USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution > Part 62
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But General Sir Henry Chaton ba- left a testimony on this subject, which di poses of every cavil. On the margin of hisown copy of Steel. man's History of the Imericon War, (i. 211,) he wrote these words: " It " had been proposed to Sir William flowe that the troops should have "been marched to Il. rom Print " (Hoern's Hock, at the worth of the fair. low Hiver, opposite H. U-gute,} " there met by the boala, passed to City " Orchard" [City abend '] thence to Will's Creek." [New Bowh He-harbor, ] Canal Rochelle. This was overrated ; and the above move to Free's " Point took place. Lord Howe objected to Mill's Creek, nuder an idea " that it would not be safe for -lip- to lay there."
" Speech of sir William Hover before a Committee of the House of Com- non«, April 20, 1779.
9 Although Throng's neck is only a short distance from where we have lived during the past twenty-seven years, wo have never been on the ground ; and we have depended, for what we have said of it, en General Heath. ( Memoirs, Si, raod on our nowetried friend, William H. De Lan. rey, Esq. who is familiar with that portion of the Commity.
American Army into Westchester-county ; in which latter case the three Brigades commanded by General Lord Perey would have been seriously imperiled ; and, second, because he had landed on Throgg's-neck, which was really an island, instead of on the main- land, where none of the difficulties to which he was exposed, on the Neck, would have been encountered." But. if the General noticed the first of these criti- ond time, without his knowledge; and that the latter ; cisis, we have seen no mention of it ; and, in answer to the second, without pretending to offer any further explmation, although it is understood that he could its very existence was threatened-it is noteworthy, easily have done so,' he said, before the Committee of the House of Commons, who was considering his conduct, as Commander-in-chief of the Army, that the landing at Pell's-neck instead of at Throgg's- neck. " would have been an imprudent measure, as it " could not have been exeented withont much un- "necessary risk." >
Throgr's-neck is a peninsula, on the eastern border
two miles into the Sound. It was separated from the mainland by a narrow creek and a marsb, and was surrounded by water, every high-tide. At the time of
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Hand, of the First Regiment of Continental Foot ; Besides the despatch of an express to Head-your- ters, with intelligence of the enemy's movement-, to which reference has been made, ' General Heath rein- forced the guard, at the bridge, by ordering Colore! Presentt. the hero of Bunker's-hill, with his Regiment, and Captain-lieutenant Bryant, of the Artillery, with a three-pounder, to march to that place ; and Colonel Graham, of the New York Line, with his Regiment. aud Lieutenant Jackson, of the Artillery, with a six- pounder, was ordered to march to the head of the creek, for the reinforcement of the guard who had been posted at that place. Besides the throwing up of an earthwork, opposite the western end of the causeway, the addition of the Brigade commanded by General MeDougal to General Heath's command, and an irregular, scattering fire which was indulged in, by both parties, nothing further was done by either of the Armties, during that day.3 and, in doing so, he had " taken a view" of the cause- way and the bridge, between the mainland and the Neck, at the western end of which a large quantity of cord-wood had been piled, " as advantageously situ- " ated to cover a party defending the pass, as if cou- "structed for the very purpose," as he has stated. Considering it possible that the enemy might make a lodginent on Throgg's-neck, the General immediately ordered Colonel Hand to detail one of his best Subal- terns and twenty-five picked men, to that pass. "as " their alarm-post, at all times," with orders, if the enemy should effect a landing on the Neck, immedi- ately to take up the planks of the bridge; to oppose the movement of the enemy, to the mainland ; and, in . case the fire of the detachment should appear to be in- sufficient to check the advance of the enemy, over the causeway, to set fire to a tide-mill which stood on the ! mainland, at the western extremity of the bridge.1 When the intelligence of the movement of the greater portion of the Royal Army into Westchester- county, reached Head-quarters, General Washington appears to have given way to despair, in view of his powerlessness, and to have become despondent ; al- He also ordered Colonel Hand to detail another party to guard the fording-place, at the head of the creek ; and to reinforce both these parties, if the enemy should effect a landing on the Neck ; and he promised the Colonel that he should be properly supported. : though he appears to have really believed that the Colonel Hand carefully obeyed all these Orders, we are told ;? and the only lines of communication with the mainland, from Throgg's-neck, were thus care- fully guarded, when General Howe and his command debarked on that isolated ground. movement was not anything else than a feint. It is true that he ordered every Regiment who was under his inunediate command, to be under arms, there, that it might be ready to act as occasion might require: that he authorized General Heath to make such dis- position of the troops, in Westchester-county, inclu- ding two Regiments of Militia who were posted near Kings-bridge, as he should think proper ; and that he begged and trusted that every possible opposition would be given to the enemy, adding " God bless and lead you "on to Victory; " 6 but it was hardly consistent with his duty, as Commander-in-chief of the Army, at that important moment, to remain at Head-quarters; to give the absolute command of all the troops which were before the enemy to an Officer, excellent though he evidently was, as a subordinate, whose experience
When the enemy had effected a landing, on the Neck, in the morning, his advance pushed forward, towards the causeway, for the purpose of occupying that line of communication with the mainland; but the detachment whom Colonel Hand had sent for the protection of it, had taken up the flooring of the bridge, agreeably to the General's orders ; and it also opened a fire on the enemy, with its rifles, compelling him to fall back to the main body. A similar move- ment of the enemy against the fording-place, at the head ofthe creek, met with a similar repulse ; and no further movements, toward the mainland, appear to have been made ; and, by way of precaution, a breast- work was thrown up, on the Neck, by the Royal troops, to cover the approach, by way of the cause- way."
