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October 19th John Carpenter: Jotham Purdy was killed at night about a mile from Rye on the road to Purchase [X]. The man was conspicuous from the circumstance of his wearing a long white feather in his cap. Ten or twelve fired at him, and he fell pierced with six or seven balls. He left a son named Andrew. My father (Thomas's Quarter master) was taken by Simcoe when Genl Thomas was taken. There were about twenty men in Thomas's house that night. Toward morning the dogs all along the road towards Purchase Street barked. This alarmed Carpenter who dressed himself and awoke Thomas. Thomas said he would not get up, and told Carpenter there was no danger &c. Both then slept for some moments until Thomas's watch dogs began to bark, when getting up they found the house surrounded. Carpenter said, "I guess you'll rise now!" Carpenter attempted to escape by getting under a bed, and there received a great many bayonet wounds before [X] Purchase Street?
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John Carpenter contd.
he surrendered. (Thomas, at first, said he would jump from the window and run; and Cunningham said he would but the moment he sprang, the British cried out: "An escape! an escape! Fire! fire!" and one hundred guns were levelled. This deterred Carpenter who then got under the bed.) James Brundage fired from the window and killed a dragoon by Simcoe's side. Capt. Ogden with a party of horse was in pursuit of Reuben Lane one of Thomas's party, who had run to a thicket. Thomas alarmed at the ferocity of Simcoe's party, and the fate of Brundage, sprang from a window and escaped, though one hundred shots were fired at him. He ran to an adjoining wood and there fell in with Ogden's party who fired at him.