180 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



" This enterprise was considered by both armies among the hand- 

 somest exploits of the war. Simcoe executed completely his object, then 

 deemed very important, and traversed the country from Elizabethtown 

 Point to South Amboy — 55 miles — in the course of the night and morn- 

 ing ; passing through a most hostile region of armed citizens ; necessarily 

 skirting Brunswick, a military station, proceeding not more than eight 

 or nine miles from the Legion of Lee, his last point of danger, which 

 became increased by the debilitated condition to which his troops were 

 reduced by previous fatigue. What is very extraordinary, Lieut.-Col. 

 Simcoe, being obliged to feed once in the course of the night, stopped 

 at a depot of forage collected for the Continental army, assumed the 

 character of Lee's cavalry, waked up the commissary about midnight, 

 diew the customary allowance of forage and gave the usual vouchers, 

 signing the name of the Legion Quartermaster, without being discovered 

 by the American Forage Commissary or his assistants. The dress of 

 both corps was the same, green coatees and leather breeches ; yet the suc- 

 cess of the stratagem is astonishing." 



After this brilliant exploit the Hangers went into winter quarters 

 at Eichmond, which they secured and fortified under the able direction 

 of Major Armstrong. Lieut.-Col. Simcoe returned to his corps from im- 

 prisonment on the last day of December, 1779, having been exchanged. 



IV. 



Early in the winter of 1779-80, the Sound between New Jersey and 

 Staten Island became frozen over so as to be capable of being crossed by 

 artillery, and an attack on the latter was looked upon as very probable. 

 The whole British force on the island was less than 1,800 effective men, 

 under the command of General Stirling, while the force which threatened 

 the island was under the command of the American general, who called 

 himself Earl of Stirling. On January 15th the Americans, numbering 

 3,000 strong, crossed on the ice and entered Staten Island, but the threat- 

 ened attack was of a very feeble character, and they speedily returned 

 to the mainland. Soon after this Simcoe formed the bold design of 

 capturing General Washington, who was then quartered at a considerable 

 distance from his army and nearer New York. Simooe's plan was to 

 march by very secret ways, made the more so by the inclement season, 

 and to arrive near General Washington's quarters by daylight, to tie up 

 his horses in a swamp, and to storm the quarters and attack his guard 

 on foot. For this purpose his party were to cany muskets as well as 

 swords, and he meant it to consist of eighty men, indiscriminately taken 

 from the cavalry or infantry, with an officer, besides those of the staff, 

 to every six men. This plan was foiled by a sudden order which arrived 



