History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 109

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 109

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7 Sauthier's Plan of the Operations of the King's Army.

8 General Howe to Lord George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, 30 November, "1776; " [Hall's| History of the Civil War in America, i., 205; Sted- man's History of the American War, i., 212; Gordon's History of the American Revolution, ii., 339 ; Santhier's Plan of the Operations of the King's Army ; Plan of the Country from Frog's Point to Croton Rir r ; etc.

426

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

shamefully abandoned by the Americans who were posted there, on the approach of the enemy; and that, " not for want of numbers, but for want of a "good Officer to lead the men." 1

When the intelligence of the enemy's movements, on the twenty-first of October, was received at Head- quarters, which had been removed to Valentine's- hill, General Washington was absent, on a tour of inspection.2 Evidently aroused by the information which he had received, on the preceding evening, from Colonel Putnam, he had left, early in the morn- ing of that day, to visit the posts on the left of the Americau line and at the White Plains ; and when the express arrived with the very important intelli- gence of the enemy's movements, it was immediately transmitted to him, by his Secretary, Colonel Harri- son,3 although he was evidently quite well informed of those movemeuts, even of that towards Mamaro- neck,4 from other sources of intelligence.

While the General was at the White Plains, on that tour of inspection, [October 21, 1776,] he personally examined the Stores which had been accumulated at that place, and renewed his earnest entreaties5 with the Commissary-general of Provisions to supply the posts in that vicinity, in time, with Flour and Beef, for present use; to form other Magazines of Provisions, " in secure places, removed from the wa- " ter, in Connecticut and at such others as were men- " tioned in my last, and circumstances may direct."6 From the same place, the General ordered the Officer in command, at Mamaroneck, to make the best stand he could, with the troops under his command, against the enemy ; and told him of his intention to order an attack on the enemy's flank 7-how little the General thought that, at that very time, the Officer whom he was thus addressing had shown himself to be only a contemptible poltroon.8 At the same time, he or- dered Colonel Lachlan McIntosh, who was then in Connecticut, with two Regiments of Massachusetts troops, preparing to make a movement against the enemy, on Long Island, to suspend that proposed ex-

pedition, and, with Lieutenant-colonel Livingston, who was in the same State, with a considerable force, to march, immediately, towards Byram-river-that which forms the boundary between the States of New York and Connecticut, near the Sound-and to re- ceive orders, on his arrival at the river, from Briga- dier-general Lord Stirling, then at the White Plains, for the disposition of the men under his commaud.9

While the Commander-in-chief was thus employed, on the extreme left of the American line, General Howe having been equally active, during the same period, only a few miles distant,10 the extreme right of that line, at Kingsbridge, was, also, the scene of bustle and active preparation for a movement-Orders had been issued for the movement of the Division commanded by Major-general Heath, then occupying the grounds around Kingsbridge and, thence, north- ward, to Valentine's-hill, to the extreme left of the proposed line, in the new positiou, to the northward and eastward of the White Plains, which had been selected for the immediate occupation of the Army.11 That movement, as we have said,12 had evidently been determined on, at least as early as during the preced- ing night, after the return of Colonel Putnam, and was not consequent ou either the movement of the Royal Army, during the same morning, or the observations of General Washington, on his tour of inspection ; but there was, evidently, some cause for the eight hours of delay, beyond the hour appointed for the movement of the Division ;13 and the extreme scarcity of Teams, for any purpose, as we have already stated,14 which was producing great anxiety and trouble, throughout the entire Army, may have caused the delay.

