in the afternoon, by the enemy in full
force. The party under Cols. Bruyn and McClaughry, fell in with them two
miles from the fort, when the enemy hailing McClaughry, who took the
lead, inquired how many men he had. "Ten to your one, d----n you,"
replied the undaunted colonel. But the enemy being so superior in
numbers, our people had to retreat, as of course they had expected, yet
keeping up a galling fusilade upon the foe. While doing so, the ground
being very rough and in places steep, Capt. James Humphrey, McClaughry's
brother in law, lost his gun (for then the American captains carried
both a gun and sword), or as others say, and which seems most correct,
had it broken by a shot from the enemy. In this dilemma he asked
McClaughry what he should do. "Throw stones like the devil," replied the
latter in thunder tones! The party on the Furnace road were strengthened
to upwards of an hundred, and kept their field piece playing lively upon
the cautiously advancing foe, doing great execution, till the cannoniers
were driven off with the bayonet, the enemy almost surrounding them. But
spiking the gun, they retreated in good order to a twelve pounder, which
by the Governor's direction had been placed to cover them, and also
keeping up the engagement with small arms, till most of them got within
the breastwork of the fort. The late Lieut. Timothy Mix, of Lamb's
Artillery, and who died at New Haven in 1824, aged 85 years, was of this
party. While in the act of firing the cannon his right hand was disabled
by a musket shot. Instantly seizing the match with his left, he touched
off the piece!

Clinton immediately posted his men in the most advantageous manner for
defending the works, and before many minutes the enemy, advancing in
several columns, reached the walls and invested them on every side where
possible to do so. Cannon planted at the entrances mowed them down as
they ascended the hill, but the breach was immediately closed up, and
they pressed on to the assault. The attack now became general on both
forts, and was kept up incessantly for some time; though the smallness
of our numbers (about 500, in both forts), which required every man to
be upon continual duty and demanded unremitted exertion, fatigued our
people greatly, while the enemy, whose number was thought to be at least
4,000, continued to press us with fresh troops. Yet notwithstanding
their utmost efforts, the enemy were many times repulsed and beaten back