The guides, after a short consultation, all gave their voices for proceeding with the enterprise. The American commander then continued his march, cau-tiously traversing fields and woods, never approaching the picket-guards of the enemy, whose usual stations were well known to the guides, and avoiding carefully the British patrols. At length, when within a mile of the refugee head-quarters, he again halted to rest his men before the assault. An ad-vanced party was placed in ambush behind a stone wall,

10 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

while a patrol of three men sent out of the British post was permitted to approach so near, that it was surrounded and taken, without creating any alarm. From the prisoners, Cushing learnt the number of men then at Delancey's quarters, and the situation of the house, together with the countersign for the night, and the important fact that in consequence of the darkness and storm, only a solitary sentinel was posted in advance of the building. He then called together in council, the chief guides and his first lieutenant Blake, and after a short deliberation, they formed a plan of attack, the chief feature of which was a determination to carry the post by an onset so sudden, that their opponents would not have time to stand to their arms. Having ascertained that the doors of Archer's House were each secured by three iron bars, while the windows were left unfurnished with any similar de-fense, Oakley of Whiteplains proposed to effect an entrance by bursting open the shutters and surprising the inmates in bed. This mode of attack was agreed to without hesitation, and the daring proposer, who was well acquainted with the situation of the building, was allowed the honor, which he earnestly solicited, of leading on the storming party. Cor-nelius Oakley, James Oakley and Abraham Dyckman then prepared to make the assault at the head of the guides; plac-ing immediately before them one of the prisoners they had just taken, with assurances, that if he gave the right counter- sign when challenged, he should be well treated and set at liberty, otherwise he would be put to death upon the spot.