The Division commanded by Major-general Heath, as we have said, (except General George Clinton, with the Regiments commanded, respectively, by Colonels Nicolls, Pawling, Graham, and Swartwout,) was ordered to move, left iu front, at eight o'clock in the morning, if possible: the advance-guard was to consist of one hundred men, taken from General Scott's Brigade ; and was to be followed by the heavy artillery, of which two heavy iron twelve-pounders were to be moved with that Division: the column was to follow, in platoons or by file, the six and three- pound guns to be moved between the first and second and between the third and fourth Regimeuts of each Brigade : each Regiment was ordered to throw out a flank-guard: and General Parsons was ordered to

I General Washington to Colonel Lachlan McIntosh of Georgia, " WHITE- "PLAINS, October 21, 1776 ; " Lieutenant colonel Tilghman to William Duer,

" HEAD-QUARTERS, VALENTINE'S-HILL, 22 Oct., 1776."

2 Colonel R. H. Harrison to William Dner, "CAMP ON VALENTINE'S- " HILLS, October 21, 1776 ; " the same to the Continental Congress, "HEAD- " QUARTERS, VALENTINE'S-HILL, October 21, 1776;" Memoirs of General Heath, 73, 74.

3 Colonel R. H. Harrison to William Duer, " CAMP ON VALENTINE'S- "HILL, October 21, 1776."

4 General Washington to Major Zabdiel Rogers, " WHITE-PLAINS, Octo- " ber 21, 1776."

5 "I have no reason, either from information or observation, to alter " my opinion of yesterday, and, therefore, again and again entreat your " every exertion to supply these posts, in time, with Flour and Beef for "present use," were his words.

6 General Washington to Colonel Jos. Trumbull, Commissary-general of Provisions, " WHITE-PLAINS, October 21, 1776."

7 General Washington to Major Zabdiel Rogers, " WHITE-PLAINS, Octo- "ber 21, 1776."

8 General Washington to Colonel McIntosh, " WHITE-PLAINS, October "21, 1776.""

9 General Washington to Colonel McIntosh, "WHITE-PLAINS, October 21, "1776."

10 Two miles from New Rochelle, say nine miles from the White Plains. 11 Division Orders, "KING'S BRIDGE, October 21, 1776."

12 Vide page 249, ante.

13 The Division was ordered to march from the left, near Valentine's, " if possible, at eight o'clock, this morning," (Division Orders, "KING'S

"BRIDGE, October 21, 1776 :") it was not until "about 4 o'clock, P.M. "our General's Division moved from above Kingsbridge," (Memoirs of General Heath, 73).

14 Vide page 239, ante.

427

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

furnish a rear-guard of fifty men. Each of the Brig- ades of the Division was to have a wagon-load of Tools, which was ordered to be moved with the heavy artillery. A number of the Spears which were at Fort Independence was to be loaded on each wagon, with the Tools; and Colonel Thomas and Colonel Drake were respectively ordered to send to each of the Regiments of the Division, a Guide, who was well acquainted with the road to the White Plains and with the vicinity of that place. It was ordered, in case the Division should be attacked, while on its march, that the line should be instantly formed ; with the reserves at one hundred paces distant, in the rear; with the light artillery as it was posted on the march; and with the heavy artillery posted on the nearest commanding height and covered by the Regi- ment commanded by Colonel Prescott. General George Clinton, with all the Regiments of his com- inand, except the Westchester-county Regiment com- manded by Colonel Thomas, was ordered to remain where he was then posted, until the afternoon, and to forward all the Stores, Provisions, etc., which would not be required for the use of the detachment which was to be left in the barracks, in Fort Independence; after which he was to move his Brigade, on the Alba- ny road, as far as Dobbs's Ferry, where he would re- ceive his Baggage, ete., from the boats on which they had been forwarded; and to join the Division, at the White Plains, without delay. A de- tachment of six hundred men, under the com- mand of Colonel Lasher, was ordered to remain, ncar Kingsbridge, until further orders-two hundred and fifty of the number were to occupy the barracks of Colonel Thomas's Regiment ; fifty were to be posted in Colonel Swartwout's regimental barracks ; fifty were to be posted in General Scott's Brigade barracks ; fifty were to occupy the regimental barracks of Colonel Prescott ; fifty were to occupy the barracks of Colonel Pawling's Regiment ; fifty were to be posted in the "barracks of Colonel Nicoll's Regiment ; and the re- maining fifty were to be posted in the barracks of Colonel Graham's Regiment-and it was also ordered to mount the proper guards and pickets ; and to es- tablish alarm-posts, in the different works. The guards then posted at Morrisania were to be called in, during the evening of that day, and to follow the Di- vision, on the following morning ; and a small guard, evidently to be supplied from the detachment at Fort Independence, was to be continually posted on the high grounds, toward Morrisania, for the security of the detachment.1 All these specifie Orders, which were evidently issued much earlier than eight o'clock in the morning, were unquestionably obeyed, as far as they could be obeyed, with entire precision and promptitude ; but, nevertheless, it was not until about four o'clock, in the afternoon of that October day, that the Division was enabled to move; not until

