USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution > Part 70
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75
3 Other instances of that peculiar caution were seen, at the White Plains, three days after the instance now under notice, when the main body of the Army was baited, until the Americans had been driven from Chat- tartou's bill, and, most distrongly to the Americans, in the following year, when the fruits of the vinters, at Burnuintown, waren lost by the halt of the main forly, in of lox to di Lolg a handful of the Royal Army she had occupied and who heid the Chew mansion.
4 In a better which was written by an Officer of the Royal Army, dated of the truth of November, and printed in The Middlece Journed and Leeniny Advertier, No. 1200, LONDON : From Saturday, December 21, to Tuesday, December 24, 1776, will be found our authority for what we have gabil of the purposes of General lowe, of his preparations for carry- ing out those purposes and of the cause of his disappointment ; and i reference to the letter of Colonel Glover, with which our readers are al- ready familiar, ("Mitg-roeseg. October 22, 1776,"Y there is an ample confirmation of each of the statements-the Colonel erroneously stated that the Royal Army was moved from New Rochelle, on Salay, the twenty seventh of October, m-toad of on Friday, The twenty-litth of that month, and he continued to le two days too late, in each of his subsequent statements ; but, in all else, his statements of The movement of General Howe, of the discovery, by General Lee, of the purpose to cut him off from the main lesly of the Array ; if the consequent deleur of the colman, into the Dollar'sferry road ; of its forred night-march ; and of
260
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
1 General Have to Lord George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, 30 November, "1776 ;" [ Hall's] History of the Civil War ia .America, i., 26 ; stedman's History of the American War, i., 212; Gordon's History of the American Revolution, it., 340 ; Marshall's Life of George Washington, ii. 303 ; etc. - Sauthier's Plan of the Operations, etc .; Stedman's History of the American Hier, i., 212 ; etc.
3 Stedman's History of the American War, i., 212 ; Marshall's Life of George Washington, il., 503 ; etc.
& General Home to Jard George Germaine. " NEW-YORK, 30 November, " 1776 ;" Santhier'> Plan of the Operations, etc. ; Gordon's History of the American Rerelation, ii., 340 ; etc.
Very singularly, Marshall, (Life of George Washington, ii., 503) stated that the left colinn was commanded by Lieutenant-general Knyphausen, who had not beft the Second Division of German troops, whom he com. manded, which was, then, at New Rochelle.
5 General Haver to Lord George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, 29 November, " ITte;" [ Hall's] History of the Civil War in America, i .. 207 ; Stedman's History of the American War, i., 212 ; Marshall's Life of George W .shing. to, i., Std; etc.
6 Estruct of a letter from a Gentleman in the Army, dated " CAMP NEAR "THE MILLS, ABOUT THREE MILES NORTH OF WHITE. PLAINS. November "1, 1776," reprinted in Force's American Archives, "V. iii., 473, 47%.
We have learned from the Returns of the Killed, Wounded, and Mixing, on that day, of Beginnenis who are known to have taken to part what ever in the water guent action on Chatterton'snili, of what Regiments ' tachtigent of great or Sont men," both of wh. I aments, from that fare why met the King's troops, herr Hart's corners, was cool- 1 Iused: it contained the Regiments conananded by Colonels silliman, Sollen, sage and Douglass-the latter commanded by Lieutenant-rolo- 9 Manoir of Colore Berg pain Takorady, prepared by himself, 13. nel Arnold-all of them of the Brigade commanded by General Wads- 10 The same, 13, 14. worth ; the Regiment commanded by Colonel Chester, of the Brigade " The Ame, 11. commanded by Colonel Sargeta ; the Regimests commanded by Colonels 19 Gordon's History of the American Relation, i., 31, 841, 31%. Ballwin, Donglass, and Lieutenant colonel Ely, of the Brigade com- 14 Brigade-major Tallmadge's description of the retreat, leaves no room for questioning the necuracy of our stat ment, in the text. marled by General saltonstall ; and the Regiments comnaawheel by Colonels Hohuan and Smith, of the Brigade commanded by General: Fellows, All them mate heturns of Cionales sustained by them, on that occasion : how many other Regiments there were, whose lashfulness forbade the taking of any Returns, we have not ascertained.
