A subaltern's command, twenty-five in number, led the way, followed by a field officer with one hundred and fifty men, as an advanced guard. General Nixon's brigade led the main column, to which the field pieces succeeded. Next to the field pieces came General Lincoln's division, and Colonel Glover closed the march; a captain with a company of men forming the rear guard. The rifles under Colonel Hand formed a right flank column, from which small parties commanded by sergeants were detached still farther to the right, in Indian file, as flankers to the right column. The baggage marched in front of Glover's brigade till the army arrived at the fork of the roads leading to Whiteplains and Dobbs Ferry, where it filed off to the latter under the escort of Howe's regiment. In this order, the two divisions under General Lee marched

Chapter I

30 THE MCDONALD PAPERS

slowly and silently, along the rough highways of a broken and hilly country; and in the afternoon formed a new en-campment, upon the heights of Tuckahoe, nearly opposite Ward's House. Here they rested for a day and a half. Although assisted by the teams and wagons belonging to the main army, Lee was not able to transport the whole of his stores and his artillery at the same time. A large quantity of provisions which he was unwilling to lose was left behind at Milesquare; and he probably wished at the same time to interpose as long as possible between Sir William Howe and the North River. In the course of this same morning, Lieutenant-general de Heister effected a junction with Howe, and the whole army in two columns then moved forward about three miles, and took a position along the easterly side of the old New York and Whiteplains post road, with the river Bronx in their front; the right of their line being now at the distance of four miles only from Washington's camp.