History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 115

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 115

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1 In our preparation of this description of the engagement on Chatter- lon's-hill, generally called " THE BATTLE OF WHITE. P'L VINS," we have examined and used The Diary of Darid How ; the Letter from the White Plains, dated October 28, 1776, published in The Penusyleauin Journal, No. 1770), PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, November 6, 1776 ; the Letter from the White-Pluim, dated October 28, 1776, at two o'clock, P.M., published in

As we have elsewhere stated, the advaneing columns of the Royal Army had been formed, in line, with the Right resting on the road leading from the White Plains to Mamaroneck, and the Left resting on the

The Pennsylvania Ereuing Post, Vol. II., No. 278, PHILADELPHIA, Thurs- day, October 31, 1776, and in The Pennsylvania Journal, No. 1770, l'III.A - DELPHIA, November 6, 1776 ; the Letter of Colonel Robert H. Harrison to the President of the Congress, dated " WHITE PLAINS, October 29, 1776 ;"> the Letter to a Gentleman in Annapolis, dated "WHITE-PLAINS, October " 29, 1776," published in The Peuusyleania Journal, No. 1771, PHILADEL .- IHIA, Wednesday, November 13, 1776 ; the Letter from the Camp, dated WHITE PLAINS, October 29, 1776, published in The Freeman's Journal, or New Hampshire Gazette, Vol. 1., No. 26, PORTSMOUTH, Tuesday, Noven- ber 19, 1776 ; General Order of the Army, in the case of Colonel Webb, " IIKAD-QUARTERS, WHITE-PLAINS, October 29, 1776 ; " Lientenant colonel Tilghmau's letter lo William Daer, dated " HEAD-QUARTERS, WHITE. " PLAINS, October 29, 1776; " the same to his father, dated "WHITE- "Pi.sixs, October 31, 1776;" the Letter from Stamford, dated October 30, 1776, published in The Freeman's Journal, or Now-Hampshire Gazette, Vol. I., No. 25, PORTSMOUTH, Tuesday, November 12, 1776; the Letter of Colonel Robert H. Harrison to General Schuyler, "WHITE-PLAINS, Novem- "ber 1, 1776 ;" the Letter from a Gentleman in the .Irmy, dated " CAMP " NEAR THE MILLS, ABOUT THREE MILES NORTH OF THE WHITE PLAINS, "November 1, 1776, " published in The Pennsylvania Evening Post, Vol. 11., No. 280, PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, November 14, 1776, in Force's. Imer- ican . Irchires, V., iii., 171-474, and, in a mutilated form, in Frank Moore's Diary of the American Rerolntiou, i., 335-337 ; Colonel Robert Il. Harrison's letter to Gorernor Trumbull, dated " WHITE- PLAINS, November 2, 1776 ;" Lientenant-colonel Tilyhouin's letter to William Duer, dated " HEAD-QUAR. " PERS, NEAR WHITE-PLAINS, November 2, 1776 ;" Colonel Gist's letter to the Maryland Council of Safety, dated " CAMP BEFORE THE WHITE- " PLAINS, 2 November, 1776; " General Washington's letter to the Presi- deut of the Congress, dated " WHITE-PLAINS, November 6, 1776 ; " Colonel Robert HI. Harrison's letter to Gorernor Tenueball, dated " WHITE PLAINS, "November 6, 1776 ;" Colonel Haslet's letter to General Casar Rodney, dated " November 12, 1776 ;" Doctor Pine's letter to James Tilghman, dated " CAMP AT THE WHITE-PLAINS, November 7, 1775 ;" General Howe's despatch to Lord George Germaine, dated " NEW YORK, November "30, 1776;" the better of William Harrison to the Maryland Council of Safety, dated "GEORGETOWN, KENT-COUNTY, 25th November, "1776; " General Returus of the Army, September 21, October 5, and November 3, 1776; Returns of Killed, Wounded, and Missing, [in the American Army, ] in several .Ictions, published in Force's American Areh- ires, V., iii., 715-730 ; Retara of Commissioned and Non-commissioned Of- ficers and Runk and E'ile, Killed, Wonuded, and Missing, from the 17th Sep- tember to the 16th Norember, inclusive, appended to General Howe's despatch to Lord George Germaine, "NEW- YORK, 3 December, 1776; " Sauthier's Plau of the Operations of the King's Army uuder the Command of Sir Wil- liam Howe, K.B., in New-York and East New Jersey against the American Forces commanded by General Washington, from the 12th of October to the 28th of November, 1776 ; . I Plan of the Country from Frog's Point to Croton River ; The Examination of Joseph Galloway, Esq., before a l'omwittee of the House of Commons ; [Galloway's] Letters to o Nobleman ; The Norratice of Sir William Howe, . . with some Observations upon a pamphlet enti- tled Letters to a Nobleman ; [Galloway's] Reply to the Observations of Lient .. Gen. Sir William lowe, on a pamphlet entitled Letters to a Noble- man ; Atmon's Parliamentary Register, Volumes X1., X11., and XIII .; The Aunnal Register for 1776 ; The History of the l'ar in _tmerica, Echt., Dublin : 1719; [Hall's] History of the Cied War in America ; Essais histur- iques et politiynes sur la Revolution de l'.Imerique Septentrionale, par M. Ilil liard d'Aubertenil ; Andrews's History of the l'ar writh .Imerica, France, Spain, and Holland ; Soules's Histoire des Troubles de T'AImirique Anglaise ; Gordon's History of the American Revolution ; Ramsey's History of the .Imerican Revolution ; Murray's Impartial History of the War in America ; Stedman's History of the War in America : Memoirs of Major-generol Ileuth ; Chas et labrun's Histoire politique et philosophique de la Revolution de l'.tutrique Septentrionale ; Marshall's Life of George Washington : Warren's History of the American Revolution ; Adolphins's History of England ; Ser- geant Lamb's Journal of Occurrences during the late . Imerican l'ar ; Hun. phreys's Life of General Putnam ; Pant Allen's History of the Imerican Revolution ; Morse's .lunals of the American Revolution ; Ramsay's Life of George Wl'ashington ; l'itkin's Political ond Ciril History of the I'nited States of America ; Sparks's I'ritings of George Washington ; Dunlap's History of New York; Sparks's Life of George Washington ; Lossing's Seventeen hun-

