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.

5 The position assigned to Major-general Putnam, not immediately in front of the enemy, but, in the rear, where ho could do no more than oversee the construction of certain specified defensive works, is peculiarly noteworthy-- the disaster on long Island was too distinctly remembered to allow him to be posted, again, where he could possibly do any harm.

• General Orders, "Head-quarters, Harlem Heights October 14 "1776."

1 We have not found any other description of these troops than what General Heath and David How wrote concerning them : the former saying, "two or three Brigades have moved, this day, beyond Wil- "liams's;" (Letter to Colonel Sargent, "King's Bridgk, October 14 " 1776 j") and the latter, "14. There has been two Brigades March* By "hear This Day Towards forgg's point." (Diary, "October 14 1776")

WESTCHESTEK COUNTY.

"towards Frog's Point," to "endeavour to support "the Regiments that are posted at the passes, there;" " should the attack be made at or near East Chester "landing," to ''make the best disposition of his "troops and repel the enemy;" and if any new movement of thes enemy should be discovered, "to "send notice thereof, immediately, by one of the " Light-horsemen," General Heath also informed General Nixon " that a guard was absolutely necessary at " Rodman's-point,?' [the same as Pells-point, on the opposite side of ttie.