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BATTLE OF HARLEM HEIGHTS. 253
rallied, and our men beat them the second time. They rallied again, our troops
drove them the third time, and were rushing on them, but the enemy got on an
eminence, and our troops were ordered to retreat, the general considering there
might be a large number of the enemy behind the hill, concealed, which was
the case.
"From the number of the enemy that I saw lay on the field dead and
wounded, I think their loss must be three or four times ours. From our
present situation, it is firmly my opinion we shall give them a genteel drubbing, in case the Yankees will fight with as much spirit as the Southern
troops. General Washington gave great applause to our Maryland troops for
their gallant behavior yesterday." *
Washington, in his letter to Congress, dated September 18,1776, gives the
following account of the charge of the Maryland soldiers : " These troops
charged the enemy with great intrepidity, and drove them from the wood
into the plain, and were pushing them from thence, having silenced their fire
in a great measure, when I judged it prudent to order a retreat, fearing the
enemy, as I have since found was really the case, were sent in a large body to
support their party."3
Colonel Tench Tilghman, one of Washington's staff, in a letter from
Harlem Heights, dated September 16th, 1776, says : " I don't know whether
the New England troops will stand there, [Harlem
Heights,] but I am sure they will not upon open
ground. I had a specimen of that yesterday. Her
two brigades ran away frcm a small advanced party
of the regulars, though. the general did all in his
power to convince them they were in no danger.
He laid his cane over many of the officers who shewed
their men the example of running." Again, on the
19th, in alluding to the battle of Harlem Heights,
he writes: " The general finding they wanted support, ordered over part of Colonel Griffith's and
Colonel Richardson's Maryland regiments; these troops, tench tilghman.
though young, charged with as much bravery as I can conceive, they gave two
fires and then rushed right forward which drove the enemy from the wood
into a buckwheat field, from whence they retreated. The general fearing (as
we afterwards found,) that a large body was coming up to support them, sent
me over to bring our men off. They gave a hurra and left the field in good
order. . . The prisoners we took told us they expected our men would
have, run away as they did the day befofe, but that they were never more surprised than to see us advancing to attack them. The Virginia and Maryland
troops bear the palm. They are well officered, and behave with as much
regularity as possible, while the Eastern people are plundering everything
1 American Archives, ii., p. 370. 2 Sparks, iv., p. 98.
| Title | History of Maryland - 2 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000284 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | BATTLE OF HARLEM HEIGHTS. 253 rallied, and our men beat them the second time. They rallied again, our troops drove them the third time, and were rushing on them, but the enemy got on an eminence, and our troops were ordered to retreat, the general considering there might be a large number of the enemy behind the hill, concealed, which was the case. "From the number of the enemy that I saw lay on the field dead and wounded, I think their loss must be three or four times ours. From our present situation, it is firmly my opinion we shall give them a genteel drubbing, in case the Yankees will fight with as much spirit as the Southern troops. General Washington gave great applause to our Maryland troops for their gallant behavior yesterday." * Washington, in his letter to Congress, dated September 18,1776, gives the following account of the charge of the Maryland soldiers : " These troops charged the enemy with great intrepidity, and drove them from the wood into the plain, and were pushing them from thence, having silenced their fire in a great measure, when I judged it prudent to order a retreat, fearing the enemy, as I have since found was really the case, were sent in a large body to support their party."3 Colonel Tench Tilghman, one of Washington's staff, in a letter from Harlem Heights, dated September 16th, 1776, says : " I don't know whether the New England troops will stand there, [Harlem Heights,] but I am sure they will not upon open ground. I had a specimen of that yesterday. Her two brigades ran away frcm a small advanced party of the regulars, though. the general did all in his power to convince them they were in no danger. He laid his cane over many of the officers who shewed their men the example of running." Again, on the 19th, in alluding to the battle of Harlem Heights, he writes: " The general finding they wanted support, ordered over part of Colonel Griffith's and Colonel Richardson's Maryland regiments; these troops, tench tilghman. though young, charged with as much bravery as I can conceive, they gave two fires and then rushed right forward which drove the enemy from the wood into a buckwheat field, from whence they retreated. The general fearing (as we afterwards found,) that a large body was coming up to support them, sent me over to bring our men off. They gave a hurra and left the field in good order. . . The prisoners we took told us they expected our men would have, run away as they did the day befofe, but that they were never more surprised than to see us advancing to attack them. The Virginia and Maryland troops bear the palm. They are well officered, and behave with as much regularity as possible, while the Eastern people are plundering everything 1 American Archives, ii., p. 370. 2 Sparks, iv., p. 98. |
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