448

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

Bronx ; and that it had been halted, within a mile of the American lines, to enable a heavy detachment of both British and Hessian troops to dispossess a body of American troops who had occupied Chatterton's- hill, and who appeared to menace the left flank and rear of the Left, in its proposed movement against the American lines.1 The result of that assault on Chatterton's-hill has, also, been duly noticed ; 2 but the success of that movement did not disturb the main body, who remained, resting on its arms, where it had been halted, during the remainder of the day and throughout the following night; and, there, "with " very little alteration," it encamped, on the following day 3-it had been so much reduced, in effective strength, by the withdrawal of the assaulting parties, and, as was said by an intelligent officer, "the diffi- "culty of co-operation between the Left and Right " wings of our Army was such, that it was obvious " that the latter could no longer expediently attempt "anything against the enemy's main body."4 It ap- pears, however, that the Right of the Royal Army; who was not expected to participate in the proposed assault on the American lines, and who was not con- eerned in the assault on Chatterton's-hill, further than to detach the Hessians commanded by Colonel Donop, who were in that wing of the Army, for the purpose of assisting in that important operation, was not inclined to rest, as the Left of the Army had been ordered to do and had done; and a portion of it, at least, was moved forward, on the main road of the Village, in front of the Left of the American lines, which was occupied, as the reader will remember, by the Division commanded by General Heatlı.5

