There was no Artillery to hurl destruction on either of the assailants : since, by that time, the Delaware Regiment, immediately on their left, was confronted by the Fifth and Forty-ninth Regiments, who had also crossed the river and were climbing the hill-side, "zealous to distinguish themselves," there was no support for the hard-pressed " Maccaronis " and their New York comrades : and nothing else than their own resolute wills and their strong arms and their not generally trusty and always ill-supplied muskets were there, to support those less than eleven hundred Officers and Privates in their approaching struggle with two well-disciplined, well-armed, well-commanded British Regiments, besides the Hessian forlorn-hope, on their front, and three equally well-disciplined, well-armed, and well-commanded Hessian Regiments, on their right flank.

It is recorded that the Regiment of Militia, commanded by Colonel Brooks, notwithstanding the shelter afforded by the stone wall, " fled in confusion, "without more than a random, scattering fire;"' 3 leaving the Marylanders and New-Yorkers, alone and unsupported; and it also recorded that these lastnamed Regiments advanced to the brow of the hill, meeting their assailants, and throwing on them, while they were climbing the hill-side, an effective, plunging fire, compelling them to fall back. 4 But the retreat of the Militia, to whom appears to have been assigned the part of holding Colonel Rail in check, having entirely exposed the right flank of the two Regiments to the charge of his Brigade, while the three Regiments of British and Hessian troops who were climbing up the eastern face of the hill, notwithstanding the check which they had sustained, were rallied and renewed their assault on the front of the position, the conflict was too unequal to be longsustained ; and, notwithstanding the stubborn bravery which was necessary to sustain it, with such great odds against the Americans, during the long period of not less than a quarter of an hour, 5 the two brave