In New York Harbour, I found my Lord Howe, with his Flag onboard the Eagle, Lord Shuldham in the Chatham and Commodore Hotham in the Preston, with about 25 Sail of Men of War. They were laying off Staten Island, on which General Howe's Army (consisting of 24 thousand Men) were encamped; the Transports, which could not be less than 300 Sail, covered a space of at least 3 Miles; And as the part of the Island where the Camp was, is sloping ground down to the water, the whole together, exhibited, by much, the finest scene I ever Saw.
Lord Howe had arrived abt three weeks before this, but as yet no opperations had been commenced against New York: owing as was said: to having waited for the arrival of the reinforcemt from England, which came in only a few days before, under the command of Como Hotham, after a most tedious & tiresome passage of 14 Weeks. Lord Howe however had written to General Washington to inform him of the Powers that were lodged in him, & his Brother the General, of treating with the Colonies, granting pardons &c. The first letter, as it was directed only to George Washington Esqr &c &c &c he sent back unopend: saying he could receive no letter that was not directed to him by the Title of General Washington, Commander in Chief of the American Forces, which My Lord Howe thought proper to comply with, and his second letter was received; Also his Answer, saying he should lose no time in laying the whole before the Congress, then sitting at Philadelphia. His Lordship had also wrote to Doctor Franklyn, whose answer breathed nothing but a firm resolution of the whole colonies to throw off the Government of Gt Britain. So that whatever hopes might have been concieved of settling the dispute by negociation, it now appeared very certain that they were futile & [ne]gatory.

The Phoenix & Rose, which had been sent up the North River 5 weeks before, where they had been attackd by Galleys & Fireships came down this Morng passing through the Fire of the Batterys on both sides without either recieving any damageー

I Received orders from the Admiral to hold the Ship in readyness for covering the descent of the Troops on Long Island: In the Evening the Phoenix, Greyhound & Rose came down & Anchored near us, and at day break the Ships warped close to the Shore of Gravesend Bay. soon after the Admiral came down, hoisted his Flag on board the Phoenix and made the Signal for the Troops to land. By 8 oclock the Flat bottomd Boats appeared in three divisions, and proceeded to the shore in great order, where they landed without the least opposition; and as the Transports with the remainder of the Troops that were to be landed, followed the Boats imediately, & anchored very near the beach, there was at least 15. Thousand Men, with a large train of Artillery, on Shore in less than an hours time, the first landing being about Six thousand Men. The Boats were Commanded by Commodore Hotham, assisted by Six or eight Captains and a Number of Lieutenants, each boat carrying a Midshipman, a Coxswain & 10 Rowers.
after the Troops were landed the Admiral struck his Flag on board the Phoenix, and left Como Hotham with the Command of that Division of Transports, and to give the ne[ce]ssary Orders for the Baggage & Horses of the Army to be sent over as soon as possible.

Untill this day we had lain without the Narrows, now the Troops were landed, I moved the Ship near the Admiral's off the Watering place at Staten Island; where I erected Tents with my Sails for the sick Men and sent upwards of Sixty ashore, ill with fevers & scurvy, and borrowed 30 Seamen from the Bristol to replace them.

General DeHyster² with 5 Thousand Hessians crossed over to Long Island and Joind the Army, which was encamped round Flatbush. All that part of Long Island that lays opposite to New York is high land and commands the Town. The Rebels had therefore fortified it in the best manner they were able, and had thrown up a chain of Redouts & Lines to oppose the British Troops, which they expected would imediately attack them. Fortunately however this was not the Case; for General Howe, remaining quiet in his Camp at Flat bush four days, gave the Rebels such Spirits, that they determined to take the Feild the Moment they should hear the Army was in Motion.
From our Camp to the Rebels was about 7 Miles, our Troops began their March at Midnight and came on with so much silence that at day break they were discovered on the Hills before the Rebels had heard of their Moving.

They however made the best disposition of their Forces they could, and for some time shewed a resolution of making a stand; particularly on their right wing which was commanded by Lord Sterling and extended down to the Water, where on Account of having a considerable advantage of ground he prevented General [James] Grant's Brigade from advancing untill near 10 Oclock, by which time the right of our Army'had got so much behind the left of theirs, that they found themselves in danger of being surrounded, and having suffered considerably in their Center during the Action, they imediately gave way, and made a precipitate retreat into their Works.
The Fleet assisted in this opperation by 5 Ships getting under way and making an appearnace of attacking The Forts, on which I led with the Roebuck, and exchanged a few Shot with the Fort at Red Hook, but it was situated too high for our Guns to do it any damage. and nothing being intended more than to make a Diversion, to keep the Enemy in their Forts, I hauld off again, and upon the defeat of the Rebels Ashore, The Ships Anchored by Signal from the Admiral.
In this Action the Rebels lost in killed wounded & taken Prisoners upwards of 3 thousand Men: among the Latter were Ld Sterling & Mr Sullivan two of their Generals; who were afterwards exchanged for Genl Prescot [Richard Prescott] (who the Rebels had taken in Canada) and for Mr [Montfort] Brown Governor of the Bahama Islands that had been taken from thence by Hopkins's Squadron. The English Army had about 50 Killed & 300 wounded, mostly very slightly and by the accident of mistaking a Party of the Rebels (who were dressed in Blue) for Hessians, an officer & part of a company of Marine Granadiers fell into the Rebels hands.
After this success Genl Howe lost no time in erecting Battery's against the Rebels works, but on News being brought to the Rebel Army, that several Men of War had arrived near Hell-Gate, thro' the Sound, they saved him the trouble of using them; for on the apprehension of being surrounded, a Panick seized them, and in the Night of the 28th, they, to a Man, deserted all their works on Long Island, and crossed over in Boats to the Town; leaving all their Cannon and a great quantity of Provisions behind them.

They still however kept possessn of Governor's Island, where they had two Regiments in Garrison. In the afternoon the General sent to them to surrender, but on their refusal, he imediately opened a Battery against it at Brookland, and two of the Roebuck's Guns being by this time placed upon Red Hook, together with the fire from her lower Deck, they were soon obliged to quit the Island, leaving every thing behind them. The Ships imediately moved up, but as night was now come on, and it was uncertain if the Fort was entirely abandoned, we neglected taking possession of it. In the Night the Rebels returned, with a Number of Boats, and carried off their Tents Baggage & Provisions