New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-25

quarters, where everything Wss conducted with
simplicity and dignity The wives Of come Of the
other generals and officers rallied round Mr..
Washington, bat social Intercourse was generally
at sn end. We all live here, writes lady Of
New-York, like nuns shut up in e nunnery. No
society with the town, for there none there 10
visit; neither can We 60 in or out after certain
hour without the countsrsign.''
! Coon after the Declaration Of Independence, the
/ jealousics which had long prevailed among the Off
Gers Of the army, became source of great anxiety
TO Washington Nor was this alleyisted by any
surplu,age of harmony among the troops. o.
these miscellaneous regiments, Mr.. Irving has coli
lected several rather piquant descriptions.
Nowhere were these sectional ea.ousies more preva-
len; than il tie motley army as nbled from distant
quarters under Washington own command. Reed
tle acknowledgement, speaking Oh this subject OBJ
serve: The Southern troops, comprising the req
m, Its south Of the ID. laware looked with very unkind
feeling. On those of New-England especially those
made them the objects of disguised derisiOn among
their lslov-soldieIs."
Among the troop thu. designated o. Southern, were
stme from Virginia under Ma or Leiieh Others nom
MARYLAND, under Colonel smawOud; other from Del
aware led by Colonel Haslet. There four CONT
dental bataOns from Pennsylvania, commanded by
Colonies Shee, -. Clair, WAYNE and Magaw and
provincial battaOns. two Of which severay COM
manded by Colonies Miles and Aztec. The continental
battalion under Colonel Shee chiefly from the City
of Philadelphia, specially the officers among whom
were Lambert Cadwalader ond William Alien, men,
bcrs Of two Of the principal and most astOCTatic fam
lilies, and Alexander Graydon, 10 whose memoirs We
indebted for some graphic pietulo- Of the times.
Thee Pennsyva troops were under the command
Of BTigadier. general Mtiiin who. in the preceding
year, had acted Nashingtohs ald-de-camp and al
t,ruarda "a rt.ru - general H.
and intimate, GrnydOn. chardcterZcs him a. man %
education and cultivated manner, with great talent
at baiaDguing highly animated IN bis appearance ful
activity and apparently Of fire but rather too much
OF hustler, haTassiDg Lis men unnecessarily. lie
assumed, adds GraydOn, little OF the veteran from
having been before Boston II- troop chiefly
encamped near kngs Bridge, and employed in con-
structing works at Fort Washington.
Smallw woods Maryland battalion was one OF the
brightest in point of equipment The scarlet and outi
uniforms Of those SOutherners conTasted wildly with
the rustic attire OF the yeoman battahons from the
Eat. Their officers, too looked down upon their
Connecticut compeers who could only be distinguished
from their men by wearing cOckade. " There were
Lone," says GTaydoD, by whom Unoitcey-like ap-
pcarance and depotment could be tolerated less than
by cty-bred haIylandtr who. OF th;s time, was dis
tnguish,d by the most Fashionable cut coat, the mot
mGcarOHs cOcktdhat, and hottest blood in tie
Union Alas for the hOmespun-clad officer from
Connecticut River!
The Pennsylvania regiment under Shee, according
to GIaydon, promoted balls and other entertainments,
fOntT6OEtluCfOn 10 the faHt-dayB ana reruDnS
rowed from ew-England. There was nothing of the
Puritanica spirt among the Pennsylvania sold'ery.
In the sectional spirit, he speaks Of tine Con-
nectcut lght-horse: "Old-fashOned men, tuy iuegU-
lars; whether their clothing, equ pments or capari-
sons were regarded it would have been difficult to
hive discovered any circumstance oi uniformity.
Instead Of carbines and sabers they generally carried
fowlDg-piecee, some of them very long, such as IN
Pennsy lvania used for shooting ducks. Here anu
there one appeared in dingy regimental OF sCsrle
with a triangular, tanshed laced hat. These sngu-
lar Dragons were volunteers, who came to make
tender of their services 10 the CommandoJ-n-Cb bier
But they STAYED not long in New-York. A. such
body OF cavalry had not been counted upon, there
was in all probability want OF forage Or their Jdde
which, in the spirit of ancient knigahood they ah-o
lutely refused 90 d.scend from; aud the General
had no use for cavaliers in bis nsuar operations they
were forthwith dismissed, with suitable acknowledge
II ents for their truly chivarous ardor.'
The troops thus satirized were body o. between
four and five hundred Connecticut Ggl-hOrse, under
Colonel thomas Seymour On an appeal for ala 70
the Governor of their State, they hal voluntarily
fastened in advance Of the militia to render the
no,t speedy succor. Suppos'ng nom the suddenness
and urgency of the call upon their services that they
were inm diaely Ia be called into action and promptly
to return home they bad come of N such haste that
iaHy were uuprovded even with blanket or chabge
OF clothing. -, -.
Washington speak OF them as being for ne most
part if not all OF reputation and property. 11ey
were in fact, mostly iarner A. TO thcir soITy J"dt
they rough country horses, such az Farmers
L
T. gimeltals, we quote a word in their favor from
writer of that day: Some Of these worthy soldiers
assisted in their presnt uniforms Mt the reduction OF
Lousburg and their 'lank checks and war-woIn
coats are viewed with more veneratOn by Their
their honest countymen than If they were glitterae
nabobs from India, or bashaws with nine tails
John Adams speaking of the discordant passions
at work throughout the country, observed; 1t re-
qures more serenity of temper, deeper under
standing and more courage than fell 10 the LOT OF
Marlborough, to ride in this whrlwind.
The battle of Long Island soon came 70 queI
internal discussions by the sense OF common peril
This was fought under the burning sun OF August.
Abe ut nine o'clock in the evening of the 26ih, Sr
Henry Clinton began Bis march from Fa,lands with
the Vanguard composed Of gbt-infantry. Lord Per
CIV followed with the grenaders, artillery ara hgbt drt-
eoons, forming the center. Lord CORVALLIS brought
IN the rear-guard with the heavy ordnance. 'eh.Iai
Howe accompanied this division.
Ii was silent march, without beat of dram or soIbo
cf trumpet, under guidance OF Long Island tory,
along by-TOads tTavesing swamp by narrow cause
Way aud 60 across the country 20 the Jamaica road
About two hours before daybreak, they arrived within
Laf mile of the pass through the Bedford Hhls htd
halted Ia prepare for an attack. Al this luncure they
caItured an American patrol and learned TO Their sur
mise that the Bedford pass unoccupiod 10 fct,
The whole road beyond Bedford leading TO Jamaica,
had bee left uncuarded except by some light Voiuu-
te,r troops Colonies William aud Mile, who were
stationed TO he left Of Colonel Hand, among the wood
ed hills al been instructed TO send out parties occa-
oLay to patrol the road but no troops tad been eta
toned al the Bedford pass The road and pass may
net have be- n included in General Greene plan o.
defense may have been thought TOO far out OF The
way TO need special pTeeauti1. Tie neglect Of them.
however proved fatal.
Sir Heniy Clinton immediately detached G. bsttaheu
Of light infantry to secGro the pass, and, GdV aneiGS
with his corps al tie rst break Of day, possessed BIN