1 We'are indebted to our friend, Edward F. de Lancey, Esq., of Mama- roneck, for the following account of that old Mill :
" The Mill and dam, at Westchester, were built by Colonel Caleb " Heathcote, the first Mayor of the Borough-Town of Westchester, at his "own expense. It stood till February, Ists, when it was accidentally " burnt. The outside had been renewed, from time to time : but the frame " was the original one, of massive hewn tumber ; and at the time of its " destruction, it was the oldest Mill, in Westchester-county, and, probaldy, " in the State.
"By the original Grant to Colonel Heathcote, the inhabitants reserve " the right to have their own grain ground, free. This was afterwards "commuted to a toll, payable to the present 'town' of Westchester, "which the Townenjoyed, as a source of revenue, till the Mill was burnt ;
"and the right to which it still retains, if the Mill shall be rebuilt.". 2 Memoirs of General Henth, 68.
3 Memoirs of General Health, 70.
+ Vide page 231, ante.
3 Memoirs of General Heath, 70.
" General Washington, by his Secretary, Colonel Robert Il. Harrison, to Conoral Health, " HEAD-UP AUTRES, L' Octoler, 1776."
In the same connection, it is a noticeable fact that the General Ord. . of the day and there were no liter Orders, on that eventful twelfth of October, made no mentom whatever of the movement of the enemy of of the disposition of the American troops ; that they were written, entirely. in only three short lines-General Orders, " HEAD QUARTERS, HARLEY " HEIGHTS, October 12, 1776")-that General Washington, on that day, appears t have completed none of his letters which were unfinished when General Heath's express arrived at Head quarters; and that ti allusion whatever was made, by him, to the enemy's occupation of West- chester county not to any movement of his own command. consequent un that occupation, in anything which he wrote or ordered to be written on that day, which we have found, except in that note, written by bi- Secretary, under his own rye, to General Heath, of which mention has been made in the Ext. Asstated in the text. In certainly rode over to the village of Westcluster and to the head of the creek, towards night, and looked at the preparations which had been made, at these places. to check any movement which the enemy should make ; but, beyond that informal inspection, le evidently del nothing whatever, as the Com- matador in chief of the American Arny
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was so very limited ; to transfer to that officer the en- tire responsibility of the opposition which was to be made against the powerful enemy who was actually moving against the very existence of the young States, not yet confederated and very poorly connect- ed even by the ties of a common danger ; and to give to him his parting if not his farewell blessing; and nothing else than the bitterness of despair, the hope- lessness which seemed to overwhelm all other traits of his character, could, possibly, have produced such unusual, such remarkable, such extremely dangerous results. It is, indeed, stated that he rode over to the village of Westchester and to the head of the creek, late in the afternoon ; but no one has pretended that ho issued an Order or did any other act which the Commander-in-chief, under such peculiar circum- stances, might have been expected to have done.1
When General Greene, who was at Fort Constitu- tion, as Fort Lee was then called, heard of the move- ment of the enemy, he wrote to General Washington. stating that three Brigades, at that time in New Jersey, were in readiness to be sent over the river. for the reinforcement of the main Army; and he hoped, if the foree which was then on the eastern side of the river was insufficient to repel the enemy, that those Brigades, and he with them, might be ordered to eross the river, for its reinforcement, during the latter part of the coming night, as the enemy's ship- ping might move up, from below, and impede, if they should not totally stop, the troops from crossing.2 But the proffered help was not accepted ; 3 and Greene, notwithstanding his honorable anxiety, appears to have remained in New Jersey, without having receiv- ed any answer to either his offer of help or his rea- sonable enquiries.
