Glover found that the enemy had not yet taken possession of them. He sent out to the neighboring farmhouses, pressed fifteen wagons, and when nigh came, went to the village with the whole brigade, and carried off two hundred barrels of pork and flour. They had to approach so near the British camp upon this occasion, that Glover's advance parties heard distinctly the conver-sation of the enemy and the music of their bands. The

Chapter I

20 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

Royal forces received information, unfortunately, of Glover's exploit, and early the next morning, secured the residue of the stores. About this time the King's army was joined by a strong force of light dragoons, consisting of the greater part of the Sixteenth regiment under Lieutenant-colonel Harcourt, and the whole of the Seventeenth, under Lieutenant-colonel Burch. On the 21st, the right and centre of the Royal army moved to a position upon the high grounds, about a mile and a half to the northward of New Rochelle village, where they en-camped for four days, on both sides of the road leading to Whiteplains. The British commander-in-chief left Lieu-tenant-general De Heister to occupy the former encampment for the present with three brigades, two of which were Hessians. With the exception of a few independent companies of volunteers from New York, the only Provincial troops belong-ing at this time to Sir William Howe's army, consisted of a regiment of Royalists, called the "Queen's American Rangers," raised and commanded by Major Robert Rogers, celebrated for his exploits on the frontiers during the seven years war. He had been promoted to the rank of colonel, and his men were for the most part, natives of Long Island, Connecticut and Westchester. They were fresh recruits, well armed, but not yet in uniform, and were upward of five hundred strong.