The horses alarmed and wounded kicked, plunged, and broke from their fastenings in great confusion, and running north for home, were (many of them) captured by the party which advanced and cut off our retreat when they heard the firing. We lost here about eighteen or twenty horses of our own, and likewise the fifteen we had taken at West Farms, and the two prisoners. Rivington's account is correct in the main, though, I think the Refugees made more than seven prisoners. [Fifteen of us were taken prisoners. - We were three months prisoners, that is, till the 28th. of April [X].] When the alarm was first
[X] (see Original top of page 17.)
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given we were engaged in selling our spoils. Considering ourselves secure we had posted no sentinels. We ran on the instant for our horses but most of them had escaped, mine among the rest, and not being able to make any resistance I surrendered. I was then a boy of sixteen only and wore my brother's uniform and arms, &c., he being a captain of the West Chester troop of horse, and at the time sick. Williams escaped by the fleet- -ness of his horse. Odell seized the first horse he would find, mounted and tried to escape but was overtaken by Kipp and Totten and pursued on the ice for half a mile or three quarters or more. Kip and Totten were ahead of their men, being probably being probably better mounted. They both struck cut at Odell, and Totten striking with a dull sword at last hit his cocked hat first and then the bridge of his nose, part of the hat being be- -tween, uncut, and intercepting the edge