The possession of Long Island gave the British complete command of New York by sea; and Howe set himself to transport his army to New York Island, an operation which was completed on the 15th September. The Americans then evacuated New York town and retired to the northern extremity of New York Island, where Washington fortified a position from Haarlem to Kingsbridge along the Hudson River in order to secure his retreat across it to the mainland. The English warships now moved up the Hudson to cut off that retreat; and Howe having left four brigades to cover New York town, [Sidenote: 12th Oct.] embarked the rest on flat-bottomed boats to turn Washington’s position. The flotilla passed through Hell Gate; and Howe [Sidenote: 18th Oct.] having wasted a deal of time in disembarking the troops first at the wrong place, landed them finally at Pell’s Point, the corner which divides East River from Long Island Sound, and [Sidenote: 1776.] forms the extreme point of the spit of continent that runs down to New York Island. The advanced parties of the Seventeenth were engaged in a trifling skirmish at Pelham Manor, a little to the north of Pell’s Point, shortly after disembarkation; but the British advance was practically unopposed, and the army was concentrated at New Rochelle, on Long Island Sound, on the 21st October. Washington now changed front, throwing his left back, and distributed his army along a line parallel to the march of the British; his right resting at Kingsbridge on the south, and his left at Whiteplains on the north. The two armies were separated by a deep river called the Bronx, which covered the whole of Washington’s front. Howe continued his march northward, doubtless with the intention of getting between Washington and the mainland; but Washington had already sent parties to entrench a new position for him at Whiteplains, to which he moved on the 26th October. This change of position brought the Americans from the left flank to the front of the British advance, and it was plain that an action was imminent. On the 28th, Howe’s army, advancing in two columns, came up with the Americans, and found them to be some 18,000 strong. The right of Washington’s main position rested on the Bronx River; but for some reason a detached force of 4000 men had been posted on a hill on the other side of the river, which detachment, owing to the depth and difficulty of the stream, was necessarily cut off from the rest of the line. Howe decided to attack this isolated body at once. The Seventeenth being detailed as part of the attacking force, moved off to a practicable ford, the passage of which was carried in the face of heavy fire; and the infantry then advancing drove the enemy brilliantly from their entrenchments, from whence the Seventeenth pursued them towards the main position at Whiteplains. The regiment lost one man and five horses killed, Cornet Loftus, four men and eight horses wounded, in this action; which unfortunately led to no result.