In his letter totbe President of the Pongress, dated " Head-qt arters, " White- Plains, 25 October, 1776," Colonel Robert H. Harrison, General Washington's Secretary, stated that "about two o'clock this afternoon, " intelligence was brought to Head-quarters, that three or four detach- "mentsof the enemy were on their mHrch, and had advanced within "about four miles of this place. It has been fully confirmed, since, by "a variety of persons, who have been out to reconnoitre."

If General Clinton did not make a mistake in the date of his letter, of which we have no evidence, the movement of the Royal .\rmy was commenced ou Thursday, [Oftofce/- 24 ;] and the letter of Colonel Harrison clearly indicated that it had already reached Scai-sdale, within four miles of the Plains, before the movement was known at Head quarters, at two o'clock in the afternoon of the following day, [Friday, CJclobi r 25.]

The failure of General Washington to obtain information of the movements of the King's troops, of which so many instances have been seen, was nowhere more evident than in the instance now under consideration- «ne of the reasonable results of the outrages to which the inhabitants had been subjected, by both the Congresses and*the Committees, on the one hand, and by the unrestrained thieves, among both the Officers and the Privates of the Army whom General Washington commanded, oa the other.

- " General Howe thought it necessary to jiroceed with great circum- "epection. The progress was slow ; the march of the Arm}', close; the "encampments, compact and well-guarded with artillery ; and the most "soldier-like caution used, in every respect." -- (Anuual Register Jor 1776; History of Europe, *177.)