Captain William Tiffen, commanding officer, Royal Artillery
"About midnight of the 15th of July, I was alarmed by my
servant, who informed me that there was some firing in front. I
dressed immediately, and ran to the Artillery encampment on my
right to turn out the men. Finding their tents empty, I went to
the 18 pounder Battery on the left of the Upper Works. In about
ten minutes I was taken prisoner by the Enemy. Firing in front,
and on my right, kept up for five or six minutes after that. . .
The Outer Works, as well as the Howitzer battery, were supplied
with such proportion of ammunition . .as thought necessary. . .
it was not expected that there would be occasion for [the other]
guns [ in the Upper Works] on a night attack."
Tiffen had arrived at Stony Point as artillery
commander less than 24 hours before he was captured.