274 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

found themselves face to face with the dense columns of British troops, and turning back in dismay, became mingled hopelessly with the troops from the extreme left of Sullivans line, who were hurrying forward to escape by the same road. The confused strife—for a battle it was not—which ensued is too terrible for the imagination to dwell upon. Broken up into small handfuls, the unfortunate Americans, fighting hopelessly ‘but desperately, were tossed to and fro between British and Hessian bayonets. No mercy was shown;’ the hireling mercenaries of Britain glutted themselves

1 An officer in Gen. Frazer’s Bat., 71st Reg’t, writes : “The Hessians and our brave Highlanders gave no quarters; and it was a fine sight to see with what alacrity they dispatched the rebels with their bayonets, after we had surrounded them so they could not resist. We took care to tell the Hessians that the rebels had resolved to give no quarter—to them in particular—which made them fight desperately, and put to death all that came into their hands.”

Another British officer of rank, and more humane and generous of heart, writes: “The Americans fought bravely, and (to do them justice) could not be broken till they were greatly outnumbered and taken in flank, front and rear. We were greatly shocked at the massacre made by the Hessians and Highlanders, after victory was decided.”

Max von Elking (Hist. of the German Auxiliary troops in the North American War of Independence, 1. 33 et alios), in reference to this point, says: “Great excitement and rage on the part of the Hessians cannot be denied, but it was chiefly caused by some squads of the enemy (Americans), who, after being surrounded and having asked for quarter, fired again upon the unsuspecting Hessians, who had advanced towards them (to accept their surrender). The British surpassed the Hessians in that respect. Col. von Heeringen, in his letter to Col. von Loseberg, remarks, ‘The English did not give much quarter, and continually incited our troops to do the same.’ We have seen in his letter, as previously quoted, how treacherously Col. John acted towards the Hessian grenadier, and how the Pennsylvania regiment, after having been surrounded, gave another volley. The natural consequence of this was an increase of the fury of well-disciplined troops, unused to such a manner of fighting. That the Hessians did not massacre all their enemies, we have seen from the fact that the regiment Rall, encountering a squad of Americans, made them prisoners without any cruelty.” Many Americans did not accept quarter from the Hessians. ‘They were so much frightened,’ writes Lieut. Buffer in his diary, ‘that they preferred being shot down to taking quarter, because their generals and officers had told them that they would be hanged.’

“The conquerors showed their contempt for the conquered by putting them to the guns, which they had to draw, over very bad roads, to the ships; although this appears to have been more the result of necessity than of insolence, as there were no horses, and the English and German troops, already very exhausted, would otherwise have been obliged to do it themselves.” “Howe treated the captive generals with great civility; Stirling and Sullivan dined with him almost every day.”

Max von Elking gives what may be considered the Hessian version of this engagement: “As soon as Gen. von Heister heard the reports of artillery on his right, and