The following is taken from "Victory at Yorktown" by Donald Barr Chidsey "At Yorktown, Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton was assigned to the protective point across the river, Gloucester. With him were two other lieutenant colonels, Simcoe and Dundas. Dundas was in charge. They had about seven hundred men in all. Facing them were some Virginia militia under Brigadier General Weedon, and the Duc de Lauzun's legion, the whole under the command of General de Choisy. This containing force greatly outnumbered the defenders. On October 3 Simcoe and Tarleton went out on a large foraging party, and at the same time De Choisy with his whole command started for the village. It was De Choisy's purpose to pin the British to the very tip of the peninsula, which would make them easier to watch. Neither side, at that time, knew what the other was up to. De Choisy's advance guard, a company of dragoons under personal command of another dashing young man, the duke, came into one end of a country lane at the very moment when the foraging party's rear guard, under Tarleton, was going out of the other end. The French raised a shout and charged. Never a man to run from a fight, Tarleton wheeled about and started at them. There was a spirited to-do in the course of which the two celebrated soldier-Lotharios almost came face to face. Tarleton was knocked from his horse, but he got another and rallied his men. The French fell back a little. Tarleton was about to charge them when a new force came into the field, attracted by the shooting. This was a company of Virginia militia under Lieutenant Colonel John Mercer. They were good men, most of them old soldiers. After a few exchanges, Tarleton, no fool saw that what he was facing was not an outflung party but the advance of a whole army: and he ordered a retreat." ------ The following was taken from "The Siege of Yorktown" by Christopher Ward "In a field behind the approaches a squadron of French hussars formed a circle into which the British and Hessian regiments successively marched, piling their arms. The defeated troops at Gloucester were surrendered to Choisy by Tarleton, who had succeeded in Dundas in command. Tarleton, having in mind his evil reputation, had told Choisy that he feared for his life if he were left to the mercies of the American militia. Choisy therefore had only Lauzun's Legion and Mercer's Virginians drawn up for the ceremony, keeping the rest in camp. No violence was offered to Tarleton."