America will one day or other be convinced that, in our affection for that country, we also are Howes." He expressed a desire that the letter to General Washington, addressed "&c., &c., &c.," should be received, saying it would imply everything that the opposite side could desire, and at the same time save him (Lord Howe) from censure. But Colonel Palfrey declined to receive the communication; and from that time forward all letters addressed by the British commanders to General Washington bore his official titles.

Among the letters written by Lord Howe while yet at sea, was one to his friend, Dr. Franklin, with whom, it will be remembered, he had had several interviews before the latter quitted England-interviews prompted by the vain hope of effecting a reconciliation between the two countries. His letter is dated June 20th, 1776, with a postscript written "off Sandy Hook, 12th of July." It was expressed in terms of great friendship towards Franklin, and intimated that the grief of the writer Fould be heart-felt “if the deep-rooted prejudices of America, and the necessity for preventing her trade from passing into foreign channels," should keep the English and their descendants a divided people. Franklin, while still confessing a great personal regard for his Lordship, replied on the general question with not a little acrimony. Referring to the terms held out in Lord Howe's oficial Declaration to the American people, he Said:"Directing pardons to be offered the colonies, who are the very parties injured, expresses indeed that opinion of our ignorance, baseness, and insensibility, which your uninformed and proud ation has long been pleased to entertain of us; but it can have no other effect than that of increasing our resentment. It is impossible we should think of submission to a government that Las with the most wanton barbarity and cruelty int our defenceless towns in the midst of winter, excited the savages to massacre our farmers, and our slaves to murder their masters, and is even now bringing foreign mercenaries to deluge our settlements with blood. These atrocious injuries have extinguished every remaining spark of affection For that parent country we once held so dear; but, were it possible for us to forget and forgive them, it s not possible for you (I mean the British nation) forgive the people you have so heavily injured. You can never confide again in those as fellowabjects, and permit them to enjoy equal freeom, to whom you know you have given such 1st cause of lasting enmity. And this must mpel you, were we again under your governent, to endeavour the breaking our spirit by

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the severest tyranny, and obstructing, by every means in your power, our growing strength and prosperity."

Lord Howe rejoined with another letter, written off Staten Island on the 16th of August, in which he remarked that he did not suppose it necessary to go into any particulars as to the conciliatory measures which he intended to propose, as he had not conceived that his public Declaration could be understood to refer to peace on any conditions but those of mutual interest to both countries, which could alone render it permanent. Franklin's letter to Lord Howe had been delivered to that nobleman on board his ship by Mr. Nathaniel Tracy, who accompanied Colonel Palfrey on the occasion already referred to. The latter gentleman records that the English Admiral frequently exhibited marks of surprise as he read the epistle. When he had finished perusing it, he said that his old friend had expressed himself very warmly, but that he (the speaker) had left England with an ardent desire to be the means of effecting a reconciliation on terms equally honourable and advantageous to both sides. Colonel Palfrey remarked that he had now a fair opportunity to mention to Dr. Franklin, in a private letter, his design in coming out, and what were his expectations from America. Lord Howe declined to do this, saying that the Doctor had grown too warm, and that, if he expressed himself fully, he should only give him pain, which he would wish to avoid. Nevertheless, he afterwards wrote briefly to him, as described; but his letter produced no effect, and the preparations for active operations went on without abatement.

General Howe remained two months at Staten Island, waiting for reinforcements; and during that period Washington exerted himself to the utmost in strengthening his works on the island of New York and the adjacent continent. Between two forts, hastily thrown up on the opposite banks of the Hudson, the channel of the river was obstructed by hulks of vessels and rows of spikes. Batteries were formed on the shores of the North and East Rivers; several redoubts were erected; and the grounds near Kingsbridge were fortified. Such was the state of the American position when, about the middle of August, the last of the British reinforcements arrived. General Howe had now been joined by the detachments on board Sir Peter Parker's squadron, under Clinton and Cornwallis ; by several regiments from England, the West Indies, and the Floridas; and by a number of

* Extract from Letter of Colonel Palfrey to John Hancock (President of Congress), quoted by Mr. Sparks in Note to Franklin's Writings, Vol. V., pp. 102-3.

Hessians. Altogether, Howe had under his orders nearly thirty thousand men, and both the army and the fleet were admirably equipped. Washington's force, according to a return made on the 3rd of August, consisted, nominally, of twenty thousand five hundred and thirty-seven men, including the officers. Nearly four thousand of these were sick

and unfit for duty; many were militia; and none could be described as veteran troops. Their training was imperfect, their habit of obedience precarious, their equipment bad, and their efficiency marred in many ways. With this army, and no better, Washington, towards the end of August, awaited the attack of the English.

