as I
can conceive, they gave two fires and then rushed right forward which
drove the enemy from the wood into a Buckwheat field, from whence they
retreated. The General fearing (as we afterwards found) that a large
Body was coming up to support them, sent me over to bring our Men off.
They gave a Hurra and left the Field in good Order. We had about 40
wounded and a very few killed. A Serjeant who deserted says their
Accounts were 89 wounded and 8 killed, but in the latter he is
mistaken for we have buried more than double that Number--We find
their force was much more considerable than we imagined when the
General ordered the Attack. It consisted of the 2d Battn. of
light Infantry, a Battn. of the Royal Highlanders and 3 Comps.
of Hessian Rifle Men. The prisoners we took, told us, they expected
our Men would have run away as they did the day before, but that they
were never more surprised than to see us advancing to attack them. The
Virginia and Maryland Troops bear the Palm. They are well officered
and behave with as much regularity as possible, while the Eastern
people are plundering everything that comes in their way. An Ensign is
to be tried for marauding to-day, the Genl. will execute him if he
can get a Court Martial to convict him--I like our post here
exceedingly, I think if we give it up it is our own faults. You must
excuse me to my other friends for not writing to them. I can hardly
find time to give you a Line.

[Memoir of Lieut. Col. Tench Tilghman. J. Munsell, Albany,
1876.]

[No. 30.]

CAPT. JOHN GOOCH TO THOMAS FAYERWEATHER, BOSTON, MASS.

NEW JERSEY, FORT CONSTITUTION, Sept. 23, 1776.

I know you must be anxious for the certainty of events of which you
can have at that distance but a confused account, as I was on the spot
will endeavor to give you as Concise & Just account as possible; on
the 15th inst we evacuated New York & took all stores of every kind
out of the city, and took possession of the hights of Haerlem eight
miles from the City, the Enemy encamp'd about two miles from us; on
the 16th the Enemy advanced and took Possession of a hight on our
Right Flank abt half a mile Distance with about 3000 men, a Party
from our Brigade [Nixon's] of 150 men who turned out as Volunteers
under the Command of Lieut. Colo Crary of the Regmt I belong to
[Varnum's, R.I.] were ordered out if possible to dispossess them, in
about 20 minutes the Engagement began with as terrible a fire as ever