USA > New York > New York City > The revolutionary history of Fort Number Eight on Morris Heights, New York City > Part 2
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After a seven weeks' stay on Staten Island, the British crossed to Long Island, landed near Gravesend Bay on August 22, and prepared for the battle of the following week. 87
In the meantime the Americans had been aroused to realiz- ing the dangers the city was in. On August 8, General Clinton was ordered to make new levies in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster and Westchester Counties, to proceed at once to strengthen the fortifications about King's Bridge, and to pre- vent the British occupying those positions in the rear of the American army and cutting off its communication with Albany.88 A week later seven hundred men had been collected in those posts.89 On August 17, General Washington put General Heath-who had been made a major-general by Con- gress a week before-in command of the troops at the north end of the island, specifically including those in Fort Washing- ton and Fort Independence, "and a number of other works " (described above)," which he was familiar with from per- sonal observation.
General Heath at once took command with headquarters at King's Bridge, from where he writes to Washington on August 23, advising the building of a floating bridge across the Harlem River. He was also busy reconnoitering, and obtained Lieutenant Preston from General H. Knox to superintend the mounting of guns at his post.º1
William Heath, from whose memoirs we learn much about the military movements in Westchester County during the following years, came of an old family in Roxbury, Mass. February 9, 1775, he was appointed a general officer by the Congress. Three days after the evacuation of Boston, on March 10, 1776, he left for New York, reaching the city ten
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days later, and soon after was inoculated with smallpox, and spent a month on Montresor's (now Randall's) Island, "where he went through the operation of that distemper."
On Tuesday, August 27, 1776, the battle of Long Island was fought, the detailed story of which British victory need not here be recited." It was followed two days later by General Washington's masterly withdrawal of his troops across the East River to New York." For the purpose, General Heath had sent him all the boats he could spare from Fort Washington and King's Bridge on the day before." The evacuation of Long Island was at once followed by that of Governor's Island.90
For some weeks, then, the British army remained inactive, while the Americans were busy strengthening their fortifica- tions at the northern end of Manhattan Island. Troops recon- noitered the Westchester shore of the Sound to the eastward of Morrisania (Mott Haven), watching the movements of the British on that water. Others were massed in Fort Washing- ton. The works along the East River and at Horn's Hook were strengthened.97 Reinforcements were asked of the New York Convention for King's Bridge, and a week later some Maryland troops were sent there-barracks had been hastily built-to join the brigades of Generals Mifflin and George Clinton, already stationed at King's Bridge." The brigades of Generals Parsons, Scott, Clinton, Fellows, and G. S. Silliman (of Connecticut, father of Professor Benjamin Silliman of Vale College) had been assigned to duty in New York after the battle of Long Island.99
Colonel Putnam examined the position of the Americans and reported them to General Washington on September 3, 1776, as scattered from New York to King's Bridge. He did not think the English could be prevented from landing in New York.100 General Heath, however, thought the American works both numerous and strong.101 Graydon, in his Diary, sides with Colonel Putnam, and even bets a beaver hat that no attempt will be made to defend New York.102
On September 8, 1776, General Washington issued orders to strengthen the works about King's Bridge, and stationed 9,000 men at the northern end of the island, 5,000 in the city, and the rest of the army between those two points. He evidently
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still believed a stand might be made against the enemies' advance, and relied on the strength of the works from Fort Washington to King's Bridge and the possibility of obstruct- ing the Hudson River.108 These plans General Washington had no doubt perfected while dining a few days before with General Heath at the latter's quarters at King's Bridge, 104 for General Heath leaned strongly to defending the city at any cost. 105
The British slowly made preparations to invest the city. On the day of the battle of Long Island they had sent two ships into Long Island Sound, and, anchoring off Throg's Neck (often misnamed Frog's Neck) had reconnoitered the neighborhood, and, as was their custom, helped themselves to any cattle they found.100 Immediately upon General Wash- ington's retreat from Long Island they pushed up the East River, and were seen in large numbers at the mouth of the Harlem River.107 Two of their men-of-war were discovered on September 2, 1776, at anchor between "Throg's Point" and the New City (City Island), their crews, as usual, pillag- ing on shore.108 A week later they came to closer quarters, and, after reconnoitering the waters about Hell Gate, they bombarded the American redoubts at Horen's Hook from their works on Long Island.109
