USA > New York > New York City > The Memorial History of the City of New York: From Its First Settlement to the Year 1892, Volume II > Part 56
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1 " I met with Governor Tryon on board of a ship at the Hook, and many gentlemen fast friends to government attending him, from whom I have had the fullest information of the state of the rebels, who are numerous and very advantageous- ly posted with strong entrenchments . . . there is great reason to expect a numerous body of the inhabitants to join the army from the provinces
of New York, the Jerseys and Connecticut. ... This disposition among the people makes me impatient for the arrival of Lord Howe, conclud- ing the powers with which he is furnished will have the best effect at this critical time ; but I am still of the opinion that peace will not be restored in America until the rebel army is defeated." General Howe to Lord Germain, July 7, 1776.
497
NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
State possessed of sufficient power to reward his merit and advance him to the highest honours of a free country." The official announce- ment to the troops of the birth of the republic was not accompanied by salvos of artillery or extraordinary military parade such as has so often greeted its anniversary; powder was too precious, and the nondescript attire of the troops was not suited to "pomp and cir- cumstance." But on the night of the 9th the prevailing exul- tation found a vent in tearing down the gilded and equestrian statue of George III. from its pedestal in the Bowling Green and turning his leaden majesty into patriotic bullets. This ebulli- tion brought out a mild rebuke from headquarters, in which, while expressing his sympathy with the motive, the general ob- jected to the disorderly method, and directed that "in future these things shall be avoided by the soldiery." 1
The fact that the military pro- mulgation of the Declaration antedated its formal publica- tion to the citizens of New-York should not be taken as an evi- dence of hesitation on the part of the provincial legislature to ratify the act of the Continental Congress. The spirit of that act the Johnylang. had long been "discounted " in the province. On April 20 a petition was made through the committee and provincial congress that the Continental Congress would "take up some form of govern- ment which may serve for the security of our persons . . . until a recognition can happily be brought about between us and our Mother Country upon constitutional principles." Doubtless similar memorials were forwarded from other quarters, for, soon after (May 10), Congress
1 " The greater portion of the statue was taken to Litchfield, Conn., and melted into bullets for the patriot army. In a memorandum left by Cap- tain John Montresor, chief engineer in America of the British army, he states that he recovered the mutilated head of the king and sent it to Lord Townshend, 'in order to convince them at home of the infamous disposition of the ungrateful people of this distressed country.' The stone slab on which the statue rested was taken to Powles Hook in 1783. It subsequently served as a memo- rial stone for the grave of Major John Smith of VOL. II .- 32.
the Forty-second Highlanders, and later as a doorstep for the residence of Mr. Cornelius Van Vorst in Jersey City. It is now in possession of the New York Historical Society. Several large fragments of the statue - comprising the tail of the horse and part of the saddle, which were re- covered at Wilton, Conn., in 1871 - are also in the Society's possession. The white marble pedestal (fifteen feet in height) was removed from the Green in May, 1818." (Jacob B. Moore in the New-York "Telegram," June 16, 1883.)
498
HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
recommended to the respective assemblies of the united colonies that they should adopt a form of government for themselves. On May 24, in the provincial congress, on motion of Gouverneur Morris, a com- mittee was appointed to consider the subject, and on the last day of that month a convention was called for June 19. On that day mem- bers were elected for the new provincial body to meet July 9. In the mean while (July 1) the question of the propriety of declaring for in- dependence came up in the Continental Congress, and (July 2) it was agreed to by the delegates of twelve colonies; in the absence of in-
"DESTRUCTION OF THE ROYAL STATUE IN NEW-YORK."
structions and the impending session of their provincial legislature, the delegates from New-York declined to vote, but hastened home to urge the adoption of the measure. On the day fixed for the assem- bling of the legislature (July 9) that body, thereafter styled "The Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York," unaui- mously adopted the Declaration, and it was then read to the people at White Plains, to which place the seat of government had been tem- porarily removed.
In accordance with a resolution of the committee of safety,' the "Declaration was read at the City Hall (July 18, 1776), to a numerous and respectable body of the free-holders and principal inhabitants of
1 "To the Inhabitants of the City and County of New York : WHEREAS, the Convention of the State of New York did on the 9th inst. unani- mously resolve : That a Declaration of the Indepen-
dence of the United States of America should be transmitted to the several Committees in said State of New York, with orders that it should be by them published with convenient speed in their
499
NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
A DECLARATION
By the REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN GENERAL CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.