WASHINGTON was far from satisfied with his position or his resources, although he determined to do the best he could with the means at his disposal. In a letter to Congress, dated the 8th of August, he explained the heavy disadvantages under which he should labour in the event of an attack by the English. He believed, however a belief which subsequent events tended to modify-that he should have the support of his troops; and he added that, although the encounter which he was expecting might not terminate happily for the Americans, the enemy would not succeed without considerable loss, and any advantage he might gain would cost him dear. What chiefly troubled him in his own army was insubordination, resulting from provincial jealousies, which were carried to such an excessive degree that the General felt compelled to issue a special order of the day on the subject. He reminded the several regiments that they could not assist their adversaries more effectually than by making divisions among themselves; that the provinces were united to oppose the common enemy; and that local differences had been sunk in the name of an American. "Let all distinctions of nations, countries, and provinces, therefore," he said, "be lost in the generous contest, who shall behave with the most courage against the enemy, and the most kindness and good humour to each other. If there be any officers or soldiers so lost to virtue and a love of their country as to continue in such practices after this order, the General as

As August advanced, the American army receive further reinforcements; but it was still inferior to the English army in numbers alone, if merely th effectives be considered. General Howe, on t other hand, had not only a strong body of hi trained and well-armed soldiers, but the assist of a powerful fleet, which was peculiarly servi in operations against a city like New York, stan a on a small island, and therefore capable of b approached by water from several directions. T assailants could at any time land at many dif places; and in proportion as this added to th vantages of the English General, it increase t difficulties of the American. The attempts to struct the navigation of the rivers proved ineffe and several British ships of war sailed up Hudson, receiving but slight damage from the teries on shore. The American army was posted partly in the city of New York, and ["

* Sparks's Life of Washington, chap. 8.

1776.]

on Long Island. The command on the island was, at first, in the hands of General Greene-an officer of great ability, unimpeachable courage, and much zeal, who was unfortunately stricken with a raging fever at the very time when his judgment and vigour were most needed. Sullivan was appointed to fill his place-an unlucky selection, that General having shown, by his conduct of the retreat from Canada, that his military capacity was not at all equal to the grand promises he was so eloquent in making. On the side of the attacking force, everything was managed with care and prudence; and on the 22nd of August, under cover of a sharp fire from some of the fleet, Howe crossed the Narrows from Staten Island, on the west, to Long Island on the east.

His

passage was not resisted; and he landed between two small towns, which bear testimony to the successive Dutch and English occupations of the soil by their designations of Utrecht and Gravesend.

It was now evident that the design of the English was to approach the city of New York across Long Island, instead of bombarding it from the bay. Washington had anticipated such a movement, and Ead stationed Greene's division at Brooklyn, opposite to the city, and separated from it by the East River. The position was secured on the land side by a chain of entrenchments and redoubts, which had been constructed under the directions of Greene; towards the water it was covered by batteries at several oints. A range of hills, shadowed by a thick od, and crossed by three roads, extended between rooklyn and the spot where Howe effected his ading. Breastworks had been thrown up at the rincipal passes of the hills, and three or four ents were stationed where it was hoped they ght dispute the advance of the attacking force. The total number of troops on the island has variously estimated at from five to eleven sand; they were at any rate sufficiently nuerous to form a good-sized army. The division tforward by Howe consisted of English regints under Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Cornlis, and of Hessians under General Heister Count Donop. Their numbers were about at thousand. The fortified camp at Brooklyn, ch the Americans had taken so much pains to struct, was excellently situated for resisting ult. The right flank of the army stationed e was covered by a marsh which extended to anus Bay, in the west of the island; on their they had an elbow of the East River, called Wallabout; their rear was backed by the it between Brooklyn and New York; and in were the artificial works to which allusion been made. From the 23rd to the 26th of

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August, nothing occurred of greater note than a series of skirmishes between the British forces and the advanced posts of the Americans. The former were now occupying the plain lying to the southeast of the hills in front of the American position. General Grant commanded the left wing, near the coast; Heister, with his Hessians, the centre; and Clinton the right. The work which they had to perform was to force one or more of the passes through the hills, to fall on the American position, and to inflict a defeat on the army posted there.

Sullivan seems not to have been fully sensible of the necessity of strengthening the defensive works that had already been thrown up in these defiles. During the few days he held the chief command on the island, he did nothing to improve the position which he found; and, with his usual habit of boasting, he said of the very weakest of the three paths that it was so strongly guarded that an angel could not force it. He was soon superseded by General Israel Putnam, who threw forward strong detachments to guard two of these passes-the one nearest the Narrows, and the middle one, on the Flatbush road; but that which fronted the right of the English line he left with no other protection than an officer and a small party, who were to give notice should the enemy approach. The force sent to the middle defile was under the orders of Sullivan; that which was detached for the security of the pass bordering on the Narrows, was commanded by a gentleman named William Alexander, who had been SurveyorGeneral of the Jerseys, and a member of the Royal Council, although he subsequently embraced the popular cause. He was a distant kinsman of the last Earls of Stirling, and had claimed the title at the bar of the House of Lords; but the case was decided against him. Nevertheless, the Americans always called him Lord Stirling, and American writers to this day admit the same designation. The troops under his command and that of Sullivan had to bear the chief brunt of the engagement which ensued on the 27th; and, although no great generalship was exhibited, some hard fighting took place when at length the opposing armies came into collision.

