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128 We stopped and consulted what was best for us to do. I was for going back and giving them a starter, but my comrade declined, he thought it would be best to return to the guard and inform the officers what we had discovered, and let them act their pleasure. We accordingly did so, when the Captain of the guard sent down two horsemen that attended upon the guard to serve in such circumstances and to carry and fetch intelligence, to ascertain whether it was as we had reported; the horsemen finding it true, instead of returning and informing the officers, as they were ordered to, fired their carbines, one into the house, the ball lodging in the bedpost where the parson and his wife were in bed, and the other into the garden or door yard; the British finding they were discovered, walked off with themselves without even returning a single shot. We were sorry then that we had not given them a loving salute as we passed them, and thus saved the horsemen the trouble. This was one among many of the sly methods the British took to surprise and take our guards.

At another time I was upon the Elizabethtown station; being one night on my post as sentinel, I observed a stir among the troops composing the detachment; I inquired the cause, of a passing officer, who told me the British were upon Holstead's point, which was a point of land about two miles from the main body of the detachment, where we had a guard consisting of a sergeant, a corporal, and ten privates. The circumstances were as follows, the guard informed the man of the house where the guard was kept (a Mr. Holstead, the owner of the land that formed the point) that they had heard boats pass and repass at some distance below, during the night. He said they were the British, and that they had landed some of the Refugees, as that neighbourhood abounded with such sort of cattle, but that it would be next to impossible to detect them, as they had so many friends in that quarter, and many of the enemy belonging to those parts, they knew every lurking place in all the neighbouring country; the only way for the guard was, to be vigilant and prevent a surprise. When the guard was relieved in the morning, the new one was informed of these circumstances, and cautioned to be on the look out.

Accordingly at night, they consulted with Mr.