W. HEN in the Course of Woman Events, it becomes mecthirty for one People to diffolve the Political Bands which have con- nected them with another, and to affume among the Powers, deresthich they fhould commit oo the Inhabitants of thefe Scales :
of the Earth, the feperate and equal Station ro which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Refpect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they fhould declare the Caufes which impel them to the Seperation. ..
For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World& Far impeding Taxes on us without our Coulent : Fer depriving us, in many Cafes, of the Denchita of Trial bosfery For eranfporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Quicoces :
W'e hold the.e Truths to be left-evident, that all Afen are created . For abolithing the free fyllem of English Laws in a neighbouring Province equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable ellablithing thereis an arbitrary Goverment, sol enlarging inBoundaries, lo Right, that among thele are L'ile, Liberty, and the Purfuit of Happi- ch to render it at once an Example and fit Inifroment for introducing the fame Self-That to Secure thefe Rights, Governments are instituted among absolute Rule into thefe Colonies : - 4M.N.E.
Men, deriving their jaft Powers from the Content of the Governed, that chenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of thele Ends. Stis the Right of the People to drer or to abolifh it, and to inflitute new.
5.For taking away " our Charters, abolifting oor moff valoible Laars, and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments : 1/2
Fer fulpending our own Legislatures, and declaring themfelves invefled
Hehes abdicated Government here, by declaring w opt of his Protofiion
Jong cffablifted Could not be changed for light and tranfient Caules ii'sy He hat plundered our Seas, ravages our Coolly, burgt, our Towns, and and accordingly all Experience bath thewn, that Mankindare more dild, del royed the Lives of oar People.
poled to fuller, while Seils are fuferable, than to right'chemfelves by Hànhhing the Forms to which they are actudomed. . But when a long Train of Abules and Ufurpations, parfuing invariably the lame Object, vinter a Delign to reduce them under ablalute Delpotifin, it is their
Heid at this Time, tranfporting largeArmin of foreign Mercenarios to coda; phear the Works of Death, Defolation and Tyranny, already been wih
Right, it is thsie Duty, to throw of fuch Geremment, and to provide ! He lias conftrained our fellow Chizeni' taken Captive on the high Seas to
atw Guards for their future Security. Suchi" has been the patient Suf- ferance of the's Colonies ; and fuch is now the' Necellity which con, Strains them to alter their former Syllems of Government, The Hiftorj! of the prefeat King of Great-Britain is a Hiftoryof repeared Injuries and Ularpitiont, all having in direct Object the Effablishment of an abis- Jate Tyranny over theje States, To prove this, let Facts be fabmitted to endid World.
He has excited Domeffic Inforrecions among& os, and has endeavourod
to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the mierc.lels Indian Saviger whole known Rule of Warfare, is en undiflinguithol Dellredlion, of
Hi tris refufed his Allent to Laws, the molt wholefome and nocellary. for the public Good.
In every Stage of thefs Opprelions we have peticiones for Redres, in the imelt bumble Teres : Our repusted Paicions have been anfeared only. by
reported Injury." A Prince, whole Character is thus marked by every Act.
, which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a fice Fecale
Not have ws been wanting in Attention to our Print Draheim. . We
He has refafed to pafa other Laws for the Accommodation of bu
have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by your leg laire so extend an unwarranmble Juridiction over us. We have reminded them of
Diffrics el People, untair thole People would relinquish the Right of Ref prefcotation in the Legislature, a Right ineffimalle fo them, and formid- able to Tyrants only.
the Circumflances of our Emigration and Settlement haft. . . We have sp) pealed to their native Juftice and Megntnimity, and we have conjared theny" by the Ties of our common Kindrod to difarow thuis Watparich, which
He has called together Droitintive Bodies at Places un fual, uncomfor-
would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Cortelpondeace. They tog have been deaf to the Voice of Jattice and of Coolingliaity. We mult. therefore, acquiesce in the Nececity which detocnoes our liepardon, and
Purpole of fatiguing them into Compliance withf his Meafurcs ++D He har difulved Reprefencutive Houfer repeatedly, for oppofing with manly Firtpselt his lavalions on the Rights of the People ..
hold them, as we hold the reft, of Mankind, Enemies In War; in Peace Friends.
He has refufed for a long Time, afiar fuch Diffolutions, to caufe otheri. to be dleDe : whereby the Legiflative Powers, incapable of Annihilation have rersmed to tas people at large for their exorcile , the State remain .: ing in the mean time expoini to all the Dancers of Invufion from with". out, and Conyallions within. ...
