Its total strength upon this occasion was about Captain Curtis). 750, and il was equipped with three field pieces, which, however, were not brought into action because of the unevenness of the ground and The fact that the American the nature of the tactics employed. numerous and effecrelatively so place to general had the discretion tive a body on Pell's Neck, despite his lingering belief that the thither, is one enemy's plans did not contemplate any movement among many exceedingly practical and convincing demonstrations of the thoroughness and intelligence with which the patriot forces were disposed from the very beginning of the Westchester campaign. Colonel Clover was made aware of the presence of the enemy by lie immediately threw the sudden approach of his advance guard, forward a captain and forty men to meet them, and in the pause lie which followed ambuscaded his regiments behind stone walls, them marched ami men forty the of then personally took command to within fifty yards of the place where the foe had come to a standFour still. Both sides now tired, several rounds being exchanged. of the British party were seen to fall, and of the Americans two were The British were soon re-enforced and killed and a number wounded. charged the Americans, who retreated in good order, leading their ambuscaded regiment (Colonel Read's) pursuers up to where the first The concealed men rose from behind the stone wall and fired lay. with such effect that the advancing column broke and tied without After a delay of about an hour and a half the ceremony of a reply. along the roadway, " with what were forward came the enemy again supposed/' says Dawson, " to have been 4,000 men, strengthened with Colonel Head and his command, still ocseven pieces of artillery." the attack but cupying their original position, not only renewed bravely "maintained their ground until they had thrown seven welldirected volleys into the (dosed ranks" of the vastly superior enemy, finally retreating across fields and taking up a new position in support of Colonel Shepard's regiment, which was concealed some disHere the previous proceeding was retance farther along the road. peated, seventeen volleys being fired by the Americans before they Next the British came upon the third line of amwere dislodged. buscade, under the command of Colonel Baldwin; but here the opposition offered by the Americans was not prolonged, the nature of permitting the British artillery to be effectively emground ployed.