The Hessian colonel called upon his men to seize the prisoner, and cut down all who interfered to prevent the general's orders being carried out.

These hesitated before the resolute aspect of the English, but the crowd of foreign soldiers ranged themselves with them, and the attack was about to commence, when a number of English soldiers were seen running, musket in hand, from their camp.
The Hessian colonel saw that to attempt to carry out his orders, now, would bring on something like a pitched battle, and he therefore waved his men back, saying to General Hamilton: "I have nothing to do now, sir, but to report to General Ginckle that I have been prevented, by force, from carrying his orders into effect." "That you will, of course, do," General Hamilton said coldly.

"I shall be perfectly prepared to answer for my conduct." There was no goodwill between the English and foreign sections of Ginckle's army, and General Hamilton had some trouble in preventing the soldiers from attacking the Hessians, and in inducing them to retire to their camp.

As soon as he arrived there, he ordered the drums to be beaten, and the whole division to get under arms.

He then despatched an officer to General Ginckle, narrating the circumstances, and saying that the honour of the whole army was concerned in preventing an officer, fairly taken prisoner in war, and not while acting as a spy, from being injured; and that, indeed, policy as well as honour forbade such a course being taken, as there were several officers of rank in the hands of the Irish, who would naturally retaliate on them the execution of prisoners of war.