Present, His Excellency Gen. Washington; Major-Generals, [Israel] Putnam, [Joseph] Spencer; Brigadier Generals, [Thomas] Mifflin, [Alexander] McDougall, [Samuel Holden] Parsons, [John Morin] Scott, [James] Wadsworth, [John] Fellows.

It was submitted to the consideration of the Council, whether under all circumstances, it would not be eligible to leave Long Island, and its dependencies, and remove the army to New York. Unanimously agreed in affirmative, for the following reasons:

1st Because our advanced party had met with a defeat, and the wood was lost, where we expected to make a principal stand.

2d The great loss sustained in the death, or the captivity of several valuable officers, and their battalions, or a large part of them, had occasioned great confusion and discouragement among the troops.

3d The heavy rains which fell two days and nights with but little intermission, had injured the arms, and spoiled a great part of the ammunition; and the soldiery being without cover, and obliged to lay in the lines, were worn out, and it was to be feared could not be retained in them in any order.

4th From the time the enemy moved from Flatbush, several large ships had attempted to get up, as supposed, into the East River, to cut off our communication, by which the whole Army would have been destroyed, but the wind being northeast, could not effect it.

5th Upon consulting with persons of knowledge of the harbour, they were ofbpinion that small ships might come between Long Islands and Governour's Island, where there are no obstructions, and which would cut off the communication effectually; and who were also of opinion that the [hulks] sunk between Governor's Island and the city of New York, were no sufficient security for obstructing that passage.

6th Thoug[h] our lines were fortified with strong redoubts, yet a great part of them were weak, being abbatied with brush, and affording no strong cover, so that there was reason to apprehend they might be forced, which would have put our troops in confusion, and having no retreat they must have been cut in pieces or made prisoners.

7th The divided state of our troops, render our defence very precarious, and the duty of defending long and extensive lines, at so many different places, without proper conveniences and cover, so very fatiguing, that the troops had become dispirited by their incessant duty and watching.

8th Because the enemy had sent several ships of war into the Sound to a place called Flushing Bay, and from the information received, that a part of their troops were moving across Long Island that way, there was reason to apprehend they meant to pass over land and form an encampment above Kingsbridge, in order to cut off and prevent all communication between our army and the country beyond them, or to get in our rear.