But the interregnum continued only during a few hours ; and, gradually, the reason of the Commander- in-chief resumed its sway, his mental and physical strength was restored, and he was, again, the respon- sible head of the American Army. During the even- ing, as we have already seen, the Brigade commanded by General MeDougal was ordered to move for the reinforcement of General Heath's command; ' and,
1 "Our men, who are posted on the pisses, seemed to be in great <; ir. "its, when I left them last night." ( Letter to the President of the the. gryes, " HEIGHTS Of HANGEN, 12 October, 1796," postscript, dated, " Oe- "tober 13th.")
: Kremeral Greede La Courted Washington, " FORT CONSTITUTION, October "12. five o'clock, 1776.44
: We are not insensible that the General's grandson has said that " part of the troops were called over, but Greene was not," (Greene's L' of Sithmartel Greene, Edit. New York : 1867, i., 235 ;) but he gave no authority for the statement, and we have found none ; and we prefer to Flere that the profored help was not accepted, at that time, although . me portions of General tirvene's command were moved into Weetches- torevnuty, within a day or two, and after the Commander-in cheof had Povverel from bis temporary despoondeney and lind resumed the command of the Army.
Can't Smallwood to the Maryland Convention, "Cor OFTHE " MARY- "LAND BEAFLARS, HEADQUARTERS, October 12, 1750," postscript, signed te Chris'e Richemond, Adjutant, and dated "Smolay, October 1, 1776; " hned Bring to the Maryland Council of Safety, " COMP NEAR HARLEY, " Otolk r 13, 1776 ;" Memoirs of General Heath, 71
with that Order, the record of the Great day in the history of Westch Sermo ong w & closed.
On the following normy gsaday, October 13, 1776,] General Washington became alist satisfied that the enemy's movement was not a feint ; that his main body was on Throgg's-neck ; and that he " had " in view the prosecution of his original plan, that of " getting in the rear of the Americansand of cutting "off their communication with the country."> That change in the General's opinion, as far as there was a change, appears to have been produced by the fact that General Howe had made no attempt to make a land- ing at Morrisania, as the former had supposed he would have done; and, the first time, he " thought it "would be advisable" to reinforce and protect the troops who had been, for more than twenty-four hours, guarding the two passes through which the enemy could open communications with the main- laud ; and he " recommended" the posting of small bodies of observation, at Pell's-point, at the mouth of Hutchinson's-river, at Hunt's-point, and at Willett's. point, without, however, giving an Order, for the execution of either of these.6 At the same time, he strengthened the force already in Westchester-county, by moving the Brigade which had formerly been commanded by General Death, for its support .?
He also ordered Colonel Tash, with his Regiment of New Hampshire Militia, then at the White Plains, to march to Fishkill, " with all possible despatch," for the assistance of the Committee of Safety, in hold- ing the disaffected in check; * he called a meeting of the General Officers, at noon, "at or near King's "Bridge,"-as " we are strangers to a suitable place," it was left for General Heath to determine where he would have them meet ; ? and, finally, in these ringing sentences, he attempted to arouse the Army to a sense
& General Washington to General Wird, " HEADQUARTERS, HARLEM " Ils.wir Ts. October 13, 1776."
As I beg have to inform you that his Excellence (as the enemy did cot "attempt lauding at Morrisonio, this morning,) thinks it w add be ad. ' visable to send a stronger force towards th . two passes, morir the enemy, " where our men were posted, yesterday, and also to throw upsi te " works for their cover and defense. He also recommends strongly to " your attention, the ko, ping a good look out at PoHl's-point, at the mouth " of Eachstar trek, and at Hunt' an Wither's points, for the sake of " guiding intelligente. these posts to be regar lel as bok wats oidy." (Cantal Helena Gougeon, .1.D. C. to General Herth, " HEAD QUARTERS, "October 13, 1776.")
i Menuare of Themoral Heth, 71,
& Gingerol Washington to Coronel Touch, "HEADQUARTERS, October 13. "1:56;" Colour B. I. Harries to the Congress, "HEADQUARTERS, " HARLEM HEIGHTS, O tober 11, 1776 "
It is proper for us to say, in this place, that the Committed desired only two Companies ; and ordered the remainder of the Roziment bick to Peekskill. (Cobrar Thouses Tak to to Je Hong shir Commiter of Sipty. " PEAKSWILL, IN GOR RILAND MANOR, October 26, 1776.")
