"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. Thus the ancient settlement of Bedford was practically swept out of existence. Barrett, in his History of North Castle, says that many houses in that locality were burned by Tarleton on his way down from Bedford. Certainly there was no inveteracy of militia at North Castle. It is curious that the responsibility for Tarleton's deed was by manv of the Bedford people charged to Colonel James Holmes, their 1 Bolton (rev. ed., ii., 115) relates the follow- which hit his cap and perforated the scalp on who the side of his head without further injury, "John Buckhout, ing amusing incident: happened to be in the rear of Sheldon's regi- ' There.' says the dragoon. ' you damned rebel, ment during the retreat, and closely pursued, a little more and I should have blown your you,' replied John, was accosted in the imperative tone of a Brit- brains out.' ' Yes, damn 'Surrender, you damn rebel, or 'and a little more you wouldn't have touched ish dragoon: continued his speed, and escaped I'll blow your brains out!' John, not heeding me.' John with a pistol shot, without further injury." saluted was the threat,