These troops were ordered to re-

Chapter I

26 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

main there for the present, to cover the debarkation of stores and provisions. Washington now hastened to concentrate his forces at Whiteplains, where the line for a fortified camp had been marked out several days previously, and where a corps of men had been engaged in throwing up works. The head-quarters of the army were removed on the 21st from Morris's House to Valentine's Hill. Colonel Magaw, with about two thousand men, was left in command of Fort Washington, and Fort Independence was garrisioned by Colonel Lasher's reg-iment, which belonged to General Heath's division. At about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 21st, General Heath's division marched for Whiteplains, from their camp above Kingsbridge, taking with them, besides their light field pieces, two heavy iron twelve pounders. It was about eight o'clock when they passed General Lincoln's quarters, on Valentine's Hill. Here Washington was to pass the night, and Heath waited upon him to receive his particular orders. Heath was advised by the commander-in-chief to send for-ward one of the regiments, an occupy the road which crosses the Bronx near Ward's House, in order to secure his right flank from any annoyances that might be offered by British patrols. It was four o'clock on the ensuing morning that the division ascended Chatterton Hill, upon the borders of Whiteplains, after having marched the whole night. The instant he reached the summit, Heath noticed many successive flashes of light, proceeding apparently from the other side of a field across which he was marching. A captain with a party of men was ordered out to ascertain the cause of this appearance, but the officer returned and reported that he was unable to make any discovery. This phenomenon remained a mystery, until the return of Colonel Haslet's detachment from Mamaroneck.