Totten saw him half a mile off, ran to the adjacent fields, bridled and saddled his horse and put his horse to his utmost speed, but the horse fell and one of the Refugees alone was near and in a moment came up. This was by Benjamin Clapp's where Sheldon at the time lay. Clapp's and heldon's men secured the horse and retreated towards Byram river and Totten escaped in the fields. Sheldon's retreated to Byram followed by the refugees as far as Byram where the school house now is and there wheeled about daring the Refugees to advance any further. The Refugees afraid of an ambush ventured no further and Totten regained his horse. The night before Bedford was burnt a large party of British troops passed my father's house just after our boys had gone to bed. It was a bright moonlight night and they marched in great silence. It was reported afterwards that this party was
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500 strong. Bearmore was kind and protecting to those he was acquainted with, but bitter against the violent whigs. Benjamin Clapp's house was, probably, burnt in February 1781 by Major Hungerford, though I had supposed it was fired on the same day Bedford was burnt. The house of Henry Dusenbury where Mosier was when surprised &c, is the house you saw in the fields south of Merritt's corner, and east of the road now untenanted and surrounded by locust trees. There was at the time a lane running from this house quite across to Blind Brook. (Mr. C. [X]) Col. Thomas's house was burnt during the war, but I don't know when, not when Simcoe took him.