It is known that the detachment of the Royal Army which was first moved to Pell's-neck was composed of the Light

1 We have depended, in this statement of the spirited action at Pel - ham on Colonel Glover's homely description of it, contained in a letter, dated at " Mile-square, October 22, 1776," which was evidently written for the eye of a friend, although it very soon found its way into the newspapers, from one of which -- The Freeman's Journal and New Hampshire Qatetle, Vol. 1., No. 27., Portsmouth, Tuesday, November 26, 1776

we made our copy. Force copied it, with some unimportant variations.

in his American Archives, V., ii., 1188, 1189 ; but we have preferred touEe the contemporary edition.

2 Vide page 241, auto.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

Infantry and Grenadiers of the Army; 1 and if the Chasseurs of the German auxiliaries were also includi d, as more than one of the authorities have stated, 2 and as was more than probable, the previously large force of the detachment was very largely increased. The advance-guard from that detachment was said to have been only thirty men ; 3 and these were met and held in check by a Captain and forty men. These, naturally enough, fell back on the main body, not on that of the Army itself, but on that of the detachment which had been moved from Throgg's-neck, in advance of the main body of the Army; and, since that detachment had been thus sent forward, in advance, for the express purpose of holding back any force of the Americans who should incline to obstruct the landing of the main Army, there can be no reasonable doubt that almost the entire force of the detachment was moved forward, against Colonel Glover and his command. In the absence of official Returns, the number of men actually included in that detachment can be only surmised ; but the Light Infantry and Grenadiers of the entire British Army, added to the Chasseurs and other' Light Infantry and the Grenadiers of the German mercenaries -- the Chasseurs taking with them their light regimental fieldpieces -- could have been scarcely less than four thousand men, the number stated by Colonel Glover.