Home / Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900. New York: The New York History Company, 1900. / Passage

History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900

Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900. New York: The New York History Company, 1900. 358 words

On the 10th he had the impudence to send to Washington in person a letter reciting his "objections" to moving from North Castle. On the 20Th, when Fort Lee was abandoned and there remained no doubt that the British would begin a campaign in New Jersey, WashNKW YORK STATE REGIMENTAL FLAG EMBLEM. illgton, tllOU at HaCkeilsack, dispatched an express command was repeated This move. to him ordering to Lee a<»ain and again during the succeeding days (sometimes twice Newark vainly days Washington lay at when a&day). For five precious Westchester he finally County, and awaiting the troops from the adfrom left that place on the 28th his rear had a narrow escape vance guard of the enemy. With his insignificant force he pushed that on to Brunswick, Princeton, Trenton, the Delaware, and across ultimate river without receiving any satisfactory assurance of the the seobedience of Lee. One of Washington's master strokes was tribuits and Delaware the along curing in advance of every boat taries for a distance of seventy miles so as to prevent the enemy from importance to receive Lee's crossing; but deeming it of transcendant fleet of troops at the earliest practicable moment, he caused a large

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to be kept in constant readiness for Lee at a point on the the boats bank of the stream. east Lee's defiant behavior in tarrying in Westchester Connty was aggravated byeverv circumstance of formal pretension and presumption. On the 20th he wrote the following astonishing words to Ben" I could say many things-- let jamin Rush, a member of congress: you much good-- might me talk vainly-- had I the powers I could do will never give any man I but dictate one week-- but I am sure you read the Roman over congress the of the necessary power-- did none order from on's Washingt receiving upon 21st, On the history9" Lee not merely ignored it, but with unparalleled Hackensack, , to deeffrontery directed General Heath, commanding atthePeekskill commander-intach 2000 men from his force and send them to chief ' Heath refused, quoting his own explicit instructions from (November 20) wrote: "The commanWashington, whereupon Lee from us.