Soon after the return of General Gray from New England, the British army moved up the North River on each side in great force.  The column on the west side, commanded by Lord Cornwallis, consisting of about five thousand men, took a position with its right on the river, and its left extending to Newbridge, on the Hackensack; while the other division, which was commanded by General Knyphausen, consisting of about three thousand men, was advanced about the same distance on the east side of the Hudson.  The command of the river enabled these two columns to communicate freely with each other; and, at any time, to reunite.  Although General Washington conjectured that this movement was made for the purpose of foraging, yet it was possible that the passes in the Highlands might be its object; and orders were given to the detachments on the lines to hold themselves in readiness to anticipate the execution of such a design.

Colonel Baylor, with his regiment of cavalry, had crossed the Hackensack early in the morning of the 27th of September, and taken quarters at Taupaun, or Herringtown, a small village near New Taupaun, where some militia were posted.  Immediate notice of his position was given to Lord Cornwallis, who formed a plan to surprise and cut off both the cavalry and militia.  The party designed to act against Colonel Baylor was commanded by General Gray, and that against the militia, by Lieutenant Colonel Campbell.

[Sidenote:  September 28.]

[Sidenote:  Colonel Baylor’s regiment surprised.]

That part of the plan which was to be executed by Campbell was defeated by delays in passing the river, during which a deserter gave notice of his approach, and the militia saved themselves by flight.  But the corps commanded by General Gray, guided by some of the country people, eluded the patrols, got into the rear of the sergeant’s guard which had been posted at a bridge over the Hackensack, cut it off without alarming Baylor, and completely surprised his whole regiment.  The British troops rushed into a barn where the Americans slept; and, refusing to give quarter, bayoneted for a time all they saw.  Of one hundred and four privates, sixty-seven were killed, wounded, and taken.  The number of prisoners, amounting to about forty, is stated to have been increased by the humanity of one of Gray’s captains, who, notwithstanding his orders, gave quarter to the whole of the fourth troop.  Colonel Baylor and Major Clough, who were both wounded with the bayonet, the first dangerously, the last mortally, were among the prisoners.

[Sidenote:  September 30.]

[Sidenote:  Captain Donop, with his corps, attacked by Colonel Butler, and defeated.]

Three days after this affair, Colonel Richard Butler, with a detachment of infantry, assisted by Major Lee with a part of his cavalry, fell in with a small party of chasseurs and yagers under Captain Donop, which he instantly charged, and, without the loss of a man, killed ten on the spot, and took the officer commanding the chasseur, and eighteen of the yagers, prisoners.  Only the extreme roughness of the country, which impeded the action of the cavalry, and prevented part of the infantry from coming up, enabled a man of the enemy to escape.  Some interest was taken at the time in this small affair, because it seemed, in some measure, to revenge the loss of Colonel Baylor.