Finally, the British, on September 11, 1776, effected a land- ing on Montresor's (now Randall's) Island, also on Buchanan's (now Ward's) Island,11º and on the Two Brothers' Islands in sight of the American troops on the Morrisania shore, ordered there to prevent the British landing on the main land.111 In the words of a contemporary chronicler, "Tusday September ye 10th to Day the Regulars Landed about 6,000 on one of the Islands Caled the two Brothers."112 Washington at once reported this movement to the Congress, and suggested that nothing could now prevent the enemy's landing in Harlem or on the main land and attacking him in the rear of the King's Bridge works.113 He decided in a council of war, held on September 12, to evacuate the city and escape with his army to the north.114 The valuable stores in the city had already been removed on September 10.115
"Thirsday September ye 12th . . . . orders for all the sick to move out to King's Bridg Likewise all the Tems Employed
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in giting our war-like Stors out of Town."116 On Septem- ber 14 the stores were sent up by the Bloomingdale and King's Bridge Roads to King's Bridge, and on the next day about eight o'clock "the Brigades in ginrel ware ordered to retreat out of town."117 117 The main body marched toward Fort Washington and King's Bridge; a rear guard of 4,000 followed, Washington establishing his headquarters at Colonel Roger Morris's (later the Jumel) house. 118
This general retreat of the Americans to the northern part of Manhattan Island was made necessary by the British forces landing on the island and threatening to surround the Ameri- cans in the southern end. As was expected, the British con- centrated their forces on the East River, and about noon on the 15th of September they easily effected a landing with five shiploads of 4,000 men at Turtle and Kepp's Bay (34th Street and East River), some three miles north of the city,11º the Americans hastily abandoning their works in that neighbor- hood and retreating to the north of the island, a few even crossing into New Jersey.120 It is said General Putnam's troops escaped northward from the city, while the British officers were being refreshed at Mrs. Robert Murray's house (on Murray Hill).121 After landing, the British drew up their lines across the island between Horen's Hook (near 89th Street and East River) and Bloomingdale, facing northward.122 General Howe established his headquarters in Mr. Apthorpe's house133 (91st Street and 9th Avenue), later a resort known as "Elm Park," and recently moved to the site of Fort George, opposite Fort Number Eight. Outposts were stationed on the heights from MacGowan's Pass along what is now Morningside Heights to the present site of Columbia University, and that of the Clairmont Hotel and General Grant's tomb. Near MacGowan's Pass in and about the stone blockhouse still standing in Central Park, Count Donop and his German troops were stationed. The British army under General Earl Cornwallis lay in the rear.124
On the following day, Monday, September 16, 1776, a little before noon occurred a skirmish between a party of Hessian Jägers, British Light Infantry and Highlanders on the one, and some American riflemen and others on the other side. The result was not decisive, at least the British did not
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carry the American position.125 In How's Diary we read :126 "Some part of our army had a Smart fight with the enimy in Harlem woods." The site of this so-called " battle of Harlem " has been confused by a commemorative tablet having been placed on the walls of Trinity Cemetery, a mile and more from the actual scene of the engagement.
The British troops were stationed as described above ; the Americans, chiefly some Connecticut light troops, known as the " Rangers," under Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton (who fell in the engagement), and Colonel Weeden's Virginia regiment, were stationed on the southern slope of the rising ground north of Manhattanville, or to be exact at about 130th Street and the Boulevard (a few steps from the present St. Mary's Church).127 The battle began by the above Ameri- can troops attacking the British flanks opposite them near General Grant's tomb, Washington directing their movements from his position in the grounds of the present Sacred Heart Convent (at one time the residence of Mr. Jacob Lorillard's family).128 The Americans drove the enemy back through the fields toward their main body. A stubborn resistance was offered by them in a buckwheat field on the present site of Columbia University, near what was later the residence of Mr. Caspar Meier. Finally, reinforcements, chiefly Hessian, were hurriedly summoned, and the Americans retired to their former position back of the present St. Mary's Church. 129
The success of the Americans in this skirmish at Blooming- dale strengthened their belief that the works at the northern end of Manhattan Island could withstand the British, and, on the part of the latter, it convinced them that, in preference to a direct assault upon those scattered works from the south, which might have been repulsed,180 a flank movement by way of Long Island Sound and Westchester County would be more feasible and less costly. This movement was, as we shall see, carried out a little less than four weeks later.
