Hopkins thus in turn taken by surprise, wheeled to the west with his party, and succeeded in overtaking his prisoners, resolving to make good his retreat by tlie way of the poor house road. He had proceeded no great distance, when he beheld approaching, a strong body of Bearmore's horse, in the neighborhood of Avery's mill, a little north of the poor house. Finding his retreat thus intercepted, he was compelled to take the Bedford road, but he had scarcely arrived at See's store, when he found Emmerick again drawn up to dispute the passage. Hopkins a second time discovering his retreat terminated, decided upon a vigorous charge and succeeded in cutting his way through the detachment with the loss of a k\v prisoners.
A running fight now ensued for about two miles when Hopkins again found his course blockaded by Col. Wurmb's yagers. The post road also, was guarded by Pruschanck's corps, so that Hopkins had no resource left but the fields. He therefore crossed the mill creek a little north of the Dutch church, Sleepy Hollow, the whole body of the enemy joining in the pursuit. This was kept up until Hopkins arrived near the house of Job Sherwood, a short distance from the present arch of the Croton acqueduct, on the road to Sing Sing. Hopkins now rightly judging that the best horses of his pursuers were far in advance of their comrades, instantly checked his horse, and in turn became the pursuer.
At the spring brook which crosses the road in the Beeckman wood, he succeeded in capturing one or two prisoners in the very face of the enemy, and made good his retreat.a