Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 edition. Excerpt: ... BATTLE OP LONG1SLAND. The first year of the war, with its successful and adverse fortunes, served to elicit the energies of the Americans and teach them confidence in themselves; the second, with its terrible disasters, was perhaps not less useful, in teaching them, that not courage alone, but discipline also, was indispensible in the day of regular battle. Besides, the second was a gloomy school, in which the Americans took deep lessons in the grace of perseverance under affliction. General Howe arrived at Staten Island on the 10th of June, but it was not until the 26th of August that he commenced active operations by an attack on Long Island, on the western part of which, a respectable force of Americans commanded by General Sullivan, occupied an intrenched camp. Their position was protected in front by a range of hills stretching across the Island from the Narrows (a strait which separates it from Staten Island, ) to the town of Jamaica situated on the southern coast. Over the hills in question passed three defensible roads, each of which was guarded by eight hnndred men. The pass by the Narrows was attacked and carried by General Grant; the second road by Flatbush was cleared by General De Heister, in retreating before whom the Americans were encountered by General Clinton, who with the right wing of the British array had made a detour by Jamaica. Thus the provincials were driven into their lines with the loss of upwards of one thousand men, while the British loss did not amount to more than four hundred and fifty. During the engagement Wash, ington had sent strong reinforcemts into Long Island and at its close he repaired thither in person, with the greater part of his army. This movement had nearly occasioned his ruin. He soon found..