with one company, as a reserve. In the centre
Captain von Wrede attacked, and had the battalion von
Minnigerode behind him. On the right Captain Lory
pressed on, supported by the three remaining
companies of Linsig's battalion” [Battalion von Linsingen].
In describing this arrangement of the troops, the
writer refers only to the brigade in which he served.
The Hessians, forming the centre of the British force,
were posted on the Flatbush road. The right, under
Clinton and Lord Percy, with Sir William Howe, had
started early in the morning and succeeded in turning
the left wing of the American position, near Bedford,
and in getting in its rear. On hearing the cannon on
his right, Heister ordered the Hessians to advance.
The battle was substantially lost and won before the
first shot was fired, the Americans having been
outflanked. The latter saw themselves in danger of being
cut off from their fortifications, and fled. A few of
them were drowned in Gowanus Creek while trying to
escape. Two whole regiments would probably have
been captured but for the bravery of General Stirling,
who selected five companies of Marylanders, with
whom he covered the retreat of the rest. Of these five
companies only eight men escaped death or capture.
We return to our Hessian-officer and his narrative.
“My chasseurs were so eager that I had hardly got into the wood when I found myself alone with my command. I came into the middle of the rebel camp, where they still were, saw on my left their great camp, on my right a fortification, and fifty or sixty men were forming in column before me. But we left them no time and beat them completely. Many were shot and