This delay afforded the Americans time to still further fortify themselves on the heights north of Manhattanville and at Fort Washington,131 and on the strong grounds about King's Bridge, 183 where they hoped to fix their winter quar- ters, unmolested by the enemy.138 There they had collected the public stores. 184 While the British lay encamped between
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the city and the American army,185 the latter threw up two lines of intrenchments across the island south of Colonel Roger Morris's (later the Jumel) house.
It was feared the British would at once attempt to invest the island, or else land at Morrisania (Mott Haven) or at Hunt's or Throg's Point and outflank the Americans. To guard against both these movements, 10,000 men were left at and near Fort Washington, consisting of Parson's, Scott's and Dudley Sargent's brigades ; Heath's division was increased to 10,000 at King's Bridge, and a floating bridge was thrown across the Harlem River, as he had suggested, to facilitate communication between these two bodies, while General Greene was put in command of the 5,000 troops on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.16 Four hundred and fifty of Heath's men were also sent from King's Bridge to Mor- risania (now Mott Haven), and established a chain of sentinels along the shore to watch the British on Montresor's (Ran- dall's) Island. The distance separating them was not great, and General Heath has preserved an amusing account in his Memoirs of the conversation carried on between the Ameri- can and English officers.187 Further east along the shore of the Sound, near Throg's Neck, Colonel Glover was watching the movement of the British ships with a view to opposing the landing of troops.188
On September 20, 1776, General Washington rode to King's Bridge, and inspected the works there. He found them gar- risoned with 8,771 men, of whom 1, 294 were reported present sick, and 1,108 as absent sick.13º Since the battle of Long Island there had been constant desertions1"-which, how- ever, were common enough at all times.141 As King's and Dykeman's Bridges were the only ones connecting the island with the main land, a sentinel was stationed there to intercept deserters, especially those carrying ammunition.142 One was stopped, as Graydon tells us,143 carrying a cannon ball to his mother with which to pound mustard seed. Sentinels were also posted for a similar purpose at the Harlem ferry leading to Morrisania. 144
On September 21, 1776, occurred a great fire in New York, destroying Trinity Church among other buildings, which, with no show of reason, was claimed to have been started by rebel incendiaries. 145
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On the following day, Sunday, an attempt was made by the Americans to drive the English from Montresor's (Randall's) Island at the mouth of the Harlem River. Two hundred and forty men fell down the river with the tide from King's Bridge in boats, and attempted to land on the island, but were repulsed with the loss of fourteen men. The affair was badly managed, and, in consequence, one captain was cashiered.140 While this affair was going on, Sunday services were not being neglected in the camp, and How records the text his chaplain preached on, namely Ecclesiastes, VIII, 5.147 A fortnight later the chaplain of Nash's "rigerment" preached from "Luke ye 12 chap 4th & 5th Varses."148
On October 3, 1776, a council of war was held under General Heath, and several new redoubts were planned, among them, possibly, the one known later as "King's Battery" (or Redoubt) still standing on the place of Mrs. N. P. Bailey, and one on the east bank of the Harlem River near Morrisania (Mott Haven). 149 Twenty-five men, under Captain Hand, were also assigned to holding the causeway leading to Throg's Point, near a tide-mill, in case the British attempted to land there, which they did, as we shall see. 150
A few days later, on October 6, 1776, the British were heard embarking at Blackwell's Island and Montresor's (Ran- dall's) Island and moving eastward into Long Island Sound.151 On October 11th and 12th they landed on Throg's Point (or Neck), on the present site of Fort Schuyler, that point being selected by the advice of their naval officers, who had been taking soundings and found the waters about Pell's Point too shallow.152 The troops were sent in flat-bottomed boats through Hell Gate.163 Lord Percy with two brigades of British and one of Hessian soldiers remained in New York, but kept up his connection with General Howe by means of men-of-war posted along the Sound. 154
This move of General Howe's to Throg's Neck was a bril- liant stroke. By gaining the rear of the American army he hoped to cut off its supplies and reenforcements from the east, and thereby either compel Washington to evacuate New York Island or to draw him into a pitched battle in the favorable country of Westchester County.155
General Howe remained encamped at Throg's Neck till
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October 18, awaiting the arrival of supplies from New York, and also of three battalions of Hessians from Staten Island. For this delay he was severely blamed, it being held that he should have at once moved inland and cut off the Americans' retreat from King's Bridge.168
During this time the Americans had been active. The small detachment under Captain Hand stationed on the cause- way at Throg's Neck saw the eighty to ninety British boats sail up and land their crews on the point, and succeeded in preventing any general movement inland by the English, 157 or, as Nash has it in his Diary,158 "Our men ware too much for them they Could not march out from under the covering of their Shiping." How writes in his diary on October 12 :158 "we were all a larmed and marchd Down Almost there (to Throg's Neck), and Staid All Day the Enemy did not offer any Distance from there Ships."
