The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a letter from Long Island, Aug 28.

"Yesterday's occurrences, no doubt, will be described to you various ways. I embrace this leisure as I am able. A large body of the enemy that landed some time since on Long Island, at the end of a beautiful plain, had extended their troops about six miles from the place of their first landing. There were at this time 10 regiments of our troops posted in different parts of the woods, between our lines and the enemy, through which they must pass if they attempted anything against us. Early in the morning our scouting parties discovered a large body of the enemy, both horse and foot, advancing on the Jamaica road towards us. I was dispatched to General Putnam to inform him of it. On my way back, I discovered, as I thought, our battalion on a hill coming in, dressed in hunting shirts, and was going to join them, but was stopped by a number of our soldiers, who told me they were the enemy in our dress. Upon this I prevailed on a sergeant and two men to halt and fire on them, which produced a shower of bullets, and we were obliged to retire.

In the mean time, the enemy, with a large body, penetrated through the woods between our works and our troops, and sending out parties, accompanied with light horse, which harassed our surrounded and surprised new troops, who however sold their lives dear. Our forces then made towards our lines; but the enemy had taken possession of the ground before them, by stolen marches. Our men broke through parties after parties, but still found the enemy's thousands before them. Cols. Smallwood's and Haslet's battalions, with Miles's at their head, had collected on an eminence, and made a good stand; but the enemy fired a field piece on them, and being greatly superior in number, obliged them to retreat into a marsh, and finding it out of their power to withstand about 6000 men, they waded through the mud and water to a mill opposite them. Their retreat was covered by the second battalion, which had got into our lines. Col. Luiz's, and the New England regiments, after this, made some resistance in the woods; but were obliged, by superior numbers, to retire.

Colonels Miles's and Broadhead's battalions, finding themselves surrounded, determined to fight and run. They did so, and broke through English, Hessians, &c. and dispersed horse, and at last came in with considerable loss. Colonel Parry was early in the day shot through the head, encouraging his men. Eighty of our battalion came in this morning, having forced their way through the enemy's rear, and come round by way of Hell Gate; and we expect more, who are missing, will come in the same way."