4 The first reconnaissance which the General made, after the enemy's occupation of Throgg'B-neck, included "the Necks adjacent," so that he was not ignorant of the character of the ground on and near Pell'sneck ; but, on the morning of the sixteenth -- probably because of information received, on the preceding day, from some deserters from the fleet, who had been taken to Head-quarters and personally examined by the General, with evident confidence in their testimony, (General Washington to Governor Trumbull, " Head-qiiartebb, Heights of Haiilem, Octo- "ber 16, 1776,")-- another and more minute examination of the ground was made, as Btated in the text.

6 Vide page 233, ante.

mander-in-chief, Major-generals Lee, Putnam, Heath, Spencer, and Sullivan ; Brigadier-generals Lord Stirling, Mifflin, McDougal, Parsons, Nixon, Wadsworth, Scott, Fellows, Clinton, and Lincoln ; and Colonel Knox, commanding the Artillery, were present -- although General Greene was at the Head-quarters of the Army, on Harlem-heights, he was evidently out of humor and was not present. 6 After the Commander-in-chief had communicated to the assembled Generals those letters from the Convention of the State and those " accounts of deserters showing the enemy's " intention to surround " the American Army, to which reference has been made, and after much consideration and debate, the following question was stated: "Whether, (it having appeared that the ob- '' structions in the North River have proved insuffi- " cient, and that the enemy's whole force is now in " our rear, on Frog Point,) it is now deemed possible, " in our present situation, to prevent the enemy from " cutting off the communication with the country and " compelling us to fight them, at all disadvantages, " or surrender prisoners at discretion ?" With only one dissenting voice, that of General George Clinton, the Council agreed that " it is not possible to prevent " the communication from being cut off; and that " one of the consequences mentioned in the question " must certainly follow." Largely, if not entirely, in deference to the expressed will of the Continental Congress, the Council resolved, however, apparently with entire unanimity, " that Fort Washington be re- " tained as long as possible." '