m to precede the main body, but also to keep in
his rear; and if they discovered an enemy, to ride up to his side and
inform him of it, without speaking aloud. While leisurely approaching
the place of rendezvous in this order, in the early gray of the morning,
the two men directly in his rear, forgetting their orders, suddenly
called out, 'Colonel, the British!' faced about, and putting spurs to
their horses, were soon out of sight. The colonel, looking around,
discovered that he was in the centre of a powerful ambuscade, into
which the enemy had silently allowed him to pass, without his observing
them. They lined both sides of the road, and had been stationed there to
pick up any straggling party of the Americans that might chance to pass.
Immediately on finding they were discovered, a file of soldiers rose
from the side of the highway, and fired at the colonel, but without
effect; and as he put spurs to his horse, and mounted the road-side into
the woods, the other part of the detachment also fired. The colonel
miraculously escaped; but a shot striking his horse upon the flank, he
dashed through the woods, and in a few minutes reached a parallel road
upon the opposite side of the forest. Being familiar with the country,
he feared to turn to the left, as that course led to the city, and he
might be intercepted by another ambuscade. Turning, therefore, to the
right, his frightened horse carried him swiftly beyond the reach of
those who had fired upon him. All at once, however, on emerging from a
piece of woods, he observed several British troopers stationed near the
road-side, and directly in sight ahead, a farm-house, around which he
observed a whole troop of the enemy's cavalry drawn up. He dashed by the
troopers near him without being molested, they believing he was on his
way to the main body to surrender himself. The farm-house was situated
at the intersection of two roads, presenting but a few avenues by which
he could escape Nothing daunted by the formidable array before him, he
galloped up to the cross-roads, on reaching which, he spurred his active
horse, turned suddenly to the right, and was soon fairly out of reach
of their pistols, though as he turned he heard them call loudly to
surrender or die! A dozen were instantly in pursuit; but in a short time
they all gave up the chase except two. Colonel M'Lean's horse, scared by
the first wound he had ever received, and being a chosen animal, kept
ahead for several