He
describes their dress minutely. One was in hussar uniform. The
other was in a dark green and blue uniform with a high cocked hat
and was mounted on a bay horse:
"I ordered three good shots to steal near to and fire at them;
but the idea disgusting me, I recalled the order. The hussar in
retiring made a circuit, but the other passed within a hundred
yards of us, upon which I advanced from the wood towards him.
Upon my calling he stopped; but after looking at me he proceeded.
I again drew his attention and made signs to him to stop;
levelling my piece at him; but he slowly cantered away. As I was
within that distance, at which, in the quickest firing, I could
have lodged half a dozen balls in or about him before he was out
of my reach, I had only to determine. But it was not pleasant to
fire at the back of an unoffending individual who was acquitting
himself very coolly of his duty--so I let him alone. The day
after, I had been telling this story to some wounded officers,
who lay in the same room with me, when one of the surgeons who
had been dressing the wounded rebel officers came in and told us
that they had been informing him that General Washington was all
the morning with the light troops, and only attended by a French
officer in hussar dress, he himself dressed and mounted in every
point as above described.
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