Supreme Judge of the World for the Redticade of our Ficarticas, do in the Name and by the Authority of the good People of theft Colecion, Klimaty. ":Publics and Declare, That thefe United Colonies tre, sed of Right ought,
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of chefe States ; forthat Purgod " > be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATAIS thes thecare abfolved frans bbcfuding the Laws for Naturalisation af Forcigoera; refufiog to pefa orberts all Alleghanes to the Bricth Crown, and that all poldel Conoceigo betnecs
cremaage their Migrations hither, and miùng the Conditions of now!" Appropriations of Lande
"them sed the Sunve of Great-Brinin, Is, and ought to he meufly dulaired ; cand thst as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATEN, they bme full Power to
He has ob Grafien the Adminifation of Julius, by sofuling his Altele to Any Wur, conclude. Prace, contract All'arest, cihoods Commerce,'tod to do Thor for chablithin; Judeury Powers. all other Arts and Things which InDavantiNe Chararmy of Reds
Hu Mus male Juliet dependent on bis Wal alone, for the Tecare of thele" And for the Support of this Declaration, with a fra Wladisnce on the Prbs Office, and th? Amnont and Payment of their Salaries. .. Tifico of Divine Providence, we mumsally pledge en, each other our Lines " Huhn criant's ashirade of new Offices, and for Either Swings of THE Fortunes, and que fasted House.
Officers to harrahs our People, and eat out their Subliance.
Hx bia kept among m, ic. Tinc of Frace, Standing Anier, withger the Content of our Legillarates
fte " bes afeftms to scoder the Milldiry Independent af and formfor
the civil Pomut.
He Jar combined with users to fabjart es to a Juridiction foreign so tar.
if esttraded Legislation-
REDUCED FAC-SIMILE OF BROADSIDE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE COUNTRY.
this city and county and was received with general applause and heartfelt satisfaction : and at the same time our late King's Coat-of- arms was brought from the Hall, where his courts were formerly held, and burned amidst the acclamations of thousands of spectators."1
several districts : Therefore, resolved and ordered : That at twelve o'clock on Thursday, the 18th inst. at the City Hall, in this city, the aforesaid Decla- ration be published, when and where it is hoped
every true friend to the rights and Liberties of this country will not fail to attend." Minutes of Committee.
1 "Constitutional Gazette," July 20, 1776.
For quartering large Bodies of armed Troops among us :
For protecting them, by a mock Tijal, frudi Pubihment For my Mere
Government, laying its foundation on fach Principles, and organizing its With Power to legiflase for us in all Cafes whatforvet.
Powers in fuch Form, as to them thalt feem mett likely to effect their.
Safety and Happiness. Prudence,"indeed, will diClate that Governments, and waging War against us.
Circumfrances of Cruelty and Pertidy farocly paralleled in the clone barbui Tous Ages,'and totally unworthy the Head of a civilised Natice,wy
·bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Dirihren, or to fall themfelves by their Hands.
He has forbidden his Governors fo pail Laws of immediate and preil. ging Importance, unlen fofy-ended in their Operation till his Affent fhould" be obtained, and when fo fafpended, he has utterly prglebiod to attend to them.332-
'table, and dillant from the Depolitoty of their public Records, for the foly
We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, In GENERAL CONGssss alemoltiappealing to the
JOHN HANCOCK Prefkou
ATTZ
500
HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
The strength and distribution of the American army at this time is worthy of note. The official returns, dated September 12, show 14,700 men "for duty" out of an aggregate of 28,400 present. On September 2, Washington reported "our number of men, at present fit for duty, is under 20,000." On August 9 he had written to Congress that "for the several posts on New York, Long and Gover- nor's Islands and Paulus Hook, we have fit for duty 10,514; sick, present, 3039; sick, absent, 629; on command, 2946; fur- lough, 97: Total, 17,225." During July and August there was much sickness, not only from diseases in- cident to all large bodies of recruits, but also from smallpox. This, with the frequent arrival of militia THE FORT AND BOWLING GREEN. and the departure of men whose short terms had expired, makes it impossible to fix precisely the actual force for duty in the city and vicinity at the time of the battle of Long Island; approximately it was twenty thousand. The troops were organized into five divisions, under Generals Putnam, Heath, Spencer, Sullivan, and Greene; besides the artillery under Colonel Knox, and the militia of Connecticut and Long Island en- rolled for the emergency.1
It appears from a document among the papers of General Knox that the above troops were stationed as follows: Scott's brigade in the city; Wadsworth's along the East River in the city; Parsons's from the ship-yards on the East River to Jones's Hill, and including one of the redoubts to the west of it; Stirling's and McDougall's still further west as a reserve near Bayard Hill; Fellows's on the Hudson,
1 The composition of these divisions was as follows : Putnam.
Clinton's brigade .. 4 Massachusetts regiments.
