Refugee! and multitudes of comrades soon came to their assistance and surrounded James Tompkins, who drew a stake from the fence and for a long time defended himself -- beating, and knocking down

all within his reach. Closing up on all sides the soldiers at last took him prisoner, and conducting him to Headquarters called upon General Rochambeau to punish him. Extremely exasperated the soldiers were very desirious he should be hanged. To gratify them Rochambeau kept him for some time under guard, and when he was released said to him: "You little man must never attack the French army again." He solemnly promised he would not.

The French general whose tent was near my father's gave a great entertainment while there, erecting a bower for the purpose on the large flat rock there (Dumas ?)

Another French general had his quarters at Mr. Gilbert Underhills, 400 yards south of our house. They slaughtered their cattle at a place between our house and the road in front, near which, and close to the lane that now leads from our

house to the road they built a round house of stone which has recently been removed by me. I don't know for what purpose they used it. There was once an alarm which proved false that the French artillery was fired at the aforesaid place where it lay, and the army all turned out. These facts I heard mostly from my mother. Her first child was born at the French camp, on (I believe) the 9th of July 1781. The French general at my [grand]fathers permitted the family to remain up stairs.