Posted on 11/02/2011 9:07:01 AM PDT by Pharmboy
"...they were not able to effect any Thing on Acco of the heavy & incessant Fire from the Enemies Forts & Ships; no less than Eight Coll: & Lt. Colonels have been taken, died or killed since the Landing on L: Island"
By the end of September 1776, the George Washington's Continental Army was in the midst of a stubborn retreat from New York City. In late August the British Army under General Sir William Howe maneuvered the Americans off Long Island. On September 15th, Howe landed at Kip's Bay, forcing the Americans to evacuate New York City and retreat to their defensive works atop Harlem Heights. Sometime in the following weeks, Jedediah Huntington's command moved to King's Bridge, guarding the crossing over the Bronx, which was a significant river at this time. His account, which can be viewed below, details the various reversals of fortune that the American army suffered during the period, along with casualties including Captain Nathan Hale. The situation would continue to unravel for Washington, as his army was pushed further north in October and finally forced to retreat across New Jersey in November and December.
Sol Feinstone Collection No. 594 Jedediah Huntington to Jabez Huntington, 28 Sept. 1776. Kings Bridge, New York. Transcribed by Andrew Dauphinee August 2011
“Camp Kings Bridge 28 Sept. 1776
Hond Sir I reached this Place Yesterday at 3’oClock in the Afternoon, With as Little Fatigue as I ever had in a Journey ― had the Pleasure of seeing Brothers Chester & Joshua pretty well Bror. Joshua has been ill but got near well_Bror. Eben is well but I have not seen him. neither of the Brothers were in the Actions of Sunday or Monday ― Brother Joshua commanded a Party Gov: Island three Days after our Troops evacuated it (for the Purpose of bringing off some Cannon) which was as hazardous as to have been in the Engagements above mentioned ― they were not able to effect any Thing on Acco of the heavy & incessant Fire from the Enemies Forts & Ships ― no less than Eight Coll: & Lt. Colonels have been taken, died or killed since the Landing on L: Island ― Col: Gay of Sickness ― Lt. Col: Clark taken – Coll.Selden, Lt. Col: Thomson, & Moulton taken on Sunday, Lt. Col Knowlton killed ― Col: Pettibone died of sickness ― Lt Col: Hart taken on Sunday by best Information the Enemy lost about 400 in the Action of Monday & we only 15 or 20 ― Lt. Sim Huntington is alive & well.________
Last Sunday 200 Men in 5 Boats undertook to land on Montressors Island above Hell Gate & attack some of the Enemy which were upon it only one of the Boats landed and attacked the Enemy with Success one other got on the Rocks the rest upon the first Fire put about & left their brave Fellows to fight the Enemy alone, as soon as the Enemy perceived the smallness of our Numbers they took Courage and drove back our Men with great Slaughter. a few of my Regiment suffered in this Action ― You have likely heard that a Commo. of Congress has been here to concert a Plan for a new Army, it is not yet published in Orders___ the Heads are said to be__ that each Private [pg 1] is to have Six pounds Bounty a Coat & 100 Acres Land for inlisting during the War – Wages of Officers and Men the same as before, the Officers also are to have Land ― 88 Battalions of about 700 Men each are talked of ― Each State is to have its Quota assigned which they are to raise & appoint their own Officers from Colonels down’ards our Men who were Prisoners at the Northward are arrived among us about 400 of them they are on Parole not to take up Arms untill an Exchange of Prisoners is made ― they bring an Acco that General Gordon of Burgoynes Army was mortally wounded by a Party of our People when he was reconnoitering near St. Johns and died of his Wounds at Quebec about a Fortnight afterwards.__
General Sullivan is exchanged for General Prescott__tis said Lord Stirling is to be exchanged for Gov: Brown__ Brig: Genl. Donal McDonald was proposed for that Purpose but he is not owned by his Side to be more than a Major___
As far as I have seen I like the Situation of our Camp and doubt not with a common Blessing we shall be able to hold our present Ground___ Things are getting into good Order to what they have been Ovens are building to bake Bread___ a Barracks are already up for a great Proportion of the Army & more are going up___ the North River is open to Kings Bridge ― about one Third of the City of NYork was consumed with Fire – unheard of Barbarities were committed by the Kings Troops at that Time upon any of the Citizens who came in their Way___ some it is said were thrown into the Flames others tyed up by the Legs & their Throats cut, this they pretend is necessary to deter others from firing Houses, as [pg 2] they suppose the Citizens set Fire to the City ― Capt Hale of Webbs Regt was sent out on Long Island as a Spy – he was detected & hung in NYork___ the Enemy have Possession of Paulus Hook.___ We have a Breast Work from River to River abt 10 Miles from the City, between which & Kings Bridge are our Generals Head Quarters & the Main Body of our Army, one Division under the Command of Maj: Gen: Heath is on the Side of Kings Bridge next the Country, where I am ― but I forbear to add as Capt Fraiy is intelligent and can tell any Particulars I remain your affectionate Son Jed Huntington
If the Assembly is to complete my choir of Officers & I continue, I shall be very sollicituous as to the Persons I am to have under me, I think the Commanding Officers of Regiments ought to be consulted.
my Love & Duty to mother &c &c
When Blisses Cheeses come in I wish half a Dozen might be sent to me, & the Firkin of Butter if it comes from Pomfret, & 3 or 4 or half a dozen Bushell Oats by first Opporty. all address to Capt Wadsworth or the Commissary at Byram River
NYC at the time of the RevWar...Jedediah was writing from King's Bridge, which was at the north end of the island (in today's Harlem) and was quite rural at the time.
