138 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



maiid than one hundred on common duties. Sergeants' guards were in 

 a manner abolished, a circumstance to which may in a great measure be 

 attributed that no sentinel or guard of the Queen's Eangers was ever 

 surprised; the vigilance of a gentleman and an officer being transcend- 

 antly superior to that of any non-commissioned officer whatsoever." Such 

 is Simcoe's account of the system he pursued in training his famous 

 corps, and nothing need be added to it, beyond quoting his remarks on 

 the spirit that pervaded the corps after the battle of Brandywine. " If," 

 says he, " the loss of a great number of gallant officers and soldiers had 

 been severely felt, the impression which that action had left upon their 

 minds was of the highest advantage to the regiment. Officers and soldiers 

 became known to each other; tliey had been engaged in a more serious 

 manner and with greater disadvantages than they were likely again to 

 meet with in the common chance of war; and having extricated them- 

 selves most gallantly from such a situation they felt themselves invin- 

 cible. This spirit vibrated among them at the time Major Simcoe joined 

 them, and it was obvious that he had nothing to do but to cherish and 

 preserve it. Sir William Howe, in consequence of their behaviour at 

 Brandyvrine, had promised that all promotions should go in the regiment, 

 and accordingly they now took place." 



On the 19 th October, 1777, the British army marched to Philadel- 

 phia, the Queen's Eangers forming the rear guard of the left column, 

 and in their encampment their post was on the right of the line in front 

 of the village of Kensington; the army extending from the Delaware to 

 tihe Schuylkill. The post of the Rangers was several times attacked by 

 American patrolling parties who could come, by means of the woods, very 

 near it without being discovered. The greatest vigilance was therefore 

 necessary on their part and the whole corps was always iinder arms be- 

 fore daylight. The mounted men of the Eangers here made themselves 

 very useful in discovering the enemy^s patrols. An American post at 

 Frankfort was surprised by the Rangers about this time and an officer 

 and twenty men taken prisoners. Pulaski, who commanded a large body 

 of American cavalry, made an attempt on the Rangers late in O.ctober, 

 but was repulsed. On the 5th December the army marched against 

 Washington at Whitemarsh, and on the 8th the Rangers were engaged 

 in an attack on the enemy, in which the Americans lost about one hun- 

 dred men, with hardly any loss to the British. When the army returned 

 to Philadelphia the Rangers resumed their old post at Kensington. 

 Some idea of the severity of the service in which the lîangcrs were en- 

 gaged may be gathered from the fact that, as Simcoe says, " The 4th 

 January, 1778, was the first day since their landing at the head of Elk 

 tliat any man could be permitted to unaccoutre." The landing at the 