We have been told that the advancing column was

dred and seventy-six ; Campbell's Revolutionary Services and Ciril Life of General William Hull; Hinman's Historical Collection of the part sustained by Connecticut, during the War of the Revolution : Lossing's Pictorial Field-book of the Revolution ; Hildreth's History of the United States of America ; Irving's Life of George Washington ; Hamilton's History of the Republic of the United States of America, as traced in the Writings of Alex- under Hamilton : Dawson's Military Retreats through Westchester-county, in 1776, (an nnpublished manuscript ;) Moore's Diary of the American Revo- Intion ; Memoir of Colouel Benjamin Tallmadge, prepared by himself, at the request of his Children ; Dawson's Battles of the United States, by Sen and Laud; Stark's Memoir aud Official Correspondeuce of Gru. John Stark, writh Notices of . . . and of Colonel Robert Rogers ; Greene's The Life of Nathanael Grrene, Major-general in the Army of the Revolution, Edit. New-York : 1867 ; Drake's Life and Correspondence of Heury Knox, Major-general in the Herolutionary Army ; Jones's History of New York during the Revolutionary War, and de Lancey's Nofrs on that work ; Ban- croft's History of the United States, both the original and the centenary erlitions; Bolton's History of Westchester-county, both editions ; Tarbox's Life of Israel Putnam ; Carrington's Battles of the American Revolution ; and Ridpath's History of the United States.

Those works, bearing on the subject, in the German language, which are in our own library, were put away, and could not be reached without undne labor ; and we were not physically able to go elsewhere, to con sult them. For those reasons, they have not been examined.

1 Vide pages 438, 439, 440, ante.

2 Vide pages 442-444, ante.

3 General Howe to Lord George Germaine, "NEW-YORK, 30 November,

"1776 ; " Stedman's History of the American War, i., 215; [Hall's] History of the Civil War in America, i., 209 ; etc.

4 Stedman's History of the American War, i., 215.

5 Memoirs of Major-general Heath, 78.

led by a detachment of about twenty Light Dragoons, capering and brandishing their sabres, who leaped the fence of a wheat-field, situated at the foot of the hill on which the Regiment commanded by Colonel Mal- eolm had been posted.6 The horsemen evidently sup- posed the hill was unoccupied; and, it is probable, they expected to turn the flank of the American lines, and to secure an easy victory ; but Lientenant Fenno and his field-piece were also on " the South brow of " the hill;"7 and, when the horsemen approached, he gave them a shot which, " by striking in the midst "of them," killed one of them.8 The troop was im- mediately " wheeled, short about, and galloped out of " the field as fast as they came in; rode behind a little " hill, in the road ; and faced about ; " the other por- tions of the column, at the same time, as they sue- eessively came up, wheeling to the left, by platoons ; and, passing through a gateway or bars, direetcd their mareh, westward, to the place where the Left of the Army had been halted.9 With that move- ment of the extreme Right of the Army, and with that of the Hessian and British troops, on the high grounds, on the western bank of the Bronx, on its extreme Left, already mentioned, the Royal Army closed the operations of the day.

It is undoubtedly true that the delay which was pro- duced by the halt of the Royal Army, on the Plain, was the salvation of the American Army, within the lines; since it afforded time for strengthening the works be- hind which the latter was, then, posted, and for prepar- ing it for falling back, soon afterwards, and ocenpying another position, which would be more defensible and not so accessible to the King's troops. But it is scarcely true that, sinee the morning of the preceding day, the Americans had "drawn baek their encampment " and "strengthened their lines by additional works," to such an extent, in either instance, that "the designed "attaek upon them," on the morning after the engage- ment, [Tuesday, October 29,] need have been "deferred," for no other reasons than these, notwithstanding Gen- eral Howe is reported to have informed the Home Government that such had been the case 10-the re- ported withdrawal of the American encampment was, probably, nothing more than the removal of the Stores, back, to the high grounds of Neweastle, which was commenced on that day ; 11 and, notwithstanding

6 Vide page 252, ante.

" Ibid.

