James Holmes who belonged to Bedford and was formerly an officer in the American sen-ice, but thinking himself illused in not being promoted, when others, less deserving than he, were, had gone over to the British and received the commission of Lieutenant Colonel. All the houses in Bedford were burnt except one or two, belonging to persons friendly to the royal cause. Holmes, after the war, returned here. Stephen Ambler on this occasion was too late in escaping from the enemy ; trusting too much to the fleetness of his horse, he was overtaken and killed.

Oct. 31st, 1846, Jonathan Mills of Bedford aged eighty-three says, that on the day Pound Ridge was taken, " I was out driving cattle for my father and neighbors, to a place of safety but unfortunately I conducted them right into the hands of the enemy whom I met on my return; they took all the cattle, but after driving them for some distance let them go, so that we obtained them again. Col. Holmes, I think, commanded the party who burned Bedford, and directed his own house to be fired first -- well knowing that he would be paid for it. There were one or two companies of militia posted to guard the roads east of the village ; a portion of the refugees attempted to reach Middle Patent for the purpose of burning the houses of some Whigs there who were obnoxious to the enemy, but when they came to Mahanus River about half a mile from the village on the Middle Patent road they found the bridges destroyed and the streams too deep and muddy to cross." Oct. 29th, 1846, Silas Sutherland of Middle Patent testifies that when Bedford was burnt they fired on their retreat the following houses : Israel Lyons', John Ferris', Peter Lyons', Andrew Sniffins', and a house occupied by Ichabod Ogden where the militia had quarters, and which was afterwards owned and occupied as a tavern by John Smith.