eight o'clock in the evening, that it passed Head- quarters, on Valentine's-hill ; and, after a tedious and wearisome night-march, not until four o'clock, on the following morning-that of Tuesday, the twenty-second of October-that it reached Chatterton's-hill, the last of the line of entrenched works, near the village of the White Plains. During the same day, General Heath moved the Division to the high ground, to the northward of the little village; and, there, it evi- dently rested from the fatigue which was consequent on the laborious movements of the preceding thirty- six hours.2

It will be seen by the reader, that the Division which was thus pushed forward, to the White Plains, was in light marching order, evidently taking with it no more than the personal Baggage of the Officers and men ; that it was pushed forward, with all possible ex- pedition, if it may not properly be said to have been by a forced march ; and that it was not halted on its line of march, until it had reached Chatterton's-hill. It had moved along the roadway leading to the White Plains, behind and under cover of the line of en- trenched camps, stretched along the high grounds, westward from the Bronx-river, from Valentine's-hill, on the South, to the White Plains, on the North, which had, already, been thrown up and occupied,3 and it reached the Plains and rested on the high grounds, at that place ; and it was subsequently moved into the

2 Memoirs of General Henth, 73-75.

3 Santhier's Plau of the Operations of the King's Army ; Plan of the Country from Frog's Point to Croton River ; Dawson's Military Retreats through Westchester-county, in 1776, 35-37 ; etc.

We are not insensible of the fact that, in this instance, the greater number of those who have preceded us, in writing of that military re- treat of the Americans, have maintained that those defensive works were thrown up by tho retreating Army, on its march to the White Plains. instead of by detachments moved forward, for that specific purpose, he- fore the retreat of the main hody, from Kingsbridge, had heen fully de- termined on. Among those from whom we have thus dissented, are the despatch of General Howe to Lord George Germaine, "NEW-YORK, "30 November, 1776;" Annual Register for 1776: History of Europe, *177'; History of the War in America, Duhlin: 1779, i., 194 ; [Hall's] History of the Civil War in America, i., 207 ; Gordon's History of the American Revo- lution, ii., 339 ; Stedman's History of the American War, i., 212; Mar- shall's Life of George Washington, ii., 500 ; Andrews's History of the War, ii., 244; Murray's Impartial History of the War in America, ii., 177 ; Ramsay's History of the American Revolution, i., 309 ; Morse's Anuals of the American Revolution, 263 ; Sparks's Life of George Washington, 195; Irving's Life of George Washington, ii., 384, 385 ; Hamilton's History of the Republic, i., 130; Lossing's Pictorial Field-book of the Americau Revolu- tion, ii., 821 ; Carrington's Battles of the American Revolution, 236, etc .; hut we have preferred the testimony of Division Orders for the move- ment of tho troops, the narrative of the movement which was written hy the Major-general commanding the Division, the official Maps of the movement drawn hy hoth the American and the Royal Engineers, and our own well-settled convictions of the improbability that the main Army had been employed in throwing np entrenchments or that its laborious retreat to the l'lains was made more laborious by continuous halts for the purpose of throwing up earthworks, for any purpose. When the retreat was originally determined on, the necessity for a prompt and immediate occupation of the new-selected position was too evident to admit of any such halts, for any such purposes; and, in the great scarcity of Teams for the removal of the Stores and Baggage and Artil- lery, which required the men to take tho places of beasts of burden, in dragging and carrying what needed to be transported, the main hody of the Army needed no additional lahor, nor is it in the slightest degree prohahle that any such additional lahor was really imposed on it.