The garrison about King's Bridge was being constantly reinforced, "and now became the largest part of the American army.''160 McDougal's brigade joined Heath's forces there on October 12, and Wadsworth's and Fellows' brigades fol- lowed a few days later.161 General Heath constantly recon- noitered the Westchester shore, and attempted to extend his left flank so as to prevent any advance by the English from Throg's Neck.162
On October 18, 1776, a cloudy and windy day, General Howe, possibly because of the annoyance of the American troops advantageously posted on the causeway, reembarked his troops and landed with them at Pell's Point (or Rodman's Neck) to the east of Throg's neck, and near the present City Island, which Stedman, the Tory historian of the Revolution, thinks he should have done at first. He advanced the same day to New Rochelle, driving back the American regiments that opposed him near Pelham Manor. 163 General Heath had dispatched a fresh brigade from King's Bridge to Throg's Neck for that purpose. 164
The British army was now firmly established in Westchester County, threatening to attack the American army lying in the northern part of New York Island and about King's Bridge in the rear, and thus made its evacuation or eventual capture inevitable.166 The British had also established themselves
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in New Jersey by taking Paulus Hook (Jersey City) on the night of September 23.166
At first General Washington leaned to evacuating Manhat- tan Island. General Charles Lee, who had been absent from the previous councils of war, sided with him, and at the council of war held on October 16 urged the necessity of abandoning it. General Greene, however, was opposed. It was finally decided by all, General George Clinton, however, dissenting, to remove all the troops except those in and about Fort Washington and King's Bridge.167 General Lee, after the capture of Fort Washington, prided himself on having urged its evacuation ; he wrote to Benjamin Rush on Novem- ber 20, 1776, in a way characteristic of him :168 "I foresaw, predicted, all that has happened and urged the necessity of abandoning it," and on November 22 he wrote to the Massa- chusetts Council :166 "'Twas indecision in our military councils which cost us the garrison of Fort Washington." Others, for instance General Reed, went further in writing170 "in the affair of Fort Washington, Genl W. manifested an Indecision of Mind which if uncorrected would shade the brighter Parts of his Character."
