USA > New York > Bronx County > The Bronx and its people; a history, 1609-1927, Volume I > Part 21
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From the map drawn up at the British headquarters in 1782 or 1783 it is seen that there were seven other redoubts lying south of Number Four along the Fordham ridge, making eleven in all from the Hudson to the shore of the Harlem abreast of Fort George on Manhattan. In addition there are shown entrenchments across the Boston Road to the east of Number Four and a small redoubt, called the Negro Fort, about halfway between Fort Independence and Williamsbridge. It was so called because, so it is stated, it was garrisoned by negroes from Virginia ; it was situated just south of the old Boston Road, the part of it called Van Cortlandt Avenue, about where the new Concourse joins
Bronx-12
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Mosholu Parkway. A semicircular redoubt was also erected by the orders of General Heath about one thousand feet west of the bridge across the Bronx River, to command the passage of that stream and the Boston Road to Williams' Bridge. It was located on the Bussing farm, and its site is now within the limits of Woodlawn Cemetery, close to the point of intersection of the old Boston and Gun Hill roads.
The fortifications called Number Five was a square redoubt of about seventy feet, situated on the old Tetard farm, due south of Fort In- dependence, and commanding the Farmers' Bridge. It can still be distinguished at the southwest corner of the Jerome Park reservoir, a few rods east of Sedgwick Avenue, adjoining the Ames property. It was occupied by the British in 1777, and abandoned September 18, 1779. In the summer of 1910 Reginald P. Bolton, Edward Chagamen Hall, and W. L. Calver carefully excavated the ground within the old redoubt and were rewarded by finding remains of brick fireplaces and other military relics, including regimental buttons of privates of the 13th Pennsylvania Regiment and the following British infantry regiments : 4th, 10th, 17th, 26th, 28th, 44th, 52nd, 54th, 57th, 64th, and 71st High- landers, and also an officer's button of the 17th British. Though there were eleven of these redoubts the British numbers ran only to eight, as several of them had special names, or were of such small size as not to merit special mention, being attached to the larger fortifications near them.
Numbers Six, Seven, and Eight were small redoubts commanding the Harlem River from Fordham Heights, and strung along to the south- ward as far as the present Burnside Avenue. Of these Number Eight was the most famous, as Colonel De Lancey's cantonment was under its guns for protection from the American attacks; it also protected the pontoon bridge which connected the mainland with Manhattan near Fort George, over which the British cowboys drove their cattle, wood, forage, and other products of their raids. The Americans were not intimidated, however, by the proximity of the fort and made the life of the British in the vicinity pretty lively on numerous occasions. "Before leaving these heights, consecrated by valor and patriotism," remarks Lossing in the "Pictorial History of the Revolution," "let us turn toward the distant hills of Westchester, where almost every rood of earth is scarred by the intrencher's mattock, or made memorable by deeds of daring and of suffering." The reference here, Jenkins notes, is chiefly to the "distant hills" of North Castle, White Plains, and Peekskill; but the borough section of the county, so long occupied by the British forces, must have had numerous fortifications, which the local historian has failed to record, and which modern improvements
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have obliterated. Kingsbridge has been more fortunate in both respects; and the local historian, Thomas Henry Edsall, determined the sites of the old redoubts before the knowledge of their position passed away with the older inhabitants. The Headquarters map, published in 1900, located these redoubts with a fair degree of accuracy.
