184 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



enemy were gradually approaching ; Lieut.-Col. Simcoe waded to one of 

 thepe islets with Captain Kerr, whom with his company he left in am- 

 K'uscade, with orders if the enemy advanced to give them one well- 

 directed fire, and immediately to recross to the regiment. " Capt. Kerr," 

 pays Simcoe, " executed his orders judiciously; many of the enemy were 

 Keen to fall ; the thicket he quitted was not again attempted by them, 

 but it became the centre to which the principal part of their fire was 

 directed." The army, having rested three hours, marched towards Eliza- 

 bethtown, and the retreat was not discovered by the enemy for some 

 time. The} retired in two columns, the Rangers closing one and the 

 Yagers the other. The latter were attacked, but the Eangers went to 

 their assistance and the enemy retired. In these operations, for which 

 they received a great deal of praise, the Eangers had two men killed and 

 ten wounded. 



The army having returned to 'New York the Rangers proceeded to 

 Odle's Hill and took their post in front of the line. Simcoe was obliged 

 to go to Xew York to recover his health, and the regiment was in general 

 very sickly. He returned to his corps on the 19th July, and proceeded 

 with it to Long Island. He marched to Huntingdon, where one hundred 

 of the militia cavalry of the Island joined him. This corps being 

 destined to preserve communication overland between the fleet, which 

 lay off the eastern end of Long Island and New York. Simcoe, at this 

 time through the Adjutant-General, Major Andre, communicated his 

 wishes and his hopes to the Commander-in-Clùef, that in case of any 

 attack on Rhode Island, he would employ the Rangers in it; to which 

 Major Andre replied, " The general assures you, that the Rangers shall 

 be pitted against a French regiment, the first time he can procure a 

 meeting." 



The Queen's Rangers remained at the east end of Long Island until 

 tthe 9th August, when they fell back to Coram, from whence they re- 

 turned eastward on the 15th, being joined by the King's American Regi- 

 ment. They returned to Oyster Bay on the 23rd August, after a fatigu- 

 ing march of three hundred miles in very hot and sultry weather. Im- 

 mediately after this the Rangers were augmented by two troops of 

 dragoons, which were placed under the command of Captains Saunders 

 and Shank, whom Simcoe describes as " officers of distinguished merit." 



Simcoe was entrusted with a knowledge of the negotiations, which 

 culminated in Arnold's treason and also in the death of Major Andre, 

 who was his personal friend, and for whom the Rangers went into mourn- 

 ing. They were to have been entrusted with a very hazardous service 

 in connection with these event? had occasion called for it, such was the 



