Life and Times of Washington, vol 2 (Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched) | Page 8

2,000 men, attempted to surprise and cut off General Lincoln, who,
with 500 men, was posted at Bound Brook, seven miles from
Brunswick, and nearly succeeded in their enterprise. But by a bold and
rapid movement Lincoln, when almost surrounded, forced his way
between the British columns and escaped, with the loss of sixty men,
his papers, three field pieces, and some baggage.
At that early period of the campaign Howe attempted no grand
movement against the main body of the army under Washington at
Morristown, but he made several efforts to interrupt his
communications, destroy his stores, and impede his operations. He had
received information that the Americans had collected a large quantity
of stores in the town of Danbury and in other places on the borders of
Connecticut. These he resolved to destroy, and appointed
Major-General Tryon of the Provincials, who panted for glory in his
newly-acquired character, to command an expedition for that purpose,

but prudently directed Generals Agnew and Sir William Erskine to
accompany him.
On the 25th of April (1777) the fleet appeared off the coast of
Connecticut, and in the evening the troops were landed without
opposition between Fairfield and Norwalk. General Silliman, then
casually in that part of the country, immediately dispatched expresses
to assemble the militia. In the meantime Tryon proceeded to Danbury
which he reached about 2 the next day. On his approach Colonel
Huntingdon, who had occupied the town with about 150 men, retired to
a neighboring height, and Danbury, with the magazines it contained,
was consumed by fire.
General Arnold, who was also in the State superintending the recruiting
service, joined General Silliman at Reading, where that officer had
collected about 500 militia. General Wooster, who had resigned his
commission in the Continental service, and been appointed
major-general of the militia, fell in with them at the same place, and
they proceeded in the night through a heavy rain to Bethel, about eight
miles from Danbury. Having heard next morning that Tryon, after
destroying the town and magazines, was returning, they divided their
troops, and General Wooster, with about 300 men, fell in his rear, while
Arnold, with about 500, crossing the country, took post in his front at
Ridgefield. Wooster came up with his rear about 11 in the morning,
attacked it with great gallantry, and a sharp skirmish ensued in which
he was mortally wounded, [2] and his troops were repulsed.
Tryon then proceeded to Ridgefield where he found Arnold already
entrenched on a strong piece of ground, and prepared to dispute his
passage. A warm skirmish ensued, which continued nearly an hour.
Arnold was at length driven from the field after which he retreated to
Paugatuck, about three miles east of Norwalk.
At break of day next morning, after setting Ridgefield on fire, the
British resumed their march. About 11 in the forenoon, April 28th
(1777), they were again met by Arnold, whose numbers increased
during the day to rather more than 1,000 men, among whom were some
Continental troops. A continued skirmishing was kept up until 5 in the
afternoon, when the British formed on a hill near their ships. The
Americans attacked them with intrepidity, but were repulsed and
broken. Tryon, availing himself of this respite, re-embarked his troops

and returned to New York.
The loss of the British amounted to about 170 men. [3] That of the
Americans was represented by Tryon as being much more considerable.
By themselves it was not admitted to exceed 100. In this number,
however, were comprehended General Wooster, Lieutenant-Colonel
Gould, and another field officer, killed, and Colonel Lamb wounded.
Several other officers and volunteers were killed. Military and hospital
stores to a considerable amount, which were greatly needed by the
army, were destroyed in the magazines at Danbury, but the loss most
severely felt was rather more than 1,000 tents which had been provided
for the campaign about to open.
Not long afterward this enterprise was successfully retaliated. A British
detachment had been for some time employed in collecting forage and
provisions on the eastern end of Long Island. Howe supposed this part
of the country to be so completely secured by the armed vessels which
incessantly traversed the Sound, that he confided the protection of the
stores deposited at a small port called Sag Harbor to a schooner with
twelve guns and a company of infantry.
General Parsons, who commanded a few recruits at New Haven,
thinking it practicable to elude the cruisers in the bay, formed the
design of surprising this party and other adjacent posts, the execution of
which was entrusted to Lieutenant-Colonel Meigs, a gallant officer who
had accompanied Arnold in his memorable march to Quebec. He
embarked with about 230 men on board 13 whale-boats, and proceeded
along the coast to Guilford, where he