1 Dirision Orders, " KING'S BRIDGE, October 21, 1776."

428

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

position which had been appointed for it, on the ex- treme left of the proposed line of the Army, its left resting on a "deep hollow, through which ran a small " brook,1 which came from a mill-pond,2 a little above."3 On the eastern, or opposite side, of that "deep liol- " low," " there was a very commanding grouud," from which the Division could have been enfiladed ; + and the ground occupied by the Division, descended, gradually, from the extreme left to the right of the line.5

On the high ground, on the opposite side of the "deep hollow," General Heath posted the Regiment of New York troops commanded by Colonel William Malcolm, and Lieutenant Fenno of the Artillery, the latter with a field-piece, with instructions to occupy a position in the skirt of the wood which covered the upper portion of the high ground, " at the South brow " of the hill ;" and there, that covering party remained, until the American Army retreated into the high grounds of Northcastle.6

While the Division commanded by General Heath was thus hurrying, by a forced march, towards the White Plains, during the night of the twenty-first of October, another portion of the American Army was engaged in a brilliant dash on the enemy's outpost, at Mamaroneck.

It will be remembered that, on the twenty-first of October, when the Right and Center of the main body of the Royal Army were moved forward to a position between New Rochelle and the White Plains, the Queen's Rangers, a select body of Loy- alists, commanded by the celebrated partisan, Lieu- tenant-colonel Robert Rogers,7 were pushed forward

1 Then and now known as the Mamaroneck-river.

2 Then known as " Horton's pond :" now known as "St. Mary's " Lake."

3 The entire property included in this portion of our narrative, is now owned hy Charles Dentermann, Esq.

4 Now forming a portion of what is known as "The Underhill " Farm."

5 This description of the ground occupied by the Division commanded hy General Heath, has been taken, largely in his own words, from his Memoirs, evidently written hy himself, page 75. For our statemeuts concerning the present names and owners of the several properties re- ferred to, we are indebted to the Hon. J. O. Dykman, Judge of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and a resident of the White Plains.

6 Memoirs of General Heath, 75.

7 The Queen's Rangers, subsequently so widely known, had been raised in Connecticut and the vicinity of New York, for the duties which their name implied ; and, at the time of which we write, they were com- manded by Lieutenant-colonel Robert Rogers, who had so much distin- gnished himself as a partisan, on the frontiers, during the War with France. They were "all Americans, and all Loyalists."-(Simcoe's Journal of the Operations of the Queen's Rangers, 18.)

These Rangers were said, hy the hiographer of their distinguished Com- mandant, of a later period, to have been "disciplined, not for parade, hut "for activeservice. They were never to march in slow time ; were directed "to fire with precision and steadiness ; to wield the hayonet with force "and effect ; to disperse and rally with rapidity. In short, in the in- " structions for the management of the Corps, its commander seems to " have anticipated the more modern tactics of the French Army."- (Memoir of Lieutenant colonel Simcoe,-Sinicoe's Journal of the Operations of the Queen's Rangers, viii.)

