allness of his force, he took off his hat
and huzzaed with all his might, at the same time advancing toward a
small stone house near by, and in face of the Indians, who supposing
that the troops were coming up from Pinebush, took the alarm and
skulked off in every direction. But no sooner had Hardenbergh and his
company reached the house, when the Indians discovering the ruse,
poured a shower of bullets after them just as they were safely within
the door. Here they found six militia men besides, making sixteen in
all, and being well armed, made all preparations to hold their
position against the invaders. With an ax they broke a series of
loop-holes in the rear of the house and through the sides of the steep
roof, thus commanding its approaches on all sides. The enemy advanced
several times to carry the house by assault, but as some of their
number were doomed to fall at every onset, they as often gave way, and
at length were compelled to relinquish the attack, leaving thirteen
dead upon the field. In the meanwhile the firing had aroused the
neighborhood, and Col. Henry Pawling with a detachment of State
Levies, stationed about six miles from the scene of action, hastened
forward, but arrived too late to have a brush with the enemy, and only
in season to capture a straggler, who had lingered for fruit, near an
apple orchard. Cauldwell was in full retreat, and though pursued by
Colonel Pawling with his regiment of Levies and Colonel Cantine with a
regiment of State Militia, for some days, finally escaped. The enemy,
however, suffered severely and besides losing a number of men, were so
near starvation that they were obliged to eat their dogs before they
reached Niagara, the point from which they had started on their errand
of pillage and murder. This was the last attempt of the kind made upon
the frontier settlements, which had suffered so severely from repeated
invasions of Indians and Tories during the Revolution. It was designed
to be a finishing blow upon that region, and as we have seen, it was
largely due to the bravery and military tact of Captain Hardenbergh
that the stroke was averted.[8]

At the close of the war, during the entire period of which he had been
in active service, he returned to his native place, to share the
fruits of Independence with peace, which he had done so much to
secure. He had justly acquired the reputation of a brave and skillful
officer, and his name still appears on the Roll of Honor i