vicinity, they were found to amount to seventeen thousand two hun dred and twenty-four men, most of them, however, raw recruits.

3. About fifteen thousand of the American troops, under Generals Sullivan and Putnam, were stationed at Brooklyn, on Long Island. On the 22d of August, a part of the British ar.ny, the whole amounting to near thirty thousand men, crossed over from Staten Island to Long Island, to make a descent upon the Americans.

3. What troops were sent to Brooklyn? What did the British now do?

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4. On the 27th of August they began an attack, and a battle ensued, which lasted the whole day, and ceased only with the darkness of the night. The British had the advantage; though it was obtained at the expense of from three to five hundred lives.

5. But the American loss was still greater. More than a thousand of their number were taken prisoners; and among the rest, General Sullivan and Lord Sterling. From one to two hundred were slain. About five thousand of the American troops were actively engaged, these being obliged to sustain the shock of fifteen thousand of the enemy..

6. One cause of the misfortunes of the Americans this day was, no doubt, the inexperience of the troops. Another was the want of suitable officers. One of the generals was sick, and General Putnam, though as brave a man as there was in the army, had but recently arrived, and was unacquainted with the ground.

7. The British army encamped within half a mile of the American lines, and on the following day began to make preparations to renew the attack, confidently expecting that they should speedily be able to cut off the whole army. In this, however, they were disappointed; for, when they were ready for the attack, not an American was to be found on the island.

8. Under the personal care and inspection of Washington, who had crossed from New York and joined the army the day after the battle, the American troops recrossed to the city on the morning of the 30th, just in time to save themselves. They had moved chiefly in the night and under cover of a fog. Indeed, the British were so near the last troops who embarked, that they distinctly heard their move... ments.

9. Upon the retreat of the American army from Long Island, Washington gave vent to his feelings in terms of strong exasperation and impatience, almost the only instance in which he was deserted by that calmness and equanimity which formed a prominent element of his character. He had been on horseback continually two or three days and nights, and had not closed his eyes in sleep for the whole time, and was, therefore, ill prepared to endure the mortification of so severe a defeat.

10. As it was expected that the British would forthwith attack New York, a council of war was called, in which it was at length determined to evacuate the city. After removing the military stores and baggage

4. Describe the battle on Long Island. 5. What was the loss of the Americans? 6. What was the cause of the misfortunes of the Americans? 7. What was done by the British army? 8. How had the Americans left New York? 9. What can you say of Washington! 10. What did the council of war determine upon?

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to Kingsbridge, fifteen miles north of the city, about nine thousand of the troops followed, and the remainder soon afterward. The British took possession of New York September 15.

CHAPTER XCIX.

PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.-Battle of White Plains.-Retreat of Washington.

1. AFTER leaving three thousand troops to garrison Fort Lee, Washington had retreated from Kingsbridge, and entrenched himself at White Plains, twenty-seven miles from New York. The British, after gaining some advantages in a skirmish at Harlem Heights, near the city, slowly pursued the retreating army, and overtook them at their encampment at White Plains.

2. Here, October 28, a considerable action took place, and several hundreds fell on both sides. It would not be easy, however, to say which party was victorious. Washington did not leave his position, and the British did not immediately advance. Finding, however, that the enemy had received a reinforcement soon after the battle, Washington retreated five miles to North Castle.

3. Here he left seven thousand five hundred men under General Lee, and then crossed the Hudson with the rest of his troops, and stationed himself in the neighborhood of Fort Lee, on the New Jersey shore.

4. On the 15th of November, the British went against Fort Washington. A summons was sent to Colonel Magaw, the commander, to surrender, on pain of being put to the sword. As he refused to comply, an attack was made the next morning with such fury that when a second summons was sent, the colonel felt constrained to capitulate. All his men, amounting now to about two thousand six hundred, were made prisoners.

5. The British army sustained a heavy loss in the conflict—from eight hundred to one thousand men. But, being determined to follow up the victory, they soon proceeded, under Lord Corn-wal'-lis, to at

CHAP. XCIX.-1. Where did Washington encamp? What was done by the British? 2. What of the engagement at White Plains? To what place did Washington retreat? 3. Where did he then station himself? Describe the capture of Fort Washington by the British. 5. What was next done by the British? Who commanded Fort Lee?

* Fort Lee was situated on the west side of the Hudson, in the town of Hackensack, New Jersey, ten miles north of New York; Fort Washington was situated on Manhattan Island, on the east side of the Hudson, eleven miles from New York. These two works commanded the river

As the

tack Fort Lee. This was commanded by General Greene. British forces were evidently too strong for him, he evacuated it before he lost the opportunity.

6. General Greene, whom we shall have frequent occasion to mention, was a humane man, as is evident from his unwillingness on this and other occasions to expose, to no good purpose, the lives of his men. He was the son of a Quaker preacher in Rhode Island, and manifested

6. What was the character of General Greene? His early history?

BATTLE AT TRENTON.

21.5

an early fondness for learning, though he had but few opportunities for study.

7. He had first signalized himself in the battle of Lexington, before which he had been engaged either in studying or in school-teaching Law was the profession at which he aimed, and in which his natural inclination and great perseverance would have made him successful, had he not been called away in early life to share the fortunes of war. 8. The whole American army now retreated through New Jersey toward Philadelphia-the British eagerly following them. The pursuit was so close that the hindmost forces of the Americans were sometimes in sight of the bridges they had passed over and pulled down after them, when the British were building them up again.

9. This was a calamitous hour to the Americans. When the retreat commenced, the American forces scarcely exceeded four thousand; and when they crossed the Delaware, at Trenton, the number of effective men was reduced to three thousand. Even this force, poorly fed and sustained, was daily and hourly diminishing.

10. Washington, however, in the midst of all this discouragement, did not allow himself to be depressed. While all else wore the appearance of gloom-even the countenances of the soldiers—Washington was serene and cheerful. Trusting to the justice of the cause he had espoused, and to Heaven, he persevered, in the midst of difficulties which would at least have shaken the constancy of many who have deserved the name of very brave men.

11. On the very day of Washington's retreat over the Delaware, the 8th of December, the British forces took possession of Rhode Island, and blocked up a squadron of American vessels there, with a number of privateers at Providence. The island was held by the king's forces two or three years.

CHAPTER C.

PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.—Battle at Trenton.

1. PHILADELPHIA being now in imminent danger of becoming the seat of war, Congress, in December, 1776, adjourned to Baltimore; not, however, till they had drawn up and adopted certain articles of Con

7. Where did he first signalize himself? What was his intended profession? 8. What of the American army? Describe the pursuit of the British. 9. What was the situation of the Americans? 10. How did Washington appear in these trying circumstances? 11 What did the British forces now do in Rhode Island?

CHAP. C.-1. What did Congress now do? What articles did they draw up?