October 23, 1776

From October 8th to November 1st, I am blogging about the White Plains “campaign” of 1776. Click here for an overview of this project, a listing of the sources used, and other general information.

Synopsis for October 23rd: The British sent a reconnaissance in force towards Mile Square.

Previous entry: October 22nd; next: October 24th.

The Hessians of Lieutenant-General Wilhelm von Knyphausen’s newly arrived division were inspected at New Rochelle. George Osborn scoffed that “they are in every respect far inferior to the first [division]”. Actually, the men of Captain Johann von Ewald’s 2nd Jäger Company were found to be excellent troops, and that morning they were called upon to participate in a reconnaissance in force towards Mile Square.

Captain Johann von Ewald recalled, “I was delighted with the message, for there was nothing I dreaded more in the world than a rest camp, and I wished for nothing more than to get to know the enemy.”

Archibald Robertson (Royal Engineers) thought the British sent two or three thousand men on this mission. The two jäger companies were placed at the head of the advance, with Captain Carl August von Wreden’s 1st Jäger on the right of the road, and Ewald’s 2nd Jäger on the left. Ewald turned to his company and “informed each officer and corporal what they were to do during the march and exhorted the jägers to demonstrate their good conduct, since they would get their first test today.”

The jägers then began to fan out and advance, but, according to Ewald, “The area was heavily intersected by woods, hills, and fields enclosed by walls; hence it was impossible to see far around, and I lost sight of most of my company.”

Also on the move this morning was Sergeant John Smith (Lippitt’s Regiment, Nixon’s brigade). He recalled:

“I having not much business to do I went out of the camp with Sergeant Harvey and a lad to take a walk to get If I could something for myself as most of the others had done [in other words, he was looking for plunder]… we went over a hill about 2 miles from our camp and going down the hill I espied a number of Hessians in an orchard getting apples which we took for our own men but… one… on seeing us stepped behind some bushes… to wait [for] our coming [and] gave us some suspicion of their being enemies[.] We turned back and ran up the hill again for we had no arms with us and as soon as we got to the top of the hill we heard a volley of small arms beyond the orchard[.] An affray soon began”.

The affray was started by a much larger party of Americans –200 or so men – that Colonel John Glover described as “a scouting party, principally from my own regiment”.

Ewald recalled:

“We had marched only a few minutes when several shots rang out on our left. As I tried to gain a hill from which I could look around, our left wing suddenly came under fierce fire [from Glover’s men]. With the half of the platoon I had taken with me I rushed toward the sound of the firing, where I found a handful of my jägers engaged with several battalions of Americans. I could not retreat… and I could not advance with my few men, since I caught sight of a camp nearby which must have belonged to the enemy army.”

“I maneuvered as well as I could to cover both my flanks, which had formed into a circle lying an acre’s length apart under heavy fire. I discovered a house on a hill to the right toward which several jägers were crawling. Through their fire I gained some air on the right flank, but on my left I was completely hemmed in.”

Soon Colonel Carl von Donop came to his aid with a battalion of light infantry and two field pieces. Ewald wrote that their “bayonets and grapeshot provided the precious air by which I was saved. I got off with a loss of six dead and eleven wounded, including [Second] Lieutenant [Carl von] Rau, who was shot in the foot, and two taken prisoner.”

The Americans lost 1 man mortally wounded in Baldwin’s Regiment and six or eight others who were less severely wounded [see footnote].

Major-General Charles Lee wrote later with satisfaction:

“Glover, an admirable officer… fairly beat ‘em—a shooting match betwixt the riflers and Hessian chasseurs [jaegers] demonstrated our superiority at this time [when] the parties were equal in numbers, and we won the match”.

The sound of heavy firing brought the British general officers onto the field. Ewald noted that “[Lieutenant] General [Leopold Philip von] Heister, who seemed to be unfriendly, gave me a sharp reprimand. But [Lieutenant] General [William] Howe, who apparently noticed that the Hessian general must have said something unpleasant to me, expressed his satisfaction to me through one of his adjutants.”

The reconnaissance-in-force then continued forward. Ensign Henry Stirke (light infantry company, 10th Foot) saw “small parties” of the Americans “at a great distance, but [they] always retreated as we advanced.”

The British force did not attempt to cross the Bronx, and after several hours they returned to camp, having made no great discoveries.

Sergeant Smith meanwhile had hurried back to Mile Square. He was afraid that:

“I should come under blame for leaving the camps as it was against general orders to cross over the [Bronx] River without a pass from the general[.] The regiment was at their alarm post and I got into camp without being discovered by anybody there[.] About sundown the regiments turned into quarters again[.]”

