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[p150] Sir H. Clinton had been pleased to entrust Lt. Col. Simcoe with knowledge of the important negotiation, which terminated so unfortunately in the death of [p151] Major Andre; and at the same time, he informed him on what service he should eventually employ him if it took effect, and directed him to obtain as minute a knowledge as he could of the country, where future operations were likely to be carried on. The preparations for the execution of this great design were effectually concealed, by an expedition being in forwardness to proceed to the southward, under General Leslie: the Queen's Rangers were generally supposed to be destined for this service. Lt. Col. Simcoe, had this been the intention, must have commanded the cavalry; and he had in a former conversation with Gen. Leslie, represented, that although no men could possibly be more useful or more brave than the Huzzars of the Rangers, yet as he never had leisure properly to instruct them in the regular system of cavalry, or, indeed, had any occasion to employ them on any but desultory services, and, on the other hand, as the enemy had every means of establishing a well-mounted and solid body of cavalry, he requested, that the General would ask from the Commander in Chief, a detachment of forty of the Seventeenth of dragoons, to whom he would add a similar number from his dragoons now forming, and the stoutest of the huzzars, and that this squadron should be carefully preserved from alt the smaller services of light troops, and kept as a constant reserve to support the huzzars, and to be opposed to the enemy's cavalry: Gen. Leslie was pleased to approve of Lt. Col. Simcoe's representations. The Commander in Chief's design proving abortive, the Queen's Rangers crossed from [p152] Long to Staten Island, and marched to Richmond redoubts on the 8th of October.

Some circumstances relative to Major Andre's unfortunate attempt, will be more fully detailed in the appendix:¹³ the Commander in Chief thinking it proper, in the general orders, to publish the high idea which he entertained of him both as a gentleman and an officer, and the sense be entertained of the loss his King and country had met with in his death, Lt. Col. Simcoe, who considered his execution as a barbarous and ungenerous act of power in the American general, and who had certain and satisfactory intelligence that the French party in general, and M. Fayette in particular, who sat upon his trial, urged Mr. Washington to the unnecessary deed, took the opportunity in his orders to the Queen's Rangers, the officers and soldiers of which personally knew and esteemed Major Andre, to inform them, that "He had given directions that the regiment should immediately be provided with black and white feathers as mourning, for the late Major Andre, an officer whose superior integrity and uncommon ability did honour to his country, and to human nature. The Queen's Rangers will never sally their glory in the field by any undue severity: they will, as they have ever done, consider those to be under their protection who shall be in their power, and will strike with reluctance at their unhappy fellow subjects, who, by a system of the basest artifices, have been seduced from their allegiance, and disciplined to revolt: but it is the Lt. Colonel's most ardent hope, [p153] that on the close of some decisive victory, it will be the regiment's fortune to secure the murderers of Major Andre, for the vengeance due to an injured nation, and an insulted army."

Capt. Saunders with his Lieut. Wilson, and Cornet Merit embarked for Virginia, with Gen. Leslie: he was a native of Princess Anne County, possessed property there, and had distinguished himself in the Earl of Dunmore's active enterprises in that colony: he carried with him several dragoons, and expected to complete his troop in that province. At this time Lt. Col. Simcoe, who had frequently in conversation with the Commander in Chief, expatiated on the advantages he thought might accrue to his Majesty's service, by a post being seized and maintained at Billing's Port, on the Delaware river, recapitulated some of his ideas, by letter which is in the appendix.¹⁴

From the earliest period of the war, Lt. Col. Simcoe had felt it his duty to cultivate the good opinion of the loyalists: he had been fortunate in obtaining it by his conduct to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, and upon the abandoning of that province had still maintained it. The Buck's County volunteers, commanded by Capt. Thomas, had, as much as suited with their independent spirit, acted with the Queen's Rangers, embarked on expeditions with them, and had considered themselves as under Lt. Col. Simcoe's protection. A considerable body of the loyalists, seated near the waters of the Chesapeake, had associated themselves for the purpose of restoring the [p154] royal government, and this they began at a period when, from the British troops having evacuated Pennsylvania, they saw, that it was from their own exertions only, that they could expect emancipation from the fetters of usurpation: a correspondence was carried on with the leaders of these loyalists by Major Andre, and to which Lieut. Col. Simcoe was privy. Soon after his death, their agent, who was in New-York, gave to Lt. Col. Simcoe a paper from them, the purport of which was, to desire that he would forward to Lord George Germain their requisition, which accompanied it, "That he, Lt. Col. Simcoe, might be detached with a thousand men to a certain place, with arms, and that they to the amount of some thousands would instantly join and declare for government: it concluded with the strongest encomiums on the character of the officer whom they wished to command them, and of the confidence with which they would take up arms under his direction." Lieut. Col. Simcoe answered the agent, that although nothing on earth could be more grateful to him than the terms of this letter, yet, as a subordinate officer, he would upon no account forward any plan, or offer, to Great Britain, without the knowledge of the Commander in Chief; and that although, as he gathered from their language, Sir Henry Clinton might appear to the loyalists to be slow in his progress to give them effectual support, yet that he was confident, this opinion would be found to be the result of their anxiety and zeal, rather than any knowledge which they could possibly have of the means within [p155] his power, or of his intentions in their application. In a short time, the paper was sent back, and returned in such a form as made it not improper for Lt. Col. Simcoe to show it to the Commander in Chief; and then, with his approbation, he returned the following answer to the associates: "The gentleman, to whom our situation has been by your directions entrusted, is most sensible of the honour conferred upon him; to say, that he is ready to risk his life in our service, is only to say, that he is ready to do his duty as a citizen and as a British officer. He hopes, that Providence will permit him to establish the good opinion our friends entertain of him by more than words: he bids me assure you that he has authority to say, that you are and have been a great and constant object of the concern and attention of the Commander in Chief, whose system you cannot but see is to unravel the thread of rebellion from the southward; and that in his progress your most valued assistance will he depended upon; but that he is anxious not to expose you, nor must you expose yourselves in aid of any hind of desultory expeditions, neither meant nor calculated to take possession of or to keep your country: such may be made to distress the enemy; but you are most strictly enjoined, not to consider them as intended for any other object, until by his public proclamation, or such private intelligence as you can depend upon, it shalt be signified to you, that you are to take up arms, and actively maintain that hallowed cause, for which you have suffered so much, and [p156] which you have so nobly, and so conscientiously supported."

It was generally supposed about the latter end of October that the enemy meditated some attempt on Staten Island. M. de Fayette was in the neighbourhood of Elizabethtown, in force and with boats on travelling carriages. Lt. Col. Simcoe by public conversation, the means of spies, and by marching to Billop's point in the dusk of the evening, so as to be discovered from the opposite shore, and then returning by ways which the enemy could not see, had endeavoured to attract their notice, and to possess them with a belief, that an inroad into the Jersies was in contemplation. As M. Fayette arrived in the vicinity the very day subsequent to this feint, it was reasonable to believe that his march was in consequence, and that the boats with him were destined to facilitate his passage across the small creeks with which the Jersies are intersected, in case of the British troops making any incursions into that country. Every proper precaution was taken by the troops in Richmond to prevent a surprise: on the 12th of November, official information was sent by the Adjutant General to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that his post was the object of Fayette's design, and that it probably would be attacked on that or the ensuing night; he immediately declared in orders, "The Lt. Colonel has received information that M. Fayette, a Frenchman, at the head of some of his Majesty's deluded subjects, has threatened to plant French colours on Richmond redoubts. The Lt. Colonel believes the [p157] report to be a gasconade; but as the evident ruin of the enemy's affairs may prompt them to some desperate attempt, the Queen's Rangers will lay in their clothes this night, and have their bayonets in perfect good order." The Highlanders immediately assembled and marched to the redoubt, which, in the distribution of posts, was allotted to them to defend, and displaying their national banner, with which they used to commemorate their saint's day, fixed it on the ramparts, saying, "No Frenchman, or rebel, should ever pull that down." The Rangers were prepared if an attack should be made on the watering place, which appeared to be most probable, to march out and attack any division which might be placed, as had been in Lord Stirling's attempt, to mask the troops in Richmond: two field pieces, six pounders, and Capt. Althause's company of riflemen had reinforced them. Lt. Col. Simcoe made himself acquainted with the landing places, and the intervening grounds, in the minutest particular, and he had the Commander in Chief's directions to abandon his post, "If the enemy should land in such force as to make, in his opinion, the remaining there attended with risk." The defects of Richmond were not sufficiently obvious for such inexperienced men as the rebel generals, to seize upon and profit by at once: how far they might attract the instantaneous notice of the scientific French officers, supposed to be acting with them, it was not easy to foresee. Had the enemy been in a situation to have attacked the place by regular approaches, Lt. Col. Simcoe would have [p158] done his best endeavours to have maintained it; but had any General, at the head of a very superior force on the moment of his appearance, placed twenty or thirty field pieces, on two separate eminences which enfiladed the redoubts, and formed a column to penetrate under cover of the cross fire, he had resolved to abandon what he considered in case of such a disposition to be untenable. A false alarm, which was given by an armed vessel stationed in Newark Bay, occasioned a considerable movement in the army; and troops from New-York embarked to reinforce Staten Island; the post at Richmond was supposed to be the object of an attack. On the first gun being fired, patroles had been made on all sides by the cavalry, and the infantry slept undisturbed, Lieut. Col. Simcoe apprehending the alarm to be false. The Rangers were very alert on guard, and proud of their regimental character, of not giving false alarms, or being surprised; and the sentinel, as Lt. Col. Simcoe remarked in orders upon the only omission, which ever came under his cognizance, "Felt a manly pleasure in reflecting, that the lives and honour of the regiment was entrusted to his care, and that under his protection his comrades slept in security."

On the 11th of December, the Queen's Rangers embarked on an expedition to Virginia, under the command of Gen. Arnold:¹⁵ Capt. Althause's company of York Volunteers embarked with them, as did Capt. Thomas of the Bucks County Volunteers. The Commander in Chief had directed Lt. Col. Simcoe to raise another troop of dragoons, the command of which [p159] was given to Lt. Cooke of the 17th of dragoons, who remained in New York to recruit it. The troops under Gen. Arnold being embarked, he issued an order on the 20th of December against depredations in the country where the expedition was bound to, and in the most forcible terms and strongest manner, called upon the officers to second his intentions and the Commander in Chief's orders in this respect. The expedition sailed from Sandy Hook on the 21st of December, and arrived in the Chesapeake, but in a dispersed manner, on the 30th: several ships were missing. General Arnold without waiting for them, was enabled, by the fortunate capture which the advance frigate, under Capt. Evans, had made of some small American vessels, to push up the James river, and this was done with incomparable activity and despatch: the whole detachment showing an energy and alacrity that could not be surpassed. The enemy had a battery at Hood's point, and there was as yet no certainty whether or not it was defended by an enclosed work. The vessels anchored near it late in the evening of the 3d of January; one of them, in which was Capt. Murray of the Queen's Rangers, not perceiving the signal for anchoring, was fired at. Upon the first shot the skipper and his people left the deck; when Capt. Murray seized the helm, and the soldiers assisting him, he passed by the fort without any damage from its fire, and anchored above it. Gen. Arnold ordered Lt. Col. Simcoe to land with one hundred and thirty of the Queen's Rangers and the light infantry, and grenadiers of the 80th regiment: the landing [p160] was effected silently and apparently with secrecy about a mile from the battery, and a circuit was made to surprise its garrison: in the mean time the fleet was fired upon, but ineffectually on account of its distance. On the detachment's approach through bye paths, to Hood's, the flank companies of the 80th were ordered to file from the rear and to proceed rapidly to the battery, while the Rangers were ready to support them, or to receive any enemy who might possibly be on their march from the adjacent country. Major Gordon on his approach found the battery totally abandoned; the concerted signal was made, and the fleet anchored near it. General Arnold came on shore; and it appeared that a patrole had discovered the boats as they rowed to the landing. Capt. Murray had heard them as they approached the shore, and with his accustomed zeal had got into his boat ready to assist if called for: the battery was dismounted and the troops re-embarked in the morning, Gen. Arnold pushing the expedition up the river with the utmost celerity, on the arrival at Westover, the troops were immediately disembarked: at first, from the reports of the country of the force that was assembling to defend Richmond, Gen. Arnold hesitated whether he should proceed thither or not, his positive injunctions being not to undertake any enterprise that had much risk in it; but Lt. Colonels Dundas and Simcoe, concurring that one day's march might be made with perfect security, and that by this means more perfect information might be obtained, the troops were immediately put in motion and proceeded towards [p161] Richmond, where the enemy was understood to have very considerable magazines: it was above thirty miles from Westover; several transports had not arrived, and Gen. Arnold's force did not amount to eight hundred men. On the second day's march, whilst a bridge was replacing over a creek, the advanced guard only having passed over, some of the enemy's militia, who had destroyed it the evening before, and were to assemble with others to defend it, were deceived by the dress of the Rangers, and came to Lt. Col. Simcoe, who immediately reprimanded them for not coming sooner, held conversation with them, and then sent them prisoners to General Arnold. Within seven miles of Richmond a patrole of the enemy appeared, who, on being discovered, fled at full speed: the Queen's Rangers, whose horses were in a miserable condition from the voyage, could not pursue them. Soon after Lt. Col. Simcoe halted, having received the clearest information that a road, made passable by wood carts, led through the thickets to the rear of the heights on which the town of Richmond was placed, where they terminated in a plain, although they were almost inaccessible by the common road: on giving this information to Gen. Arnold, he said it was not worth while to quit the road, as the enemy would not fight. On approaching the town, Gen. Arnold ordered the troops to march as open and to make as great an appearance, as possible; and the ground was so favourable that a more skilfull enemy than those who were now reconnoitering, would have imagined the numbers to have been double. The enemy at Richmond appeared [p162] drawn up on the heights to the number of two or three hundred men: the road passed through a wood at the bottom of these heights, and then ran between them and the river into the lower town, Lt. Col. Simcoe was ordered to dislodge them: he mounted the hill in small bodies, stretching away to the right, so as to threaten the enemy with a design to outflank them; and as they filed off, in appearance to secure their flank, he directly ascended with his cavalry, where it was so steep that they were obliged to dismount and lead their horses. Luckily the enemy made no resistance, nor did they fire; but on the cavalry's arrival on the summit, retreated to the woods in great confusion: there was a party of horsemen in the lower town, watching the motion of Lt. Col. Dundas, who, the heights being gained, was now entering it. Lt. Col. Simcoe pushed on with the cavalry unnoticed by the enemy in the lower town, till such time as he began to descend almost in their rear, when an impassable creek stopped him, and gave the enemy time to escape to the top of another hill beyond the town. Having crossed over lower down, he ascended the hill, using such conversation and words towards them as might prevent their inclination to retreat; however, when the Rangers were arrived within twenty yards of the summit, the enemy greatly superior in numbers, but made up of militia, spectators, some with and some without arms, galloped off; they were immediately pursued, but without the least regularity: Capt. Shank and Lt. Spencer, who had met with good horses in the country, far distanced the rest of the cavalry. Lt. Col. Simcoe left an officer [p163] to mark the position he meant his infantry to take on their arrival, and collecting all the men he could overtake, followed Capt. Shank, anxious lest his ardour should prove fatal: he had pursued the enemy four or five miles, six or seven of whom he had taken with several horses; a very well timed capture. On Lt. Col. Simcoe's return, he met with orders from Gen. Arnold to march to the foundery at Westham, six miles from Richmond, and to destroy it; the flank companies of the 80th, under Major Gordon, were sent as a reinforcement. With these and his corps he proceeded to the foundery: the trunnions of many pieces of iron cannon were struck off, a quantity of small arms and a great variety of military stores were destroyed. Upon consultation with the artillery officer, it was thought better to destroy the magazine than to blow it up, this fatiguing business was effected by carrying the powder down the clifts, and pouring it into the water; the warehouses and mills were then set on fire, and many explosions happened in different parts of the buildings, which might have been hazardous had it been relied on, that all the powder was regularly deposited in one magazine; and the foundery, which was a very complete one, was totally destroyed. It was night before the troops returned to Richmond; the provisions which had been made for them were now to be cooked: fatigued with the march, the men in general went to steep, some of them got into private houses and there obtained rum, In the morning Gen. Arnold determined to return; but Lt. Col. Simcoe requested that he would halt half the [p164] day. The enemy were drawn up on the opposite side of the river so that no enterprise could be expected from them; and the whole of the Rangers having been extremely fatigued the day before, without any men having been left to cook for them, were in a great measure in want of sustenance. Gen. Arnold was sensible of the reasonableness of the request, but bethought it most advisable to return; and he gave as his reason, that if Gen. Tryon and Sir William Erskine had marched two hours sooner from Danbury, on their expedition there, they would have met with no opposition; and if they had delayed it much longer, they would have found it absolutely impossible to have regained their shipping. The roads were rendered by the rain slippery and difficult, and in most places were narrow and overhung by bushes, so that the troops were frequently obliged to march by files, which made it impossible for the officers, who were on foot, to see far before them, and to take their customary precautions. When it became dark, if any man through an intention of deserting quitted his ranks, or in the frequent haltings, overpowered by fatigue, fell asleep, (which those who have suffered it, well know brings on a total disregard of all consequences, even of life itself,) he escaped notice and was irrecoverably lost; nine men of the Rangers either deserted or were taken by the country people on this march: the troops arrived at a very late hour at the ground on which they were to encamp, and where they passed a wet and tempestuous night. Gen. Arnold returned the next day to Westover, preceded by Lt. Col. Simcoe [p165] with the huzzars, to communicate the earliest intelligence to the fleet.

