go JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



and a soldier's canteen. These articles were kept for many years 

 by the Gorman family as mementoes of this visit. 



The reader will pardon a slight digression here in order that a 

 brief account of the young man who carried the countersign to Col. 

 Harvey may be given. " Billy Green the scout " was the youngest 

 son of Adam Green, who emigrated from New Jersey to Canada in 

 1792, and settled on the mountain in Saltfleet, a little to the south 

 of Stony Creek. As a boy he shunned companionship, and loved to 

 wander in the woods alone. He was an expert climber, seemed to 

 have no sense of danger, and was perfectly at home in the forests. 

 It is said that he could climb almost any tree, run out on one of its 

 branches, jump across to the limbs of another, and thus go from 

 tree to tree much as a squirrel does. He was active in movement, 

 quick in decision, very impulsive, and seldom thought of the con- 

 sequences of any act. Hence he was well fitted for any daring 

 adventure, and seemed to delight in danger of any kind. He 

 differed from the other members of his father's family, and led 

 quite an eventful life. He died in Saltfleet in the 89th year of 

 his age. 



Mr. Merritt gives the following description of this important 

 battle : 



" The order came to move forward : we had to march six miles 

 before we came up to our pickets : our force consisted of only 500 

 men, with one field piece in the rear, which was of no manner of use. 

 All my hopes depended on this bold enterprise, for had we not 

 attacked them, they would have advanced next morning, and in all 

 probability we should have retired without risking an action, as our 

 force was not one-third of theirs. Proctor and the whole upper 

 country would have fallen. 



" On our arrival at Davis' we heard the report of a gun from 

 their picket ; the detachment halted, formed into sections, and the 

 loading was drawn from each gun. The light companies of the 49th 

 Kings were in advance ; General Vincent and staff at the head of the 

 column, in the rear. I was attached to him for the night. The 

 enemy were encamped on Gage's fields, in a very advantageous posi- 

 tion ; 2000 of their men were on the hill to the right of the road 

 (i. e., on the south side), and 500 in a lane on the left (the north 

 side) in advance of their artillery, which was situated on a hill directly 