Footnote: Ewald’s company consisted of approximately 125 men. Various claims were made about Ewald’s losses, These include 2 killed, 2 wounded, 2 missing (Carl Leopold Baurmeister); 4 killed, 3 wounded, 2 missing (historian Edward Lowell, citing a Hessian source); 4 killed, 9 wounded (Archibald Robertson); 6 killed, 11 wounded, 2 captured (Ewald); 9 killed and 2 captured (John Smith); 10 killed, 2 captured (Robert Harrison); 10 killed, 3 captured (Charles Lee); 12 killed, 3 captured (John Glover); 13 killed, 2 captured (Benjamin Trumbull).

William Heath claimed that the Americans had 200 men; Robert Harrison gave the number as 240; he also stated they were some of Edward Hand’s Pennsylvania riflemen. Benjamin Trumbull wrote that one American was mortally wounded (“an Indian fellow”), and six or eight were less severely wounded. Glover also admitted to one mortally wounded man, and said that he was in Baldwin’s Regiment. John Smith heard that “we had a rifleman killed and an Indian wounded in the action”.

October 13, 1776

From October 8th to November 1st, I am blogging about the White Plains “campaign” of 1776.Click here for an overview of this project, a listing of the sources used, and other general information.

Synopsis for October 13th: The Americans brought reinforcements into Westchester County; the British prepared for their next move.

Previous entry: October 12th; next: October 14th.

Major-General William Heath commanded the American troops in lower Westchester County. He observed that at Throg’s Neck “a large number of vessels, ships, brigs, schooners, sloops… etc.” were at anchor offshore. During the night of October 12-13, “[their] lanthorns were lighted and hung out at their yard arms which made a very extraordinary appearance.”

The Americans suspected the landing on Throg’s Neck was only a feint, and they thought the British might make a new landing elsewhere. Sure enough, the British showed no signs of attempting to force their way overland from Throg’s Neck. Instead, there was only scattered firing between the armies. According to Heath, “Captain Bryant [of Knox’s Artillery Regiment], now and then… saluted the British with a field-piece.”

To prepare against the various possible British moves, the Americans poured reinforcements into Westchester County. Alexander McDougall’s marched into Westchester County from Manhattan, and the brigades of John Glover and John Nixon were sent across the Hudson from New Jersey to Kingsbridge.

Screenshot of a Google Maps satellite view of Throg’s Neck (click to enlarge). The marked sites of the British landing and of Westchester Creek bridge are based on the Charles Blaskowitz map, shown partially below.

Excerpt of a Charles Blaskowitz showing the position of British and American forces on either side of Westchester Creek (click to enlarge). The American positions at the bridge (lower left) and at the head of the creek (upper left) were defended by troops from Colonel Edward Hand’s Pennsylvania brigade, Colonel William Prescott’s 7th Continental Regiment, Colonel Morris Graham’s New York militia regiment, and a couple of pieces of artillery. These troops (among others) were commanded by Major-General William Heath. Only part of the British army is visible. Blaskowitz depicted close to the bridge some companies of British light infantry (the red triangles), the 1st Jäger Company (two green triangles), and a detachment of light dragoons (the red and white square). Near the head of the creek is the 2nd British brigade (5th, 28th, 35th, 49th regiments of foot). The rest of the British army was encamped to the east or southeast.

The Throg’s Neck area is today heavily urbanized. The image below (screenshot using Google Maps) shows that the humble Westchester Creek Bridge has given way to several major traffic arteries.

British Commissary Charles Stedman later criticized Lieutenant-General William Howe for not immediately making another move. He called the landing on Throg’s Neck a “mistake” and said that it “should have been remedied instantly, by pushing along some other route”. The British landing craft were on hand, and the troops were already carrying provisions for this day and the next, but no move was made. Howe explained later that another move “would have been an imprudent measure, as it could not have been executed without much unnecessary risk.” Instead, Howe decided to wait until he was more fully prepared. During this time, he later wrote, “we were employed in getting up stores and provisions” and “the carriages and horses for transporting provisions, artillery, ammunition, and baggage.” More men were on the way as well.

October 12, 1776

From October 8th to November 1st, I am blogging about the White Plains “campaign” of 1776. Click here for an overview of this project, a listing of the sources used, and other general information.

Synopsis for October 12th: The British army crossed to Throg’s Neck; the Americans prevented the British from advancing far inland.

Previous entry: October 11th; next: October 13th.

During the night, the British army began to cross to Throg’s Neck (also known as Frog’s Point). Captain Henry Duncan of HMS Eagle, oversaw part of the crossing. He wrote:

“About three o'clock [on] Saturday morning, the 12th, the troops were embarked in the flat boats and bateaux, to the number of between four and five thousand men; the Guards and 42nd regiment, between fourteen and fifteen hundred men, were embarked on board sloops under my direction. At daybreak in the morning the boats set off, and no sooner had they put off, with an amazing strong tide, but it came on a fog equal to pitch darkness, with now and then an interval of light for a few seconds. The boats were put off; to attempt to stop them would have been very dangerous, for the headmost boats must have anchored, and the boats that followed would in all probability run [a]foul of them, to the imminent danger of sinking each other; the admiral [i.e., Vice Admiral Richard Howe], therefore, rather chose to run the risk of passing Hell Gate with all the boats in that rapid tide and dark fog. I went astern and ordered all the boats to move forward. Soon after their putting off, a galley towing one of the artillery boats, in endeavouring to cross a vessel lying in the passage, towed her athwart hawse; the boat ran directly up her cable, and overset instantly. Many of the people were picked up; there were three field-pieces lost, and I suppose five or six people. There were very few people in the flat boats [that] had ever been through or knew anything of the passage of Hell Gate. This made the danger much the greater.”