Hostilities About the Harlem-On the twelfth of July the "Rose" and the "Phoenix," British vessels of war, with several tenders, sailed up the Hudson, and, being unaware of the American fortifications, anchored off the entrance to Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The batteries opened fire on them and did great execution. The vessels then pro- ceeded up the Hudson as far as Fort Montgomery in the Highlands. Their object was probably to communicate with the pro-British element along the banks of the river and to provide them with arms. Their presence called for more troops and reinforcements were hurried to the neighborhood of Kingsbridge. On August 13, General Heath, to whose memoirs we owe so much for our knowledge of Revolutionary affairs in Westchester County, was appointed to the command of the district of the Highlands, extending south to the Harlem River. On August 17th the British vessels were anchored off Mount Saint Vincent, then called Yonkers, and an attempt was made to destroy them with fire-ships. One of the tenders was consumed, and the next morning the remaining vessels dropped down stream, easily passing through the obstructions in the river between Fort Washington and Fort Lee, much to the chagrin of Washington and his engineers. General Heath and General George Clinton watched from Tippett's Hill the daring attempts of the fire-ships to destroy the vessels. Several days later, a French engineer, named Martin, was assigned by Washington to complete the works, and Clinton's brigade was ordered into camp. The regiment of Colonel Thomas took camp south of Fort Independence, that of Colonel Graham about half a mile south, and the regiments of Colonels Paulding and Nicholas at Fordham and the base of Tetard's Hill, while Colonel Swartout occupied Tippett's Hill and threw up the redoubts that have been described.
On August 27th, the battle of Long Island was fought and the Pro- vincial Congress, then sitting at Harlem, became alarmed for the safety of the city of New York and ordered the records removed to the camp at Kingsbridge, from which place they were later taken to White Plains as well as to other places as the seat of government shifted during the ensuing six years. Heath gathered all the boats he could find along the two rivers for the transportation of Washington's army across the East River from its dangerous position at Brooklyn. During the morning of the twenty-seventh while the battle was raging on Long
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Island two ships and a brig came to anchor a little above Frog Point, later called Throgg's Neck. Colonel Graham's regiment was ordered immediately to the spot by General Heath to prevent the British from landing to plunder and burn. Before the regiment arrived several barges from the ships, full of armed men, landed on City Island and killed a number of cattle. Two companies of the Ameri- cans were ferried over to the island and compelled the enemy to withdraw. The British took one prisoner and fourteen head of cattle. but the rest of the cattle was secured. On August 29th the ships fell down to Hunt's Point. On September 13th the city of New York was evacuated by the Americans and the march was taken up for Harlem Heights and Kingsbridge. The British commanders considered the occasion opportune for the renewal of overtures in the direction of peace and sent the captured General Sullivan on parole to carry their message to Congress at Philadelphia. Three commissioners were sent by Congress as a result to confer with General Howe, namely, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Rutledge. As Howe refused to treat with the Americans in any other character than that of private citizens, and as the three commissioners stood out for a recognition of American independence, the negotiations fell through. The net result would appear to have been little more than a recognition on both sides of the spirit of determination on the other and that things could only be straightened out by a fight to a finish.
Five thousand troops were left to garrison Fort Washington, while the remainder, about nine thousand in number, went into quarters on the borough side of Harlem, extending from Kingsbridge, through Fordham, Morrisania, West Farms, and Westchester to Throgg's Neck and Eastchester. A floating, or pontoon, bridge was thrown across Spuyten Duyvil Creek to afford easy communication between the two divisions of the army. A similar bridge was constructed by the British after their occupation of the same neighborhood; it crossed the creek about midway between the Kingsbridge and the Hudson, connecting Tippett's Neck and Cox's or Cock's Hill. On the Headquarters map, referred to above, it appears very curiously as the "King's bridge." The Americans on their arrival erected barracks, and brick and stone ovens were built by the masons in the army. The different methods of working in the two armies are illustrated by the fact that redoubts, barracks, ovens, and the like, required by the Americans were built by the soldiers themselves, with slight expense to the government: while, during the British occupation of New York and its environs, under the several British commanders, seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling were expended for the same purposes. So tremendous
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was this expense that its honesty was questioned by the government in England and it is supposed that Carleton had the Headquarters map made in order to show where and how this large sum had been expended. The American army was composed of farmers, mechanics, and artisans of all kinds; the British, of soldiers whose duty it was to fight.