1 Letter from a Gentleman in the Jemy, "CAMP NEAR THE MILLS, ABOUT " THREE MILES NORTH OF WHITE PLAINS, November 1, ATTA: " Mem- oir of fudanel Bonomia Tallmadge, prepared by himself, at the request of his children, 13 ; etc.
3 Weare not insensible of the fact that "a Gentleman in the Army, " from whowe letter, duted "CAMP NEAR THE MILLS, ARAT THREE MILES
sent out, to hold the enemy in check. These were
At length, all the necessary preparations having been completed, carly in the morning of Monday, | posted, advantageou-ly, " on the old York mall." it is the twenty-eighth of October, the Royal Any etruck its tents, in the encampment, at Searslale, which it had occupied since the preceding Friday ; and, in two columns, right in front, it moved towards the White Plains. 1 The right column, which was composed mostly of British troops, was commanded by Lieutenant-general Sir Henry Clinton ; " the left column, with whom was General Howe, 3 was com- posed mostly of German troops, and was commanded by Lieutenant-general Heister. 4 said ; " and it is also said that when the left column of the Royal Army "had advanced within musket-shot "of our troops, a full discharge of musketry warned "them of their danger. At first, they, " [th- Hessing,] " fell back ; but, rallying again, immediately, and the" [right] "column of British troops having advaneed " upon our " [ General Spencer'] "left, it became nec- "essary " [for him.] "to retire;"" taking the opportu- nity, "occasionally," to form behind the stone walls. on the line of his retreat, and to annoy those who purened him "-it has been said, however, that the
The American pickets were driven in, by the Light Infantry, of the right column, and by the Chasseurs, | flight of that large detachment was hastened by the of the left column ; 3 and when the moving columns reached Hart's-corners -- now known by the name of Hartsdale-they encountered a body of New England troops, composed of a " part of General Wadsworth's " Brigade, with some other Regiments,"" the whole under the command of Major-general Spencer, and numbering not far from twenty-six hundred Officers and effective men, > whom General Washington had appearance, on its front, of the British Light Dra- goons; " and that the retreat was not such an one as reflected credit on its discipline, as soldiers, or on its bravery, as men.13 A large portion, if not the whole, of the detachment, terror-stricken and without any appearance of order, sought "the ford " -- a shallow portion of the Bronx-river, apparently a short distance below the present railroad-bridge, between Hartsdale its arrival at the White Plains, at ten o'clock on the following miorh- ing, were in eutire barmony with what was stated by the British Officer, through The Moleser Journal. and the White Plains-closely pursued by Colonel Rall, with the Brigade, composed of the Regiments of Lossberg, Kuyphausen, and Rall, whom Le com- manded; " and, having passed the little stream. the cowardly fugitives found refuge in the neighboring
"NORTH OF WHITE-PLAIN4. November 1, 1776," we have already made extraits, stated that the command of General Spencer, on the occasion under notice, " consisted, in the whole of five or six hundred toen ; " but, on the third of November, five days after the engagement, the same Regimen's reported n aggregate strength of four thousutal, seven hun- dred, and ninety-six, of whom, five hundred and sixty Officers, non-com- missioned Officers, and Musicians, and two thousand and seventy-six Privates "fit for duty," were present. (Generel Returnof the Army in the series of the United States, November 3, ITT6. We have determineel, therefore, that the effective strength of the Regiments, on the occasion under notice, before they were muer by the enemy, was not far from twenty-six hundred mon, as we have sail in the text.
