Page images
PDF
EPUB

DISPOSITION OF THE TROOPS-NATHAN HALE.

379

XXX.

ington's army was less than twenty thousand men, and on CHAP. many of these little dependence could be placed. The question soon arose, Should New York be defended to the 1776. last, or should it be evacuated? Some proposed to burn it to the ground, as "two-thirds of the property belonged to Tories," rather than it should furnish comfortable winter-quarters for the enemy. Congress decided that the city should not be burned.

The sick and wounded, in the meanwhile, were transferred to Orange, in New Jersey, and most of the military stores were removed to Dobbs' Ferry, that the garrison `might be unencumbered should they be obliged to make a hasty retreat. It was decided by a council of war that Putnam, with five thousand troops, should remain to garrison New York, while General Heath, with the main body, was to fortify the heights in the neighborhood of Kingsbridge, where, presently, Washington transferred his headquarters.

Washington was anxious to learn the designs of the enemy on Long Island. At the suggestion of Colonel Knowlton, Nathan Hale volunteered to go on the perilous errand. Hale was a native of Connecticut, a graduate of Yale College, had thoughts of studying for the ministry, and at the commencement of the war was a teacher of youth. After the battle of Lexington, he hastened to Boston to join the army, in which he served as a lieutenant. On one occasion, to induce his men to continue their term of enlistment, he offered them his own pay. Soon after he received from Congress the commission of captain.

He passed to the island, obtained the knowledge desired, notes of which he took in Latin. As he was returning he fell in with a party of the enemy, was recognized by a Tory relative, seized and taken to Howe's headquarters, and, without much ceremony, was ordered to be executed the next morning.

The provost-marshal, named Cunningham, treated

CHAP. him with great brutality, denied him a Bible, tore up the ΧΧΧ. letter he had written to his mother, giving as a reason, 1776. "that the rebels should never know they had a man who

Sept.

15.

could die with such firmness." The last words of Hale were: "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

The entire British fleet was within cannon-shot of the city, and some of their vessels had passed up the Hudson and East rivers. They had landed troops on the islands at the mouth of Harlem river, and there erected a battery. Soon British and Hessians, under Clinton and Colonel Donop, crossed over from the camp on Long Island to Kipp's Bay, three miles above the city. Washington heard the cannonading in that quarter, and, as he was on the way to learn the cause, met the militia, who, on the first approach of the enemy had fled in sad confusion, followed by two brigades of Connecticut troops, who that very morning had been sent to support them. He strove to rally them, but in vain; neither entreaties nor commands had any effect upon these panic-stricken soldiers. Mortified and indignant at their cowardice, he dashed his hat upon the ground, and exclaimed: "Are these the men with whom I am to defend America? The enemy in pursuit were now not more than eighty yards from him, but in his excitement he forgot his own safety, and had not an attendant seized the bridle of his horse and hurried him from the field, he must have fallen into their hands.

[ocr errors]

Washington ordered General Heath to secure Harlem Heights, and sent an express order to Putnam to evacuate the city, and retire to those heights with all speed; for he feared that the enemy would extend their lines across the island from Kipp's Bay, and cut off his retreat. Fortunately the British did not pursue their advantage. Putnam retreated along the west side of the island by the Bloomingdale road. His line, encumbered with women and children, was exposed to the fire of the ships lying in the

A SUCCESSFUL SKIRMISH.

381

XXX.

Hudson. He ordered, encouraged, and aided, and by his CHAP. extraordinary exertions, it is said, saved his corps from entire destruction. However, his heavy artillery and three 1776 hundred men fell into the hands of the enemy

Now the British had possession of the city, and the main body of the Americans was encamped on the northern portion of the island, across which they threw a double row of lines, about four and a half miles below Kingsbridge. Two miles above these lines, was Fort Washington, and a few miles below them were the British lines, extending also from river to river.

On the sixteenth the enemy made an attack upon the Sept American advanced posts, but were repulsed and driven off by Virginia and Connecticut troops, but their commanders, Major Leitch, and the brave Colonel Knowlton, one of the heroes of Bunker Hill, both fell in this encounter. The spirits of the soldiers, depressed by repeated defeats and disasters, were somewhat revived by this successful skirmish.