The farmers in the neighborhood of the army at Kingsbridge suffered from the depredations of the troops ; and fences, poultry, cattle, and crops disappeared for the use of the quartermaster's department and for the commissariat. In short the pilfering of the soldiers greatly annoyed Washington, whose prohibitions seem to have had little effect. In a prosperous farming section such as the lower part of Westchester County, there should have been plenty of horses and oxen; yet when the retreat began to the upper county so many draft animals had been stolen by individuals, both officers and men; that enough animals could not be found to drag the stores and artillery ; and the guns and wagons had to be hauled in relays, and very frequently, by hand. The terms of enlistment of thousands of men expired during the months of September and October, and every one that could do so helped himself to a horse or anything else that took his fancy and which he could take back to New England. It was a providential fact that the Americans were opposed by a commander who had a good streak of laziness in him. Had it been otherwise they might have lost everything. As it was the army lost little or nothing. For several weeks the opposing armies were apparently inactive though the American forces were in reality busily engaged in strengthening the defenses of Fort Washington, the posts at Kingsbridge, at White Plains, and the various outposts ; while the British were erecting a strong line of defenses to prevent attack from the north, extending along the heights commanding the plains of Harlem; that is, the present Morningside Heights, the north end of Central Park and McGowan's Pass. They also occupied the islands in the East River and thus controlled the Sound.
The most strongly garrisoned of these islands was Montressor's or Randall's, which was separated from the mainland by the narrow and shallow strait called the Bronx Kills. At the manor house of Mor- risania, opposite the island, was a strong outpost of Americans; and the pickets frequently exchanged shots until the commanders of the posts mutually agreed to refrain from firing on each other's pickets. This was agreeable to the men themselves, who in their sense of security exchanged articles by throwing them across the narrow strip of water. A raw picket on the British side, who did not know of the agreement, began to fire on the sentinel opposite, who was taking no precautions to conceal himself; and in consequence a lively fusillade
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ensued. The officers soon stopped the firing, the American captain indignantly remonstrated, the British captain apologized, relieved the offending sentry and punished him, and the condition of neutrality was resumed.
The restraint shown in the matter of sentries was merely diplomatic and each surveyed the position of the other with the intention of circumventing the opponent. On September 24th an attempt was made by the Americans, under Colonel Jackson and Major Henly, to surprise the British garrison on the island. The latter officer was on General Heath's staff, and was so importunate in his requests to be allowed to accompany the party that the general rather unwillingly consented, as the expedition gave every promise of success without serious danger. The American sentries had been cautioned to pay no attention to the passage of the boats down the stream; but one fool thought he knew better than his officers and insisted on challenging the boats, and finally fired on them, thus, no doubt, awakening the vigilance of the British sentries. The boats came abreast of the island in silence and arranged themselves in the order previously agreed upon for the attack. There was a whispered word of command, and Colonel Jackson's boat led the way in the darkness. As it approached the pickets fired upon it, but it kept on until its keel grated on the shore. Officers and men jumped ashore and attempted to rush the camp; but the force in their front was too strong for them, and, lacking support from behind, they were obliged to fall back. As they did so Major Henly fell mortally wounded. The well-planned attack had failed and all apparently because of the cowardice of the officers in the other boats, not one of whom followed the boat of his commander and supported it. These officers were afterwards court-martialed and cashiered. The loss of the Ameri- cans amounted to the number of twenty-two, including Major Henly, who died a few days after the affair, very much regretted, for he was a young officer of great ardor and promise. He was buried in the present Trinity Cemetery, by the side of the gallant Colonel Knowlton, the hero of the battle of Harlem Heights.
The headquarters of Washington during this time were at what was then the Roger Morris house, the colonial dwelling which became the residence of Madame Jumel, later the wife of Aaron Burr, and which is situated on the site at the junction of what are now Edgecombe Avenue and 160th Street. The house stands in a position commanding the Harlem River, the view to the southward extending to the East River, and to the northward to Kingsbridge, so that the movements of the British boats could be readily observed. These were times of great stress of body and mind for Washington; for he had on his
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hands a meddling Congress, several scheming and ambitious officers, a disorganized militia, and a disintegrating army. In fact his position appeared so desperate that he made the remark privately: "Such is my situation, that if I were to wish the bitterest curse to an enemy on this side of the grave, I should put him in my stead with my feelings." He was oppressed by the idea that Howe, the British commander, intended to land at Morrisania and attack him in his position in West- chester County. He spared no exertion therefore to make his position as strong as possible and he was passing continually from his head- quarters to Kingsbridge, to Valentine's Hill, to Yonkers, to Morrisania, and to Westchester, personally superintending the disposition of his troops and acquainting himself with the topography of the surrounding country.