Cab not Joseph Road to Generate He th, "October 12, 1776."
It was stated in Cobomel Reel's note that " it being necess try, since the "late movement of the enemy, to form some plan" of operations for the American Army. it is only reasondde to support the General Offerte i'm calle t together, for an interchange of opinions, on that salget. The Conteil was evidently convenel at General H ath's squirters, (M2. 20 170 of General Houth, 11 ;) but nothing appe us to have been done, In-caner, it is said, of the absence of General Lee, free m. and Mener.
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of its duty, to the country and to the world: " As the " enemy seem, now, to be endeavouring to strike some "stroke, before the close of the Campaign," were his words, " the General most earnestly conjures both Offi- " cers and men, if they have any love for their country "and concern for its liberties and regard to the safety "of their parents, wives, children, and countrymen, " that they will act with bravery and spirit, becoming " the cause in which they are engaged; and to encour- "age and animate them so to do, there is every ad- " vantage of ground and situation, so that, if we do " not conquer, it must be our own faults. How much " better will it be to die honourably, fighting in the " fick, than to return home, covered with shame and "disgrace, even if the cruelty of the enemy should "allow you to return ! A brave and gallant beha- " viour, for a few days, and patience, under some lit- " tle hardships, may save our country and enable us "to go into Winter-quarters with safety and honour."1
On the morning of the fourteenth of October, Gen- eral Heath, with all the Generals under his com- mand, reconnoitred the enemy, on Throgg's-neck ; ? and, soon afterwards, General Washington, accom- panied by the Generals of the Army who were at Head-quarters, also visited all the posts, beyond Kingsbridge, and the several passes and roadways which led from Throgg's-neck and from the adjacent Necks, into the country," acquainting himself, as far as he could do so, by personal reconnaissance, with the strength and position and purposes of the enemy ; with the character and condition of the outlets, from Thregg's-neck and from the other similar, but lesser, Necks, in that vicinity, from which the enemy might incline to move into the interior of the County; with the capabilities, for defensive purposes, which those outlets severally possessed ; and with the necessities, for military purposes, which each of these several subjects presented, for his attention.
During the same day, [October 14,] General Lee reached Head-quarters, on his return from the South; and the command of all the troops in Westchester- county, then the greater portion of the Army, was given to him, with the request, however, that he would not assume the command until he should have made himself acquainted with the different portions of the post, their circumstances, and the arrange- ments of the troops which had been made; ' and, in
1 General Orders, "HEADQUARTERS, HABLEN HEIMHITS, October 13, " 1776."
" Memoirs of General Heath, 71.
3 Colonel Harrison to the Congress, " HEADQUARTERS, HARLEM HEIGHTS, " October 14, 1776 ; " the same to Peter R. Livingston, "HEADQUARTERS,
"HARLEM HEIGHTS, October 14, 1776 ;" Memoirs of tieneval Henth, 71. + Memoirs of General Heath, 71.
There is nothing which indicated the general consciousness of the help- lessner of the country, at the time of which we welte, as much as the general dependence of the country, as well as that of the Army, on Gen- eral Charles Lee, an officer of large military pretetitions : the ambitious leader of that party, in the Congress and elsewhere-mainly Now Eng. landers-who was inclined to doprocinto, if not to officially embarrass, General Washington ; and the self-appointed and very willing and very
the General Orders of the day, the Commander-in- chief onlered Colonel Bailey's Regiment to jan General Clinton's Brigade, and Colonel Lippet. Regiment to join General MeDougal's Brigade-each of them "to take their tents and cooking utensils, "and to lose no time;"-the two Connecticut Regi- ments, commanded, respectively, by Colonel Storrs and Major Graves, were ordered "to be in readiness " to march into Westchester, at a moment's warning;" and Generals Putnam and Spencer, the former com- manding Heard's, Beall's, and Weelon's Brigades, and the latter commanding Lord Stirling's, Wads- worth's, and Fellows's Brigades, were ordered to re- main on Harlem Heights and to continue the works of entrenchinent thereon, General Putuam on all those proposed defensive works which were above Head-quarters, including those of Fort Washington :' those below Head-quarters, immediately in front of the enemy's works, which were occupied by Lieuten- ant-general the Earl of Percy and three Brigades, having been assigned to General Spencer."
