referred to nothing else than to the Phmnix and the Roebucli and the tenders; and, very cautiously, for reasons which are not unknown to us, he said nothing whatever concerning the purposes of the expedition. Ir- \iog, (Life of Wiishinglon, Ed. Sew York; 185(5, ii., 3(i7-;)73,) in Ihe most carefully prepared descriplion of all, with a grave error in his description of the passage of the ships through Ihe obstructions, and another in making General Washington do what was done by General Heath, recited all the surniisei. of the inhabitants and others, concerning the object of the movement, without pretending to offer any of his own.

No other writer of the history of that period has noticed the subject, notwithstanding its great importance.

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

undisputed line of communication with New Jersey, protected by tlie guns of both Fort Washington and Fort Lee, over which, if adversity had overtaken him, he could have securely retreated. For these reasons, and with the knowledge which all the events of that period in which that particular Squadron was concerned, has imparted, we have seen no reason for concurring with those who have already written concerning the purposes of General Howe, in the removal of the Squadron which had covered the left flank of his lines, from its anchorage, off Bloomingdale, to a distant anchorage, off Tarrytown, when he had no further use for it, at the former station, and expected to make it useful, for the same purpose, in the latter ; and, at the same time, from the best evidence which we have been able to control, we have formed an opinion, concerning those purposes, which differs from all those to which we have referred and of all of which we have heard. That opinion may be thus stated : when preparations were being made by General Howe, for the military occupation of the City of New York, before any movement for that purpose was actually made, these ships were moved up the Hudson-river, on the opposite side of the island, for the purpose, as General Howe subsequently informed the Home Government, of drawing the attention of the Americans to that side, while the real operations were to be made on the other side.