While the troops were halting at Westover to refresh themselves, no intelligence could be received: the militia of the lower counties gathering together and blocking up the country; parties of them appeared in force on the heights divided from Westover by a creek, and covered the peninsula which it formed with the James river. Gen. Arnold directed a patrole to be made on the night of the eighth of January towards Long Bridge, in order to procure intelligence. Lt. Col. Simcoe marched with forty cavalry, for the most part badly mounted, on such horses as had been picked up in the country; but the patrole had not proceeded above two miles before Serjeant Kelly, who was in advance was challenged: he parlied with the videttes, till he got nearer to them, when rushing at them, one he got hold of, the other flung himself off his horse and escaped into the bushes; a negro was also taken whom these videttes had intercepted on his way to the British army. Prom these people information was obtained that the enemy was assembled at Charles City Court house, and that the corps which had appeared in the day time opposite Westover, nearly to the amount of four hundred men, lay about two miles in advance of their main-body, and on the road to Westover, the party were immediately ordered to the right about, and to march towards them; Lt. Holland, who was similar in size to the vidette who had been taken, was placed in advance: the negro had promised to guide the party so as to [p166] avoid the high road, and to conduct them by an unfrequented pathway, which led close to the creek, between the body, which was supposed to be in advance, and that which was at Charles City Court house; Lt. Col. Simcoe's intention was to beat up the main body of the enemy, who trusting to those in front might reasonably be supposed to be off their guard; in case of repulse he meant to retreat by the private way on which he advanced, and should he be successful it was optional to attack the advance party or not, on his return. The patrole passed through a wood, where it halted to collect, and had scarcely got into the road when the advance was challenged; Lt. Holland answered, "A friend," gave the countersign procured from the prisoner, "It is I, me, Charles," the name of the person he personated: he passed one vidette whom Serjeant Kelly seized, and himself caught hold of the other, who in a struggle proved too strong for him, got free, presented and snapped his carbine at his breast; luckily it did not go off, but the man galloped away, and at some distance fired, the signal of alarm; the advance division immediately rushed on, and soon arrived at the Court-house; a confused and scattered firing began on all sides; Lt. Col. Simcoe sent the bugle horns, French and Barney, through an enclosure to the right, with orders to answer his challenging, and sound when he ordered; he then called loudly for the light infantry, and hollowed "sound the advance;" the bugles were sounded as had been directed, and the enemy fled on all sides, scarcely firing another shot. The night was [p167] very dark, and the party totally unacquainted with the ground. Part of the dragoons were dismounted and mixed with the huzzars; some of the enemy were taken, others wounded, and a few were drowned in a mill-dam. In saving three armed militia men from the fury of the soldiers, Lt. Col. Simcoe ran a great risque, as their pieces were loaded, pointed to his breast, and in their timidity they might have discharged them. From the prisoners he learnt that the whole of their force was here assembled, and that there was no party in advance: the soldiers were mounted as soon as possible, nor could they be permitted to search the houses where many were concealed, lest the enemy should gain intelligence of their numbers, and attack them; and this might easily be done as the darkness of the night prevented the Rangers from seeing around them, while they were plainly to be distinguished by the fires which the enemy had left. It appeared that the militia were commanded by Gen. Nelson, and consisted of seven or eight hundred men: they were completely frightened and dispersed, many of them not stopping till they reached Williamsburgh. Serjeant Adams of the huzzars was mortally wounded; this gallant soldier, sensible of his situation, said "My beloved Colonel I do not mind dying, but for God's sake do not leave me in the hands of the rebels:" Trumpeter French and two huzzars were wounded; about a dozen excellent horses were seasonably captured.

The enemy did not appear during the time the troops stayed at Westover, nor attempted to harrass [p168] their rear as had been threatened: the remainder of the forces arrived the next day. In the embarkation from New-York, the horse vessels were very bad, infamously provided, and totally unfit for service, in consequence, above forty horses had been thrown overboard; the very Skippers were fearful of sailing, and it required every exertion of the Quarter-Masters to oblige them to weigh anchor, and, at sea, the utmost industry and labour could barely prevent them from foundering.

Serjeant Adams died at Westover the 9th; the corps attended his funeral; he was buried in the colours which had been displayed and taken from Hood's battery. On the 10th of January Gen. Arnold embarked and dropped down to Flour de Hundred; at night he ordered Lt. Col. Simcoe to land: the General had information that a party of militia, with cannon, were assembled at Bland's mills, and he intended to surprise them. On the approach to the shore, people were plainly heard talking, who galloped off on the imaginary gun-boats being loudly ordered to point their cannon towards the shore: on the Queen's Rangers landing, Lt. Col. Simcoe placed Capt. Ewald in ambuscade; that gallant and able officer, with the remainder of his Yagers, had joined at Westover. Gen. Arnold had scarcely landed, and Col. Dundas, with the 80th regiment, was not yet on shore, when a patrole of the enemy fell into the ambuscade of the Yagers, and exchanged shot with them: the night was very dark. Gen. Arnold directed Lt. Col. Simcoe immediately to march toward's [p169] Bland's, with Col. Robinson's regiment and his own infantry; but the cavalry did not land. The detachment had not proceeded above two miles, when Robinson's corps in front received a heavy fire. There was no room for disposition, for the road ran through a wood which was remarkably thick, at the forks of which, as the clearest ground, the enemy had placed themselves. Upon the firing, the troops were immediately ordered to charge; they rushed forward and the enemy fled: near twenty of Col. Robinson's regiment were killed and wounded; among the latter was Capt. Hatch who commanded the advance guard. Lt. Col. Simcoe seeing no probability of accomplishing the business he had been ordered upon, halted til Gen. Arnold's arrival, who had followed with the main body: the troops returned to Hood's battery, which having totally dismantled, they carried off the heavy artillery and quitted it; the next day re-embarking and falling down the river. The troops landed on the 14th at Harding's ferry, and marched to Smithfield: the next morning Gen. Arnold sent Major Gordon with a detachment over the Pagan creek, and ordered Lt. Col. Simcoe to cross at M'Kie's mills with the cavalry, to co-operate with him in dispersing a body of militia, who were supposed to be assembled in that neighbourhood. Lt. Col. Simcoe desired Gen. Arnold to permit him to take Capt. Ewald with the Yagers as far as M'Kie's mills, in case the enemy should have seized that pass: the General assented; when the party arrived there, the enemy were in possession of the pass; and in some force: [p170] the demonstration of the cavalry and the advancing of the Yagers, after a few shot, obliged them to retire; the bridge being taken up, prevented an immediate pursuit: the Yagers returned and the cavalry proceeded to fulfill their orders; they joined Major Gordon, who had met with no enemy. Parties of militia being understood to be at the points on each side of the creek, stationed there to fire on the boats, Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded with some cavalry to disperse them; the advanced man, Molloy, soon perceived two sentinels, when watching till their backs was turned, he slowly followed them, and, as they turned round, sprung his horse between them crying out. "lay down your arms, I have you both," which they readily did; proceeding to the house, the party was immediately surrounded and taken, it consisted of an officer and twelve men; a similar party was on the other side. The officer who had been taken was sent over in a boat, to inform them that if they surrendered and delivered up their arms, they should have their paroles; if not, they must abide by the consequences, as a party would be sent to surround and cut them in pieces; the militia immediately accepted the offers, the officer commanding returning with him who had carried the alternative; they were very happy to have any reason that might be pleaded to their oppressors, not to be forced to take up arms. However, this did not answer the views of the rebel legislatures, and Governor Jefferson soon after published a proclamation, declaring the paroles of all the Virginia militia, in a similar predicament, null and [p171] void. Lt. Col. Simcoe and Major Gordon passed the night opposite to Smithfield, and the next day the army continued its march; its rout was by Sleepy-hole ferry, across which the boats had arrived to carry them; the Queen's Rangers proceeded to Portsmouth, Gen. Arnold being apprehensive that the enemy might burn the houses there; two or three small patroles were taken or dispersed during the march, and Lt. Col. Simcoe entered the town early in the morning of the 19th of January. A party of the enemy had just crossed over to Princess Ann; the advance ship of the squadron came up soon after, and Gen. Arnold with the army arrived in the course of the day. On the 25th, Colonel Dundas, with a part of the 80th and a detachment of the Queen's Rangers, crossed Elizabeth river, and went into Princess Ann, This party returned at night and on its arrival at the ferry an account came from Gen. Arnold, that some of the artillery, who had been foraging on the road to the Great bridge, had been attacked, their waggons taken and the officer killed. The General ordered a detachment to be passed over from Norfolk, to endeavour to retake the waggons; the troops had just arrived from a fatiguing march; the night was closing in, and it began to rain tremendously. Lt. Col. Simcoe ferried over, as ordered, to Herbert's point, with fourteen Yagers and Rangers; they were joined by the conductor of the artillery who had escaped, and from his account it appeared that the officer was not dead, and that the enemy were but few in number. After the party had advanced a mile, an artillery man, who had escaped [p172] and lay hid in the bushes, came out, and informed him that the Lt. Rynd lay not far off. Lt. Col. Simcoe found him dreadfully mangled and mortally wounded; he sent for an ox cart from a neighbouring farm, on which the unfortunate young gentleman was placed: the rain continued in a violent manner, which precluded all pursuit of the enemy; it now grew more tempestuous, and ended in a perfect hurricane, accompanied with incessant lightning. This small party slowly moved back toward Herbert's ferry, it was with difficulty that the drivers and attendants on the cart could find their way; the soldiers marched on with their bayonets fixed, linked in ranks together, covering the road. The creaking of the waggon and the groans of the youth added to the horror of the night; the road was no longer to be traced when it quitted the woods, and it was a great satisfaction that a flash of lightning, which glared among the ruins of Norfolk, disclosed Herbert's house. Here a boat was procured which conveyed the unhappy youth to the hospital ship, where he died the next day: Lt. Col. Simcoe barricaded the house in which he passed the night.

Gen. Arnold employed the garrison in fortifying the post at Portsmouth, the primary object of his expedition: the same line to the front was occupied, which Gen. Leslie had begun. On the 29th Lt. Col. Simcoe was sent to fortify the post at Great bridge; much lumber that was found there was floated down to Portsmouth; and the troops, with unremitted attention, applied themselves to raise a star work, [p173] which commanded the bridge and the causeway; it was intended to abaty the ditch, and then to fill it with water, which, the smaller bridges being taken up, would have effectually prevented a surprise. The rebels continually fired at night on the sentinels, and perfect information was gained of a party being intended for that purpose: the extent of the post prevented any ambuscade from being laid with certainty, and the fatigue the men underwent in the day, demanded as much quiet as possible during the night. A figure was pressed up with a blanket coat, and posted in the road, by which the enemy would probably advance, and fires resembling those of a piquet, were placed at the customary distance: at midnight the rebels arrived, and fired twenty or thirty shot at the effigy. As they ran across the road they exposed themselves to the shots of two sentinels, they then went off. The next day an officer happening to come in with a flag of truce, he was shown the figure and was made sensible of the inhumanity of firing at a sentinel, when nothing farther was intended: this ridicule probably had good effects, as during the stay of the Queen's Rangers at Great bridge, no sentinel was fired at. The works being in a state of defence, and capable of receiving a garrison, the Rangers were relieved on the 5th of February, by Major Gordon with a detachment. Col. Dundas arrived that day and marched out with the Rangers, and part of the 80th: the cavalry soon fell in with a patrole, which Captain Shank pursued over Edmund's bridge, dispersing them and making an officer prisoner. The [p174] Rangers returned the next day to Portsmouth, and were constantly employed on the works till the 10th, when Gen. Arnold thought proper to detach them to Kemp's landing. The disaffected inhabitants of Princess Ann, for the most part, had left it; but it was much infested by a party under the command of a New Englander, of the name of Weeks. To drive him from the county was the object of Lt. Col. Simcoe's march, and for this purpose, he detached Capt. Ewald with the Yagers, and a party of the Queen's Rangers to the Great bridge, and with the remainder of the corps marched to Kemp's: he advanced on the 16th up the country, by the main road towards the north-west landing, while Capt. Ewald, by almost impassable ways and bye paths proceeded to the same point: he fortunately surprised and totally dispersed Weeks's party. The next day, Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded with a detachment of cavalry to the north-west landing: Weeks was again fallen in with, and with great difficulty escaped from the pursuit of the huzzars into a swamp. The whole corps returned the next day to Kemp's; and from thence, on the 18th, to Portsmouth. The north-west landing was the only passage from North Carolina, excepting the Great bridge, and this excursion was luckily timed. Gen. Arnold, on the 13th of February, receiving information of the arrival of three French ships of the line, had sent Lt. Col. Simcoe orders to march from Kemp's, where he then was, to the Great bridge, intimating that he should send up boats to bring off the cannon, and that the post should be withdrawn if [p175] necessary. Lt. Col. Simcoe wrote to Gen. Arnold, informing him, that he certainly should march at the time prescribed by his orders, if not countermanded, giving at the same time such reasons as to him appeared most forcible, why the Great bridge should not he hastily abandoned, but rather that Weeks and his party should be driven from the county into North Carolina; the General was pleased to approve of his reasons, and on the 16th he marched against Weeks as has been related. Gen. Arnold, in case Capt. Symonds thought it expedient, offered the army to assist in any attacks on the French fleet; Captain Alberson, the gallant master of the Empress of Russia, Lt. Col. Simcoe's transport, was anxious, and offered his services, to lay him and the Queen's Rangers on board any of the French ships. The army was employed in strengthening their works: on the 19th the French ships left the bay. Gen. Arnold had issued a proclamation, for the inhabitants of Princess Ann to assemble at Kemp's on the 21st: on that day the Queen's Rangers escorted him thither; and Captain M'Kay, of that corps, was left at this post. He fortified and barricaded his quarters in the best manner possible, and having some dragoons with him kept the country clear of small parties.

It being reported that Lord Cornwallis was near Petersburg, Lieut. Col. Dundas embarked with five hundred men, on the 23d, and such provisions as were thought necessary, to make a diversion in his Lordship's favour; but more certain advices of his operations being received, he returned.

[p176] Gen. Arnold ordered Lt. Col. Dundas to march at night with the 80th regiment and the cavalry, to endeavour to surprise a body of the enemy, within eight or nine miles of Portsmouth, upon the Suffolk road, while Lt. Col. Simcoe, with the infantry of the Rangers, embarked in boats and proceeded by water to gain their rear undiscovered. The plan was well laid, nor did it fail through any fault in the execution: when Lieut. Col. Simcoe landed and marched on, he found a party sent by Lt. Col. Dundas to meet him: the enemy had flown. Since the war it has appeared, that a woman, probably a double spy, left Portsmouth half an hour before Colonel Dundas marched, and gave the enemy information.

The militia assembling at Hampton, Lt. Col. Dundas passed over from Portsmouth to dislodge them. What part the Rangers bore in this expedition, cannot be better detailed than in the modest recital of Quarter-master M'Gill, who went with Lt. Col. Dundas, and whose bravery and conduct were honoured with the highest commendations, by that most respectable officer: "Col. Dundas with part of his regiment, a few Yagers, Lt. Holland, myself, and twelve huzzars, of the Queen's Rangers, went on an expedition towards Hampton. We embarked on the night of the 6th of March, and landed early next morning at Newport-news, from thence marched to a village about three miles from Hampton, where we destroyed some stores, and burned four large canoes without opposition; but on our return to the boats, we saw about two hundred militia [p177] drawn up on a plain, and a wet ditch in front. As I was advanced with the huzzars, and first saw them, I informed the Colonel, and at the same time asked his permission to advance against them, without thinking of Lt. Holland, whom in truth I did not see at the time. He granted my request, and ordered the mounted men of the 80th to join me, who had, as well as the Rangers, been mounted in the morning upon the march: with these, and some officers of the 80th, who had also got horses, we made up twenty-six horsemen. The rebels were about three hundred yards from the road; and I had to wheel to the left, full in their view, which discovered our numbers, and, I believe, encouraged them a good deal, as they did not fire until we were within thirty yards of them: this checked us, and gave them time to give us a second salute, but not with the same effect; for, with the first, they killed Capt. Stewart, of the 80th, wounded Lieut. Salisbury, of the navy, who commanded the boats, and came for pleasure. Col. Dundas, myself, and Serjeant Galloway, were unhorsed, and some of the infantry, who were an hundred yards in our rear, were wounded. Poor Galloway lamented the loss of the heel of his boot, which was shot away, more than the wound he received. My horse had three balls through him, and he received a fourth before all was over. It was much against us, that we were obliged to advance on the centre of the rebels, a thick wood bounding both their flanks, otherwise I thought to have made them give an oblique fire as the least destructive; [p178] however, we happily broke them before they could attempt a third fire, and the infantry coming among them did good service. The rebels had sixty killed, wounded, and taken: among the latter was their commander, Col. Curl, and a few of their officers. I cannot ascertain our loss more than I have mentioned; they let us embark quietly, and we landed at Portsmouth the same evening."

