[hannayI history of THE QUEEN'S RANGERS 181 



for the Hussars of the Eangers to go with a convoy to New York. Simcoe, 

 however, took two hundred infantry with him to surprise an enemy's 

 post at Woodbridge, leaving Major Armstrong with some infantry and 

 the cannon on the heights at the Old Blazing Star to cover their return. 

 The depth of the snow prevented the men from marching, except on the 

 beaten road ; no post was found at Woodbridge, and the posts further on, 

 to which he advanced, were alarmed and the surprise failed. An attempt 

 was made to stop the Eangers on their return, but they scattered the 

 enemy's militia like chaff and got back to Staten Island with the loss 

 of one man, who was killed by a chance shot of the sentinels. 



Nothing of moment occurred until the 23rd March, 1780, when the 

 infantry of the Rangers received orders to embark for Charlestown, S.C., 

 which they did on tlie 4th April. Capt. Wickham was left with the 

 Hussars in the town of Eichmond and a detachment of the 82nd Eegi- 

 ment occupied the redoubts. The Hessian Eegiment of Ditf orth, Queen's 

 Eangers, Volunteers of Ireland, and Prince of Wales Volunteers, under 

 the command of Col. Westerhagen sailed on the 7th. The Eangers 

 arrived at Stony Inlet on the 18th, and, passing the Ashley river, arrived 

 at camp before Charlestown on the 21st, where they covered the troops 

 employed in the siege of that place, by extending between the Ashley and 

 ^Cooper rivers. The infantry consisted of 400 rank and file, and there 

 was not a sick man among them. The soldiers were new-clothed and 

 accoutred and the regiment was greatly congratulated on its fine ap- 

 pearance. Charlestown, which was defended by General Lincoln, sur- 

 rendered to the British on the 12th May, and immediately after the 

 capitulation the Eangers marched to Dorchester, from which they re- 

 turned to Charlestown and on the 31st May embarked for New York. 



Capt. Wickham, with the Queen's Eangers, Hussars, who were left 

 at Eichmond, had in the meantime not been idle. On the 15th April, 

 the cavalry on Staten Island, consisting of Cornet Tucker, and '20 of 

 the 17th Eegiment of light dragoons, Capt. AVickham with his troop of 

 45 Queen's Eangers, and Capt. Diemar with his troop of 40 Hussars, 

 crossed at Cole's ferry and were joined hy Major DuBuy with 300 of 

 the Eegiment DeBoise and 50 of Col. Beverley Eobinson's corps, the 

 Loyal American Eegiment, At New Bridge, Sergeant McLaughlan, with 

 six of the Eangers in advance, fell in with and either killed or captured 

 the whole of a small American outpost. Leaving fifty infantry to guard 

 the bridge, the detachment continued their march to Hopper Town where 

 they designed to surprise Col. Bailey who was stationed there with 300 

 soldiers. Comet Spencer, with twelve of the Eangers' Hussars, and Comet 

 Tucker, with the same number of the 17th Dragoons, formed the advance 

 guard ; then followed Capt. Diemar with his troop ; the infantry and the 