Lieutenant colonel Tench Tilghman, one of the sides of Genera! Washington, in a letter to his father, dated " WHITE PLAINS, Elst Octo- " ber, 1576," said, "On Monday morning we rec! Information that the " Enemy were in Motion and in March towank our Lines, all our Men " were immediately at their Alarm Posts and abont 2000 detach-l to give " the Enemy as mintch annoyance as possible on their approach ;" and Brigade-major Talhaadze, of the Brigade commanded by General Wa.ls- worth, himself present and a participant in the a Mir, stated. M. nie of Colon! Bogamia Fullavdr. porqueed by Bank (f. 1.1. ) that it . de- those who were entirely competent to make them with acerracy, go for to confirm what we have more definitely stated in the text.
Is It was that Brigade, commanded by the same Colonel, Hall, who was captured at Trenton, in the following December; and we have as- certained the Regiments of whom it was composed, from the despatch of General Howe to Lend meurge Germaine, Jated " NEW York, December " 20, 1776," announcing that disaster to the Royal Army, to the Home Government.
In the despatch of Generd Washington to the Congress, Istol " HEAD- "QUARTERS, NEWTOWN, 27Th December, 1771," the Regiment of Lies- berg is called the Reguuent of Landspatch. We have preferred to follow General Howe, as our authority, in this instance.
3
261
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
way of what have been more recently known as " the Mill-lane" and the road to Dobbs'-terry, coll- veying to General Washington, at Head-quarters, information of the situation of the troops, on the op- posite bank of the river."
bills of Greenburgh, ' and . were reported anony the "Missing," which, in that Anny, too often, attorted a resting-place for the name and the fame of a cow- ard and poltroon .? In the in-tances now under con- sideration, many of these bashful New Englanders purged themselves of some portion of the reproach On the left of the line of march of the Royal Army produced by their cowardice, by returning. as they . and on the western bank of the Bronx-river, which found opportunities, in small parties,to the Camp, at the White Plains,3 exemplifying the truth of the old couplet : flowed through a marshy valley of some extent, at its base, arose the boll and rocky height which was known, then, and is still known, as " Chatterton's-hill." It is "He who fights and runs away, " Will live to fight, another day ; " one of the range of high grounds, ou the western side of the Bronx, on which the line of entrenched en- campments had been thrown up by detachments from while their Hessian purmers, probably checked in their further progress by their discovery of the troops on Chatterton's-hill, of whom the reader will learn more, hereafter, occupied a position on the high ground, westward from the Harlem Railroad, between Chatterton's-hill and the present railroad-station, at Hartsdale. 4 the American Army, the latter then occupying the Heights of Harlem, for the purpose of preventing the enemy from crossing the Bronx and closing the line of communication between the Army and the coun- try-the same line of defensive works, indeed, which subsequently covered the retreat of the Army, from Harlem Heights to the White Plains -- andit extended, northwardly, to within a short distance from the American lines-the latter on the opposite side of the little stream and of the marshy intervale-and really, to some extent, it commanded the right and centre of them. It had been occupied, and an earthwork of --- small pretensions had been thrown up, on it, prob- ably by the Regiment of Massachusetts Militia, com- manded by Colonel John Brooks, then of General Lincoln's Division and subsequently Governor of Massachusetts ; " and, on the morning of Monday, the
An amusing incident connected with that disgraceful retreat of General Spencer's command, was related by Major Benjamin Tallmadge, then Brigade-major of General Wadsworth's Brigade and, himself, one of the fugitives-subsequently better known in connection with the detention of Major Andre. After having de- scribed the retreat of the detachment of Americans and the pursuit by the Brigade of Hessians, the rush of the former for the ford and the anxiety of the fu- gitives to pass the river, he said, " They," [the Amer- irans, ] "immediately entered the river and ascended "the hill; while I, being in the rear and mounted on "horseback, endeavored to hasten the last of our " troops, the Hessians being then within musket- "shot. When I reached the bank of the river, and " was about to enter it, our Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. " Trumbull, sprang up, behind me, on my horse, with "such force as to carry me, with my accoutrement-, " together with himself, headlong into the river. This "so disconcerted me, that, by the time I reached the " opposite bank of" the river, the Hessian troops were "about to enter it, and considered me their prisoner," in which, however, they reckoned without their host, since he watched for an opportunity, and escaped, by
Indeed, they were among those bille as soon as they had powerd the Bronx, at the ford ; and, there, they found safety, for a few days, as we shall mer, herrafter.
