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CHAPTER XI.

1776.

Landing of the British Army at Gravesend-Battle of Long Island-Colonel Atlee-Edward Hand-Retreat to New York-Letters to Mrs. Reed from New York Island-Gloom in the American camp-Washington's despatch to Congress, 2d September-Philadelphia soldiers.

THE uncertainty in the American camp was terminated by General Howe's landing a large body of troops at Gravesend on Long Island, on the 22d of August. Washington, on the day before, had received intelligence that such a movement was contemplated, and that a simultaneous attack by the army and fleet was to be made on the Island and on the city. On the 23d, Colonel Reed writes home:

To Mrs. Reed." Yesterday General Howe landed a body of troops on Long Island, the number from five to eight thousand. As there were so many landing-places, and the people of the Island generally so treacherous, we never expected to prevent their landing, so that Colonel Hand, who was stationed nearest the landing-place, moved up immediately.* By our last accounts, they were about five miles from the ferry, and about three from our works on the Island. All the deserters say an attack will be also made here very soon, but we see no preparations. The greatest vigilance is had to prevent a surprise, which we have to fear more than any thing. About five thousand Connecticut militia have just come in, and more are arriving."

* Edward Hand, one of the most gallant officers of the Revolution, was born at Clyduff, King's County, Ireland, 31st December, 1744; and came to America in 1774, as surgeon's mate to the Royal Irish Brigade. On resigning his post he entered anew on the practice of his profession in Pennsylvania. In the early part of 1776, he joined the American service as Colonel of one of the Pennsylvania regiments. He served throughout the war, was Adjutant-General, and Brigadier-General. No officer saw more active service. He died at Rockford in Lancaster County, 3d September, 1802. The author gratefully acknowledges his obligations to his surviving family, who have kindly furnished access to General Hand's very interesting papers.

24th." Since yesterday our troops have been skirmishing with the enemy on Long Island, with various fortune, but we have generally driven them back. Several were killed on both sides, but the numbers of ours not ascertained. Most of the Pennsylvania troops are ordered over. Our officers and men have behaved exceedingly well, and the whole army is in better spirits than I have known it at any time. The gallantry of the southern men has inspired all others, so that there will be an emulation who shall behave best. There is a wood between our works and the enemy's camp, of which each party is endeavouring to possess themselves; as yet we have kept it, and hope we shall, as it is very important. The enemy's ships are moving so much downwards, that we begin to think their grand attack will be on Long Island. Indeed, this place is now so strong, that in the present temper of the men, the enemy would lose half their army in attempting to take it.* One of our gunners yesterday threw a shell into a house of Mr. Axstill where a number of officers were at dinner, but we have not heard what damage it did. While I am writing there is a heavy firing, and clouds of smoke rising from the wood. General Putnam was made happy by obtaining leave to go over-the brave old man was quite miserable at being kept here."

The details of the battle of Long Island need be but incidentally noticed here. It was the first conflict, beyond an intrenchment, between the inexperienced American troops and their veteran enemy. It was a conflict too of great numerical disparity, the British and Hessians exceeding by one half, their opponents. It was the first battle in which the Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland troops participated, and among them, as com

* It was no part of the enemy's plan, as is now ascertained, to attempt to land any troops at New York, but from Lord Howe's official letter to the Admiralty, it appears he did intend by a threatened cannonade to make a diversion with his fleet. "Being informed," says he, "the next day, (26th,) by General Howe of his intentions to advance that night to the enemy's lines, and of his wishes that some diversion might be attempted by the ships on this side, I gave direction to Sir Peter Parker for proceeding higher up in the channel toward the town of New York next morning, with the Asia, Renown, Preston, Roebuck, and Repulse, and to keep those ships in readiness for being employed as occasion might require; but the wind veering to the northward soon after the break of day, the ships could not be moved up to the distance proposed; therefore, when the corps under General Grant, forming the left column of the army, were seen to be engaged with the enemy in the morning, the Roebuck leading the detached squadron, was the only ship that could fetch high enough to the northward to exchange a few random shot with the battery on Red Hook, and the ebb making strongly down the river, soon after I ordered the signal to be shown for the squadron to anchor."

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posing General Sullivan's and Lord Stirling's commands, the severest slaughter occurred. No troops could have behaved more steadily than the battalions of Hand, Hazlitt, Miles, Atlee, Smallwood, and Williams, who were continually in action from the 23d to the 27th.* "The gallantry of the Southern men," as the Adjutant-General truly said, speaking of these regiments, "has inspired the whole army." It is very remarkable, with this palpable inequality of strength, that welltrained European troops, led by generals of large experience and unquestioned gallantry, should have been so long held at bay in an open field of battle, for such was the ground between Gravesend Bay and the lines at Brooklyn, by the untutored militia levies of the colonists. Yet so it was. General Howe's official letter to Lord George Germain shows with how much caution his troops were constrained to advance in the execution of the dexterous movement, by which the left flank of the Americans was turned, and how resolutely at every point the attack was resisted; and it is a theory in which the American military student may be pardoned for indulging, that had the pass by the Bedford Road been guarded as it should have been, and General Washington felt justified in leaving New York defenceless and thrown all his troops on the Island, a different and less disastrous result would have ensued. But to return to our narrative.

