Home / Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution. Morrisania, NY: (privately printed by the author), 1886. / Passage

Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution

Dawson, Henry B. Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution. Morrisania, NY: (privately printed by the author), 1886. 306 words

No one has pretended that the Adjutant-general of the Army was on Chatterton's-hill, on that eventful Monday ; but he must have been there, if Colonel Carrington is correct, since it was he who accused Colonel Graham of cowardice, on which Colonel Carrington has based his favor to the bashful New-Yorker.

6 It is a notable fact that, notwithstanding all which has been written, in these latter dayB, of the great services of that Company, of which contemporary writers were entirely silent, the name of the Officer who was in actual command, on Chatterton's-hill, was not mentioned by any one, of that period, who wrote concerning the Battle.

There is a tradition that, a short time before the date under consideration, Captain Hamilton was in the City of New- York, then in possession of the King's Army ; and there is, certainly, written evidence, over his own signature, that he was in the same City, on the sixth of November, eight days after the Battle : it is possible, therefore, that, because the command was not in the official commander, on the occasion under consideration, the name of the actual commander was not regarded as worthy of being recorded.

6 "I saw their General Officers, on horseback, assemble in Council." -- (Colonel Haslet to General Csesar Rodney, "November 12, 1776.")

7 There is, evidently, considerable exaggeration in what was written of that cannonade, by " a Gentleman in the Army," in his letter, already resorted to, dated " Camp near the Mills, about three miles North " of the White Plains, November 1, 1776 ; " but we make room for it. " The scene was grand and solemn ; all the adjacent hills smoked, as " though on fire, and bellowed and trembled with a perpetual cannonade " and fire of field-pieces, howitz, and mortars.