" In the Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the Royal . trmy, appended to General Howe's despatch to Lord George Germaine, dated "NEW-YORK, 3 December, 1776," it was stated that the only one of either of the two Regiments of the Light Dragoons then in America, who was killed, from the nineteenth to the twenty-eighth of October, inclusive, was one Rank and File, of the Seventeenth Regi- ment ; and, very probably, that one was the same to whom we have re- ferred, in the text.

9 Memoirs of Major general Heath, 78.

10 General Howe to Lord Georgr Germainc, "NEW-YORK, 30 November, "1776."

11 David How's Diary, October 29 and 30, 1770.

See, also, Lieutenant-colonel Tilyhman to his father, " WHITE PLAINS, 31 "October, 1776" ; Memoirs of Major-general Heath, 79; ete.

449

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

the interval had been undoubtedly occupied by the Americans, in industriously strengthening their posi- tion, they could scarcely have made defensible and formidable what, only a few hours previous, had been hardly respectable. Indeed, at no time, even under the most favorable circumstances, were the defences of the American lines, immediately above the Plains, in any respect formidable ; and the center, where the post-road passed through them, was decidedly the weakest portion. They had been hastily constructed, without the superintendence of experienced Engi- neers. The stony soil prevented the ditch from being made of any troublesome depth or the parapet of a troublesome height : the latter was not fraised : only where it was least needed-probably because the con- struction of it, elsewhere, had been interfered with- was there the slightest appearance of an abatis.1 There was little foundation, therefore, for General Howe's transparent excuses; and it would have been more creditable to his candor, had he told the truc reason for his failure to assault the lines, on the morning after the Battle and while the troops who had been designated to make the as- sault, with their line unbroken, were resting on their arms, within a mile and in open sight from the works which they were expecting to assault, and ready to move against them, at a moment's notice- the fact was simply this, as we have already seen,2 " the Army could no longer expediently attempt " anything against the enemy's" [the Americans'] " main body ; " and it was necessary that it should be reinforeed, before the Americans should be attacked.

During Tuesday, the twenty-ninth of October, as we have scen, the Royal Army, "with very little al- " teration " in its position, encamped on the Plain, and awaited the arrival of reinforcements ; 3 and, not- withstanding the loss of Chatterton's-hill, in the opinion of some of the American Officers,4 had made

1 In this description of the character of the American defenses, we have followed Stedman, (History of the American War, i., 213,) who was probably present, in the Royal Army.

We are not insensiblo that Bancroft, (History of the United States, origi- nal odition, ix., 180 ; the same, centenary edition, v., 444,) has so framed his sentence that his readers must suppose the abatis was as extended as the "lines of entrenchments ;" but the feebleness of the Army and the scarcity of teams could not have secured so great a work, in so short a timo; neither General Washington nor General Ileath nor General Knox, among the Americans, nor General Ilowe nor General Lord Cornwallis, among the King's troops, all of whom have more or less described the American defenses, has made the slightest allusion to such a general defense, before the long line of American entrenchments ; and Stedman expressly stated that "the point of the hill, on thoenemy's " right," [that on the line of the Harlem Railroad, immediately northward from the Railroad station, ] " exceedingly steep and rocky, was covered by "a strong abatis in front of the entrenehment," the very place, as we have said in tho text, whero such an additional mean of defense was least needed. For these reasons, we prefer to believe that the American lines were not, generally, furnished with an abatis.

