376 THE SERVICES OE LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
their heavy artillery and baggage to the continent, and it is presumed 
will in a few days relinquish the expedition in their usual precipitate 
disgraceful manner. Those ships of Admiral Byron's squadron now 
arrived consist of :— 
Royal Oak. —Admiral Parker. 
Conqueror. —Captain Colby. 
Sultan. —Captain Wheeler. 
Grafton. —Captain Wilkinson. 
Bedford. —Captain Affleck. 
Fame. —Captain Graves. 
74 guns each. 
September 2nd. —Early on Monday morning a party of 20 jagers 
were attacked near Valentine Hill by a body of rebels consisting of 
several hundreds, who killed 13 of the jagers, the remaining seven mak¬ 
ing their retreat. Immediately some troops of the new corps ad¬ 
vanced, fell in with, and engaged a body of rebels and Indians of the 
Stockbridge tribe, the latter under the command of their chief 
Sachem Ninham, who with his son fought with desperation until a 
great number were killed, and the enemy then fled in the greatest 
confusion. Of 48 Indians only six, and of 60 rebels only eight re¬ 
turned. The British loss was only two killed and seven wounded. 
Some prisoners are taken, among them two Indians and a rebel captain. 
The Indian chief and his son were both killed. This action was about 
two and a half miles from Colonel Cortland's. 
September 3rd. —It is reported that a court-martial, constituted by 
the rebels for the trial of their General Lee (who in some way or 
other misbehaved himself on the 28th June last, in the action with 
the British at Monmouth in the Jerseys) has sentenced him to be sus¬ 
pended 12 months for the petty crimes of cowardice and disobedience 
of orders! 
Nothing could equal the chagrin of the Comte d' Estaing when he 
returned to Rhode Island after the storm, and found the garrison of 
Newport unmolested, and much better prepared to give him a warmer 
reception than before. The confabulation between him and the rebel 
generals was exceedingly acrimonious. They accused him of making 
an ostentatious parade with the powerful fleet under his command, 
without doing any essential service, and he retorted by affirming that 
after having facilitated their descent upon the Island, which they 
never could have done without his assistance, their prowess and valour 
had fallen so short of his expectations that he was reduced to the 
necessity of putting again to sea before Lord Howe to find a post to 
repair his shattered fleet. 
The accounts of General Lee's conduct at the action at Freehold 
Courthouse are conflicting. The English affirm that Lee having been 
