the North Castle district, and have finally retired, with the greatest part of their forces, behind the Croton River, whereby the communication was open from York Island with the continent, by King's Bridge.

There is a story currently told, that when General Heister was upbraided with the loss of the Hessian brigade at Trenton, and asked how he came to trust it to such a drunken fellow as Raille, the reply made was, "Sir, if you will tell me why you would not make an end of the war at White Plains, I will then give you an answer."

Heister is dead, and I do not warrant the truth of this story: but the hearing of it led me to read over the General's account of this affair. It sets out with telling us "The very strong positions the enemy had taken on this island (of New York) and fortified with incredible labour, determined me to get upon their principal communication with Connecticut, with a view of forcing them to quit the strongholds in the neighborhood of King's Bridge and if possible, to bring them to action."

The map, or any inhabitant of New York, will inform the reader that the principal road of communication between King's Bridge and Connecticut is through New Rochelle. That the whole tract of land south and southwest of Rochelle forms a peninsula, shut up on three sides by the North River and an arm of the sea called the East River. That there were only two roads by which the rebels at King's Bridge could escape out of this peninsula; the one due north towards Canada, and the other northeast through Rochelle towards Connecticut. That White Plains lies out of this peninsula, a few miles to the northward; and that Frog's Neck is a point of land at the bottom of this peninsula, forming the southeast corner of it.

And every one must understand by these expressions, that the General meant to avail himself of the benefit of the fleet, and land at the back of the rebels upon the Connecticut road, and attack them as soon as he could. This was certainly a very wise and just measure, and so obvious an one that many people wondered he did not pursue it above a month before, when the army lay encamped at Newtown, in Long Island. He might from thence have avoided the dangerous navigation of Hell Gate, and by landing at Rochelle and taking post between that and the North River, have shut up the whole rebel army.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CONDUCT OF SIR WILLIAM HOWE***

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