2 Vide page 448, ante.

3 General Howe to Lord George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, 30 November, " 1776."

4 General lleatlı said, (Memoirs, 79,) " the British having got posses- " sion of this hill, it gave them a vast advantage of the American lines,

" almost down to the center ;" and General Knox, in a letter to his 40

it necessary for the American Army to abandon the position, the work of strengthening its lines was eon- tinued, with unabated industry.5

During Wednesday, the thirtieth of October, the King's troops were occupied in throwing up some defensive works and redoubts, on the Plain, in front of the American lines,6 and an entrenchment on the summit of Chatterton's-hill;7 and, during the after- noon of the same day, four Regiments, from the lines on New-York-island,8 and two Regiments of the Sixth Brigade, who had been posted at Mamaroneck, after the Queen's Rangers had been so "roughly

brother, dated "NEAR WHITE-PLAINS, 32 MILES FROM NEW-YORK, 1 " Nov : 1776," said " the enemy's having possession of this hill obliged " us to abandon some slight lines thrown up on the White Plains."

5 There was something which required explanation in what was written by Geueral Washington's Secretary and, undoubtedly, with his ap- proval, to the President of the Congress, when he said, " Our post, from " its situation, is not so advantageous as could be wished ; and was ouly " intended as temporary and occasional, till the Stores belonging to the " Army, which had been deposited, here, could be removed."-(Colonel Robert HI. Harrison to the President of the Congress, " WHITE-PLAINS, 29 " October, 1776."

" The Stores belonging to the Army," at that time and for some time provious, had not been so abundant as to have been burdensome; and, if there had been judicious oversight, they could have been carried a couple of miles further, to a place of greater safety, when they were carried to the White Plains, saving the repeated re-handling of them and the construction of two distinct lines of works for nothing olse than for the " temporary and occasional " protection of them.

There is, generally, a prodigality in the exponditure of both money and materials and labor, in all which relates to Armies ; but thero seems to havo been an excess of prodigality in the use of all these, of which tho American Army had such an insufficient supply, if the only purposo of the two lines of entrenchments, one at the foot and the other on thio crest of the highi grounds, at the White Plains, had been ouly for the " temporary and occasional " protection of a few Stores, handled and re- handled, over and over again, the whole of which could have been con- sumed by the Army, iu less than six days, probably in half that time .*

If there had been, in fact, no other reason than these, for occupying and fortifying that position, there was reason for General Georgo Clin- ton's doubts, when he wrote, " Uncovered, as we are ; daily on fatigue ; " making redoubts, flèches, abatis, and lines; and retreating from " them and the littlo temporary huts made for our comfort, before they " are well finished, 1 fear, will ultimately destroy our Army, without " fighting." " Ilowever, I would not be understood to con- " demn measures. They may be right, for aught I know. I do not un- " derstand much of the refined art of War: it is said to consist of " strategem and deception."-(General George Clinton to John Mckesson, " CAMP NEAR THE WHITE PLAINS, October 31, 1776.")

6 Colonel Robert II. Harrison to the President of the Congress, " WHITE- " PLAINS, October 31, 1776 ;" Letter from a Gentleman in the Army, dated " CAMP NEAR THE MILLS, ABOUT THREE MILES NORTHI OF THE WINTE- " PLAINS, November 1, 1776," published in The Pennsylvania Evening Post, Vol. 11., No. 280, PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, November 14, 1776 ; Me- moira of General Heath, 80; etc.

7 Lieutenant-colonel Gist to the Maryland Council of Safety, "CAMP " BEFORE THE WHITE-PLAINS, 2 November, 1776."

8 Vide page 400, ante.

* " Ilis," [General Washington's,] "apprehensions are exceedingly " great lest the Army should suffer much for want of necessary supplies " of Provisions, especially in the articlo of Flour. From the best in- " telligence he is ablo to obtain, there is not more in Camp and at the " several places where it has been deposited, than will servo the Army " longer than four or fivo days, provided the utmost care and economy " were used in issning it out ; but, from the waste and embezzlement, " for want of proper attention to it, as it is reported to him, it is not " probable that it will last so long."-(Colonel Robert H. Harrison to Colonel Joseph Trumbull, Commissary-general of Provisions, " WHITE- " PLAINS, November 1, 1776.")

