67. Washington to Schuyler, May 17.
68. Washington to Schuyler, May 21.
69. The following statement of the batteries at New York, we find dated May 22d.
The Grand Battery, on the south part of the town.
Fort George, immediately above it.
White Hall Battery, on the left of the Grand Battery.
Oyster Battery, behind General Washington’s head-quarters.
Grenadier Battery, near the Brew House on the North River.
Jersey Battery, on the left of the Grenadier Battery.
Bayard’s Hill Redoubt, on Bayard’s Hill.
Spencer’s Redoubt, on the hill where his brigade is encamped.
Waterbury’s Battery (fascines), on a wharf below this hill.
Badlam’s Redoubt, on a hill near the Jews’ burying ground.
70. Arnold to the Commis. of Cong. 27th May.
71. Washington to the President of Congress, July 12, 1776.
72. Am. Archives, 5th Series, vi. 1177.
73. Washington to the President of Congress, June 28.
74. As a specimen of the reports which circulated throughout the country, concerning this conspiracy, we give an extract from a letter, written from Wethersfield, in Connecticut, 9th of July, 1776, by the Reverend John Marsh.
“You have heard of the infernal plot that has been discovered. About ten days before any of the conspirators were taken up, a woman went to the general and desired a private audience. He granted it to her, and she let him know that his life was in danger, and gave him such an account of the conspiracy as gained his confidence. He opened the matter to a few friends, on whom he could depend. A strict watch was kept night and day, until a favorable opportunity occurred; when the general went to bed as usual, arose about two o’clock, told his lady he was a going, with some of the Provincial Congress, to order some tories seized—desired she would make herself easy, and go to sleep. He went off without any of his aides-de-camp, except the captain of his life-guard, was joined by a number of chosen men, with lanterns, and proper instruments to break open houses, and before six o’clock next morning, had forty men under guard at the City Hall, among whom was the mayor of the city, several merchants, and five or six of his own life-guard. Upon examination, one Forbes confessed that the plan was to assassinate the general, and as many of the superior officers as they could, and to blow up the magazine upon the appearance of the enemy’s fleet, and to go off in boats prepared for that purpose to join the enemy. Thos. Hickey, who has been executed, went from this place. He came from Ireland a few years ago. What will be done with the mayor is uncertain. He can’t be tried by court-martial, and, it is said, there is no law of that colony by which he can be condemned. May he have his deserts.”
75. Extracts from minutes of the committee, Am. Archives, 4th S. vi. 1112.
76. Governor Tryon, in a letter dated about this time from on board of the Duchess of Gordon, off Staten Island, writes: “The testimony given by the inhabitants of the island, of loyalty to his majesty, and attachment to his government, I flatter myself will be general throughout the province, as soon as the army gets the main body of the rebels between them and the sea; which will leave all the back country open to the command of the king’s friends, and yield a plentiful resource of provisions for the army, and place them in a better situation to cut off the rebels’ retreat when forced from their strong hold.”—Am. Arch. 5th S. i. 122.
77. Orderly book, July 9, Sparks, iii 456.
78. Letter of Mr. Dennis de Berdt, to Mr. Joseph Reed. Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 372.
79. Col. John Trumbull’s Autobiography, p. 285, Appendix.
80. S. Adams to R. H. Lee. Am. Arch. 5th Series, i. 347.
81. Gov. Trumbull to Mr. William Williams.
82. Life of Reed, vol. i. p. 239.
83. Graydon’s Memoirs, p. 155.
84. Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 175.
85. Webb to Gov. Trumbull.
86. Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 192.
87. Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 513.
88. Am. Archives, 4th Series, v. 1112.
89. Hist. Civil War in America. Dublin, 1779. Annual Register.
90. Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 155.
91. Orderly Book, Aug. 3, as cited by Sparks. Writings of Washington, vol. iv. p. 28.
92. Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 887.
93. General orders, Aug. 8th, show the feverish state of affairs in the city. “As the movements of the enemy, and intelligence by deserters, give the utmost reason to believe that the great struggle in which we are contending for every thing dear to us and our posterity is near at hand, the general most earnestly recommends the closest attention to the state of the men’s arms, ammunition, and flints; that if we should be suddenly called to action, nothing of this kind may be to provide. And he does most anxiously exhort both officers and soldiers not to be out of their quarters or encampments, especially in the morning, or upon the tide of flood.
“A flag in the daytime, or a light at night, in the fort on Bayard’s Hill, with three guns from the same place fired quick but distinct, is to be considered as a signal for the troops to repair to their alarm posts, and prepare for action. And that the alarm may be more effectually given, the drums are immediately to beat to arms upon the signal being given from Bayard’s Hill. This order is not to be considered as countermanding the firing two guns at Fort George, as formerly ordered. That is also to be done on an alarm, but the flag will not be hoisted at the old head-quarters in Broadway.”—Am. Archives, 5th Series, i. 912.
