In Answer to your last1 in which you desire some further Information respecting Shephard &c., I can inform that Lt. Colo-5nel Shephard2 belongs to West Field in the State of the Massachusetts Bay, has passed through all the Various Stages of a Soldier from Private to his Present Station in Actual Service is now about 39 Years of Age, a bold intrepid, prudent Man and in the Command of a Regiment will I think be exceeded by few if any, perhaps others may be as capable of a higher Command; Major Brooks3 is a Young Gentleman of about 28, by Profession a Physician an Inhabitant of Mystic near Boston. Whether he has a College Education I do not know but his Education is liberal his Knowledge extensive, his Soul filled with noble generous Sentiments and in any Command in my Opinion will be equaled by few. Before this Reaches you, the Account of the Battle of Tuesday last4 will arrive; tis impossible to be particular in a Narrative of the Matter as many are yet missing who we hope may come in. In the night of the 26th. Nine Regiments of the English Troops, perhaps about 2500, with Field Artillery &c. passed the Western Road near the Narrows from the Flat Land for our Lines, we had a Guard of 400 or 500 Men posted in the Wood, who about 3 o'Clock Tuesday Morning gave Notice of the Enemy's Approach, a Body of about 1500.5 We immediately marched down to oppose the Progress of the Enemy. We took Possession of a Hill about two Miles from Camp and detached Col. Atlee6 with a Regiment of Delaware to meet them further on the Road. In about 60 Rods he drew Up and received the Enemy's Fire and gave them a well directed fire from his Regiment which did great Execution, and then retreated to the Hill; from thence I was ordered with Col. Atlee and part of his Regiment and Lt. Col. Clark7 with Col. Huntington's Regiment to Cover the left Flank of our main Body.8 This we executed though our Number did at no Time exceed 300 Men, and we were Attack'd Three several Times by Two Regiments the 44th. and 23d. and repulsed them in every Attack with considerable Loss. The Number of dead we had collected together and the Heap the Enemy had made we supposed amounted to about 60, we had about 12 or 14 wounded Prisoners who we caused to be dressed and their wounds put in the best State our Situation would Admit. About 10 o'Clock we found a large Body of the Enemy had advanced on the other Road near our Lines but a Constant Fire was kept up on the Enemy till about 12 when we found them fast Advancing on our Rear to cutt off our Retreat, our Little Main Body advanced boldly up to the Enemy in Rear and broke through their Lines and secur'd the Retreat of most of 6the Party; but it far'd still harder with my little Party who had 3 Times repulsed the Enemy in Front and once in Rear; we had no notice of the Retreat of the main Body till twas too late for Us to join them the Enemy having cutt off our Retreat on three Sides and the main Body having broke through the Enemy's Lines on the other Side and left them between Us: we had no alternative left but force through one Line into a thick Wood which we attempted and effected with Part of our Men, the other Part with Col. Clark being before sent into the Wood. When we had made our Way into the Wood I was accidentally parted from Col. Atlee and most of the Men whom I have never seen since. I came in with 7 Men Yesterday Morning much fatigued. Our Loss is impossible to be Assertaind. In my party a Lt. Col. Parren9 was killed and one Wounded. Our Loss in killed and Wounded is inconsiderable, but many are missing amongst whom are Genl. Sullivan and Ld. Sterling: Colonels Miles, Atlee, Johnson, Lt. Colonel Clark, Major Wells,10 and several other Officers of Distinction are yet missing. I think the Trial of that Day far from being any Discouragement but in General our Soldiers behaved with Firmness. I ought not omit to mention Col. Atlee and Lt. Col. Clark who were with me, with Peculiar Respect, as Intrepid, Cool and brave Officers. I hope soon to be able to give you some more satisfactory Accounts of this Day's Work.