Irving faveriously remarked, (Life of George Withington, ii , 39%) they " scattered themselves among the hills, but afterwards returned to " Head-quarters. "
2 It is amusing to see Connecticut-nien claim that theen poltroons Were those who fought the Battle and defended Chattertoff's bill. without alluding to any other troops, unless without giving them credit for bav- 1 whose subsequent conduct clearly identified it as that commanded by Col- ing done anything worthy of notice. (Letter from a Gentleman ou the . onel Brooks, was found in possession of the ground-all these tomoule Aring, "CAMP NEAR THE HILLS, ABOUT THREE MILES NORTH FROM THE lead us to the conclusion stated in the text. "WHITE PLAINS, November 1, HERE" Human's Hatorient Collection, of the part time n by Connecticut, during the War of the Revolution. ?; ; etc. 3 Gordon's History of the American Berolution, i., 243 ; etc.
A General Hoge to Lend George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, 30 November, "1776 ;" Sauthier's Plus of the Operations, etc. ; [ Hall's} History of the Civil War in America, i., 208 ; Gordon's History of the American Revolu- tion, ii., 34) ; etc.
5 Memoir of Clmel Bruitmin Tallmadge, prepared by himself, 14. 6 Our personal knowledge of the ground is our authority for this de ecription of it.
Stedman, in his History of the American War. (f., 214.) attempted to qualify that fact-" it rose so gradually from the Bronx," he said, " that "its ciest was bot within randont cannon-shot, as was proved by many "of our Battalions lying upon it, on their artas, the whole evening after "the action ; "-but, nevertheless, thos: who know the entire ground, composing Chatterton' -- bill and its dependencies, will fully sustain ns, in what we have said, in the text, on that subject.
: Brean- a portion of General Lincola's Division, with all of that of General spencer, had been detached from the main body of the Army, and sent forward, with orders to occupy all the high ground, between Valentine's-hill and the White Plains, and to strengthen them with -n- trenebinente ; and because the Regiment commanded by Colonel Brooks formed a portion ofone of the Divisions who were this detailed to occupy Add to strengthen those high ground- ; and because we have not found the sightmi allusion to the Rent von att ! i by Clean! Broke, in any of the descriptions of the movements of troops, at any time pre- vious to The attack on Chatterton's-hill, by the Royal troops : and be- cause we cannot find any Order, from Head quarters, for any other oc- cupation of Chatterton's-bill. until the morning of the twenty-ghth of October, when Colonel Hastet, with his well-tried comman 1. was ordered by General Washington "to take possession of the hill beyond our lines " and the command of the Militia Regiment there posted," (( loml His- let to (is geral Rodney. " November 12, 1774") when a Regiment of Militia,
We are not insensible that words employed by Colonel Harrison, io his letter to the President of the Congress, dated " WHITE. PLAIN -. 29 "October, 1776," lave been construed to mean that troops had been sent down, on the morning of the twenty-eighth of October, " with a view of " throwing up some hin 's," on Chatterton's-hill ; and that the biogra- pher of Colonel Rutas Putnam, (Memoir of colonel Rufus Putuam, in Hil- Breth's Biographied and Hismind Maneira of the Early Settheory of Uher,
r
262
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
twenty eighth of October, funeral Washington or- { of the enemy's line of march, the two columns con- dered Colonel Haslet, with his Regiment of Delaware i tinned thar movements toward the American lines, troops, and General MeDougal, with his Brigade, the . "as if they meant to attack us, there," as latter composed of the Regiment of New York troops whom he had formerly commanded, the Regiment of the same Line who was commanded ly Colonel Ritzema, the Regiment of Maryland troops whom Colonel Smallwood commanded, and the Regiment of Connecticut troops commanded by Colonel Charles Webb, to occupy the same position.1
