The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-06-08


have left obscure some of the details of this affair,
let me briefly recapituate its successive disasters.
| have supposed the reader to be, where all would
have chosen to stand on that occasion, on the Am
ercan side. A glance at the motions of the Brit
ish, will show how admirably their manGuvres
were planned and executed. The success of the
concerted movement was insured by the unlore-
seen maady of General Greene, All the passes
to Brooklyn were defended, save one; and it was
by this that the troops which decided the fortunes
of the day, and were the same we left filing of
from Flatland to New-Lots on the previous night,
turned the American flank. The road from ia
maica to Bedford was left unprotected; the enemy
early ascertained this fact; and, to enable them to
profit by our neglect, General Grants advance,
which was diversion, had been devised. The
feet and General de Hester co-operated with him
in this manGuvre General Putnam, taking this
fent for bona tide attack, was deceived; and the
Americans were en:rapped by forces superior in
discipline, in tactics, in numbers, in good fortune,
but not in courage; for though eleven hundred
were either killed or taken, near four thousand
fought their way back to the camp
TO the absence oftGenersl Greene, who had
studied, and would doubtless have guarded, all
the approaches to the camp and TO the want of
general commanding officer throughout the day,
may this disorder be attributed. General Putnam
could not leave his lines, and tine double care OF
New York and Long-Island devolved upon the
commander-in-chief General w oodhull, who had
been ordered to guard the road from Bedford to
jamaica with the Long-Island militia, remained
at Jamaica. The neglect which lost US the day,
cost him his life. Riding home, after disbanding
the volunteers under his command, he was captur-
ed by the British, and UNANIMOUSLY cut to pieces, on
his refusing to say, God save the king
Impartiality must award high praise, on this &C.
cason, to the bravery of the enemy's troops, who
followed so holly in pursuit, that they were with
difficulty withheld from attacking the American
trenches. At night the patriots within them told
their missing brethren; and when their loss be-
came known, and uncertainty yelled the fate of
the absent ones, gloom and dependency pervaded
the camp The victorious British on the contrary,
FASTENED to secure the ground they had gained,
tand flushed with victory, passed the nigh in ex-
ultation.
On the twentv-eighth violent rain kept the
two armies in retrospective encampments. That
night, the enemy broke ground within about six
hundred yards of Fort Greene, and on the fol-
lowing day were busily engaged in throwing up
entertainments. Their main force was advancing,
by slow but sure approaches, to besiege the AM
erican Notifications, and their superior artillery
advanced sentinel of the British army was sur
priced on the morning of the thirteth, by the un-
wonted stiffness within the American lines Call
ing comrade or two around him, they proce eded
to reconnoitre. Emboldened by the silence, they
crept near the embanb ment, and cautiously peep
ing into our camp, perceived not a vestige of the
army to whose challenges they had listened the
night before. The alarm was given, and the party
who first rushed in, to take possession of the works,
saw in the mid-stream, out of gun-shot and filled
with we-pleased Americans, the last of the barges
which had borne their comrades across the waters
that night. Beyond it, in a small boat, there sat
an American officer, of calm and dignifed mein.
On his pale counenance the anxious muscles
were relaxing into heavenly smile. This bark
bore Cesar and his fortunes; and prayer SEEM
ed to escape the lips of WASHINGTON, as glance
at the distant shore told him the American army
was beyond the reach of danger.
Nine thousand men, with all their stores and
nmmuntions, crossed the East River during the
light, unperceved by the enemy. For four-and-
twenty hours previous the commander-in-chief had
not left the saddle. The immediate embarcation
Of the troops was under the direction of General
M'Dougall, to whose vigiant activity high praise
is due.
Injurious popular opinion has admitted this to
UceIl SlldIllelul tIuSl tlldl all WDOI
nave watched the phases of the day, and the con-
,urrence of good and evil fortune on the respec-
i've parts of the British and Americans, will ac-
the injustice of this decision One
great advantage of the assaants lies in the choice
IF points for attack, presented by any extensive
field. This was peculiarly the case in the battle
IF the twenty-scventh of August. The outer line
Of defence was dsproportioncd to the force en-
oloyed and the enemy's subsequent moves com
oellmg our army to retreat, proved the forlca-
ions within to have been planned on too small
scale for the defence of that part of the island.
1t was no disgraceful rout. We have shown,
hat the troops behaved with high spirit; and
would that we might do justice to the distinguished
courage displayed by the bands under General
Sullivan and Lord Stirling, on this occasion. In
particular, may the attack of the latter upon Lord
CORVALLIS, be singled out as feat of chivalrous
,allantry and the stand long maintained by the
Narylanders, upon the hill, with flying colors, I'M
Ter the enemys severest fire, be cited as examples
If Spartan heroism. Some blame has been at
ached by Gordon to General Sullivan, for neg
ect of vigilance upon the unfortunate Jamaica
Dad. This oflicers defended by Judge Marshal,
Who observes, that the paucity of his troops, and
he entire want of cavalry, forced him to rely up
nyGeneral Woodruff for the defence of that pass.