Scott's brigade ..... .. 4 New-York regiments.
Fellows's brigade. 4 Massachusetts regiments.
Heath.
Mifflin's brigade § 2 Pennsylvania, 2 Mass.,
1 Connecticut regiment.
G. Clinton's brigade. . 5 New-York regiments. Spencer.
§ 4 Connecticut regiments,
Parsons's brigade .. 1 Massachusetts regiment.
Wadsworth's brigade. 7 Connecticut regiments.
Sullivan.
Stirling's brigade ... § 1 Maryland, 1 Delaware,
7 5 Pennsylvania regimenta
McDougall's brigade $ 2 New-York, 1 Connecticut,
( 1 artificed regiment.
Greene.
Nixon's brigade.
§ 1 Pennsylvania, 2 R. I.,
7 3 Massachusetts regiments. Heard's brigade ..... 5 New Jersey regiments.
Connecticut Militia. . 12 regiments.
Long Island Militia. . 2 regiments.
501
NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
from Greenwich down to the "Glass House"-about half-way to Canal street; and James Clinton's from that point down to the "Fur- nace," opposite the Grenadier Battery. Those brigades forming Putnam's, Spencer's, and Sullivan's divisions, with the Connecticut militia, were retained within the city and its immediate vicinity. Of Heath's division, Mifflin's brigade was posted at Fort Washing- ton, at the upper end of the island, and George Clinton's at King's Bridge. Greene's division,-Nixon's and Heard's brigades,- with the exception of Prescott's regi- ment and Nixon's, now under his brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nixon, which were on Governor's Island, occupied the Long Island front." 1
The city was represented in the forces assembled for her defense at this time by the First regiment New-York Continental Line, one of the four regiments authorized by Congress, March 8 and 24, 1776; these were the successors of the four regiments organized in June, 1775, which had served in Canada under Montgomery and whose term had expired. In the reorganization of March, 1776, Colonel Alexander McDougall was reappointed colonel of the First regiment, but sub- sequently (August 9, 1776) was commissioned a brigadier-general. Lamb's company of artillery of the first (1775) New-York quota was reduced by the casualties of the field from seventy men to thirty when, in March, 1776, it returned to the city, leaving its captain (cap- tured at Quebec) wounded and in the hands of the enemy. Its natu- ral successor was the New-York Provincial Company of Artillery, created by resolution of the provincial congress (January 6, 1776) for defense of the colony. Its first captain (March 14) was Alexander Hamilton, young, able, and ardent. Although the continental forces were then seldom enlisted for a longer term than one year, Hamilton imposed the condition of service "for the war." This organization was destined to become the germ of the regular artillery of to-day. According to Major Gardiner, "its daily roll-calls and drum-beats or bugle calls continued, and from the day when Captain Alexander Hamilton first paraded his company in the present City Hall Park, in New-York city, to the present time, the United States has had the
1 "Campaign of 1776," Long Island Hist. Mem., III, Henry P. Johnston.
