Sending several war-vessels up the North River, or Hudson (which had no
trouble in breaking through the barrier stretched across it), General
Howe embarked the main body of his troops in flatboats for Westchester,
landing at a point about nine miles above the Heights of Harlem. The
enemy's object was then apparent, and Washington set about defeating it
by one of the most complicated and ingenious military movements on
record.
Leaving General Greene in command of Fort Washington, on the Hudson, not
far from Kingsbridge and the Heights, Washington hastened northward
toward White Plains, seizing upon every naturally strong position by the
way, and establishing a chain of entrenchments on the hill-crests that
commanded all the roads leading from the North River to the Sound. The
last week in October the opposing forces came in collision at Chatterton
Hill, where was fought the so-called Battle of White Plains, at which,
wrote Rufus Putnam, who had planned the defensive works, "the wall and
stone fence behind which our troops were posted proved as fatal to the
British as the rail-fence with grass hung on it did at Charlestown, June
17, 1775.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171