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 58
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reported total casualties 367, commissioned and enlisted.
2 Mem. L. I. Hist. Soc., III, Johnston. 3 Johnston, as cited.
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submitted, the same afternoon, to a council of general officers, and after discussion was unanimously approved.1 Steps had already been taken by the quartermaster's department "to impress every kind of water craft from Hell Gate on the Sound to Spuyten Duyvil Creek that could be kept afloat, and that had either sails or oars, and have them all in the east harbor of the City by dark."2 It.is an evidence of the natural executive ability of the lead- ing staff-officers on duty there, that this extraordinary emergency was met with so much precision and secrecy.
Once determined, the preparations for withdrawal went on smoothly and noise- lessly. But few, if any, of the regimental commanders knew why they were ordered to have their men in readiness to move at a certain hour and place; that the order was general they did not suspect, and it was supposed to refer to a simple substitution of fresh troops for battle-worn soldiers. For once, Providence was not "on the side of the heaviest artillery." The bad weather of the previous day had soaked the enemy into Comwallis shelter, and the subdued noises of the drip- ping forest neutralized the muffled bustle behind the American in- trenchments. One after another the battalions moved, silently, in close order, down the road to the ferry (now Fulton Ferry), and were quickly rowed or sailed across the East River. Once the wind shifted, and for a while the sail-boats were motionless; but again a favoring breath from the southeast sprang up, and toward dawn a heavy fog settled over the river. By four o'clock on the morning of August 30 Washington had, to a great extent, retrieved the disaster of the 27th, and had snatched his greatly imperiled army out of the lion's jaws. Captain Montresor, Howe's chief engineer, making an early recon- noissance, was the first to discover the abandonment of the position, and to announce that the bird had flown.8
The matter of responsibility for the principal American mistake at
1 "As the main body of the enemy had encamped not far from our lines, and as I had reason to be- lieve they intended to force us from them by reg- ular approaches, which the nature of the ground favored extremely, and at the same time meant, by the ships of war, to cut off the communication between the City and Island, and by that means keep our men divided and unable to oppose them anywhere, by the advice of the general officers, on the night of the 29th, I withdrew our troops from there without any loss of men and but little bag- gage." Washington to Trumbull. VOL. II .- 33.
2 Memorial of Colonel James Hughes.
3 (August 30.) " In the morning to our great astonishment found they had evacuated all their works on Brookland and Red Hook without a shot being fired at them and to the best of our obser- vation found a body of three or four hundred remaining upon Governor's Island who might have been taken by flatboats, but for what reason was not attempted: neither could our war ship- ping get up for want of wind, and the whole escaped the following night to New-York." Col. Kemble, in N. Y. Hist. Soc. Coll.
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Long Island has always been a bone of contention with historical writers. Some would let it rest upon Putnam, the nominal com- mander; others would add to Sullivan's misfortunes on that day- although what little effort was made in the way of obtaining informa- tion of the enemy's whereabouts seems to have been paid for out of that officer's pocket. There is also a tendency to make a scapegoat out of Colonel Miles, whose regiment was posted near the open gate by which the enemy entered; and it may be that the patrol of five offi- cers who were charged with the key of that gateway deserve some share of unfavorable criticism, although the record fails to show how their duty was per- formed. But the military student may seek in vain for evidence that due provision was made, in organizing the Long Island defensive force, for that essential part of every army-mounted troops. Doubtless the expense of maintaining horsemen had something to do with this, yet we know that at least one troop was on duty near HESSIAN BOOT.1 Jamaica with General Woodhull; hence the tem- porary detail of five inexperienced commissioned officers for patrol duty.2 It seems evident that Washington exercised actual command of the force; that Putnam's relation to him was like that of Meade to Grant in the Wilderness; that, together, they made an inspection of the outposts on the day before the battle, when any deficiencies in the method of performing the picket duty might have been noted and remedied; and, above all, the comparative absence of censure of his subordinates, in any of Washington's writings, leads inevitably to the conclusion that the great chieftain himself quietly assumed the responsibility. In summing up the situation one is fain to agree with Lieutenant-Colonel Brodhead, who commanded a battalion of Miles's regiment, when he says, "upon the whole, less generalship never was shown in any army, since the Art of War was understood, except in the retreat from Long Island which was well conducted." The "hon- ors" of the affair, from a military standpoint, were about even. Washington had lost a battle; Howe an opportunity. The one with
1 Friederich's dragoons, while equipped for mounted service, were without horses, and of course unfitted for field service. Irving says, "The very hat and sword of one of them weighed nearly as much as the whole equipment of a Brit- ish soldier. The worst regiment in the British service could march two miles to their one." The above representation of a boot preserved at the Newburgh headquarters of the American army is sufficient evidence of the facts stated by Washing- ton's biographer. EDITOR.
