Whitney immediately struck at him with the pike before he had time to rise, and gave him a mortal wound in the body, but Hughson got on the floor grappled his assailant by the legs, threw him down, discharged a pistol at him, and then rose, trampled upon and tried to kill him. Finding his strength failing Hughson called out to his comrades: "Help boys! the old Son of a Bitch has killed me!" They then came in, assisted Hughson, and [page break] 707 173 [margin: 40] dragged Whitney out of doors, when they knocked him down with the butt end of a pistol, stamped upon, and left him for dead. Fearing the report of the pistol would alarm the French guard which lay near, the robbers now mounted and rode off in haste. Hughson at first rode alone, but be= coming weak from loss of blood fell off. He was then supported to a neigh= boring house where he soon after died. General Bernardus Montross said afterwards said: "I am not certain the French army lay at Crompond then but I think it did. I think it was a French guard, but it might have been an American. At any rate there was a guard close at hand," &c.

Hughson at first rode alone, but be= coming weak from loss of blood fell off. He was then supported to a neigh= boring house where he soon after died. General Bernardus Montross said afterwards said: "I am not certain the French army lay at Crompond then but I think it did. I think it was a French guard, but it might have been an American. At any rate there was a guard close at hand," &c.