At 3 o'clock this morning the Army moved in 2 Columns, the
right Lord Cornwallis-left Major General Vaughan—the Right Column took the
Woodbridge Road and the left the Brunswick road but turned off the road to
Metuchin meeting and 1200 men were sent on to take post at Bonham town way to
Brunswick from Amboy and the 2 Columns encamped this night at Westfield. A
continued firing most of this day's march. Lord Sterling and General Maxwell
with 3000 men and 4 brass field pieces principally opposed us near Westfield,
but were put to flight leaving behind 3 Brass Field pieces, 3 Pounders one
French and 2 English. Supposed to have killed this day about 50 of the Rebels
and took 64 prisoners in arms and about 500 head of horned cattle. Washington
with the gross of his Army made off very early with the utmost Expedition and
his Baggage and retired to his old post on the Shannoc mountain. The heat of
the weather was such that we lost 9 men on the march by it. We had no men
Killed and about 20 wounded and a Captain in the Guards shot through the Body.
Great want of water as the Inhabitants had choaked several of their wells. Most
of the Houses were abandoned, what were not had only women and children. The
rebel army had moved from the Mountain Country leaving there taken post at
Quibbletown three miles South of the mountain. The Engineers and Artificers
were divided with the 2 Columns—two Established and an Assistant Engineer to
each, myself with the Commander in Chief. The first body that fired on our
right Column was about 1500 men under a General Conway and 3 field pieces,
which were soon routed with loss by the usual Intrepidity of Light Infantry.
Lord Chewton, aid de Camp to Lord Cornwallis had his horse shot under him. One
man raved with a coup de soleil and fired at our own flankers. Amongst the
prisoners a Major, 2 Captains and an Adjutant the latter shot through the
thigh.
SOURCE: G. D. Scull, Editor, The Montresor Journals,
pp. 424-5
