These three bodies of light troops were at this time under the immedi-ate command of Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe. On the last day of August, Simcoe with the whole of his troops, ambuscaded the Stockbridge Indians, under their chief, Nimham, as they were marching along the Milesquare road in the Lower Yon-kers, for the purpose of attacking the royal outposts. They were accompanied and supported upon this occasion, by a small detachment of Continental troops under Major Stewart and by some Westchester volunteers under Captain Daniel Williams. During the onset of the King's forces, the Ameri-cans escaped, without loss; but the Indians, furiously charged by Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton at the head of the Legion dragoons and Queen's rangers' hussars, were driven down the descending ground in the vicinity of Van Cortland's woods and

46 THE McDONALD PAPERS

cut to pieces. They fought however with great gallantry, pulling some of the cavalry soldiers from their horses. Tar-leton himself, had a narrow escape. In leaning forward, so as to strike with force at one of the fugitives, he lost his balance and fell from his horse. Luckily, the Indian was not furnished with a bayonet, and his musket had been discharged. He turned however, upon his assailant, who lay stretched upon the ground, and whom he was about to dispatch with the butt-end of his firelock. At this moment, Murphy, a dragoon belong-ing to the Legion, galloped forward and saved his commander. The Stockbridge Chief himself fell in this attack, and near forty of his followers were either killed or wounded. On the 16th of the next month, Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe, with the British light troops and some Hessian Yagers, surprised the American advanced post, commanded by Colonel Gist, near Philipse Manor-house; upon which occasion, Tarleton commanded the cavalry. Soon after, he attacked an American picket in King Street and captured a small party of Sheldon's light dragoons.