USA > New York > New York City > The revolutionary history of Fort Number Eight on Morris Heights, New York City > Part 4
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While the British were successfully approaching Fort Wash- ington from the north and northeast, General Sterling had car- ried the American earthworks overlooking the Harlem near Colonel Roger Morris's house with his Forty-second High- lander regiment and two battalions of the Second brigade. He had crossed the Harlem (at about 160th Street) and stormed the heights, driving back the small body of Americans who opposed him, capturing one hundred and seventy of their num- ber. Driving the remainder before him, he rapidly moved toward Fort Washington.275 This movement of General Stir- ling's had been intended merely as a feint, but he found it an easy matter to drive back the Americans from their redoubt, and followed up his advantage by moving directly on Fort Washington.276
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A letter from headquarters, dated November 29, 1776,277 reads thus; "On Saturday, the 16th inst., about two o'clock afternoon, a Body of British troops from New York, with a body of Hessiaus from King's Bridge, made an attack upon our Lines at that Place. At the same time a number of Boats from the Shipping Came up Harlem River and landed a Party of them, who advanced forward with an Intention to cut off our Retreat, which in part they effected ; But a part of our Men taking advantage of a Hill got safe to the Fort."
The fourth attack upon Fort Washington was made from the south by Lord Percy's leading a corps of British and a column of Hessian troops from Bloomingdale, where they had been encamped, driving back the Americans from their outposts intrenched south of Fort Washington, and approached close to that fort.278
As General Washington watched the attack from the Pali- sades opposite in company with Tom Paine and others,27º he soon realized the inevitable result, and dispatched Captain Gooch of Boston across the river to urge Colonel Magaw to hold out till evening, when he would attempt to get the garri- son into New Jersey. It was too late, however. Captain Gooch, after delivering the message, barely eluded the enemy, who almost surrounded the fort, and reached his boat and the other shore with difficulty.280
Cut off from retreat, and open to the bombardment by the British artillery, Colonel Magaw was compelled to surrender the fort about sundown.281 281 He has been blamed for doing so, but without reason.282
In his report to the Committee of Safety on November 16, 1776, General Washington reported the number of prisoners as about 2,000.268 In point of fact, there were more. The Eng- lish report284 puts the number at 2,586, which must have been nearer the truth. Among them were four colonels, four lieu- tenant-colonels, five majors, forty-six captains, one hundred and seven lieutenants, thirty-one ensigns, one chaplain, two adjutants, two quartermasters, five surgeons, two commissaries, one engineer, one wagon master. Among the ordnance cap- tured were four 32-pounders, two 18-pounders, seven 12-poun- ders, five 9-pounders, fifteen 6-pounders, eight 3-pounders, two 57/2 inch howitzers, beside the cannon previously captured about King's Bridge. 280
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Graydon has given us an amusing account of his being taken prisoner ; he was much annoyed by the officers of the light infantry (who had stormed Laurel Hill), " for the most part young and insolent puppies."286
The attack had cost a good many lives. The Hessians alone lost fifty-three; two hundred and seventy-three of them were wounded.37 The list of killed and wounded Pennsylvania officers is preserved.288
The report of the capture of Fort Washington traveled slowly. It reached Philadelphia on November 18, 1776, and was not credited "but by our enemies and the timorous and faint-hearted amongst us." Two days later the news was con- firmed.289
How, who was presumably with the American army in New Jersey at the time, notes in his diary on November 17,200 290 "'We hear that Fort Washington was taken By the Enimy Yester- day."
The rumor of the capture reached New Haven November 20,21 which was followed a week later by a full report of the battle, as usual not correct in its details.28ª Colonel Magaw, for instance, was misnamed "Genl McGraw."
By December 1, 1776, the news had reached the neighbor- hood of Boston and had been confirmed.288
The capture of Fort Washington was a heavy blow to the American cause. Not only did it insure to the British the unmolested possession of New York Island-though, as we have seen, this was inevitable,-but, above all, it deprived the American army of a large body of soldiers who were now pris- oners of war instead of swelling the dwindling ranks of Wash- ington's army. Their number and names are preserved.294 The loss of these men was the more severe, as it was felt that they had been uselessly sacrificed, and had been left to no pur- pose in Fort Washington on the withdrawal of the American army to White Plains.