General Arnold having information that some of the enemy's Continental forces were at Williamsburg, sent Lt. Allen, of the Queen's Rangers, in a boat to land at night, and gain information. This intelligent officer executed his commission much to the General's satisfaction; and Lt. Col. Dundas embarked with part of the 80th regiment and the Queen's Rangers, to endeavour to surprise them: he fell down the Elizabeth river in the evening; but at its mouth, the night became so very dark and tempestuous, as to render the attempt totally impracticable. It was with difficulty that the troops reached Newport-news, a point on the enemy's shore, where they landed and passed the night unmolested; and the next day returned to Portsmouth: fortunately, by the skill of the naval conductor, and Lt. Col. Dundas's indefatigable attention, not a single boat foundered.

There being indications that a serious attack upon Portsmouth was in agitation, Gen. Arnold was very active in putting it into a respectable state of defence. Lt. Col. Simcoe had given his opinion, by letter to the Commander in Chief, "that Portsmouth, considered as a post was very weak; from its extent, [p179] and from its left being so entirely flanked, that its whole front was taken in reverse; I conceive it to be tenable against any force in this country:" it did not appear to be a proper situation for a small garrison; but looked upon as an entrenched camp, it might be made a respectable one; nor was it, and its dependencies, ill suited for combined defence, and the preserving a small naval and military force from the operations of a superior armament. To explain this opinion, it is necessary to observe, that directly opposite to Portsmouth a branch of the Elisabeth river, which it stands upon, ran eastward, dividing Herbert's point from Norfolk: this eastern branch was not to be forded within eight miles. The occupying a good redoubt at Norfolk, another at Herbert's point, and re-establishing an old work at Mill point below Portsmouth, would reduce any force which, in the present appearance of affairs, was likely to be brought against Gen. Arnold's army, to a direct assault on some part, as it was evident, the regular siege of the whole, or any single work, would take up more time than any French squadron could venture to employ before it. Gen. Arnold had constructed a great many boats, excellently adapted for the transportation of soldiers, and capable of carrying eighty men besides the rowers; by these means, he had it in his power to reinforce any of the points within ten minutes. Lt. Col. Simcoe had previously sounded all the creeks, at low water, with Capt. Richard Graves, of the royal navy; and that officer, upon leaving Portsmouth to go to Hampton road, sent him on the 14th of March [p180] his opinion on the subject of forming a regular system of defence, applicable to the stationing of the ships under Captain Symonds, (the largest of which was the Charon of 44 guns,) from Mill point to the brewery, at Norfolk. "Three ships be observed can be placed in an oblique line, mooring across the channel one third of a cable each way, besides two ships lying in the intervals at the same distance, either in front or rear, which, in my opinion, with vessels sunk and proper disposition made of fire vessels, may effectually stop the passage." Lt. Col. Simcoe had converted the bodies of his waggons into small pontoons, capable of holding six men, as boats, and well adapted to form bridges over the small creeks in the country, through which, if it had become necessary to quit Portsmouth, the retreat might have been made, by the north-west landing to North Carolina. These were the opinions which he had always held when any conversation took place upon the subject; and the system of defence is the same which appears on his arrival, to have been thought of by Gen. Phillips. Much would have depended on the science of the enemy's General. The ground of Portsmouth was not only enfiladed on the left flank, but the enemy had on the right, favourable positions to place their batteries wherever they advanced to the assault; and, if the points on the river could not be secured, the fleet must inevitably fall into their hands, without contributing to the defence of the place. The garrison was in great spirits, full of confidence in the daring courage of Gen. Arnold; and the enemy had [p181] every thing to fear from a sally. About this time a singular event took place: the passage from the Great bridge upon Elizabeth river had hitherto been secure; but a party of the enemy from its banks fired upon a gun-boat, that was returning with the baggage of the detachment which had been relieved; and having wounded some of the people in it, took the boat. Capt. Stevenson, who had commanded at the Great bridge, lost his baggage; and among his papers was found a fictitious letter, which he had written by way of amusement, and of passing his time, to Gen. Gregory, who commanded the North Carolina militia at the West landing, detailing a plan which that officer was to follow to surrender his troops to Lt. Col. Simcoe: the whole plausibly written and bearing with it every appearance of being concerted. The manner of its falling into the enemy's hands strengthened these appearances; at first it served for laughter to the officers of the Rangers; but when it was understood that Gen. Gregory was put in arrest, Capt. Stevenson's humanity was alarmed, and the letters, which are in the appendix,¹⁶ passed between Lt. Col. Simcoe and Col. Parker, who had taken the boat: they prevented all further bad consequences. The 6th of March, Gen. Arnold ordered Lt. Col. Simcoe to send two or three small parties every night, from the piquet, as far, or a little beyond the cross roads, four miles in front of Portsmouth: they were to consist of four or five men. The woods, to the right and left of the road, being intersected with paths on which the enemy generally patrolled, rendered their destruction [p182] almost inevitable; two of them, one of the Yagers and another of the Rangers, being taken, they were discontinued. The enemy assembling in force, the troops were constantly under arms at four o'clock in the morning, at their alarm post, if the weather was favourable; if otherwise, at their respective barracks.

There being various reports of the enemy making a road through the dismal swamp to the left of Great bridge, and small parties infesting the country, Lieut. Col. Simcoe marched the 10th of March to the Great bridge. Capt. M'Kay, who commanded at Kemp's, had received information, that Weeks was to pass over an the night of the 11th, and that he would be at a house between the Great bridge and Kemp's: he proposed to Lieut. Col. Simcoe to surprise him, and Gen. Arnold approved of it; as it was necessary to check every inroad into Princess Ann. Capt. M'Kay marched at a concerted hour from Kemp's, and Lieut. Col. Simcoe from the Great bridge, in order to support him. The former met the enemy before he arrived at the place where he expected to find them; and he instantly detached Lt. Dunlop to their rear, who attacked, and effectually surprised them: eight or ten were killed or taken. In the pocket of the Lieutenant, who was killed, was found a letter saying, to his Captain, "that with four or five men, he could every night seize one or two of the refractory men belonging to his company." These violences were necessary to force the militia, of the lower counties of Virginia, to arms. The Queen's Rangers returned the next day to Portsmouth, as did Capt. M'Kay to [p183] Kemp's; which post, he maintained with singular vigilance and propriety. Lt. Col. Simcoe thought it proper, in public orders, to desire, "That his best thanks might be accepted by Lt. St. John Dunlop, and the party under his command, for their obedience to their orders, and gallantry in the surprise of a rebel party, the night of the 11th instant. The Lt. Colonel is satisfied, that if the information Capt. M'Kay received had been true, the rebel banditti he marched against would have been annihilated in consequence of his proper disposition, and the steadiness of the officers and soldiers under his command. It is with great pleasure the Lieutenant-Colonel hears of the orderly and soldier-like behaviour of the whole party stationed at Kemp's: he hopes the regiment will equally pride themselves in protecting, as in the present case, the unarmed inhabitants of the country, as in scourging the armed banditti who oppress it." The Great bridge was situated at the head of Elizabeth river, close to the great dismal swamp, from whence it rises. It was the great road, while Norfolk was in affluence, between that town and North Carolina: small parties only could pass through the swamps, the season being uncommonly dry; but the surprisal of that which had attempted it, rendered it not very advisable. The post was easily to be maintained until such time as an enemy should venture to throw bridges over the Elizabeth river, between the Great bridge and Portsmouth; and then, it was to be weighed whether a hundred men, the usual garrison of the Great bridge [p184] would not find more employment for an enemy, and be more than adequate to any services the same number could be of, in Portsmouth. Like other field works it could not hold out a moment against mortars: it was calculated to keep the Carolina militia out of Princess Ann, and every hour that this could be done was of great importance: the hopes of plunder and the certainty of their escaping, would have deluged the country with this banditti. About this time, Capt. M'Crea, of the Queen's Rangers, having the command of this post, with that gallantry which had so eminently distinguished him at Kingsbridge, on the first formation of the Rangers, sallied upon a party of the enemy, who had frequently fired upon his sentinels, surprised them, put them to the rout and pinned a label upon one of the men who had been killed, threatening to lay in ashes any house, near his front, that they should harbour in. This vigorous sally had its use: the enemy, as their custom was when they were corrected, complained of cruelty, and Gen. Muhlenberg wrote to Gen. Arnold on that subject. Lt. Col. Simcoe had also some correspondence, on this subject, with Col. Parker, a gentleman of more liberality than was commonly found in those who commanded parties of the militia. Capt. M'Crea had taken two prisoners, they were offered to be exchanged for Ellison, the gallant huzzar who had signalised himself at the battle of Monmouth, and another soldier, who, their horses being killed, had been taken in a skirmish, a few days before, towards the north-west landing; but so little did the enemy value [p185] their militia, that it was refused on the ungenerous plea of their having been wounded. It is not improbable but the unfortunate men might have been loyalists, averse from the service of the rebels and forced into it: Ellison was soon after exchanged: he had been ill-treated while prisoner; but nothing hurt him equally with the being robbed of the silver half moon which he wore on his huzzar cap, with the word "Monmouth" engraven on it, as a mark of his bravery in that action.

On the 18th of March, Gen. Arnold gave orders for every person to work on the lines, and the town people, who should refuse, to quit it. M. de La Fayette appeared in the front of the works, and the Yager piquet, posted near the head of Scott's creek, was attacked in force: a deep ravine passable at this post, and above it, separated them from the enemy. Capt. Ewald was with his piquet, and by demonstrations and the countenance of his people, more than once checked the enemy, who showed every inclination to pass over the gully, and totally prevented them from reconnoitering the right of Portsmouth: Capt. Ewald was wounded. Gen. Arnold in his letter to Sir Henry Clinton says, "That he did not think it prudent to leave his works and sally, as Lieut. Col. Simcoe was in Princess Ann with near four hundred men." It is not improbable that the enemy had intelligence of the Queen's Rangers being detached to secure forage, &c., as on Lieut. Col. Simcoe's return, the small bridges were destroyed between Kemp's and Portsmouth; which, though they were but trifling [p186] impediments, must have been done by a lurking party, or the disaffected of the country, in consequence of some concerted order. Lt. Col. Simcoe, to whom the Yagers had been attached, felt this a proper opportunity to represent Captain Ewald's conduct and gallantry to Gen. Kniphausen.

On information of a squadron with French colours being at anchor, on the 19th, in Lynnhaven bay, Lt. Col. Simcoe was sent there with a patrole, to observe them: he had the pleasure to find that it was Admiral Arbuthnot's fleet, and to see a rebel cruiser, deceived by their colours, taken by them. The action which the Admiral had with the French fleet, saved the armament in Virginia from a serious attack. Gen. Arnold had received information, from the officer at the Great bridge, that General Gregory, on the 18th, had approached within two miles of him, with six pieces of cannon and twelve hundred men: General Arnold sent him orders, "To defend it to the last extremity;" and then directed Lt. Col. Simcoe, after he had informed himself what fleet was below, to take such measures as he thought necessary respecting the Great bridge; the situation of which has been heretofore stated.

Gen. Phillips arrived on the 27th of March, and was soon followed by the forces under his command. The light infantry went into cantonments at Kemp's, and the Queen's Rangers at New Town, under instructions to hold themselves liable to move on the shortest notice, and in case of Lieut. Col. Abercrombie's [p187] requisition, Lt. Col. Simcoe was to place himself under his orders.

There being every appearance of the army taking the field, Lt. Col. Simcoe made application to Gen. Phillips, for the same number of artillerymen to his cannon as had been attached to them on similar occasions. The General chose only to allow him some men for a short time, to instruct soldiers of the Queen's Rangers: this Lt. Col. Simcoe declined. His corps was weak in numbers, and he considered the number of men, who must have attended his guns, more useful with their muskets: while the corps acted separately, cannon always furnished a reason for an enemy to avoid action. In some situations, even such contemptible guns as three-pounders might be of great use, in particular, in defence of a house or any position which might enable a corps, in case of necessity, to rally; but the Queen's Rangers were now not likely to be detached, and if they were and it became necessary, the Commander of the army would send them cannon. The three-pounder and amuzette were therefore sent to the artillery park on the 20th of April; the Commander in Chief was pleased to add Capt. Diemar's troop of huzzars, then at New-York, to the Queen's Rangers, and they were placed under the command of Capt. Cooke.

