"Common boy on the night of August 29 he ordered the famous nocturnal retreat across the east river and the strategy was to protect his Manhattan access.They Ve also made their retreat entirely to the ferry after quitting their station when he ordered them back to the same line of defense "
"That same pickety line most dangerous spots right?"
"Exactly,an author had made this submission whose company was gutted and stranded in a spit of land where a dozing British army were crouched within range of musket firing inferno and screened by thick rolling fog and later scurried alongside his men to safety slid away from Brooklyn shore aboard one of the last sailing ships.That was quite exemplary in the same boat that Washington boarded across the river.
The British despite this stealthy retreat refused to take their clear chances with assurance and self confidence that their amateurish American foes would crumble like pack of cards prior to force majeure.They barely pursued their rebels nor explore gaping loopholes to take vantage position where complacency in the enfanterrible disposition dawdled and aborted golden opportunity that could have settled the conflict.At Kip's Bay now between 37th and 38th streets,on eastern Manhattan shore,there was ferocious and sustained offensive and terrifying bombardments of the American positions and according to Lord Howe's secretary was 'so terrible and so incessant roar of guns 'quite unprecedented up to the period.The patriot forces lost discipline, including their vehement drive and stampeded for safety as the Hessian and British troops with dozens of barges were disgorged into the wooded and mountainous regions . Infact Washington lost composure with terrifying burst of infrequent wrath,with riding crop flaggelating incompetent officers in vain who could hardly dispel the raging momentum of the disorderly retreats .Then he lamented "Are these the men with whom I am to defend America? "as he flung immaculate temper in boisterous winds and cursed panic stricken troops.They were fortunate not to be chased by the feet dragging British troops rushing northwards found solace in the sanctuary at the Harlem heights' wilderness."
"Did he escape too?"
"Nope not the characteristic Hamilton unflinching only left to Harlem heights until after dark who crisscrossed ,the axis drenched by rain the entire length of Manhattan and Hercules Mulligan had told a story about him when he says"Captain Hamilton commanded a post on bunker hill near New York and fought with the rear of our army". Hamilton also spoke in confirmation and attested,"I was among the last of our army that left the city."
"That was the then thickly forested Manhattan?"
"Good old days!"
"Yeah not a floodgate of today's civilised brutes"
"Yeah in the Mulligan's account,he was weary and lost one broken down cannon and baggage and forced him to retire to his fate, succumbed heavy guns and with two mobile fieldpieces as relics of whittled down company's munitions pullable by horse or hand was heavily undermined and dispirited."
"So New York at a time fell to the British?"
"Yeah but they had fears they might be expelled for seven years "
"You mean Hamilton and the rest of continental army "
"Then the redcoats went on rampage in Manhattan exterminated dissent in their dreaded vestiges torched books,cut down paintings at king's College converted into a hospital.There was fire near battery at Fighting Cocks Tavern blazed with leaping flames roaring over blanketed houses and was so terrifying to incontrollably dress a gutted realm which choked a quarter of the city houses into ruins at broad daylight.The conflagration by source was not isolated either to remote natural causes or apostate arsonist.
Thereafter over two hundred suspects arrested by the British who expressed conviction of the mischievous rebels as culprits . Among them a suspect American spy Captain Nathan Hale was hung at a spot close to third avenue and sixty sixth street.New York was heavily reduced to rubbles and desperate Tories in their thousands flocked to the city setting stage for later confrontation with the returning Patriots.
Then Washington came into his senses after new York loss thought a place as natural fortress to shelter his troops in the wooded area of Harlem heights .Now he recognized the merits of standing army as opposed to irregular militia which he branded as "broken staff" when he says before the congress" To place dependence upon militia is assuredly resting on a broken staff " and it was something Hamilton had initiated long before this incidence .The formation or construction of Earth work at Harlem heights was the first time Washington according to Hamilton's son first noticed the startling competency and amazing organizational skills of the future treasury secretary.It was also the first time they came in contact under direct command of Washington where little conversation that led to invitation unbuttoned a beautiful impression of military talent.All of a sudden struck instantaneous rapport that only got better with relationship with seasoned officers.
Then they fought together at white plains regardless of the farcical mismatch and ensuing bruising defeat for the Patriots a tremendous cord was struck for future effective military strategy. At White plains troops in their bulk size were stationed on high ground with a meagre a thousand forwarded to the west above the Bronx river on Chatterton's Hill.Patriots were dejected and sloven bunch compared to the redcoats in their trim uniforms and fine muskets and bayonets,with the muses of military bands smartly took the battle in their regalia .Two fieldpieces were erected upon rocky ledge at Chatterton hill by Hamilton "with ascending columns down to river 's ledge",John C Hamilton wrote about his father."
"But when the British reorganized themselves what did the Hamilton's team do?"
"Of course they left the hill plus fellow Comrades abandoned the entire region.Nevertheless go and search you would see the British suffered extruciating losses at white plains than the Americans.This boosted the spirit of Washington's army.They learnt a lot at white plains were also exposed to British naval power perhaps for the first time.They built two forts thereafter at fort Lee and Fort Washington "
"Where?"
"On both sides of the Hudson river.Fort Washington on the Manhattan side and fort Lee on the New Jersey side.Unfortunately the Patriots recorded enormous losses of troops at his observation post on fort Lee terrible locust of Hessian and British troops overran fort Washington and emaciated further the dented morale of fragile continental soldiers.He received enormous blame not been able to protect his soldiers including cannon and gunpowder stored at the fort.Lord Cornwallis took over control of fort Lee after American troops surrendered.Washington later retreat across new jersey with meagre or measly three thousand soldiers heavily disgraced by the crushing defeat and vehement slanders."
"The world knows only the victor not the villain.Uhmmmmmm ".
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