to Mamaroneck, which they had occupied early in the morning of that day.8

It will be remembered, also, that while General Washington was at the White Plains, on the twenty- first of October, he had received information of that occupation of Mamaroneck; and that he had deter- ined to make an attack on the Queen's Rangers who were posted there.9 In accordance with that deter- mination and with Orders which were undoubtedly is- sued by General Washington,10 General Lord Stirling, who had reached the White Plains, with his com- mand, during the morning of that day, detached Major Green, with one hundred and fifty men from the First aud Third Virginia Regiments, and Colonel John Haslet, with six hundred men from his own- the Delaware-and other Regiments, with orders to fall on the Rangers, during the coming night. The movement was made with good judgment and ability ; the Rangers were entirely surprised, through the carelessness of their sentries ; and, as was stated by an Officer in the Royal Army,11 they were "very roughly " handled." In consequence of the bad conduct of the guides whom Colonel Haslet had employed,12 how- ever, the success was not as complete as it probably would have been, had the guides done their duty properly. As it was, Colonel Haslet and his gallant command handled the Rangers "very roughly," kill- ing and wounding a considerable number ; 13 carrying back, to the White Plains, thirty-six prisoners,14 and

8 General Washington to Colonel Lachlan McIntosh, of Georgia, " WHITE- "PLAINS, October 21, 1776;" the same to Major Zabdiel Rogers, "WHITE-PLAINS, October 21, 1776 ;" Extract of a letter from a General Officer, dated " MOUNT WASHINGTON, October 23, 1776 ; " General Howe to Lord George Germaine, "NEW-YORK, 30 November, 1776 ;" [Hall's} History of the Civil War in America, i., 205; Stedman's History of the American War, i., 212; Gordon's History of the American Revolution, ii., 339 ; Sauthier's Plan of the Operations of the King's Army ; Plan of the Country from Frog's Point to Croton River ; etc.

9 Vide page 250, ante.

10 In Lieutenant-colonel Tilglinian's letter to his father, dated " VAL- "ENTINE'S-HILL 4 MILES FROM KINGSBRIDGE 22 October 1776," it is ex- pressly stated that "the General "-hy which term he referred to Gen- eral Washington, whose Aide-de-Camp he was and with whom he had been, while the Commander-in-Chief was at the White Plains-" detached * " Major Green * to fall upon Rogers in the Night, which they " did," etc.

11 [ Hall's] History of the Civil War in America, i., 205.

12 Lieutenant-colonel Tilghman, in the letter to his father, to which we have already referred, stated that "had not the Guides posted Haslet "wrong the whole party consisting of 400 must have fallen into our "Hands ;" and Colonel Haslet, in his Letter to General Cæsar Rodney, dated " October 28, 1776," said, " had not our guides deserted ns on the "first outset he and his whole party must have been taken."

See, also, General Washington, through his Secretary, to Governor Trum- bull, "CAMP ON VALENTINE'S-HILL, October 22, 1776."

13 In Lientenant-colonel Tilghman's letter to his father, already men- tioned, it is said "they counted 25 killed in one Orchard, how many got " off wounded we dont know ;" and in Colonel Haslet's letter to General Rodney, already referred to, it was said, " his Lientenant and a number " of others were left dead on the spot."

14 Lieutenant-colonel Tilghman to his father, " VALENTINE'S-HEILL 4 MILES "FROM KINGSBRIDGE, 22 Octoher, 1776;" Colonel Haslett to General Rod- ncy, " WHITE-PLAINS, October 28, 1776 ;" etc.

A list of thirty-one of those prisoners may he seen in Force's American Archives, V., ii., 1203 ; but the evident slaughter of the names has made that record nseless to every one who is unacquainted with the names of

429

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

ineluding, among the trophies of their bravery, "a " pair of Colors, sixty stand of Arms, and a variety of " plunder,"1 among the latter of which were "a good " many Blankets."2 On the side of the Americans, "three or four were left, dead, and. about fifteen were " wounded, among the latter, Major Green, of the "Second Virginia Regiment, wounded in the shioul- " der, and Captain Pope, who acted as Major, and " behaved with great bravery, wounded in the leg." 3 General Lord Stirling is said to have been " so highly " pleased with the success of the expedition, that he " thanked Colonel Haslet and his command, pub- " licly, on the parade." +

families of whom they were probably members. As many of them appear to have been of Westchester-connty origin, we append tho list, corrected as far as we have been able to correct it :

