Page:The Hessians and the other German auxiliaries of Great Britain in the revolutionary war.djvu/175

 fifteen hundred men, of whom about five hundred were Germans, marched out for the reconnoissance, with eight brass cannon and two howitzers. The four generals were with the party, which was made up from all the regiments in the army. They advanced into a clearing about three quarters of a mile from the American left flank—a wretched position, according to Riedesel, where they could see nothing of the enemy. Brigadier-general Fraser commanded on the right of the line, the German detachments were in the centre, Major Ackland, with the English grenadiers, on the left. It was determined to await an attack, and Brigadier-general Fraser undertook to carry off the forage from two barns in the neighborhood. Small detachments of the enemy appeared from time to time, and the party “amused themselves” by firing cannon at them, until suddenly a heavy fire of musketry was heard on the left, and presently Ackland's grenadiers came running in, leaving their commander wounded behind them.

The German left flank was thus uncovered and thrown back in confusion, and the Hessian cannon exposed. These continued for some time in action, but were finally taken. The British right seems to have held out longer than the rest of the line, but after a while General Fraser was mortally wounded and his men were driven back, though in better order than the left flank had preserved. The Germans also