Slike strani
PDF
ePub

DESCENT UPON LONG ISLAND.

187

of their ships. On a peninsula, formed by the East River and Gowanus Cove, and constituting a part of the same island, was General Putnam, strongly fortified, and awaiting, with his detachment, the approach of the king's troops. Between the armies was a range of hills, the principal pass through which was near a place called Flatbush. At this place, the Hessians, forming the centre of the royalists, took their station. The left wing, under the orders of General Grant, was close upon the shore, and the right, commanded by General Clinton, Earl Percy, and Lord Cornwallis, and comprehending the chief strength of the British forces, approached the opposite coast of Flat Land. General Putnam had directed that all the passes should be secured by strong detachments of the provincial troops. The orders to this purpose, though not disobeyed, were not complied with to the extent that the general required; and one road through the hills, of the utmost importance, was entirely neglected-an oversight which was speedily communicated to the British, and which they were too wise not to improve to their advantage.

On the evening of the 26th, Generals Howe and Clinton drew off the right wing of the English army, in order to gain the heights. Nearly about day-break he reached the pass undiscovered by the Americans, and immediately took possession of it. The detachment under Lord Percy followed; and when the day appeared, the royalists advanced into the level country between the hills and Brooklyn, a village situated on the peninsula, where the Americans were encamped.

Without loss of time Howe and Clinton fell upon the rear of the provincials, and the Hessians attacking them in front, at the same instant, neither valour nor skill could save them from a defeat. Inspirited, however, by their generals, and by the presence of Washington, they continued the engagement for a while, and fought with the bravery of men, whom the love of freedom animates to deeds of heroism; but pressed by superior numbers, and thrown into confusion, they gave way on every side, and fled precipitately to the woods.

Nor was this the only part of the army which suffered; the right wing, which opposed General Grant, experienced a similar fate. They fought bravely, and maintained their ground till informed of the defeat of the left wing, when they retreated in confusion; and, in order to avoid the enemy, who were far advanced on their rear, the greater part of them attempted to escape along the dike of a mill-dam, and through

188

RETREAT FROM LONG ISLAND,

a marsh, where many of them perished; but a remnant regained the camp. Of a regiment consisting of young gentlemen from Maryland, the greater part was cut in pieces, and not one of those who survived, escaped without a wound.

The British soldiers behaved with their usual courage, and it was with difficulty that they were restrained from instantly attacking the American camp; but General Howe, who always exercised a laudable care of the lives of his men, checked their impetuosity; believing that without any great loss, he could compel the Americans to surrender, or evacuate the camp.

On that disastrous day, the Americans lost 2,000 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners; among the latter were Generals Sullivan, Woodhull, and Lord Stirling. They also lost 6 pieces of artillery. The acknowledged British loss was 21 officers, and 346 privates, killed, wounded, and taken.

A retreat from Long Island now became absolutely necessary; and it was effected on the 30th of August, without the loss of a man.

After the evacuation of Long Island by the Americans, proposals for an acccommodation were made by Lord Howe. But as his lordship was not authorised to treat with congress as a legal assembly, he invited such of its members as were desirous of peace to a private conference. To this invitation the congress replied, that as they were the representatives of the free and independent states of America, it was not possible for them to send any of their number to confer with the English commanders, in their individual capacity, but that, as it was exceedingly to be wished, that an accommodation should take place, on reasonable terms, they would direct a committee to receive the proposals of the British government. Accordingly, they nominated for this purpose, Dr. Franklin, Mr. John Adams, and Mr. Rutledge, all zealous and faithful to the cause of liberty. But notwithstanding the disposition of Lord Howe, which was certainly towards peace, and the late misfortunes of the provincial troops, the conference was altogether ineffectual; his lordship would not acknowledge the deputies as the commissioners of a free people; and the deputies would not treat with him on any other condition. It was resolved, therefore, on both sides, to prosecute the war with all their vigour and their utmost resources.

This conference, although ineffectual with respect to the object immediately in view, was of considerable service to the

WASHINGTON'S PLAN OF OPERATIONS.

189

Americans. It arrested General Howe in the career of victory, and suspended, during its progress, the operations of the campaign. It afforded a pause to the dispirited Americans ; and gave them time to rally their drooping spirits; a matter, in their circumstances, of no slight importance.

The provincial army, under the command of Washington, was now stationed in the vicinity of New York. They had erected many batteries near the place, and from these they kept up an incessant fire on the British ships. Between the armies lay the East River, which the royalists, for some days, had manifested a desire to cross. Accordingly, they landed on the opposite shore, at Kipp's Bay, nearly three miles distant from New York; and marching rapidly towards the city, they obliged the Americans to abandon their works and retreat. Leaving the town itself, and their baggage, provisions, and military stores, in possession of the British, the Americans withdrew to the northern part of the island, where the chief strength of their forces was collected. Here Washington determined to wait the approach of the king's troops; and in the meantime he used every method in his power to restore the courage of his soldiers, and elevate their fallen hopes. He had long ago formed that plan of operations which is usually successful against an invading army; though with the intention of deviating from it as circumstances might require. It was his design, at present, not to risk a general engagement, but to harass the English by continual skirmishes, by cutting off their supplies and exhausting their patience. The object of the British general was exactly the contrary of this; his safety, as well as his success, lay in bringing the Americans speedily to action, and in terminating the war, if possible, by a single blow.

