History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I

make a dash, in that direction, instead of moving the American Army into Westchester-county ; ^ in which latter case the three Brigades commanded by General Lord Percy would have been seriously imperiled ; and, second, because he had landed on Throgg's-neck, which was really an island, instead of on the mainland, where none of the difficulties to which he was exposed, on the Neck, would have been encountered.* But. if the General noticed the first of these criticisms, we have seen no mention of it ; and, in answer to the second, without pretending to offer any further explanation, although it is understood that he could easily have done so," he said, before the Committee of the Hou-e of Commons, who was considering his conduct, as Commander-in-chief of the Army, that the landing at Pell's-neck instead of at Throgg'sneck, " would have been an imprudent measure, as it " could not have been executed without much un- " necessary risk." ^

Throgg's-neck is a peninsula, on the eastern border of Westchester-county, which stretches upwards of two miles into the Sound. It was separated from the mainland by a narrow creek and a marsh, and was surrounded by water, every high-tide. At the time of which we write, a bridge across the creek, connecting with a causeway across the mai'sh, afforded means for communication between the mainland and the Neck; besides which, however, the upper end of the creek was fordable, at low-water.' As early as the third of October, General Heath, who commanded those detachments from the Army who were in Westchester-county, had reconnoitred his position, accompanied by Colonel