Part 2 (2/2)
[Sidenote: Was.h.i.+ngton moves to White Plains.]
Here he lay inactive for six whole days, within six miles of the road on which Was.h.i.+ngton was moving out from King's Bridge to White Plains; for at the first notice given him of the enemy's movements, which indeed had all along been anxiously expected, Was.h.i.+ngton had been drawing out his forces from Harlem to King's Bridge, first sending forward some light troops to delay Howe as much as possible, until the army could get into position. It is evident that but for Howe's delays this purpose could not have been successfully accomplished.[3]
[Sidenote: Howe marches to give battle.]
Meantime the enemy had been bringing up reenforcements, and on the 18th, finding the mainland too strongly held at Throg's Neck, for an advance from that point, they made another landing six miles beyond, whence they marched toward New Roch.e.l.le. From here they again marched (22d) for White Plains, where Was.h.i.+ngton was found (27th) drawn up in order of battle behind the Bronx, waiting for them.
[Sidenote: Battle of White Plains, October 28.]
Here Was.h.i.+ngton attempted to make a stand, but his right[4] being vigorously attacked and turned, he was forced to fall back upon a second position, in which he remained unmolested for several days, when (November 1) he moved still farther back, to the heights of North Castle, where he felt himself quite safe from attack.
Howe had now manoeuvred Was.h.i.+ngton out of all his defences except Fort Was.h.i.+ngton, which by General Greene's advice was to be defended, though now cut off from all support.
[Sidenote: Fort Was.h.i.+ngton taken.]
Things remained in this situation until November 16, when the fort was a.s.saulted on three sides, with the result that the whole garrison of about 3,000 men were made prisoners of war.[5] At some points the resistance was obstinate, notably at the north, and again at the east, where one of the attacking divisions attempted to gain the rocky sh.o.r.e back of the Morris House, under Harlem Heights. A British officer,[6]
there present, says of it that ”before landing the fire of cannon and musketry was so heavy that the sailors quitted their oars and lay down in the bottom of the boats, and had not the soldiers taken the oars and pulled on sh.o.r.e we must have remained in this situation.”
[Sidenote: Effect on the army.]
[Sidenote: Was.h.i.+ngton and Lee.]
The loss of the garrison of Fort Was.h.i.+ngton, 2,000 of whom were regular troops, was universally regarded as the most severe blow that the American cause had yet sustained, and it had a most depressing effect both in and out of the army, but more particularly in the army, as it tended to develop the growing antagonism between the commander-in-chief and General Lee, who had ineffectually advocated the evacuation of Fort Was.h.i.+ngton when the army was withdrawn from the island. Lee's military insight had now been most decisively vindicated. His antipathy to serving as second in command became more and more p.r.o.nounced, and was more or less reflected by his admirers, of whom he now had more than ever. Worse still, it was destined soon to have the most deplorable results to the army, the cause, and even to Lee himself.
Footnotes:
[1] A British brigade was sent down to the city in the course of the evening.
[2] A contraction of Throgmorton's Neck. As this was an island at high tide, the Americans quickly barred the pa.s.sage to the mainland by breaking down the bridge.
[3] On account of the want of wagons this was very slowly done, as the wagons had to be unloaded and sent back for what could not be brought along with the troops.
[4] This rested on Chatterton's Hill, some distance in front of the main line. Not having intrenched, the defenders were overpowered, though not until after making a sharp fight.
[5] An excellent account of the operations at Fort Was.h.i.+ngton will be found in Graydon's _Memoirs_, p. 197 _et seq._
[6] Lieut. Martin Hunter, of the Fifty-second Foot.
V
THE SITUATION REVIEWED
[Sidenote: The new situation.]
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