They had been below patrolling, and were returning back loaded with plunder. Hand from his am-bush fired upon and then charged them. They fled in great disorder, leaving their booty behind, and were pursued by Major Ross and a part of the Pennsylvanians, until they gained the left of the Royal camp. Here Ross attempted to capture a British officer on horseback, but the latter wheeled about and rode furiously along the lines, shouting to the

Chapter I

28 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

extent of his voice, "The rebels are upon us with all their forces ! turn out ! turn out !" The alarm became general, the drums beat to arms, and in a few minutes the Royal troops were on the alert preparing to resist an attack. When the true state of the case was disclosed, a detachment was sent out, which buried the dead and brought in fourteen of the wounded soldiers upon doors and window shutters, taken from the neighboring houses. The sufferers were immediately sent in carts to the East River, where they were placed for treatment on board a hospital ship. Ten of the Hessians were killed and two taken prisoners. In the afternoon, Colonel Glover sent out a scouting party, drawn principally from his own regiment. When the com-manding officer approached the hostile camp, he concealed his detachment behind a stone wall, and in order to draw the enemy toward his ambuscade, sent forward the corporal and two soldiers who had distinguished themselves during the preceding day. This time, they went directly in the rear of the Hessian camp, but the bold intrusion was presently dis-covered and the adventurers became fugitives. When the pursuers had approached sufficiently near, the Massachusetts scouts suddenly attacked and drove them back to their grounds in great confusion, killing or wounding eight or ten, and taking three prisoners.