Captain George Harris (grenadier company, 5th Regiment of Foot) also had a close call:

“the point of an island… divides the river into two rapid streams, and causes a very dangerous whirlpool…. through the ignorance of our pilot, we were on the edge of the pool… too late to avoid the suction, and found ourselves, circle after circle, attracted to the centre, in spite of all our efforts, till at last the boatmen were on the point of quitting their oars, despairing of escape, when, animated I suppose by the love of life, I began to storm at them for their cowardice, and made them stick to their oars. We at length perceived that we made progress, and emerged from the whirlpool, escaping without other accident than the dislocation of a man's wrist”.

Lieutenant-General Henry Clinton had much praise for Vice Admiral Richard Howe and his fellow Royal Navy officers for getting the army through Hell Gate “almost miraculously” despite the heavy fog and treacherous waters. He added:

“About eight o’clock we arrived off Frog’s Point, where we found a frigate stationed to cover our embarkations. A few rebels made their appearance as we approached the shore; but some scattering shots soon dispersed them, and the landing was effected without loss.”

Two watercourses lay between Throg’s Neck and the American army: Westchester Creek and the Bronx River. Securing the passage over Westchester Creek was especially important as a single bridge over this creek provided the only good route inland. Therefore, according to Clinton, “As soon as the troops could be formed, we pushed for Westchester Bridge in hopes of securing it.”

The area nearest Throg’s Neck was defended by Colonel Edward Hand’s brigade of Pennsylvanians (this included Hand’s own 1st Continental Regiment, Colonel Henry Haller’s Berks County Regiment, and Colonel James Cunningham’s 1st Lancaster County Regiment; see footnote).

Major-General William Heath had previously stationed “25 picked men” from Hand’s brigade to watch over the Westchester Creek bridge at all times, “and, in case the enemy made a landing… to take up the planks of the bridge”.

The men quickly performed their duty, and when the head of the British column appeared, they “commenced a firing with their rifles.”

Clinton lamented: “the enemy had been too quick for us”.

The British then attempted to bypass the wrecked bridge and cross at the head of Westchester Creek. However, according to Heath, they “found here also the Americans in possession of the pass.”

Both sides called up reinforcements.

Situation of the British and American armies on October 12, 1776 (click to enlarge).

Throg's Neck area circa 1781. The map shows the solitary road leading inland from Throg's Neck, which crossed Westchester Creek. Colonel Edward Hand’s brigade had its headquarters at DeLancey's Mills on the Bronx River, but a detachment carefully guarded the Westchester Creek bridge. The town of West Chester was a short distance west of the bridge.

The site of the British landing on October 12th; from a map by Charles Blaskowitz.

Heath stated that “he immediately ordered Colonel Prescott, the hero of Bunker Hill, with his regiment, and Captain-Lieutenant Bryant of the artillery, with a 3 pounder, to reinforce the riflemen at West Chester causeway [i.e., the bridge]; and Colonel Graham of the New-York line, with his [militia] regiment, and Lieutenant Jackson of the artillery, with a 6 pounder, to reinforce at the head of the creek; all of which was promptly done, to the check and disappointment of the enemy.”

Captain-Lieutenant Archibald Robertson (Royal Engineers) wrote that “the [British] guns were taken forward to the bridge, 16 pieces” but no attempt was made to take either pass by force. Instead, he wrote, “we were ordered to encamp.” He noted that the remainder of the day was punctuated by “popping shots across the water.”

George Washington arrived in person to examine the situation of the British army. He later wrote that Throg’s Neck “is a kind of island” although “the water that surrounds it is fordable at low tide.” However, he was pleased to find that “The grounds from Frog's Point are strong and defensible, being full of stone fences, both along the road and across the adjacent fields, which will render it difficult for artillery, or indeed a large body of foot, to advance in any regular order, except through the main road.” He then ordered fortifications erected to guard the road and the pass at the head of the creek. He noted that “Our men, who are posted on the passes, seemed to be in good spirits”.

These fortifications, according to Hessian Major Carl Leopold Baurmeister, soon made “everything still more unapproachable.” At the same time, the Americans “cannonaded the camp of the 71st Regiment, which lost six killed and three wounded.” He claimed that “If the rebels had accurately aimed their guns, the balls of which flew over English headquarters, they could have annihilated the Guards and the 33rd Regiment in the reserve.”