Gen. Phillips gave out the following orders for exercising the troops, preparatory to their taking the field: "It is the Major General's wish, that the troops under his command may practice forming from two to three and to four deep; and that they should be [p188] accustomed to charge in all those orders. In the latter orders, of the three and four deep, the files will, of course, be closer, so as to render a charge of the greatest force. The Major General also recommends to regiments the practice of dividing the battalions, by wings or otherwise, so that one line may support the other when an attack is supposed; and, when a retreat is supposed, that the first line may retreat through the intervals of the second, the second doubling up its divisions for that purpose, and forming up again in order to check the enemy who may be supposed to have pressed the first line. The Major General would approve also of one division of a battalion attacking in the common open order of two deep, to be supported by the other compact division as a second line, in a charging order of three or four deep. The gaining the flanks also of a supposed enemy, by the quick movements of a division in common open order, while the compact division advances to a charge; and such other evolutions, as may lead the regiments to a custom of depending on and mutually supporting each other; so that should one part be pressed or broken, it may be accustomed to form again without confusion, under the protection of a second line, or any regular formed division." These orders, so proper in themselves, and now peculiarly useful, as no Hessian troops, who usually formed the firm and solid second line to the British, were to embark on the expedition, were not meant to affect the general manœuvres of the light troops: Lt. Col. Simcoe was permitted to adopt such [p189] only as he thought applicable to that service. The works at Portsmouth being completed, the troops embarked on the 18th of April, and fell down to Hampton road. Gen. Phillips informed the officers commanding corps, in writing, that the first object of the expedition was to surprise, if possible, a body of the enemy stationed at Williamsburgh, at any rate to attack them: at the same time he detailed the plan of operations. The Rangers were of Gen. Arnold's division, which was destined to land below Williamsburg, and to co-operate with that under Lt. Colonel Abercrombie, which was to land above it. The following orders were more peculiar to the Queen's Rangers: "a detachment of Hessian Yagers will be attached to the light infantry and Queen's Rangers, with which corps they have so often acted, that it is unnecessary to give any directions concerning them; and they will, in course, be always protected by bayonets, both as sentinels and patroles. Should the enemy retreat, upon intelligence of the enterprise against them, or be forced by an attack to retire, Lt. Col. Simcoe will proceed with the utmost diligence to York Town, and there, under every description of caution, endeavour to gain the rear of the enemy's batteries, and of the post; but should he, by certain intelligence and observations, be convinced of there being closed works with troops in them, he is to make an immediate report of it, and not to attack such works without further orders. It is not the intention to risk the loss of men upon any attack at York Town, nor delay by any attack there the progress of the intended expedition. Should [p190] however, Lt. Col. Simcoe gain possession of York Town, he will hoist a red flag, and fire, if possible, signal guns, and at night light two or three fires at different places upon the shore: these are intended to give the Bonetta sloop of war notice of York Town being possessed by the King's troops, on which that vessel wilt move up the river; and Lt. Col. Simcoe will, in that case, consult with Capt. Dundass, the commander of the Bonetta, how it may be best to act for destroying the armed and other vessels in that river, and also take every means for putting the enemy's cannon at York Town into that armed vessel. It is to be wished that this detailed operation may not take up more than forty eight hours." The troops arrived off Burrell's ferry on the 19th; Lt. Col. Simcoe was directed to land in such manner as he thought proper. The enemy had thrown up entrenchments to secure the landing, and these appeared to be fully manned. The boats were assembled at the small vessel on board which Lt. Col. Simcoe was, which was anchored about two miles from the shore. Near a mile below the ferry was a small creek which ran a little way into the land, from James river; and at the point formed by this separation, it was determined to land. Capt. Ewald being disabled by his wound from accompanying the expedition, the Yagers were divided between the Queen's Rangers and light infantry; Capt. Althause's company of riflemen was also under the command of Lt. Col. Simcoe. The boats, preceded by the gun-boat, moved directly towards Burrell's ferry: on a signal given, they all, except the [p191] gun-boat, turned and rowed rapidly towards the point, where the landing was to take place, assisted by the wind and tide; Major Armstrong, who commanded it, was desired to keep out of the reach of musket shot, and to fire his six pounder at the entrenchments, and particularly to scour a gully on the left, which the enemy must pass if they meant any opposition. The troops disembarked as intended; Capt. M'Kay with a detachment of the Queen's Rangers and Yagers, landing below the inlet, to beat up any party who might be in ambuscade there, and to give greater security to the right flank in case the enemy should attack the corps, Lieut. Col. Simcoe met no opposition in his march to Burrell's ferry, from whence the enemy fled with precipitation, and where Gen. Phillips with the army immediately landed. Fifty-six horses of the Queen's Rangers had been embarked, those of officers included: the dismounted men brought with them their saddles and accoutrements. Gen. Phillips ordered Lt. Col. Simcoe to proceed to York Town, where, it was understood, that there were only the artillerymen, who superintended the battery, and a few militia. He marched accordingly with forty cavalry, accompanied by Major Damer, who acted as Adjutant General to Gen. Phillips: the infantry of the Queen's Rangers proceeded with the army to Williamsburg. The night was uncommonly dark and tempestuous, and Lt. Col. Simcoe found himself under the necessity of halting at a farm-house, during its continuance: in the morning he gallopped into the town, surprised and secured a few of the artillery-men, [p192] the others made off in a boat. He directed the guns of the batteries, already loaded, to be fired, as a signal to the Bonetta sloop, which sailed up and anchored off the town; and he burnt a range of the rebel barracks. Upon the hearing of cannon at Williamsburg, the party returned thither; and it appeared, that there had only been a skirmish at the outpost of that place, where the troops had arrived the preceding evening without molestation: Quarter-Master M'Gill, with some of the huzzars of the Queen's Rangers, having charged and dispersed the only patrole of the enemy who had appeared in the front. General Phillips asked Lt. Col. Simcoe, when he waited upon him to make his report, how many men would it require to defend York Town?¹⁷ and on his hesitating, with great quickness, said "Four hundred, five hundred, a thousand," and seemed greatly surprised when he replied two thousand: this was the only conversation that passed between them on the subject. Lt. Col. Simcoe had no order to reconnoitre the ground, and what he did observe was merely for his own information; and the number of troops necessary for its defence against the American forces, he guessed at, on the supposition of its being properly fortified, and above all made bomb proof, without which he knew all fortifications to be useless, and which he had stated, at a period in which there was not a bomb proof in any of the British fortifications, as absolutely necessary in his plan for the occupation of Billingsport. The army marched to Barret's ferry, near the Chickahominy, and embarked [p193] immediately, the Queen's Rangers excepted, who formed the rear guard and lay on shore the whole night, in a position which a little labour rendered unassailable. Gen. Phillips here gave out the strictest orders to prevent privateers, the bane and disgrace of the country which employs them, from preceding the fleet, and being found upon any of the rivers marauding or plundering: he also explained the second object of the expedition, which was to obtain possession of Hood's battery, now reported to be closed, without unnecessary risk; to open all obstructions on the James river, and to seize the arms said to be at Prince George Court house. The Major General issued the following excellent order: "Commanding officers of corps, and those detached are to keep regular journals during their absence, which, upon their return, they will give in, with their reports, when called upon." There never was a regulation better calculated to do justice to the active and deserving officer, in every rank and station: it at once established a method, by which it became the duty of officers to detail their own professional skill, and that of those subordinate to them, with the result of it to the Commander in Chief, without wounding modest merit with the necessity of self commendation. At the same time, should any man be so base as to arrogate to himself services which he had never performed, and which sooner or later cannot fail of being divulged, this order would subject the offender to the penalty as well as the disgrace of making a false report. The troops finding no opposition at Hood's, [p194] or on the James river, proceeded without delay up the river: off Westover Major Gen. Phillips issued the following orders: "A third object of the present expedition is to gain Petersburg for the purpose of destroying the enemy's stores at that place, and it is public stores alone that are intended to be seized; for private property and the persons of individuals, not taken in arms, are to be under the protection of the troops; and Major Gen. Phillips depends on the activity and zeal of the troops on this occasion. The movement from City point to Petersburg, will be made by land; and it is apprehended, the boats will not be able to follow till the shores are cleared of the enemy. The march will be conducted with the greatest caution, and the soldiers will pay the strictest obedience to orders: the conduct of the officers is not to be doubted. When the troops form it is to be done in the following manner: The infantry and huzzars of the Queen's Rangers, with a detachment of Yagers and Althause's rifle company, form the advanced guard, under Lt. Col. Simcoe. The first line to be composed of the light infantry; the second to be composed of the 80th and 76th regiments, who will form three deep, and in compact order. The grenadiers and light infantry of the 80th, with the American legion, to form the reserve under Major Gordon. The cavalry of the Queen's Rangers, to form with the reserve, till such time as they may be called upon the wing, of the first or second line. As the present movements will be made in a difficult country, it becomes necessary [p195] that officers leading columns and commanding corps, should sue and exert the intelligence of their own minds, joined to the knowledge of the service, in times of an attack, when they cannot immediately receive the orders of the Brigadier General, or Major General. Should the particular difficulty of the country, occasion the first line to take up new ground toward the rear, it may not be improper, perhaps, to do so by becoming a second line in the rear of the 76th and 80th, who will form openings, if necessary, for the purpose. It is to be observed, that the reserve is to be the point of assembly, for the troops upon any difficult occasion. The impression made upon an attack, by the advanced corps and light infantry, will be supported in firm order by the second line; and the cavalry will watch the moment for charging a broken enemy. The artillery attached to the several corps, will be under the command of Capt. Fage, who, with the participation of the commanding officers, or those bearing the orders of the General Officers, will exert their utmost endeavours to co-operate with the rest of the troops." On the 24th the troops landed, and passed the night at City point, and on the 25th marched towards Petersburg. The report of the forces collected at that place varied; but it was apparent, that they rather distrusted their own strength, or were miserably commanded, as no shadow of opposition was made at some passes which were very difficult, and which would have delayed or embarrassed the army. Within two miles of Petersburg, [p196] the wood ending in a plain, the army halted until the troops in the rear had closed to the front: the enemy appeared at a distance, and the troops advanced. At a gully in front some firing took place from a party of the enemy, which was posted on the opposite bank; they killed a Yager and fled. A serjeant, who had been detached with a party of Yagers to the right, by means of an orchard, got upon the enemy's left flank undiscovered, and fired with great effect upon them as they retreated. The ground was divided by small inclosures, with houses on each side of the road, which, through a narrow pass in front, led to Petersburg; on the right of it were small eminences, terminating at the Appamatox river, and on the left, hilly ground covered with wood, at the foot of which was an old mill stream. The troops halted, and Lt. Col. Simcoe accompanied Gen. Phillips to the right, where, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, he could see the enemy drawn up: Gen. Phillips soon selected a spot to which he ordered the artillery to be brought, and it arrived undiscovered; he then directed it to fire, and ordered Lieut. Col. Abercrombie to march towards the enemy in front, Lieut. Col. Simcoe with the Rangers to pass through the wood to the left to turn the enemy's right flank, and Capt. Boyd with the second battalion of light infantry to support him, as the rest of the troops did Lieut. Col. Abercrombie. Lt. Col. Simcoe, on emerging from the wood, found a high woody ridge, immediately on his left: he desired Capt. Boyd would attend to it, who sent flanking parties thither. Lieut. Col. [p197] Abercrombie pushing forward his battalion, the enemy's first line quitted their station in confusion; but it appeared to Lieut. Col. Simcoe, that they had a second line posted, probably to secure the retreat of the first, and that this party, who seemed totally occupied with what was doing in the front, had no out flankers, but that those of the first line had fallen back upon the main body. His aim was to get as much upon their flank as possible, attack them, and pass the bridge over the Appamatox with them: on the opposite side of this bridge, upon the heights, were troops and cannon, but the banks were so steep that their fire could do but little injury to an active assailant. The enemy, still pressed in front by Lieut. Col. Abercrombie, fled so rapidly that the Queen's Rangers had no opportunity of closing with them, though, from their dress, they had marched a considerable way unnoticed. The enemy's cannon began to fire grape at the light infantry, who had reached the town of Blandford, and destroyed the bridge. Lt. Col. Simcoe thought it advisable to try whether there was not a ford, as was rumoured, at Bannister's mills, for the attempt at least would make the enemy draw off their cannon. A party of horsemen appeared upon the heights near Bannister's house: they gallopped off on the approach of the troops, and proved to have been people of the country, who came as spectators of the encounter. The enemy now fired round shot, but ineffectually, at the Queen's Rangers: a party at the same time marched, on the opposite side of the river, towards the mills, but it was soon [p198] called off, and the whole of the enemy's corps, supposed to be commanded by Baron Steuben, marched off. The disposition of the enemy was not such as marked any ability in those who made it: by their cannon being placed on the opposite side of the Appamatax, it was evident, that the corps which was stationed at the extremity of Blandford, was merely intended to fire and to retreat; but their very position counteracted their design, as the deep defile would of itself enforce caution in those who were to pass it; the previous skirmish had prevented their making use of an ambuscade, and their right being open, exposed them to what they narrowly escaped, the being cut off from the bridge. The plan of the ground, which Lt. Spencer took upon the spot, will show, to the military observer, many positions which might have been taken by the enemy to better effect: they were said to have lost near an hundred men killed and wounded, while that of the British was only one man killed, and ten wounded of the light infantry.

The bridge being easily repaired, Lt. Col. Abercrombie with the light infantry and Queen's Rangers, passed over the next day and occupied the heights. The army proceeded towards Osborne's on the 27th, early in the morning: the bridge at Randal's mills had been taken up, but was presently relaid, Gen. Phillips, with one division of the army, went to Chesterfield Court-house, while the 80th and 76th regiments, with the Queen's Rangers, under Gen. Arnold, marched to Osborne's, where a number of the enemy's shipping was stationed. Care had been taken [p199] that no information of the approach of the troops could reach them; and there was no doubt but that the fire of the cannon would have given the first notice of the arrival of the army. In this situation Gen. Arnold sent a flag of truce to the enemy, offering half the contents of their cargoes in case they did not destroy any part; the enemy answered, "That they were determined and ready to defend their ships, and would sink in them rather than surrender." The troops marched on: Gen. Arnold stationed Lt. Rogers with two three pounders near the stern of a large ship, which had springs upon her cable. With difficulty she brought her broadside to bear, and returned a smart fire, when Capt. Fage, with two six pounders, opened from an unexpected quarter, with great effect. Lt. Col. Simcoe placed the Queen's Rangers out of the line of fire, and directed Lt. Spencer, who had been sent to reconnoitre the left, to conduct some Yagers by a route partly covered by ditches, within thirty yards of her stern. Luckily she had loaded her guns only with round shot, expecting that the principal attack would have been made by water; grape shot must inevitably have killed or driven the artillery from their guns. Gen. Arnold sent orders to Lt. Col. Simcoe to march the Queen's Rangers to the shore, and to fire musketry at the ship: he was preparing to execute this order, when, what he shall ever esteem as a most fortunate shot, cut a spring cable and threw the ship round: in this situation, the crew, exposed to the raking of Lt. Rogers' cannon, and whoever appeared upon deck to the fire of the Yagers, and despairing [p200] of assistance from the remainder of the ill-stationed fleet, were frightened and took to their boat to escape: the Yagers beginning a severe fire on them, some jumped overboard. Lt. Spencer, with difficulty, stopped the firing, and parlying with the boat's crew, they surrendered, and as they were directed, rowed to the shore in possession of the King's troops. Lt. Fitzpatrick, with volunteer Armstrong, and twelve of the Queen's Rangers, leaped into the boat and rowed on board the ship: he then sent another boat on shore, and, with great judgment and spirit proceeded towards the furthermost ship in the fleet: the Highland company embarked on board the captured frigate, and a scene of singular confusion ensued. The enemy had scuttled several of their ships, which were now sinking; others, boarded by the intrepid Lt. Fitzpatrick, were on fire; and although cannon and musketry from the opposite shore, kept up a smart fire on him, that active officer rowed on. He put three men on board one ship, and cut her cable, and he left volunteer Armstrong with three more in another, and attained himself the headmost, whose guns he immediately turned upon the enemy. A ship, which was blown up near the Tempest, the State frigate, which had been the first taken, in its explosion, lodged some fire on her top gallant and fore stay-sail, which now blazed out; Capt. M'Kay, with the Hightanders had cut her cable to avoid the danger, and she now drifted; but the current running easterly, luckily drove her near the shore, occupied by the King's troops, and, by the exertion of the Highlanders, whom their many sea voyages [p201] had made active and experienced in such dangers, the flames were extinguished, and the prize effectually secured. To add to the horror, volunteer Armstrong finding the ship he was on board of in flames, beyond his power to master, had swam on shore to procure a boat to bring off the men he had with him; and the only one in the possession of the troops, was despatched for that purpose: he had just time to save his men, when the vessel blew up. The whole of the fleet, consisting of two ships of twenty guns, a brig of sixteen, and several other armed vessels, were either taken or destroyed. One twenty gun ship, a brig of sixteen guns, two lesser and a sloop, were brought down and safely moored, after a firing which lasted above two hours: Lt. Fitzpatrick brought off that which he was on board of, deliberately closing the rear.

The troops remained in this vicinity till the 29th, when they proceeded towards Manchester. The bridge at Robert's mills, which had been destroyed, was repaired, and the army encamped near Cary's house: next morning they marched to Manchester, from whence they had a view of M. Fayette's army, encamped on the heights of Richmond: on the evening they returned to Cary's. Lt. Col. Simcoe, with the rear guard, had orders to destroy a large quantity of flour in Cary's mills; but on his representing to Gen. Phillips, that this duty of fatigue could not be finished in the time allotted for the purpose, he was directed to burn them, which was accordingly done. This flour was destined for the Spaniards, but probably would have been used as supplies for Fayette's [p202] army. The troops proceeded by Osborne's to the Bermuda Hundreds: a quantity of cattle was collected for them, by a detachment of the Queen's Rangers the next day; and the whole army embarked on the evening of the 2d of May. The captured ships were conveyed down the river by a detachment of the Queen's Rangers, and not without opposition from the militia, particularly against that commanded by Lt. Allen, which ran on shore; but, by his exertions and bravery, was gotten off without material injury.

