on the Island, the forces were divided. Colonel Ogden, with his own and Colonel Dayton's regiment, (both of the New Jersey line), joined by one hundred militia under Colonel Frelinghuysen, marched from Elizabethtown in the evening to a point opposite the entrance to the Fresh Kill, where they were conveyed by boats across the sound and up the creek, their object being to attack Lawrence's battalion in the rear. The remainder of the troops crossed from Elizabethtown point, approaching the Island in the vicinity of Palmer's Run, on the North shore. General Smallwood's brigade was to attack Van Buskirk's battalion, and General De Borre's brigade was to attack Barton's, each leaving one regiment on the road, (Richmond terrace), to cover their rear, and to pick up such as might escape Colonel Ogden or the attacking parties. Colonel Ogden was ordered to move forward, should he complete the reduction of Lawrence's battalion, and attack Dongan and Allen; otherwise to hold his ground till General Sullivan came up from the north side to join him. Some difficulty was experienced on the water, on account of a scarcity of boats; but the whole force was safely landed on the Island before daylight, without being discovered by the British. Ogden attacked Lawrence about daybreak, and after an engagement of two or three minutes succeeded in routing him, taking the colonel himself and about eighty non-commissioned officers and privates prisoners. He next attacked Dongan, on the Morning Star road, (about midway between the shore and Graniteville). The troops came together in a hand-to-hand contest, and while Colonel Dongan was encouraging his men he received a bullet in his body, which incapacitated him from further service. He died in a hospital on the following day. Major Drummond assumed command, and his troops were driven back to a point near Giffords, where they were joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Allen. Another spirited fight ensued; the whole were finally driven back to the neighborhood of Prince's Bay, where they sought refuge in the intrenchments. Colonel Ogden then fell back toward Old Blazing Star and waited for General Sullivan. In the meantime the alarm had reached General John Campbell, the British commander at Fort Hill, (above St. George), and he at once marched with the Fifty-second British Regulars and Third battalion of Waldeckers toward Richmond, under the supposition that that point would be approached by the invaders. Very soon after the attack made by Colonel Ogden, General Sullivan moved with De Borre's brigade to attack Colonel Barton's battalion that lay at the New Blazing Star. He found the latter ready to receive him; but upon the main body moving up to charge, they broke ranks and fled. Sullivan had stationed Colonel Price off to the right to prevent the escape of the enemy; but many of them seized the boats that lay at the ferry and crossed to the Jersey shore, while others being acquainted with the intricacies of the woods, were able to evade their pursuers. A considerable number of arms, blankets, hats, etc., was taken, and about forty privates, with LieutenantColonel Barton himself, were made prisoners. A barn and about thirty-five tons of hay were burned. In the meantime, a detachment of Sullivan's troops, under command of Major Pearce, which landed too late to join the main body mistook their course and moved in an easterly direction. They found but a few men in the redoubt, (which stood on the site of the Church of the Ascension, West New Brighton), which they took prisoners, and proceeded in the direction of Kruzer's Cove, where they encountered a superior force of General Skinner's troops, the Kruzer, or Pelton, house being his headquarters. The Americans were obliged to make a hasty retreat, leaving at that place the prisoners they had taken. General Smallwood, with his brigade, landed at Decker's ferry. Near the Dutch church he attacked Lieutenant-Colonel Van Buskirk's troops. General Smallwood's guide led him to the front of the battalion, instead of the rear. But there was nothing left to do but to advance, which the Americans did in solid column. Upon the first fire the British broke and fled to the redoubts along the North and East shores, where they were rallied by General Skinner, and there they pursued the retiring Americans with the other regiments under General Campbell. Smallwood's brigade captured Barton's stand of colors, destroyed his tents and a quantity of stores. Smallwood's men also destroyed several vessels belonging to the British, which lay in the Kills, near the entrance to Palmer's Run. The forces of General Sullivan and Smallwood now effected a junction, and moved in the direction of Richmond to join the detachment under Colonel Ogden. Before reaching the village they branched off to the right and marched to Old Blazing Star where they found that Ogden, after waiting till longer delay seemed unnecessarily hazardous, had sent his troops across the river. General Sullivan had sent a messenger to bring the boats from Elizabethtown point down the Kills to help transfer his men across; but the messenger was detained on the way, and the boats failed to come. In this emergency General Sullivan began at once to transport his men by means of three boats which Ogden had used; but before this could be accomplished the accumulated forces of Campbell, Skinner, Allen and Drummond were closing in upon him, and cutting off his chances of escape. "The rear was now covered by about eighty of Smallwood's Marylanders, commanded by Majors Stewart and Tillard, who ably maintained the honorable reputation of that brigade by their unflinching tenacity against overpowering odds." The bravery of this little party was highly commended by General Sullivan and others at the time. "By their determination the enemy was held back until all the troops except this company were safely conveyed across the river. So hotly did they contest the approach of the enemy that the latter were several times driven back with great confusion. They were, however, forced to retire and take new positions near the water, until they stood within twenty rods of the shore." The British at last brought up several pieces of artillery, which, with "grape and canister," so commanded the water that the boatmen refused to face the fire and move after the rear guard. Seeing this, and their ammunition also giving out, this little band of heroes at last surrendered, though several of them escaped, seven of