(foe militia have been most serviceable or hurtful, upon the vfhate» I should subscribe to the latter. No man who regards order, .re* gularity and ceconomy, or who has any regard fov his own honor, character or peace of mind, will risk them upon militia."—•» While the American cause is thus exposed, some gentlemen oh-t serve with pleasure of the enemy [Sept. 25.] that—"Thought they are brave, and furnished with all matters, yet from sonic causes, they discover very little of the great or vast in their de-»" signs arad executions." ;
It is not strange that there is a number of bad officers in the continental service, when you consider that many were chosen - by their own men, who elected them, not from a regard to me-* xit or any love of discipline, but from the knowledge they had; ef their being ready to associate w'uh them oh the foot of equality. It was- the case in divers instances, that when a company was forming, the men-would choose those for officers who consented to throw their pay into a joint stock with, the privates, from which captains, lieutenants) ensigns, sergeants, corporals, with drummers and privates, drew equal shares.- Can it then be Wondered at, however mortifying it may prove, that a captain should be tried and broken for stealing his soldiers blankets, oc that another officer should be found shaving his men in. the face of distinguished characters ! Time must and will clear the army ef these despicable commission-bearers.
• Too many of the regimental surgeons have made a practice of sellingrecommendation-stofurloughsand discharges at a Jess sum than a shilling a matv.. Only one of the number supposed to, merit the same distinction, \vus drummed out of the army for such a scandalous conduct^ Had all who deserved it, met the like reward, a good reform would have been mads : that one is too pitiful a subject to have his name recorded. He charged each man six-pence sterling, and any one was welcome to acer-. tificate for that sum. Several of the regimental surgeons had no professional abilities; had never seen an operation of surgery; were unlettered and ignorant to a degree scarcely to beima-. gined. Others were amazingly deficient in the article of professional apparatus. From one general return of fifteen regiments, it appeared that for fifteen surgeons and as many mates, all the instruments (which were reported to be private property) Amounted only to six sets of amputating-—-two of trepanning—» fifteen cases of pocket instruments—seventy-five crooked and six straight needles—-four incision knives for dilating wounds or other purposes—and thri^i pair of forceps for extracting bullets. Since the evacuation of- New-York, the sick have suffered verify much for want of Recessuries, and have been in a miserable
situation,
Ii6 The HISTORY Of ine {A. -A 17-7&
situation ; but it appears to have been owing greatly to untoward circumstances, hurry, confusion, and actual want of the requisites for affording relief. The sick have amounted to many thousands, including what have been at different places; anil many hundreds, if not some thousands, have been swept off by various diseases. Much censure has been cast upon Dr. Morgan, director-general of the hospital, for the sufferings which the sick have endured, more than is due, as apprehended. The? army ought to have been early provided with medicines, instruanets and bandages, by a continental druggist or chosen committee, before the campaign began, instead of having them to* procure afterward ; and the militia which came late to the field, should have been provided by the different states, before they joined the army,
An unsuccessful attempt was made on the British otit-post off Montresor-Island. A large party of Americans, in five fiat-bottomed boats, under the command of colonel Jackson, wen£ down Haerleni river to attack it, a little after four in the morning. They had two pieces of cannon with them ; the post wa* guarded by about eighty men. The Brune frigate being at an-chor near the island, fired at the boats in the dark, and Sunk one of them. The colonel landed, and a skirmish ensued ; but several of the officers and men behaved most scandalously ; instead of supporting him they pushed off, so that he was obliged tor retreat. He was himself wounded, and left two and twenty wounded behind. Major Thomas Henly, biotherto the deputy adjutant-general, an intrepid officer, was killed.
General 7/oa'<? had at length ripened his plan for cutting off gen. Washington'scormt\\m\caiion with the eastern states, and enclosing him on all sides in his fastnesses on the north end of NewYork island ; which ought to have been executed a month back, by a bold and unexpected removal of the troops from LongIsland in the first instance, to Kochelle or the neighborhood.
The greater part of the army, being embarked in fiat boats and other small craft, passed through Hell-gate, a passage terrible in name, but no way dangerous at the proper lime of tide ; entered the Sound [Oct 12.] and landed early in the morning, on Frog's-Neck, in Westchester county, belonging to New-York, upon the side of Connecticut. Gen. Washington's army, fit for' duty, present and on command at different posts, mititia included, was about 19,000. Officers and men were in expectation of active service. The former were out frequently in reconnoitcring parties ; the latter were looking q|it for the arrival of gei>. Lee, on his way to the camp. The Americans had no intention of quitting their ground upon the island and the neighborhood
hood of Kingsbriuge; but a number of regiments were sent forward to counteract the operations of the enemy. When the royal atrny was landed, the general's found they could not get ilpon the continent, by reason of the causeway's being broken down, and of works being erected to oppose them. Six days were spent here to little purpose, while a dozen other places were open, where the troops might have landed with scarce any or no opposition 01 difficulty attending them. On the last of these days the second division of foreign mercenaries arrived at New-York. The fleet consisted of seventy-two sail, having on board 4000 Hessians 1000 Waldeckers, two companies of chasseurs or riileraen, 200 Knglish recruits, and 2000 baggage horses. The horse transports were heavy sailing Dutchmen. They left St. Helen's the 28th of June, were obliged to put into Plymouth the 7th of July, and s.iiled fvom thence the Ibith.
