ion, the detachment began to inarch back
to their shipping; but while they had been thus employed the Connecticut
men had been running in from all quarters, and had collected under the
American generals, Wooster, Silliman, and Arnold. The latter general was
posted at the little town of Bridgefield, and as there was no road but
through the town, it was necessary to force his entrenchments. This was
effected after a short but terrible conflict; and as it was now near
night, and the British troops were fatigued, they formed themselves into
an oblong square, and lay upon their arms till morning. In the morning,
when they recommenced their march, they encountered fresh dangers.
General Wooster had brought some field-artillery, and had placed it at
the end of a bridge, over which he thought the British must of necessity
pass; and when they arrived at the bridge they found him with his
artillery and two strong columns drawn up on the bank of the river.
Their guide, however, led them to a ford, three miles above the bridge,
and there they crossed without opposition. But from this ford, nearly
all the way to Camp's Point, they were harassed in flank and rear by the
American troops, who seemed resolved to cut them off. They paid dearly
for their temerity. Just before the royal troops reached Camp's Point
Sir William Erskine, placing himself at the head of four hundred men,
charged the two American columns, broke them, drove them back across the
country, and General Wooster, with several field officers and a great
many men, were left dead upon the field. The loss of the British,
also, in killed and wounded, amounted to about two hundred--the rest
re-embarked and returned to New York.

AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO LONG ISLAND.

On both sides the contest at this time assumed the features of a
predatory warfare. Having learned that the British had collected a large
quantity of stores on Long Island, at a place called Sagg's Harbour, the
Americans resolved to destroy them by a night attack. This expedition
was undertaken by Colonel Meigs, a Connecticut man, and he crossed
the sound in whale-boats, reached the harbour before break of day, and
though he met with some resistance, he succeeded in setting fire to
the store-houses and to some of the shipping, and also in taking about
ninety prisoners, with whom he returned triumphant to Connecticut.

CAPTURE OF GENERAL PRESCOT, ETC.

During the winter of the preceding year, while W