94. Heath to Washington, Aug. 17–18.
95. Washington to the President of Congress.
96. Atlee to Col. Rodney. Sparks, iv. 516.
97. Letter from an American officer. Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 108.
98. Letter from a Marylander. Idem, 5th Series, i. 1232.
99. General Howe to Lord G. Germaine. Remembrancer, iii. 347.
100. Howe states the prisoners at 1094, and computes the whole American loss at 3,300.
101. Graydon’s Memoirs, edited by I. S. Littell, p. 167.
102. Hist. Long Island, p. 258.
103. Force’s Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 123.
104. Force’s Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 168.
105. Life of Reed, i. 231.
106. Civil War, vol, i, p. 190.
107. Franklin’s Writings, v. 103.
108. Report of the Comm. to Cong., Sept. 13, 1776.
109. Letter to the President of Congress.
110. Force’s Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 182.
111. Col. Babcock to Gov. Cooke. Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 443.
112. Reed to Mrs. Reed.
113. Letter of Col. Babcock to Gov. Cooke.
114. Graydon’s Memoirs, Littell’s ed., p. 174. General Greene, in a letter to a friend, writes: “We made a miserable, disorderly retreat from New York, owing to the conduct of the militia, who ran at the appearance of the enemy’s advanced guard. Fellows’ and Parsons’ brigades ran away from about fifty men, and left his excellency on the ground, within eighty yards of the enemy, so vexed at the infamous conduct of his troops, that he sought death rather than life.”
115. Peabody, Life of Putnam. Sparks’ Am. Biog., vii. 189.
116. Thacher’s Military Journal, p. 70.
117. The portrait of Miss Mary Philipse is still to be seen in the possession of Frederick Phillips, Esquire, at the Grange, on the Highlands opposite West Point.
118. Col. Ewing to the Maryland Comm. of Safety.
119. Am. Archives, 5th Series, vol. ii. 921.
120. Heath’s Memoirs.
121. Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 1008.
122. Properly Throck’s Neck, from Throckmorton, the name of the original proprietor.
123. Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 1038.
124. George Clinton to John McKesson, Oct. 31. Am. Archives, 5th Series, ii. 1312.
125. Tench Tilghman to William Duer, Oct. 31.
126. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 618.
127. Heath’s Memoirs.
128. Civil War in America, vol. i. p. 212.
129. Civil war in America, i. 211.
130. Civil War in America, vol. i. p. 214.
131. W. B. Reed’s Life of Reed, i. 252.
132. Sir William Howe to Lord George Germaine.
133. Heath’s Memoirs, p. 86.
134. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 780.
135. The number of prisoners, as returned by Sir William Howe, was 2,813 of whom 2,607 were privates. They were marched off to New York at midnight.
136. Some writers have stated that Cornwallis crossed on the 18th. They have been misled by a letter of Sir William Howe, which gives that date. Lord Howe, in a letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, gives the date we have stated (the 20th), which is the true one.
137. Memoirs of Reed, i. 255.
138. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 811.
139. We cannot dismiss this painful incident in Washington’s life, without a prospective note on the subject. Reed was really of too generous and intelligent a nature not to be aware of the immense value of the friendship he had put at hazard. He grieved over his mistake, especially as after events showed more and more the majestic greatness of Washington’s character. A letter in the following year, in which he sought to convince Washington of his sincere and devoted attachment, is really touching in its appeals. We are happy to add, that it appears to have been successful, and to have restored, in a great measure, their relations of friendly confidence.
140. Gordon’s Hist. Am. War, ii. p. 129.
141. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 1037.
142. The above scene is given almost literally from General Heath’s Memoirs.
143. Reed to the President of Congress.
144. Washington to Gov. Trumbull, 14th Dec.
145. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 1121.
146. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 1138.
147. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 1201.
148. Jos. Trumbull to Gov. Trumbull.—Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 1265.
149. Idem.
150. American Crisis, No. 1.
151. Letter to the President of Congress.
152. Seldom has a name of so few letters been spelled so many ways as that of this commander. We find it written Rall in the military journals before us; yet we adhere to the one hitherto adopted by us, apparently on good authority.
153. Tagebuch eines Hessischen officiers.—MS.
154. Tagebuch des corporals Johannes Reuber.—MS.
155. Washington to Gates. Gates’s papers.
156. Who it was that made this attack upon the outpost is not clearly ascertained. The Hessian lieutenant who commanded at the picket, says it was a patrol sent out by Washington, under command of a captain, to reconnoitre, with strict orders not to engage, but if discovered, to retire instantly as silently as possible. Colonel Reed, in a memorandum, says, it was an advance party returning from the Jerseys to Pennsylvania.—See Life and Corresp. vol. i. p. 277.
157. Wilkinson’s Memoirs, vol. i. p. 129.
158. The lieutenant gives the latter number on the authority of Lord Stirling; but his lordship meant the whole number of men intended for the three several attacks. The force that actually crossed with Washington was what we have stated.
159. Journal of Lieut. Piel.
160. Tagebuch des corporals Johannes Reuber. MS.
161. Life and Correspondence of Pres. Reed, vol. i. p. 281.
162. Am. Archives, 5th Series, iii. 1510.
163. Life of Reed, i. 282.
164. See Washington to Col. Reed, Jan. 15.
| Page | Changed from | Changed to |
|---|---|---|
| 87 | colonies, who, said he, “carry the spirt of freedom into the | colonies, who, said he, “carry the spirit of freedom into the |
| 124 | resentment actuate his conduct a degree equal to the destruction | resentment actuate his conduct to a degree equal to the destruction |
| 127 | the term of enlistment was at an end. Scare could the disbanding | the term of enlistment was at an end. Scarce could the disbanding |
| 201 | by this time much improved, and in high spirts, marched out | by this time much improved, and in high spirits, marched out |
| 349 | take place; and so great had been the drain on the militia of | taken place; and so great had been the drain on the militia of |
| 408 | about in very direction for assistance. Colonel Reed, on whom | about in every direction for assistance. Colonel Reed, on whom |
| 461 | especially sneak of the scoldings they received from old women | especially speak of the scoldings they received from old women |