commanded the garrison there. And here was fought as brilliant an action as was fought during the revolutionary war, considering the numbers engaged, Bunker-hill "to the contrary notwithstanding." Five hundred men defeated two thousand of the enemy, killed and wounded a large number, and mortally wounded and
took prisoner their commander. So complete was the
discomfiture, that the enemy threw their cannon into a
creek that they might have the carriages to carry off
their wounded officers on, left their provisions behind
and fled for their lives. The loss of the garrison was
twenty-four killed and wounded. This action happened
on the 22d day of October, 1777.—I could give a full
description of it and of the consequences which resulted
from it, but that is foreign from my business, as I was
not personally engaged in it. But why it has not been
more noticed by the historians of the times I cannot tell.
This day we arrived at Woodbury, New-Jersey, which was the end of our present journey. We encamped near the village, planted our artillery in the road at each end of it, placed our guards and prepared to go into fort Mifflin, on Mud-Island. The reason of my referring to the above-mentioned battle, was, that we found several barrels of salted herrings, which the enemy had left in their flight, and as we had but a very small quantity of provisions we were glad to get these. I endeavoured to eat some of them but found them miserable food. They appeared to have been caught soon after the flood, and could neither be broiled nor boiled so as to be made eatable.
Immediately after our arrival at Woodbury, I was ordered upon an advanced guard, about half a mile in advance of a bridge which lay across a large creek, into which the tide flowed. The enemy's shipping lay in the river a little below us. They had also a fortification on the shore opposite to their shipping, at a place called Billingsport. There was a guard of the Jersey militia in advance of us. We used to make excursions in parties of three or four, from our guard, into the neighbourhood of the enemy, and often picked up stragglers from their post and shipping.
I was soon relieved from this guard, and with those who were able, of our two regiments, sent to reinforce
