[hannay] history of THE QUEEN'S RANGERS 158 



esteem in which they were held by tlie army and the Commander-in-Chief. 

 On the 8th October the Eangers resumed their old post at Kichmond, 

 Staten Island^ and shortly afterwards Captain Saunders with his 

 Lieutenant Wilson and Coruet Merritt, embarked for Virginia in the 

 expedition with General Leslie. Captain Agnew, who had been practi- 

 cally unfit for service for three years, owing to a wound received at the 

 battle of Brandywine, also went with Leslie, and his fatlier, John Agnew, 

 the Chaplain of the regiment. 



In the latter part of October it was generally supposed that the 

 enemy meditated an attempt upon Staten Island. Lafayette, with an 

 army, was in the neighbourhood, and had been heard to boast that he 

 would plant French colours on Richmond redoubts. This boast was 

 read to the Eangers in public orders and excited great indignation. The 

 Highland company immediately assembled and marched to the redoubt, 

 which in the distribution of posts was allotted to them and, displaying 

 their national banner, with wliicli they were accustomed to commemorate 

 St. Andrew's day, fixed it on the ramparts saying, " No Frenchman or 

 rebel shall ever pull it down." The Eangers were prepared to repel any 

 attack which might be made upon their redoubts. About this time a 

 false alarm, which was given by an armed vessel stationed at Newark 

 Bay, occasioned a considerable movement in the army, and troops from 

 New York embarked to reinforce Staten Island ; the post at Richmond 

 being supposed to be the object of attack. On the first gun being fired, 

 patrols had been made on all sides by tbe cavalry, and the infantry slept 

 undisturbed, Lieut.-Col. Simcoe apprehending the alarm to be false. 

 The Eangers were very alert on guard and proud of their regimental 

 character, of not giving false alarms or being surprised ; and " the 

 sentinel," as Simcoe remarked in orders, " felt a manly pleasure in reflect- 

 ing that the lives and honour of the regiment was entrusted to his care, 

 and that under his protection his comrades slept in security." But 

 greater events than any attack that Lafayette could make were on the 

 carpet. The regiment early in December was ordered to Virginia and 

 was about to enter upon the last and most brilliant of its six campaigns, 

 a campaign in which it proved its enormous superiority to any troops, 

 whether French or American, that were in the field opposed to it. 



The expedition for Virginia on which the Queen's Eangers had em- 

 barked, was under the command of General Benedict Arnold. They em- 

 barked on the 11th December, 1780, and with the Eangers, went Captain 

 Althouse's company of York Volunteers and Captain Thomas of the 



