288 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

Meanwhile, a Mrs. John Rapalje, living near the ferry at Brooklyn, and whose husband had been sent into the interior of New Jersey on suspicion of Toryism, shrewdly surmised, from the accumulation of boats on the beach and other movements which came within her

ment of the Flying Camp of the State of New York were, in the beginning of the night, posted by me. They showed so much uneasiness at their station, that I petitioned General Mifflin to suffer them to march off, lest they might communicate the panic with which they were seized to my people. The general granted my request, and they marched off accordingly. After that nothing remarkable happened at my post till about two o’clock in the morning, when Alexander Scammell, since AdjutantGeneral, who that day acted as A. D. C. to the commander-in-chief, came from the left, inquiring for General Mifflin, who happened to be with me at the time. Scammell told him that the boats were waiting, and the commander-in-chief anxious for the arrival of the troops at the ferry. General Mifflin said he thought he must be mistaken; that lie did not imagine the general could mean the troops he immediately commanded. Scammell replied lie was not mistaken; adding that lie came from the extreme left, and had ordered all the troops be had met to march; that in consequence they were then in motion, and that he would go on to give the same orders. General Mifflin then ordered me to call in my advanced pickets and sentinels, to collect and form my regiment, and to march as soon as possible, and quitted me. Having marched into the great road leading to the church, I fell in with the troops returning from the left of the line. Having arrived at the left of the church, I halted to take up my camp equipage, which, in the course of the night, I had carried there by a small party. General Mifflin came up at the instant, and asked the reason of the halt. I told him, and he seemed very much displeased, and exclaimed: ‘Damn your pots and kettles, I wish the devil had them; march on!’ I obeyed, but had not gone far before I perceived the front had halted, and hastening to inquire the cause, I met the commander-in-chief, who perceived me, and said, ‘Is not that Colonel Hand?’ I replied in the affirmative. His Excellency said he was surprised at me in particular; that he did not suppose I would have abandoned my post. I answered that I had not abandoned it; that I had marched by order of my immediate commanding officer. He said it was impossible. I told hin I hoped, if I could satisfy him I had the orders of General Mifflin, lie would not think me particularly to blame. He said he undoubtedly would not. General Mifflin then coming up, and asking what the matter was, his Excellency said, 'Good God! General Mifflin, I am afraid you have rained us by so unseasonably withdrawing the troops from the lines.' General Mifflin replied, with some warmth, 'I did it by your order.' His Excellency declared it could not be. Gen. Mifflin swore, ‘By God, I did,’ and asked: ‘Did Scammel act as an A. D. C. for the day, or did he not?’ His Excellency acknowledged he did. ‘Then,’ said Mifflin, ‘I had orders through him.’ The general replied it was a dreadful mistake, and informed him that matters were in much confusion at the ferry, and unless we could resume our posts before the enemy discovered we had left them, in all probability the most disagreeable consequences would follow. We immediately returned, and had the good fortune to recover our former stations and keep them for some hours longer, without the enemy perceiving what was going forward.”

Colonel Tallmadge: “As the dawn approached, those of us who remained in the trenches became very anxious for our safety, at which time there were several regiments still on duty, and a dense fog began to rise and seemed to settle over both encampments. go dense was the atmosphere that a man could not be discerned six