Being uncertain which way the enemy would return to their shipping, the Americans soon after daylight on the ensuing morning, took post upon a crossroad in two divisions, so that in necessity, they might support each other. One of these detachments under Arnold and Silliman was stationed near the highway leading from Danbury to Norwalk, and the other under the Major-General, not far from the Fairfield road. Here they waited until about half past nine o'clock. Information was then received that the British army had left Danbury an hour previously, retreating in a westerly direc- tion toward the State of New York. It was now supposed

108 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

that Tryon's object was to cross the County of West-Chester and re-embark on the Hudson between Peekskill and Tarry-town, near which latter place it was reported that the enemy had landed eight hundred men on the day before. Arnold accordingly wrote forthwith to McDougall urging him to oppose the adverse troops in front, while the pursuing forces under himself and the other generals, would hasten forward to overtake and assail the British rear. Soon after however it was ascertained that Tryon was marching southerly from Ridgebury, towards Long Island Sound. Four hundred men were now detached under Silliman and Arnold to gain and occupy some position upon the Norwalk road in advance of the enemy. In the meanwhile General Wooster who had been joined by a few additional volunteers and by one hun-dred and forty Continental recruits from Massachusetts under Lieutenant Colonel Smith, hastened forward in pursuit of the foe at the head of a force which had now attained a numer-ical strength of about three hundred and fifty. It was be-tween eleven o'clock and midday, when he overtook the enemy between Ridgebury and Ridgefield. They were retir-ing from Keeler's Mills where they had halted for the purpose of destroying a large quantity of flour and Indian Corn belonging to the United States.