Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-04-27
MEMOIRS:
of The TVar in the Southern Department 81
the United States.
(coNTlNuEp,
CHAPTER III.

liam Howe's intention. IhlsI oflcer, conn
manding in chief the British forces, had lett
New-York with $4,000 men completely az.
pointed and equipped, under convoy OF pow
erfuI fleet, directed by his brother lord
Howe.
Weighing from Sandy Hook, in July, the
feet stcered for the south, which general
Washington supposed TO be the intended
course but lest it might have been ielnt to
draw the American army far from tho ttud-
son, with view of returning with the first tar
wind and seizing West Point, the American
Thermopyla,* washed by that river; Wash
ington proceeded no farther south than to
Bucks county, in Pennsylvania, sufficiently
near, for his timely interpositlon, shpulo SIT
William Howe suddenly change his direction.
There, alter lapse of five weeks, hefecely-
ed information, that the feet had entered into
the Chesapeake, and was standing up that Bag.
He instantly decamped, and took a position
on White-Clay creek, In the county q Ches-
ter, while his light troops extended TO the VI
cinity of Elkton, In the state OF Mary land be-
low which, at Cecil old courthouse, Toe enemy
disembarked on the 2Sth ofAugust. With very
little delay, sir William advanced to Elkton,
whence be moved TO his LETT, pleterilng
the upper route, where the Water-courses
were fordable; where, from the presumed
security of the farmers, provisions were more
readily procurable; and where, he avoided
those artificial impcdiments known to De pre-
pared Tor HIM on the lower route As soon
as this movement was asCertained by Wash
ington, he broke up from Whte-Clay creek,
and, turning to his right, took post on the
eastern side of the Brandywine, fronting
Chads Ford, where he waited the approach of
MS foe. Sir William continued to advance
by steady marches, holding up the strength of
his troops, whose valor he foresaw, with plea
sure, would be tested in few days.
Properly so termed, whether we regard
It's natural difficulties, or its military nnpor-
lance. The high lands begin their ascent
little above Kings Ferry on the Hudson, for
y miles up the river from NewYork, COM
municating between Stony and Verplank's
Point. In Pennsylvania and Maryland tie
same ridge of mountains IS known by the
name of the North Mountain, being the only
one which passes through all the northern
sa5ss the en66 ackb6n se 81 AHgIeaa AeFiea
absolutely sinks, before it reaches the south
ern limit of Virginia, into the North mountain,
or Blue Ridge. This spot, OF preclplce, link
ed to precipice, now and then separated by a
assure admitting the pass of men In single
file, rugged, sharp and steep, was selected by
Washington to hold safe the possession OF the
upper Hudson, indispensable to the free egress
and regress between the north and the south,
without which, military resistance could not
be upheld This mountainous region is COM
puted to be twenty miles In breadth, alike
rugged and impenetrable on both sides OF the
river near It's margin. About midway, On its
eastern bank, is Antony's Nose, sos yards per-
pendicularly high: and opposite to it, 1913
feet above the level ofthe river, is a spur Of
the mountain, with table land on its summit
sufficient for the erection of works, separated
from another spur by Preploap's Kill or creek,
(kill is the Dutch word for creek) presenting
the same facility. Both these tops were for
tilted the first called Fort Clinton, after the
and zea!sus governor OF the state
of New-York and the last named Montgome-
ry, after the hero of Quebec.
Antony's Nose, in its first step OF ascent, is
washed by Peekskill, which falls into the Hud-
son, on the northern banks ofwhlch was erect
ed Fort independence and six or seven miles
above the Nose, towards the decliylty of the
high lands, is Fort Constitution. These were
our land defences.
In the river, between the water projection
of the spur on whose summit stood fort Gin
ton, and the base of Antony's Nose, here per-
pendcular, was sunk boom of mountain tim
Der fastened together by all the ligaments of
art, ponderous and durable. In front of which
was affixed to the rocky base of the mountain,
on each side of the river, an iron chain nearly
sixty tons in weight, whose every link was
two inches and half square, and which in
its sweep across the river presented its point
to the enemy in the channel. Behind the