In a few minutes he restored order and led them across. Tryon had halted, and now sent forward a detach-ment apparently, with the intention of occupying the bridge. Having taken possession of Couch-Hill, and other neighbor-ing heights he commenced at the same time a violent cannon-ade upon Silliman and his followers, which prevented them from fording the Saugatuck. Arnold was moving on with his usual impetuosity, to find some position, where he might check the further progress of his opponents. Word came to him that a strong British detachment was about to take possession of the bridge. This operation would have endangered his retreat, at the same time that it separated him from the rest

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of his forces. He now retrograded as he had advanced, with alacrity, and united himself to Silliman under the fire of the British artillery. After a halt of about half an hour and a cannonade of twenty minutes, Tryon again pressed forward, with the utmost vigour. All the American forces now crossed the Saugatuck, united on its left bank, and formed in two columns, with two field-pieces attached to each. The col-umns marched in pursuit, the one under Arnold endeavoring to gain the right flank of the enemy, and the other under Sil-liman pushing for the British left. Such however was the rapidity with which the King's troops retreated from the Saug-atuck, that toward five o'clock in the afternoon and before the Americans could overtake them, they reached the high grounds, which they had occupied on their first landing. The van of the royal forces commenced an immediate re-embarkation. The centre and rear faced about and formed upon Compo Hill. The American artillery-men under Lieu-tenant-colonel Oswald were now ordered to Compo rocks a position that commanded a view of the hostile squadron.