In compliance with the decision of the council of war, divi- sion orders were issued on October 17, 1776, stationing General Heath and General Parsons in Fort Independence with one regiment, General Scott in a redoubt on Cannon Hill, and General Clinton in Valentine's cornfield (presumably on Valentine's Hill) and to the left with three 3-pounders, one 6-pounder and one howitzer.171 Eleven companies of a regiment of artillery and one colony company were stationed at King's Bridge under Colonel Henry Clay, a total of five hundred and seventy-seven men (including one chaplain and twenty-two drums and fifes).172 A strong garrison was also left at Fort Washington.173 The main body of the American army had already begun to move northward on October 12, 1776, along the right bank of the Bronx River, entrenching itself in detached redoubts along the heights from near Wood- lawn Cemetery to White Plains, where a fortified camp was established.17' This movement of the Americans continued for ten days, General Washington following with the rear guard, spending the night of the 21st of October in General Lincoln's headquarters on "Volentine's Hill.''175
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Leaving a strong garrison in and about Fort Washington and a regiment in Fort Independence has fairly been consid- ered a grave error on the part of General Washington. It was leaving those troops to sure capture, as relief or reinforcement was out of the question. 178
Colonel Lasher, who was left in command of Fort Indepen- dence, seeing his desperate position-King's Bridge had been evacuated and the barracks burnt by the American army as it marched northward, and his small garrison was growing weak and sickly,177-sent to General Heath at White Plains to know what to do, and was ordered by General Washington to destroy the barracks at his fort and to join Colonel Magaw, who had been left in command of the 3,000 men in and about Fort Washington.178 Colonel Lasher carried out this order on October 27, and hastily evacuated Fort Independence the next day, abandoning the cannon and three hundred stand of small arms.178 It was high time, for on the following day the enemy appeared from the east, and occupied what was left of the fort. 180
But to return to the English army at New Rochelle. On October 21 General Howe moved the right center of his line north of the village about two miles on the road toward White Plains. 181 181 On the next day they pushed still further, the "Queen's Rangers" under Colonel Rogers advancing as far as "Marinack " (Mamaroneck), which, in the words of a contemporary, "our militia abandoned with the utmost pre- cipitation-as usual."182 On October 24 the British began the march to White Plains, meeting with little resistance. 188 While the British troops were marching northward along the left bank of the Bronx River, the American army was proceed- ing in the same direction along the right bank, breaking up their detached camps on the heights from Valentine's Hill to White Plains (described above) as they marched north- ward.184 These two hostile columns marching parallel through Westchester County committed depredations on the farms, which became a common occurrence and the cause of much suffering to the inhabitants from then on till 1783 and the end of the war. 185
On Sunday and Monday, October 27 and 28, 1776, the two armies met in battle at White Plains,1"" the cannonading
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being heard as far off as at Fort Washington. The result was not decisive, but certainly not favorable to General Washing- ton, who on October 31 with rare skill withdrew his army northward five miles to the broken country about North Castle, where General Howe did not care to follow him.187 In fact, as one English authority has it:188 "they were, as usual, too expeditious for our pursuit." This epitomizes General Washington's skill as a general. His military success and the successes of the other American leaders was largely due to their ability to run away from the English troops and to escape being drawn into battle except under circumstances most favorable to their side. Witness the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown.
The English army in America was perhaps the best equipped, organized and officered military body ever seen up to that time, and, as we know, found no difficulty in occupying the leading cities along the coast and overrunning the neighboring districts ; but the nature of the country, the poor means of transportation and provisioning an army in the interior made it impossible for them to subjugate and hold more than a nar- row strip along tide water. We won our independence by wearing out the British as much as by the military and finan- cial help France gave us.
The strength of Howe's army was partly due to the large contingent of German troops, the use of which the German princes had, with questionable morality, rented to the English government. These Germans made excellent soldiers. To be sure, they are said to have got drunk regularly on their monthly pay-day,150 but that was a weakness prevalent at the time in the best families, and, no doubt, the Americans would have acted similarly if they had been lucky enough to have a regular pay-day.
The Hessian uniform must have been quite imposing : a towering brass-fronted cap ; moustaches dyed black with shoe- polish, hair plastered with tallow and flour, a cue hanging to the waist ; a blue coat almost covered with broad belts sup- porting the cartouche box, a brass-hilted sword and bayonet, a yellow waist-coat with flaps, yellow breeches, and black gaiters up to the knees.100 The German officers were a well- educated lot, and proficient in the art of war. General Knyp-
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hausen, who we shall see distinguished himself in the capture of Fort Washington, was about sixty-six years old, a fine looking German about five feet eleven inches tall, straight and slender. 191 His features were sharp, and his appearance martial. He was a native of Alsace, and followed his father's calling, who had served in the army of Frederick William I of Prussia, the father of Frederick the Great. After a distin- guished career in America he returned to Germany in 1782, and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Lossberg.192
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