The country has had other men of straw whom it has also grasped, in its hours of great an.xiety and great danger, almost counterparts of that on whom the .\rniy and the country leaned, so confidently and so lovingly, from early in 1775 until the Sunnuer of 1778 ; and just as the broken reed of that early period pierced the hand which leaned on it, so have these latter pretenders, these latter selfish and unpatriotic tools »f unscrupulous and designing men, wounded those whose confidence they had secured, and brought shame and dishonor on the country which had petted them.

s The position assigned to Maji»r-gen<-ra! I*u(?iam, not immediately in front of the enemy, but, in the ri ar, where In^ could do no more th.an oversee the construction of certain specifii'd defensive works, is peculiarly noteworthy -- the disiister on Long Island wiis too distinctly renienilwred to allow him to be posted, again, where he could possibly do any harm.

''General Orders, " Heah-qvartkhs, Habi.f.m Heights, October 14, '"1770."

' We have not found any other description of these troops than what General Heath and David How wrote concerning them : the former saying, "two or three Brigades have moved, this day. beyond Wil- "liams's;" (Letter to Colonel Horrient, "Kixii's BRinuE, October 14, " 1770 ;") and the latter, " 14. There has bi'eii two Brigades JlarchJ By '• hear This Day Towards forgg's point." (Diary, " October 14, 1770.")

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

" towards Frog's Point," to " endeavour to support "the Regiments that are posted at the passes, there;" " should the attack be made at or near East Chester " binding," to " make the best disposition of his "troops and repel the enemy;" and if any new movement of the enemy should be discovered, "to " send notice thereof, immediately, by one of the " Liglit-horsemen." General Heath also informed General Nixon "that a guard was absolutely necessary at " Rodman's-point," [the same ns Pell's-poinf, on the opposite side of the Hutchinson' s-river, from Tlirogg'sneck,\ "next to East-Chester-creek." He said that Colonel How was near the landing-place, " with a " Regiment of Militia;" but it was evident that not enough was known of Colonel How's military qualifications for the command of so important a position ; and General Nixon was directed to make inquiries on the subject.'