Accordingly, during the night of the last day of October, the Americans evacuated their works at Whiteplains, setting fire to several barns and to one or two dwelling houses containing forage and stores that could not be removed. They entered upon the new ground by a backward wheel. The extreme left near Horton's Mill, remained where it had been, and formed the pivot upon which the whole army moved; while the extreme right re-trograded a distance of about two miles. The lines, as now formed, ran nearly east and west. They passed from Ho-rton's across Hatfield's, Foster's, and Fisher's heights, to Mount Misery and Miller's Hill. Along these grounds, natur-ally very strong, the Americans had already commenced throwing up earthworks, for the purpose of giving additional security to the new encampment. The prosecution of this undertaking was continued for several days subsequently.

BATTLE OF WHITEPLAINS, ETC. 57 On the morning of the 1st of November, the King's forces were at last ready for the assault. Great was their surprise on beholding the exploits of a single night. Mortified to find his antagonist in a new and apparently strong attitude, when all the preparations to crush him were complete, Gen-eral Howe decided at once to make a careful examination of the new position by a grand reconnaissance, for the purpose of finding some weak point that might justify an immediate attack. The right and centre of the British army got under arms in haste and took possession of the grounds from which Washington's troops had retired. A strong force of cavalry and artillery, supported by several columns of infantry, then marched upon the American left, against which a furious can-nonade was commenced. This was answered with a spirit and effect by the field-pieces of Captain Bryant and Lieutenant Jackson. The British artillery-men were several times thrown into confusion.