Gen. Phillips, whilst the army lay at Cary's, had thrown some troops over the opposite side of James river. On the return from Blanford, Lt. Col. Simcoe took occasion to represent to him the possibility of the whole army crossing, and that, while the advance guard moved on towards Richmond and masked the road, the army might turn back two miles from the landing place, and by falling into the bye path which Gen. Arnold had formerly been advised to proceed on, might arrive on the plain ground on the heights of Richmond, most probably on the left flank, if not the rear, of Fayette, who would, as it was reasonable to presume, expect the British troops by the route which Gen. Arnold had so recently taken, and whose gasconading disposition and military ignorance might possibly tempt him to stay too long in the face of troops, his equals in numbers, and superior in every thing else that could form the value of an army. The troops fell down the river in prosecution of such further enterprises as Gen. Phillips had determined upon. Opposite to James Town, the sloop Lt. Col. Simcoe [p203] was in, being one of the headmost of the fleet, ran aground near to a landing place. Some people on horseback were seen reconnoitering the fleet: the bugle horns were sounded, and a boat brought round the vessel towards the shore, and instructions for landing were given in a loud voice: this feint, meant merely for amusement, had its effect, and a messenger was seen to gallop off, and M. Fayette in his dispatches mentions it as a seeming attempt of the enemy to land. It has since appeared, that M. Fayette, as was predicted, followed the troops down the river, the constant and good policy of the enemy; but which, in this case might have proved fatal to his army, had what at first appeared to be Gen. Phillips' design, been now in his power or instructions to execute; for the vessel was scarcely got off, when the officer, who had led the fleet, returned and hailing Lt. Col. Simcoe, directed him to make the utmost dispatch in following him up the river: this was facilitated by its blowing a hard but fair gale. The whole fleet anchored off Brandon's house, on the south-side of James river; and the troops immediately landed, on the 7th of May, the light infantry excepted, who proceeded to City point. Had the landing been on the opposite shore, and higher up, as by the fair winds might have been the case, the British army would have been above M. Fayette, and he could not have avoided action. Lt. Col. Simcoe was informed by Gen. Phillips, that he had received an order from Lord Cornwallis to meet him near Petersburg. To the great concern of his army, Gen. Phillips was taken extremely ill, and to [p204] accommodate him, Lt. Col. Simcoe went some miles off and procured a post-chaise. Early the next morning, the army marched to Bland's ordinary, passing a very deep gully: here it was reported that M. Fayette had crossed the James river and was at Petersburg. It would have been imprudent, had such been a fact, for the corps at Bland's mill to march thither, until it was joined by the light infantry: while conversation to this purpose was held by the principal officers, General Phillips, whose indisposition rapidly increased, awakening from his sleep, was made acquainted with the report; and the last material order he gave was that, which decided the troops to proceed as quick as possible towards Petersburg, and to order Lt. Col. Simcoe to cross the country, with a party of cavalry to City point, with instructions for Lieutenant Colonel Abercrombie, to march early the next morning to that place, which accordingly was executed, and the whole army united at Petersburg. Gen. Phillips' army made prisoners some of M. Fayette's suite, who had arrived there to prepare quarters for his army: this was a very fortunate prevention, as the grounds about Petersburg were very strong, if properly occupied, and bridges over the Appamatox would have secured a retreat to the defenders. Lt. Col. Simcoe pressed Gen. Arnold, to let him march towards Halifax, in order to gain information of Lord Cornwallis, from whom no account had arrived; it was not thought prudent to make a detachment while M. Fayette was supposed to be so near: he was, however, sent with the cavalry [p205] to destroy Goode's bridge, and to return the next morning. After proceeding a long way, Lt. Col. Simcoe understood that the bridge was not within the distance which had been apprehended; and Lt. Col. Damer, who had accompanied him, agreeing with him that the enemy might easily throw bridges over the Appamatax much nearer to Petersburg, and would certainly do so if they intended an attack against the troops there, the party returned, and lay a few miles from Petersburg that night, and joined the army the next day. The enemy sending patroles on the opposite side of the Appamatox, Lt. Spencer had proposed to have swam over with a party, consisting of Lieut. Fitzpatrick and thirty Rangers, and to have laid an ambuscade for them. This officer was perfectly acquainted with the minutest particulars of the ground, having been encamped upon it: in case of the enemy appearing in force, any small gully would have given him a secure retreat to the river, while the cannon and musketry, purposely stationed to protect him, would have prevented the enemy from molesting the party whilst it swam back. This design the patroles to Goode's bridge, had occasioned to be deferred, and it was to have been executed the next morning; but, about the middle of the day, the enemy appeared on the heights, and cannonaded the quarters of the British army, particularly those of Gen. Phillips, whom they knew to be most dangerously ill, by a flag of truce which had been received the day before, and of Lt. Col. Simcoe which was on a height. Some shots being directed at the dragoon horses, then at [p206] grass, they set off full gallop towards the ferry, immediately under the enemy's cannon; and had they not fired grape at them, 'tis probable they would have swam to the shore in their possession: their cannonading had no effect. Lt. Col. Simcoe went immediately to Gen. Arnold, and again applied to march towards Lord Cornwallis, urging that it was apparent, from the discovery which the enemy had made, and their parade of force, that they could mean no serious attempt on the post: the General assented, and the enemy had scarcely drawn off their cannon, when the Queen's Rangers, both cavalry and infantry, marched towards the Nottaway, on the road to Halifax. M. Fayette gives, as a reason for this cannonade, that he did it in order to cover the march of a detachment which he sent with stores, &c. to South Carolina. A detachment of the Queen's Rangers was more than sufficient to have attacked this convoy, had there been information of it; and it is very probable, in such a case, Gen. Arnold would have sent a party from the light infantry, in pursuit of it; but none of Mr. Fayette's reasons impress any idea of his military talents: he possibly owed his personal safety to the patrole, which had prevented Lt. Spencer's ambuscade from being carried into execution; and who, not improbably, might have made himself master of his cannon, by rolling them down the steeps of the river, before the escort, which apparently, was left at some distance to avoid the shot of the British guns, could have advanced to their rescue. Lt. Col. Simcoe proceeded, with the utmost expedition, to the [p207] Nottaway river, twenty-seven miles from Petersburg, where he arrived early the next morning: the bridge had been destroyed, which was easily repaired, and Major Armstrong was left with the infantry. The cavalry went on to Col. Gee's, a rebel militia officer: he attempted to escape, but was secured; and refusing to give his parole, was sent prisoner to Major Armstrong. The cavalry proceeded in the afternoon to Hick's ford, on the Meherrin, twenty-five miles from the Roanoke, within a few miles of the river stood Col. Hicks's house. He was deceived, and believed the party to be an advanced guard from M. Fayette's army: From him the first information was received of Earl Cornwallis, and that his Lordship was certainly at Halifax, twenty miles from the Meherrin; and that it was reported his advanced guard had passed that river. Lt. Col. Simcoe's hopes of being in time to facilitate his Lordship's passage were at an end; there was still a probability, if any militia were in his front, of being of service. Col. Hicks accompanied the party to Hicks's ford where some militia were assembled. Serjeant Wright, who commanded the advanced guard on the approach to Hicks's, halted and returning to Lt. Col. Simcoe, told him, that he had entered into conversation with one of the sentinels; that the militia consisted of a Captain and thirty men; and that he had passed upon them for their friends: if he, Lt. Col. Simcoe, thought proper, he would relieve the whole party. Wright was directed to execute his intentions: the rebel Colonel was shown, at a sufficient distance, as a [p208] friend; and Lt. Col. Simcoe and the militia officers assisting, the whole party was assembled, their sentinels relieved, and their arms piled and secured before they were undeceived: they were then marched into a house, and their paroles given them. The Captain and others being selected as guides, the party crossed the ford, which had been obstructed by trees felled, as a French officer, who had been that way a few days before, had directed; but which the militia slightly executed. It was understood that Lt. Colonel Tarleton had passed the Roanoke; that a Major of militia, who had commanded the post at Hicks's ford, was gone with a small party to reconnoitre. It was much to be feared, that if Lt. Col. Simcoe should fall in with Lord Cornwallis's advanced guard in the night, the unexpected meeting might occasion great confusion and, perhaps, loss; and it was still probable, that parties of militia might be between them, which, in the dark, it would be impossible to discriminate; a circuit was therefore taken to the right of the direct road; and, at a situation a few miles from Hicks's ford, the party halted to feed their horses, and to refresh the men who were overcome with fatigue and wanted sleep: they had brought the fire arms which had been taken at Hicks's ford, and these were placed along the fence where the men slept. Serjeant Wright was placed in ambuscade, close to the road; and officers, from time to time, visited him, lest that intrepid and vigilant soldier should himself give way to that fatigue which every body laboured under. In the middle of the night, Wright brought in an express [p209] from a captain who had been detached by M. Fayette for intelligence; he had not time to destroy his despatches, which confirmed the account of Col. Tarleton having passed the Roanoke: he was offered his liberty if he would conduct the party to the place where he had left his captain, the capture of whom would more effectually delay any intelligence which M. Fayette might expect; as it afterwards appeared, by his public letters, was done by this express being made prisoner. After two hours' sleep, the party proceeded and arrived at the place where the captain and his party were reported to have been; but no person was there; nor was it possible to determine whether the prisoner had been faithful to his original trust or his latter promise. The party soon arrived on the banks of the Roanoke, and sending forward to prevent any errors, joined Lord Cornwallis's army. His Lordship being on the opposite side of the river, Lt. Col. Simcoe passed over to him; and a spy from Gen. Phillips had reached him a few hours before: it was Lt. Col. Simcoe's melancholy office to add to his Lordship's public anxieties, the intelligence of the irrecoverable state of health in which Gen. Phillips lay. The cavalry refreshed themselves at Jones's house; his Lordship passed the river that evening, and Lt. Col. Simcoe sat out on his return. He marched by the direct road to Hicks's ford, where he found Lieut. Col. Tarleton, who had made a circuit to his right from Halifax, and had arrived there a few hours after Lt. Col. Simcoe left it: the rebel Major, who had been to reconnoitre, fell into his hands. As Lt. [p210] Col. Tarleton's legion were mostly clothed in white, it was a fortunate circumstance, in making his circuit, he had not marched on the road Lt. Col. Simcoe had taken: the party halted that night at Col. Hicks's. Lt. Col. Tarleton marched the next morning and proceeded to Colonel Gees plantation: soon after the Queen's Rangers marched and rejoined their infantry at Nottaway bridge, where they passed the night in great and necessary security: Lt. Col. Simcoe, with a few dragoons, returning to Petersburg. From the representations which he had made of Gen. Arnold, and Lt. Col. Abercrombie concurring in opinion that Fayette might possibly attack them, and therefore had deferred his necessary march to Earl Cornwallis, till such time, as by Fayette's cannonade, it was evident he could mean nothing serious, Gen. Arnold was directed to march to the Nottaway: that officer being of opinion, that it was no longer necessary to do so, went himself only, the next morning, with Lieut. Col. Simcoe, to the Nottaway, where he met Earl Cornwallis. The Queen's Rangers returned to Petersburg that evening; and his Lordship's whole army arrived there the next day, the 20th of May: they marched opposite to Westover, and passed the James river on the 24th. Lt. Col. Simcoe, while at Westover, received a letter from Gen. Lee,¹⁸ with whom he had been acquainted whilst that gentleman was prisoner in the Jersies, pointing out the enormities committed by the privateers: the proper representation was made to Earl Cornwallis, who took measures to prevent the future misconduct of these licensed miscreants, [p211] by representing them to Sir Henry Clinton. The army marched towards the Chickahominy, and arrived at Bottom bridge on the 28th. Lt. Col. Simcoe, with his cavalry, by a circuit, passed the Chickahominy, and patrolled to New-Castle, where he seized some rebel officers; and on his return, imposed upon and took several Virginia gentlemen, who were watching the motions of Earl Cornwallis. In the evening his Lordship marched; and Lt. Col. Simcoe halted during the night, and then followed the army; perhaps not without utility, as the rear was uncommonly long, and the road running, in many places, through thickets, patroles of the enemy might easily have taken a great many stragglers. He divided his cavalry into small parties, left them at different distances, and collected the tired men as well as possible, which was not in the power of the infantry, that formed the rear guard, to effect. Capt. Cooke's troop joined the Queen's Rangers, from New-York, but without a single cavalry, appointment, or arms: the army halted near New-Castle on the 29th, and marched to Hanover Court-house the next day, where some large brass cannon, without carriages, were found, and attempted to be destroyed: the Queen's Rangers had advanced to South Anna bridge, and chased and took a patrole of the enemy. The next day they crossed the North Anna, patrolled for intelligence, and took a militia gentleman on his return from Fayette's army. The army proceeded to Tile's ordinary, on the 1st of June: Lt. Col. Simcoe crossed the North Anna, with his cavalry, with orders to get intelligence [p212] of Fayette's march; and Capt. Dundas, of the guards, with the light company, was sent to a strong post, a few miles over the river, to support and cover his retreat. A rebel Commissary was chased and taken; and, after a long patrole, full information was obtained of Fayette's march, and the party returned. On Lt. Col. Simcoe's arrival at head quarters, he found that two of the Queen's Rangers had committed a robbery and a rape: Lord Cornwallis directed him to enquire into the matter, which was done by the Captains of the corps; and the robbery being fully proved, his Lordship ordered the men, agreeable to Lt. Col. Simcoe's desire, to be executed the next day.