2 It is a well-established principle that patrol- ling is not a sufficient protection to troops en-
camped near an enemy, especially in a wooded country, unless combined with videttes, or infan- try pickets, posted well to the front and flanks of the position. The failure properly to picket the Union lines at Shiloh ; Pope's want of cavalry and Jackson's flank movement at Manassas; the final stand of the Old Guard at Waterloo ; the failure to secure all the fruits of victory and the masterly withdrawal of the defeated army at Gettysburg, all seem to have been rehearsed in their main features within the limited compass of the battle of Long Island. [T. F. R.]
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green troops had accomplished a masterly retreat, the other with a superior force had gained an indecisive victory. With the customary promptness of the British government to rejoice over its military successes, however insignificant, congratulatory ad- dresses from lord mayors and corporations poured in upon the king; bells, bonfires, and "bombshells" contributed to the popular pleasure, "on account of the success of his Majesty's troops at Long Island"; General Howe received a red ribbon, and Bunker Hill was avenged. But this was nothing to the effect on American credit in European markets, where our agents were trying to borrow money and otherwise THE KEMBLE ARMS. to provide the sinews of war. At home the effect was not altogether bad. It acted as a bitter tonic, nerved leading patriots to the serious task before them, and inspired them, as John Adams's wife wrote, to "learn by defeat the power of becoming invincible."
Upon the rank and file of the American army the moral effect of the Long Island reverse was depressing. As to the militia, Washing- ton reported them "dismayed, intractable, and eager to return home. Great numbers have gone off, in some instances almost by whole regi- ments, by half ones, and by companies at a time." He took the oppor- tunity to impress upon Congress the necessity of enlisting troops for the war and in other ways establishing the army on a permanent foot- ing. In the mean while the available troops were reorganized into three grand divisions, under Putnam, Spencer (in the absence of Greene), and Heath. Putnam, with the brigades of Parsons, Scott, Clinton, Fellows, and Silliman, occupied the lines south of Fifteenth street; Spencer, with the brigades of Nixon, Heard, McDougall, Wadsworth, Douglas, and Chester, from Fifteenth street to Horn's Hook (Hell Gate) and Harlem; and Heath, with Mifflin and Clinton's brigades, was stationed at King's Bridge. It now became a question as to the further occupation of the city. Want of confidence in the quality of his troops induced Washington to recommend the abandon- ment of the city, and this he was authorized by Congress to do. Some of his subordinates, notably General Greene, advised the burning of the city, but Congress ordered that it should in no event be damaged, for they "had no doubt of being able to recover it, even though the enemy should obtain possession of it for a time."
The removal of the public property to Harlem Heights was com- menced on September 13, and was nearly completed when, on the 14th, the enemy, after a fortnight's comparative inaction, resumed operations. On the night of September 3 the Rose (20 guns) led the way up the East River with thirty boats, and anchored in Wallabout Bay, where on the 5th they were exposed to a warm fire from our
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batteries; on the following two days about seventy-five additional boats slipped by and reached Bushwick Creek in safety. On the evening of the 14th the frigates Roebuck, Orpheus, Phoenix, and Carysfort, escorting six transports, took advantage of a fair wind and, ignoring our artillerists, joined the Rose.1 Early next morning (September 15) the five frigates moved up the stream and anchored off Kip's or Turtle Bay; at the same time three men-of-war sailed up the North River and took position near Bloomingdale. It became apparent to Washington that Howe was about to repeat his Long Island tactics, this time with the aid of the navy. The British had concentrated troops at or about Astoria, occupied Montresor (Ran- dall's) and Buchanan (Ward's) islands, and with an abundance of boats at hand prepared to make a landing near Kip's house (now the foot of Thirty-fourth street) on the East River. From this point as far south as Corlaer's Hook (Grand street) were Putnam's five brigades; as it happened, the force at Kip's Bay consisted of three Connecticut militia regiments, under Colonel Douglas. The enemy made their preparations to land with deliberation and dramatic effect. The em- barkation of their troops having been completed, the eighty-four boats were marshaled in two lines, and the surface of the water sparkled with brilliant hues from arms and uniforms. An eye-witness said it was "like a large clover-field in full bloom." As the sailors bent to their oars and the pageant drew nearer to the nervous spec- tators, the broadsides of the frigates opened with a deafening roar upon the Americans. It was the last straw; the low intrenchments afforded no cover from such a fusillade from gun-decks and tops, and were immediately abandoned. Once having turned their backs, no- thing could have rallied them; and ere the enemy had fairly set foot on shore, most of the Americans in the vicinity had decamped and were making fast time for Harlem.2 What followed is briefly told. At the road which then ran across the island between the lines of Forty-second and Forty-third streets Washington met the ebbing human tide and was nearly swept away by the undertow. Like Sheridan he shouted to the flying troops to turn back, but the
1 "Just after dinner 3 Frigates and a 40 Gun Ship (as if they meant to attack the city) sailed up the East River under a gentle Breeze toward Hell-Gate and kept up an incessant Fire assisted with the Cannon at Governor's Island; The Bat- teries from the City return'd the Ships the like Salutation ; 3 Men agape, idle Spectators, had the misfortune of being killed by one Cannon-ball, the other mischief suffered on our side was inconsid- erable Saving the making a few Holes in some of the Buildings; one shot struck within 6 Foot of Gen. Washington as he was on Horseback riding into the Fort." Joshua Babcock, in Rhode Island Archives.
