Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, NY
F. W. Beers & Co. 36 Vesey Street, 1878

OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

CHAPTER X.

HOSTILITIES TRANSFERRED TO NEW YORK--THE BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND-BURGOYNE'S INVASION OF CANADA.

In March, Washington having compelled General Howe to evacuate Boston, and apprehensive that New York would be the next point of attack, made immediate preparations for putting that city in a posture of defence. General Lee, with twelve hundred men, was ordered forward from Connecticut. The captain of the British man of war Asia had threatened to cannonade the city if " rebel troops " were permitted to enter it. It was the stronghold of loyalty to the crown and disaffection to the patriot cause, and the committee of safety in their timidity protested against Lee's entrance, but threats and protests were unavailing. Lee came, and the Tories either fled or ceased to oppose the cause of the patriots. Sir Henry Clinton, who had been sent over on a secret expedition, appeared off Sandy Hook at nearly the same time that General Lee entered the city, but finding it in possession of the American troops, proceeded south to attack Charleston. Washington hastened forward from Boston, and on the 14th of April arrived at New York and established his headquarters in the city. General Howe went to Halifax, on leaving Boston, but about the first of July appeared off Sandy Hook, and shortly after landed on Staten Island. He was soon after joined by his brother Admiral Howe, with a force of British regulars and Hessian hirelings, and also by Clinton and Parker on their return from an unsuccessful attack on Charleston, making altogether a combined force of nearly thirty thousand men. Howe was here visited by Governor Tryon, who had contrived a plot to capture Washington, blow up the magazine, and secure the passes to the city. The mayor also was in the conspiracy, and was receiving money from Tryon to bribe the Americans. Two of Washington's guards yielded to the temptations of the enemy, but the third, who could not be bribed, exposed the plot. The Provincial Congress of New York, seeing the hostile demonstrations toward the city, adjourned to White Plains, where it convened on the 9th of July, and passed resolutions heartily endorsing the action of the Colonial Congress and approving of the Declaration of Independence.

The plan of the campaign on the part of the British army near New York was, to take possession of the city and the islands in its vicinity, and to ascend the Hudson, while Carlton should move down from Canada and thus separate the Eastern from the other States. Two ships succeeded in passing the batteries and ascended the Hudson to furnish the Tories of Westchester with arms, but all their attempts to land were frustrated and they returned. On the 22d of August a British force of ten thousand men, with forty pieces of cannon, landed on the south side of Long Island, in the vicinity of New Utrecht, and advanced in three divisions upon the Americans stationed in and about Brooklyn. The Hessians, under De Heister, formed the centre. The left, along New York Bay, was commanded by General Grant, and the right, which led in the action, was commanded by Clinton and Cornwallis. While Grant and De Heister were diverting the Americans on the left and centre, the division on the right was to make a circuitous march and fall upon the Americans in the rear. This division left the Flatlands on the night of the 26th, and guided by a Tory, gained possession of the Bedford and Jamaica passes before General Sullivan, who commanded in that quarter, was aware of the movement. While this advantage was being gained Grant was making a movement toward Brooklyn, and early in the morning came into collision with the Americans under Lord Stirling on the present site of Greenwood Cemetery, when an engagement took place without material advantage to either side. De Heister advanced and kept up a cannonade on the works at the Flatbush pass. In the meantime, Clinton had gained a position in the rear of the Continental army and commenced to attack them. De Heister then pressed forward, and Sullivan, perceiving the peril of his army, attempted to retreat, but it was too late. They were met by Clinton's forces and driven back upon the Hessians. Some forced their way through the ranks and reached the fortifications, but after a desperate struggle and great loss of life, Sullivan himself and the greater part of the left wing of the American army were taken prisoners. Cornwallis hastened to cut off the division under Stirling, who was not yet aware of the situation. A part of his force succeeded in crossing Gowanus Creek in safety, but many were drowned or taken prisoners. Sterling himself was captured and a decisive victory gained by the British. About five thousand were engaged on the side of the Americans, of whom five hundred were killed or wounded and eleven hundred taken prisoners. These were confined in loathsome prison-ships on the East River, where they suffered indescribable privations and hardships. Fortunately for the Americans, Howe did not dare to attempt an assault upon their fortifications in Brooklyn, but encamped about a third of a mile distant, and waited for the support of the fleet.