The Bearer Mr. Halsy,11 is a Friend of mine who last year served as an Officer in the Army at St. John's, by some Intriguing which he will be able to inform you off He is refused his Wages under the Idea of his deserting; The Accusation Appears groundless to me. Perhaps he can satisfy you of it: He is willing to submit to Court Martial but not of Genl. Schuyler's Appointment for Special Reasons of which he will inform you: if you will be kind enough to aford him your Advice in his Affairs, I shall be greatly obliged as I know he is a Man of Spirit who may be Useful if this supposed Blemish is removed. I am Sr. wth. Esteem & Regard yr hl Servt.12

I had a Warrant on Sunday Morning last, from Head Quarters, for the Trial of Lieut. Col. Harman Zeidwitz Commanding Officer of Brigadier McDougal's late Regiment, charged with “holding a treacherous Correspondence with, and giving Intelligence to the Enemies of the united American States.”1 The Prisoner was arraign'd, but beg'd Time till next Morning to plead, and prepare for Trial. Monday Morning the Court, consisting of a Brigadier General as President, and 12 field Officers, met in the City Hall, on Account of the great Number of Persons who had collected to hear the Trial. The Evidence against the Prisoner was an intercepted Letter in his own handwriting and sign'd with his Name directed to Governor Tryon on Long Island; and the Deposition of one Steen a German, who swore that Zeidwitz two or three Days before he gave him the Letter, sounded him with Respect of his Inclination to join the Enemy; Steen suspected something of Zeidwitz's Scheme, and affected to like the Design of Desertion. Zeidwitz told him we were ruined, and if he would go over to General Howe and carry a Letter, it would be the making his Fortune. He promised to go and Z. gave him 8the Letter which was produced to the Court. The Prisoner acknowledged the Letter to be his, and the Declaration of Steen to be true; and in his Defence said, that the English Government had cheated him out of £2000 sterl. and he took this Method to get it. That he thought he had so well laid the Plan that Govr. Tryon would have sent him the Money, when he intended to have sent back a Receipt for the Money as being in full of the old Arrearages due to him from the English Government and if Tryon had sent him a Letter to have laid it before the General. In Support of this Story he produced Lord Stirling who swore that 3 Weeks before this Letter was detected, the Prisoner told him, that he intended now to get the Money which England owed him, and went on to tell him how they were indebted to him, but his Lordship added that he was engaged at the Time and paid so little attention to the Story that he could not recollect the Particulars of it. That Zeidwitz told him he would have his Money at all Events, but did not mention the Plan he meant to pursue to obtain it. The Letter is made up of Falsehoods from the first Line of it to the last, and the Prisoner's Defence which was in writing was confused and unintelligible. The Result of the Trial was, the Court was unanimous in the Opinion “that the Prisoner was guilty of concerting a Plan, and of attempting to treacherously correspond with and give Intelligence to the Enemy.” And yet they would only cashiere him. Because it was only an Attempt. This strange Judgement has not yet been approved of, and I suppose never will.2 It is probable, had not the Action on Long Island taken Place next Day, that the Proceedings would have been sent back for a Reconsideration. But the General has been so constantly employed by the Motions of the Enemy who are now become our very near Neighbours, that I have heard Nothing of the Matter since. This Man is a German and had very genteel Connections in his own Country, but being fond of gambling found it necessary to come to America to escape the disagreeable Consequences of being much in Debt. He was with General Montgomery in the Expedition to Canada and, in the Assault of Quebec.

In Answer Sir to your Letter of 24th.3 I wish I could say that A—— Discretion was equal to his Genius or Education.4 He always had more Wit than Prudence; more Brilliancy than Solidity. Yet he has Merit. I can tell You no more of Major Brooks than, that he studied Physick with Doctor Tufts of Medford,5 9was a Major last Year in Col. Bridge's Regiment, and is at present in that Command in Col. Webb's. He is universally allowed to be a good Officer. Lee, Brooks, and Henley,6 are the 3 best Majors we have in the Army, they are spirited and sensible and have taken great Pains with their respective Regiments.

Mr. Rutlege will acquaint you with the Situation of our Army here, and the Reason of the Retreat from Long Island. It was extremely well conducted. We have now 7 or 8 Line of Battle Ships lying within a mile of Fort George.7 The Enemy are in Possession of all Long Island, and of Governor's Island. From last Tuesday's Action we are convinced that Many of our Men are Cowards. And it will scarce be credited in Europe, that after all our Talk we have never been able to assemble an Army of 30,000 Men, Although we must have known, a Force little Inferior to this would in the Course of the Summer Attack Us.