The British troops were pleased with their success, and even did some uncalled-for bragging. One English officer writes ten days later25 of Fort Washington as "the strongest post that ever was occupied by an army. . ... Hannibal, in his passage over the Alps, could not have met with grounds or difficulties more formidable than what the Hessians had to go
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over." A Tory newspaper of New York of about the same date says :29" "the ground and Defences about Fort Washing- ton are so very strong and advantageous, that a correspondent supposes, a Handful of British Troops would have maintained the Place for six months against an army of Thirty Thousand men."
In point of fact, the American garrison could under no con- ceivable circumstances have withstood the British attack, which does not seem to have been marked with more than ordinary courage, considering the odds in favor of the British troops, well equipped and ably commanded as they were, attacking a much smaller number of poorly disciplined and raw American troops.
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THE WAR IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
After capturing Fort Washington, and thus assuring them- selves unmolested control of New York Island, the British prepared to go into winter quarters. General Greene, writ- ing to General Washington from Fort Lee on November 18, 1776, just before he evacuated that post, reports the movement of the British troops on the opposite shore of the Hudson River,297 and General Lee, writing to General Washington a few days later, notes the massing of the enemy about King's Bridge.298
Fort Washington was named Fort Knyphausen in honor of that intrepid commander, to whom its capture was so largely due, and he was put in command of that post, which he strengthened and garrisoned with his Hessian troops as an out- post of New York, and a barrier to a possible invasion of the island from the north.20º
In fact, it was highly necessary to guard against incursions by the Americans from the north, and Fort Independence, and particularly Fort Number Eight, played a prominent part, as we shall see, in the incessant skirmishes of the following seven years ; small bands of Americans constantly sweeping down on those posts from their strongholds in upper Westchester County, and threatening their capture. 300
In January, 1777, for instance, at Washington's command, who hoped thereby to lead the British to withdraw some of their troops from New Jersey, General Heath, whom General Lincoln and a body of militia had joined, approached New York from the north with 4,000 men. On January 17 and 18, 1777, they moved toward King's Bridge; one column under Lincoln marching from Tarrytown to the heights above Colonel Van Courtland's house; another column of Con- necticut troops under Generals Wooster and Parsons approach- ing from New Rochelle and East Chester, which they had reached two days before ; and the third column under General Scott, to which General Heath attached himself, from White Plains. The last two columns took position on the heights east of King's Bridge.301 A British outpost gave the alarm at the approach of the Americans in the early morning, and the
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pickets were at once withdrawn behind the protecting guns of Fort Independence. Heath placed a battery south of the fort on the heights above Dykeman's (now Farmer's) Bridge to bombard the fort and also a body of Hessians which appeared below from King's Bridge, and with good effect, for the Hes- sians withdrew "as fast as they could without running" behind the redoubt and hill named Fort Prince Charles at King's Bridge (on Marble Hill). 802
The cannonade of the fort continued three days, but evidently did little damage, for General Heath was obliged to send to North Castle for heavier ordnance on January 22, which arrived five days later, but proved to be useless. In the mean time there were daily skirmishes. A storm came on, and Lincoln's troops, encamped in huts in the woods to the north of the fort, were compelled to retire. The British, too, made repeated and successful sallies, one to DeLancey's Mills (Bronxdale), and one to Valentine's Hill, driving back the Americans from their positions. The latter retaliated by sending a detachment to Morrisania (now Mott Haven) to light fires, which greatly frightened the British garrisons on Montresor's (Randall's) Island and in Fort Washington. 303
The weather grew worse, a heavy snow storm came on, and on January 29, 1777, the Americans, unable to draw out the British garrison from Fort Independence or Fort Number Eight into skirmishes on terms favorable to them, and being without efficient ordnance, retired in three columns, as they had come, to Tarrytown, White Plains and New Rochelle. 304
