Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution
As General Heath was continued in the command of all the troops within Westchester-county, until further orders, notwithstanding the assignment of General Lee to the same command, the former instructed General Nixon, who had been ordered from New Jersey, with his Brigade, to "have the troops " which have marched, this day, to the eastward of "the Bridge, by Williams's,"' [Williams's-bridge,] "completely ready to turn out, in case the enemy "should make an attack, that night;" instructing him, at the same time, " should the attack be made
unscrupulous critic of everything and everybody, unless of himself and of those who were pandering to his unholy ambition and applauding even his Bcurrility. He wielded a very glib, but a very poisonous, tongue, and a sharp and venomous pen, both of which were ready for immediate use, whenever hie passions or his interests required their co operation. He was generally haughty, in his demeanor ; he was always unprincipled, for good ; he never ceased to be avaricious, even to meanness and dishonesty. A huckster of hiB own political and military opinions and as sociations, he was never contented wiih the prices which his wares commanded in the market of the world ; and, after he had disgusted even his own party and had become, himself, disgusted with all mankind, he died, "unwept, unhonored, and unsung."
The country has had other men of straw whom it has also grasped, in its hours of great anxiety and great danger, almost counterparts of that on whom the Army and the country leaned, so confidently and so lovingly from early in 1775 until the Summer 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 of unscrupulous and designing men, wounded those whose confidence they had secured, and brought shame and dishonor on the country which had petted them.