My Lord,
I had the Honor in my last Letter of the 5th of Septr. to acquaint Your Lordship with the Success of His Majesty's Arms upon Long Island: I now beg leave to congratulate You on the entire Possession of New York City, and almost all the Island on which it stands; which, together with Long and Staten Islands, now reduced, form the principal and most important Parts of the Colony, and on which eventually all the others do and must depend.
On the 7th of September and the five or six following Days, the Fleet was busily employed in fitting, manning and carrying up their flat-bottomed Boats to the Place of Embarkation, which was at or near Bushwyck Creek upon the East River, or rather Branch of the Sound which divides New York Island from Long Island & the Continent towards the East.
The Engineers opened a Battery, on the 12th against a strong Post of the Rebels on the opposite Shore, near the intended Place of Debarkation, and a warm Cannonade was maintained on both Sides for two or three Hours. What Damage was done to the Rebels, beside beating their Battery into Ruins, we know not, but we suffered no Loss on our Part, except one Sailor, who was killed by a Cannon Ball as he lay sleeping on the Grass. ー Capt. [Thomas] Wilkinson arrived on this Day from Quebec in the Pearl, and brought agreeable News from the North and about 500 Prisoners, with whom, as well as with those taken before; the Commanders of the Fleet and Army scarce know what to do. To keep them is expensive; to dismiss them dangerous.
The next Morning, after another Cannonade, the Troops took Possession of two Islands in the East River very near the Rebel Fortifications.
In the Afternoon, the Phoenix and Roebuck of 44 Guns each, the Orpheus of 32, and the Carysfort of 28 Guns, sailed up the East River to Bushwyck Creek. The Rebels fired a few Guns from the Fort and their Batteries along the Shore, as the Ships went up; but they passed on in silent Contempt without returning their Fire, and with the Loss of only one Man. Our Batteries, in the meantime, played upon the Enemy from Governor's Island and from the Heights of Brookland opposite the Eastern Shore of the Town. These Batteries were originally constructed by the Rebels with such immense Labor and Art, that they seem almost impregnable. Next to the Works themselves, nothing astonishes our People more than their sudden and uncontested Abandonment.
Many Deserters from the Rebels have daily come over. They all concur in representing the Jealousy, Discontent and Fears, which prevail among them, and the cruel and compulsive Methods they have taken to keep up their Army. Though their Leaders endeavour to conceal or exaggerate their Numbers, 'tis not found, that they make or have made at any time more than 30,000 Men, notwithstanding their vaunted Ability of bringing 80 or 100,000 into the Field. That this is an empty Bravado, calculated to amuse, it is sufficient to mention, that though they have draughted, at two several Times into their Army, every fourth Man in this Colony, capable of bearing Arms; they were obliged to impress them by Force, and to keep them by the strictest Compulsion. From almost all the Provinces they have dragged them (as it were) to the Camp; nor have they many real Volunteers but from the New England Colonies. They have fed their Troops tolerably well, but their Pay has been very irregular and is much in Arrear, and their Clothing wretched.
In the Morning of the 15th the Renown of 50 Guns, and the Repulse and Pearl of 32 each, with a Schooner, sailed up the North River to invest the Town, and to draw off the Attention of the Rebels on that Side, while the Debarkation under five other Ships of War was effecting on the other. The Morning was clear, the Tide served, and there was a fresh Breeze. The Rebels all-alarmed, began a Cannonade as furiously as they could, but with very little Effect, as their Guns were but indifferently served. As these were the grand Batteries of the Enemy, of which they had boasted that no Vessel could possibly come near them, the Ships returned a most heavy Fire of round and grape Shot, and passed to their Station with the Loss of one Man killed and three or four wounded. Removing from one's Thoughts the melancholy Seriousness of the Business, the Hills, Woods, Town, River, Ships, and Pillars of Smoke, illuminated by a brilliant Morning, formed the finest Landscape that the Imagination can conceive. Soon afterwards, a most tremendous Discharge of Cannon was made by the Men of War on the opposite Shore in the East River, under Cover of which the Troops were landed with great Ease and Dispatch, and without the least Opposition. A Feint was made, at the same Time, about 3 or 4 Miles higher up; so that the Rebels were distracted to know, which to oppose or which way to run. They retired towards the Northern Part of the Island with great Precipitation, where, as their last Resource, they had constructed the strongest of their Works upon very advantageous Ground; though, indeed, the Island itself is covered and intersected with Fortifications from one End to the other. In the Afternoon, His Majesty's Colors were hoisted upon the Fort, instead of the Rebel Standard, which some Women had previously taken down and torn in Pieces.