A few days later, Colonel Enos was sent with a detachment of Americans to surprise Fort Independence, with no result, however. 306
Till late in 1777 there was no skirmishing about New York worth mentioning. But in November of that year a party of Colonel Emerick's Chasseurs from King's Bridge, where they were stationed, moved northward on a marauding expedition. They captured Peter and Cornelius Van Tassel. The Ameri- cans retaliated by moving down the Hudson in boats from Tarrytown under Abraham Martlingh. Passing the enemy's water guards, and landing a little below Spuyten Duyvil Creek, they burned the house of General Oliver DeLancey, the leading Tory.300
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During the summer of 1777 the British garrison in New York and about King's Bridge consisted of the following regi- ments : The Guards ; the 45th (which at one time was sta- tioned at Fort Number Eight), 35th, 4th, 28th, 49th, 26th, 7th, 63d, 52d, the Ist and 2d battalions of the 71st, Simcoe's Rangers, Emerick's Chasseurs, (the last two corps were largely recruited from American loyalists, and were generally stationed at King's Bridge),807 Lord Cathcart's Legion (which was sta- tioned at King's Bridge a year later),308 the Irish Volunteers, Bayard's Corps, a corps attached to the artillery, and the fol- lowing Hessian regiments : Prince Charles, Tromback, Donop, Mirbach, Knyphausen, Lossberg, Wellart, Seitzt, Wisenbach, Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz), and the Hessian Grenadiers under Linsing, Mingerode, Larquhay and Kuyler. These troops lay quietly in and about New York during the rest of 1777 and the first half of 1778. Insignificant expeditions into the "Neutral Country " were made by the " Queen's Ranger's, in May, 1778, for instance, to Croton Bridge, and later to Mamaroneck.309
But in July, 1778, the Americans became bolder, and under General Scott hovered about the English outposts at Forts Independence and Number Eight, moving rapidly through the country between Yonkers and New Rochelle. They frequently sent their patrols to William's Bridge (over the Bronx) and to Valentine's Hill, and kept. Emerick's Chasseurs and Simcoe's Rangers in a constant state of alarm.81º Occasionally the Americans and British would meet in an indecisive skirmish, as on August 20, 1778, when Emerick's corps was attacked.811 This corps and the Rangers were encamped outside of King's Bridge, and had just been reinforced by some loyalist troops, as " the post was of great extent, liable to insult and required many sentinels.''812
It was inevitable that the British and American troops should now and then meet, as they roamed through the "Neutral Country " (made famous by Cooper) in lower West- chester County in small detachments on foraging and maraud- ing expeditions. These were of frequent occurrence. Thus, in September, 1778, the 71st regiment of light troops under Colonel Campbell advanced to Mile Square. At the same time the loyalist troops (the "Queen's Rangers," DeLancey's
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"Cow-boys," Emerick's corps and some cavalry under Sim- coe, also some Hessians under Knyphausen) were scouring the country beyond the Bronx and toward the Chesters. 813
Not only did the British have to keep a lookout for American troops ; the Stockbridge Indians also joined in the fun-they were old hands in such matters, 314-and had to be repulsed from King's Bridge by Simcoe. 315
One gets the clearest notion of the conditions in the British garrisons and the life led by the soldiers from the interesting journal kept by Von Krafft, a German soldier in the Hessian brigade, who deserves more than passing notice. J. C. P. Von Krafft was born in Dresden in 1752. Anxious to join in the American war, he volunteered on an American privateer, but, after reaching this country in July, 1778, he joined his country- man Donop's regiment, in which he became a corporal in Sep- tember, 1781. A year later he rose to a lieutenantcy in von Bose's regiment. While in this country he secretly married Miss Cornelia de la Metre in 1783, and settled here after the war, as many of his countrymen did, first in New York as a teacher, and later in the Capitol as a government employee. His descendants still live in Washington. 318
Immediately on being enrolled with the Hessians, he marched with them to "Blumendal" (Bloomingdale), and encamped there. Soon he was attached to the garrisons at. Fort Knyp- hausen (Fort Washington) and King's Bridge.317 One day he was sent with others to guard the powder magazine at "Tortel- bey," where he found time to do some successful foraging, for he writes, "never until then did I eat so many cherries and oysters as in this place.318 As a result, he spent some days in the hospital. Another day he spends in visiting friends in the "Erbprinz" regiment, which was encamped on a hill from which one could see the East River and "King's Pritsch " (evidently the redoubt Fort George on Laurel Hill).319 Later in July, 1778, he joined the Chasseurs, one hundred and nine- teen men, stationed at Colonel Roger Morris's (the Jumel) house, at that time General Knyphausen's headquarters. With them he marched to "Spakent Hill" opposite Fort "Intepentence " (his Saxon origin still influenced his pronun- ciation and spelling) near the Van Cortlandt house, and encamped there (evidently on the heights north of and over-
