The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-04-20


The Ocfences Of Our CAtF.
Every schoeiooy will recollect that when
the Kings army, under General Sir William
Howe, came. in the summer of 1776, to occupy
the rebel city of New York. it arrived in tive
detachmeDts. The vessels bringing the first sail
ed mp through the Narrows, and landed the
troops temporarily ct Port Richmond aud there
soouts, on Staten leland, where the General
Lord Howe's) feet, which brought up the
remainder OF the troops. 1t was while tnes
waiting, Sir William Ho We leaned the siga,d
cant fact that he was DO logger approaching
rebels, but was invading independent and sove-
reign States The army being concentr ated
ny the arrival of the ADMIRAL, the troops
ashore were immediately re-embarked; wners-
upon the fleet, carrying the whole army, pass
ed back through the Narows, and, crossing
over to the Long Island shore, landed the
troops this time on the western end Of that
island, in Gravesend Bay, just below where
Fort Hamilton nov stands. 1t may we'll o.
asked why the fleet, which was well equipped
pey accomplished, . few years afterwards with
a similar one did not sail right up the nay,
and at cnce attack the city from the WAGER.
All We can say on this point is, that the
Admiral vas doubtless deferred from the
attempt oy the knowledge that there were
some guns very judiciousiy placed ia battery
at the lower point Of the city, which would
r; no
direct attack. These guns gave to that beau
t,ful spot the name it now bears, il" The Bate
ry." The success of Gen. Howe's march and
oul consequent disasters, only relieved by
Wsshingtons masterly withdrawal of our army
across the East river. are too we'll koovn to
need more than a general reference to meet
our present purposes. WHAT we might, how
ever, very properly for moment dwell upon
for it closely concerns us at this day lie the
fact that these disasters were neither to be at
tribnted to any peculiar excellence of the Bri-
tish troops OF that time, nor to any discredisa,
BILE deficiencies on the part of ours, tor our line
many of whom were afterwards mire0 N the
marshes of the Gowauus, where they were
either lost or taken--fought as gallantly as
troops ever did, but mainly to the topographi-
cal features and accidents of the ground, which
we're all so markedly in favor of the attack
that the temporary works thrown up for the
defence of the position were SO easily turned
that they could not be held against any decided
attack.
Without pretending, like NJ. Theirs, to have
studied the art of war for the purpose Of writ
ing history, and moreover, without any inten-
ton of carrying on regular poiemic about
the defences of New York, in imitation of that
which was waged some years since between the
journals of the Paris press as to whether their
city would be most effectually defended by
q continuous line or by series of de-
tached works, still we may, without incur
ring the imputation of presumption, venture
to enter upon more limited field of criticism,
where we can draw some marked contrasts or
point out some evident analogies. We have
crossed the Fulton ferry, we have witnessed
launch at the Navy Yard, we have observed
how the eastern shore of the Wallabout looks
over into the docks and yards on the western
we have driven to the Central Course, to ia
maics, to Rockaway, to Flatbush, aud along
the shore to Fort Hamilton-we have passed
through Hellgate and have made trip to
Flushing. The little knowledge thus gained,
and shared by thousands, enables them as we'll
as us to understand simple description, which
any one o. ce hearing can afterwards convey
intelligibly to others.
The geologist tells us that Long Island is
but fair type OF the geological formation of
all our south Atlantic coast: sands washed
and rolled up by the action of the lower cur
rents of the sea at date which we are satisfied
in regarding ss quite remote, but which it
would not astonish us to see Lyell, with the
simple aid of Dillworth-if he is yet authority
in figures complacently CIPHER out to the
exact pre-Adamite year and century forming
the ridge which constitutes the island. This
ridge has it's gentle and long slope facing the
ocean, and its sleeper and shorter slope look
ing towards the Sound and East river. Its
western end, terminating abruptly on the New
York bay, and giving cut numerous spurs OIL
it's northern face, affords every where easy de-
bouches towards Brooklyn and down into the
plains extending from Williamsburg to Flush
ing, but nowhere do these debouches run into
a single pass which our gallant boys could
illustrate ~ another Thermopylg.
Now we already appreciate the fact that an
enemy landing in force anywhere on Long
Island, whether on it's ocean shore or that of
the Soutd, would if his march on Brooklyn
and Williamsburg were unimpeded, hold
our city entirely at his mercy. That such
things as have been done may be done again,
is no very violent hypothesis; nor can any SCI
entifc calculations give assurance Of safety
where experience disproves their results. Ii
when the Narrows and Sound we're both open,
the enemy preferred the land attack, can our
guarding the Narrows or closing the Sound,
ever 80 effectually, force him to do more if he
were determine dly fixed on making an attack,
- L. IL