Early the next morning, Lt. Col. Simcoe marched towards the Baron Steuben, who was reported to be at the point of Fork, the head of James river: Lord Cornwallis informed him, that Steuben's force consisted of three or four hundred men; and as the Queen's Rangers were so debilitated by the fatigues of the climate, &c. as to have scarcely more than two hundred infantry and one hundred cavalry, fit for duty, his Lordship ordered the 71st regiment, under Capt. Hutchinson, consisting of two hundred rank and file, to join him: at Lt. Col. Simcoe's particular request, a three pounder was annexed. The incessant marches of the Rangers, and their distance from their stores, had so worn out their shoes, that, on Lt. Colonel Simcoe's calling for a return, it appeared that near fifty men were absolutely barefooted; upon assembling them, when they were informed that they were wanted for active employment, and that those who chose to [p213] stay with the army might do so, there was not a man who would remain behind the corps. Lord Cornwallis ordered him, on his return, to join the army at Goochland Court-house, whither he should march to receive his detachment, and that of Lt. Col. Tarleton, which was to endeavour to seize on the assembly at Charlottesville; and then, if circumstances admitted of it, to fall back by the point of Fork. Lt. Spencer, with twenty huzzars, formed the advance guard: these were chosen men, and mounted on the fleetest horses. Capt. Stevenson, with the light infantry company, and the Hessian riflemen, under Lt. Beikel, followed: the 71st succeeded with the cannon, followed by Capt. Althause with his riflemen, and those of the Queen's Rangers: the infantry and Capt. Shank, with the cavalry of the Rangers, closed the rear. In case of attack, the battalion in front (and the two battalions marched there alternately) was directed to form in line; that which followed, to close up into column ready to march to which ever flank it was ordered, as the cavalry under Capt. Shank was to the other. The whole of the cavalry preceded the march, till the detachment crossed the bridge over the South Anna: Lt. Col. Simcoe then proceeded with the utmost despatch, by Bird's ordinary, towards Napier's ford, the second ford on the Rivana, above the Fluvana, the junction of which rivers, at the point of Fork, forms the James river: not a person escaped who was in sight, and the advanced cavalry were so managed as totally to conceal the advance of the infantry. At night the corps lay upon their arms, in [p214] the strongest position which could be conveniently found, on the principle of making a front each way; and having a strong reserve of infantry, as well as cavalry, within the circle, ready to support any part which might be attacked, and to sally from it if ordered: the guards and sentinels were, as usual, in ambuscade. After two days' march, as the party approached Napier's ford, some prisoners and letters were taken, and other intelligence obtained, by which it appeared, that the march had been hitherto undiscovered, and that Lt. Col. Tarleton's detachment alone had been heard of; that Baron Steuben was about to march to oppose a patrole of Earl Cornwallis' army, or, more probably, deceived in his intelligence of a detachment that had never been made; and, that the Baron's force consisted of nine hundred effective men, exclusive of the militia who were assembling to join him. The troops had already marched that day nearly twenty miles, and the two preceding days not less than thirty each, when this intelligence was accumulated. Lt. Spencer was directed to proceed cautiously, gaining what intelligence he could, to Napier's house, which stood on a high and commanding ground; near which it was intended to halt during the night and to ambuscade the ford, it being the purpose to attack the enemy, by day break, the next morning. Lt. Spencer went to the house of a Colonel Thompson, which was surrounded with very high fences, and, alighting from his horse, approached that gentleman, who was accompanied by four of the militia, asking, in a familiar manner, the road to the [p215] Baron's camp. Col. Thompson, suspecting his errand, though armed, retreated precipitately and made his escape, with three of his men; the fourth, seeing that two huzzars, who had accompanied Lt. Spencer, could not get over the fence, or assist him, presented a double barrel piece within five yards of his breast: Lt. Spencer, with great presence of mind, immediately threatened to have him flogged on his arrival at the Baron's camp, and, pulling some papers from his pocket, told him, that they were his despatches Prom N. Fayette: at the same time he moved gently towards him, intending, if possible, to seize the muzzle of his firelock, but, as the one advanced, the other retreated, keeping his piece still presented, until, getting over a fence at the back of the house, he ran towards the river. At this moment, Lt. Spencer could have shot him with a pocket pistol; but having received intimation from Lt. Col. Simcoe, that it was expected the enemy had a post at Napier's ford, two miles lower, he prudently permitted him to escape, rather than make an alarm: these people left five good horses behind them. He then proceeded to Napier's ford, and leaving his party unseen, at a proper distance, he crossed the river, with three men: on the opposite side were two militia men well mounted, from whom he learnt that Baron Steuben was at the point of Fork; that he had sent the greatest part of his stores, and some troops, on the south side the river, and was superintending the transportation of the remainder with the greatest despatch. Lt. Spencer completely imposed on their credulity; they suffered him to relieve [p216] them with two of his own men, and accompanied him to Col. Napier's house, whom he took prisoner. On this intelligence, Lt. Col. Simcoe determined to march, with the utmost celerity, towards Baron Steuben, hoping to cut off his rear guard: Lt. Spencer preceded and occupied the road, and every point from whence the troops could be seen, as they forded the river; and, in order to prevent any intelligence from Col. Thompson. Within two miles of Baron Steuben's encampment, a patrole of dragoons appeared; they were chased and taken: it consisted of a French officer and four of Armand's corps. They confirmed Lt. Col. Simcoe in his belief, that Baron Steuben was ignorant of his approach, as they were destined to patrole twenty miles from the point of Fork to the place where, it afterwards appeared, Earl Cornwallis's army had arrived the preceding night, and they were to have passed the Rivana at its lowest ford, Lt. Col. Simcoe's circuitous march, to cross at the upper, having answered the expected purpose. The advanced men of the huzzars changed clothes with the prisoners, and dispositions were now made for the attack. The huzzars in the enemy's clothing, were directed to gallop to the only house on the point, and where it was understood Baron Steuben was, at once to dismount and, if possible, to seize him: they were to be supported by a detachment of cavalry, the light infantry company and the cannon. Captain Stevenson was intended to fortify the house, and to place the cannon there as a point of reserve; Captain Hutchinson was to form the Highlanders, on the left; [p217] and Lt. Col. Simcoe meant to occupy the wood on the right of the house. The order was about to be given for the men to lay down their knapsacks, when the advance guard brought in Mr. Farley, Baron Steuben's Aid du Camp: he mistook them for the patrole which had been just taken, and came to see whether it had set off. Serjeant Wright being near the size and appearance of Mr. Farley, was directed to exchange clothes with him, to mount his horse, and lead the advance guard; when that officer assured Lieut. Col. Simcoe, that he had seen every man over the Fluvana, before he left the point of Fork: this was confirmed by some waggoners, who, with their teams, were now taken. The cavalry immediately advanced, and the enemy being plainly seen on the opposite side, nothing remained but to stop some boats, which were putting off from the extreme point: this Capt. Shank effected, and took about thirty people who were on the banks, from which the embarkation had proceeded. Every method was now taken to persuade the enemy, that the party was Earl Cornwallis's army, that they might leave the opposite shore, which was covered with arms and stores: Capt. Hutchinson, with the 71st regiment, (clothed in red,) was directed to advance as near to the banks of the Fluvana as he could with perfect safety, and without the hazard of a single man, from the enemy's shot, who had lined the opposite shore: the baggage and women halted among the woods, on the summit of the hill, and, in that position, made the appearance of a numerous corps: the three-pounder was carried down, the artillery [p218] men being positively ordered to fire but one shot and to take the best aim possible, which they performed, killing the horse of one of Baron Steuben's orderly dragoons. The troops occupied the heights which covered the neck of the point, and their numbers were concealed in the wood. Baron Steuben was encamped on the heights on the opposite side of the river, about three quarters of a mile from its banks: the prisoners, and observation confirmed the information which had been received of his numbers. As night approached, and the men were somewhat refreshed, every precaution was taken to prevent any surprise which the number, and the character of the enemy's general, might lead them to attempt. Lt. Col. Simcoe who, from his childhood, had been taught to consider the military as the most extensive and profound of sciences, had no apprehension from the talents of such men as had been educated in different professions, and whom accident had placed at the head of armies; and he had always asserted it is a principle, that, from the superiority of the King's troops, and of the officers who led them, if he should ever have a command, in which he should be superior in one species of troops, whether cavalry or infantry, he would be totally unconcerned for the event of any action he might have with the enemy. Baron Steuben had no cavalry, yet, in the present situation, there was great room for anxiety, since the immediate ground of encampment was not favourable for the exertions of his few, but well trained, well officered, and invincible body of cavalry; and the enemy [p219] were led by a Prussian officer. The very military instructions of his king were capable of forming better officers than any other theory could possibly do, or probably could be effected by the experience of ten campaigns under incompetent masters. In the exercise also which he had given the rebel army, the Baron Steuben had shown himself an able officer, and that he well knew how to adapt the science of war to the people whom he was to instruct, and to the country in which he was to act. He had passed the Fluvana; but he had done this in consequence of his orders to join General Green's army: an express sent to countermand this order, Lt. Col. Simcoe knew had been taken a few days before by Lt. Col. Tarleton; and it was fair to suppose, that he might now have further intelligence; that he might be perfectly acquainted with the numbers of his opponents, and might possibly determine to attack Lt. Col. Simcoe, as well as the detachment which the intercepted letter mentioned, that he was preparing to meet. Lt. Col. Simcoe was therefore apprehensive, lest Baron Steuben, having secured his stores which were of great value, over a broad and unfordable river, and, being in possession of all the boats, should repass his troops in the night, higher up the river, and fall on him, so that, if the British troops should be beaten, they would have no retreat, being shut up between two rivers, while those of the Americans, should they be repulsed, were preserved from the pursuit of the cavalry by the thick woods, which came close to their encampment, and, from that of the infantry, by the fatigues they had undergone [p220] in a march of nearly forty miles the preceding morning. These ideas occupied the mind of Lt. Col. Simcoe, and he would have quitted his camp had he not thought the troops too much fatigued, to search for a more favourable position, which was not to be attained for some miles; and, partly, had he not hoped that Steuben would believe him to be the advance of Earl Cornwallis' army, particularly, as the light troops had no soldiers among them clothed like the 71st regiment, in red. That regiment, and the Queen's Rangers, occupied the roads, with rail fletches and other defences: Capt. Althause, with his company and the Yagers, were posted on a knoll, among the woods, between the main body and the Fluvana, the cavalry lay in the rear of the Queen's Rangers, and small posts were extended so as to form a chain between the rivers. Capt. Shank had orders to send continual patroles of cavalry from river to river, about half a mile in front of the infantry; and the troops were acquainted with the probability of an attack, and were perfectly prepared for it. At night, the enemy were heard destroying their boats, with great noise: at midnight, Capt. Shank informed Lt. Col. Simcoe, that they were making up their fires, and that he supposed they were moving; with which he perfectly agreed, when it was seen that they were uniformly refreshed throughout their camp. Soon after, a deserter and a little drummer boy came from the enemy in a canoe, and gave information that Steuben had marched off on the road by Cumberland Court-house, towards North Carolina. It is remarkable this boy belonged [p221] to the 71st regiment: he had been taken prisoner at the Cow-pens, enlisted with the enemy, and now, making his escape, was received by the piquet which his father commanded. When day-light appeared, there was not an enemy to be seen. Sergeant John M'Donald, of the Highland company of the Queen's Rangers, swam over to the enemy's shore, and brought off a large canoe: two or three smaller ones were found on the Rivana. The cannon and riflemen were sent down to line the bushes on the banks of the Fluvana; and, under their protection, Captain Stevenson, with twenty of the light infantry, passed over to the opposite banks, which he found covered with the enemy's stores. Cornet Wolsey was then sent over with four huzzars, with their saddles: he was directed to get some of the straggling horses which had been left by the enemy, to post himself upon the road on the summit of the hill, and then, if he should meet with an enemy's patrole, to make a great shout and every demonstration of pursuing them, to impress them with an idea that the whole corps had passed. Capt. Stevenson was employed in sending off such things as might be useful to the troops, and destroying the remainder. As the detachment met with plenty of provisions and forage at the point of Fork, Lt. Col. Simcoe determined to halt there the whole day; but, that his return to Earl Cornwallis' army might not be in the least delayed, he was attentive to the building of a float, by which he might pass the Rivana at its confluence with the South Anna: this would save him a day's march, [p222] which he must have made in case he should repass it at the nearest ford. He also meant to use this float in carrying down the cannon and mortars which the enemy had left, to Earl Cornwallis, at Goochland Court-house. In the middle of the day a patrole from Lt. Col. Tarleton, who was on the opposite side of the Rivana, communicated with him;¹⁹ the float was completed and launched towards noon, and Capt. Stevenson, having effectually done his business, returned in the evening. Cornet Wolsey had very fortunately executed his orders, for a patrole of the enemy had approached to the place where he was posted, and, on perceiving him, fled with the utmost speed. It was afterwards understood, that on this patrole joining Baron Steuben, in consequence of their report, he immediately proceeded twenty miles farther, though he had already marched thirty miles from the point of Fork. He must have believed that the whole of Earl Cornwallis' army were in pursuit of him, or he would have scarcely abandoned such a quantity of stores: a guard of twenty or thirty men would have effectually prevented the Rangers from destroying them, and they would have been in perfect safety in that case, had Earl Cornwallis adhered to his first intention, of halting at Goochland Court-house. The army arriving near the point of Fork on the 7th of June, Lt. Col. Simcoe passed the Rivana, and rejoined it. The Fluvana being a larger river than the Rivana, at its confluence forces back the latter and it becomes as still as a mill pond. The water was fenced, as it were, with spars and canoes, so as to make a lane, and the [p223] horses swam over between them: the infantry passed on the float, which held, with ease, a hundred and thirty men, and had been made in four hours; and the artillery, some of which had been brought over from the opposite shore in a smaller boat, made by the junction of two canoes, were carried over on it, and put into empty wagons sent by Earl Cornwallis for that purpose. There were destroyed at the point of Fork, two thousand five hundred stand of arms, a large quantity of gunpowder, case shot, &c., several casks of saltpetre, sulphur, and brimstone, and upwards of sixty hogsheads of rum and brandy, several chests of carpenters' tools, and upwards of four hundred intrenching tools, with casks of flints, sail cloth and waggons, and a great variety of small stores, necessary for the equipment of cavalry and infantry: such linen and necessaries, as would be of immediate service, were divided among the captors. There were taken off, a thirteen-inch mortar, five brass eight-inch howitzers, and four long brass nine pounders, mounted afterwards at York Town: all French pieces and in excellent order. Lieut. Col. Simcoe, on the 9th of June, was detached with his cavalry to destroy some tobacco in the warehouses, on the northern bank of the Fluvana: he passed at the lowest ford, and proceeding to the Seven islands, destroyed one hundred and fifty barrels of gunpowder, and burnt all the tobacco in the warehouses on the river side, returning with some rebel militia whom he had surprised and made prisoners. The army remained in this district till the 13th of [p224] June; and the cavalry of the Queen's Rangers made several patroles, particularly one to Bird's ordinary, at midnight, where, it was understood, the Marquis de la Fayette, with his forces, had arrived. It appeared, however, that they were at a great distance, so that the army moved towards Richmond, the Queen's Rangers forming the rear guard. The 71st regiment here left the Rangers; the two corps had acted with the utmost harmony together, and Lt. Col. Simcoe remembers, with great satisfaction, the expressions of good will and regret which both the officers and soldiers of that distinguished regiment made use of, when they quitted his command. Earl Cornwallis arrived at Richmond the 16th of June. On the 17th, Lt. Col. Simcoe was detached with some infantry and his cavalry, to pass the James river, near Henrico Court-house; which he did the next morning, to facilitate the passage of the boats with convalescents up to Richmond, and to clear the southern banks of the James river of any parties of militia who might be stationed to annoy them. The detachment recrossed the river on the night of the 19th, from Manchester to Richmond, and Captain Ewald, with the Yagers, joined the Queen's Rangers. On the 20th it being reported that the enemy had a flying corps, all mounted, under Gen. Muhlenberg, and consisting of twelve hundred men, Lt. Col. Simcoe was directed to patrole for intelligence: he marched with forty cavalry (but considering this a service of particular danger) with the utmost caution. He quitted the road and marched through the woods, as nearly [p225] parallel to it as the enclosures, which had been cleared, would admit. After a march of a few miles, to his great satisfaction, he discovered a flag of truce, of the enemy; and he was certain, that according to their custom, some of them would be found in its rear. Lt. Spencer was therefore detached with a small party to get beyond them upon the road, which he effected, and found himself in the rear of a party of twenty men; but the woods on his right being open, though Lt. Lawler supported him in front, one officer and two or three men only were taken. Lt. Col. Simcoe immediately returned, having procured from the prisoners every requisite intelligence. The army marched, on the 21st of June, to Bottom-bridge, and on the 22d to New Kent Court-house: the Queen's Rangers, who made the rear with the Yagers, lay near two miles on the left of the army. Lt. Col. Simcoe was ordered to march the next day towards the Chickahominy, where it was supposed there was a foundery, and some boats: these he was to destroy, to collect all the cattle he could find in the country, and proceed to Williamsburg; and Lord Cornwallis expressly told him, that he might, in these operations, safely stay two or three days behind the army, who were to be at Williamsburg on the 25th of June. Lt. Col. Simcoe marched early in the morning of the 24th, consuming a quantity of Indian corn, which had been collected by the enemy's commissary, at the house where he quartered: he found little or nothing to destroy on the Chickahominy, and halted that night at Dandrige's, as Earl Cornwallis did in the neighbourhood [p226] of Bird's ordinary. The bridge over the Diesckung creek (a branch of the Chickahominy) had been broken down: this was three miles in the rear of the detachment, and Lt. Col. Simcoe would have passed it that night, so diffident was he of his security, had not the men been too much fatigued with their march, to be employed in so laborious a task as the repair of this bridge was understood to be. The next morning, at day break, the detachment arrived there: it had been carelessly destroyed, and was, by anxious and laborious exertion, repaired sufficiently to pass over. Lt. Col. Simcoe then destroyed it most effectually, and marched on to Cooper's mills on the 25th, near twenty miles from Williamsburg, where Earl Cornwallis arrived in the course of the day. Lord Cornwallis's waggons had been at the mills the day before, and taken from thence all the flour they contained, so that it was difficult to get subsistence. Lt. Col. Simcoe felt his situation to be a very anxious one: he had not the smallest information of the enemy's movements, whom he knew to be active and enterprising; to have been lately joined by Gen. Wayne; and, that it was their obvious policy, to follow Earl Cornwallis as far towards the neck of Williamsburg as with safety they could, and to take any little advantage which they could magnify in their newspapers. He had received no advices from Earl Cornwallis, whose general intelligence he knew to be very bad; and he and Major Armstrong agreed with Capt. Ewald, that the slightest reliance was not to be placed on any patroles from his Lordship's army. The next [p227] advantage, to receiving good intelligence, is to deceive the enemy with that which is false: Lt. Col. Simcoe could not procure any confidential person to go to M. de la Fayette's camp: he therefore promised a great reward to a man, whom he knew to be a rebel, to go thither, with express injunctions to return to him by six or seven o'clock, at the farthest, the next morning, at which time he said he should march. The man accordingly set out towards night; and, at two o'clock in the morning, Major Armstrong with the Yagers, infantry and cannon, was an his march to Spencer's ordinary, on the forks of the road between Williamsburg and Jamestown: there he was to halt till the cavalry joined him, and then the whole, with the convoy of cattle, which Capt. Branson, with some North Carolina loyalists, had been employed to collect, as to proceed to Williamsburg. Lt. Col. Simcoe, with the cavalry, was under arms at the time his infantry marched, and ready to proceed whenever Captain Branson thought there was light sufficient to drive the cattle, and to collect whatever might be met with on the road: the cavalry did not leave their camp till three o'clock. On approaching Spencer's ordinary, Lieut. Col. Simcoe ordered the fences to be thrown down, and rode into the open ground upon the right, observing it, as was his custom, and remarking, to the officers with him, "that it was an admirable place for the chicanery of action." Lt. Lawler had been previously sent to direct the infantry to move onward to Williamsburg, when Major Armstrong returning with him, informed Lt. Col. Simcoe that there were [p228] near an hundred head of cattle in the neighbourhood; but that he waited till the drivers arrived to spare the infantry from that fatigue. Capt. Branson, with his people, went to collect them; and Capt. Shank, who commanded the cavalry, was directed to feed his horses at Lee's farm, and Lt. Col. Simcoe accompanied Major Armstrong to the infantry. The highland Company of the Queen's Rangers had been posted in the wood, by the side of the road, as a piquet: a shot or two from their sentinels gave an alarm, and Lt. Col. Simcoe gallopping across the field, towards the wood, saw Capt. Shank in pursuit of the enemy's cavalry. They had passed through the fences which had been pulled down, as before-mentioned, so that, unperceived by the Highlanders, they arrived at Lee's farm, in pursuit of the people who were collecting the cattle. Trumpeter Barney, who had been stationed as a vidette, gave the alarm, and gallopped off so as not to lead the enemy directly to where the cavalry were collecting their forage and watering, and, with great address, got to them unperceived by the enemy, calling out "draw your swords Rangers, the rebels are coming." Capt. Shank, who was at Lee's farm waiting the return of the troops with their forage, in order to post them, immediately joined, and led them to the charge on the enemy's flank, which was somewhat exposed, while some of them were engaged in securing the bat-horses at the back of Lee's farm: he broke them entirely. Serjeant Wright dashed Major Macpherson, who commanded them, from his horse; but, leaving him in pursuit of others, [p229] that officer crept into a swamp, lay there unperceived during the action, and when it was over got off. Trumpeter Barney dismounted and took a French officer, who commanded one of the divisions. The enemy's cavalry were so totally scattered, that they appeared no more: many of them were dismounted, and the whole would have been taken, had not a heavy fire out of the wood, from whence the Highland company were now driven, protected them. At this moment Lt. Col. Simcoe arrived: he had, at the first shot, ordered the infantry to march in column into the road towards the enemy, the light infantry company and Capt. Ewald's detachment excepted, which, being on the right, were moving straight to their own front to gain the wood. Collecting from the prisoners, that the enemy were in force, and that M. de la Fayette, and Generals Wayne and Steuben were at no great distance, the line was directed to be formed, spreading itself with wide intervals, and covering a great space of ground between the road on its left and Capt. Ewald on the right; and, when formed, it was directed to advance to gain the wood, as it was his idea, to outflank the enemy by the length of the line. The principle which Lieut. Col. Simcoe always inculcated and acted on against the riflemen, (whom he judged to be in the advanced corps of M. Fayette's army,) was to rush upon them; when, if each separate company kept itself compact, there was little danger, even should it be surrounded, from troops who were without bayonets, and whose object it was to fire a single shot with effect: the position of an [p230] advancing soldier was calculated to lessen the true aim of the first shot, and his rapidity to prevent the rifleman, who requires some time to load, from giving a second; or at least to render his aim uncertain, and his fire by no means formidable. Lieut. Col. Simcoe had withdrawn the cavalry from the fire of the enemy, and directed Capt. Althause whose rifle company had been mounted, to dismount and to check them, if they sallied from the wood in pursuit of the cavalry, or for the purpose of reconnoitering; and this he executed very effectually. Captain Branson had distinguished himself in the charge on the enemy's cavalry, and being dressed in red, he became a marked object to them: he was now ordered with the drivers and the cattle, to proceed to Williamsburg; expresses were sent to Lord Cornwallis; and Lt. Allen, who acted as Quarter-Master, carried off the baggage that road, was directed to cut down trees, and to barricade the first pass for the corps to rally, in case of necessity: the fences were pulled down on the Jamestown road, in the rear of the cavalry, that the retreat might be made that way, if, which was every moment to be expected, the enemy should have occupied the Williamsburg road in the rear. Lt. Col. Simcoe moved with the cavalry out of sight of the enemy, down the hill towards Jamestown road, and re-ascending at Lee's farm, there made a display of the whole force; then fell back again behind the hill, leaving only the front, a detachment of huzzars, both to prevent the left from being turned without notice, and to deceive the enemy into a belief that the whole cavalry (whose [p231] force they had already felt) were behind the eminences, waiting for an opportunity to fall upon their right flank: he returned rapidly with the rest of the cavalry undiscovered to the road, and formed them out of sight and out of reach of the enemy, partly in the road and partly on its left. Beyond Captain Ewald's flank there was open ground, which could easily be seen from the eminence on which Lieut. Col. Simcoe was, and (by the turn of the Williamsburg road) the cavalry would have had quick access to it, had the enemy appeared there: by the position of the cavalry, it was also ready, in case the infantry had given way to flank the enemy, if they should issue from the wood in pursuit of it; the best substitute for want of the reserve, which from the extent of the woods and the enemy's numbers, had been thrown into the line. Upon the left of the road the three pounder was placed, the amuzette having broken down: there too the Highland company had retired. The enemy now appeared in great force, lining the fences on the edge of the wood (which separated it from the open ground) in front of the infantry; and refusing their right upon the open ground, by echelons; probably deceived by the appearance of the cavalry at Lee's farm: to add to their reasons for not advancing, one cannon shot, and no more, was ordered to be fired at the body, which appeared to be at the greatest distance. The infantry was now in line, but with intervals between the companies, advancing as fast as the ploughed fields they had to cross would admit. Lt. Col. Simcoe did not expect victory, but he was determined [p232] to try for it; his best hopes were to obtain and line the wood, checking the enemy's advance, till such time as the convoy was in security, and then to retreat. He had the most general and particular confidence in the officers and soldiers of his corps, who were disciplined enthusiasts in the cause of their country, and who, having been ever victorious, thought it impossible to suffer defeat; nor had he less reliance on the acknowledged military talents of his friend Ewald, and the cool and tried courage of his Yagers: the event fully justified the expression which he used in the beginning of the action, "I will take care of the left; while Ewald lives, the right flank will never be turned." Fortune now decided in favour of the British troops: the road from Norwal's mills was enclosed with high and strong fences; a considerable body of the enemy being on the right of the road, and, seeing the infantry advancing, faced and were crossing these fences to flank them: they did not observe the cavalry, which, while they were in this disorder, lost not the moment; but, led by Capt. Shank, charged them up the road, and upon its left, entirely broke and totally dispersed them. The infantry were ordered to advance, and they rushed on with the greatest rapidity; the enemy's fire was in vain, they were driven from the fences and the wood. Capt. Ewald turned their left flank, and gave them a severe fire as they fled in the utmost confusion: could he have been supported as he wished, by a very small body of fresh bayonet men, such was the advantage of the ground, that the enemy, in confusion, and panick [p233] strucken, would have received a very severe blow, before it could have been possible for them to rally. Cornet Jones, who led the first division of cavalry, was unfortunately killed: he was an active, sensible, promising officer. The mounted riflemen of the Queen's Rangers charged with Capt. Shank: the gallant Sergeant M'Pherson, who led them, was mortally wounded. Two of the men of this detachment were carried away by their impetuosity so far as to pass beyond the enemy, and their horses were killed: they, however, secreted themselves in the wood under some fallen logs, and, when the enemy fled from that spot, they returned in safety to the corps. By a mistake, scarcely avoidable in the tumult of action, Capt. Shank was not supported, as was intended, by the whole of his cavalry, by which fewer prisoners were taken than might have been: that valuable officer was in the most imminent danger, in fighting his way back through the enemy, who fired upon him, and wounded the Trumpeter Barney and killed some of the huzzars, who attended him. The grenadier company, commanded by Capt. M'Gill, signalised by their gallantry as well as by their dress, lost several valuable men. Capt. Stevenson was distinguished as usual: his chosen and well trained light infantry were obstinately opposed; but they carried their point with the loss of a fourth of their numbers, killed and wounded. An affair of this nature necessarily afforded a great variety of gallant actions in individuals. Capt. M'Rae reported to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that his subaltern, Lt. Charles Dunlop, who had served in the Queen's Rangers [p234] from thirteen years of age, led on his division on horseback, without suffering a man to fire, watching the enemy, and giving a signal to his men to lay down whenever a party of their's was about to fire: he arrived at the fence where the enemy had been posted with his arms loaded, a conduct that might have been decisive of the action: fortunately he escaped unhurt. The whole of the loss of the Queen's Rangers amounted to ten killed, and twenty-three wounded; among the latter was Lt. Swift Armstrong, and Ensign Jarvis, acting with the grenadiers: the Yagers had two or three men wounded and one killed. It may be supposed, in the course of so long a service, there was scarcely a man of them, whose death did not call forth a variety of situations, in which his courage had been distinguished, or his value exemplified; and it seemed to every one, as if the flower of the regiment had been cut off. As the whole series of the service of light troops gives the greatest latitude for the exertion of individual talents, and of individual courage, so did the present situation require the most perfect combination of them: every division, every officer, every soldier had his share in the merit of the action: mistake in the one might have brought on cowardice in the other, and a single panick strucken soldier would probably have infected a platoon, and led to the utmost confusion and ruin; so that Lt. Col. Simcoe has ever considered this action as the climax of a campaign of five years, as the result of true discipline acquired in that space by unremitted [p235] diligence, toil, and danger, as an honourable victory earned by veteran intrepidity.

