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British Excursion into Westchester, New York

From Diary of the American Revolution, Vol II. Compiled by Frank Moore and published in 1859.

September 16.—Early this morning, Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, with the Queen’s Rangers, Lieutenant-Colonel Emmerick, with the chasseurs, and a detachment of the second battalion of General De Lancey’s brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton, with the dragoons of the legion, and one troop of Colonel Emmerick’s, and the Hessian Jagers, moved from their respective encampments near King’s Bridge. Lieutenant-Colonels Simcoe and Emmerick marched undiscovered between two rebel pickets, and got one mile and a half in the rear of a body of two hundred and thirty select Virginia riflemen, strongly posted in front on Babcock’s Heights, under the command of Colonel Gist. Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton inarched to Colonel Philip’s farm. About six in the morning, Lieutenant-Colonel Emmerick, with the detachment of De Lancey’s, attacked the rebels, and though discovered when going to attack, killed three on the spot, wounded several, and took thirty-five prisoners, among which are three officers. The rebels were so briskly charged, that many of them forgot their arms, &c., and fled with the utmost precipitation; their colonel in particular, scampering off without his breeches or boots, and ’tis thought he was wounded in his flight. At the same time, Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton, with the dragoons, charged a body of rebels posted on Valentine’s Hill, but as the enemy were near a very thick wood, they took shelter where the horse could not possibly act, which prevented their sustaining any other loss than the capture of a few of their number. The only loss sustained by his Majesty’s troops in both attacks, was one horse of Emmerick’s killed.1

 

1 Gaine’s Mercury, September 21.