Anterior to the Westchester campaign the British, including the Hessians who had already arrived and taken part in the battle of Long Island and those under Knyphausen whose arrival was expected daily, were not fewer than forty thousand men, and to these would have to be added the marines of the fleet, several thousand more, who were available for land duty. The regiments were the flower of the British army. Supporting them were two fleets of Admiral Lord Howe and Commodore Hotham. On the face of the returns of September 21, 1776, the Americans had in the neighborhood of thirty-two thousand men; but if we exclude the sick and furloughed, and those at Paulus Hook (Jersey City) and other small and distant posts, the number of effectives was not more than sixteen thousand. By October 5th, the number had dwindled considerably. Thirteen regiments of these troops were composed of militia, serving for a time in the Continental service, and unreliable for any service except building forts, plundering, and, as has been said, running at the first hint of danger, as Washington had learned to his sorrow at Kip's Bay. The commander of the Ameri- can forces was handicapped, moreover, by the incompetency of many political officers in the army, not the least of them Major-General Charles Lee, the conceited and futile braggart, prolific in schemes and criticisms, but barren in results.
Dr. Galloway, of the British army, contrasted the two armies as follows: "The British army was commanded by able and experienced Officers; the rebel, by men destitute of military skill, or experience, and for the most part taken from the mechanic arts or the plough. The first were possessed of the best appointments, and more than they could use; and the other of the worst, and of less than they wanted. The one were attended by the ablest Surgeons and Physicians, healthy and highspirited ; the other were neglected in their health, clothing, and pay,
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were sickly, and constantly murmuring and dissatisfied. And the one were veteran troops, carrying victory and conquest wheresoever they were led; the other were new-raised and undisciplined, a panic-struck and defeated enemy, whenever attacked-such is the true comparison be- tween the force sent to suppress and that which supported the Rebellion."
British at Throgg's Neck-The interval of inactivity was brought to an end on the second week of October. On the twelfth of that month Sir William Howe, leaving Earl Percy in command of the forces in New York, embarked the first detachment of his army of thirty thousand men on flat-boats and, supported by several ships of war to cover his landing, proceeded through the East River and Hell Gate, and about nine o'clock in the morning landed at Throgg's Neck. The morning was foggy so that his movement could not be seen from headquarters, and Washington was unaware of it until that afternoon, when he re- ceived an express from Heath, whose outpost at Westchester town apprised him of the landing of the enemy. During the afternoon of the same day the second detachment of Howe's army, in forty-two vessels, supported by nine vessels of war, successfully followed the first. Thus the left flank of the American army had become seriously threat- ened and Washington perceived that the danger was grave. The British had taken him off his guard and his action and orders as they are de- scribed on that day have been taken as indicating that the equable tem- per of the great man had on this occasion fallen down. On this day he appears to have thrown the major responsibility over onto Heath, author- izing him to make such dispositions of the troops as he thought proper, "begging and trusting that every opposition would be given to the enemy," and concluding with the prayer: "God bless and lead you on to victory!" The next day, which was Sunday, he took immediate and active charge of the movements of the troops, sending the necessary brigades and regiments to the support of Heath at Westchester, inspect- ing and patrolling his own lines and impressing the outposts with the necessity of being extra vigilant. At the first intimation of Howe's movement in the direction of Throgg's Neck, Washington had believed the advance to be a feint and that the real objective was to be by way of Morrisania; but on the thirteenth of the month he came to the con- clusion that the movement was not merely intended as a deception and that the purpose of the enemy was to confine his army to the Harlem shore and cutting it off from the upper county.