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looking Spuyten Duyvil Creek). He records that the mosqui- toes made sleep impossible. 320
Von Krafft tells us in detail about the foraging expeditions into Westchester County which he joined. Once they moved northward to Yonkers, and encamped at the famous Phillips' manor. Evidently provisions were scarce, and the Hessians mutinous in consequence.321 Later he joined an expedition to "Weit Blene," where he stole his share of pigs, fowl and fruit, and enjoyed the chestnuts which were then ripe. Toward the end of the year 1778 his battalion was frequently on patrol duty. On one of these occasions the Americans attacked their outposts, who were fast asleep, robbed them of their arms, and let them go after a sound drubbing. Such skirmishes were frequent. 323
In November, 1778, Von Krafft was stationed in the redoubt overlooking Spuyten Duyvil Creek, and in December, 1778, near Fort Knyphausen (Fort Washington).324 In that month he was ordered across King's Bridge to work near a log house between King's Battery (on Mrs. N. P. Bailey's place) and Fort Number Seven (on Mr. Oswald Cammann's place). He records that two English "Rehentschers " (Rangers) had been hanged on two gallows, in front of the log house for murder.325 He was thus engaged during the winter, 1778-9, now on duty on "Nord River Hill" (north of Spuyten Duivil), or in camp under Fort Knyphausen-in dangerous proximity to the Blue Bell tavern, at least judging so from the number of broils and duels he was engaged in,-or detached on raids northward through Yonkers, or at work on the redoubts on "Lourall Hill" or at King's Battery.326 While stationed on Laurel Hill, he made a sketch of the view from there across the Harlem River from Fort Number Eight on the south to Spuyten Duyvil and the Hudson on the north. 327
The winter quarters were uncomfortable. Nine huts were provided for each company, which in summer were surrounded with vegetable and flower gardens. Provisions were irregular -there were no orchards to raid-and there was much suffer- ing.323 Some of the English troops had been sent to Oyster Bay on Long Island for the winter months, to escape the "exposed heights of King's Bridge," and returned in May, 1779.829 329
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The British evidently found their redoubts beyond the Har- lem River too scattered to be safe against the frequent raids of the Americans, and in August, 1779, they razed their works about King's Bridge, and removed their cannon and huts from Fort Independence.380 Prince Charles Redoubt (on Marble Hill), however, was retained as the most northerly British post.331 Redoubt Number Seven (on Mr. Oswald Cammann's place) was dismantled on September 10, 1779, and Redoubt Number Six (north of it) on the following day. The destruc- tion of Fort Independence followed on September 12, 1779. A few days later King's Battery and Fort Number Five (on Mr. H. B. Claflin's place) were razed.332 Part of the abattis from these dismantled redoubts was taken to Fort Number Eight for its repair. It was strengthened and garrisoned with one cap- tain, one subaltern, and fifty privates. 339
It was evidently General Knyphausen's plan to concentrate his troops about Fort Knyphausen, which was deemed "impreg- nable to the Rebels,"334 and on Laurel Hill, which had been strengthened. Fort Number Eight was selected as the only redoubt to be retained beyond the Harlem River, as it lay within reach of the protecting guns of Fort George on Laurel Hill, and was connected with New York Island by a ferry (Howland's Ferry), leading from near the site of Morris Dock (to which a path led down from the fort) across to the creek opposite. A contemporary English writer says :335 ." On the east side of the East River, on the main land opposite to Laurel Hill, we have a work called Number Four (a mistake for Num- ber Eight), in which is the only post we have on that side. In case of a serious attack it is probable we would abandon this post."
Fort Number Eight was useful in restraining the American raids in Westchester County. Heath writes :39" "The enemy had a redoubt, called Number Eight, on the East Side of the Haerlem Creek, nearly opposite to the fort on Laurel Hill, and under fire of its cannon, for the security of their advanced troops on the Morrisania side."
