The sick and wounded were hurried to New-Jersey; the military stores and baggage were conveyed some twenty-two miles up the Hudson, to a fortified post at Dobb's Ferry, and on the 14th of September (1776) Washington removed his head-quarters to King's Bridge, and New-York soon fell into the hands of the British, and was thenceforward uninterruptedly held by them until the close of the war in 1783-a period of more than seven long years. Thus driven from the city, (of that time,) the American army set to work to establish itself, if possible, on the narrow neck of high rocky country which lies between the Harlem and the Hudson river, separated from the main land by the Spyt den Duivel Creek, and which thus formed the upper part of the island- as now of the city-of New-York. The central and loftiest part of this mountainous district was, as we have seen, our present beautiful garden of Fort Washington. It overlooked the Hudson at the high opposite shore of the Palisades, and with the help of defences there, was the most promising point at which to prevent the passage of the enemy's forces northward by way of the river. This was deemed to be an object of the last im portance; and thus those persistent efforts of the Americans to maintain their position on Manhattan, Island, from which comes the history so interesting to us now. During the interval between the departure of the patriots from the city, about the middle of September, and the capture of Fort Washington on the 16th of November following, many stirring events tran spired in the neighborhood; events which it would be pleasant to pass leisurely in review were we not compelled to content ourselves, at this time, with the consideration of those passages only which are more immediately a part of our river story. While the Americans now occupied the upper neck of Manhattan, the enemy was posted in force below, in the city. The position of each army was protected by strong lines extending over the whole breadth of the island, from the Hudson to the Harlem River. Their respective defences were separated by the central valley-section of the region. The encroachments of the enemy increased day by day, and attacks were continually made and met, with varying fortunes, but most frequently at the cost of the patriots, who, in addition to their wonted wretched condition, were dispirited to the last degree by the series of rebuffs and by the gloomy horoscope of the morrow. Desertions from the camp were so numerous as to materially reduce its strength, and to disquiet even the bravest and most sanguine of the leaders themselves. Boats and ships-of-war were daily bearing the British flag triumphantly up the East River, and they made their way securely even up the Hudson, despite the obstructions upon which so much reliance had been placed. The cheveaux de frise in the river, and the wonderful submarine batteries, were but straws in the way of the British vessels; and the guns, also, of Fort Washington and its twin fortress of Fort Constitution, across on the Palisade shore, were quite as contemptuously disregarded. Washington, at this time and under these inauspicious circumstances, desired, as did most of his officers, to evacuate Fort Washington, and abandon the islands altogether. General Lee said that for his part he would give Lord Howe a fee-simple of them. The better judgment of the Commander-in-chief was, however, unhappily overruled by his too great deference to the opinions of others, and somewhat, of course, by his respect for the express desire of Congress that the post should be held at all risks. After the neighboring battle at White Plains, which occurred on the 28th of October, one of the most important occupations of the patriot army was the strengthening of Fort Washington, in anticipa- CCT AT FORT WASHINGTON. summoned to surrender, with the threat of extremities in the event of refusal. The threat was bravely dared. The next morning, Magaw, who was in command, proceeded to dispose of his forces, amounting in all to nearly three thousand men. The greater part of this garrison was stationed outside of the fort, for want of room within. The south side of the fort was menaced by Lord Percy with sixteen hundred men, and to oppose him, in this direction, Colonel Lambert Cadwallader was dispatched with a Pennsylvania force of only half that number. Colonel Rawlings, of Maryland, with a company of riflemen, was placed by a small battery on a bold hill to the northward, (the spot now called old Fort Tryon,) to oppose the second of the enemy's threatened attack, under Knyphausen, who, with his Hessians, was posted with cannon-shot on the York side of King's Bridge. the bat Colonel Baxter, of Pennsylvania, was placed with his militia on a rough wooded height east of the fort, and overlooking the Harlem River. This point was the locality now known as Fort George. Col onel Baxter was to meet the third of the enemy's attack talion of guards and of light infantry under Brigadier-General Mathew, who, according to the enemy's programme, was to cross the Harlem River on flat-boats toward the right of the fort. The fourth proposed attack of the enemy was under Colonel Sterling, who, as a feint to distract the attention of the Americans, was to drop down the Harlem River in boats to the left of the fort. The enemy's several assaults were made simultaneously, beginning about noon of the 16th. The action was commenced by booming cannon and volleys of musketry. Knyphausen's division, commanded by himself and by Colonel Rahl, conquered all the opposing obstructions of woods and rocks, and despite the bold defence of Rawlings, soon drove him and his force back to the fort. The Americans under Baxter were no less steady in their resistance than was Colonel Rawlings, but with no better fortune than he. Baxter himself was killed, and his men driven back into the fort. Cadwallader, in the mean while, was making a brave defence to the southward against the enemy under Lord Percy; but he, too, was at length compelled to retreat under the additional pressure of an attack by General Mathew-who had previously driven in Baxter's divisionand of the threatened approach, on the rear, of Colonel Sterling. Thus were the assailants victorious at all points, though only after the most obstinate resistance every where, and with a terrible loss in killed and wounded. Washington and several of his officers were eager spectators of the disastrous struggle, from the opposite shore of the Hudson. When he saw the flag, which heralded the second summons to surrender, carried into the ill-fated fortress, he hastily wrote a note to Magaw, promising to bring off his garrison if he could sustain himself until evening. This message was daringly delivered by Captain Gooch, of Boston, who passed and repassed safely across the river and amidst the balls and bayonets of the British. The embassy was, however, too late. Magaw and his garrison were wholly in the power of their opponents, and nothing remained but to surrender themselves prisoners-of-war, with no other terms than the retention of their swords by the officers and of their baggage by the men. 'It was,' said Lee at the time, 'a cursed affair.' Washington, in writing of the affair to his brother Augustine, says: 'This is a most unfortunate affair, and has given me great mortification: as we have lost not only two thousand men that were there, but a good deal of artillery and some of the best arms we had. And what adds to my mortification is, that this post, after the last ships went past it, was held contrary |