General Howe, having received information as to the position and resources of his antagonist from some American officers who had been taken prisoners, determined to send the main portion of his forces through the eastern defile-that on the Bedford road-and thus turn the left of the American line. Early on the morning of the 27th of August, Clinton and Cornwallis moved forward on this road; and at the same time, to divert the attention of the Americans, Generals Grant and Heister attacked

the passes next the Narrows and on the Flatbush road. The necessity of defending these inlets drew off a large part of the American army, and made the passage of the eastern defile a matter of little difficulty. The officer appointed to watch that weak point, and to give notice of any hostile movement, performed his office of scout very badly. He raised no alarm until it was too late, and the English were thus enabled to penetrate through the hills, to turn westward when they had reached the northern side, and to gain the rear of the American division which was defending the pass on the Flat

Success, however, was hopeless as soon as the right of the English line had managed to outflank the American left. The centre, under Sullivan, had, up to that point, kept the Hessians at bay; now, fearing an attack in the rear, the men began to retreat, but the movement was too late. The division of Clinton and Cornwallis soon appeared at their back, and commenced a furious assault. Placed between two fires, and unable at the moment to discover any means of escape, their situation became terrible. By the English they were forced towards the Hessians; by the Hessians they were

bush or central road. Grant and Heister had been ordered to advance but slowly until the flanking movement was accomplished; but when the sound of the guns assured them that this part of the design had succeeded, they pushed on, and added materially to the embarrassments of the enemy. The American advanced guard on the western road had in the first instance fled on the approach of Grant, firing the houses and granaries as they retreated; but Alexander, to whom that General was opposed, afterwards made a determined stand, and it is generally allowed that the men whom he commanded, and who belonged to the Southern and Middle States, exhibited great courage and firmness, contesting every foot of ground against a superior force.

driven back upon the English. In this manner they were tossed about from one division of the oppo ing force to another, until, by a desperate effor they cut their way through the English line, and regained their camp at Brooklyn. Alexander's detachment was similarly surprised, and expos to a double attack, the right of the English In gradually overlapping so far as to gain the rear the American right. After a brave resistance Alexander's regiments retreated hurriedly and i confusion. The greater number attempted to escap along the dyke of a mill-dam, and through the mars lying in the vicinity of Gowanus Bay; but many them were drowned, and only a shattered remna got back to camp. By mid-day, the rout of th

Americans was complete. During the action, reinforcements were despatched both to Alexander and to Sullivan, and Washington himself crossed over to Brooklyn, where he witnessed with keen anguish the rout and slaughter of his troops. He was unable to send any further reinforcements, lest his camp at New York should be dangerously weakened; and for a moment it seemed as if the lines at

Brooklyn would have been carried. The English and Hessians pursued the discomfited forces almost to the foot of those lines, and so great was the

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cheap rate by regular approaches. His hesitation, however, was much to be regretted from a military point of view; for, had the position been carried, the greater part of the American army would doubtless have been captured or destroyed, and a severe blow would thus have been inflicted on the insurgents at the outset of the campaign. Even as it was, the result of the action was discouraging to them. They lost nearly a thousand men in killed and wounded, and an unusually large number of prisoners remained in the hands of the British.

ardour of the conquerors that they desired to assault the position at once. But Howe, who had by this time arrived on the ground, checked their impetuosity, although not without some trouble, and in the evening they encamped in front of the American works. In his despatch with reference to this contest (which is sometimes called the Battle of Brooklyn, but more often the Battle of Long Island), General Howe admitted that, had his troops been suffered to go on, they would in all probability have carried the redoubt. But he did not care to spend so many lives in an enterprise which appeared to him superfluous, as he felt convinced that the lines could be obtained at a very 75-VOL. II.

Among the latter were Generals Sullivan and Alexander; but these officers were exchanged, together with other prisoners, on a cartel being established between the two armies shortly afterwards. The loss on the part of the English and Hessians was comparatively slight. Many of the Americans fought admirably; others exhibited the unsteadiness and ready fear common to raw and undisciplined levies.

On the morning of the 28th, the English troops began to open their approaches about six hundred yards from one of the redoubts. But Washington had come to the conclusion that the position was untenable, and he resolved to abandon it. The day