" The ruins from the conflagration of New York, hy the emissaries of your party last year, remain a memorial of their tender regard for their fellow beings exposed to the ' severity of a cold night.'

"This is the first correspondence I have held with the king's enemies, on my part in America, and as I am immediately under the command of Sir Henjy Clinton, your future letters, dictated with decency, would be more properly directed to his Excellency.

" I am, sir, your most obedient servant,

"To Gen. Parsons.'' "William Tryon, Major General.

This came on Sunday, the 23d inst., and by some means or other Gen. De Lancey's house at Bioomingdale, on York island, took fire on the 2oth, at night. f^

"The army marched on the 8th of July, 1778, in two columns to Mamaroneck ; the Queen's Rangers were, in front of that, on tlie right. On the 9th, the commander-in-chief marched with the army to Byram's Bridge : on leaving this camp, to return to Mamaroneck, the next day, the Queen's Rangers formed the rear guard. Upon this march, three soldiers, straggling at a small distance from their huts, were taken by some militia ; Lieutenant Colonel iSimcoe expressed, in orders, "that he is the most sensibly affected at the loss of the three men, who straggled from their posts during the last march. He feels himself but ill repaid for the confidence he has placed in the regiment, and his inclination to ease their duty, by never posting an unnecessary sentinel ; at the same time, he trusts, that, as this has been the first instance of the kind during the time he has had the honor of commanding the Queen's Rangers, it will be the last ; and that the soldiers will reflect what they must suffer by a long imprisonment, from a mean and despicable enemy, who never has, or can gain, any advantage over them, but what arises frorn their own disobedience of orders."^