4 General Howe to Lord George Germaine, " New York, 30 November, " 1776 ; " [Hall's] History of the Civil War in America, i., 209 ; Stedman's History of the American War, i., 215 ; etc.

6 Lieutenant-colonel Tilghman to William Duer, "White-Plains, October 31, 1776."

o" Our Army is decreasing, fast: several gentlemen who have come " to Camp, within a few days, have observed large numbers of Militia " returning home, on the different roads."-- (Colonel Robert H. Harmon to the President of the Congress, " White-Plain6, October 31, 1776.")

"It" \a reinforcement,'] "will arrive, very seasonably, and in part "make up for the deficiency occasioned by daily desertions of our men, " who are returning to their homesin the most scandalous and infamous " manner. The roads are crowded with them." -- {Colonel Robert H. Harrison to Governor Trumbull, "White-Plains, November 2, 1776.")

' " The General, in a ride he took, yesterday, to reconnoitro the " grounds about this, was surprised and shocked to find both Officers " and Soldiers straggling all over the country, uDder one idle pretence " or other, when they cannot tell the hour or minute the Camp may be "attacked, and their services indispensably necessary. He once more " positively orders that neither Officer or Soldier shall -Stir out of Camp, " without leave : . . . " (Genera! Orders, ".HeadhjUAirtehs, White " Plains, October 31, 1776.")

post were evidently diligently employed in preparing to move to a new position -- an operation in which the great scarcity of teams added, very greatly, to the personal labor of the men 8 -- and, during the following nigbt, that of Thursday, the thirty-first of Octo^ ber, 9 the entire line of the Army, taking the extreme left of the line for the pivot, 10 swung back, from the lines which it had constructed, with so much labor, on the high grounds, above the Plains, until its rear rested on the more advantageous high grounds of Northcastle; 11 within a mile from the position which it had abandoned ; 12 and authoritatively described as " grounds which were strong and advantageous, and " such'as they," [the King's troops,"] " could not have " gained without much loss of blood, in case an '• attempt had been made." 13 A strong party was left in possession of the lines