On the 26th, Washington crossed over to Brooklyn. The Adjutant-General accompanied him and remained at his side till the retreat to New York was effected. The intense solicitude of the American General and his council, on the night of the 26th, has been often described. No one could tell from the partial skirmishing of the day before, how the militia would stand the attack, which was seen to be inevitable. It was impossible to conjecture what effect might be produced on those. within the intrenchments, if the troops without should be driven

* It may here be noticed that by the Adjutant-General's return about this time, the rank and file of the American army fit for duty, was 7389 men, of whom nearly one-third, or 2063, were Pennsylvania soldiers.-American Archives, vi. 1119.

in, or in a panic, to which inexperienced troops are so liable, retreat without resistance. All these sources of deep and reasonable anxiety were open, and yet Washington acted as if in command of veteran troops whose resolution he had tried, and disposed his men, throwing the Southern troops, who had never been in action, in advance, and evincing no want of confidence in the recruits on whom he had to rely. Colonel Reed shared the anxieties of that eventful night. There was for him peculiar solicitude. All his Pennsylvania friends, every Pennsylvania regiment except Shee's and Magaw's still at Kingsbridge, were stationed in advance. Colonel Hand's rifle regiment had been in continual action with the enemy since the 22d. Atlee's, Kichline's, and De Haas' battalions were nearest the enemy, and who, in his inexperience could tell whether the next day was to be one of honour or infamy, of bloody victory or bloodier defeat. In one particular, the Americans were grievously misled. They did not dream, whilst all their thoughts, their hopes, and fears were directed to what was believed to be the main body of the enemy in front, that Sir Henry Clinton, with the right wing of the British army, was approaching within a few miles, in another direction, and was waiting for the next day's cannonade as his signal to advance.

The events of that day have been often described. The action began before daybreak, and by noon the rout of the Americans was complete. Sullivan and Lord Stirling were made prisoners, their gallant soldiers, the regiments just enumerated, being dispersed, many of them cut to pieces or captured, and the three divisions of the British army were masters of a field which had cost them dearly, and every foot of which had been disputed with desperate valour. By General Howe's official account upwards of three hundred of his best troops were killed and wounded.

Among the troops stationed on the right of the American advance, was a regiment of Pennsylvanians commanded by Colonel Samuel Atlee. His original manuscript of the occurrences of this day is in my possession. It is a soldier's unaffected narrative, and reflects great credit on him, and his gallant advance party of Pennsylvania soldiers. After an obstinate en

gagement with General Grant's division on the river road, Atlee's corps was dispersed or cut to pieces, and he captured.

It was after Atlee's capture, that Lord Stirling, on his retreat towards the lines, fell in with, and attacked Lord Cornwallis's division at the Yellow Mills, thus covering the retreat of the remnant of Haslet's Delaware regiment, and for a moment turning the current of the fight. The heroes of this last exploit were Smallwood's Maryland troops, under the command of Major Gist, more than two hundred and fifty of whom perished in the attack on Cornwallis's Grenadiers, within sight of the lines at Brooklyn, and here it was that Lord Stirling surrendered himself to the Hessian General De Hiester.*

Washington witnessed, with ill-disguised agitation, the discomfiture and slaughter of his favourite troops, being unable by any adequate reinforcement to aid or rescue them. The three divisions of the enemy concentrating under the eye of the British Commander-in-chief were now within a few hundred yards of the American redoubts, and the day being far spent, no alternative remained to Washington but to offer a determined front to the victors, and, calling in the troops in reserve on New York Island, with the scattered survivors of this day of disaster, to stake the fate of his whole army on a desperate attempt to resist the British storming parties, should they advance. The assault was relinquished by the British General,† and ano

*Duer's Life of Lord Stirling, p. 162.-General Howe in his despatch to the Minister, states his total loss (killed, wounded, and missing) at about three hundred. Of these it would seem from examining the regimental returns that more than two hundred belonged to the various corps opposed to Lord Stirling's division, viz., those of Lord Cornwallis and General Grant. The loss of the latter was especially severe. It was General Grant, who, in the House of Commons, on the 2d of February 1775, in a debate on the London Petition, had said, “he had served in America,-knew the Americans very well, was certain they would not fight, they would never dare to face an English army, and did not possess any of the qualifications necessary to make a good soldier."-Parliamentary Register, vol. i. p. 135.

+ Almon's Remembrancer, part iii. 1776, p. 347. After turning the American left, and in fact surrounding the greater portion of the troops, the British grenadiers arrived within musket-shot of the lines at Brooklyn. "Such," says Sir W. Howe, "was the eagerness to attack the redoubt, that it required repeated orders to prevail upon them to desist from the attempt. Had they been permitted to go on, it is my opinion they would have carried the redoubt, but as it was apparent

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