[Extract] Honoured sir
in haste I am to acquaint you that the [enemy] Came up Last night with 2 fregets and five or six Ship[s]1 also and tenders and about 40 flat Botomed Boats and Landed about 3 thousand men under the Command of governer tryon They amediately took the haights above tarry town and from thence kept the Haights until they thought they had goot above our party But Luckily we had goot above them and peraed at mr youngses where we thought Best to move towards them where we in open vew of them and found them to be vastly superiour to us in numbers and moved of[f] to Rights mills Having no asestance more than our Littel partey Belonging to our Regiment I found on our Retreat Before we goot Back to younges they had Sent forward a flag But found that was in vew of trappaning us as they had flanking parties who we descovered in order to Soround us But after Chasing the Regment I Rode Back and met the flag within a quater of a mile of their main Body The purport of his arrend was that governer Tryon Had Sent him to acquaint me that if we would give up our arms and Submit they would Show us mersy or otherways they were determined to take us and Strip the Contre Sent in answer that as Long as we had a man alive I was determined to apose them and they might Come on as so[o]n as they pleased we have not Lost a man and the Last move of the Enemy was from youngses towards the plains2....
Henry Ludinton3
3 oclock october 4th 1777 at Rites mills
PS I Believe the inhabitants are intirely Stript where they goe.
L, MiD, Israel Putnam Correspondence, 1777-1792. Addressed: "upon the publick Service/To/The Honarable Major/ general Isarael Putnam/ at Peekskill/Pr one of the Light horse."
1. H.M. frigates Tartar and Mercury, brig Diligent and galleys Dependence and Spitfire with a number of transports.
2. White Plains.
3. Col., New York Militia.