Throgg's Neck may be taken as the extreme easterly point of the Westchester township. It is virtually an island, being cut off from the mainland by several tidal creeks and low, marshy meadows, which are awash at high tide. Its only connection with the mainland at that time
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was the causeway and bridge over Westchester Creek at the borough town. Howe was blamed for selecting Throgg's Neck for his landing place instead of Pell's Point at Rodman's Neck, a much better place for the object he had in view; but it appears that he gave way to the judg- ment of his brother, the admiral, whom, from the charts and informa- tions possessed by him, had come to the conclusion that Eastchester Bay was too shallow for his ships to cover the landing. On the other hand, it was considered that at Throgg's Neck there was plenty of water. It has to be recalled that as there was no steam power in those days the vessels were dependent on the tides and winds and had to govern their course accordingly.
Early in October General Heath had inspected the neighborhood and placed alarm posts at the bridge and at the head of Westchester Creek, where the stream was fordable, with orders to give him immediate notice of any movement of the enemy, should he attempt to land at Throgg's Neck; and he promised, in the event of a British advance, to send reinforcements at once. The men at the outposts consisted of Colonel Hand's First Regiment of Continental Foot, usually known as Hand's Riflemen. Upon the approach of the advance guard of the enemy toward the causeway on the morning of the twelfth, following the suc- cessful accomplishment of their landing, the Americans removed the planks from the bridge in accordance with instructions and gathered on the west bank of the creek under the protection of the old tidal mill, from which point they poured a heavy rifle fire upon the advancing enemy. In the face of the fusillade the British fell temporarily back. An attempt to cross the creek at the ford was also repulsed by the rifle- men. The British contented themselves with these tentative efforts; and finding the Americans in sufficient force to check their advance, threw up a semicircular entrenchment to prevent the Americans in their turn from attempting to advance across the creek. Heath, having re-" ceived notice of the landing, despatched the regiment of Colonel Pres- cott, the hero of Bunker Hill, the regiment of Colonel Graham of the New York Line, and. two pieces of artillery; later, reinforcing with McDougal's brigade of New York troops. The Americans intrenched on the west side of the creek and a desultory and ineffective fire was exchanged between the hostile outposts during the remainder of the day. In the movements of the troops following October 12, many of them had been withdrawn from Manhattan Island to reinforce Heath, to watch the ships off Tarrytown, to the encampment on Valentine's Hill in the Mile Square, and to White Plains to protect the stores being moved to that place. A series of fortified camps had also been estab- lished on the west side of the Bronx River, extending from the Mile Square to White Plains.
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On the fourteenth of October a council of war was called to meet near Kingsbridge, the place to be designated by General Heath, "as we are strangers to a suitable place." On the same day General Charles Lee arrived from the south, and being the senior major-general and next in rank to Washington, was entitled to the command of all the troops in the county ; but although placed in command he was requested not to exercise it until he had acquainted himself with the number and dispo- sition of the troops and with the topography of the country; so that Heath remained the responsible commander. Considering the character of Lee it is remarkable that he acceded to the request; for, if we are to judge him by his own estimate of himself, remarks Jenkins, all this knowledge and information should have been his intuitively from his very presence on the ground. On the evening of the same day all pos- sible information being in possession of the officers the council of war reassembled at the quarters of General Lee at Kingsbridge. There were present, besides the Commander-in-Chief, Major-Generals Lee, Putnam, Heath, Sullivan and Spencer, and Brigadier-Generals Stirling, Mifflin, McDougal, Parsons, Nixon, Wadsworth, Scott, Fellows, Clinton, and Lincoln, and Colonel Knox, commanding the artillery. With only one dissentient voice, that of General George Clinton, it was decided that it was not possible in their present positions to prevent the American army from being cut off from the upper county, and that a retirement was not only expedient but necessary to prevent the surrender of the army as prisoners of war. In deference to the ill-advised wishes of the Continental Congress it was decided to maintain Fort Washington as long as possible. On the fifteenth the movement of troops to the relief of Heath continued; on the sixteenth Washington finished his survey of the threatened points by visiting Pell's Point and the establishment of an outpost at the entrance to the Neck. This was a very important move, as was made clear by later developments.
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