at the head of some of His Majesty's deluded subjects, has threatened to plant a French colony on Richmond redoubts. The Lieutenant-Colonel believes the report to be a gasconade; but as the evident ruin of the enemy's affairs may prompt them to some desperate attempt, the Queen's Rangers will lay in their clothes this night ; and have their bayonets in perfect order."

The Highlanders immediately assembled and marched to the redoubts which, in the distribution of posts, was allotted them to defend, and displaying their national banner, with which they used to commemorate their Saint's day, fixed it on the ramparts saying, "No Frenchman or rebel shall ever pull that down."

The rumoured attack proved to be only a false alarm, and the Rangers were permitted to pass the remainder of the year in comparative peace.

ग

CHAPTER V.

CAMPAIGN OF 1781.

HE Campaign of 1781 commenced with an expedition into Virginia under command of General Arnold. The Queen's Rangers

formed a part of the force in this expedition, which sailed from Sandy Hook, reaching the point of their destination at Hood's Point, on James' River, on 3rd January. General Arnold ordered Lieut.-Col. Simcoe to land with one hundred and thirty of the Queen's Rangers, and the Light Infantry, and Grenadiers of the 80th Regiment. Shortly after landing the expedition was pushed on up the river to Westover, and thence on for Richmond, the intended point of attack. On the second day's march from Westover towards Richmond, some of the enemy's militia were met; they were deceived by the dress of the Queen's Rangers, and met with one of those military jokes on the part of Lieut.-Col. Simcoe which surprised the Continentals not a little. As the militia approached Lieut.-Col. Simcoe, they thought that the Rangers, dressed in green like themselves, were of their party.

Lieut.-Col. Simcoe reprimanded them for not coming sooner, held conversation with them, and then sent them prisoners to General Arnold. The word now came, "On to Richmond!" The command was obeyed; the heights in rear of the town were gained; then the lower town; the defenders were panic-stricken, fled from the place; were pursued several miles, and some of the enemy captured, besides horses, much wanted for the service. On Lieut.-Col. Simcoe's return, he met with orders from General Arnold to march to the foundry at Westham, six miles from Richmond, and to destroy it; this he accomplished, taking the powder stored in the magazine there and pouring it into the water. Soon after this, while the troops were halting at Westover, information was obtained that the enemy was assembled at the Charles City Court-House; an advance was made to surprise and attack the enemy at this point. The advance guard made a prisoner of one of the patrols met on the way, gained the enemy's countersign, which stood them in good stead in the prosecution of the enterprise, marched on and succeeded in their undertaking. The Continental Militia were at that place commanded by General Nelson, and consisted of seven or eight hundred men; they were completely frightened and dispersed. Serjeant Adams of the Queen's Rangers Hussars was mortally wounded in the attack on Charles City Court

House. This gallant soldier, sensible of his situation, said, "My beloved Colonel, I do not mind dying but for God's sake, do not leave me in the hands of the rebels." Serjeant Adams died at Westover on the 9th January the corps attended his funeral; he was buried in the colours which had been displayed and taken from Hood's battery. The British troops had much reason to know at this time that they were really in the enemies' country-there were enemies to the right of them, to the left of them, and in front of them. The Rangers were on constant duty, ranging over the country feeling the enemy, skirmishing and attacking outposts. Stratagem to capture the enemy was often resorted to. General Arnold employed the garrison in fortifying the post at Portsmouth, the primary object of his expedition. On the 29th January Lieut.-Col. Simcoe was sent to fortify the post at Great Bridge; here the rebels continually fired at the Ranger sentries at night, which became very annoying; the troops had much hard and fatiguing duty during the day, which demanded of them as much quiet as possible during the night; this induced them to place decoy sentinels for the enemy to fire at instead of the real ones they supposed them. A figure was dressed up with a blanket coat, and posted in the road by which the enemy would probably advance, and files resembling those of a piquet, were placed at the cus

tomary distance.

At midnight the rebels arrived, and fired twenty or thirty shots at the effigy. As they ran across the road, they exposed themselves to the shots of two sentinels; they then made off. The next day an officer happening to come in with a flag of truce, he was shown the figure, and was made sensible of the inhumanity of firing at a sentinel, when no further attack was intended. Lieut.-Col. Simcoe says in his journal, "This ridicule probably had a good effect, as during the stay of the Queen's Rangers at Great Bridge, no sentinel was fired at."

General Arnold on the 13th of February received information of the arrival of three French ships of the line. Captain Alberson, the gallant master of the Empress of Russia, Lieut.-Col. Simcoe's transport, was anxious and offered his services to lay him and the Queen's Rangers on board any of the French ships. Lieut.-Col. Simcoe, like many others, felt that without the assistance the French afforded to the Revolutionists the war would be brought to a speedy determination, Hence his wish at any and all times to engage in an attack on the French, the American allies.

The campaigning in Virginia still continued. The American Militia assembling at Hampton, Lieut -Col. Dundas passed over from Portsmouth to dislodge them. What part the Rangers bore in this expedition cannot be better detailed than in the modest recital of Quarter