" We are sinking the Ships as fast as possible," wrote Tilghman to Duer on the 17th; "200 Men are daily employed, but they take an immense Quantity of Stone for the purpose." Although the ultimate necessity of quitting Manhattan Island and Kingsbridge was not decided on until the Kith, and the beginning of the formal movement was delayed several days longer, the objective point in the coming northward march of the army was well indicated by circumstances beforehand. It happened that the principal magazine of provisions had been accumulated at the village of White Plains, a place not too far removed from the Harlem Heights headquarters and yet at a sufficient distance in the interior to be deemed safe. Moreover, there was a considerable magazine at Rye on the Sound -- a decidedly unsafe locality in view of the complete control of that coast by the British tleet; and the removal of the Rye stores to White Plains as the most available spot of safety was therefore a manifest necessity as soon as the general situation became menacing. And finally White Plains commanded the whole country below, and equally the country above, since all the roads centered there; while directly in its rear rose the range of North ' In most historical references to Washington's march through Westchester County the Irnpression is given thai the intrenched camps along tlie Bronx wer nslrneted by detachments from the army during its actual progress. But

Dawson's remarks on this point (Scharf, i.. 427. note) seem, to our mind, to establish beyond question thai these defensive works were prepared in advance by pioneers detailed for the special pin-pose.