He did not know the precise day fixed upon for the attack, but had clearly ascertained their intentions, and he well knew the hostile feel-ings that Major Lockwood's activity had excited among the Westchester refugees. Under pretense of obtaining inform-ation for the King's service, he, on one of the last days of June, went on foot and in disguise, mostly through the fields, to Poundridge, where he communicated to Sheldon and Lockwood, the designs of the enemy. This information appeared so correct and was given with such earnestness, that Lockwood determined to withdraw his family from the village, and they, on the instant, commenced preparations for a removal. When about to leave their home, they were dis-suaded from their purpose by Colonel Sheldon, who urged them to await the termination of the storm just then impend-ing and quieted the alarm of the females by confident assurances that no enemy, on such a night would venture far abroad for hostile purposes. The family however, sat up all night, dressed in their ordinary apparel, and determined upon leaving their home on the following morning. Sheldon was not an officer to be closely approached unawares, and Kinnicutt's report had probably rendered him more than

CAPTURE OF POUNDRIDGE 39

usually circumspect. At any rate, his men were in harness all night long, ready to spring to their saddles on the first alarm. Their horses, fully caparisoned, sustained the pelting of the storm while picketed in order, to a fence, which extended east to the village Church, and ran behind that building westerly to head-quarters. It was now some time after sunrise. Colonel Sheldon had just ordered his regimental horses to be unsaddled and turned loose into an adjacent field, according to custom, preparatory to their being dressed and fed; when a vidette came in at speed, and reported a large body of cavalry advancing rapidly upon the northern road from the direction of Bedford.