Lieutenant William Armstrong, 17th Regiment

"Between 11 and 12o'clock at night I heard shots fired by the Advanced Sentries, which I thought belonged to the subaltern's picket. I immediately went up to the company, from which I was at that time, about 30 yards distant, and by the time I joined them, I found most of the men paraded and standing to their, arms in front of their tents. . . Captain Clayton came to me and gave me orders to take post on the abatis on the right of the Upper Works. I accordingly went and took post there. The firing then commenced on the outer line on the left of the 3 pounder and there did not seem any necessity for my remaining in that situation. I tookl upon myself the liberty of moving the company to cover the entry through the inner abatis as from the small number of men in the inner work, the whole line could not be manned, and took post between the Flagstaff and the battery on the right flank.

I had reason to think that there was a large body of the Enemy then entering the opening in the Inner Abbatis . . hearing Lt. Col. Johnson in front, I halted the fire for fear we would kill our own people whom I supposed to be amongst them. I could distinguish Lt. Col. Johnson rallying a party of men and ordering them to charge the rebels. Soon after one of the men of the company who had belonged to the picket and had not been before under my immediate command, came up and informed me that the Rebels were in our rear, and just as he delivered this information, two men, who from having large pieces of white paper in their hats I supposed them to be rebels, came up close to me. These I ordered the company to bayonet and immediately ordered the company to fire to our rear. Just as I had uttered these words I received a contusion in the head from a ball, which rendered me insensible, and in that situation I was taken prisoner."

After he recovered from his wounds, Armstrong was allowed by the Americans to bring the news of the British defeat to New York City.