2 "The enemy's boats got under cover of the smoke of the shipping and then struck to the left of my lines in order to cut me off from a retreat. My left wing gave way, which was composed of the militia. I lay myself on the right wing waiting for the boats until Captain Prentice came to me and told me if I meant to save myself to leave the lines, for that was the orders on the left, and that they had left the lines. I then told my men to make the best of their way, as I found I had but about ten left with me." Colonel Douglas's letter, September 18, 1776. Memoirs Long Island His- torical Society, III.
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frightened levies of Kip's Bay had not the " seasoning" of the sur- prised army of Cedar Creek. In an open field, where now stand the Reservoir and Bryant Park, the general-in-chief, assisted by his staff and several general officers, made a final and des- perate effort to rally the fugitives; and here, lingering in the vain hope of presenting a decent front to the British, Washington nearly fell into their hands, and in mingled wrath and despair was fairly dragged away by his friends.1
General Putnam, fearing that Silliman's brigade and Knox's artillery, then in the city, would be cut off, hastened in person to extricate those troops from their perilous position. Guided by young Aaron Burr, of his staff, the Americans moved rapidly under cover of the woods and fences from Bayard's Hill across the country to Monument Lane (now Greenwich Avenue), and through Eighth Avenue as far as Forty-second street.2 Thence Putnam pushed his panting men along the banks of the North River, still under cover of the woods, BRUNSWICK GRENADIER. taking the Bloomingdale Road near Seventieth street, and then on to Harlem Heights, where the exhausted foot- soldiers arrived early in the evening. The day was very hot, and more than one poor fellow, weakened by disease, fell by the way. Near Bloomingdale a party of the enemy overtook the Ameri- cans, but were repulsed by Silliman's rear-guard.
In almost all the reputable histories3 it has usually been claimed that Putnam owed his success in bringing off Silliman and Knox to a happy inspiration of Mrs. Murray of Incleberg, a locality now known as Murray Hill.' While there seemed to be as yet no possi- bility that the American troops in the lower part of the island could escape the trap in which they had been caught, she invited General Howe and other prominent officers to halt in their pursuit of Wash- ington's demoralized militia, and to refresh themselves under her vine and fig-tree. But there is every reason to think that the
1 " At the first sound of the firing I rode with all possible dispatch towards the place of landing. when, to my surprise and mortification, I found the troops that had been posted in the lines re- treating with the utmost precipitation ; and those ordered to support them, Parsons' and Fellows' brigades, flying in every direction and in the ut- most confusion. I used every effort in my power to rally and get them in order, but my attempts were fruitless and ineffectual, and on the appearance of a small party of the enemy, not more than sixty or seventy in number, their dis- order increased, and they ran away without firing
a shot." (Washington to Congress.) In certain features of panics, as in other things, history re- peats itself. At Kip's Bay, Paymaster Sill testi- fied that "there was a cry from the rear that the Light Horse were advancing, and a great part of the battalion precipitately threw themselves into the lot on the west side of the road." At Bull Run it was "the Black Horse Cavalry are coming." [T. F. R.]
2 Mem. L. I. Hist. Soc., III, 238, Johnston.
3 Bancroft's "United States," 5 : 45 (ed. of 1883). + The Murray mansion stood on Fourth Avenue, near Thirty-seventh street.