them swimming across the channel, and others, perhaps, being drowned in the attempt. About forty of them were taken prisoners." In a letter to Congress General Sullivan urged an investigation into his conduct relating to this affair, in order to clear himself of some charges which he regarded as unjust, giving a summary of it in the following language: "In this expedition we landed on an island possessed by the enemy; put to rout six regiments; killed, wounded and made prisoners at least four or five hundred of the enemy; vanquished every party that collected against us; destroyed there great quantities of stores; took one vessel, and destroyed six; took a considerable number of arms, blankets, many cattle, horses, etc.; marched victorious through the island, and in the whole course of the day, lost not more than one hundred and fifty men, most of which were lost by the imprudence of themselves, and officers. Some few, indeed, were lost by crossaccidents, which no human foresight could have prevented." The British on Staten Island rested less easily after this memorable day. They were far more watchful, and were constantly suspicious of another attack. Rivington's Gazette, of October 25th, contained the following paragraph bearing upon the subject: * * * "By a Gentleman who has lately escaped from confinement in New Jersey, we have been favoured with the following particulars: It is imagined that another expedition is determined upon against Staten-Island under the command of Mr. Philemon Dickenson, who has assembled near 400 men about Elizabeth Town; boats and scows are also prepared, with a floating raft, to cross Bridge creek, and thereby secure a retreat to the point. Gen. Sullivan was, on his late unsuccessful attempt on this island, highly reprehended for not using this expedient, and, as he has been again blamed for his conduct at Brandywine, in Pennsylvania, he some time ago resigned his commission in disgust, and withdrew himself from the rebel army." 9 Various estimates were given as to the losses in this day's engagement on Staten Island. The total loss to the British was one hundred and thirty privates and eleven officers taken prisoners, and probably twenty-five to one hundred killed and wounded: while that of the Americans, was ten killed, fifteen wounded, and one hundred and twenty-seven privates and nine officers taken prisoners. Besides this the British lost arms, baggage, and a number of cattle carried away and stores and vessels destroyed, while the Americans lost a few whale boats, which Campbell's command succeeded in capturing.-American Archives. CHAPTER XXV. HOSTILITIES ON STATEN ISLAND.-CONCLUDED. URING the month of November, 1777, a number of raids were made by the American troops stationed at Elizabethtown. On the night of Tuesday, the 18th, just before the rising of the moon, a detachment crossed over on the meadows, west of Holland's Hook, where they concealed themselves until they could have the advantage of the moonlight, when they surprised the British pickets near the redoubts, and then engaged in a brisk skirmish, but were defeated and compelled to retreat back to Elizabethtown. On the following day the Holland's Hook redoubts were attacked OLD BEDELL HOMESTEAD, GREEN RIDGE; ERECTED ABOUT 1670. again, but without success. Early on Thursday, the 20th, the New Jersey brigade, under command of General Philemon Dickenson, landed on the Island in the vicinity of St. George, and advanced upon the encampments of General Campbell, whose headquarters were on Fort Hill. Immediately after opening fire upon the British, General Dickenson discovered re-inforcements and several ships of war approaching the Island. Knowing that he would be overpowered by numbers, he gave orders to retire from the scene, and with the loss of a few men whom the British captured, the Americans made good their escape to the Jersey shore. Several other raids were made without material success to the Americans. General Clinton issued a remarkable proclamation, on December 20th, 1777, regulating the prices of farm products, as follows:1 "WHEREAS, it is consonant not only to the common principles of humanity, but to the wisdom and policy of all well regulated states, in certain exigencies to guard against the extortion of individuals, who raise the necessaries of life, without which other parts of the community cannot subsist; and whereas the farmers of Long Island and Staten Island are possessed of great quantities of Wheat, Rye, and Indian Corn, for sale, beyond what they want for their own consumption, and it is highly unreasonable that those who may stand in need of those articles, should be left at the mercy of the farmer, and whereas it is equally just and reasonable that every encouragement should be given to the industry of the husbandman; and whereas the present rates at which Wheat, Flour, Rye-meal, and Indian Meal are sold, do vastly exceed in proportion the advanced price of those articles which the farmer stands in need of purchasing, do hereby order and direct that the prices to be hereafter demanded for the said articles shall not exceed the following rates: "A Bushel of Wheat Weighing Fifty Eight Pounds, Twelve Shillings, with an Allowance, or deduction in proportion for a greater or lesser weight. # * * "A Bushel of Rye, or Indian Corn, Seren Shillings. "Merchantable Wheat Flour, Thirty-fire Shillings per Cwt. "Rye Flour, Twenty Shillings per Cwt. "Indian Meal, Serenteen Shillings per Cwt." * There was a further stipulation in the proclamation that the farmers of these two Islands should at once make returns to the commanding officers of militia in their respective localities, showing the quantity of each kind of grain they had, and what quantity they would need for the use of their families during the year. He also ordered the farmers to thresh one-third of their grain at once; another third by the third of February, and the remaining third by the first 1 Some difficulty seems at this time to have been experienced in enforcing the restrictions against the exportation of salt from New York to Staten Island, by which channel that article of necessity was smuggled into New Jersey. By a proclamation on the 15th of November, Clinton directed that the inhabitants of Staten Island should be allowed to carry salt for their family use, not exceeding three bushels for a family, on obtaining a certificate from a justice of the peace, attesting that they were proper persons to be trusted with it. This regulation |