Heath attempted in every way to draw the enemy out of the fort by feint or otherwise. A detachment was sent down to Morrisania to light up a great number of fires in the night, so as to make the British believe that the Americans were in large force at that place with the design of crossing to New York Island at or near Harlem. To heighten this impression, several large boats were sent for and brought forward on carriages. The British guard on Montressor's (Randall's) Island were so much alarmed that they set the buildings on fire and fled to New York. On the 29th a severe snow-storm threatened ; so Generals Heath, Lincoln, Wooster, Scott and Ten Broeck came to the unanimous conclusion that the troops should move back before the storm came on to places where they could be sheltered from the inclemency of the weather. As they possessed no artillery sufficient to batter the fort, and they were opposed to storming it with militia, and the principal object being to destroy or bring ofi" forage, which could be accomplished without opposing the men in the open field or scattering them about in houses, where they would be in danger of capture in detail -- for these reasons the troops were ordered to retire as soon as it grew dusk. Lincoln's division marched to Dobbs Ferry and Tarrytown, Wooster's to New Rochelle and Scott's to White Plains. They were not safe in their quarters before the snow fell heavily.