The royal commander however was ambitious of giving confirma-tion to a truth generally recognized by war; that military de-posits in an unfortified town, are never safe in the neighbor-hood of an enterprising enemy. The command of movement against Danbury was con-ferred upon Governor Tryon of New York, who had accepted the rank of Major-General of Provincials and was panting for military renown. This zealous guardian of colonial roy-alty is said to have devised the plan of the enterprise; of a temperament sanguine to the verge of assurance, he not only contemplated the destruction of the American magazines, as

THE DANBURY EXPEDITION 99

the necessary result of his incursion, but made himself cer-tain that the loyal inhabitants of the country about to be traversed, would exult in an opportunity of joining the King's standard, when no longer held in restraint by republican superiority. The main body of the invading forces consisted of fifteen hundred men drawn from six different regiments of the line and three hundred of Governor Browne's corps, afterward called the 'Prince of Wales' American Volunteers." To these were added several companies of young men eager for distinction, who ardently sought service upon this occasion. For the most part the individuals of these companies were American. Many of them however were officers, and even privates, belonging to the Royal army who were permitted to volunteer. A large corps of guides, natives of the western parts of Connecticut, well acquainted with the country about to be passed over, also accompanied the expedition; together with a subaltern's command, carefully selected from the Seventeenth regiment of light dragoons and superbly mounted. In numerical strength, the invaders amounted to consider-ably upward of two thousand men. Besides these, the expe-ditionary army was joined and supported by a detachment of the Royal artillery and six light field-pieces.