The fortune of the royalists was now predominant. In almost every attack the superiority of regular discipline had been shown. Washington was forced to quit his strong position at King's Bridge, on New York Island, and saved his army by retiring towards the main land of Connecticut. He was followed by the English general as soon as the troops could be landed, and the proper reinforcements had arrived.

After some ineffectual skirmishing, both parties met at a place called the White Plains; the royalists began the assault, and made such an impression on the American lines, that Washington was compelled to retreat. He withdrew in good

190

RETREAT THROUGH THE JERSEYS.

order, and occupied an advantageous post behind the river Croton.

Howe, finding himself unable to bring on a general action, relinquished the pursuit, and employed his troops in reducing and taking possession of Forts Washington and Lee, the first on the island of New York, not far from King's Bridge; and the other on the Jersey side of North River, nearly opposite the former. This he accomplished in November; and the Americans were thus driven, with considerable loss, from New York island, and from the Jersey bank of the North River.

On the fall of Forts Washington and Lee, General Washington with his little army consisting of about 3,000 men, ill armed, worse clad, and almost without tents, blankets, or utensils for cooking their provisions, commenced a disastrous retreat through the Jerseys. He first retired behind the Hackensack; thence to Newark, and thence to Brunswick. While there, the term of service of many of his troops expired, and he had the mortification to see them abandon him. From Brunswick he retreated to Trenton, and there received a reinforcement of about 2,000 men from Pennsylvania. He now collected and guarded all the boats on the Delaware, and sent his sick and wounded, and his heavy artillery and baggage across the Delaware. After remaining at Trenton some time, and even advancing towards Princeton, he learned that Earl Cornwallis, strongly reinforced, was marching against him; and on the 8th of December, he passed the Delaware at Trenton ferry, the van of the British army appearing, just as his rear-gard had crossed.

While retreating through the Jerseys, Washington had earnestly desired General Lee, who had been left in command of the division of the army at North Castle, to hasten his march to the Delaware and join the main army. But for reasons of his own, Lee was in no haste to obey, and by his carelessness in getting separated from the main body of his troops he was actually made prisoner, and put in close confinement by the English. General Sullivan, who succeeded in the command, immediately joined Washington, and thus increased his force to nearly 7,000. Still his men were daily leaving him, and of those who remained, the greater part were raw troops, ill provided, and all of them dispirited by defeat.

General Howe, with an army of 27,000 men, completely armed, and disciplined, well provided, and flushed with success, lay on the opposite side of the Delaware, stretching his

WASHINGTON APPOINTED DICTATOR.

191

encampments from Brunswick to the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and was expected to cross as soon as the river should be frozen over.

To the Americans this was the most gloomy period of the contest; and their affairs appeared in a very hopeless condition. To deepen the gloom of this period, so alarming to all true patriots, an expedition, under Clinton and Sir Peter Parker, was sent to Rhode Island and took possession of it, without resistance, on the very day that Washington crossed the Delaware.

On the 12th of December congress quitted Philadelphia, and retired to Baltimore. On the 20th they conferred on General Washington full and ample power to raise forces and appoint officers; to apply to any of the states for the aid of their militia; to form magazines of provisions at his pleasure; to displace all officers under the rank of brigadier general, and fill the vacancies thus created by officers of his own choice; to take for the use of the army whatever he might want, if the inhabitants would not sell it, allowing a reasonable price for the same; and to arrest and confine all persons who should refuse to take the continental currency. These powers, which have been truly denominated dictatorial, were vested in the commander-in-chief for six months, unless sooner determined by congress.

The conferring of such ample powers on Washington is at once an evidence of the desperate condition of public affairs at this time, and of the perfect confidence reposed in him by his countrymen.

Howe, who was well aware of the dispirited state of the colonists generally, now put forth a proclamation offering pardons to all who would desert the American cause. Many men of property, who were desirous of saving it from confiscation, embraced the offer; and a few timid spirits among other classes of society followed their example; among the rest, to their eternal disgrace, two who had been members of congress, Galloway and Allen.

Still, in this alarming posture of affairs, when an enemy near 30,000 strong, was separated only by a river, expected every day to freeze, from the main army of the republic consisting of about one-fifth of that number, the American leaders maintained an erect posture, and their noble commander-inchief dared to meditate an assault on the lately victorious British.

« PrejšnjaNaprej »