Identifier: battlerollencycl00perc (find matches)
Title: The battle roll: an encyclopedia containing descriptions of the most famous and memorable land battles and sieges in all ages
Year: 1858 (1850s)
Authors: Perce, Elbert, 1831-1869
Subjects: Battles
Publisher: New York, Mason brothers
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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y with the foe; hand to hand,and breast to breast they struggled desperately,swaying backward and forward between theopposing ranks of the enemy. Some with thecourage of despair hewed their way throughthe walls of bayonets and swords which en-compassed them, and escaped to Putnamscamp, the others were slain to a man. TheHessians slaughtered the patriots with thefury of fiends, giving no quarter. It was afine sight, wrote a British officer, to seewith what alacrity they dispatched the rebelswith their bayonets, after we had surroufidedthem and they could 7iot resist. The left wingand center of the American army being thusdiscomfited, the English, under CornwaUis,made a quick movement against the rear ofthe right wing. Here General Stirhng wasengaged with Grant. Attacked thus in frontand rear, Sthhng saw no means of escape,except across Gowanus Creek. This couldonly be efiected by keeping Cornwalls atbay with a few troops, while the others shouldmake their escape. He at once change^ his
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I! \ I T I h Ol )1 \ -^ i I \ BRIENNE. 129 front, and placing himself at the head of abody of men (whose names should be writtenin letters of gold for their noble sacrifice onthis day,) commanded by Major Grist, he ledthem against the troops of Cornwallis. Fight-ing for the lives of their countrymen theAmericans fell upon the British with theutmost fury. The carnage was terrible. Fortwenty minutes that gallant Uttle band heldthe British in check, and even drove themback, and thus afforded the remainder of hiscorps an opportunity to cross the creek; butthe bed of the stream was miry, and manyof them sank into the quicksand beneath itsturbid waters, in death. But at length, whennearly all his brave men were slain, Stirlingwas overwhelmed, and was himself takenprisoner. The battle ended with Stirlingsdefeat. The loss of the Americans in thisbattle has been variously stated. It is thought,however, to have been about 2,000 in killed,wounded, and prisoners. This number islarge considering t

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