[Extract]

On the 16th of this month we marched from Newtown Camp, and the Corps de Reserve, consisting of three Battalions of Lt. Infantry, the German Jagers, my Battalion of Highland Grenadiers, and 42nd and 32nd Regts., embarked on board flat-bottomed boats in Newtown Creek, from whence we proceeded on our way to land upon New York island. A 50 gun ship and two Frigates were drawn up to cover the landing.

Upon the enemy perceiiring our boats, they sent several columns of men to line sunk breast-works that they had previously made to prevent a landing. We steered to the right and landed about three miles above the town under an incessant fire from the shipping.

A more glorious scene I never beheld; the thunder of the ships, the appearance of the enemy, the ardor of our troops, the whole army drawn up on Long Island ready to support us, surpassed everything of magnificance. So well did the army do their business that the enemy evacuated their lines, and we landed without opposition.

We immediately rush'd for wood [sic forward], and took possession of a Hill about a mile from the spot where we landed. In our way we had some skirmishes in which our Brigadier Gen. [John] Vaughan was wounded, and some few men of the Hessians; when the whole army was landed we proceeded on the Harlem road to these Heights. The enemy made a show of giving us battle several times as they retreated; we lay on our arms that night...

The day we landed, great numbers of the enemy escaped by the North River, which gave people room to conjecture that had our army crossed quite to the River we should have shut up near 6,000 of them in the town.

Some days after two Brigades took possession of New York, which they found almost entirely evacuated, but the houses in tolerable order.

I went a Volunteer upon an expedition against Paulus Hook on the 20th of this month with Ld. [Hugh] Percy, who with 3,000 men had orders to reduce it, as it annoyed our shipping as they entered the North River. It is a small peninsular on the west side of the River. We expected much opposition, but the rebels, after firing a few cannon shot, ran away. There are no fewer than five works there, and during the winter they might have made it very disagreeable in the town.