General Washington's Secretary subsequently de- scribed the movement '-indeed, General Howe sub- sequently stated that " an assault upon the enemy's "right, which was opposed to the llesian troops, " was intended."> The Army was formed, evidently, for a general movement on the right and center of the American lines, with its right resting on the road It appears that Colonel Haslet's command was the first of the reinforcements to reach the hill; ? and it is very probable that it was either that Regiment or that commanded by Colonel Brook - or both. together, which led from the White Plains to Mamaroneck, about a mile from the center of the former, and its 1.oft on the Bronx-river, about the same distance from the extreme right of the American entrenchments; & on the summit of the high ground, on his right, which . and what appeared to have been the decisive hour in led Colone! Rall to check his He-sian Regiments, in ' which the future of America was to be determined, their pursuit of the fugitive New Englanders, and to occupy the position on the high ground, nearer to Hartsdale, to which reference has been made, whence he could move, if such a movement should becomeex- pedient, on the right flank and rear of whatever force of the Americans should ocenpy Chatterton's-hill-a movement, by the way, since it was evidently made by Colonel Rall, on his own impulse, which reflected great credit on the military abilities of that subse- quently unfortunate Officer." by the arbitrament of arms, had, at length, been reached. But the bright designs of God, concerning America, were widely different from those of men ; the future of those thirteen new-born members of the community of nations, in His purposes, was not de- pendent on the result of an assault on the improvised lines of defense, on the high grounds, in the vicinity of the White Plains ; and the powerful arm which was already uplifted and ready to strike a crushing blow on that which God had predestinated for other ends, While Colonel Rall was thus engaged, on the left was restrained by an unseen power, a power before which the King of Great Britain and all his Armies 64,) has stated that, on that morning, that Engineer had been ordered to that hill, lo superintend the constru tion of some more important en- trenchments. But there is nothing inconsistent with either of these statements, if not distorted, in what we have wripen coarerning the probable que seguation of Chatterton' -hill by the Regineout of Mass- chusetts Militia commanded by Colonel John Brooks. were as nothing, by the same power which had re- strained the same arm, uplifted. at Gravesend and be- fore Brooklyn, at Kip's-bay and on Throgg's-neck- the handful of American troops, on the summit of Chatterton's-hill, a phantom which seemed to augur It is very evident that whatever defensive works there may have been on the hill, at the time of the eugagement, if there were any, they af- forded no shelter for the men. - (Fient want colat Tilghman to Willi on LAPr, " HEND-QUARTERS, WHITE.PLAINS, October 29, 1774.") ili for the left flank and rear of the Royal Army, was seen by General Howe; the further advance of the main body, toward the American lines, was See, also, Lieutenant colonel Tilghman to his father, " WHITE-PLAINS, 31 "October, 1776." stayed: the uplifted arm fell, without having struck 1 Colonel Haslet to General Casar Rodney, " November 12, 1776 :" INtheux of the Brigade commanded by General MoThugal, November 3, 1776; etc. Colonel Hostet to General Comme Hadary, " November 12, 1776." the blow which was intended ; the right and center of the American line remained, unharmed; and another opportunity for the determination of the great dispute, between Great Britain and America, was lost, never to be be regained.
As the Delaware Regiment conunauded by Colom 1 Haslet, was of the Brigule commanded by finneral Lord Stirling, and was ordered by Gen- eret Washington " to take possession of the hill and the command of "the Militia Regiment there posted ; which was done," of which there has been no question ; and Since the Bricole which was commanded by General DE Dougal anter justfly moved up the same hill, which no one has ever pretetpled to deny, it is bot evident why Col get Carrington, + Bottle of the Jueves I colation, 240, without the shahtest authority to istain him, made a special attempt to helittle Colonel Haster, indi- vinafly, aml as an PRicer -he could not belittle his doings nor those of his command, on that field- because, in his Report of the action, to tien- erai I: "ley-the oddly Report from an actual participant in the affer, which has come down to us -- he described, in detail, his own and his gallant Regiment's portions of the doings on that historically important occasion.