The instant Lt. Col. Simcoe could draw off and collect his force, and had communicated with Capt. Ewald, it was thought proper to retreat; the information obtained from two and thirty prisoners, many of them officers and of different corps, making it expedient so to do: the wounded men were collected into Spencer's ordinary, there being no waggons with the detachment, and they were left there with the surgeon's mate, and a flag of truce. The infantry filed off to the right, and the cavalry closed the rear: the party soon arrived at a brook, on the opposite and commanding side of which Lt. Allen, with the pioneers, had cut down some trees, and was proceeding to give it such defences as it was capable of receiving. In less than two miles, Lt. Col. Simcoe met Earl Cornwallis, and the advance of his army, and returned with them towards Spencer's ordinary: he reported to his Lordship what he had learned from an examination of the rebel prisoners, and by his own and his officers' observations; that the enemy were, at the least, twelve hundred strong in action, above three times the numbers of his corps; that Fayette's army was at no great distance; that they had marched twenty-eight miles, and had no provisions: Lt. Col. Simcoe added, that he had effectually destroyed the Diescung bridge. Earl Cornwallis examined the prisoners, and observed to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that it was a march of great hazard in Fayette, as on the least previous intimation he must have been cut off. On [p236] the approach to Spencer's, Lt. Col. Simcoe galloped forward, and was very happy to find, that his wounded men were not prisoners, none of the enemy having approached them; and he found a foraging party of Earl Cornwallis' army, with the waggons on which the wounded and the dead were placed. So little idea was there entertained of Fayette's move, that this foraging party had proceeded some miles on the Williamsburg road, and would have been certainly taken, had it not been for the action at Spencer's. It was reported, and not without probability, that a patrole of the enemy met with this party on the road, where it was natural to expect Lord Cornwallis' army, and took it for his advance guard, and that this belief prevented them from renewing the attack.²⁰ Lt. Col. Tarleton soon after arrived at Spencer's: he had advanced up the Williamsburg road, and in the wood in front of Spencer's, met with a great number of arms, thrown away, and other symptoms of the confusion in which the enemy had fled: the army returned to Williamsburg, and the Queen's Rangers were hutted on the right at Queen's creek. At the commencement of the action, the bat-men and their horses, feeding at Lee's farm, were taken; they were all rescued, Lt. Col. Simcoe's groom excepted, the only prisoner the enemy carried off. It was generally reported, that the person who had been sent to Fayette's camp, from Cooper's mills, conducted Gen. Wayne thither, about four o'clock in the morning, who, with a large force, charged with fixed bayonets, the fires which the Queen's Rangers had just quitted. [p237] M. Fayette, in his public letters,²¹ stated the loss of the British at one hundred and fifty killed and wounded, and attributed it to the skill of his riflemen: his own he diminished, recapitulating that only of the continental troops, and taking no notice of the militia: it is certain they had a great many killed and wounded, exclusive of the prisoners. The riflemen, however dexterous in the use of their arms, were by no means the most formidable of the rebel troops; their not being armed with bayonets, permitted their opponents to take liberties with them which otherwise would have been highly improper. Cornet Jones was buried at Williamsburg the next day, with military honours. It was given out in the public orders, at Williamsburg, on the 28th of June, that "Lord Cornwallis desires Lieut. Col. Simcoe will accept of his warmest acknowledgments for his spirited and judicious conduct in the action of the 26th instant, when he repulsed and defeated so superior a force of the enemy. He likewise desires that Lt. Col. Simcoe will communicate his thanks to the officers and soldiers of the Queen's Rangers, and to Captain Ewald and the detachment of Yagers."

Earl Cornwallis visiting York Town on the 28th of June, Lt. Col. Simcoe, with the cavalry, escorted him thither; his Lordship disapproving of it as a post, Lt. Col. Simcoe observed to him, that if any of the points below it, and one was then in their view, would be more favourable for such a garrison as his Lordship intended, that it would be easy to remove York Town to it: his Lordship assented, and personally [p238] made the necessary enquiry; but the water was not sufficiently deep to harbour ships of war. The enemy fired a random shot or two, from Gloucester, at the escort when it marched into York Town, and were prepared to repeat it on its return; but this was avoided by keeping on the heights, and Earl Cornwallis returned in the evening. The Queen's Rangers made two patroles during the continuance of the army at Williamsburg: the first was with the design of ascertaining the enemy's post: Lt. Col. Simcoe left the infantry in ambuscade, about five miles from Williamsburg, and proceeding seven or eight miles further, drove in the enemy's advance guard. The second patrole was made to the same spot, and for the same purpose, Earl Cornwallis understanding the enemy had left it. The peninsula was intersected with roads, full of small woods, and the enemy were in force. Lt. Col. Simcoe expected to be ambuscaded; so that he marched only with his cavalry, and through bye-paths and the woods. In approaching the post, he left the party with orders for them to retreat whensoever the bugle-horns sounded the advance, and proceeded himself with a small escort, some officers and the bugle-horns; being mounted on a tall horse, a matter of great utility in all reconnoitering parties, he saw the heads of some people in ambuscade, before they could stoop from notice on his approach, and another party was plainly discovered on their march to get behind him on the Williamsburg road: the horns sounded, the alarm was given, and the party retreated [p239] by the ways they came, unmolested, to Williamsburg.

On the 4th of July the army marched to Jamestown, for the purpose of crossing the river at that place, and proceeding to Portsmouth: the Queen's Rangers crossed the river that evening, and took post to cover the baggage, which was passing over as expeditiously as possible. On the evening of the 6th, as Earl Cornwallis had predicted, M. de la Fayette attacked his army, mistaking it for the rear guard only: the affair was almost confined to the 80th and 76th regiments, under the command of Lt. Col. Dundas, whose good conduct and gallantry was conspicuously displayed on that occasion. M. de la Fayette was convinced of his error, by being instantly repulsed, and losing what cannon he had brought with him. The army having been passed over, marched on the 9th towards Portsmouth. On its halting at Suffolk, the Queen's Rangers being ordered for embarkation, proceeded to the vicinity of Portsmouth on the 14th, and embarked on the 20th: the embarkation of which, the Queen's Rangers made a part, was supposed to be intended to co-operate in an attack on Philadelphia. It was countermanded, and the troops, sailing up the river, landed at York Town on the 2d of August: the Rangers being, of the first disembarkation, under Lt. Col. Abercrombie. Several patroles were made from York Town to Williamsburg, by the cavalry of the Queen's Rangers, latterly under the command of Capt. Shank, the health of Lt. Col. Simcoe being much impaired. This [p240] journal, hastening to a conclusion, it is proper that it may be completed, to take notice of Capt. Saunders, and the officers, and chosen men, whom he had taken with him, in order to complete his troop, on General Leslie's expedition; and this cannot be better accomplished than by extracts from a letter which that officer wrote to Lt. Col. Simcoe.

"Agreeable to your desire, I now detail some anecdotes of the detachment which was sent under my command with Gen. Leslie: on the evening of the arrival of the fleet in Lynnhaven bay, I was ordered by Gen. Leslie to land with a detachment, consisting of a subaltern's command of the guards, and officers and twelve men of my troop, and to march through Princess Ann, for the purpose of taking some of the most violent leaders of the rebels, in that county; but the great swell of the sea obliging me to land in a different place from which I had intended, I was, in consequence, constrained to cross the Lynnhaven inlet, which was unfordable. Knowing that there was a canoe about half a mile on the other side, I asked if any one would volunteer the service of fetching it; Serjeant Burt instantly offered himself, and, with his sword in his mouth, plunged into the water, swam over and brought the canoe, in which we crossed, and this he did although, on our arrival at the inlet, we had observed a man on horseback, who appeared from the precipitancy with which he had rode off, to have been placed there as a vidette. A few days after this, I was sent with a detachment, under the orders of Col. Schutz, to Suffolk, by [p241] Sleepy-hole ferry: we crossed the ferry at night, and by preceding (under cover of the darkness) with my troop, the rest of the detachment, I collected a sufficient number of horses to mount both men and officers. From Suffolk we returned to Portsmouth, when I requested General Leslie to permit me to occupy the post at Kemp's landing, with the two officers and the non-commissioned officers, and twelve private dragoons of my troop, which he granted, after I had explained to him my intimate knowledge of the people, and of the country. With this force I remained there until the General was obliged to embark for South Carolina. On our arrival at Charles Town, Colonel Balfour ordered my officers and men up to George Town; and, as he told me that he had not authority to permit the return of myself and party to the regiment, I found it necessary to go to Wynnesburg (180 miles) where Lord Cornwallis was encamped, to solicit his leave. He granted it; I returned to Charles Town, and had the men in the boat, to embark in the Romulus, when the arrival of the express with Tarleton's disaster at the Cowpens, induced Col. Balfour to countermand the embarkation, and to detain us till the impression made by this unfortunate event should be done away. He ordered me and my troop to George Town, promising not only to explain to you the necessity of my detention, but also that it should not be long: I went there, and soon after obtained the command of that post. But before I mention what happened under my orders, I shall premise the behaviour of the troop, prior to this, when Lieut. [p242] Wilson had the command of it. On the 25th December, 1780, being the day after Lieut. Wilson's arrival at George Town, he and his party made a patrole, under the command of Col. Campbell of Fanning's corps, when they fell in with a party of above fifty mounted rebels, which they were ordered to charge. They immediately did it, and with effect, defeating them and taking one of their officers prisoner: the others owed their escape to the speed of their horses, and the thickness of the wood. Lieut. Wilson was wounded; he received the thanks of Col. Campbell for his conduct in the following words: 'It is with pleasure that the Commanding Officer observes the spirit and gallantry of the troops in general, but is infinitely obliged to Capt. Blucke and Lieut. Wilson, for their distinguished gallantry and behaviour this day. Laments much the wound received by the latter, as it may for a few days deprive him of the services of a good officer.' On the 6th January following, Lt. Col. Campbell having marched some distance into the country, saw about a dozen mounted men in the road: he ordered Lieut. Wilson with his party to charge them. They instantly went to the right about, and retreated with precipitation within a corps which had dismounted and taken a strong and advantageous post in a swampy thick wood on each side of the road. Lt. Wilson and his party received a heavy and unexpected fire from this ambuscade, but impelled by their wonted spirit and intrepidity, and unaccustomed to defeat, they continued the charge and obliged the rebels to betake themselves [p243] to their horses, and to flight. Serjeants Burt and Hudgins, having charged through them, were carried off by them; Corporal Hudgins was killed, covered with wounds; two or three of the men were wounded, and three horses killed.

"Among a variety of other parties sent into the country by me, in order to prevent, as much as possible, depredation and violence by small bodies of rebels, who occasionally infested the vicinity of George Town, Lt. Wilson was ordered, about the middle of February, 1781, to go about forty miles up the Waccama river, with a detachment of between thirty and forty men, in order to take Capt. Clarke, a very active officer, prisoner, who was said to have a small party with him, for the purpose of protecting himself and oppressing the inhabitants on Waccama neck; he was ordered also, to mount his party, if possible, and to return by land. He sat out in the evening with the first of the tide, and would have reached Clarke's house before day had it not been for a heavy fall of rain up the country, which checked the tide with such force, that, notwithstanding every effort, he found at day-light that he had not proceeded above half way, he therefore landed, sent back the boats, and lay concealed in a house till evening, keeping every passenger prisoner: he then marched to Clarke's house, which he reached before day-light, took him prisoner, but found none of his party with him; took horses sufficient to mount his party, and returned, without loss, to George Town. In the latter end of February, Cornet Merrit was ordered, with a party [p244] of a serjeant and ten dragoons, to cover some negroes who were sent to the neighbouring plantations to search for and bring in some cattle that had escaped from us: he, from his great zeal and anxiety to accomplish this service, was led rather further than was intended, when he unexpectedly fell in with a corps of the rebels, much superior to his both in number and the goodness of their horses. He retreated, in good order, for some distance, but, finding himself much harrassed from the fire of their advance, and seeing that it would be impracticable to get off without giving them a check, he determined on charging them, which he did several times, and with such vigour that he always repulsed them. He thus alternately charged and retreated, till having had two horses killed under him, he was so stunned by the fall of the last, that he was left for dead. The rebels were so awed by their repeated repulses, that they suffered his party to escape into the woods, when, by dismounting and concealing themselves in the thick savannahs, most of them got safe into the post: the serjeant was killed, and four men were wounded; several horses killed. Merrit, being supposed to be dead, was fortunate enough, after having recovered his senses, to get to the fort with the loss of his boots, helmet, and arms. Cornet Merrit having been sent, about the beginning of March, with a flag, to carry a letter to Gen. Marion, by order of Col. Balfour, was detained a prisoner to retaliate for the detention of one Capt. Postell, who, after the surrender of Charles Town, had taken a protection and the oaths to us; and had, [p245] notwithstanding again taken up arms, and had the impudence to come to George Town, with a flag of truce, where I detained him. They crammed Merrit, with about twenty others, serjeants and privates of different British regiments, in a small, nasty, dark place, made of logs, called a bull-pen; but he was not long here before he determined to extricate himself and his fellow prisoners, which he thus effected: after having communicated his intention to them, and found them ready to support him, he pitched upon the strongest and most during soldier, and having waited some days for a favourable opportunity, he observed that his guards (militia) were much alarmed, which he found was occasioned by a party of British having come into that neighbourhood. He then ordered this soldier to seize the sentry, who was posted at a small square hole cut through the logs, and which singly served the double purposes of door and window, which he instantly executed, drawing the astonished sentry to this hole with one hand, and threatning to cut his throat with a large knife which beheld in the other, if he made the smallest resistance, or out-cry; then Cornet Merrit, and the whole party, crawled out the one after the other, undiscovered by the guard, though it was in the day time, until the whole had got out. He then drew them up, which the officer of the guard observing, got his men under arms, as fast as he could, and threatened to fire on them if they attempted to go off: Merrit replied, that if he dared to fire a single shot at him, that he would cut the whole of his guard to pieces, (having concerted with his men in such a [p246] case, to rush upon the enemy and tear their arms out of their hands,) which so intimidated him, that, although Merrit's party was armed only with the spoils of the sentry and with clubs, he yet permitted them to march off, unmolested, to a river at some distance, where Cornet Merrit knew, from conversation which he had had with the sentries, that there was a large rice-boat, in which he embarked and brought his party through a country of above fifty miles safe into George Town. To you the undaunted spirit and bravery of this young man, is not unknown: they obtained for him in his distress your friendship and protection. Col. Balfour was pleased to approve his conduct, and in a letter to me, dated Charles Town 2d April 1781, expresses it then "I rejoice most sincerely that your Cornet has escaped, his conduct and resolution does him great credit, and I wish I had it in my power to show him my sense of it by more substantial marks than this testimony; but the only mode I have is by offering him a Lieutenancy of a provincial troop:" this Cornet Merrit declined. Lt. Wilson was sent, on the 2d of April, with twenty men, attended by a galley, to cover a party sent to load some flats with forage, at a plantation on Black river: he debarked and remained on shore several hours before he saw a single rebel; but when he had nearly completed his business, he was attacked by above sixty of them, under the command of a Major Benson: he repulsed them in two attempts that they made to get within the place where he had posted himself; he then charged and drove them off. A rebel Lieutenant was mortally [p247] wounded, several others slightly: Lt. Wilson and five of his men were wounded. Col. Balfour expressed his approbation of Wilson's conduct in this affair.

