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DEATH OF GENERAL ROSS. 109
When the Americans heard of these proceedings of the enemy, several
officers volunteered to dislodge him. Levering's and Howard's companies,
about one hundred and fifty in number,,from the 5th regiment, under Major
Richard K. Heath; Captain Aisquith's and a few other riflemen, about
seventy in all; one small piece of artillery with ten men under Lieutenant
Stiles, and the cavalry, were pushed forward to surprise the enemy, and
provoke a general engagement.
With the force mentioned, Major Heath pursued his inarch to the front,
under the belief that the enemy were two miles off. After proceeding about
half a mile, the major ordered the riflemen to deploy as skirmishers, upon
both flanks in advance, to guard against an ambuscade. The order had
just been given, and the riflemen were on the point of diverging to the right
and left, while the column moved steadily down the road, when, as the head
of it ascended a small eminence, there appeared at the distance of about one
hundred and fifty yards, the van guard of the enemy's forces, moving up. A
sharp fire was immediately opened upon both sides. The American infantry
occupied the road, while the riflemen who had taken position upon the flanks,
but not yet left the column, availed themselves of whatever advantages the
ground afforded, to use their weapons with effect. An order was given to
move the piece of artillery to the front, which was obeyed, but it was withdrawn without being used. The British light troops deployed rapidly in
open order, to the right and. left, advancing into the thick wood which skirted
the American right, and hastening to gain a copse of wood standing in a field
upon the American left.
At this time, says our narrator, the skirmish was " tolerably hot and
extremely animated." " The Americans," he continues—
" As individuals, were at least our equals in the skill with which they used the weapon,
yet, from the very commencement, it was, on our part, a continual advance, on theirs a
continual retreat. We drove them from thicket to thicket, and tree to tree, not, indeed,
with any heavy loss, for they were no less expert in finding shelter than in taking aim;
but occasionally bringing down an individual as he was running from one cover to
another. Our own loss, again, was very trifling. Two men killed and about a dozen
wounded, made up the sum of our casualties; and it may with truth be asserted, that
everything was going on as the general himself could* have wished. But unhappily he
was not satisfied of this. The firing struck him as being more heavy and more continued
than it ought to be; he was apprehensive that we had fallen into some serious ambuscade,
and, unwilling to trifle with the safety even of a few companies, he rode forward for the
purpose of satisfying himself that they were safe. How bitterly had the whole expedition
cause to lament that step! He had scarcely entered the wood when an American rifleman singled him out; he fired, and the ball, true to its mark, pierced his side. When the
general received his death-wound I chanced to be standing at no great distance from him;
I saw that he was struck, for the reins dropped instantly from his hand, and he leaned
forward upon the pommel of his saddle ; and though I would not suffer myself to imagine
that there was any danger, I hastened towards him, but I arrived too late. His horse
making a movement forward, he lost his seat, and, but for the intervention of his aid-de-
camp's arm, must have fallen to the ground. As it was, we could only lay him at length
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000136 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | DEATH OF GENERAL ROSS. 109 When the Americans heard of these proceedings of the enemy, several officers volunteered to dislodge him. Levering's and Howard's companies, about one hundred and fifty in number,,from the 5th regiment, under Major Richard K. Heath; Captain Aisquith's and a few other riflemen, about seventy in all; one small piece of artillery with ten men under Lieutenant Stiles, and the cavalry, were pushed forward to surprise the enemy, and provoke a general engagement. With the force mentioned, Major Heath pursued his inarch to the front, under the belief that the enemy were two miles off. After proceeding about half a mile, the major ordered the riflemen to deploy as skirmishers, upon both flanks in advance, to guard against an ambuscade. The order had just been given, and the riflemen were on the point of diverging to the right and left, while the column moved steadily down the road, when, as the head of it ascended a small eminence, there appeared at the distance of about one hundred and fifty yards, the van guard of the enemy's forces, moving up. A sharp fire was immediately opened upon both sides. The American infantry occupied the road, while the riflemen who had taken position upon the flanks, but not yet left the column, availed themselves of whatever advantages the ground afforded, to use their weapons with effect. An order was given to move the piece of artillery to the front, which was obeyed, but it was withdrawn without being used. The British light troops deployed rapidly in open order, to the right and. left, advancing into the thick wood which skirted the American right, and hastening to gain a copse of wood standing in a field upon the American left. At this time, says our narrator, the skirmish was " tolerably hot and extremely animated." " The Americans," he continues— " As individuals, were at least our equals in the skill with which they used the weapon, yet, from the very commencement, it was, on our part, a continual advance, on theirs a continual retreat. We drove them from thicket to thicket, and tree to tree, not, indeed, with any heavy loss, for they were no less expert in finding shelter than in taking aim; but occasionally bringing down an individual as he was running from one cover to another. Our own loss, again, was very trifling. Two men killed and about a dozen wounded, made up the sum of our casualties; and it may with truth be asserted, that everything was going on as the general himself could* have wished. But unhappily he was not satisfied of this. The firing struck him as being more heavy and more continued than it ought to be; he was apprehensive that we had fallen into some serious ambuscade, and, unwilling to trifle with the safety even of a few companies, he rode forward for the purpose of satisfying himself that they were safe. How bitterly had the whole expedition cause to lament that step! He had scarcely entered the wood when an American rifleman singled him out; he fired, and the ball, true to its mark, pierced his side. When the general received his death-wound I chanced to be standing at no great distance from him; I saw that he was struck, for the reins dropped instantly from his hand, and he leaned forward upon the pommel of his saddle ; and though I would not suffer myself to imagine that there was any danger, I hastened towards him, but I arrived too late. His horse making a movement forward, he lost his seat, and, but for the intervention of his aid-de- camp's arm, must have fallen to the ground. As it was, we could only lay him at length |