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movements of the British forces had been ordered, and were in course of execution, before Sir William fell a victim to the blandish- ments of the patriotic Quakeress and her fair daughters. With a couple of lieutenant-generals to look after such details as picking up stragglers and taking possession of an abandoned town, the commanding general might well relax his "grim visage" for an hour or two, without sacrificing any military advantage. The mo- ment a landing was effected, and the post-road gained, Donop's Hessians1 were sent down by that route to take formal possession of the city; Putnam's skilful retreat along the wooded bank of the Hudson enabled him to avoid the enemy until it was too late to intercept him.
General Washington retired to Harlem Heights,2 where he prepared to await the enemy's further movements and gather strength for re- sistance. The British extended their lines from Bloomingdale across the island to Horn's Hook, with pickets well to the front, in the plain between the lines, which became a sort of neutral ground. After a night of more or less rest on the part of the opposing forces, early in the morning of the 16th a scouting-party consisting of Knowlton's Rangers 3 encountered the British pickets near Hogeland's house (112th street and Twelfth Avenue) and had a smart skirmish with a portion of the enemy (the light infantry) there. Two battalions of that corps, together with the Forty-second Highlanders, about four hundred men, were sent to punish the temerity of the Americans, who fell back, slowly, in such good order (taking advantage of the stone fences and firing with precision) that by the time they had covered the two miles to their own lines they had inflicted considerable loss upon the enemy, losing ten men themselves. The British troops, according to a witness, "in solid column," followed the retiring rangers, disdain- ing shelter, until they reached the northern edge of Bloomingdale
1 "Last Sunday (September 15) we landed amid the loud cannonading of five sloops-of-war, in flat- boats from Long Island, on New York Island about four miles from New York City. As rifle- men we were detailed as an advance-guard ; and during the afternoon we took entire possession of this part of the Island. Hardly, however, had we taken up our quarters when a new alarm on the part of the rebels obliged us to turn out. I had the right wing of the advanced guard; and as our march led us toward King's Bridge, I was most of the time near the East River, along whose banks are the most beautiful houses. I had the honor of taking possession of these handsome dwellings, and also of the enemy's battery, where I found five cannon. The rebels fled in every direction. All of these houses were filled with furniture and other valuable articles, lawful prizes of war; but the owners had fled, leaving all their slaves behind. In a day or two after, however,
one head of the family after another appeared, and tears of joy and thankfulness rolled down the cheeks of these once happy people. when. to their great surprise, they found their houses, fruits, animals and furniture intact, and learned from me that I had only taken possession of them for their protection. Nor could they believe me until I had turned their property over to them." Lieutenant Henrich, "Hessian Letters " (Stone).
2 From " Point of Rocks," at Ninth Avenue and 126th street, northwesterly to the Hudson ; oppo- site to these heights on the south side and across a hollow way (through which Manhattan Avenue now runs) was another parallel line of bluffs'ex- tending from 125th street and Ninth Avenue to 129th street and North River, and later known as "Bloomingdale Heights."
3 Composed of about one hundred volunteers from Durkee, Conn., and other New England regi- ments, acting as scouts.
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Heights, where in derision their buglers sounded a fox-hunter's peal. Washington, observing this from his outlook on the Point of Rocks, caused a detachment from Nixon's brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Crary, of Varnum's Rhode Islanders, to demonstrate in the British front, while Colonel Knowlton, with his rangers and one hundred and twenty Virginians under Major Leitch, was directed to move around the en- emy's right and gain their rear. The effort was almost a com-
plete success. The light infan- try and High- landers, noting Crary's small force apparent-
EAST VIEW OF HELL GATE, 1776.
ly at their mercy in the "hollow way," ran down to attack them. Knowlton and Leitch, accompanied by Colonel Read, attempted to execute their part of the program, but owing to a mistake in direc- tion came out on the enemy's flank, rather than in rear, causing him to fall back over the bluff he had previously occupied, closely pressed by Knowlton's and Crary's detachments. Here fell Knowl- ton and Leitch, the former mortally, the latter severely wounded.1 The retreating Britons were closely followed by the Americans. Washington, fearing they might go too far, reinforced them with three companies of Marylanders, under Major Price, and some New England troops, swelling the patriot force to about eighteen hundred men. This was timely, for General Howe, at the Apthorpe House, becoming anxious for his light infantry, ordered the reserve and some Hessians, together with two three-pounder field-pieces, to their support. What had commenced as " an affair of outposts" had de- veloped into a very respectable fight in which each army was repre- sented by some of its best troops. It was witnessed and, to some extent, participated in by the principal officers of both armies, Washington, Putnam, Greene, and Clinton encouraging their troops, while the British commander-in-chief began to think a general en- gagement was imminent. But, after pressing the enemy back to their lines, Washington prudently withdrew his force, well satisfied with the morning's work. Its physical results were a British loss of eight officers and fourteen men killed, and about seventy wounded;" on
1 Professor Johnston says : "We can identify the spot where the fall of these brave officers occurred as on the summit of the Bloomingdale Heights below 119th street, about half-way be-
tween the lines of 9th and 10th avenues." Mem. L. I. Hist. Soc., 3: 254.