The Americans were, in fact, constantly sweeping down on Morrisania, as, for instance, in August, 1779.331 The boldness of their raids led to the strengthening of Fort Number Eight in the fall of 1779, fifty Hessians, among them our friend
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Von Krafft, being detailed under Engineer Sproule for the purpose. 338
Early in the fall the troops on the northern end of New York Island went into winter quarters. Von Krafft tells us that the winter was the coldest in twenty years. He was stationed in Fort Knyphausen, but was often detailed for active duty at Fort Number Eight, and occasionally at Cock Hill Fort on the heights south of Spuyten Duyvil, or in Prince Charles Redoubt (on Marble Hill) south of King's Bridge. 380
The garrison at Fort Number Eight obtained their fuel from the woods back of their redoubt belonging to "a Rebel Colo- nel" (Colonel Richard Morris, grandfather of Mr. Lewis G. Morris). Major General von Lossberg and other generals lodged at his house at this time, in the absence of the family on their farm at Scarsdale. 340
On February 2, 1780, Colonel Norton led a party of Hessians on a foraging expedition from King's Bridge to White Plains. 841 But the Americans did not leave such tactics to the British alone. In January, 1780, they attacked Colonel Hatfield in his quarters near the Benj. Archer house. This house, protected by the guns of Fort Number Eight, was at the time the head- quarters of Colonel James DeLancey of the Royal Refugee Corps and of his notorious "Cow-Boys." " In May, 1780, they were surprised by some Massachusetts troops under Cap- tain Cushing, who was guided to the Archer house by Michael Dykeman. Forty British soldiers were captured, but, fortu- nately for him, DeLancey was away at the time. 843
These skirmishes occurred again in the following winter of 1780-1. In January, 1781, the Americans, under General Parsons, stole through the outposts at Morrisania and burnt DeLancey's camp near Fort Number Eight (presumably on the meadow, now the Berkeley Oval). They also cut the cable of Holland's Ferry leading to the foot of Laurel Hill, but were finally driven back. 344 During this year Von Krafft was still in camp near Fort Knyphausen, and at regular intervals stood guard at Fort Number Eight."' He also acted now and then as sentinel on Laurel Hill or on Cock Hill."0
This continual raiding by both American and British parties brought ruin and desolation to Westchester County. A French chaplain, writing from that region, in June, 1781, says :347 "as
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we approach towards New York, between the lines of both armies, we see more and more of the sorrowful vestiges of war and desolation,-the houses plundered, ruined and abandoned or burnt. >>348
The most extensive of tliese raids was undertaken by Wash- ington himself in the summer of 1781. He was aware that the British garrison in New York was weakened by large detach- ments being absent on foraging expeditions in New Jersey and further south. With some effort, Washington persuaded Rochambeauı, the commander of the French troops which had reached Rhode Island, to join him in Westchester County, and menace the fortifications on the island of New York, and thereby compel the British to recall their troops from the south. The French moved slowly toward the rendezvous via Hartford and Newtown, Connecticut. Washington broke camp at New Windsor June 26, 1781, and moved to Peeks- kil1.849 The American army planned to attack Fort George on Laurel Hill, while the French, under the Duc de Lauzun, together with Sheldon's Dragoons and some Continental troops under Colonel Waterbury, were to surround and capture DeLancey's corps, encamped on the opposite bank of the river. 360
On July 2, 1781, the Americans left Peekskill, and moved boldly to Valentine's Hill and the ruins of Fort Independence, some British skirmishers under Colonel Emerick retiring before them. 851 Here they were attacked by some Hessian troops, whom they first drove back towards King's Bridge. It is said that General Washington dined at the Van Cortlandt house on this occasion. Von Krafft records that the Americans were in full view (presumably from Laurel Hill) at the Van Cortlandt house. 352 Soon after, however, British reinforcements arrived, and the Americans had to retire from their position in Fort Independence.3
At the same time the French attack on the cantonments below Fort Number Eight was successfully met and repulsed by Colonel DeLancey's "Cow-Boys." 364 The return of the British troops from New Jersey and the appearance of English men-of-war in the Hudson off Spuyten Duyvil, compelled the immediate withdrawal of both armies to Yonkers, where Rochambeau joined Washington on July 10, 1781.855 There
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the two armies, numbering about 4,000 men, lay for ten days, and then moved southward again, one column moving off toward Throg's Neck and Morrisania to forage. The other columns were drawn up on the heights back of Fort Independence and stretching toward DeLancey's Mills (Bronx- dale), Washington fixing his headquarters in Valentine's house on Valentine's Hill, presumably the hill still known by that name east of Yonkers and north of Woodlawn Cemetery. 888
Those were lively days for the small garrison in Fort Num- ber Eight and on Laurel Hill, as the entries in Von Krafft's diary plainly show. They were in constant fear of being attacked, and on July 22, 1781, could plainly see the Ameri- cans marching over what was formerly Fort Independence and the dismantled King's Battery, where the gunners on Laurel Hill tried to reach them with their cannon. Other columns of Americans and a French regiment were seen marching behind Fort Number Eight toward Morrisania (Mott Haven), where they attacked the British outposts.367 Some Hessian Jägers were sent across the Harlem River to reinforce the garrison at Fort Number Eight, but the Americans and their allies soon withdrew to North Castle, after a personal reconnoissance of the British works by Rochambeau and Washington, which no doubt convinced them that the British garrisons were too strong for a direct assault-Abbé Robin thought they num- bered 15,000-and that a siege was out of the question. The plan of attacking New York was given up, and the last cam- paign of the war-the southern one-was begun, which was to bring the revolution to a successful close. 356
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