HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 271

Barracks.”1 Then, as the patriots awaited the enemy’s attack, Stirling addressed them in a brief and pithy speech, and reminding them that he had heard Gen. Grant, the commander of that advancing column, boast in the British Parliament, only a few months before, that the Americans could not fight, and that, with 5,000 men, he would undertake to march from one end of the continent to the other, he exclaimed, as he pointed to the head of Gowanus Bay, “Grant may have his 5,000 men with him now—we are not so many—but I think we are enough to prevent his advancing further on his march than that mill-pond.”

Just then the British vanguard came within range of Atlee’s men, who gave them two or three rounds with spirit, and fell back on Blokje’s Barracks, which brought him on the left of Stirling, who was on the hills. At this moment Col. Kichline’s rifle corps, Col. De Haas’ battalion, and Capt. Carpenter, with two field-pieces, came up. Gen. Stirling immediately posted a portion of Kichline’s riflemen behind a hedge at the foot of the hills, and a portion in front of the wood, while a detachment of light troops were ordered to occupy the orchard just left by Atlee, and behind some hedges. It was now broad daylight, and a brisk skirmishing was maintained for two hours between the British and American light troops, until Carpenter managed, with some difficulty, to get his two cannon into position on the hill, and then his fire, combined with Kichline’s rifles,

1 Near the intersection of 3d avenue and 23d street, the old road passed over a small hill known as “Blokje’s Berg,” north of which was a ditch which drained a morass and swamp lying east of said hill, into Gowanus Cove. The road crossed the ditch on a small bridge. The British column is said to have advanced as far as this hill, when it was checked by the Americans who had taken a Position on the north side of this ditch and morass, the easterly end of which abutted on the woods. Owing to the strong natural impediment which the morass and ditch afforded to the advance of the British, the American riflemen were enabled to make fearful havoc among the ranks of the foe, before they could be dislodged. Many of the British were killed and buried in pits along the borders of the morass. (See ante, pp. 58, 59.)

In advancing from the Narrows, the British compelled many of the residents to accompany them in the capacity of guides. Peter Bennet, of Gowanus, stated that himself and one of his neighbors, acting in this capacity, under compulsion, in guiding a small detachment across the fields in the vicinity of the swamp at Blokje’s Berg, stumbled upon a body of American riflemen, sheltered behind one of the hedges which formed a farm boundary, who shot down nearly the whole body of the enemy in their front, leaving himself and fellow guide standing almost alone. It is needless to say that the few survivors beat a hasty retreat. Communicated by Hon. T. 0. Bergen, of New Utrecht.