502
HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
services of a continuous and organized body of artillery soldiers."' A third company of artillery was authorized, by a resolution of March 16, 1776 ; of this body Sebastian Bauman was made captain. It be- came part of the regiment of artillery commanded by Colonel Lamb, and served until the close of the war.2 Besides the new organiza- tions raised for the general defense were two regiments or battalions of militia, commanded respectively by Colonels John Lasher and William Malcolm. These comprised certain city "train-bands" or indepen- dent companies rejoicing in the charac- teristic titles of "German Fusileers," "Oswego Rangers," "Bold Forresters," and "Sportsman's Company," with pic- turesque uniforms of blue with red facings and bearskin caps, or green coats with small round hats and black gaiters, which gave some color to the somber and nondescript garb in which the early continental troops met the enemy; for, with the exception of the old militia companies, the battalion of riflemen, and a few other corps,' the mass of the troops mobilized at New- York and vicinity appeared in rough James Clinton civilian clothes. Washington, among other untiring efforts to improve his army, issued an order (July 24, 1776) in which he "feels unwilling to order any kind of uniform, but as men must have clothes and appear decent and tight, he encourages the use of hunting shirts, with long breeches made of the same cloth, gaiter- fashion about the legs." He further called attention to the moral effect of such a dress upon the enemy, as indicating the rifleman, for whose prowess they had great respect.4
1 After the Declaration of Independence its name was changed to " The New-York State Com- pany of Artillery." It served gallantly in the princi- pal actions of the war; was at its commander's request transferred (March 17, 1777) to the army of the United States, where it still remains as "Battery F, 4th Regiment of Artillery." "The New- York Cont. Line " (Gardiner), Mag. Am. Hist., VII. 2 In the final arrangement for the . continen- tal army. Congress fixed (September 16, 1776) the quota of the State of New-York at four regiments of infantry, and after consulting Washington in- creased tt to five regiments and announced (No- vember 21, 1776) Goos Van Schaick, Philip Van Cortlandt, Peter Gansevoort, Jr., Henry B. Liv- ingston, and Lewis Dubois as the colonels assigned to the command of the organizations.
3 " Washington's Guard" had (June, 1776) "s blue coat faced with buff, red waistcoat, buckskin breeches, and black felt hat bound with white tape; the bayonet and body belts were also white." (Gaine's "New-York Gazette," 1776.) In the years 1775- 76 an effort was made to uniform the New-York regiments in blue, brown, or gray coarse cloth coats. In the first quota (1775) the first (New-York City) regiment was provided with blue coats faced with red ; Lamb's company of artillery wore blue with buff facings. "This is the first instance of any Revolutionary troops be- ing uniformed in the old Whig Royal Artillery uni- form of William and Mary's reign."-Gardiner.
+ " In their skill as marksmen they may be com- pared with our peasants in Sollinger ; their rifle- men are terrible. The latter wear a short white
.
503
NEW-YORK DURING THE REVOLUTION
The duties of the general-in-chief included an immense amount of detail which in an older organization would have fallen upon subor- dinate commanders; hourly admonitions, in the shape of "orders," to the troops as to their soldierly bearing, tendency to absent them- selves without leave, to dis- charge their pieces at irregular times and places, to sit down while on post as sentinels; be- sides such matters as instruct- ing "the officers who have lately come into camp" that their sev- eral grades should be marked by cockades-"pink or red for field officers, white or buff for cap- tains, and green for subalterns." There is a paternal tone in many of the early orders of Washing- ton to enlisted men, abounding as they do in appeals to the in- telligence, pride, and patriotism of the troops, illustrating his NEW-YORK REGIMENTAL FLAG, 1778. great tact in turning freemen into obedient soldiers, well fitted parts of the military machine that produced Saratoga and Yorktown.
In clearing the decks for the expected collision with the British, Washington asked the convention to remove certain influential Tories from the city jail to the safer custody of the Connecticut authorities, and informed Congress that he would send the records of his head- quarters to Philadelphia for better security. Again he was called upon to reassure the convention, which, after all the labor and ex- pense of securing the city against a coup de main, had at the last mo- ment weakened and resolved that if General Washington "should think it expedient for the preservation of the State and the general interest of America to abandon the city of New-York and withdraw the troops to the north side of King's Bridge, they will cheerfully cooperate with him." But matters had gone too far; if it was of po- litical importance to anticipate the British occupation of the city, it was of the first military importance that it should not be given up without a struggle.
General Washington now issued a proclamation announcing that shirt over their clothes, the sleeves being bordered three or four wounds - all caused by one shot. We have some consolation, however, in the fact that their muskets will not send a bullet farther than eighty paces; and they would find them- selves in a sad fix if our soldiers could shoot as well as they." "Letters of Hessian Officers," (Stone), New-York, 1891. by a number of rows of white linen fringes. A rebel invariably looks for protection to his musket which is very long. They load their guns with three small and three somewhat larger bullets: bad enough for him whom_ they hit. Nearly all of the wounded in the affair at Haber-town had
504
HISTORY OF NEW-YORK
"a bombardment and attack upon the City of New-York by our cruel and inveterate enemy may be hourly expected : and as there are great numbers of women, children and infirm persons yet remaining in the city whose continuance will rather be prejudicial than advantageous to the army, I do therefore recommend it to all such persons as they value their own safety and preservation, to remove with all expedi- tion out of the said town," and he requested the cooperation of the convention to that end.
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