MOSIER'S FIGHT WITH REFUGEES 71

None of the local accounts however mention any such firing and simply say that the British withdrew. A volley from twenty six guns at short range would certainly have killed and wounded many of the attacking party, but no such record appears. These accounts say that the body of Strang was taken to one of the nearby farm houses1 and was sent for by the British under a flag of truce the next day. It is the only casualty mentioned by them. All sides agree that the Americans did not lose a man. It may not be clear to you why two fully armed bodies of soldiers should parley instead of fight. But a study of condi-tions makes it plain that both sides would have suffered severely if the arbitrament of arms had been finally re-sorted to. Even if we admit that both parties were equally well armed--and it is more than doubtful that this was true of the Americans--a fight would have resulted in much bloodshed on both sides and probably the annihilation of the American force in the end. The latter were armed with flint lock guns from which they could fire not more than one shot without reloading. To reload it was necessary to open the pan under the flint, pour in some powder and then close it, pour a full charge into the muzzle of the gun, place a wad and a ball over it and ram the latter home with a ramrod. Taken together, this was an almost impossible proceeding while fleeing through the fields from a mounted enemy. And it was particularly difficult when a bayonet encumbered the muzzle of the gun. If the Americans had fired their one shot from open ranks upon the first charge of the cavalry, it would have emptied a few saddles, but the rest would have ridden down the fleeing infantry and dispatched them separately with their sabres without quarter, just as they did in the battle with the Stock-bridge Indians on Woodlawn Heights three years before,