2 Howe's official report.
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the side of their opponents about twenty-five killed (including four officers), and fifty-five wounded. To the Americans, at this moment of their greatest depression, it had all the moral value of an impor- tant victory : it restored their confidence.
After this affair Washington was permitted to pursue the work of reorganization, unmolested, for nearly a month. During this period he did not "spare the spade and the pick-axe"-as much as a means of keeping his men out of mischief as to erect necessary defensive works. Of these he completed three lines extending entirely across the island, from the Hudson to the Harlem, between One Hundred and Forty-fifth and One Hundred and Sixtieth streets. Signal-sta- tions were also established on the extension of the first line as far eastward as Throgg's Neck. On Oc- tober 5, the official returns of Wash- ington's army showed a personnel of 25,735, of whom 8,075 were sick or absent, leaving less than eighteen thousand, nominally, "for duty." Part of these were in New Jersey, and at least fifty per cent. were of less than one year's experience as soldiers. The army was especially weak in the quality of its officers; I -Wannum many of them were inferior, socially, to the men, and Adjutant-General Reed relates his disgust that "a cap- tain of horse who attends the General from Connecticut, was seen shaving one of his men on the parade," near the headquarters.' With hostile armies encamped in close proximity, the pickets are apt, during the first few days, to keep up an irregular but harassing fire on each other. Those stationed at this time on Montresor's Island and the Morrisania shore were no exceptions to the rule. After one or two American soldiers and a British officer had fallen victims to this unprofitable rifle-practice, it was discontinued by mutual consent. The pickets became "so polite to each other on their posts that one day at a part of the creek where it was practicable, the British senti- nel asked the American, who was nearly opposite to him, if he would give him a chew of tobacco; the latter having in his pocket a piece of a thick, twilled roll, sent it across the creek to the British sentinel, who, after taking off his bite, sent the remainder back again."
1 Washington's headquarters at this time were at the Roger Morris house (afterward Mme. Jumel's. See p. 522).
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General Howe now proceeded to make another effort to cut his enemy's communications, and perhaps capture his entire force. So on October 12 he embarked a large part of his army on flatboats bound up the Sound; but adverse winds delayed the flotilla, and it did not reach Throgg's1 Neck until the evening of the 14th. Find- ing this an impracticable landing-place, the British boats moved to Pell's Point, debarking on the 18th and marching toward New Rochelle. Washing- ton was early advised of the enemy's move- ments, and divined their purpose. He decided to abandon his position at Harlem and, by occupying the right bank of the Bronx River, and moving parallel to the British column, to thwart their plans. At the same time he de- tached scouting parties to watch and worry Howe's troops, one of which, of seven hundred and fifty men, under General Glover, taking advantage of the rough country, abounding in stone fences, checked the enemy for some hours on his way to New Rochelle. Washington preempted a strong position at White Plains across the roads leading up the Hudson and to New England. On October 28 the two armies-FORTY-SECOND HIGHLANDERS.2 each about thirteen thousand strong-stood face to face. The action which ensued was short, sharp, and creditable to the Americans. Avoiding a direct attack upon Washington's front, Howe sent four thousand men, in two columns, under Clinton and De Heister, to gain Chatterton Hill, a rocky eminence west of the Bronx River, near the village. In this the British were forestalled by General McDougall, who, with six hundred continentals, eight hundred militia and two guns under Captain Alexander Hamilton, gained the hill and handsomely resisted the enemy under a fire of thirty pieces of artillery.3 Eventually Rahl's Hessians forded the Bronx lower down, and a combined assault compelled McDougall to fall back in good order upon White Plains, carrying with him his artillery and wounded. The casualties amounted on the American side to 130 killed and wounded and 30 (militia) missing; the British loss aggregated 231 killed and wounded. Washington now awaited an- other attack behind intrenchments made of the tops of corn turned inward and the roots, with adhering earth, outward." The arrival of Lord Percy on the 30th, with reinforcements, rendered an attack
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