The site now occupied by the two cities of New York and Brooklyn, and over which they continue to spread, is pre-eminently "Revolutionary soil." Very few of our historic places are more closely associated with the actual scenes of that struggle. As at Boston in 1775, so here in 1776, we had the war at our doors and all about us. In what is now the heart of Brooklyn Revolutionary soldiers lay encamped for months, and in the heat of a trying summer surrounded themselves with lines of works. What h

1. New York, Brooklyn, and Environs in 1776. 2. Plan of the Battle of Long Island and the Brooklyn Defences. 3. President Stiles' Sketch of the Brooklyn Works. 4. Ewing's Draught of the Long Island Engagement. 5. Map of New York City and of Manhattan Island, with the American Defences. 6. Field of the Harlem Heights "Affair."...

1. John Lasher, Colonel First New York City Battalion. 2. Edward Hand, Colonel First Continental Regiment, Pennsylvania. 3. John Glover, Colonel Fourteenth Continental Regiment, Massachusetts. 4. Jedediah Huntington, Colonel Seventeenth Continental Regiment, Connecticut....

" Our affairs are hastening fast to a crisis; and the approaching campaign will, in all probability, determine forever the fate of America." So wrote John Hancock, President of Congress, June 4th, 1776, to the governors and conventions of the Eastern and Middle colonies, as, in the name of that body, he reminded them of the gravity of the struggle on which they had entered, and urged the necessity of increasing their exertions for the common defence. That this was no undue alarm, published for e

New York City , in 1776, lay at the end of Manhattan Island, in shape somewhat like an arrow-head, with its point turned towards the sea and its barbs extended at uneven lengths along the East and Hudson rivers. It occupied no more space than is now included within the five lower and smallest of its twenty-four wards. Excepting a limited district laid out on the east side, in part as far as Grand street, the entire town stood below the line of the present Chambers street, and covered an area les

Right here, before entering upon the details of the coming struggle, we may delay a moment to glance at the two armies as they lay in their opposite camps waiting to engage in the serious business before them. What was their composition and organization, what their strength, who their officers and leaders? In the case of the American troops particularly may these questions be asked, because to them and their services the country has long acknowledged its obligations, and so far bound itself to p

At length, upon the twenty-second of August, after days of expectation and suspense in the American camp, the British moved forward. Thoroughly informed of Washington's position, the strength of his army, and the condition of his lines at every point, [107] Lord Howe matured his plan of action deliberately, and decided to advance by way of Long Island. An attack from this quarter promised the speediest success and at the least cost, for, should he be able to force the defences of Brooklyn, New Y

The situation at the Brooklyn lines was relieved on the 29th by the famous retreat of our army to New York. If Howe had surprised us by an unexpected manœuvre on the 27th, Washington was now to surprise the British with a different manœuvre, conducted with greater skill. "A fine retreat," says Jomini, "should meet with a reward equal to that given for a great victory." History assigns such a reward to Washington at Long Island. This success—the extrication of the army from what was soon felt to

Long Island surrendered, could New York be held? Columbia Heights, where Fort Stirling stood, had been regarded by Lee as the "capital point," the key of the position. Greene called the Brooklyn front "the pass," on the possession of which depended the security of the city. Both pass and heights were now in the enemy's hands, and New York was at their mercy. "We are in hourly expectation," wrote Commissary Trumbull, September 1st, "that the town will be bombarded." Lieutenant Jasper Ewing, of Ha

What now remains to be noticed as coming within the scope of the present narrative are those incidents which led to the evacuation of Harlem Heights by our army, and the subsequent capture of Fort Washington, by which the British finally came into the possession of the whole of New York Island. The American position at the Heights, strong by nature, was made still more so by defensive works. Three lines of intrenchments and redoubts were thrown across the island between One Hundred and Forty-fif

To appreciate the full significance of what has been described in the preceding pages, follow the campaign in outline to its closing scenes. Thus far the American army had met with nothing but defeat, retreat, sacrifice, hardship, and discouragement. First came the months of preparation, with England straining every nerve to conquer the colonies; then the first and disastrous collision on Long Island, on which so much depended; then the retreat, the loss of New York, the withdrawal to White Plai

Head Quarters , April 30, 1776. (Parole, Sawbridge .) (Countersign, Oliver .) ... Gen l Greene's Brigade is to encamp tomorrow at 10 a.m. on the ground marked out on Long Island.... [ New York ] April 30, 1776. The Q r . M rs . of the 9 th , 11 th , 12 th regts. are to apply to the Q. M. Gen l . for tents & camp utensils this evening to be in readiness to encamp agreeably to general orders to morrow morning—at 4 o'clock this p.m. Col. Varnum & Col. Hitchcock & Col. Little

[Pg ii.151] Trenton , Jany 1 st , 1777. Dear Sir : Have but a moment which shall embrace with Pleasure to inform you of the present State of our Army and our late Success. After we had recruited a few days of a fatiguing March of more than 250 Miles (thro' all our Windings) Genl. Washington gave orders for us to be every way equiped for Action. On the Evening of the 25th Ult. we were ordered to March to a ferry [McConkey's] about twelve Miles from Trenton, where was stationed near two Thousand H

[Pg ii.167] ... "I myself was so happy as to fall at first into y e hands ... of y e 57th Reg t who used me with some degree of Civility, altho, some perticular Offrs were very liberal of their favourite Term (Rebels) & now & then did not forget to Remind me of a halter, &c; they did not Rob or Strip me of any of my Clothing, only took my Arms & Amunition, & after keeping me in y e Field sometime, in Confinment with several others under a Strong Guard, was

In the few following sketches the writer has simply incorporated such facts of personal interest as have come to his knowledge while preparing the work. As for the generals who took part in this campaign, Washington, Stephen, and Mercer were from Virginia; General Beall, of Maryland, commanded part of the Flying Camp from that State; Generals Mifflin and St. Clair were from Pennsylvania—also Generals Cadwallader, Roberdeau, and Ewing, who commanded Pennsylvania "Associators" for a short time (Ro

The outlines and topography of this "Plan" have been compiled from Ratzer's and United States Coast Survey maps. Bernard Ratzer was a British Engineer, ranking as lieutenant in the Sixtieth Royal American Regiment of Foot in 1756. In 1767-8, he made an official survey of New York and part of Long Island with many details, the accuracy of which is beyond question. [Pg ii.194] There is an advertisement in the Connecticut Gazette for October 25th, 1776, in which Samuel Loudon (late printer and book

[The portraits are those of representative officers—men who rendered good service, not only during the campaign, but, in the case of three of them, during the war. Lasher's and Hand's have never been published; and the other two are not found in any general work. They are given here (two of them, at least) as contributions to the list of Revolutionary portraits. All have been specially photographed and transferred to steel by Mr. Egloffstein's process, for the present volume.] Colonel Lasher's p

Page 37, line 26 —The old City Hall stood at the corner of Nassau and Wall streets, site of present Sub-Treasury Building. Page 119, line 1 —Lieutenant-Colonel Cornell became member of the Board of War, not Commissary-General. Page 243, line 10 —But one of the regiments suffered as much as any other. Page 280, line 21 —Rall's column reached Fort Washington first. Page 289, line 31 —Read December 25th. Page 291, line 5 —Read December 25th. Page 295, line 23 —Read Cadwallader's and Mercer's men. P