Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 5.djvu/170

156 On the 12th of October general Howe, who would have been better employed in driving the enemy before him than in waiting for his brother's useless negotiations, sent a considerable part of his forces, with flat-bottomed boats, through Hill Gate into the Sound, and landed them at Frog's Neck, about nine miles in the rear of Washington's position, thus cutting off all his supplies from the country.



The ships ascended higher up the North River, cutting off the retreat into the Jerseys. Had Howe, instead of landing at Frog's Neck, done so at Pell's Point, he would have rendered Washington's retreat nearly impossible. But this was neglected till the 18th of October, by which time Washington, finding that he was getting gradually hemmed in, and Lee, who had now joined him from Sullivan's Island and the Carolinas, insisting that nothing but instant retreat could save them, they therefore made a rapid retreat into the open country called the White Plains. They had much difficulty in carrying away their artillery; and the whole of it must have been taken, had Howe shown any ordinary activity.

Betwixt this time and the 21st there was considerable skirmishing, which compelled Washington to retire further into the White Plains. Howe encamped at the village of New Rochelle, on the shore of the Sound, and Washington entrenched himself on a chain of heights extending about twelve miles in length, with the river Brunx in front of him. On the 28th, Howe advanced to attack him in his entrenchments. His army was disposed in two columns, the left headed by himself, the right by Clinton. The English drove the outposts before them till they came within three quarters of a mile of the American lines. There Howe, after surveying the defences, determined not to attack the centre, but a position on the right, beyond the Brunx, where Washington had posted four thousand men.

Will it be believed that the central lines from which Howe turned away consisted only of the stalks of Indian corn, which had been hastily torn up from the fields, and reared with the roots upwards, and the lumps of earth adhering to the roots! Had Howe no telescope? Were there no military eyes sharp enough to detect such a flimsy defence? Had Howe charged that barrier of mere cornstalks, he would have cut Washington's army in two, and the whole must have been dispersed immediately. Howe had thirteen thousand effective, well-discipUned men: Washington had about eighteen thousand men, without discipline or courage. As it was, Howe attacked the strong position on the right. He crossed the Brunx, mounted the hill, and drove the Americans from the ground. But that night—a very stormy one—the English troops had to remain under arms, and the next day encamped, part on one side of the Brunx, part on the other. On the 30th, Howe was reinforced by four fresh battalions, and determined to attack the enemy's lines the next morning; but the weather was unfavourable. As soon as the weather cleared up, and Howe prepared to attack Washington's lines, he found that he had retreated across the Croton, burning all the houses in the White Plains as he went, and had secured himself behind the Croton in a very strong position, with his rear defended by woods and hills.

Howe had allowed every opportunity to escape him for