THE SURPRISE AT ORSER'S.

ters of a mile, and overtaken on the ice. They both cut at Odell, and Totten striking with a dull sword at last hit his cocked hat and then the bridge of his nose, part of the hat being between and intercepting the edge of the sword. The bony part of the nose being broken, Odell carried the mark of this wound with him through life. He saved himself by pulling up his horse suddenly and striking at the same moment a blow which stunned one of his pursuers, Totten, cutting off his forefinger, so that he let his sword fall. I saw this wound afterwards at Morrisania. Odell then made for Teller's Point and escaped. One of Kipp's men, the notorious Shube Merritt (who was afterwards killed), stripped me of my boot's and uniform. George MeChain was the only man of our party killed, and he was with me on the banks of the Hudson when the enemy came up. They refused him quarter in consequence of his being charged with setting fire to some houses and barns of the Refugees. He begged hard, but they refused him. They shot him and cut his body in pieces. John Paulding was considered a prisoner of consequence, and having before escaped several times when captured, was guarded with great care. They secured him by tying his legs under the horse he rode. He tried to prevail upon several of the other prisoners during the march to untie the ropes, saying he could escape almost anywhere by jumping from his horse and taking to the woods. There were fifteen of us taken prisoners. We were taken first to Morrisania and then to the island opposite Randall's, and then to New York, where we were confined in the Provost Jail.