name from the heights of Freehold, at the foot whereof the combat was fought. So terrible was the heat in the confinement of the valley that fifty-nine of the infantry dropped dead while advancing to the attack. The total loss on the English side was 358 men. The Seventeenth had no casualties, though Clinton’s testimony shows that they did good work. The Americans lost 361 men, and from that day abandoned the pursuit, having had for the present enough of it. Clinton, therefore, made the rest of his way untroubled to Sandy Hook, and on the 5th July embarked his army for New York. A flying expedition to Rhode Island, which arrived too late to catch [Sidenote: 1778.] the French force that had threatened it, and a successful inroad into Georgia in the south, brought the campaign of 1778 to a close. In November, Clinton, in obedience to his orders, sent away half of his army to England and the West Indies. He was so sensible of the injury inflicted on his forces by the loss of some of his best troops, that he begged to be allowed to resign his command, and required some pressure to induce him to retain it. His difficulties were great enough, for everything was going wrong in New York. In December there was not a fortnight’s flour in store, and not a penny in the military chest. The clothing provided for the men proved to be bad, and was condemned right and left by their officers. “The linen is coarse and thin, and unfit for soldiers’ shirts, the stockings of so flimsy a texture as to be of little service, and the shoes of the worst kind.” One consignment of shoes was found to consist of “thin dancing pumps,” and even these too small for the men to wear. Moreover the Government in England, which had always given Howe a free hand, thought it right to tie down Clinton, who was far the better man, with every kind of order. “For God’s sake, my Lord,” the General wrote at last, “if you wish me to do anything leave me to myself.” Such was the state of things when the Seventeenth went into their winter quarters at Hampstead, Long Island, in 1778. It was now the only British cavalry corps on the American Continent, the 16th having gone home, leaving all its horses and a certain number of men with the sister regiment. Though its numbers were thus raised to 414 men, we shall not again find it in the field entire during the remainder of the war. From this winter onward the scene of the main contest shifts from the north to the south, and we shall find the Seventeenth divided between these two points of the compass. [Illustration: Field-day Order. Review Order. OFFICERS, 1810–1813.] [Illustration: Watering Order. Review Order. Marching Order. PRIVATES, 1810–1813.] CHAPTER V THE AMERICAN WAR--2ND STAGE--THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN, 1780–1782 [Sidenote: 1780.]