History - Kings Orange Rangers

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Bird proceeded to go round a partition in the room crying out, “by God, I’ll not be put in Arrest
by any of you”. Coffin quoted Bird saying, “if any one attempted to take his Arms from him he
would put them out of Existence”. Burgess lost sight of him at this moment, but swore at trial
that “the Sword was within two Inches of being out of the Scabbard. Coffin was now closest to
Bird and Bayard called upon him to effect the arrest. At the same time, Bayard turned to
Burgess saying, “did you ever know such an Extraordinary young man as this, can you account
for his behaviour? At this juncture Bird left the room with Coffin in pursuit and Bayard
proceeded to take up a bowl of wine and water from the table until he heard Bird call him “a
damn’d Rascal and a Scoundrel”. Again Bayard threw discretion to the wind and followed
Coffin and Bird out into the hallway.
Coffin entreated Bird to surrender his sword but “he positively refused, keeping [Coffin] at the
point of his hanger and walking backwards at the same time”. Bayard had stopped some
distance from DeWint’s door. Coffin “watched for an opportunity & caught hold of Mr. BIRD’s
arm in which he held his hanger’. Bird for the first time seemed conciliatory, for he told Coffin
that “as a particular friend...I will deliver my Arms to you provided you won’t see me injured.
Coffin gave his assurance, took hold of Bird with his right hand, holding the secured hanger in
his left and walked with him towards Bayard.
Bayard ordered Coffin to take Bird to his room upon which Bird replies that “he should take his
own time for it”. Bird pressed the issue saying “if he did not immediately go, he would send a
file of men to carry him”. Predictably this only further agitated Bird who “damn’d [Bayard’s]
men [and] swore by G-d he himself should not carry him”. By this time only a yard and Captain
Coffin separated the antagonists. Unwisely Bayard simply could not leave well enough alone for
as Coffin and Bird passed him, he “Called Mr. BIRD a little damn’d impertinent Rascal”. Bird
twisted around to face Bayard, offering that “he thought him as great a Rascal as he was. Bayard
now completely lost whatever composure he had and came up to Bird saying, “what Sir call me a
Rascal” and proceeded to smack Bird on the cheek. Bird tore away from Coffin saying “by G-d
he would not be struck by any man”. Bird stepped back and struck Bayard three severe strokes
on the shoulder with his cane “the bruises of which remained several days”. Coffin stepped
between the combatants and caught hold of Bird’s right arm which held the cane while at the
same time fending Bayard off with his other hand which also held Bird’s surrendered hanger. In
a rage, Bayard wrenched Coffin’s sword from its scabbard and ran Bird through with it. Bird
yelled that Bayard had killed him. He collapsed and was carried off to Doctor Fraser’s room and
Bayard retired to Major DeWint’s room. At trial Bayard claimed
...irritated to the greatest degree at the insults and blows I had received, and being totally
defenceless, and having every reason to apprehend that [Bird] had still his Arms, as Capt:
COFFIN had not reported to me that [Bird] had submitted to his Arrest and as from the darkness
of the night it was impossible for me to distinguish to the contrary, I seized a Sword from Capt:
COFFIN and made a strike at Lieut. BIRD, from which the unfortunate accident ensued, very far
from my most distant intention.
Bayard’s testimony seems to be corroborated by Private Robert Booth of the King’s Orange
Rangers who was called upon to testify at the trial. He related that on March 10 th between eight
King’s Orange Rangers