ter when told of it the next day; so completely was I worn down by fatigue.
We now fell back a few miles and encamped, (both Americans and French,) at a place called Phillip's Manor. We then went to making preparations to lay siege to New-York; we made facines and gabions, the former, bundles of brush and the latter are made in this manner, viz.—after setting sticks in the ground in a circle, about two feet or more in diameter, they are interwoven with small brush in form of a basket, they are then laid by for use, which is in entrenching; three or more rows of them are set down together, (breaking joints,) the trench is then dug behind and the dirt thrown into them, which, when full, together with the trench, forms a complete breastwork; the word is pronounced gab-beens. The fascines (pronounced fas-heens) are, as I said, bundles of brush bound snugly together, cut off straight at each end; they are of different lengths, from five to twelve feet; their use is in building batteries and other temporary works.
We now expected soon to lay close siege to New-York. Our Sappers and Miners were constantly employed with the Engineers in front of the army, making preparations for the siege. One day I was sent down towards the enemy with a corporal and twelve men, upon a reconnoitring expedition, the Engineers having heard that there was a party of Refugees, or Cowboys, somewhere not far from their premises. Mr orders were to go to a certain place and if I did not see or hear any thing of the enemy to return; or if I did find them to return as soon as possible and bring word to the officers, unless I thought we were able to cope with them ourselves. We set off upon our expedition early in the afternoon and went as far as directed by our officers, but saw no enemy. We stopped here awhile and rested ourselves.—When we had refreshed ourselves, we thought it a pity to return with our fingers in our mouths and report that we had seen nothing; we therefore agreed unanimously, to stretch our orders a trifle, and go a little further. We were in the fields,—about a mile ahead were three or four houses at which I and some others of our party had been before. Between us and the houses there was a narrow wood, mostly of young growth and quite thick.