The armies watched each other for some weeks. Many were sick in the American camp; "it was impossible to find proper hospitals; and they lay about in almost every barn, stable, shed, and even under the fences and bushes."

Sir William Howe now began to collect forces at Throg's Neck, a peninsula in the Sound about nine miles from the American camp. This peninsula was separated from the mainland by a narrow creek and a marsh, which was overflowed at high tide. By means of the bridge and fords, Howe hoped to pass over to the mainland and gain the rear of the Americans, and cut off their communication with New England, whence they received most of their supplies. His plans, though well laid, were defeated. General Heath was on the alert; he was joined by Colonel William Prescott, who commanded at Bunker Hill, and by Hand with his riflemen, and others; every pass was guarded, and the planks of the bridge removed. Howe,

XXX.

CHAP. with his usual caution, waited six days for reinforcements. By this time General Lee, now more a favorite than ever, 1776. had returned from his successful campaign at the South, and Sullivan, Stirling, and Morgan had been restored to the army by exchange. While Howe thus delayed, it was decided, in a council of war, that every American post on New York island, excepting Fort Washington, should be abandoned. This plan was promptly executed. The army, in four divisions, commanded by Generals Lee, Heath, Sullivan, and Lincoln, withdrew across Kingsbridge, and gradually concentrated their forces in a fortified camp near the village of White Plains.

Oct.

23.

Still hoping to gain their rear, Howe moved on toward New Rochelle, where he was reinforced by light-horse troops, and Hessians under General Knyphausen, who had recently arrived from Europe. He advanced upon the camp. Scarcely had the Americans intrenched themselves at White Plains, when a rumor of his approach reached them. On the twenty-eighth, as Washington, accompanied by his general officers, was reconnoitring the heights in the neighborhood, the alarm was given that the enemy had driven in the picket-guards, and were within the camp. When he reached headquarters he found the army already posted in order of battle. The enemy did not advance upon them; they turned their attention to a height known as Chatterton's Hill, which lay a little south of the camp, and was separated from it by the river Bronx. This height was occupied by sixteen hundred men under General McDougall, and the attack was made at this point. After a feeble resistance, the militia fled, but Hazlet's and Smallwood's regiments, so famous on Long Island, made a brave stand, and repeatedly repulsed the enemy; but, at length, overpowered by numbers, they retreated across the bridge to the camp. This battle of

A NIGHT OF LABOR-THREATENED DANGERS.

383

XXX.

White Plains was a spirited encounter, in which each of CHAP the parties lost about four hundred men.

The British took possession of the hill, and began to 1776. intrench themselves; and now, for the third time, the armies lay looking at each other;" they were within long cannon-shot.

Could the undisciplined, war-worn, and disheartened Americans hope to escape from a force so well equipped and so powerful? That night was to them an anxious one. It was passed in severe labor; they doubled their intrenchments and threw up redoubts. Some of these were hastily constructed of stalks of corn, pulled up from a neighboring field, with the earth clinging to the roots. These piled with the roots outward, presented an appearance so formidable, that Howe, deceived as to their strength, did not attack them, but ordered up reinforcements.

Howe's cautious conduct of the war has been severely criticised, and various reasons have been assigned, but it has never been satisfactorily explained; whatever his reasons may have been, his delay at this time cost him another golden opportunity. Washington withdrew his army in the night-time to the heights of North Castle, a strong position, about five miles distant. His enemy had again eluded him, and Howe retired with his forces to Dobb's Ferry, on the Hudson.

This movement awakened new fears ;-did he intend to pass down the river to Fort Washington, or to cross into New Jersey? "He must attempt something," writes Washington, "on account of his reputation, for what has he done yet with his great army?"

To meet the threatened dangers a new disposition was made of the American forces. Lee, with a portion, was to remain at North Castle; Putnam, with another, was to guard the west side of the Hudson; Heath, the guardian of the passes of the Highlands, was to encamp at Peekskill; while General Greene commanded at Fort Lee, and

Nov. 4.

« PreviousContinue »