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...
When the Continentals escaped NYC in the south and stayed in the northern part of the island, General Washington stayed at the Jumel Mansion which still stands today and you may visit. Worth a trip uptown to see where the General stood on the balcony as he watch NYC burn.
His appearance was striking and unmistakable making his presence noticed and remarked upon everywhere he went. .
Just a little remembrance of reading long ago.
He's convinced this was only possible if the evacuation was conducted along a nearly two-mile stretch of water front running from just down river from what became the navy yard to north of Red Hook. Earlier historians assumed a single embarkation point in the vicinity of Fulton Ferry.
Providence conspired with the colonials by means of a dense fog that hung over the East River the entire night.
Your remembrance is correct, kind sir. Hale was a teacher in CT, and was a well-known Patriot. When he went to Long Island to spy, he was dressed as laborer or farmer, and it was Robert Rogers of Rogers Rangers fame (French and Indian War) who spotted the buckled shoes he was wearing and figured he might have been a spy. Rangers was a Loyalist, obviously...also, plaque on 65th and Third Ave. in NYC near to where he was likely hung.
But, perhaps your historian was right...
Cool map. Was the Wall still there?
Notice the inlet which is today's Broad St. Today there remains a "Bridge St." which crosses Broad where a foot bridge over the inlet. Local Indians used to paddle up the inlet to trade with the Dutch...it was filled in about the same time the wall was removed.
He’s a self-taught guy. I think he leads tours occasionally in the neighborhood. The topography really doesn’t lend itself to the two-mile theory (e.g., steep bluffs along Brooklyn Heights, marshes in lots of places). I think it’s possible that separated units may have disembarked at different places commandeering boats where they found them.
Well, that certainly makes more sense. But, it was Glover's Marblehead Regiment (made up mostly of fishermen) who went back and forth across the North (East) River ferrying the Continentals to Manhattan. However, as you say, some probably did commandeer boats in Brooklyn.
Now that is really cool.
And Check this out - “Afbeeldinge van de Stade Amsterdam in Neuw Neederlande”
Grimm’s law run rampant - “Aufbuildung von Der Stadte Amsterdam in Neue Niederlaende”
“Map of the city Amsterdam in the New Netherlands.”
I never NY was once called Amsterdam.
The British were going to convey him elsewhere either for trial or incarceration when spectators immediately recognized him and called to him. He was hanged there and then as a spy... and without a trial.
BTW I am not a sir.
There are a few stories about Hale's capture, the one involving Rogers is often cited by historians, but I have seen others similar to what you relate. The following is from wiki:
An account of Nathan Hale's capture was written by Consider Tiffany, a Connecticut shopkeeper and Loyalist, and obtained by the Library of Congress. In Tiffany's account, Major Robert Rogers of the Queen's Rangers saw Hale in a tavern and recognized him despite his disguise. After luring Hale into betraying himself by pretending to be a patriot himself, Rogers and his Rangers apprehended Hale near Flushing Bay, in Queens, New York.[6] Another story was that his Loyalist cousin, Samuel Hale, was the one who revealed his true identity.
Isn’t that the truth? Reading first-hand accounts from the front and recent engagements brings it truly alive. There is a lot of intelligence in the letter that I imagine would have been very useful to the enemy if it had fallen into their hands. Were there any censors of letters during the Revolution?
The description of the British treatment of NYC citizens is awful — throwing people into the flames, binding their legs and cutting their throats. Were these true? Or the normal rumors of enemy brutality? I recall similar rumors spread after the battle at Concord and on the King’s Road retreat to Boston.
They may have been right, but we'll never know...Washington gave strict orders NOT to burn the city as they retreated north, but it was reported that he was happy it burned after all.
When Washington was inaugurated in 1789 in NYC, he could not go to Trinity afterwards to worship (it had not yet been rebuilt), but had to proceed a few blocks uptown to St Paul's Chapel. The same St. Paul's that served as a staging area during 9-11.
I grew up in upstate NY and we had to study NY State history to graduate from Jr. High School. I recall NYC being called Amsterdam by the Dutch, but I never heard the area called “New Netherlands” before.
Which part? My father is from Westerlo, and we own property in Herkimer.
The name is my awkward tanslation of the map.
“Die Niederlaende” is german for “the lowlands” - stand in Manhatton and look at the palisades, it makes sense.
This defined New Netherland in the early years. The Dutch displaced the Swedes (they had a fort there) in southern NJ in the 17th Century. Traces of Swedish settlements can still be found in the names of towns and streets in southern Jersey and in Delaware.
Utica, Whitesboro (Utica suburb), Ithaca and Fayetteville (Syracuse). I recall Dad had friends in Herkimer. I always that that was a mellifluous name for a town. We moved to Missouri for HS and I went to Mizzou, then headed west to CA where I’ve stayed ever since. I look back fondly on those years in NYS when it truly was the “Empire State.”
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