THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 9 1 



in front of the road that our troops must come ; their pickets nearly 

 half a mile in advance also in the woods. These we made prisoners 

 without giving alarm. On our entering the clearing we were fired on 

 by the second picket who were more alert. The 500 on our left 

 were the first that were discovered. 



" General Vincent ordered a charge, and our men set up a tre- 

 mendous shout, which continued along the whole line, and was the 

 cause of throwing the enemy into the greatest disorder and confusion 

 imaginable. Our two light companies of the 49th routed the 500 

 men before the main body had time to come up. Cornet George 

 was by my side, and told me the fight was over and the victory ours. 



" I happened to cast my eyes around and discovered the fires 

 of the main body, which I showed to him. Col. Harvey and the 

 officers were using every exertion to get the men formed when the 

 enemy opened a most tremendous fire on us from the hill, and like- 

 wise opened from their guns on the opposite side. Our men dis- 

 persed in every direction, and had not Colonel Penderlethe with 30 

 men, charged and captured their guns, we should have been com- 

 pletely defeated. I never heard so rapid a discharge of musketry ; 

 the hill was a continual sheet of fire. However, after capturing their 

 artillery and both their generals, they thought proper to retreat from 

 the field. i\.t the appearance of daylight we followed their example, 

 fearing that when they discovered our force they would renew the 

 attack. 



" After we left the field Col. Harvey desired me to return, and, if 

 possible, find Major-General Vincent, supposed to be either dead or 

 wounded. Not thinkir^ of the enemy, I was challenged by a sentry 

 under old Gage's house. I was on the point of surrendering as my 

 pistols were both in my holsters, when I adopted the stratagem of 

 enquiring, " Who placed him there ?" and rode up to him. He, by 

 my blue military coat, took me for one of his own party, and 

 answered — " his captain, who had just gone into the house with a 

 party of men." I then enquired if he had found the British General, 

 and pulled out my pistol, which made him drop his gun. At that 

 moment a man without any gun ran down the hill ; I called him ; 

 he came, when I had the good fortune to secure both, and bring 

 them off. This stratagem had succeeded once before, or I should 

 not have thought of it. 



