The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-10

William Howe deferred Y I'm attacking him BY very
cousiderste fear ofhe results After remaining here fe"
days Washington, having previously held courch OF
war; made arrangements Cor rereatng into New Jersey,
the enemy having meanwhile occupied tho heights OF
Fordham which he cpcamped, with the let wing OF
his army resting Kings Fridge Tho retreat Of the
patriot army into New Jerrcy was effected on the IAh
OF November.
now became evident ,ha. the enemy had deeigrs on
Fort Washington, aud achieved that as soon as ne
could concentrate his roops IN sufficient force be wcsd
march upon Il. Els osjec: 70 environ 50 @ 70 pre-
vent the escape OF the garrison sni the arrival of rein
orcemen.s. With this Generai Kuyphausen, who was
in c0mma,d Of sx German oataions tovk up position
i'm the neighborhood OF Kings Bridge. The advance Of
the British army such To-, rendered he few defences
Et this point unenabc, ard ;ho Americans accordingly
evacuated Sort Independence snd :he redouns, retreat
ing towards and taking up position near 20
Fort Washington. The British had nov achieved the
object hey hs. in view-tbe environment OF this impor
tan point Du. 10 mako certain CT their prize, force Of
three ships owar ard largo number Of Hatooats pro-
ceeded up the river and 70 near Kings Bridge,
the chsraar dc re presea,ns little i any obstacle 70
their passage.
Washington was an arxicus spectator Of these move
ments, and, seeing the Threatening aspect Of affairs would
It's said have ordered the esasaaon OF the for but for
the with which General Greene urged the no
cessy for It's defence the ground Of guarding the pas
sage of the river. may DC mentioned here aso .ha.
the which the American army had sustained up
70 this time rendered necessary in the opinion Of Con-
gress that determined stand should be made Fort
Washington, and that it sboud DO retained as long a,
possible Had he desire o. Washington himself bsen
consulted In the matter, the g1rrson and ammuni
ton would have been saved from the enemy. II
was now the 18th Of November, and The Americans
awaited with terrible anxiety the result Of the fear
ful conflict which was SO soon 70 take place, and
which feared would result n placing the troops OF
King George possession OF the whole island Tho garri
the fort and works Il this time numbered about
three thousand men, under the command OF Colonel Magaw
Colonel Baxter Colonel Cadgallader and Colonel Raw
lngs The FIRST senior officer had command of the fort,
the were stationed folows-Coonel Ra ngs,
the head Of force OF Maryland rhemen held posses
sion of Fort George, which commanded the nil t6the
north Ct Fort Washington; while Colonel Baxter with his
regiment Of militia Of the hyng camp, was posted on the
hills overlooking the Harlem river in direct line from
Fort Washington Colonel CaiwalIader, With his penn.
syvana regiment, defended the approaches from the
south.
The first decided intmation which tho American com
mander had Of The design ofthe enemy his summons
TO surrender, the day preceding the capture Of the
fort To this he replied that he would defend 1t 70 the
bes, disposition which be could under the circumstances
u the little army under hs command. Washington
having heard Of the to surrender ,ided
crossing the river but while his way he met by
Generals Greene and Putnam, who told him that Colonel
Magaw confident Of On this representation
he returned 10 Fort Lee.
The first inmaton the patriots had that the foe had
commenced the attack given by cannonade against
Colonel Rawlings division, which, has been stated
was placed in defence of Fort George.
The force Of the Engsh which greatly exceeded those
of the patriots. is estimated at from eight to
nine thousand These arranged, according to
military critics, with admirable Judgment for tho
attack Five hundred Hessians and wsldeckers led by
Knyphausen, 10 commence operations the north
while Simultaneous movement be directed frtn
the south by Lord Percy, IN command Of asrge division
of Engsh and Hessians strong body under Brgadier
Mathews supported by CORVALLIS, to take up po
ston above Fort Washington, after crossing tho Harlem
river This DO effected under cover OF a battery
westchester hills. AZ the same time tho Forty
second regiment, under Colonel Stirling, TO make
demonstration little above the High Bridge.
The hostile forces now In position, and we have
said the rst attack made against Fort George The
cannonade on that point was commenced about seven
O'Clock the morning Of the l6th OF November, and
soon xftsr n fire was opened by the enemys guns
under Rawlings, after Q desperate and protracted
resistance obliged to abandon their position retreat
ing sucnly beforc-cse enemy, among whom they made
wild work. Tho gallant fellows under Colonel Rawl-
ings maintained themselves for q long timo against
greatly superior numbers, and only retrcated af-
ter their muskets had been so foulcd by fire.
quent firing a. 10 be rendered useless Tho enemy pcr
ceving their nre gradually abating pushed up the hill
the bodies OF their fallen comrades several hundred
Of which lay on the Mill side after gained the sum
nit and took possession Of the fort.
In the meantime the passage Of the Harlem river by
another division Of the enemy, commanded by Lord Percy
contested with much gAantry by the force under Colo
neiC.dwaiader About hundred Of the enemy were killed
and wounded before they effected landing; but superior
numbers prevailed, and the patriots, having done
good execution, retired with some loss in tho direc
ton Of Fort Washington. The Americans had
but hundred and any To oppose to eight hundred Of
the enemy al this point Percy however, did not pursue
them but retired behind wood thus bringing the struggle
at this point 10 close for the time being.
Baxters were driven by another force Of tho
enemy from the hill commanding the Harlem river and
time aer the body Of the enemys forces took
possession Of rcdoubt tho summit and swo hundred
prisoners. Cadwsiadcr, learning Of this Of the
British and 10 avoid being placed between two fires com.
monced his retreat towards Fort Washington by a road
nearest 10 the Hudson, fighting with desperate obsnacy
during the whole OF his retreat As he nearing the
fort attempt made By Colonel Stirling 10 intercept
him; but he succeeded in forcing his way ser the loss
Of some killed and small numbcr who were taken pri.
souers.
The attack, as we have sad commenced al the
morning, and by twelve, after saan, resistance against
greatly superior force, the patriots we're all driven
into the fort which delivered up AFTER another sum
70 surrender. Here they would however have sun
made stand, had they been justified in doing by the
nature d the defenccs but these said 10 be 20 mis-
cradle that 10 hold cut longer would only lead 10 an unne
cessny sacrifice Of LIFE. They had however fought we'll
and bravely and the British commander after counting
bis loss-which amounted 10 about thousand-had ser
all, little reason 70 congratulate himself success 10
dearly purchased The loss Of the patriots killed and
wounded did not exceed two hundred Tho garrison,
numbering ASA, officers Included taken prisoners,
with all the arms and ammunition in the fort