The Battle of Long Island had been fought. Washington had declared that he would make the acquisition of Brooklyn Heights by the British, if realized, “as costly as possible.” It had been his expectation that by the advance posts ordered, and careful pickets, he could prolong resistance, if not winning full success. He had taken pains to convince the troops that the resistance at Bunker Hill and Fort Moultrie was a fair indication of their ability, and that the British troops understood it well. When John Jay proposed to burn New York and leave it in ruins, Washington insisted that it would tend to demoralize his army, and offer to the people and to the world a painful contrast with the successful restoration of Boston to her own people. The Battle of Long Island _had_ to be fought. As soon as it began, Washington crossed the river with three regiments. If Howe had made immediate advance, Washington would have resisted, with quite as large a force as Howe could have handled, in an assault. Washington immediately, and in person, examined every phase of the situation. His first act was to organize a strong detachment to support Stirling who was opposing the advance by the harbor road; but the swift advance of the British Grenadiers across the very face of the intrenchments, defeated his purpose. Every man was summoned to roll-call and kept on the alert. At early dawn the next morning he went through all the intrenchments, encouraging the men. Before noon, General Mifflin arrived with the well-drilled regiments of Glover, Shaw, and Magee. These organizations, which had been sneered at as “proud of line arms and fine feathers,” as they marched up the ascent with solid ranks and steady step, supplied with knapsacks, and trim as if on special parade, were received by the garrison with cheers and congratulations. The garrison was now nine thousand strong. But a “north-easter” set in. The rain fell in torrents, tilling the trenches, and compelling even the British regulars to keep to the shelter of their tents. Washington was everywhere, and took no sleep. The British opened trenches six hundred yards from the face of Fort Putnam (now Washington Park), not daring to storm the position; but could work only during intervals in the tempest.