MOUNT WASHINGTON AND ITS CAPTURE NOV

and provisions for the garrison." Harrison, however, writing for Washington aght 1 the same day, from White Plains, tells Hancock that there “are about t his % 1400 men at Mount Washington and 600 at Kingsbridge.”* But Colonel zen- 4 Lasher, the officer in command at the latter post, wrote General Heath cept à on the 26th that he only had 400 men and 6 artillery men. Onthe 27th rob- Lasher had order: from Heath to quit the post, burn the barracks, and join the army at White Plains, and either do this himself, or communi- )OSSi= cate with Magaw, as he pleased. He obeyed ard executed the orders fore, à himself.‘ :

And à The same day, which was Sunday, an attack was made by Lord aited ‘sk Percy on Mount Washington by land, at the same time that two meñ-of- “hief, % war attempted to pass it and go up the river. The latter were severely ver,” 4 cut up by Magaw's artillery, and one of them, badly crippled, had to re- 1 tire” The British troops moved down from their lines at McGowan's ü his Pass to Harlem Plains and began a fire with field pieces, which the Re- Americans returned from their fortified lines and batteries. It was a 16, as * mere artillery duel, had no effect, and was apparently intended as a feint. S Un- a The cannonade was heard at White Plains.” This affair was probably elled 4 one great cause of Greene’s confidence in Fort Washington, and of his er he E desire a fortnight later to hold it. He was present in the fort, and with t the L Magaw,during the firingon the ships. The whole contest was over by three New o’clock in the afternoon, when he returned to Fort Lee and wrote an acown count of it to General Mifflin, and the next day sent another to the is the À President of Congress. ‘ From the Sunday affair,” he wrote Washingin he É- ton on the 2oth, ‘I am more fully convinced that we can prevent any rmies ships from stopping the communication.”

Two days afterwards, Greene asked Washington’s opinion as to holding, not the fort only, but all Mount Washington, in these words: “I chould be glad to know your excellency’s mind about holding all the ground from the Kingsbridge to the lower lines. If we attempt to hold the ground, the garrison must still be re-inforced, but if the garrison is to draw into Mount (Fort) Washington, and only keep that, the num-

steps, neral er of

York

ments

s fifth Te Ar force 5th series vol, ii, pp. 1202, 1203, 1221. ‘ ?Ibid, 1239+ ment 8Ibid. 1263.

letter 4Ibid, vol. ii, p. 1264.

SIbid, vol, ii, pp. 1263, 1265,

SIbid, 1266.

TMS. Letter of General Silliman to his wife.

8Force 5th series, 1263, 1260.

Ibid, 1281,

icient