3 . Colorel Rall . . took possession of it, with great alacrity, to " the approbation of Lieutenant general leister, who wasacquainted with " this movement by Sir William Erskine," the Quarterina-ter-general of the British Army. - (haend Hover to Lard George Germaine, " NEW-YORK, "30 November, 1776.")
It will be seen, from that paragraph, that the notion of Colonel Rall, in this copying a position on the right flank of the Americans who were occupying Chatterton's-kill, received the favorable notices of both the British and the German Generale, commanding : we shall we, here- after, how important that action was, in the subsequent engagement.
A Colonel Robert H. Hurrian to the President of the Congress, "White- ". Pi viss, 2 October, 177 .. "
6 Speech of General I. a. before a Committee of the House of Commons, April 29, 1770-Almon's Bolimentary Register, Fifth Session, Four- teenth Parliament, xii., 221; Narrative of Liegtin at general Sir William Ilonee, G.
& General Hove to Load George Grenadine, " NEW-YORK, 30th Novem- "ber, 1776;" Sauthier's Flor of the Operations, etc. ; Gordon's History of the American Revolution, il .. Sto ; etc.
studioan atmed, History of the American War, i., 204, ) that "the " Right wing of the British dol not exteml beyond the center of the "American Army, " which is in harmony with what General Howe bad stated concerning the distance of his Right from the American littes- he referred to the center, without having made the slightest allusion to the left, where Generd Heath was posted. Striman continued : " That "part of the enemy's position." [the American center, ] "did not seem to " be completed: all the attention of the British Commander being fixed "on another part of the fi-l!"-as we have already seen, " an assault "nown the American right, which was eggert to the Hesion trage, "was intended ;" and the British troops were to have been spared. for other services, elarwhere.
263
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
The force, on the swarsit of Chatterton'-hill, which Company of New-York Artillery, with two small had this, insensibly, arroand the progress of the field-pieces. commandel by Captain Alexander Ham- ilton and forming a pration of the Brigade com- manded by General MeDougal, was, also, present ; It history has not recorded the name of the Officer who, then, commanded it.5 Royal Army, in its movement against the Right and Center of the American lines, was, of course, that of whom we have already made mention-the Regiments commanded, respectively, by Colonels Brooks and Haslet, the Brignole commanded by General MeDan- The cannonade of the little party, on Chatterton's- hill, was continued by the Hessian Artillerists, with- out ce-sation, while the General Officers, it is said,5 assembled in Council. without having dismounted ; aml it is probable that the noisy demonstration, so very characteristic of Germans, in their use of gun- powder, was continued, with unabated ardor, until the movement of their companions in arms, up the steep and rugged hill-side, of which the reader will learn more, hereafter, obliged the gunners to suspend gal not having reached the hill; and against that small force, the Hessian Artillery, from the Plain, on the opposite side of the Bronx, not far from the present railroad -- tation. at the White Plains, opened a vigorous fire,1 with no other effect, however, than the wounding of one of the Militia, which so greatly alarmed his comrades that the entire Regiment " broke, and fled, and were not rallied, without much " difficulty."2 Soon after the cannoniade was con- meneed, General MeDougal and his command reached ; their operations." the hill-top ; and the command of the entire force de- " Upon viewing the situation," in deference to the volved on and was assumed by that very inexperienced Officer. After several change-, in the positions ofthe , hill ; but no other writer than he has thus honored Colonel Graham, several Regiments, the line was formed, with the Regiment of Massachusetts Militia, commanded by
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.