"I shall conclude this detail with mentioning one more instance of the gallant behaviour of Merrit, which it would be injustice to omit: being obliged in an attack I made on the rebel partisan Snipe to approach the house in which he had his party, through a narrow lane, terminated within half musket shot of the house by a strong gate, which, I expected, would detain us some time to open; when it was probable their guard would fire on us; and, as I was particularly anxious to prevent any kind of check with the troops I then had with me, I picked out Merrit, Corporal Franks, and four men of my troop to proceed and make an opening for the detachment, which he effected with such readiness and spirit, that the passage was cleared by the time that the detachment, could get up, although, for that purpose, he had been obliged to dismount his party under the fire from their guard, and that the gate and fence, on each side of it, had been secured and strengthened, with an unexpected degree of care and attention. Col. Balfour writing to me in the month of April, when I commanded at George Town, says "being empowered by Lord Cornwallis to raise a troop of Provincial light dragoons, I have, for some time, wished to try your Lt. Wilson as Captain, and this gentleman as Lieutenant, (meaning Cornet Merrit,) they have been both recommended as good and active officers, and, if you agree with me in opinion that a [p248] troop could be raised in or near George Town, I should have no hesitation in making the appointment." Thus I have mentioned to you a few of the many meritorious services performed by the officers and men of my troop, when in Virginia and South Carolina. I regret much at my not having kept a journal during that time, as it would now enable me to do more ample justice to those whose zeal, bravery, and good conduct, entitle them to my fullest and fairest report."

It is to be lamented that Capt. Saunders did not keep a regular journal, as it would have related a series of gallant and active services, which he performed when in the command at George Town, and afterwards at Dorchester, and which strongly characterize in that officer the same boldness and prudence with which he maintained himself with his small party in his native country, where his decisive character had its due weight and superiority.

On the 12th of August the Rangers passed to Gloucester, to cover the foraging in front of that post, which the 80th and the Hessian regiment of Prince Hereditaire garrisoned, under the command of Lieut. Col. Dundas. The climate, the sickly state and condition of the corps, as more fully detailed in the appendix,²² and what was reasonably to be apprehended from the militia of the enemy, now assembling in numbers, rendered this a service of great fatigue and danger: the troops were generally employed on it twelve hours in the twenty-four. The infantry, to secure them from the intense heat, were ambuscaded as much [p249] as possible in the woods, and the cavalry patroled in their front, or on their flanks. Lt. Col. Simcoe, on his return one day from Abington church, was informed that Weeks, now stiled Major, with a party of the enemy, had just arrived within a few miles: he instantly pressed on with the cavalry to attack him, ordering Capt. Ewald to proceed to his support as fast as possible with the Yagers and infantry. On his arrival near the post, he had the good fortune to push a patrole, which came from it, so rapidly as to follow it into the house where Weeks lay, who, with his men, escaped in great confusion into the woods, leaving their dinner behind them: an officer and some men were made prisoners, and this check, together with the country being constantly ambuscaded, prevented the foragers from receiving the least interruption.

One morning as the foragers were at some distance from Gloucester, they were surprised at hearing a considerable firing of musketry, between them and the garrison: it was suspected that some party of the enemy might have stolen through the woods; but on a detachment falling back to procure certain intelligence, it appeared, that some men on a predatory party had landed from the shipping, and, being panick-struck, had fired at a wood where they fancied they saw the enemy. Serjeant Ritchie, of the grenadiers of the Rangers, who with the other convalescents had been left in the camp at Gloucester, on hearing the firing, supposed that the regiment was engaged, and assembling such men as were able to [p250] move, to the amount of thirty or more, he marched forward, and took up a piece of ground that would have been highly advantageous in case of real action: so spirited were the soldiers, so able were the non-commissioned officers become, by perpetual service and experience!

On the 31st of August, the advance ships of the French fleet blocked up the York river. The cavalry of the Queen's Rangers had been regularly instructed in wheeling and forming in the closest order possible, and they were disciplined in every thing that might enable them to maintain that superiority which they had hitherto acquired over all their opponents. It being of the utmost consequence to prevent the enemy gaining any information from deserters, the out sentries were constantly composed of a cavalry and infantry man. Earl Cornwallis, in a conversation with Lieut. Col. Simcoe, asked him whether "he thought that he could escape with the cavalry;" he answered his Lordship, "Without the smallest doubt."²³

Gen. Washington invested York Town on the 23d of September; when the blockade of Gloucester was formed by one thousand one hundred French troops, joined with the rebel militia, under the command of Mons. de Choisy so well known for his surprisal of Cracow. Captain Shank, with thirty huzzars, retreated before them as they advanced, and close to the Duke of Lauzun's legion. The French ships that blocked the mouth of York river were driven from their station, and narrowly escaped being destroyed by fire-ships, commanded by Capt. Palmer of [p251] the navy: this gallant officer would have probably burnt a man of war which was driven ashore, but he was prevented by the misbehaviour of a master of a privateer, who, as might be expected from people of his vile trade, prematurely set on fire one of the small vessels which he had volunteered the direction of and which were to accompany the King's ship, at such a distance as could neither endanger the enemy, or himself. The out piquet which the Queen's Rangers occupied was on a high bank on the left, close to the York river, which in front was almost inaccessible from a cove into which the tide flowed: this post was maintained at night on the commencement of the blockade; but it was soon attempted to be carried off. Captain Shaw, who commanded, overheard the enemy on their approach, and withdrawing his sentinels and party to a bank in its rear, let them without molestation possess themselves of his fires, when, giving them an unexpected discharge, they fled in great confusion, and with every appearance of several of them being wounded, leaving fire-arms, caps, and accoutrements behind them. Captain Shaw then resumed his post, which was constantly occupied in the day, and frequently at night, without any further attempt being made upon it. The health of Lieut. Col. Simcoe began now totally to fail under the incessant fatigues, both of body and mind, which for years he had undergone. Lt. Col. Tarleton with his cavalry passed over from York to Gloucester. Lt. Col. Simcoe observed, in conversation with Col. Dundas, that as Capt. Shank had faced the Duke of Lauzun with [p252] the cavalry of the Rangers the preceding day, it was probable the Duke would not hesitate to attack them, being acquainted with the inferiority of their numbers, when, if Lt. Col. Tarleton's corps, of whose arrival he must be ignorant, should be placed in ambuscade, the Duke's legion might be swept off and totally ruined. Lt. Col. Tarleton marched out with the cavalry the next morning, Col. Dundas accompanying him; and about midday firing was heard, and some people galloped in in great confusion: one of the forage-masters saying Col. Tarleton was defeated, Lt. Col. Simcoe sent him to Earl Cornwallis, ordered the troops to their post, and, being carried from his bed to his horse, went himself to the redoubt occupied by the Rangers. Capt. Shank, on his return, reported to Lt. Col. Simcoe, that being on the left when the line was formed he had received no orders; but when the right, composed of the legion, advanced to charge, he did the same, in close order, but necessarily not in equal front: on the legion giving way, the Rangers followed, quitting the field the last, and in such order as prevented a rapid pursuit, and returned to the charge with Lt. Col. Tarleton, when he, having again offered the enemy combat, which they declined, remained master of the field. Lt. Col. Dundas being ordered to York Town, Lt. Col. Simcoe, on whom the command of Gloucester devolved, was obliged from total want of health, to give up its duties to Lt. Col. Tarleton. The most disagreeable that could befall an officer now drew nigh: the works at York Town were rendered untenable by the superior fire of [p253] the French artillery, and Earl Cornwallis determined to attempt to escape with the best part of his troops by the way of Gloucester: a principal part of his force was sent over to that place, and Lt. Col. Simcoe was informed that his Lordship meant to attack Mons. de Choisy the next morning. There was every probability of surprising that officer, as he in some measure depended upon the vigilance of the militia joined with him; and a spy, who came into Gloucester almost to the very day of its surrender, could have conducted the Queen's Rangers by the secret path which he made use of, to the rear of the enemy's post. It was not improbable that his Lordship, on viewing the advantageous position which might be occupied in front of Gloucester, would have been of opinion that the post might at least have been defended for ten days, if the provisions would last, against any force the enemy could combine to attack it within that period. A violent storm arising, prevented the succeeding division of the garrison of York from passing over; that which had arrived returned early in the morning, and the firing soon after ceasing, it was understood that Earl Cornwallis had proposed a cessation of hostilities, for the purpose of settling the terms on which the posts of York and Gloucester were to be surrendered. On the first confirmation of this supposition, Lt. Col. Simcoe sent Lt. Spencer to his Lordship, to request that as his corps consisted of loyalists, the objects of the enemy's civil persecution, and deserters, if the treaty was not finally concluded, the he would permit him to endeavour [p254] to escape with them in some of those boats which Gen. Arnold had built; and that his intention was to cross the Chesapeake and land in Maryland, when, from his knowledge of the inhabitants of the country and other favourable circumstances, he made no doubt of being able to save the greatest part of the corps and carry them into New-York. His Lordship was pleased to express himself favourably in regard to the scheme, but said he could not permit it to be undertaken, for that the whole of the army must share one fate.²⁴ The capitulation was signed on the 19th of October.²⁵ Earl Cornwallis, on account of Lieut. Col. Simcoe's dangerous state of health, permitted him to sail for New-York in the Bonetta, which by an article in the capitulation was to be left at his disposal, a sea-voyage being the only chance, in the opinion of the physicians, by which he could save his life. On board of this vessel sailed as many of the Rangers, and of other corps, deserters from the enemy, as she could possibly hold; they were to be exchanged as prisoners of war, and the remainder of Earl Cornwallis's army were marched prisoners into the country. Lt. Col. Simcoe, on his arrival at New-York, was permitted by Sir Henry Clinton to return to England; and his Majesty, on the 19th December, 1781, was graciously pleased to confer upon him the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army, the duties and title of which he had enjoyed from the year 1777, and which had been made permanent to him in America in 1779. Capt. Saunders arriving from Charles Town, took the command of that part of the corps [p255] which had come to New-York in the Bonetta. Many of the soldiers, who were prisoners in the country, were seized as deserters from Mr. Washington's army, several enlisted in it to facilitate their escape, and, being caught in the attempt, were executed: a greater number got safe to New-York, and, had the war continued, there was little doubt but the corps would have been re-assembled in detail. The Rangers were so daring and active in their attempts to escape, that, latterly, they were confined in gaol; Capt. Whitlock, who commanded them while prisoners in the country, was one of the Captains who drew lots with Captain Asgil to suffer for Huddy's death.

Capt. Saunders, and the officers who were with him, had to experience severe mortifications: Sir Henry Clinton, the Commander in Chief, who knew their services, had returned to England, and was succeeded by Sir Guy Carleton. It being apparent that the American war was to be abandoned, they had no longer the certainty of recommending themselves by their services to the protection of the new General. On the 31st of March, 1783, the following order was transmitted from the Adjutant-General's Office, to the officer who commanded the regiment: as it is presumed to be a singular event in military history, it is here published, verbatim, and with no other comment than that which accompanied it as it was transmitted to Lt. Col. Simcoe, then in England:

"Adjt. Gen. Office, March 31, 1783.

"Sir -- Lt. Col. Thompson having received orders to complete the regiment under his command by volunteers [p256] from the different Provincial corps, and to raise in like manner four additional companies of light infantry, for a particular service; the Commander in Chief desires you would give all possible assistance to Lt. Col. Thompson and those concerned with him in the execution of this business, by encouraging the men belonging to the corps under your command to engage in this service, and his Excellency directs me to assure you that neither the officers nor others who may remain with you in the corps shall suffer any loss or any injury to their pretensions by the diminution of your numbers arising from the volunteers who may join the corps under the command of Lieut. Col. Thompson. It is to be understood, that though the men wanted for this service are to engage as soon as possible, yet they are not to quit the regiments to which they at present belong, till further orders.

(Signed) OL. DELANCY, &c."

"I will only say that though as military men they could not publicly reprobate and counteract this unjust, humiliating, and disgraceful order, yet conscious of their superiority both in rank, in life, and in military service to the person whom it was meant to aggrandise, they could not but sensibly feel it. I am sorry to say that some of the Rangers, being made drunk, were induced to volunteer it. The arrival of the last packet, as it took away the pretence of their being for 'some particular service,' has put a total stop to this business. The warrant, I am told, specified that when this corps was completed and embarked, [p257] they were from that time to be on the British establishment."

The officers of the Queen's Rangers had prided themselves, and justly, in preventing, as much as officers by precept, example, and authority could do, plundering and marauding: being cantoned with other corps on Long Island, the depredations which were committed, drew upon the Queen's Rangers the displeasure of Sir Guy Carleton, and the denunciation of his precluding the officers from their just promotion. Capt. Saunders, who then commanded them, conscious that they were innocent, as became his character and station, addressed the following letter to the Commander in Chief:

"SIR, -- I take the liberty, as commanding officer of that part of the Queen's Rangers at Huntingdon, to address your Excellency: a letter received from Col. de Wurmb, containing your very severe reprehension of their conduct, in consequence of representations made to your Excellency of their frequent depredations, is the cause. Myself and officers, conscious of the falsehood and malevolence of those representations, feel ourselves highly injured, and as the charge materially affects the honour and reputation of the corps, we hope and request that your Excellency will be pleased to order an enquiry into this matter, so that we may have an opportunity of meeting our accusers face to face, and of removing from your Excellency's breast the impression that has been made so disadvantageous to us."

[p258] No answer was returned to this application, and a very young officer who had not seen any service, was promoted from another corps to a troop vacant in the Queen's Rangers. Soon after the above-mentioned letter was written it was proved before a court martial, that those depredations, which had drawn down upon the Rangers the Commander in Chief's indignation, had been committed by men of the legion and for which they suffered. Every thing now tended to the American colonies being declared independent of Great Britain, and the officers of the Queen's Rangers seem to have been oppressed with every circumstance that could wound the hearts of men who were soldiers on the best principles, except the consciousness of not having deserved it; but this cloud was soon to pass away. General Conway was Commander in Chief of his Majesty's forces, and Sir H. Clinton had arrived in England; Sir Charles Grey was appointed to succeed Sir Guy Carleton, Lieut. Col. Simcoe, whose exchange Government had procured from Dr. Franklin,²⁶ was to have accompanied him as secretary to his commission, a post that he hoped to fill to the approbation of that General, who was ready, had it been necessary, to have supported those claims of the Queen's Rangers for British rank and establishment, which Sir H. Clinton had personally recommended to the protection of General Conway, and this he had done in the strongest manner, not only as due to the fidelity and actions of a corps which he had been an eye-witness of, but "in justice to his country," as he was pleased to express himself, "that, [p259] in case of future war, it might not be deprived of the services of such a number of excellent officers." These representations had their due effect, and on the 25th of December, 1782, his Majesty was graciously pleased to make that rank universally permanent which they had hitherto only held in the scene of action, America; -- and the Queen's Rangers, cavalry and infantry, were honourably enrolled in the British army. The corps was disbanded at the ensuing peace, and many of the officers, and most of the soldiers, settled on the lands to which they had a claim in Nova Scotia.

Thus conclude the principal events in a journal of a corps of light troops, whose services can best be estimated by observing, that for years in the field, to use the language of a former age, they were the forlorn of the armies in which they served, and that even in winter quarters, when in common wars troops are permitted to seek repose, few hours can be selected in which the Queen's Rangers had not to guard against the attacks of a skilful and enterprising enemy.

END OF THE JOURNAL.

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