450

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

"handled" by the Americaus, 1 joined the main body of the Army, on the Plain, for the reinforce- inent of it.2

During the same day, [ Wednesday, October 30,] the Americans were not idle-they probably kept up an appearance of continuing their labor in strength- cning their works, while they were, also, preparing for an abandonmeut of them ; 3 but no official record has come down to us, concerning their doings, ou that day.

Having been strengthened by the addition of six fresh and effective Regiments to his already powerful command, General Howe determined to attack the American lines, on the following day, [Thursday, October 31 ; ] and, for that purpose, all necessary pre- parations were duly made ; but the preceding night and the morning of that day were very rainy ; and the proposed movement was necessarily postponed.4

During the same day, [Thursday, October 31,] the Americans remained within their works, quietly pre- paring for the abandonment of them and carefully watching every movement of their enemy.

Supposing that one of the objects of General Howe was to turn the flank of the lines; to seize the bridge over the Croton-river; and, thereby, to cut off the communication of the Army with the upper country, Gencral Washington detached Geueral Rezin Beall, with three fine Regiments of Marylandcrs, to occupy that very important pass; and General Lord Stirling was ordered, with the Brigade which he commanded, " to keep pace with the enemy's left flank, and to " push up, also, to Croton-river, should he plainly " perceive that the enemy's route lays that way." 5 At the same time that the Army was being rapidly diminished by the desertions of the Militia,6 to say nothing of stragglers,7 those who remained at their

1 Vide page 253, ante.

2 General Howe to Lord George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, 30 November, "1776 ; " [Ilall's] History of the Civil ll'ar in Americo, i., 209 ; Stedman's History of the Americon War, i., 215 ; etc.

3 Hlow's Diary, October 30; Letter from Lieutenant colonel Tilghmon to his fother, " WHITE-PLAINS, 31 October, 1776."

4 Generol Howe to Lord George Germaine, "NEW YORK, 30 November, " 1776 ;" [Hall's] History of the Civil War in Americo, i., 209 ; Stedquan's History of the American Wl'or, i., 215 ; etc.

5 Lieutenont-colonel Tilghman to H'illiam Duer, "WHITE-PLAINS, Octo- "her 31, 1776."

6 "Our Army is decreasing, fast: several gentlemen who have come " to Camp, within a few days, have observed large numbers of Militia " returning home, on the different roads."-(Colonel Robert H. Harrison to the President of the Congress, " WHITE-PLAINS, October 31, 1776.")

"It " [o reinforcement,] "will arrive, very seasonably, and in part "make up for the deficiency occasioned by daily desertions of our men, " who are returning to their homes in the most scandalous and infamons "manner. The roads are crowded with them."-(Colonel Robert H. Harrison to Governor Trumbull, " WHITE-PLAINS, November 2, 1776.")

7 " The General, in a ride he took, yesterday, to reconnoitre the " grounds about this, was surprised and shocked to find both Officers " and Soldiers straggling all over the country, under one idle pretence "or other, when they cannot tell the hour or minute the Camp may be "attacked, and their services indispensably necessary. He once more " positively orders that neither Officer or Soldier shall stir out of Camp, " without leave : . . . " (Generol Orders, "HEAD-QUARTERS, WHITE

" PLAINS, October 31, 1776.")

post were evidently diligently employed in preparing to move to a new position-an operation in which the great scarcity of teams added, very greatly, to the personal labor of the inen 8-and, during the follow- ing uight, that of Thursday, the thirty-first of Octo- ber,9 the entire line of the Army, taking the extreme left of the line for the pivot,10 swung back, from the lines which it had constructed, with so much labor, on the high grounds, above the Plains, until its rear rested on the more advantageous high grounds of Northcastle; 11 within a mile from the position which it had abandoned ; 12 and authoritatively described as " grounds which were strong and advantageous, and " such as they," [the King's troops,] " could not have " gained without much loss of blood, in case an " attempt had been made." 13

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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 115

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