168 THE SERVICES OF LIETTT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
sa,y that we were obliged to retire, and that in much confusion, for by 
this time it was quite dark. We retired about a mile all in bustle and 
disorder, then stopped about an hour or so to get the troops disposed 
into some order, and to collect the wounded and carry them in the best 
way we could, for not a waggon was thought of, and had it not been for 
the ammunition waggons a number must have been left behind. This 
nights march was as melancholy and as disagreeable a one as ever I 
experienced ; it was dark and excessively cold j the roads were deep 
and narrow and enclosed with wood ; we lost our way twice and had 
to turn about the guns and waggons in the narrow road ; the very 
worst of all manoeuvres. The horses were very bad and almost tired 
out, the drivers were a set of scoundrels. Add to this the groans of 
the wounded; the idea of being attacked in the rear by a sally from 
the fort while pent up in a road where we could not possibly make use 
of our cannon, and the probability of an encounter in front or flanks, 
for until day appeared we had no flanking parties out. We were lucky 
in meeting with no molestation except a few shot that did no harm. 
About daylight of the 23rd we repassed Haddonfield and continued 
our march to the ferry opposite Philadelphia where we arrived about 
11 in the morning, so that, between 4 o’clock in the morning of the 
22nd and 11 o’clock in the morning of the 23rd, we had marched 
about 42 miles, and been well thrashed into the bargain, so much for 
storming with-. I crossed the river and went home most 
heartily tired and very low spirited, for the rebels not only gained the 
advantage on shore, but they have had the satisfaction of seeing the 
Augusta , a 64 gun ship, and the Merlin 1 sloop blown up to-day. This 
fatal acccident I was told was owing to their running aground or upon 
the chevaux-de-frise in attempting to pass them, the galleys keeping 
a constant fire upon them the whole time. I have not heard what 
number of men were killed or wounded in the storm, or what number 
the men-of-war lost. 
October 24th.-— A great many fascines are ordered to be made im¬ 
mediately and taken down to Province Island. I am informed to-day 
that the Hessians had about 400 killed and wounded, and that Colonel 
Donop is not dead but very badly wounded and prisoner. A great 
loss for he is a brave and good officer. A great many Hessian officers 
suffered in the attack. 
October 25th .—I rode down this morning to Province Island. The 
galleys had been firing a few shot at our ships. I observed the rebels 
repairing the blockhouse that was blown up by our howitzers, and 
also at work at the battery at the lowermost point. We have now a 
13 inch mortar on the island which is intended to throw pound shot 
into the fort. 
It is very currently reported that Gleneral Burgoyne has met with a 
total defeat, that he himself is wounded and a prisoner, and that 5,000 
1 These ships with others passed through the opening in the lower Chevaux-de-frise and moved 
up to support the attack on Red Bank. The Augusta and Merlin ran aground and when trying 
to get them off the former caught fire and the flames could not be extinguished, the latter stuck 
fast and had to be destroyed. Such were the unfortunate consequences of the attack on Red 
Bank. 
