the lines for that was the
orders on the left and that they had left the lines. I then told my
men to make the best of their way as I found I had but about ten left
with me. They soon moved out and I then made the best of my way out.
We then had a mile to retreat through as hot a fire as could well be
made but they mostly overshot us. The brigade was then in such a
scattered poster that I could not collect them and I found the whole
army on a retreat. The regulars came up in the rear and gave me
several platoons at a time when I had none of my men with me and I was
so beat out that they would have had me a prisoner had not I found an
officer that was obliged to leave his horse because he could not get
him over a fence so as to get out of their way. I found myself gone if
I could not ride. I went over the fence and got the horse over whilst
they were firing, mounted him and rode off. We halted here at night
and on Monday the enemy came on and we gave them a good drubbing. I
have not time to give you the particulars of any part of our action. I
have lost my major, a prisoner,--One sargeant or more killed and four
wounded,--have missing out of my brigade which sustained the whole
fire but 8 or 9 as yet. I hope God will be on our side at last. It is
memoriable that I have lost no more and God be praised for it. Our
lines are now good and if they dare come on without their shipping I
hope we shall give them a drubbing. In the utmost haste

From your faithful husband
WM. DOUGLAS.

I this moment received yours of the 8th inst, but have not got