Nothing could exceed the extravagant Joy of the People left in New York, on their Release from the Tyranny of the Rebels. They chaired some of the King's Officers up and down the Streets, amidst Shouts and Acclamations. They could not demonstrate their Satisfaction by ringing the Bells; for these the New England Rebels, among other things, had plundered away. I believe His Majesty's Name was scarce ever so loudly or so affectionately shouted, as it was in this and the ensuing Day in the Streets of New York.
The Rebels made a Stand behind the Redoubts of their great Work towards Kingsbridge, as there was nothing behind them wch threatened to cut off their Retreat. Two or three Companies of our Light Infantry, in the Heightt of that Ardor and Impetuosity, which sometimes forgets even Discipline itself, pressed upon the Rebels to the very Cover of their Lines, suffered a little, and would have suffered more but for the Magnanimity & Heroism of the Grenadiers and Highlanders, who ran (it is said) about two Miles in 15 Minutes to their Relief. The Rebels, seeing the Smallness of their Number, came out of their Works by Thousands in order to cut them off. The little Party, with the greatest Bravery, kept their Ground till the Relief came up; They then retreated and the Rebels advanced, till two Field-Pieces, with the Grenadiers and Highlanders, which the General concealed till they were within 30 Yards Distance took them full in Flank, when they immediately ran with the utmost Confusion to their Works, leaving many dead behind them. We had 9 Men killed and about 80 wounded in this Affair. The Officers hope, that this will be an Instruction to the Soldiers in future not to go beyond or faster than their Command; an Error, which partly from Contempt of the Rebels, and partly from the Heat of Resentment, they have been too apt to fall into. The Confidence of the Fleet and Army in their two great Commanders seems equally affectionate and unbounded. I speak the Sentiments of every Body here, when I say, that the Choice of them was the wisest and the happiest for Great Britain that could have been devised.
Great Numbers of Emigrants, particularly Irish, are in the Rebel Army, some by Choice and many for mere Subsistence. They have also many transported Felons, who have exchanged Ignominy and Servitude, for a Sort of Honor and Ease, by entering among them. This is a further Argument against the Transportation of such People from England in future. Confinement to hard Labor at Home might answer some valuable Purpose there, and would be a real Punishment to the Convicts: Here, they do Great Britain much Injury, by bringing over Numbers and Trades, and so adding Strength, already too great, to the Force of America against her.
We hope for General Burgoyne and his powerful Army in a short Time; as, by the last Advices, he was passing, and now must have passed, the Lakes above Albany. It is understood, through the Rebels themselves, that their late Affair in Canada, has not cost them, through the Sword and Disease, much fewer than 5000 Men.
I will say nothing about the Attempts to effectuate the Civil Commission, as Your Lordship will, I presume, with more Propriety and Precision, receive due Information through the official Channel.
On the 23d of September, three Frigates and a Bomb were sent against Powley's Hook, which lies opposite the Town on the North River. They covered a Debarkation of about 450 Men, who took this Post, fortified strongly as all the others have been, without a Blow; the Rebels, in two large Bodies, running away upon the first Motion to approach them.
I am happy to inform Your Lordship, that the Fleet and Army are comfortably supplied with fresh Provisions and Vegetables from the recovered Territories, and that there is no Probability at present of exhausting our Resources of that kind: This will be a great Saving to Government, as well as Benefit to the Troops. It may be hoped, that, in another Year, we shall want but little Provisions from Home.
We wish exceedingly for the second Embarkation of the Hessians; but, as we learned by Capt. [Thomas] Jordan of the Galatea, who left Plymouth on the 10th of July, that they were not then sailed from England, there is no reason to expect them here soon enough for Service in this Campaign: The Galatea, though a very fast Sailer, was full 9 Weeks in her Passage.
Some Villains, who had concealed themselves for the purpose, set the Town on Fire in several Places in the Night of the 20th instant. The Flames spread with great Rapidity, the Wind being high, and the Houses chiefly covered with Shingles. 'Tis supposed, about a fifth Part of the Town is consumed. Every possible Precaution is taken to prevent the like in future.
The Rebels have left many Cannon, some say above 60 in all, chiefly old Pieces, behind them in their several Retreats, a Magazine of 5000 Barrels of Flour [sic powder], and great Quantities of Shot with some Ammunition. Upon the whole, the King's Forces have obtained with Ease and Advantage, and in a short Time, what, from a Review of the Works and Preparations of the Rebels, it might have been thought, would have cost them at least a whole Campaign. I have the Honor to be, with the warmest Gratitude and Respect, Mv Lord, [&c.]
New York, 25th Sept. 1776.