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we could make no resistance, and no orders coming from any superior
officer, and that we must soon be entirely exposed to the rake of the
guns, gave the order to leave the lines. In retreating we had to cross
a level clear spot of ground, forty or fifty rods wide, exposed to the
whole of the enemy's fire; and they gave it to us in prime order; the
grape shot and langrage flew merrily, which served to quicken our
motions.... We had not gone far (in the highway) before we saw a party
of men, apparently hurrying on in the same direction with ourselves;
we endeavored hard to overtake them, but on approaching them we found
that they were not of our way of thinking; they were Hessians. We
immediately altered our course and took the main road leading to
King's bridge. We had not long been on this road before we saw another
party, just ahead of us, whom we knew to be Americans; just as we
overtook these, they were fired upon by a party of British from a
corn-field, and all was immediately in confusion again. I believe the
enemies' party was small; but our people were all militia, and the
demons of fear and disorder seemed to take full possession of all and
everything on that day. When I came to the spot where the militia were
fired upon the ground was literally covered with arms, knapsacks,
staves, coats, hats and old oil flasks, perhaps some of those from the
Madeira town cellar in New York.... Several of the regiment were
missing among whom was our major; he was a fine man, and his loss was
much regretted by the men of the regiment. We lay that night upon the
ground which the regiment occupied when I came up with it. The next
day in the forenoon, the enemy, as we expected, followed us "hard up"
and were advancing through a level field; our rangers and some few
other light troops under the command of Col. Knowlton, of Connecticut
and Major Leitch of (I, believe) Virginia, were in waiting for them.
Seeing them advancing, the rangers, &c, concealed themselves in a deep
gully overgrown with bushes; upon the western verge of this defile was
a post and rail fence, and over that the forementioned field. Our
people let the enemy advance until they arrived at the fence when they
arose and poured in a volley upon them. How many of the enemy were
killed & wounded could not be known, as the British were always as
careful as Indians to conceal their losses. There were, doubtless,
some killed, as I myself counted nineteen ball-holes throu