10 o’clock P.M.
On account of this shameful desertion , and the fact that arms had been sent out for eight hundred men , O'Neill had to destroy three hundred stand , to prevent them falling into the bands of the enemy . At this time he could not depend on more than five hundred men , about one-tenth of the reputed number of the enemy , which he knew were surrounding him . Rather a critical position , but he had been sent to accomplish a certain object , and he was determined to accomplish it . At 10 o'clock P.M. , he broke camp , and marched towards Chippewa , and at midnight changed direction , and moved on the Limestone Ridge road , leading toward Ridgeway ; halting a few hours on the way to rest the men ; -- this for the purpose of meeting the column advancing from Port Colborne . His object was to get between the two columns , and , if possible , defeat one of them before the other could come to its assistance . At about 7 o'clock A.M. , 2d of June , when within three miles of Ridgeway , Col. Owen Starr in command of the advanced guard , came up with the advance of the enemy , mounted , and drove them some distance , till he got within sight of their skirmish line , which extended on both sides of the road about half a mile . By this time , O'Neill could hear the whistle of the railroad cars which brought the enemy from Port Colborne .