pend. Remember officers, and soldiers, that you are freemen, fighting for the blessings of liberty; that slavery will be your portion, and that of your posterity, if you do not quit yourselves like men. Remember how your courage has been despised, and traduced by your cruel invaders; though they have found by dear experience at Boston, Charleston, and other places, what a few brave men, contending in their own land, and in the best of causés, can do against hirelings and mercenaries. Be cool, and determinate; do not fire at a distance; but wait for orders from your officers."

These orders closed with renewed injunctions to shoot down every man who might desert his post, to seek shelter by flight, with assurances of rewards to the brave, &c. Adding assurances, "that if they acquitted themselves like men, they had good reason to expect to save their country by a glorious victory, and acquire to themselves immortal honour."

The camp at Brooklyn was now placed under the command of Major General Putnam, and reinforced with six regiments, with orders to be in readiness for a momentary attack, and to keep open a communication, with his best troops, through the woods, with the advance guard on the heights of Flatbush.

On the 23d, Lieutenant General De Heister landed at the head of two brigades of Hessians, aud on the 25th took post at Flatbush, and Lord Cornwallis drew off his division to Flatland.

On the 26th, General Washington crossed over to Brooklyn, and passed the day in making arrangements for the

action.

The British army were now formed for action with the Hessians, under General De Heister, at Flatbush, in the centre; General Grant with his division on the left, and

General Clinton, Lord Cornwallis, and Earl Piercy, with the flower of the British army, on the right, at Flatland, and extending to the coast.

Thus posted, the distance between the two armies did not exceed four miles, and their approach to each other was accessible by three direct roads, that led across the hills, which divided the armies, and which were covered with woods. The direct road over the hills, from Brooklyn to Flatbush, was possessed by the Americans, and defended by a strong redoubt, mounted with several pieces of cannon, and supported by a strong detachment of infantry. The other two roads were guarded by detachments of infantry, within view of the enemy. These passes being thus guarded, Gen. Clinton detached the van of the British army, on the night of the 27th, consisting of light infantry, grenadiers, and light-horse, with a reserve under Lord Cornwallis, with 14 pieces of cannon, to seize on another pass, which led from Flatbush, over the hills, to Jamaica, about three miles east of the Bedford road. This movement succeeded; the patrols of the enemy surprised one of the American parties posted on this road; and seized on the pass, without any alarm, in the dead of night, and the whole division of the British army passed the heights; and in the morning they were encamped on the plain. Gen. Grant advanced at the head of the left wing, upon the road along the coast, and gave such an alarm as drew the attention of Gen. Putnam to this expected point of attack. About 3 o'clock in the morning, Maj. Gen. Sullivan (who commanded without the lines of Brooklyn) directed Brigadier Lord Sterling to advance with two regiments, and check the enemy upon the coast road, and the general at the same time put himself at the head of a body of troops, of the New-England line, and advanced to meet the enemy on the Flatbush road; the third detachment

guarded the heights on the road leading from Brooklyn to Bedford.

At day break, Lord Sterling reached the summit of the hills, and gave some support to the troops already engaged, but the whole American detachment continued to retire before the left wing of the enemy, who were commanded by General Grant, who moved slowly, in order to give time to General Clinton to gain the American right. During these operations, at day light General De Heister put in motion the centre of the British army, to cross over the hills on the direct road from Flatbush to Brook. lyn, and commenced his attack with a heavy cannonade, and when he discovered that the British right, under General Clinton, had turned the American left, and gained the rear of General Sullivan, he ordered Colonel Donop to advance at the head of his detachment, and charge the Americans on the hill, and at the same time moved forward the whole centre column to support the attack. "At this critical moment General Sullivan discovered the enemy in his rear, and he beat a retreat, if possible to secure his detachment and recover the camp at Brooklyn. The advance guard of the British right wing intercepted their retreat, and an action commenced; but the Americans, overpowered by numbers, fled with precipitation, and regained the camp at Brooklyn, with very considerable loss. At the same time the American left, made a stand against the British right, near Bedford; but General De Heister detached a part of the centre to support the right, and the Americans were routed and put to flight, on their left, and retired into the woods, where they were enclosed between the centre, and the right of the British army, and suffered great loss; yet a part of these fugitives regained the camp at Brooklyn. At this time Lord Sterling discovering on the left, that the enemy had turned

and put to flight the left, and were pressing on in his rear, upon the camp at Brooklyn, instantly beat a retreat, and to cover this retreat, he charged the corps of Lord Cornwallis, with a small detachment of about 400 men ; and such was the spirit of this intrepid commander, that he held Lord Cornwallis at bay, until the rest of his division had secured their retreat; when General Grant advancing into his rear, cut off his retreat, and compelled his little band of heroes to resign themselves up as prisoners of war, August 28th. Flushed with their successes, the enemy threatened to carry the American camp at Brooklyn by storm; but the prudence of the commander restrained the ardor of the troops, and they invested the camp in form, on the night of the 28th.

The Americans lost in killed, wounded, and taken, in this action, about three thousand men, including MajorGeneral Sullivan, Brigadiers Lord Sterling, and Woodhull. The enemy were supposed to have lost about one third of that number.

General Washington passed the day in the camp at Brooklyn, on the 29th, and at night, by a most masterly movement, removed the whole encampment, both men, baggage, and artillery, except some very heavy cannon, over into New-York, and at 9 o'clock in the morning, the fog cleared off; and his movements were discovered by the enemy; but his rear guard was out of the reach of their fire. The enemy made a movement with their fleet to enter the river, and cut off this retreat, which was prevented entirely, by an unfavourable wind. On the 2d of September, Governor's-Island was evacuated by two regiments of the Americans, with all their arms, stores, &c. except

*This fog hovered over the armies on Long-Island, when it was fair, and clear at New-York, and was considered as a very unusual event at that season of the year, and what had not occurred for more than thirty years before.

a few heavy cannon, within a quarter of a mile's distance of the enemy's shipping, with the loss of only one

man's arm.

This was an eventful crisis in the American revolution, and the commander in chief saw that the fate of America was hazarded upon the issue of a battle, with a superior. foe, and that under the most perilous circumstances. Impressed with the magnitude of the object, he passed two days, and two nights without sleep, or even rest, being the most of the time on horseback, and with his watchful eye superintending evey movement, and every event. Many and severe comments have been made upon the perilous attempt of General Washington to defend NewYork, by risking a battle upon Long-Island; but it must be remembered by those who are acquainted with the facts, that the pressing solicitations of the citizens of NewYork, led the general to hazard more than his own better judgment considered prudent, for fear that the city of New-York, if abandoned without assistance, would abandon the American cause and join the enemy.

Flushed with the successes of Long-Island, Lord Howe dispatched General Sullivan, upon parole, with a verbal message to Congress, to announce the powers of the commissioners, and propose an interview by the way of a delegation from their body, in their private capacity, to treat for accommodation, and terms of peace. Congress rejected the overture; but delegated Messrs. Franklin, Adams, and Randolph, as a special committee, to confer with Lord Howe, upon Staten-Island, and learn his powers, and terms. They met his lordship, and executed their commission, and reported to Congress, that the powers of the commissioners did not amount to any thing more, than that of a court of enquiry, to hear, examine, and report to the minister, and consequently were of no force, and thus this farce ended.