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,

1 Sylvanus Strang's body was placed across a horse by the Refugees and taken to Josiah Fowlers, kept there and a flag of truce sent up for his body. Interview with Jeremiah Anderson of the Anderson House, used as General Sterling's headquarters. December 1st, 1848.

72 THE McDONALD PAPERS

where thirty-seven Indians were slaughtered and only one of Tarleton's troops was wounded. If however, the British had tried to ride down Mosier's party when in solid formation, some of them and many of their horses would have been made "hors du combat" by the bayonets and the separated remainder would have faced twenty or more determined men with loaded guns and the same ready bayonets in their hands. William Mosier had the instinct of a true soldier with a soldier's daring and a brave man's courage; his quick mind saw this difference and he promptly made use of the only possible means to save his command from a catastrophe. While the use of a compact formation of infantry with bayonets, in a defense against an attack by cavalry, became common in later wars, it was new then. At a time when the whole world was at war and studying methods of warfare and both the infantry and cavalry arms had strong partizans defending their respective merits, the news of this skirmish was received with astonishment in Europe.