With the exception of a single man, who " was prevailed upon to tread out the blaze and col- " lect the shot," " all the Artillery-men fled," leaving Colonel Haslet and the field-piece entirely unsupported ; but it appears that some of these later fugitives returned ; nuide a couple of discharges ou the euemy; and then retired, "'with the field-piece," not to be seen again, until after they were securely tjuarof eacli of which his fathi i's (^>iui>suiy of Artillery and his father were, invariahlv, the principal subjects.

Such a speculation would reipiire little reflection, in ortler to show its iniprobahility to any one ; but Lossing, (Field book nf the lie mint ion, original edition, ii.,822;) Irving,* (I.ife of tironjf Wnghiiiiitiin, ii., .'iil2 ;) and otIieiN having followed that leader, and repeated his errors. Bui tieueral Howe's despatch to Lord George (^erniaiiie left no room for doubting, and clearly indicated thai the troops forded the stream ; ."^au thier's r/.oi iif thr Oyii/n/ioiis, etc., (the liritish ollicial Map.l c learly in (licated that the Royal trooite crossed the river at " The Ford," designated on the Map; Ttie Plan of thr Comitnj from Frotja Point to Cntton liiver, ((General Washington's Map, ) did the same, also designating the " Ford ;'" The .liiwiKiJ Itrijintir for ITTli, (History of Europe, 17S,*| clearly understood the river was forded ; Stcdnian, in his JliMnnj of the Ameriaiu Wnr, (i., 214,) said, " A part of onr left wiug pas.sed the ford, whi< h wiis "entirely under command of onr cannon;" Sergeant Land>, of the Welsh Fnsileei-s, in his Jonrunl of Ocrm-renos iluriiitj the lute Ainericau Wnr, (page 1211, 1 Slid the entire assjiulting party, whom he described, in detail. " marched down and cnissed the ford ; " Doctor .\ndrews, in his Hirlonj of the U'nr, (ii., lift,) stated the a.ssaullingpai ty ' marched down " to the ford, and crossed it;" (ieneral Heath, an eje-witneas of the ntovenient, stated, in his Mrmoim, (iKige 78,) that "a part of the left col- " nmn, composed of British and Hessians, forded the river," etc. ; Chief justice Marshall, in his Life of George Woshinglim. (ii., r>(l4,) with lienenil Washington's juiiH'rs before him, clearly knew nothing of any bridge, constructed by the Itoyal Army; aud lloclor Sparks, also with the papers of Ueni'nil W;u5liington before him, in his Life nf (Jeorr/r n'nihiiojioii, (la^e lOi;,) after having described all the troops who h.-id been ordered to make the assault, .said, -'they forded the Bronx, and " forme<l in goo<l onler on the other side ;" and we prefer to follow our own convictions, that no bridge was constructed by the Royal Army, on that occasion, especially since those well-cousideiXMl convictions are so amply sustaineil by such unquestionable authorities.