[Oct. 14.] General Lee arrived in the American camp two days after gen. Howe's landing. The troops were mightily elated with his presence, and felt themselves stronger by 1000 men upon the occasion ; for1 they had great confidence in his abilities, and expected much from him, because of the success-which had attended him at Charleston. The general found that there was a prevailing inclination among the thief officers for remaining on the island. He strongly urged the absolute necessity of removing toward East and Westchester. Gen. Washington called a council of war. [Oct. 16.] Lee asked what they meant by entertaining a thought of holding their position, while the enemy had the command of the water on each side of them, and were so strong both in their front arid reut; and when there was a bridge before them, ovcrwhich they must pass to escape being wholly enclosed. He soon convinced them how much they had been mistaken. All agreed that the bulk of the army should quit the island. He was also for withdrawing the garrison from Fort Washington. Gen. Greene was otherwise minded, and argued, that the possessing of that post would divert a large body ot the enemy, and keep them from joining the troops under general Howe. The Jatter had left carl Percy, with two brigades of British troops and one of Hessians, about £000 men, in lines near Haerlem, to cover New-York from the insults of the garrison. Greene further urged the advantage it would be of in covering, with Sort Lee, the transportation of provision and other articles up the North-River, for the service of the American troops. He Stuted also, that the garrison could be brought off at any time by boats from the Jersey side of the river. It was concluded that the possession of Fort Washington and the lines annexed to it,
shoyld
The HISTORY or The [A. D. nt«.
*
should be continued ; and more than 2000 men were assigned to this service. . • . T?
General Hwvve, on the other hand, while at Frog's-Ncck, re* ceived provisions, stores and a reinforcement [Oct. 1-8.] then re-embarked several corps, passed round Frog's-Neqk, landed at the mouth of Hutchinson's river, and secured a passage for the main body, which crossed at the same place, advanced immediately, and lay that night upon their arms, with their right near Roehelle. On their march to this ground Shey were an. noyed by a regiment or two of Americans and one of the rifle battalions, whom gen. Lcc posted behind a wal/, and secreted; for that purpose. Their advanced party was repulsed twice j and the Americans did not leave the wall till the enemy advanced a third time, in solid columns, when th?y gave them several fires, and then retreated by gen. Lee's oijder. The Britishare thought to have lost a considerable number. The Americans had a few killed, and about sixty vvouijded. On the 21st the right and centre of the army moved two miles to the north* ward of Roehelle, on the road to the White' Plains. Lieut, col* Rogers, with his corps of Rangers, was detiched to possess Marrineck, where the carelessness of his. sentries exposed him tw surprise, by which he suffered. [Oct. 22.] Gen. Howe was joined by gen. Knyphausen, with the second division of Hessian* and the regiment of Waldeckers. ( .
General Washington, while moving the army from York isv land into the country, was careful to rrurch and form the troopsso as to make a front toward the enemy, from Eastchester almost to White Plains, on the east side-of the highway, thereby to secure the march of those who "were behind on their right) and to defend the removal of the sick, the cannon, stores, &c. Thus they made a line of small, detached and entrenched camps, occupying every height and strong ground, from Valentine's Hill, about a mile from Kingsbridge on the right, to near tho White Plains on the left. But the movement was attended withmuch difficulty, for want of waggons and artillery horses. The baggage and artillery were carried or drawn off by hand. When a part was forwarded, the other was fetched on. This was the general way of removing the camp equipage and other appendages of the army. The few teams which were at hand, were no ways equal to the service; and their deficiency could be made up only by the bodily labor of the men.
[Oct. 25.] The royal army moves in two columns, and take» a position with the Bninx in front; upon which the Americans quit their detached camps, and leaving a corps near Kingsbridge, assemble their main force at White Plains, behind entrench
Entrenchments thrown up by the advanced corps. Every thing being prepared for bringing on an action, gen. Howe marciie* t>_ troops early in the morning [Oct. 28.] in two columns toward the White Plains, the left being commanded by gen. Heister. All gen. Washington's advanced parties being drove back to their works before noon, the army forms with the right upon the road to Marrincck, about a mile distant from the American centre, and the left at the Brunx, about the same distance from the right flank of their intrenchments. Gen. M'Dougall, with about 1 fiOO men possesses an advantageoushill separated from the right flank of the interenchments by the Brunx, which by its windings covers the general's troops from the left of the royal forces. Gen. Leslie, with the second brigade of British troops the Hessian grenadiers under col. Donop, and a battalion of theHessian corps, arc ordered to dislodge him. Previous totheirattac^ coJ. Rail, commanding a brigade of the Hessians, on the left, passes the Brunx, and gains a post which enables him to annov the flank of M'Dougali's corps, while engaged with the other forces in front. Four regiments of militia, upon the approach of about 250 light horse, run away and leave the general with 600 men ; who defend the hill for about an hour, against thcr whole fire of twelve pieces artillery, and of the musketry and cavalry, with the loss of forty-seven men killed and seventy wounded.f The gaining of this post take tip some considerable time, which is prolonged by the Americans supporting a, broken and scattered engagement in defence of- the adjoining walls and enclosure. In the evening, the Hessian grenadier* are ordered forward within cannon shot of the intrencbments, the second brigade of the British forms in the rear, and the two Hessian brigades in the left of the second. The right and centre do not quit the ground on which they have formed. In this position the whole royal army lie upon their arms during the night, expecting to attack the enemy's camp the next day. The next day [Oct. 19.] they advance to a hill, on which col. Gkivcr commands, and where he has one brass twenty-four, a six, and a three pounder, and three iron twelve pounders. They form a line as far as he can see from right to left, and appear to be about 12,000. They approach in four columns, the cavalry and artillery in front, and continue doing it till within about three quarters of a mile of the hill, then tile ofFto the left t<> take post on a hill to the colonel's right, which overlooks that be is posted on. They have to pass a valley. He reserves his fire till they get into it, in order to ascend the hill; he begins with the three pounder, next the six, reserving the brass twcn* Col. Glover's letter, toted Nonh-Caftle, Nov. M, 1776
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