ascertained. Colonel Reed was immediately sent down to meet the flag, when the officer in charge of it handed him a letter directed to "George Washington, Esq." Reed assured him that there was no such man in the American army, and refused to take charge of it, and the flag was compelled to return. A few days after another letter with the same superscription was sent and met the same reception. General Howe then dispatched his adjutant general to Washington's quarters, bearing a letter directed "To George Washington, Esq., etc., etc., etc." The adjutant addressed Washington as his "excellency," which certainly was a great concession to the head rebel of the colonies, and said that General Howe regretted exceedingly that the mode of address was offensive, as no insult had been intended, for both Lord and General Howe "held his person and character in the highest esteem." To meet all objections as to rank or title the et ceteras had been affixed, which, like the Italian Tante grazie, meant just as much as you chose to imagine. But Washington declared that he would not receive as a private person any letter "relating to his public station," and that a letter without some indication in its address of its public character must necessarily be considered private. After much expenditure of courtesy on both sides, the adjutant, stubbornly refusing to give any interpretation to the et ceteras, returned to General Howe, who at length, in view of the momentous results at stake, ventured to break through this punctilio, and address his letter to "General Washington." For this extraordinary stretch of his powers as royal commissioner, he, in his dispatches home, said he hoped his majesty would not be offended. The change of the mode of the address, however, did not effect a reconciliation with the mother country, though so great a sacrifice might seem to merit some reward.

In the mean time various gallant attempts had been made

to capture the two English ships in Tappan Bay, and though unsuccessful, one tender had been taken, towed ashore, and burned. Alarmed at these repeated attacks, they took advantage of a strong tide and northerly wind to return, running the gauntlet of the batteries and the riflemen on shore in gallant style, hurling their grape-shot as they swept on. They succeeded in joining the fleet in safety, though many an ugly rent gave indications of what might be ex pected should a whole fleet attempt to pass.

At length, by the middle of August, the British rein forcements had all arrived, swelling the entire army to some twenty-five thousand men, supported by a powerful fleet. Against this formidable array Washington could not bring a single ship, and only eleven thousand one hundred men, a large part of whom were raw militia.* Added to all this tremendous preponderance of force, made still more effec tive by a covering fleet, the whole army was well supplied with every thing necessary to success, while the American troops being scattered along from Kinsbridge to Brooklyn, a space of fifteen miles, was miserably equipped, without discipline, and at this very juncture torn assunder by jealousies and bitter feuds, often breaking out into open animosity. Washington, expecting an attack daily, strove to allay this discord, and partially succeeded-still his position was extremely critical, and it was hoping against reason to dream of saving New York.

But the news of Moultrie's gallant defense of the "slaughter-pen," as Lee in derision termed it, on Sullivan's Island, in Charleston harbor, reawakened confidence and kindled fond anticipations in the hearts of many that a similar fate awaited the enemy around New York. The salvation of the city, however, was only a secondary consideration—with its fall the route to Albany would, in all

The army nominally consisted of 25,537-but 3,368 were sick, 97 absent on furlough, and 2,946 on command.

probability, be opened to the British, and the northern army, now retreating from Canada, would be crushed midway, and all the eastern provinces cut off from their northern brethren. This stroke would give the finishing blow to the union of the colonies, leaving each victim to fall alone.

CHAPTER VI.

The British land on Long Island-Sickness of Greene-The Battle-Defeat of Sullivan and Stirling-Masterly Retreat to New York-Causes of Failure-New York abandoned--Retreat of Washington to Harlem Heights-Landing of the British at Kip's Bay-Poltroonery of the Americans and rage of Washington-His severe Order of the Day-Remarks on this Conduct of Washington-Narrow Escape of Putnam with his Division-Skirmish between two Detachments and Death of Knowlton-Manoeuvre of Howe and Battle of Chatterton's Hill-Retreat of Washington-Fall of Fort Washington.

Ar length, August 22d, it was announced that the British were landing on Long Island, between the Narrows and Sandy Hook. The plan originally was to bombard the city. but this had been abandoned, and an attack by land resolved upon. General Greene, to whom the works on Long Island had been intrusted, and who was doubtless thoroughly acquainted with every locality, was at this critical moment prostrated by a bilious fever, and carried to New York Putnam succeeded him in the command, but, from some cause or other, did not seem to think his duties extended beyond the lines.

Between the plain on which the British landed and the intrenchments of the Americans, stretched a thickly wooded hill, traversed by only three roads, on each of which redoubts had been thrown up to check the advance of the enemy. But one of these, the Bedford road, which led straight up to the American works, was left wholly unguarded. Sullivan commanded without the lines in this direction, and it seems incomprehensible that any general could commit such a strange oversight in presence of the enemy. Washington had given express orders to have all these passes well guarded, but the fact that Greene was expected to be well enough to resume his command before the attack commenced, prevented the appointment of an officer