*Joseph Dean,

*Stephen Law,

*Elijah Carle,

James Sharp,

*John Angevine,

Solomon Parent,

Jonathan Eddy,

*Joseph Carle, Walter Brown, *Stephen Travis,

Gilbert Myers,

*James Cannady, +

*Frederic Devoe, David Lawrence,

*Moses Travis, Abraham Brown,

*James Angevine, John Charlick, Jeremiah Wood, Reuben Stivers,

*Elnathan Appleby, Jedediah Davis,

Jacob Cadwell Burr,

James Melson, [*Nelson ?]

*David Travis, John Worden,

Noah Brown,

William Washburn.

*Elijah Bartow,

1 Colouel Haslet so General Rodney, " WHITE-PLAINS, October 28, 1776." 2 Lieutenant-colonel Tilghman to his father, "VALENTINE'S-HILL, 4 MILES "FROM KINGSBRIDGE, 22 October, 1776."

3 Colonel Haslet to General Rodney, "WHITE-PLAINS, October 28, 1776." 4 Those who shall desire to learn more of this affair are referred to General Washington's letter to Goveruor Trumbull, "CAMP ON VALEN- "TINE'S. ILL, October 22, 1776; " the same, to the Continental Congress, " HEAD-QUARTERS, WHITE-PLAINS, 25 October, 1776;" Extract of a letter from Fort Lee, dated "October 22," in The Philadelphia Evening Post, Vol. II., No. 276, " PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, October 26, 1776;" Extract of a letter from a General Officer, dated " MOUNT WASHINGTON, "' October 23, 1776," in The Pennsylvania Journal, No. 1769, "PHILADEL .. " PHIIA, Wednesday, October 30, 1776," and in Force's American Archives, V., ii., 1203 ; Abram Clark to Colonel Dayton, " ELIZABETHTOWN, October " 26, 1776 ;" Extraet from a letter published by the Continental Congress, in The Pennsylvania Journal, No. 1770, " PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, "November 6, 1776;" General Howe to Lord George Germaine, "NEW- " YORK, 30 November, 1776 ;" [Hall's] History of the Civil War in America, 1., 205 ; Gordon's Ilistory of the American Revolution, ii., 339 ; Memoirs of General Heath, 74, 75; etc.

Bolton, in his History of Westchester county, (original edition, i., 311 ; secoud edition, i., 499) prefixed to General Heath's mention of this affair (except the date, which the latter had correctly stated,) the singular in- formation that it occurred on "the day previons to the battle at White " Plains," [October 27,] and that the command of the Americans was held by Colonel Smallwood, of the Maryland Line of the Continental Army.

Bancroft, in his History of the United States, (original edition, ix., 178 ; centenary edition, v. 442,) regarded the Rangers as only "a picket of "Rogers's Regiment of Rangers," notwithstanding General Howe had described it, definitely, as a detachment of the entire "Corps of Ran- " gers," not a portion of it, only, which had been sent forward, " to take possession of Mamaroneck ;" and no one, of either Army, con-

On the twenty-second of October, General Howe strengthened his outpost, at Mamaroneck, which Col- onel Haslet had so rudely assaulted, during the pre- ceding night, by moving the Sixth Brigade of Brit- ish troops, commanded by Brigadier-general Agnew, to that place ; 5 and, on the same day, Lieutenant- general Knyphausen, with the Second Division of the Hessians and the Regiment of Waldeckers, number- ing eight thousand men, who had arrived at New York, on the eighteenth,6 landed on Myers-point, now known as Davenport's-neck, near New Rochelle,7 to whieli place they had been taken, from the City of New York, on the flatboats of the Army.8

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 109

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354