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ant a part of every army, were elected by the men; and a disposition to associate with them, on the footing of equality, was a recommendation of much more weight, and frequently conduced much more to the choice, than individual merit. It has been stated, by gentlemen of high rank, that, in some instances, those were elected, who agreed to put their pay in mess with the soldiers, and to divide equally with them. Among such officers, the most disgraceful and unmilitary practices frequently prevailed; and the privates could not sufficiently respect them, to acquire habits of obedience and subordination.

These defects had been, in some degree, remedied, in new modelling the army before Boston, but they still existed to a fatal extent; and, in examining the orders of that period, it appears that several officers of inferior rank were not, themselves, exempt from the general spirit of pillage and plunder, which, at that time, disgraced the American troops; and which will disgrace all troops not subjected to' an exact and rigid discipline, but particularly those who have not been officered with care.

CHAP. VII.

1776.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER VIII.

SKIRMISH ON THE HEIGHTS OF HAERLEM

--

THE ENEMY LAND

AT FROG'S NECK THE AMERICAN ARMY EVACUATES YORK
ISLAND, EXCEPT FORT WASHINGTON BOTH ARMIES MOVE
TOWARDS THE WHITE PLAINS-THE BRITISH ARMY RETURNS
TO KINGSBRIDGE — GENERAL WASHINGTON, WITH A PART OF
HIS ARMY, CROSSES THE NORTH RIVER - THE LINES OF FORT
WASHINGTON CARRIED BY THE ENEMY, AND THE GARRISON
EVACUATION OF FORT LEE—WEAKNESS
OF THE AMERICAN ARMY - INEFFECTUAL ATTEMPT TO RAISE
THE MILITIA - GENERAL WASHINGTON RETREATS THROUGH
JERSEY -CAPTURE OF GENERAL LEE -

MADE PRISONERS

--

GENERAL WASHINGDANGER OF PHILADELPHIA OF PRINCETON - FIRMNESS

ΤΟΝ CROSSES THE DELAWARE

BATTLE OF TRENTON
CONGRESS.

OF

CHAP. VIII.

1776.

THE

HE enemy, being now in possession of New York,* stationed a few troops in that place, and took post,

with

* Soon after New York fell into the hands of the enemy, a fire broke out in the night about eleven o'clock, and continued to rage till the next morning, when it was extinguished, by great exertions, on the part of the military stationed in the town, after having consumed about one-third of the buildings. It is said to have been purposely set on fire, and several individuals, believed to have perpetrated the act, were precipitated into the flames. It was alleged by the enemy, that the American general had designed to reduce the town to ashes, had he not been compelled to abandon it so precipitately as to render the execution of this intention impracticable, and that the fire was in conse

quence

1776

with the main body of their army, on York Island, near the CHAP. VIII. American lines. Their right was at Horen's Hook, on the East River, and their left reached the North River, near Blooming Dale; so that their encampment extended quite across the island, which, though about sixteen miles in length, is in this place scarcely two miles wide; and both their flanks were covered by their ships.

The strongest point of the American lines was at Kingsbridge, both sides of which had been carefully fortified, and to which they were very attentive, because it preserved their communication with the continent. They also occupied, in considerable force, M'Gowan's Pass and Morris's Heights, which were fortified, and capable of being defended against superior numbers. On the Heights of Haerlem, too, still nearer the enemy, within about a mile and a half of them, a strong detachment was posted in an intrenched camp.

The present position of the armies was extremely favourable to the views of the American general. He wished to habituate his soldiers, by a series of successful skirmishes, to meet the enemy in the field; and he persuaded himself that his detachments, knowing that a strong intrenched

quence of this design: but this allegation is founded intirely in mistake. Neither the Congress, nor General Washington, had formed so destructive plan; and the fire must either have been kindled by individuals, whose mis guided zeal induced them to adopt so terrible a measure, or by flagitious in- • cendiaries, who hoped to plunder, in security, during the confusion of extinguishing the flames.

VOL. II.

30

camp

CHAP. VIII.

1776.

camp was immediately in their rear, would engage the enemy without apprehension, would display their native courage, and would soon regain the confidence they appeared to have lost.

Opportunities of this sort could not long be wanting. The day after the retreat from New York, the enemy appeared in considerable force in the plains between the two camps; and the general immediately rode to his advanced posts, in order to make, in person, such arrangements as their movement might require. Soon after his arrival, Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton, of Connecticut, a very brave and valuable officer, who had been skirmishing with them, at the head of a corps of rangers, composed of volunteers from different New England regiments, came in, and, on conjecture, stated the number of the British party, the main body of which was concealed in a wood, at about three hundred

men.

Skirmish on the Heights of Haerlem.

The general ordered Colonel Knowlton, with his rangers, and Major Leitch, with three companies of the third Virginia regiment, which had joined the army only the preceding day, to endeavour to get in their rear, while he amused them with the appearance of making dispositions to attack their front.

This plan succeeded. The enemy ran eagerly down a hill, in order to possess themselves of some fences and bushes, which they considered as an advantageous position to take against the party advancing in their front; and a

1776

firing ensued, but at too great a distance to do any execu- CHAP. VIII. tion. In the mean time, Colonel Knowlton, not being precisely acquainted with their new position, commenced his attack rather on their flank than rear, and a very warm action ensued.

In a short time, Major Leitch, who had very gallantly led on the detachment, was brought off the ground mortally wounded, having received three balls through his body; and, not long afterwards, Colonel Knowlton also fell, bravely fighting at the head of his troops. Yet, the captains, with their companies, kept their ground, and, with much animation, continued the action. The British were reinforced; and General Washington, perceiving the necessity of supporting the Americans also, ordered to their aid some detachments from the adjacent regiments of New England` and Maryland. Thus reinforced, they charged the enemy with great intrepidity, drove them out of the woods into the plain, and were pressing them still further, when the general, content with the present advantage, and apprehending that a much larger body of the enemy would soon change the aspect of affairs, called back his troops to their intrenchments.

In this sharp conflict, in which they had engaged a battalion of light infantry, another of Highlanders, and three companies of Hessian riflemen,* the Americans had about fifty men killed and wounded; while the enemy lost more

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