On the 28th, the day after the battle, the British began to cannonade the intrenchments. At night a heavy fog settled over the battle-field and remained all of the following day. When night had added its darkness to the mist which had obstructed the vision of the hostile parties throughout the day, Washington, with the remainder of the troops on Long Island, silently crossed the East river in safety to New York. The British forces took possession of the American works and prepared to attack New York. Washington knew that with his dispirited and undisciplined army he could not successfully oppose them, and decided to evacuate the city. On the l5th of September Howe landed with about four thousand men under cover of his fleet at Kipp's Bay, on the east side of Manhattan Island, near the foot of what is now Thirty-fourth street. Two brigades of militia, stationed for defence in that quarter, were panic-stricken and retreated disgracefully despite all the efforts of their officers to rally them. Putnam, who had charge of one column of the army, was compelled to leave in great haste, and narrowly escaped being captured. Tlie Americans retreated to Harlem, and the British took possession of New York and held it until the close of the war.

The next day an advance party of tlie British were attacked, and after a severe skirmish, driven back with considerable loss. Howe, perceiving that the Americans were strongly intrenched upon Harlem Heights, determined to gain their rear, cut off their communication with the north and east, and hem them in. He sent a part of his fleet up the Hudson, and transferred the main body of his army in boats to Westchester county, landing them at Throck's Neck. When Washington saw this movement, he sent a detachment to oppose their landing. All the passes were well guarded, and a detachment was intrenched at White Plains. The main army advanced in that direction and intrenched upon the hills from Fordham to White Plains. On the 28th of October the enemy came up and attacked General McDougal, on Chatterton's Hill. McDougal, after an obstinate resistance, was forced to fall back to intrenchments above White Plains. While Howe was preparing to storm their encampment at this place, Washington withdrew, unobserved by the enemy, to North Castle, where strong breastworks had been erected, and awaited an attack; but Howe, not deeming it prudent to assail him in so strong a position, retreated toward New York, preparatory to the contemplated reduction of Fort Washington, which was soon environed by the British forces. It was gallantly defended by Colonel Magaw until he was overpowered by a superior force and compelled to surrender. Fort Lee, on the opposite side of the Hudson, was abandoned on the approach of the enemy, and Washington, who had crossed the Hudson, retreated through New Jersey to the opposite side of the Delaware river, closely pursued by the enemy. On the night of the 2gth of December, he recrossed the river and gained an important victory at Trenton, and, shortly afterwards, another at Princeton, and then went into winter quarters at Morristown.

General Gates, who had been appointed to the command of the Northern forces, apprehensive that General Carlton would follow up his success in Canada and attempt to capture Crown Point and Ticonderoga, abandoned the former, and concentrated his forces at the latter. A small squadron was formed and placed upon Lake Champlain, under the command of Arnold, in August. Carlton constructed a fleet at St. Johns. Arnold sailed down the lake, but, being ignorant of the strength of the armament preparing against him, fell back to Valcour's Island. On the nth of October, the British fleet passed around the east side of the island and took up a position south of the American squadron. An action began about noon and continued until night. One of the schooners in Arnold's fleet was disabled, and burned to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. The British force was greatly superior, and as another engagement would have been extremely hazardous, it was deemed advisable to return to Crown Point. The night was exceedingly dark, and the Americans succeeded in sailing through the British fleet unobserved, although the latter had been stationed in a line across the lake in anticipation of such a movement. On reaching Schuyler's Island, ten miles distant from the British fleet, they stopped to make some repairs, and, on being discovered at daylight, were pursued by the enemy. On the 13th, the British ships, three in number, came up with and attacked the "Washington," which, after a heroic defense for some time, was compelled to surrender, and her commander, with all of his men, were taken prisoners. The whole force was now concentrated in an attack upon the "Congress," which maintained the unequal contest with unflinching resolution for tour or five hours, till it was reduced to a complete wreck. Arnold then ran the craft into a creek and burned it, together with the rest of his boats, and, marching to Crown Point, where the remainder of the fleet was stationed, sailed for Ticonderoga. General Carlton took possession of Crown Point and threatened Ticonderoga, but, abandoning his design, he prudently withdrew to Canada.

The Provincial Congress, which had assembled at White Plains on the 9th of July, and approved the Declaration of Independence, appointed a committee to draw up and report a Constitution. The occupation of New York city, and part of Westchester county by the British greatly disturbed the labors of the convention, and finally, in February, they repaired to Kingston, where the draft of a Constitution was prepared by John Jay, and adopted on the 21st of April, 1777. George Clinton was elected Governor under the new Constitution, and took the oath of office on the 31st of July, following.