As General Heath was continued in the command of all the troops within Westchester-county, until further orders, notwithstanding the assignment of General Lee to the same command, the former in- structed General Nixon, who had been ordered from New Jersey, with his Brigade, to "have the troops "which have marched, this day, to the castward of "the Bridge, by Williams's,"7 [ Williams's-bridge.] " completely ready to turn out, in case the enemy "should make an attack, that night ;" instructing him, at the same time, "should the attack be made
unsernpulons critic of everything nud everybody, unless of himself and of theone who were pandering to his unholy ambition and applamling even his scurrility. llo wielded i very glib, but a very poisonous, tongue, and a sharp and venomon-jen, both of which were ready for immediate use, whenever his pensions or his interests required their co operation. He was generally haughty, in hisdemeanor ; he was always unprincipl .- 1. for good ; he never ceased to be avaricious, even to mamannews and die. honesty. A huckster of his own political and military opinions and as sociations, he was never contented with the prices which his wares cen- manded in the market of the world ; and, after he hal disgusted even his own party and had become, himself, disgneted with all mankind, be diel, "unwept, uuhonored, and nusung."
The country has had other men of straw whom it has also grasped, in its lars of great anxiety and great danger, almost conterparte of that en y hom the Army and the country leaned, so conf lenty werden dennis. from early in 17: 3 until the Summer of 1:1%; and just as the broken reed of that early period pierced the hand which bated of is no has these litter pretenders, these latter selfish and unpatri 's tools of nu. serupulous and designing men, Wounded those where confidence they hæl secured, and brought shaune and dishonor on the country which had
" The position assigned to Major- general Putnam, not immediately in front of the enemy, but, in the rear, where he could do no mor. ti oversee the construction of certain queided defensive works, is peculiarly noteworthy-the disaster on Long Island was too distinctly remember pol to allow him to be posted, again, where he could possibly do any harm. Cintas Orders, "HEADQUARTERS, HARLEM HEIGHTS, Outoder Ii. "1776."
: We have not found any other description of these trope than what Gebend Heath and David How wrote concerning them : the former saying, "two or three Brigades have moved, this day. lowal Wil- "liam's:" (Letter to Colour Sagen", "Kise's Better, Detaler It. "1776;") and the latter, "14. There has been two Brigade . March& Fe " hear This Day Towards forgg's point " (Inary. "october 1, IT
1
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"towards Frog's Point," to "endeavour to support " the Regiments that are posted at the passes, there;" " should the attack be made at or near East Chester " landing," to "make the best disposition of his " troops and repel the enemy;" and if any new movement of the enemy should be discovered. "to "send notice thereof, immediately, by one of the " Light-horsemen." General Heath also informed Gen- eral Nixon "that a guard was absolutely necessary at " Rodman's-point," {the same as l'ell's-point, on the opposite side of the Hutchinson's-river, from Throgg's- neck, ] "next to East.Chester-creek." He said that Colonel How was near the landing-place, "with a " Regiment of Militia;" but it was evident that not enough was known of Colonel How's military quali- fieations for the command of so important a position ; and General Nixon was directed to make inquiries on the subject.'
While the military authorities were thus engaged in preparing to meet the enemy, in arms, whenever the latter should endeavor to move from the Neck on which he was then quietly encamped, the Convention of New York, by its Committee of Safety, as we have already stated in our review of the proceedings of that Convention,2 as soon as information could have possibly reached it, that the enemy had moved towards Westchester-county, provided for the imme- diate disposition of all the Cattle, Horses, Hogs, Sheep, Grain, Straw, and Hay, on the well-culti- vated farms throughout that County, in order that the enemy should not secure them for his Com- missariat ; 3 and the careful reader may gather from that decided action of the Committee of Safety, how completely desolated all that flourishing County must have become, before that enemy secured a foot- hold on. the main-land-indeed, before that foothold had been secured, all that portion of the County which was below Tarrytown, the White Plains, and Rye had, probably, been generally stripped of the various agricultural productions of that season, excepting only the Potatoes, the Buckwheat, and the Corn; and, of the Live-stock, of every description, it is scarcely probable that any remained, within that portion of the County.
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