An American spy named Luther Kinnicutt gave notice to Sheldon of but without being able to say on what day it the intended' attack, would occur. This timely information enabled Lockwood to escape. Tarleton chose a very rainy night, and in consequence the Americans were not well on their guard. He moved from the Mile Square about half-past eleven on the night of July 1, with a mixed force of horse and foot carefully picked from four different regiments. In his official report he stated that his numbers were about 200, but according to American estimates they were some 300. Going by way of Bedford, he arrived at Poundridge early on the morning of the 2d. After driving back a small detachment under Major Benjamin Tallmadge, he put the whole of Sheldon's body to rout, capturing the regimental colors. The American losses were estimated at from eighteen to twenty-five in killed, wounded, and prisoners.1 Tarleton pursued the fugitives, and after his return burned Lockwood's house, maltreated his wife, and burned the Poundridge meeting-house. The small body of militia under Leavenworth now began to harass Tarleton's troopers, and upon the retirement of the latter through Bedford they were much annoyed by the American riflemen, who fired at them from houses. To this " inveteracy " of the militia, as he calls it, Tarleton says his burning of Bedford was owing. "I proposed to the militia terms," he says, " that if they would not fire shots from buildings I would not burn. They interpreted my mild proposal wrong, imputing it to fear. They persisted in firing till the fired." But torch stopped their progress, after which not a shot was according to accounts left by residents of Bedford the burning of the place was a quite wanton deed. The Presbyterian Church was destroyed, and indeed the tradition is that only one house was left standing.