The principal object of the British in the campaign of 1777 was to carry out their cherished design of separating the Eastern from the Southern colonies, by controlling the Hudson river and Lake Champlain. The most prominent feature of the plan was the advance of an army from Canada, under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, who had superseded General Carlton It was intended that Burgoyne should force his way down the Hudson as far as Albany, while Sir Henry Clinton was to proceed up the river and join him, and thus a free communication between New York and Canada would be established, and the colonies separated. In order to distract the attention of the Americans, and the more completely subdue the Western border, Colonel St. Leger was to ascend the St. Lawrence with a detachment of regulars, accompanied by Sir John Johnson, with a regiment of loyalist and a large body of Indians. From Oswego the expedition was to pene trate the country to Fort Schuyler, on the present site of Rome, and after its capture sweep the Mohawk valley and join Burgoyne at Albany. Burgoyne arrived in Canada early in March. Unavoidable difficulties having greatly embarrassed his first movements, it was past the middle of July before his army was assembled at Cumberland Point, on Lake Champlain. The main army, of more than seven thousand men, appeared before Crown Point, and occupied that post on the 30th of June. Having issued a proclamation, intended to terrify the inhabitants into submission, Burgoyne prepared to invest Ticonderoga, then in command of General St. Clair. On the east shore of Lake Champlain, on Mount Independence, there was a star-fort, so connected with Ticonderoga, on the west side of the lake, by a floating bridge, as to obstruct the passage of vessels up the lake. For want of a sufficient force to man all its defenses the outworks toward Lake George were abandoned on the approach of Burgoyne. A detachment of the enemy, under General Fraser, took Mount Hope, and thereby cut off St. Clair's communication with Lake George ; and at the same time the abandoned works of the Americans, more to the right, were occupied by General Phillips. On the south side of the outlet of Lake George, and opposite Mount Independence, is a lofty eminence, then known as Sugar-loaf Hill, which was found to completely command the works both at Ticonderoga and Fort Independence. A battery was planted on its summit by the British during the night, and St. Clair, on perceiving his critical situation, at once called a council of war, by which it was unanimously decided that immediate evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga was the only chance of saving the army. During the ensuing night such military stores and provisions as could be removed, together with the sick and disabled troops, were embarked on batteaux, and sent up the lake to Skenesborough, as Whitehall was then called, under convoy of five armed galleys and a detachment of six hundred men, under Colonel Long, while the main body of the army was to cross the lake and proceed to the same point by land. The garrison passed over the floating bridge to Mount Independence about two hours before daylight, and would probably have made their retreat undiscovered had not the house of the commander at Fort Independence been set on fire just at this time. This unfortunate occurrence threw the Americans into disorder, for the light of the conflagration revealed their movements to the British, who made immediate preparations for pursuit. St. Clair's force made a disorderly retreat to Hubbardton. On the following morning General Fraser came up with his brigade, and commenced an attack. The conflict was for some time fierce and bloody. The Americans had almost surrounded the left wing of the British when General Riedesel came up with reinforcements, and St. Clair made a precipitate retreat. The boats which conveyed the military stores and the detachment of Colonel Long reached Skenesborough safely. But Burgoyne in a few hours broke through the boom and bridge at Ticonderoga, in which the Americans had .placed much reliance, and with his fleet rapidly pursued them ; and while they were landing at Skenesborough three regiments disembarked at South Bay with the intention of gaining the road to Fort Edward, and cutting off their retreat. On the approach of the British gunboats Colonel Long's men destroyed three of their galleys and several buildings, and escaped capture by a rapid flight to Fort Anne. Two days after the battle at Hubbardton, St. Clair retreated to Fort Edward. Burgoyne was joined at Skenesborough by the detachments of Fraser and Riedesel, and prepared to push forward to the Hudson. Lieutenant-Colonel Hill was sent forward to Fort Anne to intercept such as might retreat to that post, and to watch the movements of the Americans. This post was guarded by Colonel Long, with about five hundred men, mostly convalescents. Hill's force exceeded this number. Colonel Long did not wait for an attack, but marched out to give battle, and gained a decided advantage ; but their ammunition giving out, they were obliged to give way; and aware of their inability to hold the Fort against General Phillips, who was approaching with reinforcements, set fire to it, and fell back on Fort Edward.

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