CAPTURE OF POUNDRIDGE After Sir Henry Clinton had retired from the posts of Stoney Point and Verplank's, about the 18th day of June 1779, he established his head-quarters at Philipsburgh in the county of Westchester. Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton of the legion, was at this time panting for distinction. He had obtained the most accurate information of the strength of the American troops stationed at…

Major Leavenworth, with about one hundred Continental troops and the same number of militia, pursuant to orders, had taken up a position on the most southerly of the two roads leading to Bedford, about a mile west of the head-quarters of Colonel Sheldon, who was in command of all the out-guards posted in this vicinity. Lock-wood, who lived in the village of Poundridge, was First-major in Colonel T…

The royal detach-ment consisted of seventy of the Seventeenth regiment of light dragoons, part of the legion-cavalry and infantry, the Hussars of the Queen's rangers, some Yager light horse, and some of the Westchester refugees: in all, about three hundred men. The whole of the party, infantry as well as cavalry, were unusually well-mounted. The horses of the Seventeenth and of the legion were sup…

He pricked forward however with speed through wind and rain, and at Bedford village, took the northern of the two roads leading to Poundridge. As he approached this last place, his guide in front inquired of a farmer, who was standing in the door of his house, respecting the shortest route to Sheldon's head-quarters. Mistaking the husbandman's directions, when about three quarters of a mile from P…

He did not know the precise day fixed upon for the attack, but had clearly ascertained their intentions, and he well knew the hostile feel-ings that Major Lockwood's activity had excited among the Westchester refugees. Under pretense of obtaining inform-ation for the King's service, he, on one of the last days of June, went on foot and in disguise, mostly through the fields, to Poundridge, where h…

Their horses, fully caparisoned, sustained the pelting of the storm while picketed in order, to a fence, which extended east to the village Church, and ran behind that building westerly to head-quarters. It was now some time after sunrise. Colonel Sheldon had just ordered his regimental horses to be unsaddled and turned loose into an adjacent field, according to custom, preparatory to their being …

The leading officer of the enemy called upon him to surrender, and in the same breath gave the command: "Charge men, charge." Major Tallmadge and his men had barely time to wheel about, when their adversaries were upon them, and both parties riding for life or death, entered the village at the same moment; the pursuers filling the air with shouts, execrations, and calls for submission, and making …

The adverse trumpets sounded at the same moment their shrill notes, which rising above the din of battle, indicated to the respective antagonists, flight and pursuit. The route of the fugitives lay southerly, upon the highway to Stamford. About three fourths of a mile from Poundridge, Major Lockwood, followed by a few of the dragoons, took the road which there branches off to New Canaan; but almos…

A dragoon named John Buckout, from Philipse Manor, was closely followed up by one of the Seventeenth, and repeatedly called upon to surrender. By dint of spurring, the fugitive was just able to keep out of reach of his pursuer's sabre. The red-coat finding that he could not reach his quarry with the sword, drew a pistol and discharged it at Buckout's head. The ball perforated his cap, grazing the …

In the irritation of the moment he checked the speed of his horse and at the same instant, without giving his adversary time to recover, gave him a back-handed sword-stroke which passed through his mouth; cutting him nearly from ear to ear, and putting an effectual period to his vociferation. The enemy's trumpets now sounded the recall. When the chase was discontinued, the militia began to re-asse…

They were in charge of his servant, who after having been wounded, was obliged to dismount and run for the woods, that he might not be taken prisoner. Similar losses were sustained by other officers. After the first appearance of the British detachment, Major Leavenworth had been assiduously engaged in rallying the neighbouring militia. The inhabitants turned out with alacrity. Finding himself now…

He thereupon, with characteristic promptness, put his followers in marching order, and caused them to retire by the same way they had advanced. With his rear-guard, he then made a feint of retreating by the south road, where the Ameri-can infantry were awaiting him. But after amusing them for a while, he galloped briskly along the northern route. The moment the direction of his retreat was ascerta…

To retaliate however, for this last attack of the militia, he set fire, as he left, to the Presbyterian Church; but retired so precipitately, that the flames were extinguished soon after, by the inhabitants. The Refugees had collected and brought off from Pound-ridge and the vicinity, the cattle belonging to obnoxious persons; such as were warmly opposed to the royal cause. But on leaving Bedford,…

Of the enemy, says Sheldon, two were killed and four made prisoners, the wounded being uncertain. Four horses also, were captured from the British, and one killed. The standard of the regiment having been left in Major Lockwood's house when the dragoons suddenly turned out, was taken; and this and also some helmets, arms, and accoutrements, were carried off by the enemy as trophies. During his ret…

His own loss, which he makes one hussar of the legion killed, one wounded, and one horse of the Seventeenth dra-goons killed, is undoubtedly much underrated. He probably made no return of the losses sustained by the irregulars under his command. It may be well to record whatever may redound to the credit of an enemy whose conduct too often and too justly was charged with inhumanity. After Tarleton…

The parent there-upon wisely deferred his wishes to the military inclinations of the child, for whom, in 1775, he procured a cornetcy in the King's dragoon-guards. In the following year, the young soldier obtained leave to push his fortunes by joining the royal forces in America, where the revolutionary struggle had just commenced. Eager for distinction, he volunteered imme-diately after his arriv…

These three bodies of light troops were at this time under the immedi-ate command of Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe. On the last day of August, Simcoe with the whole of his troops, ambuscaded the Stockbridge Indians, under their chief, Nimham, as they were marching along the Milesquare road in the Lower Yon-kers, for the purpose of attacking the royal outposts. They were accompanied and supported upon …

The Stockbridge Chief himself fell in this attack, and near forty of his followers were either killed or wounded. On the 16th of the next month, Lieutenant-colonel Simcoe, with the British light troops and some Hessian Yagers, surprised the American advanced post, commanded by Colonel Gist, near Philipse Manor-house; upon which occasion, Tarleton commanded the cavalry. Soon after, he attacked an A…

During the months of July, August, and September, he made repeated attempts against Moylan's regiment of dragoons then in Westchester, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Anthony Walton White; whom he once surprised at Roundhill on the borders of Connecticut. But the caution and address of CAPTURE OF POUNDRIDGE 47 this American cavalry officer were such, that his followers, at this time, sus…

Subsequently, he wrote and gave to the world his "History of the campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America." The achievements commemorated in this publication, the sight of his maimed hand, and the constant activity and heartiness of his disposition rendered him popular; particularly with his townsmen of Liverpool, who, in 1790, returned him to Parlia-ment. At the clos…

The honest quaker, whose heart was set upon a suppression of this traffic in human beings, speaks, in his diary, with great bitterness of Tarleton's opposition to the motion. "This man," he says, "I hear, boasts that he has killed more men with his own hand, than any man in England. The words of Blair seem peculiarly applicable to him." " 'Behold the sturdy man-destroying villain.' " General Sir B…

The incendi-ary barbarities which characterized the Poundridge excursion, were known to have been dictated by his superiors. When, however, he was transferred to the Southern department, his exactions, and severities were such, as drew upon him, from the people of Virginia and the Carolinas, the most unmitigated hatred. During the siege of Yorktown he commanded the neighboring post of Gloucester, …