Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
From the upper part of an engraving of full length in _An Impartial
Hist. of the War in America_, Lond., 1780, p. 204. Smith in his _Brit.
Mez. Portraits_ records a print, standing posture, sash and star, right
elbow on block, left hand on hip, marked "Corbutt delin't et fecit.
Lond. 10 Nov. 1777."—ED.]
When the British landed on the 22d, Colonel Hand's regiment was
deployed to oppose them, but the enemy proving to be in too great
force, Hand fell back to Prospect Hill and thence to Flatbush, burning
property which would be of immediate use to the foe; but he did not
at once apprise the commanding general of the real character of the
British movement. So soon, however, as Washington heard of the landing,
he dispatched six regiments to reinforce the garrison of Brooklyn
Heights, and ordered additional forces to be in readiness to cross the
East River from Manhattan Island, if Howe's movement did not prove
to be a feint to cover a real attack upon New York. General Greene,
unfortunately, was too sick to retain the active command on Long
Island, every point of which, between Hell Gate and the Narrows, he had
carefully studied. He was succeeded, August 20th, by General Sullivan,
a far inferior officer. As Washington said of him, he was "active,
spirited, and zealously attached to the cause", but was tinctured with
"vanity, which now and then led him into embarrassments;" besides which
he lacked "experience to move on a large scale", as he had just shown
in Canada. On the 24th of August, Washington placed Putnam in command
over Sullivan. Putnam was a brave soldier, but wholly ignorant of
the science of war, besides being advanced in years. He was entirely
unacquainted with the arrangements which had been made for the defence
of his position, and he never went beyond the Brooklyn Heights
intrenchments on the day of the battle. The truth is, no one exercised
a general command in that conflict.
De Heister's division, constituting the enemy's centre, occupied
Flatbush August 26th, threatening the pass in front, which Sullivan
held with a large force under cover of intrenchments. During the
evening, Cornwallis withdrew from Flatbush to Flatlands, there becoming
the reserve of the British right, which was composed of choice
regiments under General Clinton, aided by Lord Percy and accompanied by
the commander-in-chief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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